Andreia Costa

Effect of television viewing on food and nutrient intake among adolescents

OBJECTIVE Among the behaviors associated with food intake, exposure to television is particularly important given the number of adolescents exposed. Also, increased time spent watching television has been associated with physical inactivity and with less desirable dietary intake among adolescents. The aim of this study was to examine the association between television viewing and dietary intake among 13-y-old adolescents. METHODS A cross-sectional evaluation was carried out in the 2003-2004 school year, including adolescents born in 1990 and enrolled in the schools of Porto, Portugal. Time spent watching TV was collected by self-administered questionnaires and dietary intake was evaluated using a food frequency questionnaire. Included in the analysis were 1436 adolescents. RESULTS Spending more than 120 min per day watching TV was significantly associated with higher intake of total fat and polyunsaturated fat and with lower intake of magnesium, in both sexes. Additionally, in girls, spending more than 120 min per day watching TV was associated with lower intake of complex carbohydrates, fiber, total vitamin A, folate, vitamin C, calcium, iron, phosphorus, and potassium. In boys, higher intake of saturated fat and cholesterol was found among those spending more time watching TV. CONCLUSIONS We found that television viewing is associated with higher consumption of foods containing more fats and sugars and a lower consumption of fruits and vegetables. Consequently, adolescents who watched more television had a higher intake of total fat and polyunsaturated fat and a lower intake of minerals and vitamins. This dietary behavior among adolescents may have long-term health implications, not only limited to obesity.

Spectral‐domain optical coherence tomography as a potential biomarker in Huntington's disease

Spectral‐domain optical coherence tomography has been used in several neurological conditions, and peripapillary and macular measurements have been proposed as potential biomarkers in these disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate retinal and choroidal changes in Huntingtons disease and to evaluate any potential correlation with the stage of the disease.

Acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy presenting with multiple brain and spinal cord infarctions.

•APMPPE is a rare condition preferentially affecting young adults.•It presents as blurred vision, central or paracentral scotomas or metamorphopsia.•Diagnosis is based on fundoscopy evaluation and confirmed by fluorescein angiogram.•Spinal cord infarction may be a rare APMPPE neurological complication.

Ischaemic stroke in HIV-infected patients: a case-control study.

The aim of the study was to provide insights into the contributions of HIV infection stage, antiretroviral therapy (ART) and vascular risk factors to the occurrence of ischaemic stroke in HIV‐infected patients.

Bullous Pemphigoid Successfully Treated with Rituximab

Bullous pemphigoid is an autoimmune disease characterized by subepidermal blister formation. Can be self-limiting but when necessary treatment includes the use of corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, and biological agents. We present the case of a 37 year old patient with a severe and refractory presentation of bullous pemphigoid. After about a month of treatment with various first line drugs and with no response, we chose to start rituximab and clear improvement of the lesions was observed. The authors aim to highlight the usefulness and effectiveness of this drug in this disease.

Reply to Letter: Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography as a potential biomarker in Huntington's disease.

We have read the article titled “Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography as a Potential Biomarker in Huntington’s Disease’’ by Andrade and colleagues. The authors investigated the retinal and choroidal changes in 15 eyes of 8 patients with Huntington’s disease and analyzed any potential correlations with the stage of the disease. They found that the mean, central, and inferior macular choroidal thickness (CT) were significantly reduced in patients with Huntington’s disease when compared with controls. However, no differences were observed in the macular retina or peripapillary retinal and choroidal measurements. We congratulate the authors for this valuable study. We would like to raise some additional points for consideration by the authors. First, it has been known that a number of local and systemic physiologic and pathological conditions may affect CT, including diurnal variation, systemic and local diseases, use of drugs, axial length of the globe, intraocular pressure, and a number of other factors. Andrade and colleagues referred to several factors, however, some other points may also be important. For instance, the authors mentioned that 5 of 8 patients included in the study were women, and 7 of them used at least 1 antichorea drug. The effects of menstrual cycle and use of drugs on CT have been demonstrated. Therefore, we would like to ask whether the authors took the menstrual cycles of the patients into consideration. We would like to get the opinions of the authors on the effects of the drugs used on the data obtained from the study and their statistical analysis. We also wonder whether axial length, sleep, and exercise statuses of the participants, smoking, consumption of alcohol, or caffeinated/noncaffeinated beverages were taken into consideration before the optical coherence tomography measurements. We also want to ask whether the systemic blood pressures and the body mass indexes of the participants were considered in the study because those parameters affect CT significantly.