Publications by authors named "Ana Beatriz Bacchiega"
Objective: Endothelial dysfunction is an initial stage of the atherogenic process, which can be evaluated by a noninvasive method (flow-mediated dilation - FMD) and has a well-established prognostic value for cardiovascular (CV) risk. Currently, there is no evidence of increased CV mortality in Behc¸et's disease (BD), although its association with endothelial dysfunction has been described. There are still doubts in the literature whether the presence of chronic vascular inflammation might trigger the development of atherosclerosis, despite BD remission, which is why this study was conducted.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChronic use of hydroxychloroquine did not protect against COVID-19 in a large cohort of patients with rheumatic diseases in Brazil.
Adv Rheumatol
October 2021
Article Synopsis
- - The study aimed to investigate the impact of chronic hydroxychloroquine use on COVID-19 incidence among rheumatic disease patients compared to non-users in the same households during the early months of the pandemic in Brazil.
- - Researchers analyzed data from 10,443 participants, finding no significant difference in COVID-19 symptoms between patients on hydroxychloroquine and those not taking it; however, factors like lung disease and systemic sclerosis diagnosis increased risk for COVID-19 in patients.
- - The study highlighted that recent influenza vaccination provided a protective effect against COVID-19, reinforcing the importance of immunization for at-risk populations like those with rheumatic diseases.
Objectives: To evaluate the incidence of COVID-19 and its main outcomes in rheumatic disease (RD) patients on hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) compared to household cohabitants (HC).
Methods: This is a 24-week nationwide prospective multi-centre cohort with a control group without RD and not using HCQ. All participants were monitored through scheduled phone interviews performed by health professionals.
Background: Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease, with interleukin 6 (IL-6) as a major player in inflammation cascade. IL-6 blockade may reduce cardiovascular risk, but current treatments to block IL-6 also induce dyslipidemia, a finding with an uncertain prognosis.
Methods And Results: We aimed to determine the endothelial function responses to the IL-6-blocking agent tocilizumab, anti-tumor necrosis factor α, and synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug therapies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in a 16-week prospective study.