The Efficacy of Manual Therapy on Musculoskeletal Pain in Menopause: A Systematic Review.

(1) Background: The aim of this review was to evaluate the effects of manual therapy for musculoskeletal pain in menopausal women. (2) Methods: A comprehensive search of manuscripts published from inception until 29 February 2024 was conducted on PubMed, EBSCO Information Services (EBSCOhost), Physiotherapy Evidence Database (Pedro), Web of Science, Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Clinical Trials, and Scopus using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and free terms. Randomized controlled trials (RCT) investigating the effects of manual therapy for musculoskeletal pain in postmenopausal women were included.

Understanding neuron-glia crosstalk and biological clocks in insomnia.

According to the World Health Organization, about one-third of the population experiences insomnia symptoms, and about 10-15% suffer from chronic insomnia, the most common sleep disorder. Sleeping difficulties associated with insomnia are often linked to chronic sleep deprivation, which has a negative health impact partly due to disruption in the internal synchronisation of biological clocks. These are regulated by clock genes and modulate most biological processes.

Clinical profile of patients with type 2 diabetes after COVID-19 vaccination: A prospective study.

The purpose of this study was to characterize the clinical profile of patients with type 2 diabetes after COVID-19 vaccination. This prospective study has involved 100 adult diabetic patients followed in the primary health care. SARS-CoV-2 infection after COVID-19 vaccination was the outcome indicator.

Dance-related musculoskeletal injury leading to forced time-loss in elite pre professional dancers - a retrospective study.

Objectives: Describe the epidemiology of dance-related musculoskeletal injury leading to forced time-loss in elite pre-professional dancers and provide descriptive data on the prevalence concerning diagnoses, location, and injury type, stratified by gender and skill level.

Methods: Retrospective cohort, over a 3-year period on a full-time pre-professional Portuguese dance school featuring 70 both gender students with a mean age of 14.87 years.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations' management in Portuguese hospitals - EvaluateCOPDpt, a multicentre, observational, prospective study.

Introduction And Objectives: In order to improve the quality of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients' care, better knowledge of clinical practice and the factors associated with patient outcomes are needed. This study aimed to evaluate the relation between clinical practice and the outcomes of patients admitted for COPD exacerbations in Portuguese hospitals.

Materials And Methods: Observational, multicentre, prospective study with a 60-days follow-up period, in 11 hospitals, including patients aged ≥ 30 years, admitted to hospital for at least 24 hours due to an acute exacerbation of COPD.

Peripheral biomarkers to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) has been recognized as a major health concern worldwide, given its increasing prevalence, difficulties in diagnosis and treatment, and impact on health, economy, and society. Clinical guidelines highlight the need of biomarkers to guide OSA clinical decision-making, but so far, without success. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews database (ID CRD42020132556), we proposed to gather and further explore candidates identified in the literature as potential OSA biomarkers.

Diagnostic and therapeutic approach of central sleep apnea in heart failure - the role of adaptive servo-ventilation. A statement of the Portuguese society of pulmonology and the Portuguese sleep association.

It is known that patients with heart failure (HF) have an increased risk of developing central sleep apnoea (CSA), with Cheyne-Stokes respiration. The development of servo-ventilation aimed to treat CSA and improve the quality of life (QoL) of these patients. A large randomized clinical study, SERVE-HF, was conducted in order to test this theory in patients with HF and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

Beyond Apnea-Hypopnea Index: how clinical and comorbidity are important in obstructive sleep apnea.

Introduction: The classification of the severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) based on the Apnea/Hypopnea Index (AHI) does not reflect the heterogeneity and prognosis of the disease. The Baveno classification proposes a new assessment system that includes symptoms and comorbidities. The aim of our study was to evaluate the application of the Baveno classification in clinical practice and to explore its association with sleep indices, adherence to therapy and symptoms over a 6-months period.

Influence of age on adherence to auto-CPAP: experience from a sleep center in Portugal.

Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a disorder characterized by obstructive apneas, hypopneas, and/or arousals related to respiratory effort caused by repetitive collapse of the upper airway during sleep. Left untreated, or with poor adherence to treatment, is likely to lead to negative outcomes, especially cardiac or cerebrovascular diseases. Our objective was to investigate age as a potential factor that may interfere with adherence to treatment with automatic positive airway pressure (APAP).

Bedside clinical tests to assess sensitization in office workers with chronic neck pain.

Objective: This study aimed to assess pain sensitization in individual office workers with chronic neck pain through simple bedside quantitative sensory tests (QST) and to associate the findings with pain intensity and pain catastrophizing.

Methods: One hundred-and-four office workers with chronic neck pain were assessed using pressure pain threshold (PPT) considering pain sensitive if PPTs were lower than 155 kPa in the upper trapezius and 245 kPa in the tibialis anterior. Pain sensitive to temporal summation of pain (TSP) was considered if there was a difference of two points in the visual analogue scale (VAS) comparing the first and last stimulus.

Is the Nox-T3 device scoring algorithm accurate enough for the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea?

Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is highly prevalent. Home sleep apnea testing (HSAT) for OSA is rapidly expanding because of its cost effectiveness in the diagnosis of OSA. Type 3 portable monitors are used for this purpose.

Pressure pain thresholds in office workers with chronic neck pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to (a) compare pressure pain threshold (PPT) values between office workers with chronic neck pain and asymptomatic controls; (b) establish reference PPT values in chronic neck pain; and (c) evaluate associations between PPTs and pain intensity, and disability.

Methods: Seven English/Portuguese databases were searched for relevant literature. Studies investigating adult office workers (age >18 years) with chronic neck pain were included if PPTs were an outcome.

Long-term continuous positive airway pressure treatment ameliorates biological clock disruptions in obstructive sleep apnea.

Background: Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a highly prevalent and underdiagnosed sleep disorder. Recent studies suggest that OSA might disrupt the biological clock, potentially causing or worsening OSA-associated comorbidities. However, the effect of OSA treatment on clock disruption is not fully understood.

STOP-Bang and NoSAS questionnaires as a screening tool for OSA: which one is the best choice?

Introduction: Currently there has been significant growth in the number of patients with suspected obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) referred to sleep clinics. In this sense, screening and stratification methods of the severity of this pathology have become increasingly relevant.

Objective: To evaluate the performance of the NoSAS and STOP-Bang scores in the screening of OSA in a sleep clinic.

Potentially preventable urinary tract infection in patients with type 2 diabetes - A hospital-based study.

Aim: To investigate the prevalence of urinary tract infections in hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and identify corresponding risk factors.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study on 7.347 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus as the principal diagnosis, using hospitalization discharge summary data from January 1 to December 31, 2015.

Validation of NoSAS (Neck, Obesity, Snoring, Age, Sex) score as a screening tool for obstructive sleep apnea: Analysis in a sleep clinic.

Introduction: Screening methods have become increasingly important due to the growing number of patients suspected of having obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) being referred to sleep clinics. The Lausanne NoSAS (Neck circumference, Obesity, Snoring, Age, Sex) score test is a simple, efficient, and easily employed tool enabling identification of individuals at risk for the disease. The score ranges from 0 to 17 and the patient has a high probability of OSA if they have a NoSAS score of 8 or higher.

The role of prediagnostic data in injury epidemiology in preprofessional dancers.

Introduction: preprofessional dance training starts at very early ages, on a highly demanding environment placing students at significant risk for injury. Injury management and prevention are a matter of concern. Given the constant interchangeability of risk factors, identifying injury patterns may prove to be equally as important.

Clinical and molecular markers in COPD.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex and heterogeneous disease, and there is a clinical need for validated markers and biomarkers that can contribute to the assessment of patients, risk prediction, treatment guidance, and assessment of response. Although according to the 2018 GOLD guidelines clinically useful biomarkers for COPD patients in stable condition have yet to be identified, several clinical markers and biomarkers have been proposed for COPD. These include isolated clinical markers, such as symptoms and Health Status assessment, exercise tests, function tests and imaging, and also composite scores and molecular markers.

STOP-Bang questionnaire: the validation of a Portuguese version as a screening tool for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in primary care.

Introduction: The growing number of suspected patients diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) that are observed in sleep units has increased in the last decade. Therefore, screening methods have become important, especially in primary care (PC).

Aim: This work aimed to test the performance of the STOP-Bang questionnaire for the suspicion/diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea.

Impact of first sexual intercourse on the sexual and reproductive life of young people in a capital city of the Brazilian Northeast.

This study aimed to analyze the repercussion of first sexual intercourse on the number of pregnancies and partners of teenagers with obstetric history in Teresina (PI), Brazil. This is a cross-sectional study with 464 young women selected by accidental sampling who gave birth at 15-19 years of age in the first four months of 2006 in six maternity hospitals of the municipality. Primary data was collected from May to December 2008 at the participants' homes after tracking them in the hospital medical records.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Hallmarks of Aging.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is one of the most common sleep disorders. Since aging is a risk factor for OSA development, it is expected that its prevalence will increase with the current increase in life span. In recent years, several studies have shown that OSA potentially contributes to functional decline, mainly prompted by chronic intermittent hypoxia and sleep fragmentation.

Titration with automatic continuous positive airway pressure in obstructive sleep apnea.

Background And Objective: Autotitrating positive airway pressure (APAP) is an accepted titration method to determine the optimal positive airway pressure (PAP), for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The required duration of APAP monitoring to determine a fixed continuous positive airway pressure level still remains to be established. We aimed to evaluate the variation in PAP level, delivered by APAP devices, at different periods of treatment, to determine the APAP treatment duration required to reach an effective and stable PAP level.