Table_1_Brazilian Reference Percentiles for Bioimpedance Phase Angle of Healthy Individuals.XLSX

ObjectivesThe present study was designed to estimate phase angle percentile curves for a broad age range of healthy individuals.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional study of healthy Brazilian individuals aged five to 80. InBodyS10 was used to assess phase angle. Reference curves were stratified by sex and estimated using Generalized additive models for location, scale, and shape as a continuous function of age. The phase angle determinants analyzed were physical activity, age, BMI, and SES variables.ResultsData were analyzed from 2,146 individuals, 1,189 (55.2%) of whom were female. In both sexes, the phase angles showed a similar pattern (an increasing trend from childhood to the teenage phase, followed by stabilization during adult ages and a decrease in old adults). In female, the relationship between phase angle and age were associated with BMI and family income. In the male, the relationship between phase angle and age were associated with skin color and family income.ConclusionsTo the best of our knowledge, it is the first attempt to apply the GAMLSS technique to estimate phase angle percentiles in a healthy population covering most of the life cycle. We also showed that there are different phase angle determinants according to sex.</p

Whole-body magnetic resonance imaging for the diagnosis of metastasis in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (WB-MRI) is a noninvasive imaging method that can be used to diagnose and stage tumors, as well as to assess therapeutic responses in oncology. The objective of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the accuracy of WB-MRI for the diagnosis of metastases in pediatric patients. The following electronic databases were searched: Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scientific Electronic Library Online, Latin-American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov. All of the selected studies included children and adolescents with histopathological confirmation of a primary tumor. Collectively, the studies included 118 patients ranging in age from 7 months to 19 years. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of WB-MRI were, respectively, 0.964 (95% CI: 0.944-0.978; I2 = 0%) and 0.902 (95% CI: 0.882-0.919; I2 = 98.4%), with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.991. We found that WB-MRI had good accuracy for the diagnosis of metastases in pediatric patients and could therefore provide an alternative to complete the staging of tumors in such patients, being a safer option because it does not involve the use of ionizing radiation.</div

Global, regional, and national stillbirths at 20 weeks' gestation or longer in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2021: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background: Stillbirth is a devastating and often avoidable adverse pregnancy outcome. Monitoring stillbirth levels and trends—in a comprehensive manner that leaves no one uncounted—is imperative for continuing progress in pregnancy loss reduction. This analysis, completed as part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021, methodically accounted for different stillbirth definitions with the aim of comprehensively estimating all stillbirths at 20 weeks or longer for 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2021. Methods: We extracted data on stillbirths from 11 412 sources across 185 of 204 countries and territories, including 234 surveys, 231 published studies, 1633 vital statistics reports, and 10 585 unique location-year combinations from vital registration systems. Our final dataset comprised 11 different definitions, which were adjusted to match two gestational age thresholds: 20 weeks or longer (reference) and 28 weeks or longer (for comparisons). We modelled the ratio of stillbirth rate to neonatal mortality rate with spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression for each location and year, and then used final GBD 2021 assessments of fertility and all-cause neonatal mortality to calculate total stillbirths. Secondary analyses evaluated the number of stillbirths missed with the more restrictive gestational age definition, trends in stillbirths as a function of Socio-demographic Index, and progress in reducing stillbirths relative to neonatal deaths. Findings: In 2021, the global stillbirth rate was 23·0 (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 19·7–27·2) per 1000 births (stillbirths plus livebirths) at 20 weeks' gestation or longer, compared to 16·1 (13·9–19·0) per 1000 births at 28 weeks' gestation or longer. The global neonatal mortality rate in 2021 was 17·1 (14·8–19·9) per 1000 livebirths, corresponding to 2·19 million (1·90–2·55) neonatal deaths. The estimated number of stillbirths occurring at 20 weeks' gestation or longer decreased from 5·08 million (95% UI 4·07–6·35) in 1990 to 3·04 million (2·61–3·62) in 2021, corresponding to a 39·8% (31·8–48·0) reduction, which lagged behind a global improvement in neonatal deaths of 45·6% (36·3–53·1) for the same period (down from 4·03 million [3·86–4·22] neonatal deaths in 1990). Stillbirths in south Asia and sub-Saharan Africa comprised 77·4% (2·35 million of 3·04 million) of the global total, an increase from 60·3% (3·07 million of 5·08 million) in 1990. In 2021, 0·926 million (0·792–1·10) stillbirths, corresponding to 30·5% of the global total (3·04 million), occurred between 20 weeks' gestation and 28 weeks' gestation, with substantial variation at the country level. Interpretation: Despite the gradual global decline in stillbirths between 1990 and 2021, the overall number of stillbirths remains substantially high. Counting all stillbirths is paramount to progress, as nearly a third—close to 1 million in total—are left uncounted at the 28 weeks or longer threshold. Our findings draw attention to the differential progress in reducing stillbirths, with a high burden concentrated in countries with low development status. Scarce data availability and poor data quality constrain our capacity to precisely account for stillbirths in many locations. Addressing inequities in universal maternal health coverage, strengthening the quality of maternal health care, and improving the robustness of data systems are urgently needed to reduce the global burden of stillbirths. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation