Home physical exercise improves functional mobility and quality of life in the elderly: A CONSORT-prospective, randomised controlled clinical trial.

AIMS: To test the hypothesis of a semi-supervised home physical exercise programme that is likely to improve the functional mobility and quality of life (QOL) of elderly in the community. METHODS: This trial included elderly adults (88% female) aged 60 years or older and who were sedentary and without cognitive decline. The participants were randomly assigned to an intervention group (IG, home physical exercise and sleep hygiene) and a control group (CG, sleep hygiene). The International Questionnaire on Physical Activity, mental state mini-exam, World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument-Older Adults Module (WHOQOL-OLD) and the Timed Up and Go (TUG) tests were conducted before and after the 12-week intervention period. RESULTS: The study was concluded with 125 elderly participants. Anthropometric data were indicative of pre-obesity, with a mean body mass index of 27.3 ± 4, a low-income socio-economic profile (78% ≤ 2 SM) and low schooling rates (76% ≤ 3 years of study). Most of the elderly (87%) were considered physically active with IPAQ > 150 min/week. The group of elderly people who performed the home physical exercise programme showed a significant improvement in functional mobility according to the time of execution of the TUG test before (9.1 ± 2) and after (7.1 ± 1) with an average reduction of 2 ± 1 s (P < .01). The difference in the QOL of the elderly who participated in the exercise protocol was also observed, verified through the WHOQOL-OLD global score, which presented an initial score of 85 ± 10, changing to 90.4 ± 9 after the intervention. CONCLUSION: Semi-supervised physical home exercise is safe and effective in improving the functional mobility and QOL of sedentary elderly people in the community.

Frequency of sarcopenia and associated factors among hospitalized elderly patients.

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia is an important public health problem that affects mainly elders, and has negative consequences, such as disability and even death. Due to the lack of studies evaluating sarcopenia in elderly persons hospitalized in Brazil, the aim of the present study was to describe the frequency of sarcopenia and associated factors among elders in a hospital in the city of Salvador-Brazil. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 110 hospitalized elderly patients in a multi-specialty hospital in Salvador-BA, Brazil. Inclusion criteria: were elders aged ≥60 years between the first and fifth day of hospitalization; who were able to walk without external assistance; with medical permission to walk, and who did not take vasoactive and inotropic drugs. The diagnosis of sarcopenia was determined by combining the reduction in skeletal muscle mass with muscle weakness (women, <20 kg; men, <30 kg) and/or poor physical performance (gait speed ≤0.8 m/s). To obtain reduced skeletal muscle mass, the skeletal muscle mass index ≤6.37 kg/m(2) for women and ≤8.90 kg/m(2) for men was used. Cognitive function, Charlson index, admission profile (clinical and surgical), smoking, falls suffered in the last year and physical inactivity prior to admission were also evaluated. The frequency of sarcopenia was described in percentages with their respective confidence intervals and logistic regression was performed for multivariate analysis of factors associated with sarcopenia. RESULTS: Among the 110 patients included, the frequency of sarcopenia was 21.8%, with 10.0% being of the severe type. There was a predominance of clinical profile (59.1%), such as heart disease (20.0%), pneumonia (13.6%) and skin infections (9.1%), with a Charlson index of 5.4 ± 1.8. The factors associated with sarcopenia were age (OR = 1.14; 95% CI = 1.06 to 1.23), clinical profile on admission (OR = 5.15; 95% CI = 1.16-22.9) and smoking (OR = 7.8; 95% CI = 1.53-39.9). CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of sarcopenia in elderly hospitalized patients was high (1 in 5 elderly) and anthropometric equation can be a viable and inexpensive alternative to screening and programming intervention in this population.

Dynamic hyperinflation during activities of daily living in COPD patients.

The objective of this study was to investigate whether some activities of daily living (ADLs) usually related to dyspnea sensation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are associated with dynamic lung hyperinflation (DH) and whether the use of simple energy conservation techniques (ECTs) might reduce this possible hyperinflation. Eighteen patients (mean age: 65.8 ± 9.8 years) with moderate-to-severe COPD performed six ADLs (walking on a treadmill, storing pots, walking 56 meters carrying a 5-kilogram weight, climbing stairs, simulating taking a shower, and putting on shoes) and had their inspiratory capacity (IC) measured before and after each task. The patients were moderately obstructed with forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1): 1.4 ± 0.4 L (50% ± 12.4); FEV1/forced vital capacity: 0.4 ± 8.1; residual volume/total lung capacity: 52.7 ± 10.2, and a reduction in IC was seen after all six activities (p < 0.05): (1) going upstairs, 170 mL; (2) walking 56 meters carrying 5 kilogram weight, 150 mL; (3) walking on a treadmill without and with ECT, respectively, 230 mL and 235 mL; (4) storing pots without and with ECT, respectively, 170 mL and 128 mL; (5) taking a shower without and with ECT, respectively, 172 mL and 118 mL; and (6) putting on shoes without and with ECT, respectively, 210 mL and 78 mL). Patients with moderate to severe COPD develop DH after performing common ADLs involving the upper and lower limbs. Simple ECTs may avoid DH in some of these ADLs.

Effects of the Use of Beta-Blockers on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Associated with Cardiovascular Comorbities: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Cardiovascular comorbidity is common in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This factor interferes with pharmacological treatment. The use of ß-blockers has been proposed for their known cardioprotective effects. However, due to their adverse reactions, and the risk of causing bronchospasm, there is reluctance to use them. To summarize existing evidence on the effects of ß-blocker use in COPD associated with cardiovascular comorbidities in relation to disease severity, exacerbation, and mortality outcomes. EMBASE, Medline, Lilacs, Cochrane Library, and Science Direct databases were used. Observational studies that evaluated the effects of ß-blockers on individuals with COPD and cardiovascular comorbidities, and related disease severity, exacerbations, or mortality outcomes were included. Studies that did not present important information about the sample and pharmacological treatment were excluded. Twenty studies were included. Relevance to patient care and clinical practice: The use of ß-blockers in individuals with COPD and cardiovascular disease caused positive effects on mortality and exacerbations outcomes, compared with the results of individuals who did not use them. The severity of the disease caused a slight change in forced expiratory volume in 1 second. The odds ratio for mortality was 0.50 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.39 to 0.63; p<0.00001), and for exacerbations, 0.76 (95% CI, 0.62 to 0.92; p=0.005), being favorable to the group that used ß-blockers. Further studies are needed to study the effect of using a specific ß-blocker in COPD associated with a specific cardiovascular comorbidity.

Assessing the performance of commercial serological tests for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis.

Objectives: The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 has triggered a global pandemic with profound implications for public health. Rapid changes in the pandemic landscape and limitations in in vitro diagnostics led to the introduction of numerous diagnostic devices with variable performance. In this study, we evaluated three commercial serological assays in Brazil for detecting anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Methods: We collected 90 serum samples from SARS-CoV-2-negative blood donors and 352 from SARS-CoV-2-positive, unvaccinated patients, categorized by symptom onset. Subsequently, we assessed the diagnostic performance of three commercial enzyme immunoassays: GOLD ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) COVID-19 Ig (immunoglobulin) G + IgM, Anti-SARS-CoV-2 NCP IgM ELISA, and Anti-SARS-CoV-2 NCP IgG ELISA. Results: Our findings revealed that the GOLD ELISA COVID-19 IgG + IgM exhibited the highest sensitivity (57.7%) and diagnostic odds ratio, surpassing the manufacturer's reported sensitivity in most analyzed time frames while maintaining exceptional specificity (98.9%). Conversely, the Anti-SARS-CoV-2 NCP IgG ELISA demonstrated lower sensitivity but aligned with independent evaluations, boasting a specificity of 100%. However, the Anti-SARS-CoV-2 NCP IgM ELISA exhibited lower sensitivity than claimed, particularly in samples collected shortly after positive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction results. Performance improved 15-21 days after symptom onset and beyond 22 days, but in the first week, both Anti-SARS-CoV-2 NCP IgM ELISA and Anti-SARS-CoV-2 NCP IgG ELISA struggled to differentiate positive and negative samples. Conclusions: Our study emphasizes the need for standardized validation protocols to address discrepancies between manufacturer-claimed and actual performance. These insights provide essential information for health care practitioners and policymakers regarding the diagnostic capabilities of these assays in various clinical scenarios.

Usefulness of receptor binding domain protein-based serodiagnosis of COVID-19.

Objectives: This study evaluated the performance of recombinant receptor binding domain (RBD) protein-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (RBD-ELISAs) for detecting anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin (Ig) G and IgM antibodies. Methods: In this study, 705 sera from SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals and 315 sera from healthy individuals were analyzed. Results: The RBD-ELISA IgG exhibited high specificity (99.1%) and moderate sensitivity (48.0%), with an overall diagnostic accuracy of 73.5%. RBD-ELISA IgM demonstrated specificity at 94.6% and sensitivity at 51.1%, with an accuracy of 72.8%. Both assays displayed improved performance when analyzing samples collected 15-21 days post-symptom onset, achieving sensitivity and accuracy exceeding 88% and 90%, respectively. Combining RBD-ELISA IgG and IgM in parallel analysis enhanced sensitivity to 98.6% and accuracy to 96.2%. Comparing these RBD-ELISAs with commercially available tests, the study found overlapping sensitivity and similar specificity values. Notably, the combined RBD-ELISA IgG and IgM showed superior performance. Cross-reactivity analysis revealed low false-positive rates (4.4% for IgG, 3.7% for IgM), primarily with viral infections. Conclusion: This research underscores the potential of RBD-based ELISAs for COVID-19 diagnosis, especially when assessing samples collected 15-21 days post-symptom onset and utilizing a parallel testing approach. The RBD protein's immunogenicity and specificity make it a valuable tool for serodiagnosis, offering an alternative to polymerase chain reaction-based methods, particularly in resource-limited settings.

Comprehensive Study of the IBMP ELISA IgA/IgM/IgG COVID-19 Kit for SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Detection.

COVID-19 laboratory diagnosis primarily relies on molecular tests, highly sensitive during early infection stages with high viral loads. As the disease progresses, sensitivity decreases, requiring antibody detection. Since the beginning of the pandemic, serological tests have been developed and made available in Brazil, but their diagnostic performance varies. This study evaluated the IBMP ELISA IgA/IgM/IgG COVID-19 kit performance in detecting SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. A total of 90 samples, including 64 from COVID-19 patients and 26 pre-pandemic donors, were assessed based on time post symptom onset (0-7, 8-14, and 15-21 days). The kit showed 61% sensitivity, 100% specificity, and 72% accuracy overall. Sensitivity varied with time, being 25%, 57%, and 96% for 0-7, 8-14, and 15-21 days, respectively. Similar variations were noted in other commercial tests. The Gold ELISA COVID-19 (IgG/IgM) had sensitivities of 31%, 71%, and 100%, while the Anti-SARS-CoV-2 NCP ELISA (IgG) and Anti-SARS-CoV-2 NCP ELISA (IgM) showed varying sensitivities. The IBMP ELISA kit displayed high diagnostic capability, especially as the disease progressed, complementing COVID-19 diagnosis. Reproducibility assessment revealed minimal systematic and analytical errors. In conclusion, the IBMP ELISA IgA/IgM/IgG COVID-19 kit is a robust tool for detecting anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, increasing in efficacy over the disease course, and minimizing false negatives in RT-PCR COVID-19 diagnosis.

Prevalence and Impact of Comorbidities in Individuals with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Systematic Review.

This study aimed to describe the prevalence of comorbidities associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and their relation with relevant outcomes. A systematic review based on the PRISMA methodology was performed from January 2020 until July 2021. The MEDLINE, Lilacs, and Scielo databases were searched to identify studies related to COPD and its comorbidities. Observational studies on the prevalence of comorbidities in COPD patients and costs with health estimates, reduced quality of life, and mortality were included. Studies that were restricted to one or more COPD pain assessments and only specific comorbidities such as osteoporosis, bronchitis, and asthma were excluded. The initial search identified 1,409 studies and after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 20 studies were finally selected for analysis (comprising data from 447,459 COPD subjects). The most frequent COPD comorbidities were: hypertension (range, 17%-64.7%), coronary artery disease (19.9%-47.8%), diabetes (10.2%-45%), osteoarthritis (18%-43.8%), psychiatric conditions (12.1%-33%), and asthma (14.7%-32.5%). Several comorbidities had an impact on the frequency and severity of COPD exacerbations, quality of life, and mortality risk, in particular malignancies, coronary artery disease, chronic heart failure, and cardiac arrhythmias. Comorbidities, especially cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, are frequent in COPD patients, and some of them are associated with higher mortality.

Metabolic disorders and post-acute hospitalization in black/mixed-race patients with long COVID in Brazil: A cross-sectional analysis.

BACKGROUND: Although low-middle income countries have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, there is scarce information about the impact of long COVID on their population. This study aimed to evaluate long COVID symptomatology, complications (hospital readmission and metabolic disorders), and main clinical features that impact Quality of Life (QoL). METHODS: This cross-sectional study provides a detailed clinical and laboratory picture of individuals who presented residual symptoms after mild to severe acute COVID-19. Between Aug-2020 to Sep-2021, long COVID patients were evaluated in a reference center for long COVID in Bahia State, Brazil. The EQ-5D-5L questionnaire accessed QoL. RESULTS: A total of 1164 (52 ±13.4 years, 57% female, 88% black/mixed-race) were evaluated 2.3 [IQR = 1.6-3.7] months after mild (n = 351, 30.2%), moderate (338, 29.0%) or severe (475, 40.8%) acute illness. Dyspnea (790, 67.9%), fatigue (738, 63.5%), and chest pain (525, 42.9%) were the most frequent residual symptoms regardless of acute severity, affecting the QoL of 88.9% of patients (n/N-826/925), mainly the domains of anxiety/depression and pain/discomfort. High levels of HbA1c were detected for 175 out of 664 patients (26.6%), 40% of them without a previous diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. Of note, hospital admission one-to-three months after the acute phase of disease was required for 51 (4.4%) patients. CONCLUSION: In this majority-black/mixed-race population, long COVID was associated with post-acute hospitalization, newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus, and decreased QoL, particularly in women and regardless of disease severity of acute infection, suggesting important implications for health care system.

Early detection of P.1 variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a cluster of cases in Salvador, Brazil.

We report 3 cases of severe COVID-19 due to the SARS-CoV-2 P.1 lineage in a familial cluster detected in Salvador, Bahia-Brazil. All cases were linked to travel by family members from the state of Amazonas to Bahia in late December 2020. This report indicates the cryptic transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 P.1 lineage across Brazil and highlights the importance of genomic surveillance to track the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern.

Incorporating New Evidence on Inhaled Medications in COPD. The Latin American Chest Association (ALAT) 2019. / Incorporando nuevas evidencias sobre medicamentos inhalados en la EPOC. Asociación Latinoamericana de Tórax (ALAT) 2019.

This document on COPD from the Latin American Chest Association (ALAT-2019) uses PICO methodology to analyze new evidence on inhaled medication and answer clinical questions. The following key points emerged from this analysis: 1) evidence is lacking on the comparison of short-acting vs. long-acting bronchodilators in patients with mild COPD; patients with moderate-to-severe COPD obtain greater benefit from long-acting bronchodilators; 2) the benefits of monotherapy with long-acting antimuscarinic agents (LAMA) and combined therapy with long-acting ß2-agonists and inhaled corticosteroids (LABA/ICS) are similar, although the latter is associated with a greater risk of pneumonia; 3) LABA/LAMA offer greater benefits in terms of lung function and risk of exacerbation than LABA/ICS (the latter involve an increased risk of pneumonia), 4) LAMA/LABA/ICS have greater therapeutic benefits than LABA/LAMA on the risk of moderate-severe exacerbations. With regard to the role of eosinophils in guiding the use of ICS, ICS withdrawal must be considered when the initial indication was wrong or no response is elicited, in patients with side effects such as pneumonia, and in patients with a low risk of exacerbation and an eosinophil blood count of <300 cells/µl. All this evidence, categorized according to the severity of the obstruction, symptoms, and risk of exacerbations, has been used to generate an algorithm for the use of inhaled medication in COPD.

Home exercise improves the quality of sleep and daytime sleepiness of elderlies: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Aging causes physiological changes which affect the quality of sleep. Supervised physical exercise is an important therapeutic resource to improve the sleep of the elderlies, however there is a low adherence to those type of programs, so it is necessary to implement an exercise program which is feasible and effective. The study aimed to test the hypothesis that a semi-supervised home exercise program, improves sleep quality and daytime sleepiness of elderlies of the community who present poor sleep quality. METHODS: This was a randomized controlled trial study, conducted from May to September 2017, in Northeastern Brazil, with elderlies of the community aging 60 years old or older, sedentary, with lower scores or equal to 5 at the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and without cognitive decline. From one hundred ninety-one potential participants twenty-eight refused to participate, therefore, one hundred thirty-one (mean age 68 ± 7 years), and 88% female, were randomly assigned to an intervention group - IG (home exercise and sleep hygiene, n = 65) and a control group - CG (sleep hygiene only, n = 66). Sleep assessment tools were used: PSQI, Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) and clinical questionnaire of Berlin. The level of physical activity has been assessed by means of International Physical Activity Questionnaire adapted for the elderly (IPAQ) and Mini-Mental State Examination for cognitive decline. All participants were assessed before and after the 12-week intervention period and, also, the assessors were blind. RESULTS: The IG showed significant improvement in quality of sleep with a mean reduction of 4.9 ± 2.7 points in the overall PSQI (p < 0.01) and in all its 7 components of evaluation (p < 0.05), and improvement of secondary endpoint, daytime sleepiness, a decline of 2.8 ± 2.2 points in the ESS (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that semi-supervised home exercise is effective in improving the quality of sleep and self-referred daytime sleepiness of sedentary elderlies of the community who presented sleep disorders. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Ensaiosclinicos.gov.br process number: RBR-3cqzfy.

Association of sleep quality with excessive daytime somnolence and quality of life of elderlies of community.

BACKGROUND: The progressive increase in the elderly population contributes to the fact that studies on human aging have important attention of health professionals and government agents, since they present a great challenge regarding public health. Our objective is to characterize the profile of older people with poor sleep quality and analyze possible associations with excessive daytime somnolence, quality of life and functional mobility. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study, involving elderlies of the community, with the questionnaires Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale, WHOQOL-OLD and application of the Timed Up and Go test - TUG. Descriptive statistics, Student's t test for paired samples and Pearson's correlation coefficient (p ≤ 0.05) were used. RESULTS: We recruited 131 elderly people, predominantly female (87%); mean age 68 ± 7 years, low per capita income (84.8% ≤ 2 minimum wage), low education (86.3% ≤ 3 years of study), and mostly staying with relatives (67.9%), married (39.7%) or amassed (35.9%). Seventy-one percent of the sample is above normal weight, 90.1% of women have an abdominal circumference ≥ 80 cm and a high prevalence of chronic and psychosocial diseases was identified in the self-report, and the risk of obstructive sleep apnea in 38.2%. The mean PSQI, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, WHOQOL-OLD and TUG were equal to, respectively, 11.2 ± 3.2; 8.32 ± 2.2; 84.8 ± 10.2 and 8.97 ± 2. An association of sleep quality with excessive daytime somnolence and quality of life, while not with functional mobility, was observed. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study allowed to identify a sleep quality associated with excessive daytime somnolence and quality of life and also to characterize the profile of elders with poor sleep quality.

Effect of a home-based exercise program on functional mobility and quality of life in elderly people: protocol of a single-blind, randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Elderly people have high rates of functional decline, which compromises independence, self-confidence, and quality of life (QoL). Physical exercise leads to significant improvements in strength, balance, functional mobility, and QoL, but there is still reduced access to this therapeutic strategy due to difficulties in locomotion to training centers or lack of adaptation to the exercise environment. METHODS/DESIGN: The purpose of this clinical trial will be to verify the effect of a progressive and semi-supervised, home-based exercise program on the functional mobility, and in the QoL of sedentary elderly people. This is a protocol of a consecutive, single-center, single-blind, and randomized controlled trial. The design, conduct, and report follows the SPIRIT (Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials) guidelines. Sedentary elderly people will be enrolled, and randomly allocated into two groups. The intervention group will perform exercises in their own home and the control group will not perform exercises. The evaluations will occur at study enrollment and after 3 months of intervention, and will be performed using the functional mobility Timed Up & Go (TUG) test and sociodemographic and QoL questionnaires. In the statistical analysis, comparisons of mean and correlation analyses will be performed. The primary expected outcome is the improvement in functional mobility verified through the TUG test and the secondary outcome is the improvement in QoL verified by the WHOQOL-OLD. DISCUSSION: The lack of scientific evidence demonstrating the benefits of semi-supervised home exercise on functional mobility and QoL in elderly people represents an obstacle to the development of guidelines for clinical practice and for policy-makers. The World Health Organization highlighted the importance of musculoskeletal health programs for elderly people, and the exercise program described in this protocol was designed to be viable, easy to implement, and inexpensive, and could be performed at the home of elderly subjects after receiving only guidelines and follow-up via periodic visits. Based on these facts, we hope that this study will demonstrate that a well-structured, home-based exercise program can be effective in improving functional mobility and QoL of sedentary elderly people, even without constant supervision during exercise. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registro Brasileiro de Ensaios Clínicos (ReBEC), Identifier: RBR-3cqzfy . Registered on 2 December 2016.

Strength and endurance of the respiratory and handgrip muscles after the use of flunisolide in normal subjects.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of the inhaled flunisolide upon the strength and endurance of the respiratory and peripheral muscles of normal subjects. DESIGN: A randomized, double blind and placebo-controlled study. SETTING: A university-affiliated teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Thirteen normal volunteers selected from a graduation course. INTERVENTION: Subjects were randomly allocated to receive a placebo or corticosteroid (flunisolide) to be inhaled twice a day for 4 weeks. After 2 weeks of a washout period, subjects who were receiving the placebo, received flunisolide and vise versa for another 4-week period. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Spirometry was used to define the volunteers as being normal in terms of pulmonary function. During the study, subjects performed tests of respiratory muscle function (strength and endurance), measurements of handgrip strength and endurance and anthropometric measurements. Muscle strength was measured each week while muscle endurance was measured every 2 weeks. There was no significant difference in the maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressure and handgrip strength during weeks 1-4 when the subjects used either flunisolide or placebo. However, we observed an increase in the endurance time of the respiratory and handgrip muscles in the 4th week of both flunisolide and placebo use, what may be considered due to a learning effect. CONCLUSION: Inhalation of flunisolide by normal subjects for 1 month does not cause any acute or clinically perceived effect in the peripheral or respiratory muscles.

[Discriminative properties and validity of a health status questionnaire in obstructive airway disease patients: the Airway Questionnaire 20]. / Propiedades discriminativas y validez de un cuestionario de salud en pacientes con enfermedad obstructiva de la vía respiratoria: el Airway Questionnaire 20 (AQ20).

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the discriminative properties and validity of the Airways Questionnaire 20 (AQ20) in a sample of patients with airway obstruction and to compare its properties with those of the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and the Short Form 36 (SF-36). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A convenience sample of 47 subjects was recruited from among 61 consecutive patients referred to an outpatient clinic specialized in obstructive airway diseases. All subjects completed the AQ20, SGRQ, and SF-36. Other measures were the baseline dyspnea index (BDI), 6-minute walk test (6MWT) distance, spirometry, results of arterial blood gas analysis, and body mass index. RESULTS: The AQ20 showed very good correlation with the SGRQ total score (rho=0.84, P< .001) and moderate correlation with all SF-36 domains (physical capacity, rho=-0.53; physical functioning, rho=-0.61; bodily pain, rho=-0.55; general health, rho=-0.59; vitality, rho=-0.55; social functioning, rho=-0.57; emotional role functioning, rho=-0.51; mental health, rho=-0.61; all P< .001). The BDI and the 6MWT distance were the best predictors of AQ20 score (r2=0.31) in the regression model. An area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.91 (P< .001) indicated a high level of accuracy for the AQ20, using the SGRQ as the gold standard. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the AQ20 is an accurate health status questionnaire in patients with moderate-to-severe airway obstruction. It could be an alternative to longer, traditional questionnaires such as the SGRQ.

Cross-cultural reproducibility of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Role Checklist for persons with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

OBJECTIVE: This article presents the results of a cross-cultural reproducibility and test-retest reliability study of a Brazilian version of the Role Checklist, in a population with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: The English version was translated and culturally adapted into Brazilian Portuguese, then administered twice at a 2-week interval to a group of 25 clinically stable individuals with COPD. RESULTS: Cross-cultural adaptation led to adjustments in some terms used in the checklist. Values obtained for kappa suggested moderate-to-substantial agreement for Part I and Part II. No statistically significant correlations were found between agreement and variables of gender, occupation, marital status, level of education, level of depression, or severity of bronchial obstruction. CONCLUSION: The Brazilian Portuguese version of the Role Checklist was found content valid and reliable for persons with COPD and probably for the Brazilian population in general.

Associação entre doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica e a má condição de saúde periodontal: um estudo transversal / Association between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and poor periodontal health: a cross-sectional study

Objetivo: estudos sugerem uma associação entre a doença periodontal e a doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica (DPOC). O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a condição periodontal em pacientes com DPOC. Metodologia: Este estudo transversal incluiu 33 pacientes com DPOC e 30 pacientes sem DPOC (grupo controle). Todos os pacientes realizaram espirometria e foram examinados por um dentista. A condição periodontal foi avaliada através dos seguintes índices: número de dentes, índice de placa (IP), índice de sangramento gengival (IG), profundidade de sondagem (PS), PS dos sítios doentes (PSD), nível de inserção clínica (NIC), NIC dos sítios doentes (NICD) e percentual de sítios doentes (NICDP). Para análise estatística foram utilizados o teste de qui-quadrado de Pearson, o testet de Student, análise de regressão logística e cálculo do odds ratio. Resultados: O grupo DPOC apresentou maiores IP (p=0,01), NIC (p=0,001) e NICDP (p<0,001), com odds ratio de 1,2 (95%IC: 1,023­1,408). Conclusões: Os pacientes com DPOC apresentaram pior condição periodontal. Mais estudos são necessários para esclarecer o papel da terapia periodontal no protocolo de acompanhamento dos pacientes com DPOC

Objective: evidence suggests an association between periodontal disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the periodontal status in patients with COPD. Methods: this cross-sectional study included 33 patients with COPD and 30 patients without COPD (control group). All patients underwent spirometry and were examined by a dentist. Periodontal status was evaluated by the following indexes: number of teeth, plaque index (PI), gingival bleeding index (GBI), probing depth (PD), PD of diseased sites (PDD), clinical attachment level (CAL), CAL of diseased sites (CALD) and percentage of diseased sites (CALDP). The findings were analyzed under Pearson's chi-square test, independent samples t test and logistic regression with odds ratio. Results: the COPD group had higher PI (p = 0,01), CAL (p = 0,001) and CALDP (p <0,001), and the odds ratio for patients with COPD was 1.2 (95% CI: 1,023-1,408). Conclusions: patients with COPD present worse periodontal status. More studies are needed in order to clarify the role of periodontal therapy in the management of COPD.

Recommendations for the pharmacological treatment of COPD: questions and answers.

The treatment of COPD has become increasingly effective. Measures that range from behavioral changes, reduction in exposure to risk factors, education about the disease and its course, rehabilitation, oxygen therapy, management of comorbidities, and surgical and pharmacological treatments to end-of-life care allow health professionals to provide a personalized and effective therapy. The pharmacological treatment of COPD is one of the cornerstones of COPD management, and there have been many advances in this area in recent years. Given the greater availability of drugs and therapeutic combinations, it has become increasingly challenging to know the indications for, limitations of, and potential risks and benefits of each treatment modality. In order to critically evaluate recent evidence and systematize the major questions regarding the pharmacological treatment of COPD, 24 specialists from all over Brazil gathered to develop the present recommendations. A visual guide was developed for the classification and treatment of COPD, both of which were adapted to fit the situation in Brazil. Ten questions were selected on the basis of their relevance in clinical practice. They address the classification, definitions, treatment, and evidence available for each drug or drug combination. Each question was answered by two specialists, and then the answers were consolidated in two phases: review and consensus by all participants. The questions answered are practical questions and help select from among the many options the best treatment for each patient and his/her peculiarities.

[Optimizing exercise performance with a continuously paced shuttle walk test for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease]. / Optimización de la capacidad de realización de ejercicio físico mediante una prueba de la lanzadera por tramos con estimulación auditiva continua en pacientes con EPOC.

BACKGROUND: A continuously paced shuttle walk test (SWTp) was developed to test the hypothesis that speed and rhythm could be more optimally imposed by an easier-to-follow sound stimulus at every step. The objective of this study was to assess the reproducibility of the SWTp and to compare the performance of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on the conventional and optimally paced forms of the test. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The walk test results of 24 COPD patients were studied. All patients completed 2 SWTp sessions and a conventional SWT in random order, after an initial practice test for each. A portable device was used to measure peak oxygen uptake (VO2) in 6 patients. RESULTS: The intraclass correlation coefficient (Cronbach's alpha) was 0.95 for the STWp. The Pearson correlation coefficient between distance walked and peak VO2 in the SWTp was 0.86 (P < .02). Better performance was achieved during the SWTp (peak VO2, 3.30 mL/kg/min; P < .01; distance walked, 32 m, P < .001) than during the conventional SWT. The SWTp showed excellent reproducibility. CONCLUSIONS: COPD patients can achieve better performance with the stimuli provided in the SWTp than on the SWT.