Cognitive Impairment and Insomnia in Celiac Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Emerging evidence suggests a broader spectrum of celiac disease (CeD) system involvement, including neurological manifestations. We aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the available evidence from studies assessing the association of cognitive impairment and insomnia with CeD. A total of 259 participants with CeD were included in the studies investigating insomnia and 179 were included in studies investigating cognitive impairment.

High Incidence of Gastric Cancer in El Salvador: A National Multisectorial Study during 2000 to 2014.

Background: Gastric adenocarcinoma is the fourth leading cause of global cancer mortality and leading infection-associated cancer. Gastric cancer has significant geographic variability, with a high incidence in East Asia and mountainous regions of Latin America. In the United States, gastric cancer represents a marked disparity with incidence rates that are two to three times higher in Hispanics compared to non-Hispanic Whites.

Population-Based Study of Gastric Cancer Survival and Associations in Rural Western Honduras.

Background: Two-thirds of global cancers occur in low/middle income countries (LMIC). Northern Central America is the largest LMIC region in the Western Hemisphere and lack cancer registries to guide cancer control. We conducted a gastric cancer survival study in rural Western Honduras, characterized as having among the highest gastric cancer incidence rates in Latin America.

High Gastric Cancer Mortality and Years of Life Lost in Nicaragua: A Population-Based Study 1997 to 2012.

Background: Gastric adenocarcinoma is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related mortality and leading infection-associated cancer. Gastric adenocarcinoma has striking geographic variability, with high incidence in East Asia and mountainous Latin America. Reliable cancer data and population-based cancer registries are lacking for the majority of low- and middle-income countries, including the Central American Four region (CA-4, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala).

Prevalence of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome in the High Cardiovascular Risk Setting of Rural Western Honduras.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome (MS) in the population older than 45 years in rural Western Honduras and contribute to the limited literature on MS in Central America.

Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in the District of Copan. The study includes 382 men and women aged 45 to 75 years.

Effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists on gastric mucosal visibility and retained gastric contents during EGD.

Background And Aims: Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are increasingly used in diabetes and obesity management. Although GLP-1RAs delay gastric emptying, their impact on visibility during EGD remains uncertain.

Methods: A 1:1 matched case-control study was conducted.

Prevalence of celiac disease in systemic lupus erythematosus, sjogren syndrome and systemic sclerosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Celiac disease (CeD) is an immune-mediated disorder affecting the small bowel, associated with genetic factors and increasing global prevalence.

Aim: This study explores the association between CeD, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), primary Sjogren syndrome (pSS), and Systemic Sclerosis (SSc).

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following PRISMA guidelines.

Delays in Colorectal Cancer Screening for Latino Patients: The Role of Immigrant Healthcare in Stemming the Rising Global Incidence of Colorectal Cancer.

The significant global burden of colorectal cancer accentuates disparities in access to preventive healthcare in most low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) as well as large sections of underserved populations within high-income countries. The barriers to colorectal cancer screening in economically transitioning Latin America are multiple. At the same time, immigration from these countries to the USA continues to increase.

Social determinants of health influencing the adherence to post-endoscopic mucosal resection surveillance.

Background And Aims: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a global health challenge, particularly in Alabama, where the incidence rates exceed national averages. This study investigated the factors influencing adherence to post-endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) colonoscopies, focusing on travel distance and socioeconomic status. This study aimed to provide evidence-based insights to improve patient care in CRC management.

Colorectal Cancer Screening Programs in Latin America: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Importance: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality globally, with increasing incidence and mortality in Latin America. CRC screening programs can reduce disease burden, but information on screening programs in Latin America is limited.

Objective: To describe characteristics (eg, type of program, uptake, neoplastic yield) of CRC screening programs in Latin America.

Safety and efficacy of direct percutaneous endoscopic jejunostomy tube placement compared with surgical jejunostomy: a tertiary care analysis.

Background And Aims: Jejunostomy tube placements provides enteral access for feeding in eligible patients who cannot meet their nutritional needs by mouth. They can be surgically placed laparoscopically (lap-J) or with the use of a conventional open laparotomy approach (open-J). Recently, direct percutaneous endoscopic jejunostomy (DPEJ) has emerged as an alternative owing to its low cost and shorter recovery times.

Wood cookstove use is associated with gastric cancer in Central America and mediated by host genetics.

Biomass cookstove food preparation is linked to aero-digestive cancers, mediated by ingested and inhaled carcinogens (e.g., heterocyclic amines, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons).

High-Dose vs. Low-Dose Dexamethasone in Patients With COVID-19: A Cohort Study in Rural Central America.

To compare the clinical outcomes of a low dose dexamethasone strategy vs. a high-dose dexamethasone strategy in hypoxemic COVID-19 patients. A retrospective observational study comparing low-dose (8 mg) and high-dose dexamethasone (24 mg) of COVID-19 patients admitted from September 1, 2020 to October 31, 2020 in a hospital in Honduras.

Prevalence of depression among patients with chronic pancreatitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Chronic Pancreatitis (CP) is a fibroinflammatory condition with debilitating symptoms. Quality of life is severely affected in patients with CP and they are likely to suffer from mental health disorders, including depression. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis assessing the prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression in patients with CP.

Intraumbilical versus intramuscular oxytocin in the management of the third stage of labor.

Objective: To compare the effect of intraumbilical vein oxytocin injection with standard management in reducing blood loss during the third and fourth stages of labor. Acute complications threaten the mother's life during the third and fourth stages of labor. The most common complication is postpartum hemorrhage, which remains a leading cause of maternal mortality, particularly in developing countries.

Gastric Cancer: Emerging Trends in Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment.

Gastric adenocarcinoma (GC) is the fourth leading cause of global cancer mortality, and the leading infection-associated cancer. Helicobacter pylori is the dominant risk factor for GC and classified as an IARC class I carcinogen. Surveillance of gastric premalignant conditions is now indicated in high-risk patients.

Upper Gastrointestinal Cancer: Delays in Diagnosis and Treatment Caused by Barriers to Healthcare in the Latino Community.

We report a case of an 81-year-old male immigrant from a Latin American developing country with a high burden of upper gastrointestinal neoplasms, who presented with a small bowel gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) after 2 years of delay in the diagnosis due to multiple barriers to healthcare. The patient presented with a partial intestinal obstruction in an abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan suggestive of a GIST. Surgical resection was performed, and adjuvant therapy was initiated with imatinib (a tyrosine kinase inhibitor) after the diagnosis was confirmed.

Western Honduras Copán Population-Based Cancer Registry: Initial Estimates and a Model for Rural Central America.

Purpose: Population-based cancer registries (PBCRs) are critical for national cancer control planning, yet few low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have quality PBCRs. The Central America Four region represents the principal LMIC region in the Western hemisphere. We describe the establishment of a PBCR in rural Western Honduras with first estimates for the 2013-2017 period.

Prevalence and Associated Dietary Factors of Rome IV Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in Rural Western Honduras.

Background: The literature is limited regarding the prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) in Central America, and the role of dietary factors.

Methods: The Rome IV diagnostic questionnaire and National Cancer Institute Diet History questionnaire were administered in one-on-one interviews to a distributed cross section of the general adult population of Western Honduras. Our aim was to estimate prevalence of common FGIDs and symptoms and their relationships to dietary habits.

Epidemiology, Outcomes, and Associated Factors of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction-Confirmed Cases in the San Pedro Sula Metropolitan Area, Honduras.

Background: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has caused substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide. Few reports exist in Latin America, a current epicenter of transmission. Here, we aim to describe the epidemiology and outcomes associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Honduras.