Dietary supplements and fatigue in patients with breast cancer: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is defined as a distressing, persistent, and subjective sense of physical or emotional and/or cognitive exhaustion. The treatment of CRF includes pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies; dietary strategies with promising results have also been used. This study aimed to identify dietary supplements that improve fatigue in patients with breast cancer. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. Data were obtained from PubMed, Scopus, MEDLINE, CENTRAL, and CINAHL databases using the following MeSH terms: breast neoplasms, dietary supplements, diet, and fatigue. In addition, the Google and Google Scholar search engines were used to find grey literature. Methodological quality was evaluated using the risk of bias in randomised clinical trials in the systematic Cochrane reviews, and the quality of the evidence was also analysed using the GRADE system. RESULTS: A total of 893 studies were assessed, of which eight were included in the review, with 932 women diagnosed with breast cancer. The most commonly used supplements that improve fatigue were guarana, acetyl-L-carnitine, and co-enzyme Q10. Two studies had a low risk of bias in all categories and three had high-quality evidence. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary supplements or diet patterns are seldom used to treat fatigue in patients with breast cancer. The results of this review showed that guarana extract and a diet rich in whole foods, omega-3 fatty acids, fruits, and vegetables could be used to treat CRF in patients with breast cancer. The studies had a low risk of bias with high-quality evidence on the efficacy of the interventions in treating fatigue in the study population.

Self-efficacy and fear avoidance beliefs in chronic low back pain patients: coexistence and associated factors.

A cross sectional study was conducted with the objective to assess the coexistence of self-efficacy and fear avoidance beliefs and establish the associated factors. Data collection was performed (215 individuals with lower back pain at three health services and two industries). The following instruments were used: Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia, Beck's Depression Inventory, Piper's Fatigue Scale, Oswestry Disability Index, and the Chronic Pain Self-Efficacy Scale. Wilks' lambda test was performed, followed by MANOVA model to assess the effect of self-efficacy beliefs and fear avoidance on independent variables. Most subjects were women (65.1%), 45 years of age or younger (50.7%), with a family income between $450 and $1,350 per month (49.3%). Depression was present in 21.4%, fatigue in 29.3%, and disability in 68%. The average (standard deviation) of self-efficacy was 180.8 (60.4), and fear avoidance was 42.0 (11.5). A significant negative correlation was observed between the total score of both beliefs. The Wilks' lambda test showed that gender, income, depression, disability, and fatigue were significant and were included in the model. In the Manova analysis, low self-efficacy was associated with lower income, fatigue, depression, and level of disability (p < .001). High fear avoidance was associated to the male gender, lower income, depression, and level of disability (p < .001). The analysis of the confidence areas showed that a reduced self-efficacy and increased fear avoidance are related to an increased level of disability (p < .001). Specific intervention strategies must be implemented change these beliefs.

Prevalence, characteristics, and factors associated with chronic pain with and without neuropathic characteristics in São Luís, Brazil.

CONTEXT: Chronic pain (CP) with and without neuropathic characteristics is a public health problem. This is the first population-based study in South America, and the third in the world, to use the Douleur Neuropathique 4 Questions (DN4) tool in epidemiologic studies. OBJECTIVES: The objectives were to estimate the prevalence and associated factors of CP with and without neuropathic characteristics in São Luís, Brazil. METHODS: We surveyed 1597 people. The DN4 questionnaire was applied. Poisson regression was used to analyze the risk factors. RESULTS: The prevalence of CP was 42%, and 10% had CP with neuropathic characteristics (CPNC). The results showed that female sex and age ≥30 years were associated with an increased prevalence of CP (P<0.001) and education ≥12 years with a reduction in the prevalence of CP. The sensations listed in the DN4 were more common in people with CPNC and most frequent were pins and needles (87.9%). The cephalic region (36%) and limbs (51%) were the locations most affected. Most respondents felt pain between six months and four years (51.6%), with daily frequency (45%). Pain intensity, the impediments caused by pain, and sadness were more prevalent in people who had CPNC (P<0.001). Health status was regular for most, 50.9% did not know the cause of their pain, 64.1% used drugs, and only 7% had consulted with a pain specialist. Dissatisfaction with treatment was reported by 55%. CONCLUSION: CP with and without neuropathic characteristics is a public health problem in Brazil, with high prevalence and great influence on people's daily lives.