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This multicenter, open-label study evaluated the effects of short-term risedronate on bone resorption and patient satisfaction in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis in Brazil. Entry requirements included: osteoporosis of the spine/femoral neck diagnosed by a bone mineral density (BMD) T-scoreor=1 dose of study drug (intent-to-treat [ITT] population), and 390 completed treatment (81%). After 12 wk, CTX decreased in 94% of patients (from 0.419+/-0.234 to 0.158+/-0.171 microg/L, p<0.0001). Mean CTX reduction was 60.6%. Patient satisfaction was good/excellent in 91.7% of patients. A total of 156 adverse events (AEs) were reported by 113 (23.5%) patients in the ITT population. Digestive symptoms emerged or worsened in 7.1% and 3.5%, respectively. Five patients (1.0%) experienced serious AEs, not considered to be related to risedronate. In conclusion, risedronate significantly reduced serum CTX after 12-wk treatment. Almost all patients reported good/excellent satisfaction.

Objective: To describe the methodology for evaluating habitual physical activity that was adopted for a survey among the male population utilizing a questionnaire validated earlier., Methods: The Baecke questionnaire on habitual physical activity was translated into Portuguese and then back-translated into English by two anglophone teachers. The final version of the questionnaire was applied in a cross-sectional epidemiological study done on 326 men aged 50 years or over. The internal consistency among the questions was evaluated using the Cronbach a statistic. The Spearman correlation coefficients between the habitual physical activity scores were calculated. Partial correlation coefficients with adjustments for age, body mass index and schooling were also calculated., Results: There was satisfactory internal consistency in relation to the magnitudes of occupational physical activity and leisure-time physical exercises. Significant correlation was obtained between all the physical activity scores and the total habitual physical activity score, independent of age, body mass index and schooling., Conclusions: The Baecke questionnaire was found to be a practical instrument for assessing habitual physical activity that is quickly applied and easily understood, and it is recommended for epidemiological studies in Brazil.

To study the relation between beta 2 microglobulin (beta 2M) and survival in AL amyloidosis, we measured the serum level of beta 2M in 80 patients with AL amyloidosis diagnosed within 1 year of evaluation, who had received no therapy. Patients had a median age of 61 years and 52% were male. Major clinical manifestations were renal disease in 25 patients (31%), cardiomyopathy in 23 patients (29%), and neuropathy or other organ involvement in 32 patients (41%). The beta 2M level, measured by an ELISA assay in serum samples collected at the time of evaluation, ranged from 1.69 to 10 mg/ml (mean = 4.57); in 56% of the patients beta 2M > 4 mg/ml. The patients with a beta 2M < or = 4 mg/ml had serum creatinine levels lower than those with beta 2M > 4 (1.43 vs 2.67 mg/dl; p = 0.02). Survival from study entry was analyzed overall by the level of beta 2M, adjusting for creatinine level and clinical stratum. We found the beta 2M level to be predictive of survival (median survival 16.1 months for beta 2M < or = 4 mg/ml vs 8.0 months for beta 2M > 4 mg/ml, p = 0.044). Thus a beta 2M level less than 4 mg/ml indicated a longer time of survival.