Mercedes Rizo-Baeza

Maternal age as risk factor of prematurity in Spain; Mediterranean area.

BACKGROUND Maternal age is a preponderant variable in the epidemiological analysis of the premature birth. Studies show that in the extreme ages of the maternal life there is a risk of premature birth that generates a high rate of neonatal morbidity. OBJECTIVES [corrected] Determine the effect on the extreme ages of women residents in the province of Alicante on the total of the premature births. METHOD An explanatory, retrospective case-control study was conducted during the period from January 1st, 2008 to December 31st, 2011. The study was based on the revision of the newborn registers from the Neonatal Screening Center of the province of Alicante. All the preterm were included, this means between 22 & 36 complete weeks of pregnancy (5,295 out of 78,391 newborn which represents 6.75% of prematurity), and a random sample of the deliveries with 37 weeks or more of pregnancy (control group). The age of the mother was studied as independent variable and the prematurity as dependent variable. RESULTS Clearly shows an increased risk of prematurity among teenage mothers compared to the age group nearest to them, which is confirmed by a squared Chi test which gives a significantly different distribution (p < 0,0001) and an OD for very preterm of 2,41 (1,51-3,24) and of preterm of 1,71 (1,32-2,19). This probability is also higher among mothers over 40 years old with an OD of 1,86 (1,39-2,48) and 1,66 (1,44-1,91) for very preterm newborns and preterm newborns respectively. DISCUSSION The results clearly manifest that teenagers and older pregnant mothers are at higher prematurity and low birth weight risk, therefore imposes the need to trace educational interventions to minimize this problem from the results in this research.

Índice elevado de ácidos grasos omega 6/omega 3 en niños con neuropatías causa o efecto

INTRODUCTION The n-3 and n-6 fatty acids compete for the same elongases and desaturases, still highly deficient synthesis of polyunsaturated fatty acids from n-3 linolenic acid. The n-3 polyunsaturated prevent disease and are important in the development and maintenance of neuronal activities, necessitating a proper relationship with their antagonists n-6. This paper studies the proportion of these fatty acids. MATERIAL AND METHODS We analyzed the fatty acids of n- 3 and n-6 in sera and membrane phospholipid with 374 children neuropathies and 34 healthy children, using gas chromatography with mass detector. It has made the relevant statistical study. RESULTS The n-3 (EPA and DHA) in serum and their corresponding membrane phospholipids correlate better than the n-6 family. The major n-6 (LA and ARA) are equally in serum, being significantly higher in phospholipids of healthy children. The n-3 (EPA and DHA) have higher values in healthy children, both in serum and phospholipids, their sum is equal to the membrane phospholipids. The n-6/n-3 ratio is higher in children with neurological disorder in both samples. CONCLUSION Not being the cause of the high rate n-6/n- 3 neuropathy, however it is advisable to increase the intake of n-3, DHA particularly across the population, especially in children with neurological disorders.

Impact of paid work on the academic performance of nursing students

Background. Little research exists on the impact of paid work on academic performance of students of health sciences. No research exists on this subject for students in Colombia. Objectives. This paper seeks to analyze the impact of paid work on academic performance among nursing students. Design, settings and participants: cross-sectional research, involving 430 of nursing students from the National University of Colombia (N = 566). Methods. Variables analyzed: sex, age, work activity, attendance, current semester, degree subjects studied and unavailable, lost credits, grades during the second semester of 2013, and delayed semesters. Subgroups analyzed: (i) according to labor activity: do not work, work up to 20 h and work more than 20 h per week; (ii) Grade point average: failing is considered as less than 3.0 and passing 3.0 or above out of 5.0. Percentage of delayed semesters were calculated. Qualitative and quantitative variables were analyzed for groups by work activity. The percentage and probability of students getting a grade point average less than 3.0 and delaying semesters were calculated by multivariate logistic regression. Results. A total of 219 of the students work (50.9%), the main reason is socioeconomic, of which 99 (45.2%) work more than 20 h per week and have an increased risk of failing, which is higher in the first semester. They also get lower grades, lose more credits and take longer to finish the degree. The logistic bivariate regressions of success (grade point average, credits gained, courses gained and not having delayed semesters) reduce with work, above all in those who work more than 20 h per week and increase as the number of semesters completed increases, independent of sex. Conclusion. A high percentage of nursing students work more than 20 h per week. The compatibility of paid work with studies in university nursing students has a negative impact on academic performance, more so when they work more than 20 h per week. This negative impact diminishes as the student completes semesters, irrespective of the sex of the students.

Protection by polyphenol extract from olive stones against apoptosis produced by oxidative stress in human neuroblastoma cells

OBJECTIVE We evaluated the protective activity of an extract from a by-product such as olive stones, through its ability to inhibit H202 induced apoptosis in the SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cell line. MATERIAL AND METHODS To such end, 20,000 cells/well were cultivated and differentiation with retinoic acid was initiated. Once the cells were differentiated, apoptosis was induced with and without H2O2 extract. Finally, cDNA extraction was performed, and pro-apoptotic genes Bax and anti-apoptotic genes Bcl-2 were analyzed. Quantification of the gene expression was performed using the GAPDH gene marker. RESULTS Cell viability with the extract is 97.6% (SD 5.7) with 10 mg/l and 62.8% (SD 1.2) to 50 mg/l, using 10 mg/l for the biomarker assay. The retinoic acid differentiated SH-S cell line (10 μM) shows a clear apoptosis when treated with H2O2 150 μM, with a Bax/Bcl-2 ratio of 3.75 (SD 0.80) in contrast to the differentiated control cells subjected to H2O2 and with extract, which have the same ratio of 1.02 (SD 0.01-0.03). CONCLUSION The olive stone extract shows anti-apoptotic activity in the provoked cell death of SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells in their normal state, defending them from oxidative stress which produces a significant increase in the apoptotic gene ratio in contrast to anti-apoptotic genes (Bax/Bcl-2).

Differences in the management of hypertension, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia between obesity classes

We did not find any paper that assessed clinical inertia in obese patients. Therefore, no paper has compared the clinical inertia rates between morbidly and nonmorbidly obese patients. A cross-sectional observational study was carried out. We analysed 8687 obese patients ⩾40 years of age who attended their health-care center for a checkup as part of a preventive program. The outcome was morbid obesity. Secondary variables were as follows: failure in the management of high blood pressure (HBP), high blood cholesterol (HBC) and high fasting blood glucose (HFBG); gender; personal history of hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, smoking and cardiovascular disease; and age (years). We analysed the association between failures and morbid obesity by calculating the adjusted odds ratio (OR). Of 8687 obese patients, 421 had morbid obesity (4.8%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 4.4–5.3%). The prevalence rates for failures were as follows: HBP, 34.7%; HBC, 35.2%; and HFBG, 12.4%. Associated factors with morbid obesity related with failures were as follows: failure in the management of HBP (OR=1.42, 95% CI: 1.15–1.74, P=0.001); failure in the management of HBC (OR=0.73, 95% CI: 0.58–0.91, P=0.004); and failure in the management of HFBG (OR=2.24, 95% CI: 1.66–3.03, P<0.001). Morbidly obese patients faced worse management for HBP and HFBG, and better management for HBC. It would be interesting to integrate alarm systems to avoid this problem.

Diagnostic inertia in dyslipidaemia: results of a preventative programme in Spain

Others have analysed the relationship between inadequate behaviour by healthcare professionals in the diagnosis of dyslipidaemia (diagnostic inertia) and the history of cardiovascular risk factors. However, since no study has assessed cardiovascular risk scores as associated factors, we carried out a study to quantify diagnostic inertia in dyslipidaemia and to determine if cardiovascular risk scores are associated with this inertia. In the Valencian Community (Spain), a preventive programme (cardiovascular, gynaecologic and vaccination) was started in 2003 inviting persons aged ≥40 years to undergo a health check-up at their health centre. This cross-sectional study examined persons with no known dyslipidaemia seen during the first six months of the programme (n = 16, 905) but whose total cholesterol (TC) was ≥5.17 mmol/L. Diagnostic inertia was defined as lack of follow-up to confirm/discard the dyslipidaemia diagnosis. Other variables included in the analysis were gender, history of cardiovascular risk factors/cardiovascular disease, counselling (diet/exercise), body mass index (BMI), age, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose and lipids. TC was grouped as ≥/<6.20 mmol/L. In patients without cardiovascular disease and <75/≤65 years (n = 15, 778/13, 597), the REGICOR (REgistre GIroní del COr)/SCORE (Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation) cardiovascular risk functions were used to classify risk (high/low). Inertia was quantified and the adjusted odds ratios calculated from multivariate models. In the overall sample, the rate of diagnostic inertia was 52% (95% CI [51.2–52.7]); associated factors were TC ≥ 6.20 mmol/L, high or “not measured” BMI, hypertension, smoking and higher values of fasting blood glucose, systolic blood pressure and TC. In the REGICOR sample, the rate of diagnostic inertia was 51.9% (95% CI [51.1–52.7]); associated factors were REGICOR high and high or “not measured” BMI. In the SCORE sample the rate of diagnostic inertia was 51.7% (95% CI [50.9–52.5]); associated factors were SCORE high and high or “not measured” BMI. Diagnostic inertia existed in over half the patients and was associated with a greater cardiovascular risk.