A comparative study between traditional and sports school uniforms on cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness and waist-height-to-ratio in adolescents.

Background: Improving health of children and adolescents is crucial for their overall development. Therefore, it is essential to explore factors that may influence their health at both the public health and school system levels. Objective: This study compares physical fitness components and waist-height-to-ratio (WHtR) in adolescents according to school uniforms, namely the traditional uniform (i.e., shirt and school necktie in boys and skirt and blouse in girls) and the sports uniform (i.e., polo shirts or t-shirts and sport or short trousers). Additionally, it seeks to investigate potential differences in these measures based on sex and school type (i.e., public, subsidized, and private). Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from the Chilean national learning outcome assessment system (SIMCE)-2014 and involved 8,030 adolescents. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and muscular fitness (MF) were measured. WHtR was assessed as a health cardiovascular indicator. Mixed models and ANCOVA were performed to compare uniform types, adjusting for multiple covariates. value of p and effect size (ES) was used to establish significant results. Results: Overall, sports uniforms (SU) were linked to higher CRF (p < 0.001) than the traditional uniform (TU). Boys from private schools wearing SU presented higher CRF (p = 0.016; ES = 0.37), and a positive trend was observed for MF (p = 0.645; ES = 0.21). In subsidized, a trend was found in CRF (p = 0.005; ES = 0.16). Girls wearing SU from private schools showed a positive trend in CRF (p = 0.167; ES = 0.28). Trends in WHtR were found in both sexes from private (p = 0.555; ES = 0.24; p = 0.444; ES = 0.25, respectively). Conclusion: Wearing SU seems a promissory alternative to promote healthy physical fitness and body composition at the educational level. However, the relationship between higher physical activity and CRF, MF, and lower WHtR due to SU must be verified. Finally, when deciding to implement this measure, special attention must be paid to boys from public schools and girls from all types of schools.

Síndrome POEMS: a propósito de un caso y revisión de la literatura / POEMS syndrome: report of a case and review of literature

El síndrome POEMS es un síndrome paraneoplásico raro asociado a discrasia de células plasmáticas. Se presenta el caso de un paciente masculino de 37 años de edad, quien consultó por presentar de 38.5 C°, precedida de escalofríos, predominio nocturno y frecuencia diaria/interdiaria, de tres meses de evolución; concomitante parestesias en región plantar bilateral, ascendente, con disminución de fuerza muscular simétrica en miembros inferiores. Durante su estancia hospitalaria se evidencia trombocitosis y eritrocitosis. Se realizó ecosonograma abdominal que evidencia hepatomegalia; tomografía computarizada (TC) de cuello que reportó adenopatías submandibulares, laterocervicales y parayugulares; TC de tórax donde se evidencia lesión ocupante de espacio de características osteolíticas expansivas a nivel de segunda costilla izquierda; electromiografía de miembros superiores e inferiores con radiculopolineuropatía de tipo mixto en miembros inferiores y polineuropatía sensitivo motora de tipo mixto en miembros superiores; electroforesis de proteínas con discreto aumento de gammaglobulinas, a expensas de IgG y aspirado de médula ósea con serie plasmática aumentada (3%) de apariencia madura. Se realizó biopsia de lesión en segundo arco costal izquierdo sin evidenciar atipias. En vista de hallazgos clínicos y paraclínicos se planteó síndrome POEMS.

POEMS syndrome is a rare paraneoplastic syndrome due to an underlying plasma cell disorder. We present a male patient of 37 years old with fever 38.5°C, preceded by chills, nocturnal predominance and daily frequency of three months of evolution, as well as paresthesias in plantar region, bilateral, ascendant with decrease in muscle strength of legs. During his hospitalization, he presented thrombocytosis and erythrocytosis. The abdominal ecosonography evidenced hepatomegaly; thorax computerized tomography evidenced space osteolytic occupying lesion in second left rib. The electromyography demonstrated radiculo polineuropathy in legs, and sensory motor polineuropathy in upper limbs. The protein electrophoresis with elevated of gammaglobulins ;bone marrow aspirate evidenced (3%) mature increased plasma cells. The biopsy of second rib evidenced no atypia.