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This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a xenogeneic collagen matrix (XCM) in treating gingival recessions (GR) in a thin gingival phenotype. This double-blind, planned, controlled, split-mouth clinical trial included 30 patients with bilateral recessions, randomly assigned to a test group (extended flap + XCM) and a control group (extended flap + connective tissue graft; CTG). Root coverage at 18 months was 1.75 ± 0.8 mm (72.9%) and 2.4 ± 0.51 mm (88.9%) in the test and the control groups, respectively. The upper limit of the confidence interval was not greater than the non-inferiority margin of 0.69 mm. The increase in gingival thickness was greater for autogenous graft (p = 0.003). Both treatments improved quality of life at 18 months. The keratinized tissue width (KTW) increased significantly in the grafted teeth, in both the test (p < 0.001) and the control groups (p < 0.001). Total root coverage was similar in both groups, reaching 70% and 66.7% in the control and test groups, respectively, with no significant differences observed for partial or complete root coverage (CRC). An association was observed in the quality of the gingival phenotype at 18 months according to the treatment group, i.e., a higher percentage of cases with a thicker phenotype was observed in the control group (86.7%), compared with the test group (53.3%) (p = 0.005). XCM was effective in treating GR, but CTG had better results because of significantly increased gingival thickness and phenotypic conversion.

Background and Aims: Quality of life in patients with active Crohn's disease may be significantly reduced. We evaluated the effects of upadacitinib induction and maintenance therapy on fatigue, quality of life, and work productivity in the phase 3 trials U-EXCEL, U-EXCEED, and U-ENDURE., Methods: Clinical responders to upadacitinib 45 mg in U-EXCEL and U-EXCEED induction trials were re-randomised 1:1:1 to upadacitinib 30 mg, 15 mg, or placebo for 52 weeks of maintenance in U-ENDURE. Clinically meaningful improvements in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire [IBDQ] response, IBDQ remission, Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue [FACIT-Fatigue], and Work Productivity and Activity Impairment were evaluated. Percentages of patients achieving clinically meaningful improvements were assessed at induction Weeks 4 and 12 and maintenance Week 52., Clinical Registration Number: U-EXCEED induction trial [NCT03345836], U-EXCEL induction trial [NCT03345849], U-ENDURE maintenance trial [NCT03345823]., Results: Analysis included 1021 and 502 patients assessed at induction and maintenance, respectively. In U-EXCEL, greater improvements [all p ≤ 0.001] in IBDQ response [71.0% vs 50.2%], IBDQ remission [44.2% vs 23.7%], and FACIT-Fatigue [42.0% vs 27.0%] were observed in upadacitinib-treated patients versus placebo at Week 4. Improvements in IBDQ response, IBDQ remission, and FACIT-Fatigue were similar or greater at Week 12. Clinically meaningful improvement in overall work impairment [52.1% vs 38.1%, p ≤ 0.05] was demonstrated at Week 12. Similar results were observed in U-EXCEED. Improvements were sustained through 52 weeks of upadacitinib maintenance treatment., Conclusions: In patients with active Crohn's disease, upadacitinib treatment relative to placebo significantly improved fatigue, quality of life, and work productivity as early as Week 4. These effects were sustained through 52 weeks of maintenance., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation.)

Background: Health economic appraisals often rely on the assessment of health utilities using preference-based measures (PBM). The cancer-specific PBM, European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Utility - Core 10 Dimensions (EORTC QLU-C10D), was developed recently, and now needs to be validated in various clinical populations. Methods: In a multicenter, multinational prospective cohort study, we longitudinally collected EORTC QLQ-C30 and EQ-5D-5L data from patients with thyroid cancer. We applied seven country-specific value sets to the QLQ-C30 data to derive country-specific utility values and used the EQ-5D-5L as a comparator PBM. Criterion validity was assessed by correlating index scores and Bland-Altman plots. Construct validity was investigated by correlating domain scores. Known-group comparisons and responsiveness were assessed using external clinical criteria. Results: A total of 181 patients with thyroid cancer from nine countries (three continents) provided analyzable data. Patients were included if they had differentiated, medullary, or anaplastic thyroid cancer. Mean utility values of both instruments were generally lower compared to general population norms. No floor or ceiling effects were present for the QLU-C10D. The intra-class correlation for EQ-5D-5L and QLU-C10D index values ranged from 0.761 to 0.901 across the measurement timepoints, supporting criterion validity. Spearman's correlation coefficients ranged from 0.289 to 0.716 for theoretically corresponding domain pairs. The QLU-C10D detected differences in 9 of 15 known-group comparisons, supporting sensitivity. Clinically important changes were detected by all QLU-C10D country specific value sets, supporting responsiveness. Further, the QLU-C10D had higher statistical efficiency than the EQ-5D-5L in 74.7% of comparisons. Conclusions: The QLU-C10D is a valid PBM for health economic evaluations in thyroid cancer studies. We recommend its use to estimate health utilities in economic evaluations of thyroid cancer therapies.

Introduction: Minimal important change estimates (MIC) are useful for interpreting results of clinical research with quality of life (QoL) as an endpoint. For the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer head and neck cancer module, the EORTC QLQ-HN43, no such thresholds are established., Methods: Head and neck cancer patients under active treatment (n = 503) from 15 countries completed the EORTC QLQ-HN43 three times (t1: before treatment, t2: three months after t1, t3: six months after t1). A subgroup completed a Subjective Significance Questionnaire (SSQ), indicating experienced change from the previous time point in four QoL domains. QoL was assumed to deteriorate after t1 and improve again until t3. The MIC was established using the average of mean differences in SSQ groups (MIC mean ) and estimates based on logistic regressions (MIC predict ). Additionally, minimal detectable changes (MDC) were computed using 0.5 standard deviation and standard error of the mean., Results: For swallowing, speech, dry mouth, and global QoL, the MIC for deterioration were 13, 14, 26, and 10 respectively. The MIC for improvement were 8 (swallowing), 6 (dry mouth), and 5 (global QoL); no MIC for speech improvement can be presented because of insufficient correlation between change score and anchor. The MDC estimates for deterioration were 15, 14, 15, and 11. For improvement, the MDC estimates were 13, 14, 14, and 11., Conclusions: Our results underline that no single MIC or MDC can be applied to all EORTC QLQ-HN43 scales, and that the MIC for deterioration seems larger than those for improvement., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest Authors declare they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Individuals with Post COVID-19 condition (PCC), or long COVID, experience symptoms such as fatigue, muscle weakness, and psychological distress, including anxiety, depression, or sleep disorders that persist after recovery from COVID-19. These ongoing symptoms significantly compromise quality of life and diminish functional capacity and independence. Multimodal digital interventions targeting behavioural factors such as nutrition and mindfulness have shown promise in improving health outcomes of people with chronic health conditions and may be beneficial for those with PCC. The BLEND study (weB-based pLatform to improve nutrition, mindfulnEss, and physical function, in patients with loNg COVID) study is an 8-week pilot randomized controlled trial evaluating the feasibility of a digital wellness platform compared to usual care among individuals with PCC. The web-based wellness platform employed in this study, My Viva Plan (MVP)®, integrates a holistic, multicomponent approach to promote wellness. The intervention group receives access to the digital health platform for 8 weeks with encouragement for frequent interactions to improve dietary intake and mindfulness. The control group receives general content focusing on improvements in dietary intake and mindfulness. Assessments are conducted at baseline and week 8. The primary outcome is the feasibility of platform use. Secondary and exploratory outcomes include a between-group comparison of changes in body composition, nutritional status, quality of life, mindfulness, physical activity, and physical performance after 8 weeks. Findings of this study will inform the development of effective web-based wellness programs tailored for individuals with PCC to promote sustainable behavioural changes and improved health outcomes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper other then funding disclosures listed above., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This study assessed the prevalence and impact of moderate and/or severe vasomotor symptoms and related treatment patterns in midlife women in Brazil., Study Design: Brazilian women aged 40 to 65 years completed an online survey. The prevalence of moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms was assessed in postmenopausal women who completed a series of questionnaires to elicit responses regarding their treatment patterns and attitudes to treatments., Main Outcome Measures: Perimenopausal and postmenopausal women with moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms completed three standardized questionnaires (Menopause-Specific Quality of Life questionnaire, Work Productivity and Activity Impairment questionnaire, and the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Sleep Disturbances Short Form 8b) and answered open-ended questions., Results: Of 1244 postmenopausal women who accessed the survey, 36.2 % had experienced moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms in the previous month. Moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms among 501 perimenopausal and postmenopausal women negatively affected overall quality of life (mean total score on the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life questionnaire was 3.6/8). On the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment questionnaire, women's scores for impairments in overall work and daily activities due to vasomotor symptoms were 50.3 % and 60.0 %, respectively. Overall mean (standard deviation) score on the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Sleep Disturbances Short Form 8b was 25.5 (5.8) on a scale of 8 to 40. Most women sought medical advice (65.5 %), but over half were not receiving treatment. Those who received treatment reported moderately favorable attitudes to hormone and nonhormone prescription medicines, but safety concerns remained., Conclusion: Brazilian women experienced a relatively high prevalence and burden of moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:, (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of a Pilates exercise program compared with home-based exercises in individuals with chronic non-specific low back pain., Design: A randomised controlled trial with a six-month follow-up., Setting: Rehabilitation clinic., Participants: One hundred and forty-five individuals (18-50 years of age) with low back pain for ≥ 12 consecutive weeks were enrolled and randomly allocated to either Pilates ( n  = 72) or home-based exercise groups ( n  = 73)., Interventions: Method Pilates (Mat Pilates exercises using accessories) versus home-based exercise (postural exercises, muscle stretching and strengthening, and spine stabilisation/mobilisation), twice a week, for 6 weeks., Main Measures: Assessments were performed at baseline, post-intervention, and six months follow-up. Outcomes were pain intensity, disability, and health-related quality of life., Results: At post-intervention, the Pilates group had significantly lower pain intensity (mean difference = -1.14; 95% CI -2.05; -0.23), less disability (mean difference = -6.7; 95% CI -11.3; -2.0), and higher health-related quality of life (mean difference = 0.102; 95% CI 0.054; 0151) compared to the home-based exercise group. At follow-up, the Pilates group had a significantly higher health-related quality of life (mean difference = 0.055; 95% CI 0.003; 0.106) compared with the home-based exercise group but there were no significant differences in pain and disability. A significant overall effect of Pilates compared to home-based exercise was found for disability (mean difference = -4.4; 95% CI -7.6; -1.1), and health-related quality of life (mean difference = 0.049; 95% CI 0.022; 0.076), but not for pain., Conclusion: Although Pilates was significantly superior to home exercise for pain and disability, the differences were not considered clinically relevant. However, Pilates did provide significant and clinically relevant differences in utility., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Objective: To assess the impact of treatment with orthodontic aligners (OA) on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in patients with trisomy 21 (T21) compared to non-syndromic patients., Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of 30 patients, both sexes, aged between 11 and 35 years, divided into two groups: T21 (n = 10, patients with T21, treated prospectively) and CONTROL (n = 20, control group, non-syndromic patients, from the Orthodontic Laboratory of UNOPAR). In both groups, patients were treated with Invisalign orthodontic aligners (Align Technology), following the same treatment parameters. Participants, assisted by their caregivers, when necessary, answered Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) instrument and the patient's guardians answered the Oral Health Scale for People with Down's syndrome (OHDS) instrument, before (T0) and after 30 (T1), 180 (T2), and 365 (T3) days from the start of treatment. Friedman tests with Bonferroni correction and Mann-Whitney tests were used (p < .05)., Results: For the OHDS instrument, it was observed that for the eating and communication domains and an overall score, the treatment with OA positively impacted the lives of T21 patients (p < .05). Regarding the OHIP-14 instrument, the intragroup evaluation showed that in the CONTROL group, there was no significant difference between the evaluated times; while for the T21 group, there was a significant positive impact (p < .05)., Conclusion: The results showed that the treatment with aligners positively impacted the OHRQoL of T21 patients, and these results were perceived by caregivers, mainly in relation to issues related to eating and communication., (© 2024 Special Care Dentistry Association and Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Purpose: To describe clinical outcomes among patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) 24 months following prostatic artery embolization (PAE)., Materials and Methods: This was an international, multicenter, prospective trial of males with BPH with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) or acute urinary retention (AUR) treated with PAE. The primary outcome was the 12 month change in the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) for patients referred for bothersome LUTS, or urinary catheter independence for patients treated for AUR. Secondary outcome measures included changes in IPSS at 3 and 24 months, changes in quality of life (QoL), changes in the Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM) questionnaire, technical success rate, and adverse events (AEs). Data were summarized using descriptive statistics., Results: Four hundred seventy-eight consecutive patients underwent PAE (bothersome LUTS: N = 405; AUR: N = 73), mean age was 70 years. For patients treated for bothersome LUTS, mean total IPSS at baseline was 21.8 and decreased to 9.3, 10.6, and 11.2 at 3, 12, and 24 months following PAE, respectively (all p < 0.001); QoL at baseline was 4.7 and decreased to 2.0, 2.1, and 2.3 at 3, 12, and 24 months, respectively (all p < 0.001). The mean SHIM score at baseline and 12 months following PAE was 13.8 and 13.9, respectively. Of the 73 patients treated for AUR, 48 (65.8%) had their indwelling catheter removed within 3 months of PAE and remained catheter free at 24 months. Fifty-five patients (11.5%) experienced ≥ 1 AE and 10 (2.1%) experienced a serious AE., Conclusion: PAE is a safe and effective treatment for symptomatic BPH and LUTS. Level of Evidence Level 3 Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03527589., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objectives: This study aimed to: (i) understand how women perceived their recently developed patellofemoral pain (PFP) regarding its cause, prognosis, and willingness to seek treatment; (ii) investigate self-reported function, knee-related quality of life (QoL), fear of movement, and physical activity level at the onset of PFP., Design: Mixed-methods longitudinal study., Setting: University., Participants: Sixty-eight pain-free women were followed up over one year., Main Outcome Measures: Those who developed PFP were interviewed within one month of the development of symptoms. Self-reported function, kinesiophobia, knee-related QoL, and physical activity were obtained at baseline and follow-up assessments., Results: Twenty-one women developed PFP. Most participants reported believing the increase in physical activity and/or sitting time was associated with the onset of PFP. Many reported believing symptoms would improve over time without any treatment. Only a small number of participants intended to seek care. Quantitatively, decreases in self-reported function and QoL, as well as increases in the physical activity level were observed after PFP development., Conclusion: Although decreases in self-reported function and QoL were observed, women reported believing their PFP is self-limiting and do not need treatment. Strategies to accurately disseminate knowledge about PFP are needed to help stimulating early care., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The literature is unclear about how the different attachment systems for overdentures impact the maximum bite force, the masticatory efficiency and how this impact in the oral health self-perception in patients., Objective: To evaluate the effect of two attachment systems (O-ring and Locator) for mandibular overdenture using single implant on quality of life, maximum bite force (BF) and masticatory efficiency (ME)., Methods: Twenty-eight completely edentulous denture wearers with a mandibular symphysis implant were randomly selected and allocated into two groups in a crossover study, considering O-ring and Locator attachment types. The quality of life and self-perception of oral health were assessed using the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-Edent) and Geriatric Index of Determination of Oral Health (GOHAI) questionnaires, respectively. BF was measured using a gnathodynamometer and ME by chewing silicone cubes and almonds in different numbers of cycles., Results: There was no difference between the attachment systems about self-perceived oral health and impact on quality of life (p > .05). The O-ring-type system obtained a significantly higher BF than the locator-type system (p = .04). Regardless of the food chewed, no statistically significant difference was observed with the type of attachment (p > .05). The ME was directly proportional to the masticatory cycles only for almonds (p < .01)., Conclusions: Locator and O-ring inserts had a similar impact on patients' quality of life, self-perception of oral health and ME. Additionally, the O-ring system exhibited superior properties in the BF., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: To explore the relationship between sociodemographic, clinical, and neurophysiological variables and health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) of patients with phantom limb pain (PLP)., Methods: This is a cross-sectional analysis of a previous clinical trial. Univariate and multivariate linear and logistic regression analyses were used to model the predictors of HR-QOL. We utilized a sequential modeling approach with increasing adjustment levels, controlling for age and sex, and other relevant clinical variables (time since amputation, level of amputation, and pain). HR-QOL was assessed by the SF-36 Health Survey and its 8 subdomains., Results: We analyzed baseline data from 92 patients with lower-limb amputations. They were mostly male (63%), 45.2 ± 15.6 years, with a mean time since amputation of 82.7 ± 122.4 months, and an overall SF-36 score of 55.9 ± 21.5. We found an association between intracortical facilitation (ICF) in the affected hemisphere, gabapentin usage, and HR-QOL. ICF is a predictor of better HRQOL, whereas gabapentin usage was associated with a poorer HR-QOL, with the main model explaining 13.4% of the variance in the outcome. For the SF-36 subdomains, ICF was also a positive predictor for social functioning, bodily pain, and vitality, while medication usage was associated with lower scores in mental health, general health perception, bodily pain, and vitality., Conclusion: We found firsthand 2 new independent predictors of HR-QOL in individuals with PLP, namely, the neurophysiological metric ICF and gabapentin usage. These results highlight the role of the motor cortex excitability in the HR-QOL and stress the need for treatments that favor the neuroplastic adaptation after amputation, for which ICF may be used as a possible marker., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Academy of Pain Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objective: To evaluate efficacy, safety, and adherence to using adjustable compression wraps (ACWs) for upper limb volume control in women with breast cancer-related lymphedema., Design and Setting: Randomized controlled trial at a reference hospital for breast cancer treatment in Brazil., Participants: Women in control phase of the breast cancer-related lymphedema., Interventions: Compared use of ACWs versus compressive mesh., Main Measures: Evaluated before treatment, at 30 days, and 6 months after initiating therapy. The primary outcome was the change in excess limb volume. Secondary outcomes included adherence, incidence of adverse events, functionality, quality of life, and hand grip. Statistical analysis involved calculating the effect size (ES) with a 95% confidence interval., Results: Were included 71 women with mean excess limb volume of 321.79 mL (±194.98). In the 30-day analysis (Time 1), a reduction of 37.6 mL in volume was observed only in the ACW group ( p  = .041, ES 0.20), with improved functionality ( p  = .013, ES 0.22). In the six months analysis (Time 2), the compressive mesh group increased by 2.48% in volume ( p  = .023, ES 0.26) and demonstrated improvement functionality ( p  = .036, ES 0.27). Mild adverse events and satisfactory adherence were observed. However, in the intergroup comparison, no statistically significant difference was observed for any evaluated outcome-excess volume, incidence of adverse events, adherence, hand grip, quality of life, and functionality between the groups ( p  > .05) at both times., Conclusions: Both compression therapies achieved satisfactory adherence, were safe, effective and equivalent for controlling limb volume in breast cancer-related lymphedema., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Objective: We investigated the accuracy of the 10-item Physical Function (PF-10) questions of the SF-36 quality of life questionnaire as a sarcopenia screening tool among patients on hemodialysis., Methods: A cross-sectional, multicenter study that included adult patients on hemodialysis. The revised European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People was used to diagnose sarcopenia. The 10 questions about daily activities from the SF-36 quality of life questionnaire were used to appoint the PF-10, where the final score could range from 10 to 30, and the lower the worse the physical function. The PF-10 accuracy to identify confirmed sarcopenia (low muscle strength + low muscle mass) was assessed through a receiver operating characteristic curve and the cutoff was calculated using the Youden index., Results: One hundred eighty-five patients were included (median 59 years; 45% female). Prevalence of confirmed sarcopenia was 31.4%. The median PF-10 score was 23 (interquartile range: 17-27) and a significant association with all sarcopenia measurements was found (all P < .05). The best cutoff calculated from the receiver operating characteristic curve was ≤26 points (area under the curve = 0.69, 95% confidence interval 0.61-0.77) with sensitivity and specificity of 96.6% and 71.0%, respectively. Moreover, patients with ≤26 points (n = 133, 72%) had a higher prevalence of low muscle strength by handgrip (53 vs. 19%; P < .001) and 5-time sit-to-stand (41 vs. 10%; P < .001), low gait speed (44 vs. 19%; P = .002), confirmed sarcopenia (39 vs. 11%; P < .001), and severe sarcopenia (26 vs. 4%; P = .001), but not low muscle mass (49 vs. 35%; P = .08), in comparison with those >26 points (n = 52, 28%)., Conclusion: The PF-10 may be a useful physical dysfunction and sarcopenia screening tool in patients on hemodialysis. A PF-10 threshold of around 26 points appeared to display the fairest accuracy for diagnosing sarcopenia., (Copyright © 2024 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To investigate the perceptions of parents/caregivers about the impact of oral conditions on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of children/adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to the perceptions of parents/caregivers of children/adolescents without ASD., Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted involving 80 children/adolescents with ASD three to 16 years of age matched by sex and age with 80 children/adolescents without ASD and their parents/caregivers. Clinical examinations were performed for the diagnosis of dental caries experience (DMFT/dmft), clinical consequences of untreated dental caries (PUFA/pufa), visible plaque (VPI), bleeding on probing (BPI), malocclusion and traumatic dental injury (TDI). Parents/caregivers answered a questionnaire addressing sociodemographic characteristics and the Brazilian version of the Parental-Caregiver Perceptions Questionnaire (P-CPQ), which measures OHRQoL from the perspective of parents/caregivers. Data analysis involved the Wilcoxon test, chi-squared test and Poisson regression., Results: Dental caries experience impacted OHRQoL in the group with ASD regarding the total P-CPQ score (p < 0.001) as well as the "oral symptoms" (p = 0.011) and "wellbeing" (p < 0.011) domains. No differences were found between the perceptions of parents/caregivers of children/adolescents with ASD and perceptions of parents/caregivers of children/adolescents without ASD (p = 0.721)., Conclusion: Dental caries experience can have a negative impact on the OHRQoL of children/adolescents with ASD., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: To investigate the influence of different denture-bearing conditions on the masticatory function and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) of complete denture wearers., Methods: Sixty edentulous patients were selected and allocated into two groups according to the American College of Prosthodontics' (ACP) classification: non-atrophic (NAT) (Classes I and II) (n = 24) and atrophic (AT) (Classes III and IV) (n = 36). All patients received new complete dentures (CDs). The objective variables (masticatory performance and swallowing threshold) were assessed as well as the PROMs (oral health-related quality of life (OHIP-EDENT), patient satisfaction) and quality of the prosthesis, at baseline (using the old CD) and after 4 months new prostheses use. Data were analyzed by Mann-Whitney test followed by the Generalized Equations Estimation (GEE), linear regression and Chi-square test., Results: Higher masticatory performance was observed in the NAT group (p < .05) for both time points, baseline and after 4 months. However, compared to baseline, both groups showed significant masticatory improvement after 4 months (p < .05). Satisfaction and overall quality of life improved after 4 months with no difference between groups (p > .05). Regarding the quality of the CD, baseline results were significantly (p < .05) lower in the AT group, but after 4 months, no significant differences were found between groups and in intragroup analysis (p > .05)., Conclusions: The denture-bearing conditions seems to impact masticatory function, but the PROMs are barely affected., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: To explore the effects of a cognitive-behavioral program addressing urinary incontinence on the quality of life of men who have undergone radical prostatectomy., Method: Randomized controlled clinical trial with patients undergoing radical prostatectomy in an institution for cancer treatment in Brazil. The 34 participants were randomized into two groups: 17 in the control group who received the institution's standard care and 17 in the intervention group who received the cognitive-behavioral program. Quality of life was assessed using the King's Health Questionnaire and the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form., Results: Participants from intervention group showed better results regarding the reduction of the impact of urinary incontinence on quality of life (p ≤ 0.001), with emphasis on limitations in daily activities, general health perception, physical and social limitations, emotions, and sleep and mood., Conclusion: The cognitive-behavioral program was effective in reducing the impact of urinary incontinence on quality of life. This study contributes to clinical practice by providing an effective, low-cost, and easily applicable therapy. Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials: RBR-3sstqg.

Background: Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by a deficiency in the metabolism of the essential amino acid phenylalanine, which has a neurotoxic effect at high concentrations. The available treatment for PKU involves limiting the intake of phenylalanine through a restrictive diet. Strict adherence to treatment is essential for a child's proper development. Owing to their rare and chronic condition, PKU patients and their caregivers need to address many specific challenges, which can affect their quality of life (QoL)., Purpose: This review aimed to identify, characterize, map, and summarize existing knowledge about the quality of life of PKU patients and their primary caregivers., Methods: A scoping review was conducted following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. The PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Scopus, CINAHL, and BVS databases were searched, and articles published between January 2000 and February 2023 were included., Results: The search resulted in 3249 articles, 29 of which were selected for analysis. Most studies were cross-sectional, and the highest concentration of publications ranged between 2011 and 2021. Generic self-report questionnaires were the tools most commonly used to assess patients' and their caregivers' QoL. A significant negative impact on QoL was found in most studies with pediatric patients and caregivers. High current and lifetime blood Phe levels were associated with worse QoL in several domains, and higher tolerance of ingested phenylalanine was associated with a lower impact on QoL. Among caregivers, psychosocial variables such as stress, anxiety, depression, and child behavior problems were associated with poorer QoL. Higher perceived social and emotional support was a protective factor of QoL in caregivers., Conclusion: Patients of pediatric age and their caregivers, younger caregivers, and female patients and caregivers seem to be especially vulnerable to QoL impairments. The social and emotional dimensions were the most affected. These results emphasize the importance of combining generic and disease-specific assessment tools to achieve a comprehensive assessment. Despite the growing interest in this topic, the longitudinal literature is limited, and there is a lack of interventional studies on this population. Future interventions addressing diet management and providing psychosocial support may benefit the QoL of the PKU population., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Oral mucositis is a highly prevalent condition in individuals treated for haematological neoplasms, primarily during haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The condition is known to delay recovery processes, increasing the risk of infection, the number of interventions and the length of hospital stays. The proposed Photobiomodulation Therapy for Oral Mucositis and Functional Impairment Transplantation Trial aims to assess the effectiveness and acceptability of using photobiomodulation in the oral cavity to prevent oral mucositis and functional impairment in adult patients undergoing HSCT., Methods and Analysis: This is an assessor-blinded and statistician-blinded, parallel-group randomised controlled clinical trial (photobiomodulation vs control group)., Participants and Setting: 30 patients, aged 18-65 years, with haematological neoplasms undergoing HSCT at the Clínica Dávila Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant Unit., Primary Outcome Measures: oral mucositis will be assessed daily using the WHO grading scale, beginning on the day of transplant through day 20 post-transplant. Researchers will assess functional capacity using a 2 min step test, handgrip strength with the Jamar digital dynamometer, lower limb strength using a 30' sit-to-stand test and quality of life with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bone Marrow Transplantation Questionnaire. Acceptability will be assessed by logging treatment adherence and using a Visual Analogue Scale. Assessments will occur at two time points (1): on admission to the transplant unit, before starting the conditioning regimen and (2) on the day of discharge., Intervention: three times per week photobiomodulation therapy using a diode laser device will begin the first day of conditioning and continue through day 3 post-transplant., Ethics and Dissemination: The Clínica Dávila and Universidad del Desarrollo Clinical Research Ethics Committees approved this study in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration. Patients' informed consent will be required. The dissemination strategy includes publication in scientific journals as well as presentations in the media and at conferences., Trial Registration Number: NCT06260111., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objective: to analyze sociodemographic variables, quality of life, self-perceived health, learning motivation and behavior of adolescents in 2018 and 2021., Method: observational cross-sectional study with 124 adolescents in 2018, and 68 in 2021. A Form for sociodemographic variables, Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, Self-Perceived Health instrument, Learning Motivation Scale and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire were used to collect data. Data collection was carried out using forms on Google Forms. For the analysis, descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used., Results: the majority of participants belonged to class A. In the comparison between 2018 and 2021, there was a worsening in the assessment of self-perceived health. In the assessment of QoL by parents, there was a statistically significant difference between the scores of the social and psychosocial dimensions. Among adolescents, there were differences between QoL scores in the physical and psychosocial dimensions., Conclusion: the adolescent with a better mental health assessment had a greater chance of having a better quality of life in the periods investigated (OR=5.35 and OR=5.51). Younger students showed greater motivation to learn, increasing the chance of improving their quality of life by up to 9.75 and 5.02 times in the two periods, respectively., Background: (1) The school environment is a space favorable to promoting physical, mental and social health., Background: (2) Awareness about healthy lifestyle habits should be carried out during adolescence., Background: (3) Aspects related to health can influence behavior and learning., Background: (4) Quality of life (QoL) and its dimensions are related to the motivation to learn., Background: (5) Adolescent mental health is related to self-perception of QoL.

Physical activity (PA) improves dyspnoea, psychological wellbeing and quality of life (QoL) for people with COPD reducing their risk of exacerbation. However, engagement in PA is low especially amongst those with anxiety and depression, and PA programmes are limited in countries with limited resources such as Brazil. We explored perceptions of 21 people with COPD about the impact of their disease on taking part in community-based PA programmes in Sao Paulo, Brazil through semi-structured telephone interviews from October 2020 to April 2021. Discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analysed using the Framework method. Five themes were identified: Knowledge about COPD and its management; Self-perception of life with COPD; Knowledge and experiences of depression and anxiety; Opinions on PA and repercussions of COVID-19. PA was considered to be important in bringing physical and mental health benefits but there were barriers in accessibility of formal PR programmes and therefore local community PA programmes were considered to be important. People with mental health conditions tended to view PA more negatively. COVID-19 had reduced PA opportunities, access to COPD treatment and social interaction, and was associated with more exacerbations and emotional suffering. In general, this study showed an urgent need to improve knowledge about COPD and its risk factors and management among both patients, the public and primary healthcare professionals. We provide important content for the formulation of public policies for the implementation of specific activity programmes for people with COPD in community spaces using local resources and intersectoral partnerships., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background/objective: Fibromyalgia is a non-inflammatory syndrome characterized by generalized muscle pain, with other symptoms. Numerous forms of physical training for this population have been studied through high-quality randomized clinical trials involving strength, flexibility, aerobic conditioning and multicomponent exercise interventions. This research evaluated the effectiveness of a functional exercise program at reducing pain, improving functional capacity, increasing muscle strength as well as improving flexibility, balance and quality of life in individuals with fibromyalgia., Methods: Eighty-two women with fibromyalgia were randomized into two groups. The functional exercise group performed functional exercises in 45-minute sessions twice per week for 14 weeks. The stretching exercise group performed flexibility exercises with the same duration and frequency. Outcome measures were: visual analog scale for widespread pain; Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire for health-related quality of life; Timed Up and Go test for functional performance; one-repetition maximum for muscle strength, Sit and Reach test on Wells bench for flexibility; Berg Balance Scale for balance; SF-36 for general quality of life., Results: After the intervention, the functional exercise group had a statistically significant reduction in pain (interaction p = 0.002), and improvement in health-related quality of life measured by the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (interaction p < 0.001) and in general health state domain of SF-36 (interaction p = 0.043) compared to the stretching exercise group. No significant differences between groups were found regarding improvements in functional capacity, muscle strength, flexibility or balance., Conclusion: Functional exercise training was effective at reducing pain and improving quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia compared to stretching exercises., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03682588 First prospectively registered in March 2018., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Patient education is a crucial strategy for promoting prevention and diabetes self-management since glycemic control achievement involves taking medications, medical nutrition therapy, physical exercise, and behavior changes. However, patient education programs are still barely implemented in low- and middle-income countries. This trial aims to investigate whether a lifestyle education intervention added to physical exercising is superior to sole physical exercising regarding functional capacity, disease-related knowledge, health behaviors, cardiometabolic health parameters, quality of life, depression, and diet quality in individuals with prediabetes or diabetes., Methods: Multicenter double-blinded randomized controlled trial with two parallel arms involving 12-week intervention and 6-month follow-up. The eligible individuals (≥ 18 years, living with prediabetes or diabetes, literate, no clinical decompensation and/or physical and/or mental limitations that contraindicate physical exercising, written physician permission for exercise, no cognitive impairment, no vision limitations for reading, no confirmed diagnosis of unstable coronary disease or heart failure, no pacemaker and/or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, no complex ventricular arrhythmias, no intermittent claudication, no recent cardiovascular event or cardiac surgery, and no currently enrolled in a structured exercise program) were recruited from two Brazilian cities and randomized to either (1) an Exercise and Lifestyle Education Program (ExLE) or (2) an Exercise Program (Ex), which can be delivered on-site or remotely based on the participants' internet access and technology literacy. The primary outcomes will be changes in functional capacity and disease-related knowledge. The secondary outcomes will involve changes in health behaviors (health literacy, physical activity level, exercise self-efficacy, and medication adherence) and cardiometabolic health parameters (glycemic control, anthropometric measures, and cardiac autonomic control). Program adherence, satisfaction with the program, diabetes-related morbidity, and changes in quality of life, depression, and diet quality will be the tertiary outcomes. Assessments will occur at baseline, post-intervention, and after 6-month follow-up., Discussion: If superior effectiveness of ExLE compared to Ex program to improve the outcomes measures is found, this program could be delivered broadly in the Brazilian health system, especially in the primary care facilities where most individuals living with prediabetes and diabetes in our country are assisted., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03914924 . Registered on April 16, 2019., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: The aim of this systematic review is to investigate the literature to assess the effect of dental fluorosis on the Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL)., Materials and Methods: Included studies were epidemiological investigations, clinical trials, or human studies that directly compared the impact on OHRQoL between individuals with dental fluorosis and those without, utilizing valid OHRQoL assessment tools. The searches were conducted up to March 2024 in databases, including PubMed, Scielo, LILACS, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and the Virtual Health Library. Additionally, gray literature sources such as Google Scholar, OpenGrey, Ibict/BDTD, and ProQuest were searched. Reference lists were also manually reviewed for potential eligible studies. The risk of bias in cohort studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS), while its modified version was employed for cross-sectional studies. A narrative synthesis of the results was conducted., Results: 16 studies were included in this Systematic Review. In total, 16,314 participants, aged 8 to 18, were assessed across the studies. Most of the included studies were cross-sectional, except for one cohort study. In assessing OHRQoL across different age groups and severities of dental fluorosis, the impact varied. A negative association between dental fluorosis and OHRQoL was found in 9 of the included studies, a positive association was found in 1 study, and no significative association was identified in 6 studies. Limitations in the included studies primarily pertained to cross-sectional designs, with significant issues such as the absence of sample size calculations, lack of non-response rate reporting, limited consideration of confounding factors, and substantial heterogeneity stemming from diverse diagnostic methods and assessment tools., Conclusion: The findings of the systematic review demonstrate a complex and varied relationship between dental fluorosis and OHRQoL in children and adolescents. These conclusions may have limitations in scientific evidence. The findings emphasize the need for further investigations to explore the intricate aspects of this relationship and identify contributing factors to varying outcomes., Clinical Relevance: Dental caries preventive fluoridated measures might be indicated even if there would be a risk for mild dental fluorosis as the fluoridated public water., Review Registration: This systematic review was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) under number: CRD42020186552., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: Investigations of the quality of life (QoL) of young people have shown that psychological and behavioral problems are associated with lower subjective well-being. The QoL ratings of children and adolescents based on self-reports and proxy reports are significantly different. The aim of the present study was to examine youth self-reported and parent proxy-reported QoL and investigate the effects of age, gender and psychological/behavioral symptoms on the QoL reports of youth. We hypothesized that self-reported emotional and anxiety problems influence self-reported QoL, while proxy-reported behavioral problems influence proxy reports of QoL., Methods: The sample consisted of 284 parent-child pairs. Youths were between the ages of 11 and 18 years, the mean age was 14.3 (SD 2.1) years, and 35.6% were males. The Inventory of Life Quality (ILK) scale was used to measure QoL, and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire was used to assess psychological and behavioral problems., Results: Males had higher self-reported QoL than females, and younger children had better QoL than older children. Emotional peer problems and hyperactivity reported by youth and hyperactivity and conduct problems reported by parents predicted youth self-rated ILK. Only parent-reported psychological/behavioral problems predicted proxy-rated ILK., Conclusion: The evaluation of QoL of children and adolescents should involve both self and proxy reports in order to capture the effects of various psychological/behavioral symptoms and the perspectives of both youth and parents., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This review explores current guidelines for integrating psychosocial support, nutrition, and physical activity into cancer care and examines the resources available to deliver comprehensive care effectively and equitably, with a focus on telehealth solutions. A review of current guidelines related to psychosocial support, nutrition, and exercise in oncology published between the years 2020 and 2024 was conducted. Additionally, relevant articles from the authors' personal archives were included. Current guidelines emphasize routine psychosocial distress screening, nutritional assessment, and tailored physical activity interventions for patients with cancer. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network and ASCO highlight the need for regular psychosocial evaluations and the management of common psychiatric disorders. The American Cancer Society and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommend nutritional screening, personalized counseling, and exercise to improve treatment tolerance and overall quality of life. Despite these recommendations, challenges such as resource limitations, time constraints, and financial barriers hinder their implementation. Integrating psychosocial support, medical nutrition therapy, and physical activity into cancer care is essential to enhancing patients' quality of life. Telehealth offers a viable solution to overcome barriers by providing remote access to supportive services, facilitating comprehensive care, and promoting patient engagement. The effectiveness of telehealth in delivering psychosocial, nutritional, and physical activity support highlights its potential to improve patient outcomes and overcome barriers to care. Telehealth technologies hold high potential to optimize cancer care delivery, ensuring personalized support for patients throughout their cancer journey.

Objective: To determine whether kinesiotherapy improves the quality of life of women with breast cancer following surgery., Methods: This meta-analysis was conducted according to the Cochrane and PRISMA recommendations. A search was conducted of the PubMed, Cochrane, and the Virtual Health Library Regional Portal databases to identify randomized and observational studies that compared the performance versus non-performance of kinesiotherapy protocols in patients who had undergone breast cancer surgery. The outcomes evaluated were overall health status, physical functioning, emotional functioning, and social functioning. Statistical analyses were conducted using RevMan version 5.4.1. Heterogeneity was evaluated using the I2 statistic., Results: Twelve studies with a total of 867 patients were included. Of these, 669 women (77.2%) underwent mastectomy. Five studies conducted a before-after evaluation and seven studies evaluated intervention versus non-intervention in two different groups. Of the outcomes evaluated, overall health status (standardized mean difference [SMD] 0.45; 95%CI: 0.09-0.82; p=0.01; I2=75%), physical functioning (SMD 0.89; 95%CI: 0.39-1.39; p=0.0005; I2=91%), social functioning (0.67; 95%CI: 0.26-1.09; p=0.001; I2=89%) and emotional functioning (SMD 0.90; 95%CI: 0.40-1.40; p=0.0004; I2=92%) showed significant results in favor of kinesiotherapy., Conclusion: Kinesiotherapy had a positive effect on the outcomes of overall health status and physical, social, and emotional functioning compared to controls. Therefore, kinesiotherapy appears to help recover quality of life in patients submitted to surgery for breast cancer.

Background: Somatosensory tinnitus (ST) is associated with activation of the auditory pathway by trigeminal or cervical afferents., Objective: This is a cross-sectional observational study that aims to verify the association of ST with TMD, bruxism, migraine and psychosocial aspects., Methods: This study was conducted at the Tinnitus Outpatient Clinic of the Clinical Hospital Complex of the Federal University of Paraná. Specific ST characteristics, were evaluated according to the last consensus for the diagnosis of ST. Two groups with 39 individuals each one were formed, the ST group (STG) and the comparison group (CG). TMD was classified according to the Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders and migraine by the International Classification of Headaches. The presence of probable sleep and awake bruxism was associated with individual's reports and clinical inspections. The applied questionnaires investigated oral behaviours (OB), sleep quality (SQ), psychosocial aspects (PA), central sensitization (CS), tinnitus impact on quality of life (TIQF), and graded chronic pain scale (GCPS)., Results: The STG showed a significant association with modulation manoeuvres and trigger points; myalgias and arthralgia; disc displacement with and without reduction; subluxation; bruxism; and presence of migraine. For the same group, we found a significant association with OB, PA, CS, TIQF and GCPS. There was no significant difference between groups regarding SQ., Conclusion: There is a significant association between the presence of ST and the occurrence of TMD, probable sleep and awake bruxism, and migraine. There is also a greater impairment of OB, PA, CS and TIQF., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: Health recommendation systems suggest behavioral modifications to improve quality of life. However, current approaches do not facilitate the generation or examination of such recommendations considering the multifeature longitudinal evolution of behaviors. This paper proposes the use of a deep learning transformer-based model that allows the analysis of recommendations for behavior changes. Methods: We adapted a prediction approach, namely Behavior Sequence Transformer (BST), which analyzes temporal human routines and patterns, generating inductive outcomes. The evaluation relied on a case study that employed the behavioral history and profile of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) participants ( n = 2682), predicting their psychological mood (normal, pre-depressed, depressed) according to input recommendations for behavioral changes. Root mean squared error (RMSE) and learning curves were used to track the recommendation accuracy evolution and possible overfitting problems. Results: Experiments demonstrated lower RMSE values for the multifeature model (0.28/0.03) when compared to its single-feature versions (marital status, 0.59/0.001), (high pressure, 0.357/0.04), (diabetes, 0.36/0.01), (sleep quality, 0.57/0.02), (level of physical activity, 0.57/0.01). Conclusions: The results demonstrate the architecture's capability to analyze multifeatured longitudinal data, supporting the generation of suggestions for concurrent modifications across multiple input features. Moreover, these suggestions align with findings in specialized literature., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Purpose: Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast is one of the most common pre-invasive cancers diagnosed in women. Quality of life (QoL) is extremely important to assess in studies including these patients due to the favorable prognosis of the disease. The primary objective of this systematic review was to compile a comprehensive list of QoL issues, all existing QoL assessment tools, and patient-reported outcome measures used to assess DCIS., Methods: A search was conducted on Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases from inception to August 2023, using keywords such as "ductal carcinoma in-situ", "quality of life", and "patient-reported outcomes." QoL issues and QoL tools in primary research studies were extracted., Results: A total of 67 articles identified issues pertaining to patients with DCIS spanning physical, functional, and psychosocial QoL domains. Physical and functional issues observed in patients included pain, fatigue, and impaired sexual functioning. Psychosocial issues such as anxiety, depression, and confusion about one's disease were also common. QoL tools included those that assessed general QoL, breast cancer-specific tools, and issue-specific questionnaires., Conclusion: The current instruments available to assess QoL in patients with DCIS do not comprehensively capture the issues that are pertinent to patients. Thus, the modification of existing tools or the creation of a DCIS-specific QoL tool is recommended to ensure that future research will be sensitive towards challenges faced by patients with DCIS., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: In the CodeBreaK 200 phase III, open-label trial, sotorasib significantly improved efficacy versus docetaxel in previously treated KRAS G12C-mutated advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) for global health status, physical functioning, dyspnea, and cough favored sotorasib over docetaxel. Here, we report sotorasib's additional impact on quality of life (QOL)., Methods: In CodeBreaK 200, 345 patients who had progressed after prior therapy received sotorasib (960 mg orally daily) or docetaxel (75 mg/m 2 intravenously every 3 weeks). Validated questionnaires captured patients' perception of their QOL and symptom burden for key secondary and exploratory PRO endpoints, including the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality-of-life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and Quality-of-life Questionnaire Lung Cancer 13 (EORTC QLQ-LC13), question GP5 from the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Tool General Form (FACT-G GP5), PRO-Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (PRO-CTCAE), and 5-level EuroQOL-5 dimensions (EQ-5D-5L) including visual analog scale (EQ-5D VAS). Change from baseline to week 12 was assessed with generalized estimating equations for ordinal outcomes., Results: Patients receiving sotorasib were less bothered by treatment side effects than those receiving docetaxel (odds ratio [OR] 5.7) and experienced symptoms at lower severity (pain: OR 2.9; aching muscles: OR 4.4; aching joints: OR 4.2; mouth or throat sores: OR 4.3). Further, patients' symptoms interfered less with usual/daily activities (pain: OR 3.2; aching muscles: OR 3.9; aching joints: OR 10.7). QOL remained stable with sotorasib but worsened with docetaxel (change from baseline in EQ-5D VAS score: 1.5 vs -8.4 at cycle 1 day 5 and 2.2 vs -5.8 at week 12)., Conclusions: Patients receiving sotorasib reported less severe symptoms than those receiving docetaxel. In addition to improving clinical efficacy outcomes, sotorasib maintained QOL versus docetaxel, suggesting sotorasib may be a more tolerable treatment option for patients with pretreated, KRAS G12C-mutated advanced NSCLC., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest David M. Waterhouse received consulting fees from Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), Amgen, Janssen, Merck, Fresenius Kabi, and Novartis; received honoraria from BMS, AstraZeneca, Amgen, Janssen, EMD Serono, Fresenius Kabi, and Sanofi; received support to attend meetings and/or travel from BMS and Amgen; and participated on a data safety monitoring board or advisory board for BMS, AstraZeneca, AbbVie, Amgen, Janssen, Eisai, EMD Serono, Merck, Pfizer, Fresenius Kabi, Sanofi, Astellas, Gilead, Takeda, Daiichi, and Bayer. Sacha Rothschild received grants or research support from AstraZeneca, Merck Serono, Roche Pharma, and Amgen; received consulting fees from Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, BMS, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Merck KG, MSD, Novartis, Otsuka, Pfizer, PharmaMar, Roche Pharma, Roche Diagnostics, Sanofi Aventis, and Takeda; received honoraria from Roche Pharma, BMS, AstraZeneca, Amgen, MSD Oncology, Novartis, Roche Diagnostics, and Takeda; received payment for expert testimony from Roche, AstraZeneca, and BMS; received support for attending meetings and/or travel from Roche Pharma, Eli Lilly, BMS, Amgen, AstraZeneca, and MSD; participated on a data safety monitoring board or advisory board for Roche Pharma; and is the vice president of the Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research (SAKK) and elected member of the Swiss Federal Drug Commission (Federal Health Office). Christophe Dooms has nothing to disclose. Bertrand Mennecier received honoraria from Amgen, Roche, AstraZeneca, Pharma Mar, Eli Lilly, BMS, MSD, Sanofi, Takeda, and Pfizer; and received support for attending meetings and/or travel from MSD, Roche, BMS, AstraZeneca, and Takeda. Farastuk Bozorgmehr received grant/research support from Roche and AstraZeneca; received honoraria from Novocure, Daiichi Sankyo, GSK, and AstraZeneca, received support for attending meetings and/or travel from Janssen; and participated in a data safety monitoring board or advisory board for Amgen, AstraZeneca, Daiichi Sankyo, and Janssen. Margarita Majem received consulting fees from AstraZeneca, Roche, MSD, Janssen, and Sanofi; received honoraria from MSD, Roche, AstraZeneca, Casen Recordati, Takeda, and Helsinn; received support for attending meetings and/or travel from MSD, Pfizer, Roche, and AstraZeneca, and is the vice president of ICAPEM and a board member of AEC Barcelona. Michel M. van den Heuvel participated on a data safety monitoring board or advisory board for Amgen. Helena Linardou received payment or honoraria for lectures and/or speakers bureaus from Roche, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, BMS, MSD, Novartis, Amgen, and GSK; received support for attending meetings and/or travel from Pfizer and Roche; participated on a data safety monitoring board or advisory board for Roche, AstraZeneca, MSD, BMS, Novartis, Pfizer, and Amgen; and held unpaid positions in non-profit organizations, including president of a scientific committee in the Hellenic Cooperative Oncology Group and board member for Hellenic Foundation of Cancer Research, FairLife Lung Cancer, and W4O-Hellas. Byoung Chul Cho received grant/research support from MOGAM Institute, LG Chem, Oscotec, Interpark Bio Convergence Corp, GI Innovation, GI-Cell, Abion, AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Blueprint Medicines, Boehringer Ingelheim, Champions Oncology, CJ Bioscience, CJ Blossom Park, Cyrus, Dizal Pharma, Genexine, Janssen, Lilly, MSD, Novartis, Nuvalent, Oncternal, Ono, Regeneron, Dong-A ST, Bridge Biotherapeutics, Yuhan, ImmuneOncia, Illumina, Kanaph Therapeutics, Therapex, J INTS BIO, Hanmi, CHA Bundang Medical Center, and Vertical Bio AG. Rachel Roberts-Thomson received royalties from Champions Oncology, Crown Bioscience, Imagen, and PearlRiver Bio GmbH; received consulting fees from Abion, BeiGene, Novartis, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Roche, BMS, CJ, CureLogen, Cyrus Therapeutics, Ono, Onegene Biotechnology, Yuhan, Pfizer, Eli Lilly, GI-Cell, Guardant, HK Inno-N, Imnewrun Biosciences Inc., Janssen, Takeda, MSD, MedPacto, Blueprint Medicines, RaND Bio, and Hanmi; received honoraria from ASCO, AstraZeneca, Guardant, Roche, ESMO, IASLC, Korean Cancer Association, Korean Society of Medical Oncology, Korean Society of Thyroid-Head and Neck Surgery, Korean Cancer Study Group, Novartis, MSD, The Chinese Thoracic Oncology Society, and Pfizer; participated on a scientific advisory board for Kanaph Therapeutics, Bridge Biotherapeutics, Cyrus Therapeutics, Guardant Health, Oscotec Inc, J INTS Bio, Therapex Co., Ltd, Gilead, and Amgen; was a board member for J INTS BIO; owned stock in TheraCanVac Inc, Gencurix Inc, Bridge Biotherapeutics, KANAPH Therapeutic Inc, Cyrus therapeutics, Interpark Bio Convergence Corp., and J INTS BIO; was employed by Yonsei University Health System and is a founder of DAAN Biotherapeutics. Kentaro Tanaka received consulting fees from Pfizer and received honoraria from Chugai Pharmaceutical, AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, Takeda Pharmaceutical, Novartis, Ono Pharmaceutical, Daiichi Sankyo, Merck, MSD, and BMS. Normand Blais received consulting and speakership fees from Amgen. Gustavo Schvartsman received consulting fees from AstraZeneca, BMS, Merck, Sharp & Dome, and Daiichi Sankyo; received honoraria from Roche, Amgen, Adiu, and Pfizer; and received support for attending meetings and/or travel from Merck, Sharp & Dome and Daiichi Sankyo. Karin Holmskov Hansen participated in clinical trial safety meetings for MSD and Incyte (not paid) and was head of the Danish Oncology Group until February 2023 (not paid) and a member of the Expert Committee under the Danish Medicines Council (not paid). Izabela Chmielewska received consulting honoraria from Amgen; and received speakership fees from Amgen, BMS, Takeda, Roche, and MSD. Martin D. Forster received grant/research support from Cancer Research UK Early Detection Committee Program Grant, Bristol Myers Squibb Research Grant, NIHR RfPB Grant, Cancer Research UK Science Committee Multidisciplinary Project Award, Merck Educational Grant, MSD Educational Grant, Cancer Research UK Science Committee Multidisciplinary Project Award, MRC BMC:DPFS Grant Award, and Boehringer Ingelheim Educational Grant and received consulting fees from Amgen and participated in an Advisory Board for Amgen. Christina Giannopoulou is an employee of Amgen Europe GmbH and holds stock in Amgen. Björn Stollenwerk is an employee of Amgen Europe GmbH and holds stock in Amgen. Cynthia C. Obiozor is an employee of and holds stock in Amgen. Yang Wang is an employee of and holds stock in Amgen.Silvia Novello received honoraria from AstraZeneca, Amgen, Thermo Fisher, MSD, Novartis, Sanofi, Roche, Pfizer, Takeda, and Janssen and participated on a data safety monitoring board or advisory board from Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Sanofi, Jannsen, and Daiichi., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The present cross-sectional study aimed to compare climacteric symptoms and arterial stiffness indices between perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. The study sample comprised 70 healthy female participants, including 27 perimenopausal (49.8 ± 3.8 years) and 43 postmenopausal (55.7 ± 4 years) individuals. Validated methods were used to assess physical activity level, quality of life, climacteric symptoms, and anthropometric data. Arterial stiffness parameters were measured using Mobil-O-Graph. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) had a higher mean in the postmenopausal group than in the perimenopause group [8.04 m/s (SD 0.79) vs 7.01 m/s (SD 0.78), p  < .001). PWV was strongly correlated with peripheral ( r  = 0.619) and central ( r  = 0.632) Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) in postmenopausal group and an even stronger correlation was observed in perimenopausal group ( r  = 0.779 pSBP and 0.782 cSBP). BMI was a risk predictor in the perimenopausal group contributing positively to increase Pulse Pressure Amplification (PPA) (0.458, p  < .05). In postmenopausal women, heart rate (HR) was a stronger predictor for central SBP, cardiac output, and total vascular resistance, whereas perimenopausal women HR influenced central diastolic blood pressure and PPA. Vascular changes initiating during perimenopause may contribute to the development of cardiovascular pathologies in the postmenopausal period. Further research with larger, representative samples is warranted to corroborate these findings.

Introduction: The malnutrition-inflammation process is one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), influencing quality of life. The aim of this study was to identify the inflammatory and nutritional status of elderly hemodialysis (HD) and its association with quality of life., Methods: This study was carried out in health services in three different cities. The Malnutrition-Inflammation Score (MIS) was used to assess the inflammatory and nutritional status, with anthropometric measurements, protein status, lean mass and function. The quality of life was assessed using KDQOL-SFTM. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis and the Poisson model to evaluate the factors that increased the risk of developing malnutrition and inflammation., Results: The MIS identified a 52.2% prevalence of malnutrition and inflammation in the population. In univariate analysis, most KDQOL-SFTM domains presented higher scores for nourished elderly. Anthropometric measures associated with muscle mass and functionality were lower in the malnourished elderly. Multivariate modeling revealed a higher nutritional risk of 50.6% for women and older age, since with each additional year of life the risk of malnutrition increased by 2.4% and by 0.4% with each additional month on HD. Greater arm muscle circumference (AMC) and higher serum albumin were factors for reducing malnutrition by 4.6% and 34.7%, respectively., Conclusion: Higher serum albumin and preserved AMC have been shown to be good indicators of better nutritional status. Higher MIS was associated with poorer quality of life, older age, lower income and education, longer time on dialysis, and presence of comorbidities.

Background: The assessment of female sexual function after diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer is relevant, as cancer can negatively affect sexuality and, therefore, quality of life. Instruments assessing female sexuality can be useful in clinical practice. However, there are few validated instruments available for this purpose. This study aimed to translate the Female Sexual Function Index Adaptation for Breast Cancer Patients (FSFI-BC) into Brazilian Portuguese and culturally adapt it for use in Brazil., Patients and Methods: Translation and cross-cultural adaptation followed the linguistic validation process, according to international guidelines. The instrument was translated and back-translated by independent translators. Sixty women aged 25 to 70 years who had been diagnosed and surgically treated for breast cancer at least 6 months previously participated in the cultural adaptation process. Participants were stratified into sexually active or inactive. Internal consistency was analyzed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient., Results: Mean participant age was 52.5 years. For sexually active women, reliability analysis (Cronbach's alpha) showed excellent internal consistency between the items of the subscales 'Desire/Arousal' (α = 0.912) and 'Orgasm' (α = 0.904), and good internal consistency for 'Lubrication' (α = 0.814) and 'Pain' (α = 0.839). For sexually inactive women, excellent internal consistency was observed between the items of the subscale 'Reason for Inactivity - difficulty lubricating' (α = 0.930), and good internal consistency for the other subscales. The instrument had face and content validity., Conclusions: FSFI-BC was translated and culturally adapted to the context of the Brazilian population., Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aim: To assess the immediate and late effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of adolescents., Design: This is a longitudinal study performed with adolescents (11-15 years old) from Southern Brazil who were evaluated before the COVID-19 outbreak, and 3 (T2) and 15 (T3) months after the beginning of the pandemic. OHRQoL was assessed using the CPQ11-14. Sociodemographic and clinical variables were also collected. Changes in OHRQoL before, 3 and 15 months after the start of the pandemic were analyzed through multilevel Poisson regression models for repeated measures., Results: A total of 290 adolescents were evaluated at T1, 207 were re-evaluated at T2, and 204 at T3. Overall CPQ11-14 scores over follow-ups were 11.0 (SD 8.0) at T1, 8.3 (SD 7.8) and 12.8 (SD 8.8) at T3. Compared to T1, adolescents presented 29% lower overall CPQ11-14 scores (IRR 0.71 95% CI 0.66-0.75) at T2, and 11% higher scores at T3 (IRR 1.11 95% CI 1.05-1 0.17), especially for the emotional and social well-being domains., Conclusion: COVID-19 pandemic impacted the adolescents' OHRQoL differently over time, indicating a reduction in impacts immediately after the beginning and worsening over long term exposure to this scenario., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Introduction: Ventral hernia surgery (VHS) has the intent to promote a better quality of life (QoL). VHS results were evaluated by recurrence incidence in the past, however the concept of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measures has changed this scenario. SF-36 is a generic questionnaire with some limitations on the hernioplasty postoperative evaluation. Disease-specific surveys such Hernia-Related Quality of Life Survey (HerQLes) and Carolinas Comfort Scale (CCS) were developed to improve specificity. The aim of this study was to validate a Brazilian version of the CCS as a QoL questionnaire for patients undergoing VHS in Brazil., Materials and Methods: The study consists of a retrospective cohort that reviewed the medical records of patients who underwent ventral hernia surgery for incisional hernias in the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre between January 2019 to December 2020. Participants answered both the HerQles questionnaire and the CCS, then we compared the patients' scores between scales. In-personal evaluations or surveys applied by telemedicine were performed. Intraclass correlation coefficient was utilized to assess the consistency of the agreement between the HerQLes and CCS scales., Results: A sample of 80 patients were evaluated. Most were male (70%), mean age 61.11 years and BMI 28.4. The most common comorbidity was systemic arterial hypertension, one third were smokers and 77.5% of cases were ASA 2. The average HerQLes score was 30.40 and the CCS was 15.46 (SD: 21.81), with an intraclass coefficient of 0.68., Conclusion: This study suggests that CCS is a good and robust tool for assessing ventral hernia. Tools to measure QoL are increasingly used in the literature, as QoL seems to be important data to assess surgical success, since it shows the perception of the patient about the results of their surgery. Further studies with larger sample sizes should be performed to confirm our findings., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag France SAS, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the effectiveness of social prescribing interventions in the management of long-term conditions in adults., Data Sources: Eleven electronic databases were searched for randomised and quasi-randomised controlled trials., Review Methods: Outcomes of interest were quality of life, physical activity, psychological well-being and disease-specific measures. Bias was assessed with the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool. A narrative synthesis and meta-analysis were performed., Results: Twelve studies ( n  = 3566) were included in this review. Social prescribing interventions were heterogeneous and the most common risks of bias were poor blinding and high attrition. Social prescribing interventions designed to target specific long-term conditions i.e., cancer and diabetes demonstrated significant improvements in quality of life ( n  = 2 studies) and disease-specific psychological outcomes respectively ( n  = 3 studies). There was some evidence for improvement in physical activity ( n  = 2 studies) but most changes were within group only ( n  = 4 studies). Social prescribing interventions did not demonstrate any significant changes in general psychological well-being., Conclusion: Social prescribing interventions demonstrated some improvements across a range of outcomes although the quality of evidence remains poor., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Objective: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders in western countries. Endoscopic procedures have recently emerged as an alternative therapy to surgery for patients with GERD. The aim of this study was to determine outcomes after endoscopic antireflux mucosectomy (ARMS)., Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to analyze outcomes after ARMS. The main outcomes included patients' satisfaction, GERD health-related quality of life, use of proton pump inhibitors, and DeMeester score. The secondary endpoint was postprocedural adverse events. A meta-analysis of proportions was used to assess the effect of each approach on different outcomes., Results: A total of 22 studies comprising 654 patients were included for analysis. The mean age of patients was 51.83 (36 to 59.39) years, and the mean body mass index was 25.06 (23.5 to 27) kg/m 2 . The weighted pooled proportion of patient satisfaction after ARMS was 65% (95% CI: 52%-76%). The pooled proportion of patients taking proton pump inhibitors decreases from 100% to 40.84% ( P < 0.001). The mean GERD health-related quality of life scores (pre 19.48 vs post 7.90, P < 0.001) and DeMeester score (pre 44.99 vs post 15.02 P = 0.005) significantly improved after ARMS. Overall morbidity rate was 27% (95% CI: 13%-47%), with a weighted pooled proportion of perforation, stricture, and bleeding of 3% (95% CI: 2%-6%), 12% (95% CI: 9%-16%), and 6% (95% CI: 2%-17%), respectively., Conclusions: Endoscopic ARMS for GERD is associated with symptomatic improvement, reduction of medical therapy, and enhanced quality of life. Refinements of the technique, however, are needed to decrease morbidity., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The Glittre-ADL test (TGlittre) broadly meets the need for an objective evaluation of physical function, using similar activities to those of daily living., Objective: To assess whether TGlittre in the preoperative assessment of patients who are candidates for thoracic surgery is associated with measures of pulmonary function, body balance, and quality of life and, secondarily, whether TGlittre may be related to postoperative complications., Methods: This study evaluated 34 patients in the preoperative period of thoracic surgery. Participants underwent the following assessments: TGlittre; pulmonary function tests; St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire; and Berg Balance Scale. For participants who underwent thoracic surgery ( n  = 18), the following variables were taken: surgical time; time in intensive care unit; chest drain duration; and hospital stay after surgery., Results: The median time to perform TGlittre tasks compared to the predicted was 137 (116-179) % predicted. There was significant correlation between TGlittre time and the diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (r s  = -0.334, p  = .042). TGlittre time correlated significantly with the Berg Balance Scale (r s  = -0.359, p  = .036). We observed a significant correlation between TGlittre time and chest drain duration in the postoperative period (r s  = 0.651, p  = .003)., Conclusion: Patients in the preoperative period of thoracic surgery have a reduced functional capacity to exertion, which can be explained at least in part by worse pulmonary gas exchange and body imbalance. Furthermore, TGlittre is possibly a prognostic test for postoperative complications, especially with respect to chest tube duration.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of relugolix combination therapy (relugolix CT; 40 mg relugolix, 1 mg estradiol, and 0.5 mg norethisterone acetate) for up to 2 years in the SPIRIT long-term extension study on functioning and health-related quality of life (QoL), using the Endometriosis Health Profile (EHP)-30 questionnaire, and assess how changes in QoL domains correlated with improvements in dysmenorrhea as well as nonmenstrual pelvic pain (NMPP)., Design: Long-term extension study of the SPIRIT phase 3 trials., Setting: Clinics and University Hospitals., Patient(s): Premenopausal women with moderate-to-severe endometriosis pain who previously completed the randomized SPIRIT trials were eligible to enroll in an 80-week long-term extension where all women received relugolix CT., Intervention(s): Relugolix CT (relugolix 40 mg, estradiol 1 mg, and norethindrone acetate 0.5 mg)., Main Outcome Measure(s): Least squares (LS) mean changes in the EHP-30 domain and total scores from baseline (pivotal) were analyzed using a mixed-effects model. Results up to 104 weeks are reported by a pivotal trial treatment group with a focus on the relugolix CT group (i.e., relugolix CT or placebo for 24 weeks, or delayed relugolix CT [relugolix 40 mg monotherapy for 12 weeks, followed by relugolix CT for 12 weeks]). In addition, the relationships between changes in dysmenorrhea and NMPP as well as changes in EHP-30 scores were assessed., Result(s): In the 277 women treated with relugolix CT, LS mean EHP-30 pain domain scores improved by 57.8% (LS mean change: -32.8; 95% CI: -35.5, -30.1), 66.4% (LS mean change: -37.7; 95% CI: -40.3, -35.0), and 72.2% (LS mean change: -41.3; 95% CI: -43.9, -38.7) at weeks 24, 52, and 104, respectively. The proportions of women with clinically meaningful improvement in the EHP-30 pain domain were 75.9%, 83.6%, and 88.6% at weeks 24, 52, and 104, respectively. Non-pain EHP-30 domain and total scores likewise improved. A positive correlation between changes in dysmenorrhea/NMPP and all EHP-30 domain scores was observed. Results were similar for the delayed relugolix CT and placebo → relugolix CT groups., Conclusion(s): Sustained reduction of endometriosis-associated pain with relugolix CT observed up to 104 weeks was accompanied by improvements in functioning and health-related QoL. These findings complement the results of the pivotal SPIRIT trials, which showed that relugolix combination therapy significantly reduced dysmenorrhea, NMPP, and dyspareunia vs. placebo in premenopausal women with endometriosis-associated pain., Clinical Trial Registration Number: Registration/clinicaltrials.gov identifier: SPIRIT Extension Study (NCT03654274)., Competing Interests: Declaration of Interests S.A. reports personal fees from Myovant Sciences, Bayer, Organon, and UpToDate. M.S.A has nothing to disclose. G.R. has nothing to disclose. K.W. has nothing to disclose. Y.Z. is an employee of Sumitomo Pharma. J.P. is an employee of Sumitomo Pharma. E.H. is an employee of Sumitomo Pharma. G.S. is an employee of Sumitomo Pharma. C.M.B. reports fees from Myovant, grants from Bayer Healthcare, fees from ObsEva all of which went to the University of Oxford, and Chair of ESHRE Endometriosis Guideline Group. The authors did not receive compensation for manuscript writing, review, and revision., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Masculinizing mammoplasty is a surgical procedure frequently performed in transmale individuals. Despite providing a positive impact for the patient, this surgery has high rates of complications and revisions. In cases requiring a double incision, there are advantages in using an inferior pedicle when possible., Methods: This was an observational study. Outcomes and complications were analyzed in 104 patients operated on by the author using three techniques: concentric periareolar surgery, double incision with an areola graft, and double incision with an inferior areolar pedicle. The Breast-Q questionnaire adapted for transgender males was applied., Results: The responses of the adapted Breast-Q questionnaires demonstrated high scores regarding quality of life and satisfaction. The rates of complications and surgical revisions were 24.3 and 25.6%, respectively, with no significant difference between the techniques. The most common complication was hematoma (13.6%), which was positively associated with the use of testosterone. Ischemia of the nipple-areola complex was present in 8.7% of the operated breasts. When using the inferior pedicle, areola ischemia occurred more often when the nipple-fold distance was greater than 8 cm., Conclusions: Quality of life, satisfaction, complications, and revisions were comparable to those observed in the literature. Hematoma was the most frequent complication, and an association with the use of testosterone was observed. When a double incision is indicated, the inferior pedicle is more advantageous than the areola graft; however, it should be used when the distance between the nipple and the inframammary fold is 8 cm or less., Level of Evidence Iv: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 ., (© 2024. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature and International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.)

Objectives: To compare the course of generic and specific health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of individuals with stroke, and its physical, mental, and social domains, at three, six, and 12 months after hospital discharge, considering the levels of stroke severity., Methods: This is a longitudinal study, in stroke individuals, assessed during hospital admission by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), and divided into mild (NIHSS ≤3) or moderate/severe (NIHSS ≥4) disease. At three, six, and 12 months after hospital discharge, the individuals were assessed for generic (Short Form Health Survey-36: total score and physical and mental domains) and specific (Stroke Specific Quality of Life Scale: total score and social domain) HRQOL. A 2 × 2 repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) with post-hoc was applied., Results: 146, 122, and 103 individuals were assessed at three, six and 12 months, respectively HRQOL courses showed different behaviors according to stroke severity (3.37≤ F  ≤ 4.62; 0.010≤ p  ≤ .036). Individuals with mild stroke showed significant changes in the physical domain, with a reduction between three and six months, and an increase between six and 12. Moderate/severe individuals showed a significant increase in all HRQOL variables between three and six months, and a maintenance of values for almost all variables, except for physical domain, which improved significantly between three and six months, and got significantly worse between six and 12., Conclusions: HRQOL during the first year after stroke showed distinct trajectories, being stroke severity an important factor in identifying stroke subjects at risk of HRQOL decline., Clinical Implications: These results demonstrate the importance of considering not only the phase of the stroke, the severity, and the general and specific HRQOL, but also the physical, social, and mainly the mental domain, which has long been neglected, when assessing this population.

Background: Chikungunya fever compromises the functionality and quality of life in the affected individuals, even one year after the acute phase of the disease. Chronically affected people experience direct impairment in performing daily activities, along with a risk of developing other morbidities., Background: ◼ Even after a year, chikungunya fever-affected people experience damage to their physical and mental health., Background: ◼ Positive screening for depression risk was 13.5 times more likely in chronically affected., Background: ◼ Patients with chronic chikungunya fever had a 76 times higher risk of walking impairments., Objective: To evaluate the impact of chronic illness caused by chikungunya fever on the quality of life and functionality of affected individuals., Methods: A cross-sectional and comparative study was conducted in which two groups were investigated: a Chikungunya Group comprising 25 patients with chronic fever screened after 1 year of illness via a telephonic survey, and a Healthy Group comprising 25 healthy individuals matched for sex and age by face-to-face interview. The Stanford HAQ 20-Item Disability Scale (HAQ) and the Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) questionnaires were administered to both groups. Generalized Linear Models, Pearson χ2 tests, and odds ratios were used to evaluate the test results., Results: Significant differences in functional capacity and quality of life were observed between the Chikungunya and Healthy Groups. The chance of some impairment in functionality was also much higher in the Chikungunya Group in four of the HAQ categories, especially in the "walking" category (adjusted OR= 109.40). Further, the Chikungunya Group had a higher chance of presenting a below-average score in the mental component summary of the SF-12 (adjusted OR= 16.20) and of being positive in depression risk screening (adjusted OR= 34.57)., Conclusion: Even one year after the acute phase, chikungunya fever can compromise the functionality and quality of life in affected individuals, with direct impairment in performing daily activities. Studies and therapeutic plans for chikungunya fever should consider the long-term impacts of this disease.

Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) can have several consequences on sexual function, which can lead to worsened quality of life., Aim: The study sought to assess sexual function and its association with health functionality and quality of life in females with PAH., Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in pulmonary circulation outpatient clinics from January 2022 to March 2023 in females diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension. Assessment was carried out through the application of the Female Sexual Function Index, the 36-item World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule, and the Medical Outcome Study 36-Item Short Form Survey., Outcomes: Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22.0 and JASP, and Spearman's correlation tests were applied between the instruments, with a P value <.05 considered significant., Results: A total of 91 females were assessed. It was identified that 90.1% of females had sexual dysfunction, with worse scores in females with sexual dysfunction in the domains of satisfaction, arousal, and desire, with average health functionality and quality of life. There were significant correlations between the domains of mobility, getting along, life activities, and the overall functionality score with some domains of sexual function, especially arousal and satisfaction. We found significant correlations between some domains of quality-of-life assessment with the domains of desire, arousal, and satisfaction, and with the overall score of sexual function assessment, as well as strong correlations between health functionality and quality of life., Clinical Implication: The data reinforce the need for rehabilitation programs and social support for this population., Strengths and Limitations: This is one of the few studies to evaluate sexual function, quality of life, and health functionality in women with PAH. Due to limitations in data collection, we were unable to assess certain factors such as hormone levels and a history of sexual abuse., Conclusion: We identified a high prevalence of sexual dysfunction in females with PAH with mild functional impairment and a moderate quality-of-life score with correlations between sexual function, health functionality, and quality of life., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The International Society for Sexual Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

The lifestyle of the population has undergone significant changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which could have influenced alterations in dietary habits and overall well-being among workers. This study aimed to evaluate healthy eating practices and their relationship with the workers' quality of life and physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a cross-sectional investigation involving workers in the city of Curitiba, southern Brazil. The study was conducted through the application of an online questionnaire. The data were evaluated using non-parametric tests and fitting a logistic regression model. A total of 123 workers participated in the study, most of them male (53.2%), aged between 31 and 40 years (42.2%), with a predominance of workers with postgraduate degrees (62.6%, n = 77), and the majority of workers (68.2%, n = 84) were performing their professional activities remotely for at least one day during the week, and 73.2% ( n = 90). It was observed that 52.8% had excellent healthy eating practices, and the older their age and the greater the practice of physical activity (time and frequency), the better the workers' healthy eating practices. When assessing quality of life, the lowest average score for healthy eating practices was in the domain of social relationships. A direct relationship of older age, social relationships, and the practice of physical activity with the best individuals' healthy eating practices was detected. Considering that remote work continues to be adopted post-pandemic, evaluating the dietary practices, physical activity, and quality of life of workers is necessary to understand this new labour phenomenon., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the contextual factors associated with the quality of life (QOL) of Brazilian children aged 0-12 years during the strict period of social isolation., Methods: This observational cross-sectional study was conducted between July and September 2020 using an online questionnaire on QOL-related family factors and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL™). Results were analyzed by multinomial logistic regression analysis., Results: The sample had 849 children, mostly from the South Region of Brazil (75%), white (83%), with typical development (79%), sedentary (68%), using screen (85%) for >3 h/day (44%). Their mothers were their main caregivers (90%). The following variables were significantly associated with high scores of QOL: typical health status (OR 2.38; 95%CI 1.60-3.55; screen time ≤2 h/day (OR 1.62; 95%CI 1.17-2.24); social distancing considered as "easy" (OR 1.67; 95%CI 1.20-2.32), and stimulation of the child by the family (OR 1.93; 95%CI 1.08-3.45)., Conclusions: This study indicates that the family context can influence children's QOL, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and home environment reorganization.

To evaluate the association between discrimination based on sexual orientation and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in adolescents. This was a cross-sectional study nested in a cohort performed in southern Brazil. The baseline assessment was carried out in 2010 with a sample of preschoolers (1 to 5 years). Subsequently, these individuals were reassessed, and for the present study, only the data from the final follow-up in 2020 were considered. OHRQoL was assessed by the short version of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire 11-14 (CPQ11-14). The discrimination due to sexual orientation was measured using item 10 of the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire. Sociodemographic (sex, age, skin color, maternal education, household income) psychosocial (sense of coherence), and clinical variables (untreated dental caries) were also evaluated. Multilevel Poisson regression analysis was performed to verify the associations. Results are present as rate ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI). A total of 429 adolescents were evaluated - about 67.1% of those assessed at baseline. The prevalence of discrimination due to sexual orientation was 3.3%. Adolescents who reported suffering episodes of discrimination due to sexual orientation presented overall CPQ11-14 scores 16% higher (RR 1.16, 95%CI 1.01-1.36) than their counterparts. Adolescents who reported suffering episodes of discrimination due to sexual orientation presented poorer OHRQoL.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of rapid palatal expansion (RPE) using Haas-type expanders on children's oral health-related quality of life (OHRQOL) and compare said effect with that previously reported for the use of Hyrax-type expanders., Materials and Methods: Forty participants aged 8-10 years with transverse maxillary deficiency were treated using Haas appliances. OHRQOL was measured using the CPQ 8 - 10 before RPE, during RPE (T 1 ), at the end of RPE (T 2 ), and 1 month after appliance removal (T 3 ). Generalized mixed models were fitted to assess the effect of the Haas-type expander compared to previously collected data (a nontreated and a Hyrax-type expander-treated group)., Results: RPE with Haas-type appliances had a negative impact on overall OHRQOL at T 1 and T 2 (P = 0.001), and a positive impact at T 3 (P = 0.001). The Haas-type expander had a significantly greater negative impact on OHRQOL than the Hyrax-type appliance during RPE. At T 1 , overall scores using the Haas-type expander were 1.08 times the scores using the Hyrax-type expander (i.e., 8% increase; 95% CI, 1.01-1.17; P = 0.033). Patients using the Haas appliance had 1.24 times the scores of those using Hyrax-type devices for the oral symptoms domain at T 1 (i.e., 24% increase; 95% CI, 1.06-1.46; P = 0.009)., Conclusions: Correction of the transverse maxillary deficiency by RPE using the Haas appliance in children 8-10 years improves OHRQOL. The Haas- and Hyrax-type devices temporarily worsen OHRQOL during treatment, however, the negative impact is less with the Hyrax-type expander than with the Haas-type expander, because it causes fewer negative oral symptoms., Clinical Relevance: From a patient-centered perspective, the use of the Hyrax over the Haas appliance may be suggested as it causes less negative oral symptoms during use., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)