Quality of life in elderly with dizziness

Dizziness is frequent in elderly people. AIMS: To evaluate the Quality of Life (QoL) in elderly subjects with dizziness, relate it with gender and age. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A prospective study comprising 120 elderly patients with dizziness evaluated with Brazilian versions of the Whoqol-bref and the dizziness handicap inventory (DHI). The factor analysis (FA), the Mann Whitney and Kruskal Wallis tests, and the Spearman correlation were applied to study the results. RESULTS: The most compromised domains were the DHI physical domain and the Whoqol-bref physical and environment domains. FA resulted in 3 factors in the DHI and 5 factors in the Whoqol-bref. There was a moderate correlation (-0.596) in the total scores of both instruments. Males had a better QoL in the environment perception and introspectivity and health perception factors of the Whoqol-bref test. Females had a better QoL in the functionality perception factor of the Whoqol-bref test. There were no significant age differences. CONCLUSIONS: Elderly patients with dizziness have a worse QoL. Elderly females with dizziness have worse QoL scores in environment perception and introspectivity and health perception and better QoL in the functionality perception factor compared to elderly males.Tontura é muito frequente em idosos. OBJETIVOS: Avaliar a qualidade de vida (QV) em idosos vestibulopatas e relacioná-la com o gênero e a faixa etária. MATERIAL E MÉTODO: Estudo prospectivo que incluiu série de 120 casos de idosos com tontura que foram avaliados por meio das versões brasileiras dos questionários Whoqol-bref e Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI). Os resultados obtidos foram submetidos à Análise Fatorial (AF) e aos testes de Mann Whitney, Kruskal Wallis e correlação de Spearman. RESULTADOS: O domínio físico avaliado pelo DHI, e o físico e o ambiental do Whoqol-bref foram os mais comprometidos. A AF resultou em 3 fatores no DHI e 5 no Whoqol-bref: Houve moderada correlação (-0,596) entre o escore total de ambos os instrumentos. Os homens apresentaram melhor QV nos fatores percepção ambiental e introspectividade e percepção da saúde do Whoqol-bref. As idosas obtiveram melhor QV no fator percepção da funcionalidade do Whoqol-bref. Não houve diferenças significantes entre os fatores dos dois instrumentos por faixa etária. CONCLUSÕES: Idosos vestibulopatas apresentam QV prejudicada. As idosas vestibulopatas apresentam pior QV em relação aos fatores percepção ambiental e introspectividade e percepção da saúde e melhor QV em relação ao fator percepção da funcionalidade que os homens.UNIFESP-EPMUNIBAN Programa de Mestrado em Reabilitação do Equilíbrio Corporal e Inclusão SocialUNIFESP-EPM Departamento de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia de Cabeça e PescoçoUNIFESP, EPM, Depto. de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia de Cabeça e PescoçoSciEL

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Quality of life in elderly with dizziness

Dizziness is frequent in elderly people. Aims: To evaluate the Quality of Life (QoL) in elderly subjects with dizziness, relate it with gender and age. Material and Method: A prospective study comprising 120 elderly patients with dizziness evaluated with Brazilian versions of the Whoqol-bref and the dizziness handicap inventory (DHI). The factor analysis (FA), the Mann Whitney and Kruskal Wallis tests, and the Spearman correlation were applied to study the results. Results: The most compromised domains were the DHI physical domain and the Whoqol-bref physical and environment domains. FA resulted in 3 factors in the DHI and 5 factors in the Whoqol-bref. There was a moderate correlation (-0.596) in the total scores of both instruments. Males had a better QoL in the ""environment perception and introspectivity"" and ""health perception"" factors of the Whoqol-bref test. Females had a better QoL in the ""functionality perception"" factor of the Whoqol-bref test. There were no significant age differences. Conclusions: Elderly patients with dizziness have a worse QoL. Elderly females with dizziness have worse QoL scores in ""environment perception and introspectivity"" and ""health perception"" and better QoL in the ""functionality perception"" factor compared to elderly males