Pan-Enteric Capsule Endoscopy: Current Applications and Future Perspectives.

Background: The role of capsule endoscopy in the evaluation of the small bowel is well established, and current guidelines position it as a first-line test in a variety of clinical scenarios. The advent of double-headed capsules further enabled the endoscopic assessment of colonic mucosa and the opportunity for a one-step noninvasive examination of the entire bowel (pan-enteric capsule endoscopy [PCE]). Summary: We reviewed the technical procedure and preparation of patients for PCE, as well as its current clinical applications and future perspectives. In non-stricturing and non-penetrating Crohn's disease affecting the small bowel and colon, PCE monitors disease activity by assessing mucosal healing, a major treatment outcome, with a higher diagnostic yield than cross-sectional imaging or conventional colonoscopy. Also in ulcerative colitis, double-headed capsules have been used to monitor disease activity noninvasively. Currently, validated scoring systems have been specifically devised for these double-headed capsules and permit a standardized assessment of the inflammatory burden. In suspected mid-lower digestive bleeding, some exploratory studies have demonstrated the feasibility and high diagnostic yield of PCE, which may work as a filter indicating which patients may benefit of further invasive procedures, namely, for planned hemostatic procedures. The possibility of using PCE is also discussed in the context of polyposis syndromes with simultaneous involvement of the small intestine and colon. Key Messages: PCE is a feasible, effective, and safe diagnostic procedure to evaluate the small bowel and colon. It has been increasingly explored in the setting of inflammatory bowel diseases and, more recently, in suspected mid-lower digestive bleeding. PCE is expected to reduce the demand for invasive procedures and expand the scope of noninvasive intestinal evaluation in the coming future.

Introdução: O papel da endoscopia por cápsula na avaliação do intestino delgado encontra-se bem estabelecido, e as orientações atuais posicionam-na como um teste de primeira linha numa variedade de cenários clínicos. O advento das cápsulas de dupla câmara permitiu expandir a sua aplicação para a avaliação endoscópica da mucosa do cólon, oferecendo a oportunidade de um exame não invasivo de todo o intestino (endoscopia pan-entérica por cápsula, PCE). Sumário: Procedemos a uma revisão de vários aspectos do procedimento e preparação dos doentes para a PCE, bem como as aplicações clínicas atuais e as perspetivas futuras das cápsulas de dupla câmara. Na doença de Crohn não estenosante e não penetrante localizada ao intestino delgado e cólon, a PCE permite monitorizar a atividade da doença e avaliar a cicatrização da mucosa, um indicador importante da eficácia da terapêutica, com um rendimento de diagnóstico superior aos métodos convencionais, nomeadamente os exames imagiológicos ou a colonoscopia invasiva. Também na colite ulcerosa, as cápsulas de dupla câmara têm sido utilizadas para monitorizar a atividade da doença de forma não invasiva. Existem índices endoscópicos validados e especificamente concebidos para as cápsulas de dupla câmara, que permitem uma avaliação sistematizada e quantificação objetiva da atividade inflamatória. Na suspeita de hemorragia digestiva média ou baixa, alguns estudos exploratórios demonstraram a aplicabilidade e o elevado rendimento diagnóstico da PCE, podendo funcionar como um filtro de modo a permitir indicar quais os doentes que mais irão beneficiar de um procedimento invasivo subsequente, nomeadamente para a realização de procedimentos hemostáticos dirigidos. A possibilidade de utilização da PCE é também discutida no contexto das síndromes de polipose com envolvimento simultâneo do intestino delgado e do cólon. Mensagens-chave: A PCE é um procedimento diagnóstico eficaz e seguro para avaliar diretamente a mucosa do intestino delgado e cólon. A sua aplicação tem vindo a expandir-se no contexto das Doenças Inflamatórias Intestinais e, mais recentemente, na suspeita de hemorragia digestiva média ou baixa. Existe a expectativa de que no futuro próximo possamos assistir a uma redução substancial da demanda por procedimentos endoscópicos invasivos, face à utilização crescente da PCE enquanto método de diagnóstico pan-intestinal não invasivo.

Protein-losing enteropathy: is it Crohn's disease?

Case of a 24-year-old woman presenting due to edema in lower extremities. The patient had had infectious mononucleosis three weeks prior and had medical history of suspicion of Crohn's disease (CD) (due to a non-specific ileocolitis in a colonoscopy/EnteroRM). No ongoing medication. Laboratory evaluation unveiled hypoproteinemia with severe hypoalbuminemia, no renal abnormalities. A PLE was assumed, with post-infectious or CD being the most likely culprits. Alternative causes were extensively excluded. A videocapsule revealed white-tipped or granular villi, some white nodular villi and diffuse edema of the mucosa, and multiple extensive erosions and superficial ulcers in the jejunum and proximal ileum, not suggestive of CD. A push enteroscopy revealed unspecific histopathology. After incomplete response to enteral nutrition, corticotherapy was initiated resulting in sustained improvement. A follow-up Ileocolonoscopy and double balloon enteroscopy revealed no abnormalities. Six months post-treatment, the patient remains asymptomatic, with unremarkable laboratory results and no need for medication.

Risk factors for mortality in 1528 Brazilian childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

OBJECTIVES: To identify associations between mortality in cSLE patients and their characteristics: clinical and laboratory features, disease activity and damage scores, and treatment; to evaluate risk factors associated with mortality in cSLE; and to determine the most frequent causes of death in this group of patients. METHODS: We performed a multicenter retrospective cohort using data from 1,528 cSLE patients followed in 27 pediatric rheumatology tertiary centers in Brazil. Patients' medical records were reviewed according to a standardized protocol, in which information regarding demographic and clinical features, disease activity and damage scores, and treatment were collected and compared between deceased cSLE patients and survivors. Univariate and multivariate analyses by Cox regression model were used to calculate risk factors for mortality, whereas survival rates were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier plots. RESULTS: A total of 63/1,528 (4.1%) patients deceased, 53/63 were female (84.1%), median age at death was 11.9 (9.4-13.1) years and median time interval between cSLE diagnosis and death was 3.2 (0.5-5.3) years. Sepsis was the main cause of death in 27/63 (42.8%) patients, followed by opportunistic infections in 7/63 (11.1%), and alveolar hemorrhage in 6/63 (9.5%) patients. The regression models resulted in neuropsychiatric lupus (NP-SLE) (HR = 2.56, 95% CI = 1.48-4.42) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) (HR = 4.33, 95% CI = 2.33-4.72), as risk factors significantly associated with mortality. Overall patient survival after cSLE diagnosis at 5, 10, and 15 years were 97%, 95.4%, and 93.8%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirmed that the recent mortality rate in cSLE in Brazil is low, but still of concern. NP-SLE and CKD were the main risk factors for mortality, indicating that the magnitude of these manifestations was significantly high.

Endogenous Endophthalmitis and Liver Abscess: A Metastatic Infection or a Coincidence?

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a gram-negative pathogen that is a common cause of severe infections, including pyogenic liver abscess. Dissemination of K. pneumoniae to other organs, including the eye, is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. In the particular case of endogenous endophthalmitis (EE) by K. pneumoniae the prognosis is poor. We report the case of a middle-aged female with K. pneumoniae liver abscess. The patient developed metastatic endophthalmitis that was aggressively treated with systemic antibiotics. The liver abscess resolved with antimicrobials and percutaneous transhepatic drainage, but regarding the endophthalmitis she was discharged from our hospital without recovery of her eyesight. Metastatic spread to the eye should be considered in all patients with liver abscesses who experience ocular signs and symptoms in order to establish a timely diagnosis of EE.

A Klebsiella pneumoniae, bactéria gram-negativa, é causa comum de infeções graves, incluindo abscesso hepático piogénico. A disseminação da K. pneumoniae para outros órgãos, incluindo o olho, está associada a morbimortalidade significativas. A endoftalmite endógena por K. pneumoniae, apresenta um mau prognóstico. Apresentamos o caso de uma mulher de meia-idade com um abscesso hepático por K. pneumoniae. A paciente desenvolveu endoftalmite metastática, tratada agressivamente com antibióticos sistêmicos. O abscesso hepático foi resolvido com antibioterapia e drenagem percutânea. No que diz respeito à endoftalmite a paciente acabou por ter alta clínica sem recuperação da visão. A disseminação metastática para o olho deve ser considerada em todos os pacientes com abscessos hepáticos que apresentam sinais e sintomas oculares, a fim de estabelecer um diagnóstico oportuno de endoftalmite endógena.

Duodenal variceal bleeding as a presentation of hepatocellular carcinoma

A 79-year-old man with alcoholic liver cirrhosis without regular medical follow-up, presented at the emergency room with hematemesis. An upper endoscopy revealed a varix at the anterior wall of bulb with a red wale sign, indicating recent bleeding. An injection N-butyl-2 cyanoacrylate plus metacryloxisulfolane was successfully performed. The abdominal computed tomography angiography scan revealed a 29x26-mm nodule consistent with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), tumoral portal vein thrombosis (and communicating collateral from the superior mesenteric vein feeding the duodenal varix with no splenorenal shunt. After endoscopic therapy, the patient remained asymptomatic without rebleeding. Given HCC stage D (Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer), after multidisciplinary discussion, the patient was evaluated for best supportive care. Ectopic varices are clinically challenging causes of portal hypertensive bleeding associated with significant mortality, requiring a high index of suspicion and multimodal diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. The management includes endoscopic therapy, interventional radiology techniques (TIPS with variceal embolization, balloon occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration and percutaneous transhepatic obliteration) or surgery. The best endoscopic treatment modality remains unclear because there are no studies directly comparing the different endoscopic techniques. In setting of ectopic varices, abdominal imaging is mandatory to exclude splanchnic vein thrombosis, HCC and to map portosystemic collaterals to guide further treatments. (AU)

Consequências da pandemia por COVID -19 na vida do cuidador informal / Consequences of the pandemic for COVID -19 on the life of the informal caregiver

Verifica-se, atualmente, uma elevada preocupação no que concerne ao impacto da pandemia por COVID-19 no bem-estar geral da população. Esta pandemia constitui-se como uma crise global, não só ao nível de saúde pública e de estabilidade económica, mas também de bem-estar familiar. Ao evocar questões acerca do sentido de vida, a pandemia constitui-se como uma oportunidade para a (re)descoberta de valores humanos e universais. Numa sociedade cada vez mais envelhecida, a pandemia por COVID-19 veio acentuar, ainda mais, as dificuldades vivenciadas no quotidiano dos cuidadores a vários níveis, designadamente, profissional, pessoal, financeiro e social. Perspetivada não só como a unidade básica da sociedade, mas também como foco dos cuidados de enfermagem, a família apresenta como função prioritária, o suporte e a proteção dos seus membros. Pela sua proximidade, o enfermeiro de saúde familiar conhece as singularidades de cada família, o seu potencial, as suas competências e fragilidades. Com o seu saber técnico, científico e humanístico, define estratégias de índole sistémica que potenciam a ação da família, face às necessidades específicas de cada um dos seus constituintes. Todavia, urge compreender quais são os desafios, as respostas e as adaptações que emergiram a partir desta nova realidade, visto o cenário pandémico ter condicionado a interação entre enfermeiros e famílias. Tendo por base este intuito, efetuou-se uma revisão sistemática de literatura, subjacente à seguinte questão de investigação: Quais são as consequências da Pandemia por COVID 19 na sobrecarga e sentido de vida do cuidador informal? Os objetivos definidos para a pesquisa são: 1) Avaliar a sobrecarga do cuidador informal durante o período de pandemia por COVID-19 e 2) Identificar a relação entre o sentido de vida e a sobrecarga do cuidador informal. A partir da questão PI[C]O, foram definidas palavras-chave e realizada uma pesquisa de artigos científicos na base de dados da plataforma B-On no mês de novembro de 2021. Na Revisão Sistemática da Literatura, incluíram-se artigos, publicados nos últimos seis anos e disponíveis gratuitamente nas bases de dados Academic Search Complete, Complementary Index e Medline, através dos seguintes descritores: Informal "caregiver burden", "COVID-19 or coronavirus or 2019-ncov or sars-cov-2 or cov-19", "life purpose" or "meaning in life" or "purpose in life", utilizando o operador booleano AND. Da aplicação dos critérios de inclusão, foram identificados, no total, 58 artigos, dos quais, após análise dos títulos e resumos, foram selecionados cinco artigos como elegíveis e incluídos. Relativamente aos resultados, constatou-se que a sobrecarga do cuidador variava de acordo com a doença da pessoa cuidada, sendo que as evidências comprovaram que os cuidadores de pessoas com demência e doença oncológica relataram uma maior sobrecarga de cuidados, principalmente as mulheres. Também a ansiedade, o stress crónico e a depressão (angústia e sofrimento existencial) foram geradores do sentimento de sobrecarga do cuidador, durante a pandemia por COVID-19. Registou-se que a promoção da resiliência reduz significativamente a angústia associada aos cuidados. Conclui-se que a presença da espiritualidade, da esperança e de um sentido de vida, a par da resiliência, reduzia significativamente a angústia associada aos cuidados. É fundamental que os cuidadores sejam devidamente treinados e capacitados para que alcancem maiores níveis de resiliência como a capacidade de aceitar a situação diariamente, suprindo a necessidade de a pessoa não perder a sua essência e restaurar a esperança. Torna-se crucial que os enfermeiros desenvolvam competências para identificar e intervir nos processos de transição saúde - doença, orientando os cuidadores para atingirem o nível de mestria, promotor da resiliência e de esperança.

There is currently a high concern regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the general wellbeing of the population. This pandemic constitutes a global crisis, not only in terms of public health and economic stability, but also of family well-being. By evoking questions about the meaning of life, the pandemic constitutes an opportunity for the discovery of human and universal values. In an increasingly aging society, the COVID-19 pandemic has further accentuated the difficulties experienced in the daily lives of caregivers at various levels, namely, professional, personal, financial and social. Viewed not only as the basic unit of society, but also as the focus of nursing care, the family has, as a priority function, the support and protection of its members. Due to their proximity, the family health nurse knows the singularities of ach family, their potential, their skills and weaknesses. With his technical, scientific and humanistic knowledge, he defines strategies of a systemic nature that enhance the action of the family, given the specific needs of each of its constituents. However, it is urgent to understand what are the challenges, responses and adaptations that emerged from this new reality, since the pandemic scenario has conditioned the interaction between nurses and families. Based on this purpose, a systematic literature review was carried out, underlying the following research question: What are the consequences of the COVID 19 Pandemic on the burden and meaning of life of the informal caregiver? The objectives defined for the research are: 1) To assess the burden of the informal caregiver during the COVID-19 pandemic period and 2) To identify the relationship between the meaning of life and the burden of the informal caregiver. From the PI[C]O question, keywords were defined and a search for scientific articles was carried out in the B-On platform database in November 2021. In the Systematic Literature Review, articles published in the last six years and freely available in the Academic Search Complete, Complementary Index and Medline databases were included, using the following descriptors: Informal "caregiver burden", "COVID-19 or coronavirus or 2019-ncov or sars-cov2 or cov-19", "life purpose" or "meaning in life" or "purpose in life", using the Boolean operator AND. From the application of the inclusion criteria, a total of 58 articles were identified, of which, after analyzing the titles and abstracts, five articles were selected as eligible and included. Regarding the results, it was found that caregiver burden varies according to the illness of the person cared for, and evidence shows that caregivers of people with dementia and cancer reported a greater burden of care, especially for women. Anxiety, chronic stress and depression (anxiety and existential suffering) were also generators of the caregiver's feeling burden during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was found that promoting resilience significantly reduces care-associated distress. It is concluded that the presence of spirituality, hope and a life propouse, along with resilience, significantly reduces the anguish associated with care. It is essential that caregivers are properly trained and qualified so that they reach greater levels of resilience for the ability to accept the situation on a daily basis, meeting the need for the person not to lose their essence and restore hope. It is crucial that nurses develop skills to identify and intervene in the health-disease transition processes, guiding caregivers to reach the level of mastery, promoting resilience and hope.

Duodenal variceal bleeding as a presentation of hepatocellular carcinoma.

A 79-year-old man with alcoholic liver cirrhosis without regular medical follow-up, presented at the emergency room with hematemesis. An upper endoscopy revealed a varix at the anterior wall of bulb with a red wale sign, indicating recent bleeding. An injection N-butyl-2 cyanoacrylate plus metacryloxisulfolane was successfully performed. The abdominal computed tomography angiography scan revealed a 29x26-mm nodule consistent with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), tumoral portal vein thrombosis (and communicating collateral from the superior mesenteric vein feeding the duodenal varix with no splenorenal shunt. After endoscopic therapy, the patient remained asymptomatic without rebleeding. Given HCC stage D (Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer), after multidisciplinary discussion, the patient was evaluated for best supportive care. Ectopic varices are clinically challenging causes of portal hypertensive bleeding associated with significant mortality, requiring a high index of suspicion and multimodal diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. The management includes endoscopic therapy, interventional radiology techniques (TIPS with variceal embolization, balloon occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration and percutaneous transhepatic obliteration) or surgery. The best endoscopic treatment modality remains unclear because there are no studies directly comparing the different endoscopic techniques. In setting of ectopic varices, abdominal imaging is mandatory to exclude splanchnic vein thrombosis, HCC and to map portosystemic collaterals to guide further treatments.

Plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF -ENDORET®) to rescue necrotized orbital dermis-fat grafts.

PURPOSE: We report on the clinical course of three patients treated with topical plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) to rescue dermal-fat grafts (DFG) with graft ulceration (GU). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective, case-series study of three patients diagnosed with GU in DFG and treated with PRGF. Drops were applied four times per day and treatment was maintained until the GU resolved. Data were collected from medical records and anterior segment photos. RESULTS: All patients showed a favorable response to topical PRGF having accomplished full resolution of the GU within a mean of 30 days of treatment (range: 21-35 days). During the full extent of follow-up, no side-effects, signs of rejection or necrosis were reported and every patient was pleased with the final aesthetic result. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that PRGF could be an effective treatment for dermal graft ulceration in patients who underwent DFG surgery/implantation, mainly due to its low morbidity when compared to traditional procedures.

A novel decision model to predict the impact of weight management interventions: The Core Obesity Model.

AIMS: Models are needed to quantify the economic implications of obesity in relation to health outcomes and health-related quality of life. This report presents the structure of the Core Obesity Model (COM) and compare its predictions with the UK clinical practice data. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The COM is a Markov, closed-cohort model, which expands on earlier obesity models by including prediabetes as a risk factor for type 2 diabetes (T2D), and sleep apnea and cancer as health outcomes. Selected outcomes predicted by the COM were compared with observed event rates from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink-Hospital Episode Statistics (CPRD-HES) study. The importance of baseline prediabetes prevalence, a factor not taken into account in previous economic models of obesity, was tested in a scenario analysis using data from the 2011 Health Survey of England. RESULTS: Cardiovascular (CV) event rates predicted by the COM were well matched with those in the CPRD-HES study (7.8-8.5 per 1000 patient-years across BMI groups) in both base case and scenario analyses (8.0-9.4 and 8.6-9.9, respectively). Rates of T2D were underpredicted in the base case (1.0-7.6 vs. 2.1-22.7) but increased to match those observed in CPRD-HES for some BMI groups when a prospectively collected prediabetes prevalence was used (2.7-13.1). Mortality rates in the CPRD-HES were consistently higher than the COM predictions, especially in higher BMI groups. CONCLUSIONS: The COM predicts the occurrence of CV events and T2D with a good degree of accuracy, particularly when prediabetes is included in the model, indicating the importance of considering this risk factor in economic models of obesity.

Body mass index and risk of obesity-related conditions in a cohort of 2.9 million people: Evidence from a UK primary care database.

OBJECTIVE: Obesity rates in the United Kingdom are some of the highest in Western Europe, with considerable clinical and societal impacts. Obesity is associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D), osteoarthritis, cardiovascular disease, and increased mortality; however, relatively few studies have examined the occurrence of multiple obesity-related outcomes in the same patient population. This study was designed to examine the associations between body mass index (BMI) and a broad range of obesity-related conditions in the same large cohort from a UK-representative primary care database. METHODS: Demographic data and diagnosis codes were extracted from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink GOLD database in January 2019. Adults registered for ≥ 3 years were grouped by BMI, with BMI 18.5-24.9 kg/m2 as reference group. Associations between BMI and 12 obesity-related outcomes were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models, adjusted for age, sex, and smoking. RESULTS: More than 2.9 million individuals were included in the analyses and were followed up for occurrence of relevant outcomes for a median of 11.4 years during the study period. Generally, there was a stepwise increase in risk of all outcomes with higher BMI. Individuals with BMI 40.0-45.0 kg/m2 were at particularly high risk of sleep apnea (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval] vs. reference group: 19.8 [18.9-20.8]), T2D (12.4 [12.1-12.7]), heart failure (3.46 [3.35-3.57]), and hypertension (3.21 [3.15-3.26]). CONCLUSIONS: This study substantiates evidence linking higher BMI to higher risk of a range of serious health conditions, in a large, representative UK cohort. By focusing on obesity-related conditions, this demonstrates the wider clinical impact and the healthcare burden of obesity, and highlights the vital importance of management, treatment approaches, and public health programs to mitigate the impact of this disease.

Weight loss and risk reduction of obesity-related outcomes in 0.5 million people: evidence from a UK primary care database.

High body mass index (BMI) is known to be associated with various conditions, including type 2 diabetes (T2D), osteoarthritis, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and sleep apnoea; however, the impact of intentional weight loss on the risk of these and other outcomes is not well quantified. We examined the effect of weight loss on ten selected outcomes in a population from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) GOLD database. Included individuals were >18 years old at the index date (first BMI value between January 2001 and December 2010). They were categorised by their weight pattern between year 1 post-index and year 4 post-index (baseline period) as having stable weight (-5% to +5%) or weight loss (-25% to -10%, plus evidence of intervention or dietary advice to confirm intention to lose weight). For inclusion, individuals also required a BMI of 25.0-50.0 kg/m2 at the start of the follow-up period, during which the occurrence of ten obesity-related outcomes was recorded. Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for BMI, comorbidities, age, sex and smoking status were used to estimate relative risks for weight loss compared with stable weight. Individuals in the weight-loss cohort had median 13% weight loss. Assuming a BMI of 40 kg/m2 before weight loss, this resulted in risk reductions for T2D (41%), sleep apnoea (40%), hypertension (22%), dyslipidaemia (19%) and asthma (18%). Furthermore, weight loss was associated with additional benefits, with lower risk of T2D, chronic kidney disease, hypertension and dyslipidaemia compared with maintaining the corresponding stable lower BMI throughout the study. This study provides objective, real-world quantification of the effects of weight loss on selected outcomes, with the greatest benefits observed for the established CVD risk factors T2D, hypertension and dyslipidaemia.

Small Bowel Enteroscopy - A Joint Clinical Guideline from the Spanish and Portuguese Small Bowel Study Groups.

The present evidence-based guidelines are focused on the use of device-assisted enteroscopy in the management of small-bowel diseases. A panel of experts selected by the Spanish and Portuguese small bowel study groups reviewed the available evidence focusing on the main indications of this technique, its role in the management algorithm of each indication and on its diagnostic and therapeutic yields. A set of recommendations were issued accordingly.

Estas recomendações baseadas na evidência detalham o uso da enteroscopia assistida por dispositivo no manejo clínico das doenças do intestino delgado. Um conjunto de Gastrenterologistas diferenciados em patologia do intestino delgado foi selecionado pelos grupos de estudos Espanhol e Portugués de intestino delgado para rever a evidência disponível sobre as principais indicações desta técnica, o seu papel nos algoritmos de manejo de cada indicação e sobre o seu rendimento diagnóstico e terapêutico. Foi gerado um conjunto de recomendações pelos autores.

External Validation of the Core Obesity Model to Assess the Cost-Effectiveness of Weight Management Interventions.

BACKGROUND: For economic models to be considered fit for purpose, it is vital that their outputs can be interpreted with confidence by clinicians, budget holders and other stakeholders. Consequently, thorough validation of models should be carried out to enhance confidence in their predictions. Here, we present results of external dependent and independent validations of the Core Obesity Model (COM), which was developed to assess the cost-effectiveness of weight management interventions. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to assess the external validity of the COM (version 6.1), in line with best practice guidance from the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research and the Society for Medical Decision Making. METHODS: For validation, suitable sources and outcomes were identified, and used to populate the COM with relevant inputs to allow prediction of study outcomes. Study characteristics were entered into the COM to replicate either the studies used to develop the model (dependent validation) or those not included in the model (independent validation). The concordance between predicted and observed outcomes was then assessed using established statistical methods and generation of mean error estimates. RESULTS: For most outcomes, the predictions of the COM showed good linear correlation with observed outcomes, as evidenced by the high coefficients of determination (R2 values). The independent validation revealed a degree of underestimation in predictions of cardiovascular (CV) disease and mortality, and type 2 diabetes. CONCLUSION: The predictions generated by the risk equations used in the COM showed good concordance both with the studies used to develop the model and with studies not included in the model. In particular, the concordance observed in the external dependent validation suggests that the COM accurately predicts obesity-related event rates observed in the studies used to develop the model. However, the impact of existing CV risk, as well as mortality, is a key area for future refinement of the COM. Our results should increase confidence in the estimates derived from the COM and reduce uncertainty associated with analyses using this model.

Reinventing the nutraceutical value of gluten: The case of l-theanine-gluten as a potential alternative to the gluten exclusion diet in celiac disease.

Functional foods have created an open environment for the development of new solutions to health-related issues. In celiac disease, there is still no therapeutic alternative other than the observance of a gluten-free diet. In this context, we developed a wheat flour enriched in l-theanine aimed to be a potential alternative to the gluten-free diet. Through microbial transglutaminase-catalysed transamidation of gluten proteins using ethylamine as amine nucleophile, substantial amounts of glutamine residues were converted in theanine residues. Furthermore, using T-cell lines generated from intestinal biopsy specimens of celiac disease patients, this treatment showed the potential to strongly reduce the ability of gluten proteins to stimulate a T-cell-mediated immune response. From a rheological point of view, the functionality of gluten was retained. Considering L-theanine's evidence-based health benefits, a novel functional food is presented here and for celiac disease can be a path towards the development of an alternative to the gluten-free diet.

Small bowel enteroscopy - A joint clinical guideline by the Spanish and Portuguese small-bowel study groups

The present evidence-based guidelines are focused on the use of device-assisted enteroscopy in the management of small-bowel diseases. A panel of experts selected by the Spanish and Portuguese small-bowel study groups reviewed the available evidence focusing on the main indications of this technique, its role in the management algorithm of each indication, and its diagnostic and therapeutic yield. A set of recommendations was issued accordingly

No disponible