Exploratory Efficacy of Calcium-Vitamin D Milk Fortification and Periodontal Therapy on Maternal Oral Health and Metabolic and Inflammatory Profile

In this 2 × 2 factorial, outcome-assessor blinded, feasibility randomised trial we explored the effect of a non-pharmaceutical multi-component intervention on periodontal health and metabolic and inflammatory profiles among pregnant women with periodontitis receiving prenatal care in a Brazilian public health centre. 69 pregnant women (gestational age ≤20 weeks, T0) were randomly allocated into four groups: (1) fortified sachet (vitamin D and calcium) and powdered milk plus periodontal therapy during pregnancy (early PT) (n = 17); (2) placebo sachet and powdered milk plus early PT (n = 15); (3) fortified sachet and powdered milk plus late PT (after delivery) (n = 19); (4) placebo sachet and powdered milk plus late PT (n = 18). Third trimester (T1) and 6–8 weeks postpartum (T2) exploratory outcomes included periodontal health (% sites with bleeding on probing (BOP)), glucose, insulin, C-Reactive Protein, serum calcium and vitamin D. The mean BOP was significantly reduced in the early PT groups, while BOP worsened in the late PT groups. No significant effect of fortification on BOP was observed. Changes in glucose levels and variation on birthweight did not differ among groups This feasibility trial provides preliminary evidence for estimating the minimum clinically important differences for selected maternal outcomes. A large-scale trial to evaluate the interventions’ clinical benefits and cost-effectiveness is warranted.     

Vitamin A Status Improvement in Obesity: Findings and Perspectives Using Encapsulation Techniques

The association between obesity and vitamin A has been studied. Some studies point to the anti-obesity activity related to this vitamin, carotenoids with provitamin A activity, and carotenoid conversion products. This performance has been evaluated in respect of adipogenesis, metabolic activity, oxidation processes, secretory function, and oxidative stress modulation, showing a new property attributed to vitamin A in preventing and treating obesity. However, vitamin A and its precursors are highly sensitive and easily degraded when subjected to heat, the presence of light, and oxygen, in addition to losses related to the processes of digestion and absorption. In this context, encapsulation presents itself as an alternative capable of increasing vitamin A’s stability in the face of unfavorable conditions in the environment, which can reduce its functionality. Considering that vitamin A’s status shows a strong correlation with obesity and is an innovative theme, this article addresses the associations between vitamin A’s consumption and its precursors, encapsulated or not, and its physiological effects on obesity. The present narrative review points out those recent studies that demonstrate that vitamin A and its encapsulated precursors have the most preserved functionality, which guarantees better effects on obesity therapy.     

The employment situation of people living with HIV: a closer look at the effects of the 2008 economic crisis

The European Journal of Health Economics - This study aims to assess the determinants of employment probabilities among people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) during a 15-year period...     

Photobiomodulation therapy on expression of HSP70 protein and tissue repair in experimental acute Achilles tendinitis

Lasers in Medical Science - The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy on the expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) and tissue repair in...     

Association of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) and exercises programs in pain and functional capacity of patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA): a systematic review of randomized trials

Lasers in Medical Science - Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common degenerative disease in which several treatments and treatment associations have been investigated. This review analyzed the...     

Comparative survival of elderly renal transplant recipients with a living donor versus a deceased donor: A retrospective single center observational study

Increasing numbers of elderly (≥65 years) patients are listed for kidney transplantation. This study compares the survival outcome between living (LDK), regularly allocated (ETKAS), and Eurotransplant Senior Program (ESP) donor kidneys in elderly recipients. This is a single-center retrospective cohort study of elderly kidney transplant recipients transplanted between 2005 and 2017. Primary outcome measures were nondeath-censored graft, death-censored graft, and patient survival. In total, 348 patients were transplanted, 109 recipients (31.3%) received an LDK, 100 (28.7%) an ETKAS, and 139 (40%) an ESP kidney. 62.5% were male, and median age was 68 years. LDK recipients had significantly better 5-year nondeath-censored graft survival compared with ETKAS and ESP (resp. 71.0% vs. 66.1% vs. 55.6%, P = 0.047). Death-censored graft survival after 1 year was significantly better in LDK recipients (99.1%) (ETKAS 90.8%; ESP 87.7%, P < 0.001). After 5 years, the difference remained significant (P < 0.001) with little additional graft loss (97.7% vs. 88.1% vs. 85.6). There was no significant difference in patient survival after 5 years (71.7% vs. 67.4% vs 61.9%, P = 0.480). In elderly recipients, the patient survival benefits of an LDK are limited, but there is decreased death-censored graft loss for LDK recipients. Nevertheless, graft survival in ETKAS and ESP remains satisfactory.