Introdução: As doenças cardiovasculares (DCV) são cada vez mais causas de morbimortalidade em todo o Mundo. Sabe-se que a hipertensão arterial (HTA) e o Diabetes Mellitus tipo 2 (DM2) são fatores de risco independentes para as DCV. Atualmente a terapêutica aplicada aos pacientes hipertensos é feita de forma empírica, não sendo realizado nenhum procedimento para avaliar as alterações hemodinâmicas que a mesma provoca. Com este trabalho pretendeu-se estudar quais as diferenças nos padrões hemodinâmicos entre os dois grupos, de forma a perceber quais as caraterísticas de cada grupo e a validar a utilidade da impedância torácica em consultas de seguimento dos pacientes hipertensos. Objetivos: Estudar o padrão hemodinâmico de pacientes hipertensos com e sem DM2. Material e métodos: Estudo descritivo transversal de uma amostra de 105 doentes com HTA, divididos em dois grupos consoante a presença de DM2 (1:sem; 2:com) que responderam a um formulário para recolha de dados demográficos, antropométricos, hábitos e antecedentes cardiovasculares. Fez-se medição hemodinâmica com um aparelho de bioimpedância elétrica torácica (TEB). Definiu-se uma diferença estatística significativa se p<0,05. Resultados: O grupo 1 era constituído por 53 doentes (62,3% ?) com idade média de 63,92±11,50 anos, e o grupo 2 por 52 (46,2% ?) com idade média de 68,2±11,2 anos. Cerca 21,9% tinham pelo menos um antecedente cardiovascular (28,4%vs.19,2%) e 40% um IMC>30. A pressão arterial média foi de 105,6±13,9mmHg (103,1±13,0 vs.108,2±14,4 mmHg, p=0,034). Na altura de realização do TEB, estavam normotensos 51% dos doentes (58,5% vs. 43,1%,p>0,05). Apenas 35,6% apresentavam um estado normodinâmico (índice sistólico médio: 45,9±20,1 vs. 38,5±16,4 ml/m2, p=0,017), sendo que destes, 18,3% estavam normotensos. O estado hiperdinâmico foi mais frequente no grupo 1 (34,0% vs. 19,6%). Estavam com hipocronotropia 48,1% dos doentes (49,1%vs.47,1%,p>0,05). Aproximadamente 63,5% dos doentes estavam com hipoinotropia (indíce de trabalho do ventrículo esquerdo médio: 0,9±0,4 vs. 0,8±0,3 sec-2, p=0,030). Cerca de 82,7% dos pacientes estavam normovolémicos (condutividade do fluido torácico: 84,9% vs. 80,4%, p>0,05) e hipervolémicos 7,7% (7,5% vs. 7,8%, p>0,05). O grupo 2 apresentou resistências vasculares mais elevadas (SSVRI:213,8 ±133,3 vs. 269,3±128,8 FO, p=0,017). No total 51,9% dos doentes apresentavam vasoconstrição (47,2% vs. 56,9%, p>0,05). Conclusões: Com este trabalho conclui-se que existem diferenças hemodinâmicas relevantes entre os pacientes hipertensos com e sem DM.

ABSTRACT: The Labrador Retriever is among the main breeds with the greatest predisposition to obesity. Several factors, especially the interrelationships between food management, exercise and social factors; influence the likelihood of a dog becoming obese. Furthermore, genetic factors are also responsible for obesity in dogs, and in Labrador Retriever, a frameshift mutation (P187fs) in pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) gene is strongly associated with obesity. There is no knowledge of studies that have previously evaluated the prevalence of the canine POMC deletion (P187fs) in Brazilian Labrador Retriever. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate this mutation in Labrador Retriever dogs in Brazil. Of the 108 Labrador Retrievers that were assessed in this study, 59 were from a previous study, composed by animals assisted in a veterinary hospital with unknown lineage, and 49 were from a prospective study, composed of 19 pet and 30 assistance/rescue Labrador Retriever dogs. The obesity risk and appetite questionnaire were applied, with some modifications, to tutors of the animals used in the prospective study. Fragments of the DNA, containing the mutation, were amplified by PCR and submitted to direct gene sequencing. The allele frequency of the mutation was 21.3% and was out of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P<0.05). Using only the data of animals with known lineage, the presence of the mutated allele was higher in the Assistance/rescue Group than Pet Group (P<0.01), furthermore, the allele frequencies observed in Assistance Group (31.7%) was out of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P<0.05), while that in the Pet Group (18.4%) was in equilibrium (P>0.05). Although the mutation has increased the food-motivation in the assistance/rescue dogs, other variables, especially frequent exercising, favored that these animals maintained the ideal body weight (body condition score = 5). In summary, the Hardy-Weinberg disequilibrium observed in the allele distribution of the deletion POMC_P187fs in this study, independently of the Labrador Retriever group assessed, suggesting the possibility of positive selection of the mutated allele, which may lead to the maintenance of this deleterious allele in the studied population.

The Labrador Retriever is among the main breeds with the greatest predisposition to obesity. Several factors, especially the interrelationships between food management, exercise and social factors; influence the likelihood of a dog becoming obese. Furthermore, genetic factors are also responsible for obesity in dogs, and in Labrador Retriever, a frameshift mutation (P187fs) in pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) gene is strongly associated with obesity. There is no knowledge of studies that have previously evaluated the prevalence of the canine POMC deletion (P187fs) in Brazilian Labrador Retriever. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate this mutation in Labrador Retriever dogs in Brazil. Of the 108 Labrador Retrievers that were assessed in this study, 59 were from a previous study, composed by animals assisted in a veterinary hospital with unknown lineage, and 49 were from a prospective study, composed of 19 pet and 30 assistance/rescue Labrador Retriever dogs. The obesity risk and appetite questionnaire were applied, with some modifications, to tutors of the animals used in the prospective study. Fragments of the DNA, containing the mutation, were amplified by PCR and submitted to direct gene sequencing. The allele frequency of the mutation was 21.3% and was out of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P<0.05). Using only the data of animals with known lineage, the presence of the mutated allele was higher in the Assistance/rescue Group than Pet Group (P<0.01), furthermore, the allele frequencies observed in Assistance Group (31.7%) was out of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P<0.05), while that in the Pet Group (18.4%) was in equilibrium (P>0.05). Although the mutation has increased the food-motivation in the assistance/rescue dogs, other variables, especially frequent exercising, favored that these animals maintained the ideal body weight (body condition score = 5). In summary, the Hardy-Weinberg disequilibrium observed in the allele distribution of the deletion POMC_P187fs in this study, independently of the Labrador Retriever group assessed, suggesting the possibility of positive selection of the mutated allele, which may lead to the maintenance of this deleterious allele in the studied population.

APAF1 is an autosomal recessive inherited mutation, associated with Holstein haplotype 1 (HH1) and characterized by a substitution of cytosine for a thymine (c.1741C>T) in chromosome 5. The mutation causes fetal and embryonic loss, between 60 and 200 days of gestation, and reduced conception rate. The ARMS-PCR is considered a simple and low-cost method to determine single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) with no need for genetic sequencing of the animal genome. This study aimed to verify the allelic frequency of APAF1 mutation in Brazilian Holstein cattle. A total of 248 Holstein DNA samples (210 cows and 38 bulls) were analyzed, and synthetic genes were manufactured to validate the primers developed by the authors. All animals assessed in this study were classified as wild-type for APAF1 mutation. The primers and protocol developed for the ARMS-PCR technique work with 100% specificity and efficiency since the amplicon formations are as expected according to the genotypes. In conclusion, the mutation responsible for APAF1 was not detected in the Brazilian Holstein cattle population assessed in this prevalence study, although it is not possible to affirm that APAF1 does not occur in Brazilian Holstein animals. The tetra-primer ARMS-PCR protocol for APAF1 mutation that has been validated here may be a relatively simple and economical method to determine the animals' genotype.

Background: Health and fitness apps have potential benefits to improve self-management and disease control among patients with asthma. However, inconsistent use rates have been reported across studies, regions, and health systems. A better understanding of the characteristics of users and nonusers is critical to design solutions that are effectively integrated in patients’ daily lives, and to ensure that these equitably reach out to different groups of patients, thus improving rather than entrenching health inequities. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the use of general health and fitness apps by patients with asthma and to identify determinants of usage. Methods: A secondary analysis of the INSPIRERS observational studies was conducted using data from face-to-face visits. Patients with a diagnosis of asthma were included between November 2017 and August 2020. Individual-level data were collected, including age, gender, marital status, educational level, health status, presence of anxiety and depression, postcode, socioeconomic level, digital literacy, use of health services, and use of health and fitness apps. Multivariate logistic regression was used to model the probability of being a health and fitness app user. Statistical analysis was performed in R. Results: A total of 526 patients attended a face-to-face visit in the 49 recruiting centers and 514 had complete data. Most participants were ≤40 years old (66.4%), had at least 10 years of education (57.4%), and were in the 3 higher quintiles of the socioeconomic deprivation index (70.1%). The majority reported an overall good health status (visual analogue scale [VAS] score>70 in 93.1%) and the prevalence of anxiety and depression was 34.3% and 11.9%, respectively. The proportion of participants who reported using health and fitness mobile apps was 41.1% (n=211). Multivariate models revealed that single individuals and those with more than 10 years of education are more likely to use health and fitness mobile apps (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.22, 95%CI 1.05-4.75 and aOR 1.95, 95%CI 1.12-3.45, respectively). Higher digital literacy scores were also associated with higher odds of being a user of health and fitness apps, with participants in the second, third, and fourth quartiles reporting aORs of 6.74 (95%CI 2.90-17.40), 10.30 (95%CI 4.28-27.56), and 11.52 (95%CI 4.78-30.87), respectively. Participants with depression symptoms had lower odds of using health and fitness apps (aOR 0.32, 95%CI 0.12-0.83). Conclusions: A better understanding of the barriers and enhancers of app use among patients with lower education, lower digital literacy, or depressive symptoms is key to design tailored interventions to ensure a sustained and equitable use of these technologies. Future studies should also assess users’ general health-seeking behavior and their interest and concerns specifically about digital tools. These factors may impact both initial engagement and sustained use.

Health and fitness apps have potential benefits to improve self-management and disease control among patients with asthma. However, inconsistent use rates have been reported across studies, regions, and health systems. A better understanding of the characteristics of users and nonusers is critical to design solutions that are effectively integrated in patients’ daily lives, and to ensure that these equitably reach out to different groups of patients, thus improving rather than entrenching health inequities.

The heart is innervated by the autonomic nervous system, with a predominance of sympathetic and parasympathetic activity associated, respectively, with increases and decreases in the heart rate, as illustrated by the Heart Rate Variability (HRV). Pregnancy induces significant changes in the maternal cardiovascular and hemodynamic systems. This study aimed at evaluating changes in the clinical and echocardiographic parameters of pregnant sheep, as well as the HRV indexes due to the physiological alterations that happen at this stage implicating in high maternal metabolic demands. For this purpose, the study evaluated 10 Dorper sheep through their pregnancy, starting from the second month until the day after delivery (24 h after birth), being evaluated clinical parameters, some of the echocardiographic measurements and electrocardiographic examinations focused on the HRV. The HRV indexes were obtained through the Televet 100® system. There were increases in the thickness of the interventricular septum during diastole starting from the third month and in the internal diameter of the left ventricle during systole and diastole at the second and third months, that diverged across the moments studied, while the ejection fraction increased as the pregnancy progressed. There were increases in the LVFWs values in the 2nd and 5th months. The size of the left atrium increased starting at the second month. The SDNN, RMSSD and PNN 50 HRV indexes were higher at the fifth month of pregnancy and after delivery. There were no significant differences in the frequency-domain HRV indexes during pregnancy. As pregnancy progresses, there is an increase in some echocardiographic parameters as well as a predominance of parasympathetic autonomic nervous system activity. The gestation leads to alterations in the clinical parameters and the activity of the autonomic nervous system.

In this study we aim to show the application of ultrasound evaluation of the fetal heart in the ovine species, as well as its limitations in the field. Ten Dorper sheep, without any sedation, were evaluated starting from the second month of pregnancy through transabdominal ultrasound with an ultrasound device equipped with a convex transducer. Images of the fetal heart were obtained through maternal abdominal ultrasound by identifying the position of the fetus and conducting the following measurements: length and diameter of the heart, dimensions of the right and left ventricles and dimensions of the right and left atria. The measurements could only be conducted with acceptable precision starting from the third month of pregnancy. There was a significant difference only for left ventricle diameter, which was larger in the fifth month of pregnancy. The echocardiographic evaluation of the fetus enables monitoring the heart development identifying early fetal viability, assessing inadequate events that could put the pregnancy at risk, especially for production animals. For the experimental design of research employing production animals, it is important to consider, among other factors, the limitations of the evaluation on the field, such as restraining the animals, the stress caused by handling and environmental conditions, temperature, luminosity, facilities available and the qualifications of the team.