Is a verification phase useful for confirming maximal oxygen uptake in apparently healthy adults? A systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundThe 'verification phase' has emerged as a supplementary procedure to traditional maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) criteria to confirm that the highest possible VO2 has been attained during a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET).ObjectiveTo compare the highest VO2 responses observed in different verification phase procedures with their preceding CPET for confirmation that VO2max was likely attained.MethodsMEDLINE (accessed through PubMed), Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, and Cochrane (accessed through Wiley) were searched for relevant studies that involved apparently healthy adults, VO2max determination by indirect calorimetry, and a CPET on a cycle ergometer or treadmill that incorporated an appended verification phase. RevMan 5.3 software was used to analyze the pooled effect of the CPET and verification phase on the highest mean VO2. Meta-analysis effect size calculations incorporated random-effects assumptions due to the diversity of experimental protocols employed. I2 was calculated to determine the heterogeneity of VO2 responses, and a funnel plot was used to check the risk of bias, within the mean VO2 responses from the primary studies. Subgroup analyses were used to test the moderator effects of sex, cardiorespiratory fitness, exercise modality, CPET protocol, and verification phase protocol.ResultsEighty studies were included in the systematic review (total sample of 1,680 participants; 473 women; age 19-68 yr.; VO2max 3.3 ± 1.4 L/min or 46.9 ± 12.1 mL·kg-1·min-1). The highest mean VO2 values attained in the CPET and verification phase were similar in the 54 studies that were meta-analyzed (mean difference = 0.03 [95% CI = -0.01 to 0.06] L/min, P = 0.15). Furthermore, the difference between the CPET and verification phase was not affected by any of the potential moderators such as verification phase intensity (P = 0.11), type of recovery utilized (P = 0.36), VO2max verification criterion adoption (P = 0.29), same or alternate day verification procedure (P = 0.21), verification-phase duration (P = 0.35), or even according to sex, cardiorespiratory fitness level, exercise modality, and CPET protocol (P = 0.18 to P = 0.71). The funnel plot indicated that there was no significant publication bias.ConclusionsThe verification phase seems a robust procedure to confirm that the highest possible VO2 has been attained during a ramp or continuous step-incremented CPET. However, given the high concordance between the highest mean VO2 achieved in the CPET and verification phase, findings from the current study would question its necessity in all testing circumstances.Prospero registration idCRD42019123540

Acute effects of mixed circuit training on hemodynamic and cardiac autonomic control in chronic hemiparetic stroke patients: a randomized controlled crossover trial

Objectives: To investigate whether a single bout of mixed circuit training (MCT) can elicit acute blood pressure (BP) reduction in chronic hemiparetic stroke patients, a phenomenon also known as post-exercise hypotension (PEH). Methods: Seven participants (58 ± 12 years) performed a non-exercise control session (CTL) and a single bout of MCT on separate days and in a randomized counterbalanced order. The MCT included 10 exercises with 3 sets of 15-repetition maximum per exercise, with each set interspersed with 45 s of walking. Systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure, mean arterial pressure (MAP), cardiac output (Q), systemic vascular resistance (SVR), baroreflex sensitivity (BRS), and heart rate variability (HRV) were assessed 10 min before and 40 min after CTL and MCT. BP and HRV were also measured during an ambulatory 24-h recovery period. Results: Compared to CTL, SBP (∆-22%), DBP (∆-28%), SVR (∆-43%), BRS (∆-63%), and parasympathetic activity (HF; high-frequency component: ∆-63%) were reduced during 40 min post-MCT (p < 0.05), while Q (∆35%), sympathetic activity (LF; low-frequency component: ∆139%) and sympathovagal balance (LF:HF ratio: ∆145%) were higher (p < 0.001). In the first 10 h of ambulatory assessment, SBP (∆-7%), MAP (∆-6%), and HF (∆-26%) remained lowered, and LF (∆11%) and LF:HF ratio (∆13%) remained elevated post-MCT vs. CTL (p < 0.05). Conclusion: A single bout of MCT elicited prolonged PEH in chronic hemiparetic stroke patients. This occurred concurrently with increased sympathovagal balance and lowered SVR, suggesting vasodilation capacity is a major determinant of PEH in these patients. This clinical trial was registered in the Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry (RBR-5dn5zd), available at https://ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/rg/RBR-5dn5zd. Clinical Trial Registration: https://ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/rg/RBR-5dn5zd, identifier RBR-5dn5z

Madelung's disease: combined surgical approach of lipectomy and liposuction

Introduction: Craniofacial anomalies are usually identified by their appearance. Over time, several scales and classifications were proposed based on clinical and anatomical aspects. In 1976, Tessier made an association between soft tissue and underlying bone. With this concept, he created a numeral system starting from the clockwise orbit of 0 - which he called the zero line, a vertical line of the face - to 14. Rare and with multiple presentations, its conduction is a challenge even for more experienced professionals. Case Report: Female patient who underwent open structured rhinoplasty at the age of 15 to correct a bifid nose, using costal cartilage and the tongue-in-groove technique. Discussion: Bifid nose is one of the main presentations of cleft 0. Structured open rhinoplasty has already been successfully applied in other studies, and the tongue-in-groove technique is especially useful for the projection and rotation of the nasal tip.Conclusion: Craniofacial anomalies vary in their presentations, and it is up to the plastic surgeon to identify the problems and propose therapeutic solutions that alleviate these changes. Their treatment will require a thorough preoperative assessment, careful surgical planning, and meticulous surgical technique

Panorama da tuberculose pulmonar nos municípios prioritários no Estado do Pará, Brasil, no período de 2013 a 2017 / Overview of pulmonary tuberculosis in priority municipalities in the State of Pará, Brazil, from 2013 to 2017

A tuberculose pulmonar é protagonista no cenário global, acometendo um terço da população mundial. O Brasil, apesar da redução do número de casos nos últimos anos, ainda está entre as 22 nações com a mais alta carga de tuberculose no mundo. A doença possui notificação compulsória e é associada a condições precárias de vida que afetam a susceptibilidade mundial. No cenário nacional, a incidência no Estado do Pará é acima da média, sendo necessário um maior conhecimento da doença. Assim, o Programa Nacional de Controle da Tuberculose identificou 7 municípios prioritários no estado do Pará: Abaetetuba, Ananindeua, Belém, Bragança, Castanhal, Marituba e Santarém. Dessa forma, o presente estudo teve como objetivo estabelecer o panorama da tuberculose pulmonar nos municípios prioritários no estado do Pará no período de 2013-2017 de forma retrospectiva, ecológica e quantitativa. Foram usados casos notificados de TB no Banco de Dados do Departamento de Informática do Sistema Único de Saúde do Brasil (DATASUS), cruzando os com variáveis como faixa etária, raça, sexo, tipo de entrada, existência de confirmação laboratorial e encerramento. A maioria dos resultados concordou com demais estudos, a maior parte dos casos foram notificados na capital (68,74%), os jovens e adultos ativos (46,4%) foram a faixa etária mais acometida, o sexo masculino (63%) e a raça parda (80,67%) também predominaram. A maioria (67,41%) dos casos foi confirmada laboratorialmente. Os casos novos representaram 85% do tipo de entrada. Apenas 51% dos casos foram curados, apesar de serem maioria, não atingiram a meta de 85% recomendada pelo governo brasileiro e pela OMS, sendo necessários mais investimentos na adesão dos pacientes ao tratamento

Terapêutica disponível para a Doença hepática gordurosa não alcoólica e sua relação com a evolução do diabetes melito tipo 2: uma revisão de literatura / Available therapy for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and its relationship with the evolution of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a literature review

INTRODUÇÃO: A doença hepática gordurosa não alcoólica (DHGNA) é uma das principais causas de insuficiência hepática, hepatocarcinoma e transplante de fígado. Devido aos eventos que levam à sua evolução, torna-se essencial elucidar seus fatores de risco, a fim de instituir a prevenção de suas complicações. Um importante fator conhecido é o Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2 (DM2) e, portanto, o objetivo deste artigo é discutir a correlação entre DHGNA e DM2 e seus tratamentos. RESULTADOS: A análise das informações demonstrou a diabetes como o principal fator de risco para o desenvolvimento da DHGNA e se estabeleceu como a melhor terapêutica disponível a perda de peso e o uso de tiazolidinedionas. DISCUSSÃO: A resistência insulínica e a DHGNA estão bidirecionalmente relacionadas. Dessa forma, a perda de peso e o uso de antidiabéticos são as principais formas encontradas para que haja um melhor prognóstico para o paciente. CONCLUSÃO: O diagnóstico precoce da DHGNA é imprescindível, objetivando estabelecer a melhor conduta clínica frente ao paciente. A detecção dos fatores de risco é indispensável para que se saiba indicar o tratamento ideal, entre os quais se destacam a perda de peso e o uso de antidiabéticos orais

Análise da eficácia da Tirzepatida como agente terapêutico para perda de peso em pacientes com Obesidade

A obesidade e o diabetes são doenças crônicas que afetam milhões de pessoas em todo o mundo, sendo consideradas epidemias crescentes. O tratamento da obesidade envolve uma abordagem multifacetada, incluindo mudanças no estilo de vida e intervenções farmacológicas. Nesse contexto, a tirzepatida, uma terapia combinada de dois medicamentos que atuam em diferentes vias metabólicas para reduzir o apetite e promover a perda de peso em pacientes com obesidade, tem se destacado como uma opção terapêutica promissora. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a eficácia e segurança da tirzepatida como agente terapêutico para perda de peso em pacientes com obesidade. Para isso, foram selecionados quatro artigos que avaliaram o uso da tirzepatida em pacientes com obesidade, publicados entre 2018 e 2023, nas bases de dados PubMed (Medline), Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) e Cochrane Library. Os resultados indicam que a tirzepatida é uma terapia promissora e segura para perda de peso em pacientes com obesidade. Todos os estudos relataram perda de peso significativa em pacientes tratados com essa terapia, variando de 8,6% a 16,0% do peso corporal inicial. Além disso, a tirzepatida também apresentou efeitos benéficos em outros parâmetros metabólicos, como redução da glicemia e melhora da função hepática. Efeitos adversos foram relatados em menor frequência e gravidade em comparação com outras terapias para perda de peso. Em resumo, a tirzepatida é uma terapia combinada de dois medicamentos que tem demonstrado eficácia e segurança para a perda de peso em pacientes com obesidade, de acordo com os resultados de quatro estudos avaliados nesta pesquisa. Essa terapia pode ser uma opção terapêutica válida para pacientes com obesidade. No entanto, é importante destacar a necessidade de mais pesquisas para avaliar sua eficácia e segurança a longo prazo e sua aplicabilidade em diferentes populações. Portanto, é fundamental que o tratamento seja realizado com acompanhamento médico e que cada caso seja avaliado individualmente

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Height and body-mass index trajectories of school-aged children and adolescents from 1985 to 2019 in 200 countries and territories: a pooled analysis of 2181 population-based studies with 65 million participants

Summary Background Comparable global data on health and nutrition of school-aged children and adolescents are scarce. We aimed to estimate age trajectories and time trends in mean height and mean body-mass index (BMI), which measures weight gain beyond what is expected from height gain, for school-aged children and adolescents. Methods For this pooled analysis, we used a database of cardiometabolic risk factors collated by the Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factor Collaboration. We applied a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends from 1985 to 2019 in mean height and mean BMI in 1-year age groups for ages 5–19 years. The model allowed for non-linear changes over time in mean height and mean BMI and for non-linear changes with age of children and adolescents, including periods of rapid growth during adolescence. Findings We pooled data from 2181 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight in 65 million participants in 200 countries and territories. In 2019, we estimated a difference of 20 cm or higher in mean height of 19-year-old adolescents between countries with the tallest populations (the Netherlands, Montenegro, Estonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina for boys; and the Netherlands, Montenegro, Denmark, and Iceland for girls) and those with the shortest populations (Timor-Leste, Laos, Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea for boys; and Guatemala, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Timor-Leste for girls). In the same year, the difference between the highest mean BMI (in Pacific island countries, Kuwait, Bahrain, The Bahamas, Chile, the USA, and New Zealand for both boys and girls and in South Africa for girls) and lowest mean BMI (in India, Bangladesh, Timor-Leste, Ethiopia, and Chad for boys and girls; and in Japan and Romania for girls) was approximately 9–10 kg/m2. In some countries, children aged 5 years started with healthier height or BMI than the global median and, in some cases, as healthy as the best performing countries, but they became progressively less healthy compared with their comparators as they grew older by not growing as tall (eg, boys in Austria and Barbados, and girls in Belgium and Puerto Rico) or gaining too much weight for their height (eg, girls and boys in Kuwait, Bahrain, Fiji, Jamaica, and Mexico; and girls in South Africa and New Zealand). In other countries, growing children overtook the height of their comparators (eg, Latvia, Czech Republic, Morocco, and Iran) or curbed their weight gain (eg, Italy, France, and Croatia) in late childhood and adolescence. When changes in both height and BMI were considered, girls in South Korea, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and some central Asian countries (eg, Armenia and Azerbaijan), and boys in central and western Europe (eg, Portugal, Denmark, Poland, and Montenegro) had the healthiest changes in anthropometric status over the past 3·5 decades because, compared with children and adolescents in other countries, they had a much larger gain in height than they did in BMI. The unhealthiest changes—gaining too little height, too much weight for their height compared with children in other countries, or both—occurred in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, New Zealand, and the USA for boys and girls; in Malaysia and some Pacific island nations for boys; and in Mexico for girls. Interpretation The height and BMI trajectories over age and time of school-aged children and adolescents are highly variable across countries, which indicates heterogeneous nutritional quality and lifelong health advantages and risks