Relationship between sleep duration and obesity in Chilean elderly.

Nocturnal sleep patterns maybe a contributing factor for the epidemic of obesity. Epidemiologic and experimental studies have reported that sleep restriction is an independent risk factor for weight gain and obesity, but has not been explored this association in elderly. The objetive is to determine the association between the sleep durationand obesity in elderly Chilean autonomous.

Gastroesophageal reflux symptoms in patients with celiac disease and the effects of a gluten-free diet.

Background & Aims: Celiac disease (CD) patients often complain of symptoms consistent with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). We aimed to assess the prevalence of GERD symptoms at diagnosis and to determine the impact of the gluten-free diet (GFD).

Methods: We evaluated 133 adult CD patients at diagnosis and 70 healthy controls.

A prospective evaluation of endoscopic markers for identifying celiac disease in patients with high and low probability of having the disease.

Background/objectives: the usefulness of duodenoscopic markers for predicting celiac disease (CD) has been questioned. We assessed the diagnostic efficacy of endoscopic markers of mucosal atrophy in individuals with different pretest probability of CD.

Methods: we prospectively performed endoscopic intestinal biopsies and CD-related serology tests in 661 individuals, including 143 consecutive patients attending a malabsorption clinic (high pretest probability) and 518 subjects randomly selected fom those undergoing routine endoscopy because of upper GI symptoms (low pretest probability).

Azathioprine in refractory sprue: results from a prospective, open-label study.

Objective: Refractory sprue is a rare and severe malabsorptive disorder that mimics celiac disease but is refractory to a gluten-free diet and is without initial evidence of overt lymphoma. Treatment is largely empiric and often ineffective, with steroids and immunosuppression being the mainstream therapeutic options. The aim of this study was to evaluate prospectively the effect of azathioprine on a group of patients diagnosed with refractory sprue.