Loop diuretic discontinuation in chronic heart failure patients: A retrospective study.

Introduction And Objectives: The use of loop diuretics is central in managing congestion in heart failure (HF), but their impact on prognosis remains unclear. In euvolemic patients, dose reduction is recommended, but there is no recommendation on their discontinuation. This study aims to assess the impact of loop diuretic discontinuation on the prognosis of outpatients with HF with reduced ejection fraction.

Associations of medicine use and ejection fraction with the coexistence of frailty and sarcopenia in a sample of heart failure outpatients: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Frailty and sarcopenia have been extensively studied in heart failure (HF) patients, but their coexistence is unknown. The aim of this work is to describe the coexistence of these conditions in a sample of HF outpatients and its association with the use of medication and left-ventricular ejection fraction.

Methods: Participants in this cross-sectional study were recruited from a HF outpatients' clinic in northern Portugal.

Portuguese adaptation of the Chronic Heart Failure Knowledge Questionnaire (KQCHF).

Background: A patient's knowledge of heart failure (HF) is associated with better outcomes. The more information patients have about their illness, the less likely they are to be readmitted to the hospital. Such knowledge includes the cause, symptoms, probable duration, and expected evolution of the clinical picture.

Effectiveness of Exercise-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation for Heart Transplant Recipients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Heart Transplant (HTx) is the ultimate chance of life for end stage Heart Failure (HF). Exercise training has consistently shown the potential to improve functional capacity in various chronic heart diseases. Still, the evidence in HTx recipients is scarcer.

Frailty phenotype in heart failure: A condition that transcends age.

Introduction And Objectives: Studies on younger frail and pre-frail subjects suffering from heart failure (HF) are scarce, except for those focusing on the critically ill. This work aims to describe differences between younger (<65 years) and older (≥65 years) pre-frail and frail HF outpatients regarding their nutritional, functional and clinical statuses.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a sample of 99 HF frail and pre-frail patients (aged 24-81 years, 38.

Anxiety in heart failure patients and its association with socio-demographic and clinical characteristics: a cross-sectional study.

Unlabelled: Anxiety is one of the most frequent psychiatric disorders in heart failure (HF) patients. However, it is often neglected in clinical practice and studies about the particular relationship with the New York Heart Association (NYHA) classes for HF are scarce. In this context, this study aims to analyze the presence of anxiety symptoms in HF outpatients and also its association with sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of these patients.

Hyperkalemia as a limiting factor of neurohormonal blockade/modulation in everyday clinical practice.

Introduction And Objectives: Neurohormonal blockade (NB)/modulation is the combination of two renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors (RAASi) with a beta blocker. It is the core therapy for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). While improving long term prognosis, it also induces hyperkalemia (serum K >5.

Statins are associated with reduced likelihood of sarcopenia in a sample of heart failure outpatients: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Sarcopenia is prevalent in heart failure (HF) patients, contributing to its poor prognosis. Statin use is postulated as a probable risk for developing sarcopenia, but little is known regarding this association in HF patients. This work aims at classifying and characterising sarcopenia and at describing the association of statin use with sarcopenia in a sample of Portuguese HF outpatients.

Systemic oxidative stress in children with cystic fibrosis with bacterial infection including Pseudomonas Aeruginosa.

Introduction: Oxidative stress (OS) occurs in cystic fibrosis (CF).

Objective: The objective of this work is to evaluate the influence of bacterial infection on biomarkers of OS (catalase [CAT], glutathione peroxidade [GPx], reduced glutathione [GSH]), markers of oxidative damage (protein carbonyls [PC], thiobarbituric acid reactive substances [TBARS]), together with the nutritional status and lung function in children with CF.

Methods: Cross-sectional study including CF group (CFG, n = 55) and control group (CG, n = 31), median age: 3.

Sacubitril/valsartan in everyday clinical practice: an observational study based on the experience of a heart failure clinic.

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a growing public health problem. Sacubitril/valsartan is now recommended to be used in persistently symptomatic patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <40%, replacing angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEis)/angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). In the present study, we aimed to characterise the challenges of sacubitril/valsartan use in everyday clinical practice.

The Portuguese Model of Home Respiratory Care: Healthcare Professionals' Perspective.

Patients' and carers' views regarding the Portuguese model of home respiratory care were recently described, yet the complementary perspective of healthcare professionals (HCPs) is still to be investigated. Thus, this study explored HCPs experience in the management of patients needing home respiratory therapies (HRT), and their perspective about the Portuguese model. A phenomenological descriptive study, using focus groups, was carried out with 28 HCPs (median 42 y, 68% female) with distinct backgrounds (57% pulmonologists, 29% clinical physiologists, 7% physiotherapists, 7% nurses).

A qualitative study of patient and carer experiences with home respiratory therapies: Long-term oxygen therapy and home mechanical ventilation.

Studies exploring the experience of patients receiving home respiratory therapies (HRT), such as long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) and home mechanical ventilation (HMV), are still limited. This study focused on patients' and carers' experience with LTOT and HMV. An exploratory, cross-sectional qualitative study, using semi-structured focus groups, was carried out with 18 patients receiving HRT (median 71y, 78% male, 56% on both LTOT and HMV) and 6 carers (median age 67y, 67% female).

Effectiveness of Tele-rehabilitation Programs in Heart Failure: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Tele-rehabilitation (TR) may be an effective alternative or complement to centre-based cardiac rehabilitation (CBCR) with heart failure (HF) patients, helping overcome accessibility problems to CBCR. The aim of this study is to systematically review the literature in order to assess the clinical effectiveness of TR programs in the management of chronic HF patients, compared to standard of care and standard rehabilitation (CBCR).

Methods And Results: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on the effect and safety of TR programs in HF patients, regarding cardiovascular death, heart failure-related hospitalizations, functional capacity and quality of life.

The Future of Telemedicine in the Management of Heart Failure Patients.

Telemedicine (TM) is potentially a way of escalating heart failure (HF) multidisciplinary integrated care. Despite the initial efforts to implement TM in HF management, we are still at an early stage of its implementation. The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic led to an increased utilisation of TM.

The relationship of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration with clinical variables in patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia.

Background & Aims: The relationship between vitamin D and oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) is still poorly understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration in patients with OD and to verify its association to nutritional status, functional independence measure (FIM), time of clinical signs (TCS) and OD severity. This is a cross-sectional study conducted with outpatients.

Relationships between high comorbidity index and nutritional parameters in patients with Oropharyngeal Dysphagia.

Background & Aims: Oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) and comorbidities can exert an influence on nutritional status and contribute to mortality. The aim of the present study was to examine relationships between high Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) scores and OD outcomes, including OD severity, feeding route, nutritional status and one-year mortality rate in adults and elderly individuals.

Methods: A longitudinal study, whose the final sample comprised 110 patients with OD and 75 of whom were evaluated for one-year mortality outcome.

Relationship between oropharyngeal dysphagia, nutritional status, antioxidant vitamins and the inflammatory response in adults and elderly: A cross-sectional study.

Background & Aim: Oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) can lead to a deficiency of antioxidant micronutrients. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relation between OD and nutritional status, antioxidant vitamins (β-carotene, vitamin E and C) and serum markers of the inflammatory response [C-reactive protein, myeloperoxidase (MPO), nitric oxide metabolites (NOx), tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6] in adults and elderly.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 69 individuals: 22 in the control group (CG) and 47 in the OD group (ODG).

Effect of RYGB on Oxidative Stress in Adults: a 6-Year Follow-up Study.

Background: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is effective for weight loss but may have long-term effects on markers of oxidative stress (OS). The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of bariatric surgery with RYGB on OS blood markers in a 72-month period after surgery.

Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted with 20 patients before and after RYGB (months M0, M6, M12, M24, and M72) compared with a control group of 35 adults assessed only once.

Modifiable factors associated with neuropsychiatric symptoms in nursing homes: The impact of unmet needs and psychotropic drugs.

Objective: This study aimed to explore neuropsychiatric symptoms' (NPS) risk factors in a sample of nursing home residents.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Residents over 65 years were included, unless they had a known major psychiatric diagnosis.

Smartphone-Based Remote Monitoring Solution for Heart Failure Patients.

The hospitalisation of patients with Heart Failure (HF) represents an increasing problem for the healthcare system with more than 26 million worldwide suffering from this disease. Predictions demonstrate that the total health expenditure will increase by 127% in 2030. In Portugal, demographic changes caused by an ageing population are associated with an increase in HF incidence rate, forecasting 479.

Altered intestinal microbiota composition, antibiotic therapy and intestinal inflammation in children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of cystic fibrosis and antibiotic therapy on intestinal microbiota composition and intestinal inflammation in children and adolescents. A cross-sectional controlled study was conducted with 36 children and adolescents: 19 in the cystic fibrosis group (CFG) and 17 in the control group (CG) matched for age and sex. The CFG was subdivided based on the use of antibiotic therapy (CFAB group) and non-use of antibiotic therapy (CFnAB group).

ASSOCIATION OF NUTRITIONAL STATUS WITH LUNG FUNCTION AND MORBIDITY IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH CYSTIC FIBROSIS: A 36-MONTH COHORT STUDY.

Objective: To evaluate the association between nutritional status, lung function and morbidity in a 36-month cohort in children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis.

Methods: Prospective cohort of children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis aged 1-15 years. At the baseline, the nutritional status was determined by weight-for-height and body mass index-for-age for children <2 years and ≥2 years, respectively, and classified as: nutritional failure, nutritional risk and acceptable; and by the 50th percentile, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) growth charts.

Effect of synbiotic supplementation in children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis: a randomized controlled clinical trial.

Background/objectives: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is characterized by excessive activation of immune processes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of synbiotic supplementation on the inflammatory response in children/adolescents with CF.

Subjects/methods: A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, clinical-trial was conducted with control group (CG, n = 17), placebo-CF-group (PCFG, n = 19), synbiotic CF-group (SCFG, n = 22), PCFG negative (n = 8) and positive (n = 11) bacteriology, and SCFG negative (n = 12) and positive (n = 10) bacteriology.