Quality of sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness among medical students in a Brazilian private university.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess medical students' quality of sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness in different graduation cycles. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out at a private university in Maceió, Brazil, from August 2021 to March 2022. The sample was composed of medical students aged 18 years and above from years 1-2 (basic cycle), 3-4 (clinical cycle), and 5-6 (internship) of Medical School who were invited to answer two validated questionnaires: the Pittsburgh Sleeping Quality Index and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. RESULTS: A total of 179 students participated; most of them were female (78.2%), aged 19-25 years (73.7%), and with a body mass index<25 kg/m2 (73.7%), with smaller participation from students from the basic cycle (21.2%). Analyzing the Pittsburgh Sleeping Quality Index, 55.9% of the students were classified as having poor sleep quality, with no difference in sleep category between gender, age, body mass index, and graduation cycle. Students with a body mass index of ≥25 kg/m2 had longer sleep latency (p=0.016) and shorter sleep duration (p=0.027). The Epworth Sleepiness Scale assessment showed that 44.1% of the students exhibit daytime sleepiness. Women had more daytime sleepiness than men (p=0.017), with no difference between age, body mass index, and graduation cycle. CONCLUSION: About half of the medical students experience poor sleep quality and daytime sleepiness, regardless of the graduation cycle. This should trigger a targeted institutional intervention to promote better mental and physical health, as well as sleep hygiene, to reduce future health issues.

Epidemiological profile of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus treated at a teaching-assistance unit in Northeast Brazil / Perfil Epidemiológico dos pacientes com diabetes tipo 2 atendidos em uma unidade docente-assistencial no nordeste brasileiro

Objective: To determine the epidemiological profile of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in a teaching unit. Method: In this observational, cross-sectional, and descriptive study, data from the medical records of consultations conducted between February 2020 and May 2022 at an endocrinology outpatient clinic in a teaching unit in Northeast Brazil were evaluated. A descriptive analysis of the data was performed, with percentage values, medians, and interquartile ranges (IQRs) reported. Result: Data were collected from the medical records of 118 patients, and the medical records of 95 patients were used for statistical analysis after the exclusion of records with insufficient data. Seventy patients (73.6%) were female, with a median age of 57 years (IQR 51.5-65), a median body mass index (BMI) of 28.9 kg/m2 (IQR 25.7-33.1) and a median age at diagnosis of 47.5 years (IQR 38-55). The median glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and fasting blood glucose levels during follow-up were 7.6% (IQR 6.6-9.7) and 132.8 mg/dL (IQR 113.5-201.7), respectively, and only 36.8% (n=35) of patients were within their HbA1C therapeutic target range. Approximately 73.6% (n=70) of the patients used statins, but only 18 (18.9%) had LDL-c within their therapeutic target range. Twenty-seven patients (28.4%) had kidney dysfunction, either albuminuria or a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) reduction, and 6 of them (22.2%) did not use any nephroprotective medication. Fewer than half of the patients underwent fundoscopy, and 32.5% of them showed some degree of retinopathy. Neuropathy was present in 33 patients (34.7%), with 3 patients (3.16%) presenting with amputations. Conclusion: Adequate glycemic control was achieved in just under half of the patients, and a relevant proportion of patients experienced microvascular complications. Strategies for the early detection of complications and more aggressive treatment of the disease and its comorbidities are necessary

Objetivo: Traçar o perfil epidemiológico de pacientes com Diabetes Tipo 2 de uma unidade docente-assistencial. Método: Estudo observacional, transversal e descritivo com dados de prontuário de consultas realizadas entre fevereiro de 2020 e maio de 2022 no ambulatório de endocrinologia de uma unidade docente-assistencial no nordeste brasileiro. Procedeu-se à análise descritiva dos dados, sendo informados os valores percentuais, mediana e intervalo interquartil. Resultado: De um total de 118 prontuários, foram analisados 95 pacientes após a exclusão daqueles com dados insuficientes. Destes, 73,6% (n=70) são do sexo feminino, com idade mediana de 57 anos (IIQ 51,5-65), mediana do IMC 28,9kg/m2 (IIQ 25,7-33,1) e idade ao diagnóstico de 47,5 anos (IIQ 38-55). As medianas da última HbA1C e glicemia em jejum foram 7,6% (IIQ 6,6-9,7) e 132,8 mg/dL (IIQ 113,5- 201,7), e apenas 36,8% (n=35) foram classificados como dentro da meta pela HbA1C. Cerca de 73,6% (n=70) dos pacientes utilizavam estatinas, mas somente 18 (18,9%) tinham LDL-c dentro da meta terapêutica. Vinte e sete pacientes (28,4%) apresentavam disfunção renal, seja albuminúria e/ou redução da TFG, e 6 (22,2%) não usavam nenhuma medicação nefroprotetora. Menos da metade dos pacientes realizou fundoscopia, e, destes, 32,5% apresentavam algum grau de retinopatia. Neuropatia está presente em 33 pacientes (34,7%), com 3 pacientes (3,16%) apresentando amputações. Conclusão: O controle glicêmico adequado foi obtido em pouco menos da metade dos pacientes e uma proporção relevante apresenta complicações microvasculares. Estratégias de detecção precoce de complicações e de tratamento mais agressivo da doença e suas comorbidades são necessárias

Quality of sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness among medical students in a Brazilian private university

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess medical students' quality of sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness in different graduation cycles. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out at a private university in Maceió, Brazil, from August 2021 to March 2022. The sample was composed of medical students aged 18 years and above from years 1-2 (basic cycle), 3-4 (clinical cycle), and 5-6 (internship) of Medical School who were invited to answer two validated questionnaires: the Pittsburgh Sleeping Quality Index and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. RESULTS: A total of 179 students participated; most of them were female (78.2%), aged 19-25 years (73.7%), and with a body mass index<25 kg/m2 (73.7%), with smaller participation from students from the basic cycle (21.2%). Analyzing the Pittsburgh Sleeping Quality Index, 55.9% of the students were classified as having poor sleep quality, with no difference in sleep category between gender, age, body mass index, and graduation cycle. Students with a body mass index of ≥25 kg/m2 had longer sleep latency (p=0.016) and shorter sleep duration (p=0.027). The Epworth Sleepiness Scale assessment showed that 44.1% of the students exhibit daytime sleepiness. Women had more daytime sleepiness than men (p=0.017), with no difference between age, body mass index, and graduation cycle. CONCLUSION: About half of the medical students experience poor sleep quality and daytime sleepiness, regardless of the graduation cycle. This should trigger a targeted institutional intervention to promote better mental and physical health, as well as sleep hygiene, to reduce future health issues.

Prevalence of reported incidental adrenal findings in chest computerized tomography scans performed during the COVID-19 pandemic in a single center in Northeast Brazil

ABSTRACT Objective: We investigated the prevalence of adrenal incidentalomas (AIs) in a nonselected Brazilian population in chest computed tomography (CT) performed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional observational study using chest CT reports from a tertiary in- and outpatient radiology clinic from March to September 2020. AIs were defined by changes in the shape, size, or density of the gland initially identified in the released report. Individuals with multiple studies were included, and duplicates were removed. Exams with positive findings were reviewed by a single radiologist. Results: A total of 10,329 chest CTs were reviewed, and after duplicate removal, 8,207 exams were included. The median age was 45 years [IQR 35-59 years], and 4,667 (56.8%) were female. Thirty-eight lesions were identified in 36 patients (prevalence 0.44%). A higher prevalence was observed with age, with 94.4% of the findings in patients aged 40 years and over (RR 9.98 IC 2.39-41.58, p 0.002), but there was no significant difference between the sexes. Seventeen lesions (44.7%) had more than 10 HU, and five lesions (12.1%) were more than 4 cm. Conclusions: The prevalence of AIs in an unselected and unreviewed population in a Brazilian clinic is low. The impact on the health system caused by AIs discovered during the pandemic should be small regarding the need for specialized follow-up.

ESR1 polymorphism (rs2234693) influences femoral bone mass in patients with Turner syndrome.

Most patients with Turner syndrome (TS) need hormone replacement therapy because of hypergonadotropic hypogonadism; individual outcomes, however, are highly variable. Our objective was to assess the influence of five estrogen receptor 1 gene (ESR1) polymorphisms (rs543650, rs1038304, rs2046210, rs2234693 and rs9340799) on adult height, breast development, uterine volume and bone mineral density (BMD). We studied 91 TS patients from a tertiary hospital using adult estrogen dose. In our group, ESR1 rs2234693 was associated with femoral neck and total hip BMD, and it accounted for around 10% of BMD variability in both sites (P < 0.01). Patients homozygous for C allele in this polymorphism had significantly lower femoral neck BMD (0.699 ± 0.065 g/cm2 vs 0.822 ± 0.113 g/cm2, P = 0.008) and total hip BMD (0.777 ± 0.118 g/cm2 vs 0.903 ± 0.098 g/cm2, P = 0.009) than patients homozygous for T allele. The other four ESR1 polymorphisms were not able to predict any of the above estrogen therapy outcomes in an isolated manner. Patients homozygous for the haplotype GCG formed by polymorphisms rs543650, rs2234693 and rs9340799 had an even more significantly lower femoral neck BMD (0.666 ± 0.049 vs 0.820 ± 0.105 g/cm2, P = 0.0047) and total hip BMD (0.752 ± 0.093 vs 0.908 ± 0.097 g/cm2, P = 0.0029) than patients homozygous for haplotypes with a T allele in rs2234693. In conclusion, homozygosity for C allele in ESR1 rs2234693 and/or for GCG haplotype appears to be associated with lower femoral neck and total hip BMD. We believe that the identification of polymorphisms related to estrogen outcomes may contribute to individualization of treatment in TS.

Triple A Syndrome: Preliminary Response to the Antioxidant N-Acetylcysteine Treatment in a Child.

INTRODUCTION: Triple A syndrome (AAAS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by alacrima, achalasia, ACTH-resistant adrenal insufficiency, autonomic dysfunction, and progressive neurodegeneration. Increased oxidative stress, demonstrated in patients' fibroblasts in vitro, may be a central disease mechanism. N-acetylcysteine protects renal function in patients with kidney injuries associated with increased oxidative stress and improves viability of AAAS-knockdown adrenal cells in vitro. PATIENT AND RESULTS: A boy diagnosed with AAAS presented with short stature and increased oxidative stress in vivo assessed by increased thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), which are markers of lipid peroxidation, and by the susceptibility of LDL to oxidation and the capacity of HDL to prevent it. A homozygous missense germline mutation (c.523G>T, p.Val175Phe) in AAAS was identified. N-acetylcysteine (600 mg orally, twice daily) decreased oxidative stress but did not change the patient's growth pattern. CONCLUSIONS: An increase in oxidative stress is reported for the first time in vivo in an AAAS patient. N-acetylcysteine was capable of decreasing TBARS levels, reducing the susceptibility of LDL to oxidation and improving the antioxidant role of HDL. The long-term effect of antioxidant treatment should be evaluated to determine the real benefit for the prevention of the degenerative process in AAAS.

Retraction Note: Fatal factitious Cushing syndrome (Münchhausen's syndrome) in a patient with macroprolactinoma and silent corticotrophinoma: case report and literature review.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1186/s40842-015-0002-8.].