Spina bifida and cardiorespiratory profile: the impact of leisure sport activities on physical fitness.

Purpose: The aim of the present study is to evaluate a population of young patients affected by Spina Bifida (SB) to describe their cardiorespiratory function and bone mineral density profile, analyzing any differences between people performing and those who do not perform sports activity. The study also aimed to rule out possible congenital heart disease associated with spina bifida, considering the common origin of certain cardiac structures with those found to be altered in SB patients.

Methods: Thirty-four young patients, aged between 12 and 22 years, diagnosed with spinal dysraphism (SD), have been clinically described and, in order to evaluate their physical fitness, functional capacity and bone mass, almost all of them underwent a complete cardiorespiratory assessment, including electrocardiogram (ECG), echocardiogram, Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test (CPET), body composition analysis using bioimpedance analysis (BIA) and Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA), as well as the estimation of bone mineral density (BMD) with Computerized Bone Mineralometry (CBM).

A Case of Ralstonia pickettii Bloodstream Infection and the Growing Problem of Healthcare Associated Infections in Frail Older Adults.

Frailty is a clinically measurable state of vulnerability to developing increased dependency and/or mortality when exposed to a stressor. Chronic diseases, aggressive treatments, antibiotic overuse, microbiota changes, immune senescence, and increased use of medical devices and implants (i.e.

Myocarditis in Athletes Recovering from COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: To assess the event rates of myocarditis detected by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR) in athletes who recovered from COVID-19.

Methods: A systematic literature search was performed to identify studies reporting abnormal CMR findings in athletes who recovered from COVID-19. Secondary analyses were performed considering increased serum high sensitivity troponin (hs-Tn) levels and electrocardiographic (ECG) and echocardiographic (ECHO) abnormalities.

The burden of chronic disease, multimorbidity, and polypharmacy in adults with Down syndrome.

Data on clinical characteristics of adults with Down syndrome (DS) are limited and the clinical phenotype of these persons is poorly described. This study aimed to describe the occurrence of chronic diseases and pattern of medication use in a population of adults with DS. Participants were 421 community dwelling adults with DS, aged 18 years or older.

Predictors of Functional Decline in Nursing Home Residents: The Shelter Project.

Background: The aim of our study was to identify independent predictors of functional decline in older nursing home (NH) residents, taking into account both resident and facility characteristics.

Methods: Longitudinal observational study involving 1,760 older (≥65 y) residents of NH participating in the SHELTER* study (57 NH in eight countries). All residents underwent a comprehensive geriatric assessment using the interRAI LTCF.