The epidemiology of Chagas disease in the Americas.

Chagas disease is a complex parasitic zoonosis that still threatens public health across the Americas. Initiatives to control transmission blood transfusion and non-native triatomine-bug vectors have yielded crucial advances; native vectors, however, actively bridge wild and domestic/peri-domestic transmission cycles throughout the region, and tens of thousands of people become infected each year. Oral-transmission outbreaks, urbanisation, and vertical transmission are additional/emerging issues calling for innovative strategic thinking.

Differential Efficacy of Weight Loss Interventions in Patients with Versus Without Diabetes.

Obesity is both a major risk factor for diabetes and a serious comorbidity of the condition. The twin epidemics of obesity and diabetes have spread globally over the past few decades. Treatment of obesity in patients with diabetes provides a host of clinical benefits that encompass virtually all body systems.

Effect of a nutraceutical combination on sleep quality among people with impaired sleep: a randomised, placebo-controlled trial.

In this randomised, placebo-controlled trial, adults with impaired sleep (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index ≥ 5) were randomly assigned using a minimization algorithm to receive a formulation containing L-theanine plus lemon balm, valerian, and saffron extracts, or placebo, during 6 weeks. Objective sleep quality parameters were measured using an actigraphy device. We enrolled and randomised 64 individuals, 31 from the active group and 27 from the placebo group completed the 6 week follow-up.

Poor performance of anti-mitochondrial antibodies for the diagnosis of primary biliary cholangitis in female Colombian patients: A single-center study.

Background: Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a serious disease that causes significant morbidity. PBC is confirmed with liver biopsy but autoantibodies are frequently used as proxies for diagnosis. The performance of autoantibodies for the diagnosis of PBC seems to vary widely across populations.

Diabetes and associated dietary intake among urban adults: COPEN (Colombian Nutritional Profiles)-a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: Diabetes is increasing rapidly in low-income and middle-income countries. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of diabetes, describe its correlates and its associated dietary intake in urban adults from Colombia.

Setting: The Colombian Study of Nutritional Profiles was a population-based, cross-sectional, multi-stage probabilistic sampling survey designed to represent the five main Colombian cities.

Diabetes and Bone Fragility.

Diabetes is a highly prevalent disease with complications that impact most bodily systems. However, the impact of diabetes on bone health is frequently ignored or underestimated. Both type 1 (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are associated with a higher risk of fractures, albeit through different mechanisms.