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1.
BMC Med Inform Decis Mak ; 24(1): 95, 2024 Apr 15.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38622703

RESUMEN

This study presents a workflow for identifying and characterizing patients with Heart Failure (HF) and multimorbidity utilizing data from Electronic Health Records. Multimorbidity, the co-occurrence of two or more chronic conditions, poses a significant challenge on healthcare systems. Nonetheless, understanding of patients with multimorbidity, including the most common disease interactions, risk factors, and treatment responses, remains limited, particularly for complex and heterogeneous conditions like HF. We conducted a clustering analysis of 3745 HF patients using demographics, comorbidities, laboratory values, and drug prescriptions. Our analysis revealed four distinct clusters with significant differences in multimorbidity profiles showing differential prognostic implications regarding unplanned hospital admissions. These findings underscore the considerable disease heterogeneity within HF patients and emphasize the potential for improved characterization of patient subgroups for clinical risk stratification through the use of EHR data.


Asunto(s)
Insuficiencia Cardíaca , Multimorbilidad , Humanos , Comorbilidad , Insuficiencia Cardíaca/diagnóstico , Insuficiencia Cardíaca/epidemiología , Análisis por Conglomerados , Enfermedad Crónica
2.
Glycoconj J ; 40(4): 421-433, 2023 08.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37074623

RESUMEN

Expression of sialyl Lewis X (SLeX) is a well-documented event during malignant transformation of cancer cells, and largely associates with their invasive and metastatic properties. Glycoproteins and glycolipids are the main carriers of SLeX, whose biosynthesis is known to be performed by different glycosyltransferases, namely by the family of ß-galactoside-α2,3-sialyltransferases (ST3Gals). In this study, we sought to elucidate the role of ST3GalIV in the biosynthesis of SLeX and in malignant properties of gastrointestinal (GI) cancer cells. By immunofluorescent screening, we selected SLeX-positive GI cancer cell lines and silenced ST3GalIV expression via CRISPR/Cas9. Flow cytometry, immunofluorescence and western blot analysis showed that ST3GalIV KO efficiently impaired SLeX expression in most cancer cell lines, with the exception of the colon cancer cell line LS174T. The impact of ST3GalIV KO in the biosynthesis of SLeX isomer SLeA and non sialylated Lewis X and A were also evaluated and overall, ST3GalIV KO led to a decreased expression of SLeA and an increased expression in both LeX and LeA. In addition, the abrogation of SLeX on GI cancer cells led to a reduction in cell motility. Furthermore, ST3GalVI KO was performed in LS174T ST3GalIV KO cells, resulting in the complete abolishment of SLeX expression and consequent reduced motility capacity of those cells. Overall, these findings portray ST3GalIV as the main, but not the only, enzyme driving the biosynthesis of SLeX in GI cancer cells, with a functional impact on cancer cell motility.


Asunto(s)
Neoplasias del Colon , Humanos , Movimiento Celular , Neoplasias del Colon/genética , Neoplasias del Colon/metabolismo , Glucolípidos , Oligosacáridos/metabolismo , Antígeno Sialil Lewis X
3.
J Biomed Inform ; 140: 104328, 2023 04.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36924843

RESUMEN

In the healthcare sector, resorting to big data and advanced analytics is a great advantage when dealing with complex groups of patients in terms of comorbidities, representing a significant step towards personalized targeting. In this work, we focus on understanding key features and clinical pathways of patients with multimorbidity suffering from Dementia. This disease can result from many heterogeneous factors, potentially becoming more prevalent as the population ages. We present a set of methods that allow us to identify medical appointment patterns within a cohort of 1924 patients followed from January 2007 to August 2021 in Hospital da Luz (Lisbon), and to stratify patients into subgroups that exhibit similar patterns of interaction. With Markov Chains, we are able to identify the most prevailing medical appointments attended by Dementia patients, as well as recurring transitions between these. To perform patient stratification, we applied AliClu, a temporal sequence alignment algorithm for clustering longitudinal clinical data, which allowed us to successfully identify patient subgroups with similar medical appointment activity. A feature analysis per cluster obtained allows the identification of distinct patterns and characteristics. This pipeline provides a tool to identify prevailing clinical pathways of medical appointments within the dataset, as well as the most common transitions between medical specialities within Dementia patients. This methodology, alongside demographic and clinical data, has the potential to provide early signalling of the most likely clinical pathways and serve as a support tool for health providers in deciding the best course of treatment, considering a patient as a whole.


Asunto(s)
Demencia , Multimorbilidad , Humanos , Cadenas de Markov , Comorbilidad , Algoritmos , Demencia/diagnóstico
4.
Fam Pract ; 2023 Nov 24.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38001040

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Multimorbidity management poses significant challenges for general practitioners (GPs). The aim of this study is to analyse the role of resilience and social support on the burden experienced by GPs in managing patients with multiple health conditions in Portugal. METHODS: Cross-sectional quantitative study conducted among GPs in Portugal using an online questionnaire that included validated measurement tools: Questionnaire of Evaluation of Burden of Management of Multimorbidity in General and Family Medicine (SoGeMM-MGF), European Portuguese Version of the Resilience Scale (ER14), and the Oslo Social Support Scale-3 (OSSS-3) in Portuguese. A multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to examine the factors influencing the burden of managing multimorbidity. RESULTS: Two hundred and thirty-nine GPs were included, with 76.6% being female and a median age of 35 years. Most participants were specialists (66.9%) and had less than a decade of experience managing multimorbidity. Over 70% had not received specific training in multimorbidity. Female GPs and those with a higher proportion of multimorbid patients in the registries experienced higher burden levels. A multivariate regression model with moderation revealed that the effect of resilience on burden varied depending on the level of social support. Higher resilience was associated with higher burden in the "Poor Social Support" category, while it was associated with lower burden in the "Moderate Social Support" and "Strong Social Support" categories, although not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights the importance of GPs' social support and resilience in managing the burden of multimorbidity, with poor social support potentially worsening the effects of high resilience.

5.
BMC Public Health ; 22(1): 2341, 2022 12 14.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36517802

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Lifestyle factors are widely recognized as modifiers and major risk factors for non-communicable diseases. Previous studies on the prevalence of multimorbidity in Portugal predict an unfavourable reality. The aim of the present study was to analyse 1) the prevalence of multimorbidity in Portugal and 2) the association of individuals' lifestyles and sociodemographic factors with multimorbidity. METHODS: A cross-sectional, population-wide study was conducted on a representative sample of the general population of Portuguese adults aged ≥ 20 years. Categorical variables were described by their respective absolute and relative frequencies (n (%)). All variables with a p-value < 20% were included in the multiple logistic regression model. The variables were removed one by one in descending order of p-value (p) until the model contained only significant variables. The results are presented using the odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals. P-values ​​ < 5% were considered significant. RESULTS: The prevalence of multimorbidity was 48.9% (n = 436), and the odds of multimorbidity increased 4% (p < 0.001) for each year of increase in age. Participants with reasonable general health status had higher odds of multimorbidity (Odds ratio (OR) = 3.04; p < 0.001), and those with poor or very poor general health status had even higher odds (OR = 9.14; p < 0.001). Compared to those who never smoked, participants who quit smoking ≥ 1 year presented an increase of 91% (p = 0.005) in the odds of multimorbidity. Individuals with no good-quality sleep, non-moderate screen time, or non-moderate stress level had higher odds of multimorbidity (OR = 1.98; OR = 1.88; OR = 2.22, respectively. p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study presented a new approach to multimorbidity in Portugal. Population-based, multidimensional lifestyle interventions are needed. It seems necessary to optimize and adjust measures to prevent non-communicable diseases to improve health in Portugal. In the future, longitudinal studies will be an asset to reinforce and clarify these conclusions.


Asunto(s)
Multimorbilidad , Enfermedades no Transmisibles , Adulto , Humanos , Estudios Transversales , Portugal/epidemiología , Enfermedades no Transmisibles/epidemiología , Factores Sociodemográficos , Estilo de Vida , Prevalencia
6.
BMC Nurs ; 21(1): 188, 2022 Jul 18.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35850892

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic had a large consequence on healthcare systems, increasing the risks of psychological issues in health professionals. Nurses, in particular, have been exposed to multiple psychosocial stressors and struggled with intensive work, insufficiency of resources and uncertainty in the face of an unknown disease. Life satisfaction might protect nurses from the consequences of chronic stress. The aim of this study was to explore the mediating role of satisfaction with life in the relationship between depression, stress, anxiety and burnout (personal, work-related, and client-related). METHODS: A cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational study design was performed, using an online questionnaire distributed via social networks. A total of 379 nurses completed the survey, comprising standardized measures of satisfaction with life, resilience (Resilience Scale), depression, anxiety, stress (Depression Anxiety Stress Scales), and burnout (Copenhagen Burnout Inventory Scale). A hierarchical regression model was estimated for each burnout dimension. RESULTS: Participants showed high levels of work, personal and client-related burnout, 57.3%, 57%, and 35.1%, respectively. More than 70% of the respondents had a normal level of depressive symptoms, 66.8% presented normal level of anxiety and 33.5% of the respondents reported mild, moderate, severe or extremely severe symptoms of stress. The results revealed that life satisfaction partially mediated the association between stress and personal burnout, depression and work-related burnout, and the association between anxiety and client-related burnout in nurses. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic brought added difficulties for nurses' work conditions, whereby it became necessary to develop adaptative measures that reduce stressors in work environment and promote nurses' life satisfaction.

7.
Entropy (Basel) ; 23(11)2021 Oct 29.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34828125

RESUMEN

There is no generally accepted definition for conditional Tsallis entropy. The standard definition of (unconditional) Tsallis entropy depends on a parameter α that converges to the Shannon entropy as α approaches 1. In this paper, we describe three proposed definitions of conditional Tsallis entropy suggested in the literature-their properties are studied and their values, as a function of α, are compared. We also consider another natural proposal for conditional Tsallis entropy and compare it with the existing ones. Lastly, we present an online tool to compute the four conditional Tsallis entropies, given the probability distributions and the value of the parameter α.

8.
Entropy (Basel) ; 23(2)2021 Feb 11.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33670121

RESUMEN

About 160 years ago, the concept of entropy was introduced in thermodynamics by Rudolf Clausius. Since then, it has been continually extended, interpreted, and applied by researchers in many scientific fields, such as general physics, information theory, chaos theory, data mining, and mathematical linguistics. This paper presents The Entropy Universe, which aims to review the many variants of entropies applied to time-series. The purpose is to answer research questions such as: How did each entropy emerge? What is the mathematical definition of each variant of entropy? How are entropies related to each other? What are the most applied scientific fields for each entropy? We describe in-depth the relationship between the most applied entropies in time-series for different scientific fields, establishing bases for researchers to properly choose the variant of entropy most suitable for their data. The number of citations over the past sixteen years of each paper proposing a new entropy was also accessed. The Shannon/differential, the Tsallis, the sample, the permutation, and the approximate entropies were the most cited ones. Based on the ten research areas with the most significant number of records obtained in the Web of Science and Scopus, the areas in which the entropies are more applied are computer science, physics, mathematics, and engineering. The universe of entropies is growing each day, either due to the introducing new variants either due to novel applications. Knowing each entropy's strengths and of limitations is essential to ensure the proper improvement of this research field.

9.
BMC Public Health ; 20(1): 1885, 2020 Dec 07.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33287794

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: During COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers (HCWs) have had high workload and have been exposed to multiple psychosocial stressors. The aim of this study was to evaluate HCWs in terms of the relative contributions of socio-demographic and mental health variables on three burnout dimensions: personal, work-related, and client-related burnout. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed using an online questionnaire spread via social networks. A snowball technique supported by health care institutions and professional organizations was applied. RESULTS: A total of 2008 subjects completed the survey. Gender, parental status, marriage status, and salary reduction were found to be significant factors for personal burnout. Health problems and direct contact with infected people were significantly associated with more susceptibility to high personal and work-related burnout. Frontline working positions were associated with all three dimensions. Higher levels of stress and depression in HCWs were significantly associated with increased levels of all burnout dimensions. Higher levels of satisfaction with life and resilience were significantly associated with lower levels of all burnout dimensions. CONCLUSIONS: All three burnout dimensions were associated with a specific set of covariates. Consideration of these three dimensions is important when designing future burnout prevention programs for HCWs.


Asunto(s)
Agotamiento Profesional/epidemiología , COVID-19/terapia , Personal de Salud/psicología , Pandemias , Adulto , COVID-19/epidemiología , Estudios Transversales , Femenino , Personal de Salud/estadística & datos numéricos , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Portugal/epidemiología , Encuestas y Cuestionarios
10.
J Obstet Gynaecol ; 40(4): 558-563, 2020 May.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31475598

RESUMEN

To characterise patients with abortion in Huambo, Angola, we have undertaken a descriptive, longitudinal, prospective survey. A structured questionnaire was applied to 715 patients. The study variables were grouped in socio-demographic and clinical-epidemiological variables. There were 29.8% women were aged 20-24, 45.6% had primary education, 41.1% were single and 26.9% worked as a non-formal salesperson. Menarche occurred at 16-18 years (55.5%), first sexual intercourse at 13-15 years (40.3%) and 74.8% did not use contraceptive methods. Abortion was of indeterminate type in 84.3% and 79.3% had had a previous abortion. Serious complications occurred in 8.0% with six maternal deaths (0.8%). Age of menarche and age at onset of sexual activity are interdependent variables (p ≤ .001), the earlier menarche appears, the earlier sexual activity begins. When there was a history of abortion, new abortions occurred earlier (p ≤ .001) and were of indeterminate type (89%). Indeterminate induced abortion is influenced by socioeconomic, educational and political conditions and continues to be a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality.Impact statementWhat is already known on this subject? Unsafe abortion contributes greatly to maternal morbidity and mortality, principally in countries with restrictive abortion laws. The relationship between socio-educational level and unwanted pregnancies is consensual.What the results of this study add? Early initiation of sexual activity combined with non-contraception contributes to unwanted pregnancy and consequent unsafe abortion. Most of the women had previously had an abortion.What the implications are of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? It is necessary to develop access to adequate information and family planning to combat unwanted pregnancies. It is also important to evaluate long-term consequences of unsafe abortion.


Asunto(s)
Aborto Inducido , Servicios de Planificación Familiar , Servicios de Salud Reproductiva/normas , Salud de la Mujer , Aborto Inducido/efectos adversos , Aborto Inducido/legislación & jurisprudencia , Aborto Inducido/métodos , Aborto Inducido/mortalidad , Angola/epidemiología , Anticoncepción/estadística & datos numéricos , Servicios de Planificación Familiar/métodos , Servicios de Planificación Familiar/organización & administración , Femenino , Necesidades y Demandas de Servicios de Salud , Humanos , Embarazo , Embarazo no Deseado , Educación Sexual/normas , Factores Socioeconómicos , Salud de la Mujer/economía , Salud de la Mujer/normas , Adulto Joven
11.
Entropy (Basel) ; 22(3)2020 Mar 09.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33286083

RESUMEN

The heart-rate dynamics are one of the most analyzed physiological interactions. Many mathematical methods were proposed to evaluate heart-rate variability. These methods have been successfully applied in research to expand knowledge concerning the cardiovascular dynamics in healthy as well as in pathological conditions. Notwithstanding, they are still far from clinical practice. In this paper, we aim to review the nonlinear methods most used to assess heart-rate dynamics. We focused on methods based on concepts of chaos, fractality, and complexity: Poincaré plot, recurrence plot analysis, fractal dimension (and the correlation dimension), detrended fluctuation analysis, Hurst exponent, Lyapunov exponent entropies (Shannon, conditional, approximate, sample entropy, and multiscale entropy), and symbolic dynamics. We present the description of the methods along with their most notable applications.

12.
BMC Med Inform Decis Mak ; 17(1): 20, 2017 02 20.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28219437

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: The way software for electronic health records and laboratory tests ordering systems are designed may influence physicians' prescription. A randomised controlled trial was performed to measure the impact of a diagnostic and laboratory tests ordering system software modification. METHODS: Participants were family physicians working and prescribing diagnostic and laboratory tests. The intervention group had a modified software with a basic shortcut menu changes, where some tests were withdrawn or added, and with the implementation of an evidence-based decision support based on United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations. This intervention group was compared with usual software (control group). The outcomes were the number of tests prescribed from those: withdrawn from the basic menu; added to the basic menu; marked with green dots (USPSTF's grade A and B); and marked with red dots (USPSTF's grade D). RESULTS: Comparing the monthly average number of tests prescribed before and after the software modification, from those tests that were withdrawn from the basic menu, the control group prescribed 33.8 tests per 100 consultations before and 30.8 after (p = 0075); the intervention group prescribed 31.3 before and 13.9 after (p < 0001). Comparing the tests prescribed between both groups during the intervention, from those tests that were withdrawn from the basic menu, the intervention group prescribed a monthly average of 14.0 vs. 29.3 tests per 100 consultations in the control group (p < 0.001). From those tests that are USPSTF's grade A and B, intervention group prescribed 66.8 vs. 74.1 tests per 100 consultations in the control group (p = 0.070). From those tests categorised as USPSTF grade D, the intervention group prescribed an average of 9.8 vs. 11.8 tests per 100 consultations in the control group (p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Removing unnecessary tests from a quick shortcut menu of the diagnosis and laboratory tests ordering system had a significant impact and reduced unnecessary prescription of tests. The fact that it was not possible to perform the randomization at the family physicians' level, but only of the computer servers is a limitation of our study. Future research should assess the impact of different tests ordering systems during longer periods. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN45427977 , May 1st 2014 (retrospectively registered).


Asunto(s)
Sistemas de Apoyo a Decisiones Clínicas/normas , Pruebas Diagnósticas de Rutina/normas , Pautas de la Práctica en Medicina/normas , Atención Primaria de Salud/normas , Procedimientos Innecesarios , Medicina Familiar y Comunitaria , Humanos
13.
Clin Exp Rheumatol ; 33(4 Suppl 91): S127-30, 2015.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26242908

RESUMEN

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the role of endothelial dysfunction and angiogenesis vascular biomarkers as risk factors and their predictive value for digital ulcers in systemic sclerosis patients. METHODS: Endothelin-1 (ET-1), asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), endostatin and endoglin were measured in an observational prospective cohort of 77 SSc patients. The primary outcome was the occurrence of one or more new ischaemic digital ulcers during a planned 3-year follow-up. RESULTS: After the 3-year follow-up, 40 patients developed new digital ulcers. Logistic regression confirmed VEGF (HR 1.128, 95% CI 1.010-1.260, p=0.033) and ADMA (HR 0.995, 95% CI 0.991-0.998, p=0.006) as independent predictors of new digital ulcers. Patients with serum levels of ET-1>11.9 pmol/ml (p<0.001) and VEGF<422.47 pg/ml (p=0.028) had significantly more DU in the 3-year follow-up. Although not significant, a trend towards increased serum levels of endoglin>4.215 ng/ml (p=0.053) was associated to a new DU episode. No predictive serum value was found for ADMA (p=0.075) and endostatin (p=0.130). CONCLUSIONS: Endothelial dysfunction and angiogenic vascular biomarkers have an important role in the underlying and in the progression of microvascular disease in systemic sclerosis. Increased serum levels of ET-1, ADMA and VEGF are strong predictors of severe microangiopathy complications, namely ischaemic digital ulcers.


Asunto(s)
Arginina/análogos & derivados , Endotelina-1/sangre , Endotelio Vascular/metabolismo , Dedos/irrigación sanguínea , Isquemia/diagnóstico , Enfermedades Vasculares Periféricas/diagnóstico , Esclerodermia Sistémica/complicaciones , Úlcera Cutánea/diagnóstico , Factor A de Crecimiento Endotelial Vascular/sangre , Adolescente , Adulto , Anciano , Arginina/sangre , Biomarcadores/sangre , Progresión de la Enfermedad , Endotelio Vascular/fisiopatología , Femenino , Humanos , Isquemia/sangre , Isquemia/etiología , Isquemia/fisiopatología , Modelos Logísticos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Neovascularización Fisiológica , Enfermedades Vasculares Periféricas/sangre , Enfermedades Vasculares Periféricas/etiología , Enfermedades Vasculares Periféricas/fisiopatología , Valor Predictivo de las Pruebas , Estudios Prospectivos , Factores de Riesgo , Esclerodermia Sistémica/diagnóstico , Índice de Severidad de la Enfermedad , Úlcera Cutánea/sangre , Úlcera Cutánea/etiología , Úlcera Cutánea/fisiopatología , Factores de Tiempo , Regulación hacia Arriba , Remodelación Vascular , Vasoconstricción , Adulto Joven
14.
Stud Health Technol Inform ; 316: 1659-1663, 2024 Aug 22.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39176529

RESUMEN

Lifestyle interventions are recognized as essential in the prevention and treatment of noncommunicable diseases, the main causes of multimorbidity. A population-based cross-sectional study was carried out in mainland Portugal. 891 Portuguese patients aged ≥20 years, representative of the population, were personally interviewed. For lifestyle, diet and alcohol consumption, physical activity and sedentarism, use of tobacco and illicit drugs, sleeping habits, screen activities and stress, were studied. The bio-sociodemographic data reported were age, sex, marital status, highest level of education, body mass index and health problems in the last 12 months. This study aimed to apply principal components analysis and clustering to identify distinct groups within the population based on lifestyle. It was possible to identify 3 groups: cardiometabolic, healthy and anxious-depressive. It seems very likely that smoking cessation and other behavioral changes only occur after negative health conditions occur.


Asunto(s)
Estilo de Vida , Humanos , Portugal , Estudios Transversales , Masculino , Femenino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Adulto , Anciano , Adulto Joven
15.
Cureus ; 16(1): e52159, 2024 Jan.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38344608

RESUMEN

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used and their gastric, cardiovascular, and renal adverse effects have been well documented. Although rare, NSAID-induced acute eosinophilic pneumonia (AEP) may occur. We report a case of AEP related to naproxen and celecoxib. The patient presented with dry cough and breathlessness two weeks after she started taking these drugs. The chest radiograph displayed bilateral opacities and she had peripheral eosinophilia. Bronchoalveolar lavage was performed at a time when blood eosinophilia was already decreasing and cell analysis revealed 63700 cells/mL with 9% eosinophil. After ruling out other possible etiologies, drug-induced AEP was diagnosed. The patient improved after drug discontinuation. When it comes to drug-induced AEP identifying a causative agent is essential as cessation of the drug is the mainstay of the treatment.

16.
Radiol Case Rep ; 19(7): 2891-2894, 2024 Jul.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38721390

RESUMEN

Aortic coarctation is a rare cause of secondary hypertension (<1% cases) and can be challenging to detect due to its few clinical manifestations. Early diagnosis and treatment are important because patients with unmanaged aortic coarctation are at increased risk of cardiovascular complications and have a reduced life expectancy. We describe a case of secondary hypertension in a young adult female caused by aortic coarctation, first detected in a general practitioner setting, resulting in the need for a left subclavian-carotid bypass vascular surgery and a descending aortic stent vascular surgery. This case highlights the critical role that proximity medicine in general practice can have in improving the early detection of clinically silent conditions by routinely monitoring blood pressure and other vital parameters, and the increasing importance of medical imaging in assisting early diagnosis and guiding the surgical management of complex cases.

17.
Front Med (Lausanne) ; 11: 1273304, 2024.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38681055

RESUMEN

Introduction: Anticoagulation is recommended for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The guidelines suggest non-vitamin K antagonist anticoagulants (NOACs) as the primary therapy for anticoagulation in AF. Several patient-related factors increase the risk of thrombotic events: elderly individuals, a previous history of stroke, and chronic kidney disease. This study aims to determine the association between NOACs and other patient variables in AF and the occurrence of thrombotic events. Methods: The database included all adults with the code K78 (ICPC-2 code for AF) who received clinical care in Northern Portugal's Primary Health Care between January 2016 and December 2018 and were dispensed the same NOAC at the pharmacy. Results: The results indicate that 10.2% of AF patients on NOAC anticoagulation experienced a stroke. Furthermore, patients treated with apixaban and dabigatran had higher odds of experiencing a stroke compared to those treated with rivaroxaban. Among patients with the same age, gender, and CHA2DS2Vasc Score, apixaban was significantly associated with a higher likelihood of thrombotic events than rivaroxaban. Discussion: These results have not been previously reported in studies with real-world data; therefore, a more detailed analysis should be conducted to enhance the validity of these findings.

18.
BMJ Open ; 14(4): e076108, 2024 Apr 30.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38688672

RESUMEN

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the appropriateness of prescribing profiles and intake adherence to non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). DESIGN: Retrospective longitudinal study. SETTING: The study was conducted in the Regional Health Administration of Northern Portugal. PARTICIPANTS: The authors selected a database of 21 854 patients with prescriptions for NOACs between January 2016 and December 2018 and were classified with AF until December 2018. OUTCOME MEASURES: The appropriate dosage of NOAC for patients with AF divided into three categories: contraindicated, inconsistent and consistent, based on the 2020 European Society of Cardiology guidelines for AF. RESULTS: Dabigatran had a lower percentage of guideline-consistent doses (n=1657, 50.1%) than other drugs such as rivaroxaban (n=4737, 81.6%), apixaban (n=3830, 78.7%) and edoxaban (n=436, 82.1%). Most patients with an inconsistent dose were prescribed a lower dose than recommended based on their glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Among patients younger than 75 years with GFR >60 mL/min, 59.8% (n=10 028) had an adequate GFR range, while 27.8% (n=7166) of GFR measurements from patients older than 75 years old and 29.4% (n=913) of GFR measurements from patients younger than 75 years with GFR <60 mL/min were within an adequate time range. Adherence to NOACs varied across different drugs, with 59.1% (n=540) adhering to edoxaban, 56.3% (n=5443) to rivaroxaban, 55.3% (n=3143) to dabigatran and 53.3% (n=4211) to apixaban. CONCLUSIONS: Dabigatran had the lowest percentage of guideline-consistent doses. Patients younger than 75 years with GFR >60 mL/min had the highest percentage with an adequate GFR range, while other groups who require closer GFR monitoring had lower percentages within an adequate GFR range. Adherence to NOACs differed among different drugs, with greater adherence to treatment with edoxaban and less adherence to apixaban.


Asunto(s)
Anticoagulantes , Fibrilación Atrial , Dabigatrán , Piridonas , Rivaroxabán , Humanos , Fibrilación Atrial/tratamiento farmacológico , Anciano , Estudios Retrospectivos , Masculino , Femenino , Estudios Longitudinales , Dabigatrán/uso terapéutico , Dabigatrán/administración & dosificación , Rivaroxabán/administración & dosificación , Rivaroxabán/uso terapéutico , Anticoagulantes/administración & dosificación , Anticoagulantes/uso terapéutico , Persona de Mediana Edad , Portugal , Piridonas/administración & dosificación , Piridonas/uso terapéutico , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Administración Oral , Adhesión a Directriz/estadística & datos numéricos , Pirazoles/uso terapéutico , Pirazoles/administración & dosificación , Pautas de la Práctica en Medicina/estadística & datos numéricos , Tasa de Filtración Glomerular , Tiazoles/administración & dosificación , Tiazoles/uso terapéutico , Piridinas/administración & dosificación , Piridinas/uso terapéutico , Cumplimiento de la Medicación/estadística & datos numéricos , Inhibidores del Factor Xa/uso terapéutico , Inhibidores del Factor Xa/administración & dosificación
19.
Nat Commun ; 15(1): 5865, 2024 Jul 12.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38997282

RESUMEN

The macroscale connectome is the network of physical, white-matter tracts between brain areas. The connections are generally weighted and their values interpreted as measures of communication efficacy. In most applications, weights are either assigned based on imaging features-e.g. diffusion parameters-or inferred using statistical models. In reality, the ground-truth weights are unknown, motivating the exploration of alternative edge weighting schemes. Here, we explore a multi-modal, regression-based model that endows reconstructed fiber tracts with directed and signed weights. We find that the model fits observed data well, outperforming a suite of null models. The estimated weights are subject-specific and highly reliable, even when fit using relatively few training samples, and the networks maintain a number of desirable features. In summary, we offer a simple framework for weighting connectome data, demonstrating both its ease of implementation while benchmarking its utility for typical connectome analyses, including graph theoretic modeling and brain-behavior associations.


Asunto(s)
Encéfalo , Conectoma , Sustancia Blanca , Humanos , Encéfalo/diagnóstico por imagen , Encéfalo/anatomía & histología , Encéfalo/fisiología , Sustancia Blanca/diagnóstico por imagen , Sustancia Blanca/anatomía & histología , Sustancia Blanca/fisiología , Masculino , Femenino , Adulto , Modelos Neurológicos , Red Nerviosa/fisiología , Red Nerviosa/diagnóstico por imagen , Red Nerviosa/anatomía & histología , Imagen de Difusión Tensora/métodos , Adulto Joven , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética/métodos
20.
Am J Health Promot ; 37(1): 12-29, 2023 01.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35953073

RESUMEN

PURPOSE: Examine the association of visits to the natural environment, connectedness to nature, physical activity, and the adoption of pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) in individuals aged 18 years or older. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: City of Vila Real, located in the north of Portugal. SUBJECTS: We recruited 194 individuals (61 men and 133 women) aged 18-75 years. MESURES: A self-administered questionnaire was used to measure nature visits, connectedness to nature, PEBs, and demographic characteristics. Neighborhood green space was appreciated through a Simplified Land Occupation Map and physical activity was measured using ActiGraph accelerometers (wGT3X-BT). ANALYSIS: Correlations and nonlinear canonical correlation analysis were used to analyze the data. The coefficients of canonical and multiple correlations were calculated. RESULTS: Nature visits were associated with involvement in environmental volunteering (V = .317, P ≤ .05) among men. In these, higher levels of moderate-vigorous PA were associated with green travel behavior (η2 = .325, P ≤ .05). Connectedness with nature was related (P ≤ .05) to private sphere behaviors, such as purchase of eco-products (η2 = .191) and local/seasonal products (η2 = .186) in females and encouraging care and protection of natural environment (η2 = .336, P ≤ .01) in males. CONCLUSIONS: Nature visits, connection to nature, and physical activity levels were related to the adoption of PEBs in the private and public sphere, and these relationships differed between men and women.


Asunto(s)
Ejercicio Físico , Características de la Residencia , Masculino , Humanos , Femenino , Estudios Transversales , Ambiente , Encuestas y Cuestionarios
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