Reumatologia
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- Challenges and Knowledge Gaps with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Monotherapy in the Management of Patients with Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: a Survey of Oncologist PerceptionsPublication . Castelo-Branco, L; Morgan, G; Prelaj, A; Scheffler, M; Canhão, H; Van Meerbeeck, JP; Awada, ABackground: Immune checkpoint-inhibitors (ICIs) are changing outcomes in different cancer settings, notably for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). There are, however, still important gaps of evidence for clinical practice when using these novel treatments. In this study, we assessed physicians' opinion and experience on challenges for clinical practice with ICIs monotherapy in NSCLC. Methods: A survey was conducted on experienced physicians treating patients with NSCLC with ICIs. Two rounds of pilot tests were carried out for validation among a group of experts. Topics under analysis were in relation to treatment of elderly populations, performance status, brain metastases, use of steroids or antibiotics, the effects of gut microbiome, autoimmune diseases, human immunodeficiency virus infection, solid organ transplants, use of anti-programmed cell death protein 1 versus anti-programmed death-ligand 1 drugs, atypical tumour responses, predictors of response, duration of treatment and a final open question on additional relevant challenges. Results: Two hundred and twenty-one answers were collected, including 106 (48%) valid answers from experts for final analysis (physicians who have treated at least 20 patients with NSCLC with ICIs). The vast majority agreed that the selected topics in this study are important challenges ahead and more evidence is needed. Moreover, predictors of response, treating brain metastasis, shorter duration of treatment, the effects of gut microbiome and concomitant use of steroids were voted the most important topics to be further addressed in prospective clinical research. Conclusions: This survey contributed to understanding which are the main challenges for clinical practice with ICIs monotherapy in NSCLC. It can also contribute to guide further clinical research, considering the opinions and experience of those who regularly treat NSCLC patients with ICIs.
- Clinical Courses, Impact and Prognostic Indicators for a Persistent Course of Low Back Pain: Results from a Population-Based Cohort StudyPublication . Antunes Gomes, L; Rodrigues, AM; Branco, J; Canhão, H; Brazete Cruz, EBackground: Low back pain (LBP) is a long-term health condition with distinct clinical courses. Its characterization together with the identification of prognostic factors for a persistent LBP course may trigger the development of personalized interventions. This study aimed to investigate the courses of chronic LBP (CLBP), its cumulative impact, and the indicators for the persistence of pain. Material and methods: Patients with active CLBP from the EpiDoC, a population-based cohort study of a randomly recruited sample of 10.661 adults with prolonged follow-up, were considered. Pain, disability, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) were assessed at three time-points over five years. According to their pain symptoms over time, participants were classified as having a persistent (pain at the baseline and at all the subsequent time-points) or a relapsing pain course (pain at the baseline and no pain at least in one of the subsequent time-points). A mixed ANOVA was used to compare mean differences within and between patients of distinct courses. Prognostic indicators for the persistent LBP course were modulated through logistic regression. Results: Among the 1.201 adults with active CLBP at baseline, 634 (52.8%) completed the three time-points of data collection: 400 (63.1%) had a persistent and 234 (36.9%) a relapsing course. Statistically significant interactions were found between the group and time on disability (F (2,1258) = 23.779, p<0.001) and HRQoL (F (2,1252) = 82.779, p<0.001). In the adjusted model, the persistent course was associated with the disability level (OR 1.86, CI95% 1.40-2.40, p<0.001), depressive symptoms (OR 1.96, CI95% 1.21-3.18, p = 0.007), female gender (OR 1.90, CI95% 1.26-2.87, p = 0.002) and having a manual job (OR 1.46, CI95% 1.02-2.10, p = 0.040). Conclusion: In the long-term, patients with CLBP may follow a persistent or relapsing course of pain. Being female, presenting depressive symptoms, having a manual job and higher disability at baseline predicts a persistent course of LBP.
- Editorial: Nutrition and Metabolism in Rheumatic DiseasesPublication . Canhao, H; Masuko, K; Nakamura, H
- Food Insecurity Is Associated with Low Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and Adverse Health Conditions in Portuguese AdultsPublication . Gregório, MJ; Rodrigues, AM; Graça, P; Dinis de Sousa, R; Dias, S; Branco, JC; Canhão, HBACKGROUND: Food insecurity is a limited or uncertain access to the adequate food and is a significant public health problem. We aimed to assess determinants of food insecurity and the corresponding health impact in Portugal, a southern European country that faced a severe economic crisis. METHODS: Data were derived from the Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases Cohort Study (EpiDoC), a population-based cohort of 10,661 individuals that were representative of the Portuguese adult population and followed since 2011. A cross-sectional analysis of the third wave of evaluation (EpiDoC 3) was performed between 2015 and 2016. Food insecurity was assessed with the household food insecurity psychometric scale. Socioeconomic, demographic, lifestyle, adherence to Mediterranean diet (MD), self-reported non-communicable disease, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) (EQ-5D-3L), physical function (HAQ score), and health resource consumption information was also collected. RESULTS: The estimated proportion of food insecurity was 19.3% among a total of 5,653 participants. Food insecure households had low adherence to the MD (OR = 0.44; 95% IC 0.31-0.62). In addition, diabetes (OR = 1.69; 95% IC 1.20-2.40), rheumatic disease (OR = 1.67; 95% IC 1.07-2.60), and depression symptoms (OR = 1.50; 95% IC 1.09-2.06) were independently associated with food insecurity. On average, food insecure households had a lower HRQoL (OR = 0.18; 95% IC 0.11-0.31) and a higher disability (OR = 2.59; 95% IC 2.04-3.29). A significantly higher proportion of food insecure households reported being hospitalized (OR = 1.57; 95% IC 1.18-2.07) and had more public hospital medical appointments (OR = 1.48; 95% IC 1.12-1.94) in the previous 12 months. CONCLUSION: We found that food insecurity is highly prevalent in Portugal. Food insecurity was associated with low adherence to the MD, non-communicable chronic diseases, lower quality of life, and higher health resource consumption. Therefore, this study provides valuable insight into the relationship between food security and the diet and health of the population during an economic crisis.
- Investigação Clínica da Iniciativa do Investigador em Portugal: Identificação de Problemas e Propostas para MelhoriaPublication . Ferreira, JP; Leite-Moreira, A; Costa-Pereira, A; Soares, AJ; Robalo-Cordeiro, C; Jerónimo, C; Gavina, C; J. Pinto, F; Schmitt, F; Saraiva, F; Vasques-Nóvoa, F; Canhão, H; Cyrne-Carvalho, H; Palmeirim, I; Pimenta, J; Cabral da Fonseca, JE; Firmino-Machado, J; Correia Pinto, J; Gonçalves, L; Castelo Branco, M; Sousa, N; Fontes de Carvalho, R; Machado Luciano, T; Gil Oliveira, T; Resende Oliveira, C
- Obesity and Diabetes Are Associated with Disability in Women with Hand Osteoarthritis. Results from the EpiReumaPt Nationwide StudyPublication . Cruz, M; Rodrigues, AM; Dias, S; Sepriano, A; Canhão, H; Gouveia, N; Ramiro, S; Branco, JCBackground: Hand osteoarthritis (HOA) is a highly prevalent rheumatic disease that predominates in females and causes pain and loss of functional capacity. Obesity and metabolic syndrome have been previously suggested to associate with the severity of HOA, but clarity on these associations is yet to be achieved. Objective: Test the association between obesity and other components of the metabolic syndrome and disability in women with hand osteoarthritis (HOA). Design: Individuals from EpiReumaPt epidemiological community-based study (2011-2013) are representative of the Portuguese population. Women with diagnosis of primary HOA were included. Primary outcome: hand functional status, assessed by Cochin questionnaire. Secondary outcomes: hand pain, assessed by visual analogue scale and tender hand joint count (THJ). Explanatory variables: obesity, diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. Possible associations between obesity and the other components of metabolic syndrome with Cochin score, hand pain and THJ were tested in a multivariable linear regression model. Potential confounders considered: age, education level and countrywide distribution. Results: 473 women with primary HOA were included. Forty percent were overweight and 29% obese. Ninety-three (19.8%) participants had diabetes, 261 (55.8%) reported hypertension and 261 (55.9%) hypercholesterolemia. Mean Cochin score was 15.5±14.8, mean pain VAS was 4.7±2.6 and mean THJ 1.4±3. In the multivariable analysis, obesity (β 4.6 CI 0.7;8.5) and diabetes (β 4.0 CI 0.4;7.6) were found to significantly associate with HOA functional disability. In addition, diabetes, but not obesity, associated with hand pain. There was no association between obesity or diabetes with THJ. Conclusion: In a Portuguese female population with primary HOA, obesity and diabetes mellitus independently associated with a worse hand functional status. These data add to evidence suggesting a role of metabolic factors in the severity of HOA.
- Portuguese Recommendations for the Use of Biological and Targeted Synthetic Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis - 2020 UpdatePublication . Fernandes, BM; Guimarães, F; Almeida, DE; Neto, A; Tavares-Costa, J; Roxo Ribeiro, A; Quintal, A; Pereira, JP; Silva, L; Nóvoa, TS; Faustino, A; Vaz, C; Khmelinskii, N; Samões, B; Dourado, E; Silva, JL; Barcelos, A; Mariz, E; Guerra, M; Santos, MJ; Silvério-António, M; Teixeira, RL; Romão, VC; Santos, H; Santos-Faria, D; Azevedo, S; Rodrigues, A; Dias, JM; Lopes, C; Pinto, P; Couto, M; Miranda, LC; Bernardo, A; Cruz, M; Teixeira, F; Mourão, AF; Neto, A; Teixeira, V; Cordeiro, A; Barreira, S; Inês, LS; Capela, S; Sepriano, A; Canhão, H; Fonseca, JE; Duarte, C; Bernardes, MObjective: To update the recommendations for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with biological and targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs and tsDMARDs), endorsed by the Portuguese Society of Rheumatology (SPR). Methods: These treatment recommendations were formulated by Portuguese rheumatologists taking into account previous recommendations, new literature evidence and consensus opinion. At a national meeting, in a virtual format, three of the ten previous recommendations were re-addressed and discussed after a more focused literature review. A first draft of the updated recommendations was elaborated by a team of SPR rheumatologists from the SPR rheumatoid arthritis study group, GEAR. The resulting document circulated among all SPR rheumatologists for discussion and input. The level of agreement with each of all the recommendations was anonymously voted online by all SPR rheumatologists. Results: These recommendations cover general aspects such as shared decision, treatment objectives, systematic assessment of disease activity and burden and its registry in Reuma.pt. Consensus was also achieved regarding specific aspects such as initiation of bDMARDs and tsDMARDs, assessment of treatment response, switching and definition of persistent remission. Conclusion: These recommendations may be used for guidance of treatment with bDMARDs and tsDMARDs in patients with RA. As more evidence becomes available and more therapies are licensed, these recommendations will be updated.
- Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency and its Predictors in the Portuguese Population: a Nationwide Population-Based StudyPublication . Duarte, C; Carvalheiro, H; Rodrigues, A; Dias, S; Marques, A; Santiago, T; Canhão, H; Branco, J; Pereira da Silva, JAVitamin D deficiency is prevalent worldwide, but its prevalence is unknown in adult Portuguese population. In Portugal, 66% of adults present Vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency. Winter, living in Azores, older age, and obesity were the most important risk factors. It highlights the need of strategies to prevent vitamin D deficiency in Portugal. Objective: To estimate the prevalence and risk factors of vitamin D deficiency in the adult Portuguese population. Methods: Adults (≥ 18 years old) from the EpiReumaPt Study (2011-2013) were included. Standardized questionnaires on socio-demographic and lifestyle features were obtained. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations were evaluated using ADVIA Centaur VitD competitive immunoassay (Siemens Healthineers) in 2015-2017 as 25 (OH)D Level 0: ≤ 10 ng/mL; Level 1: 11-19 ng/mL; Level 2: 20-29 ng/mL, and Level 3: ≥ 30 ng/mL. Weighted multinomial regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the association between socio-demographic and lifestyle variables and vitamin D status. Results: Based on weighted analysis, the estimated prevalence of levels of 25(OH)D ≤ 10, < 20, and < 30 ng/mL was 21.2, 66.6, and 96.4%, respectively. The strongest independent predictors of serum 25 (OH)D ≤ 10 ng/mL were living in the Azores archipelagos (OR 9.39; 95%CI 1.27-69.6) and having the blood sample collection in winter (OR 18.53; 95%CI 7.83-43.87) or spring (11.55; 95%CI 5.18-25.74). Other significant predictors included older age (OR 5.65, 95%CI 2.08-15.35), obesity (OR 2.61; 95%CI 1.35-5.08), current smoking (OR 2.33; 95%CI 1.23-4.43), and female gender (OR 1.9, 95%CI 1.1-3.28). Conversely, physical exercise (OR 0.48, 95%CI 0.28-0.81) and occasional alcohol intake (OR 0.48, 95%CI 0.29-0.81) were associated with a lower risk of 25(OH)D ≤ 10 ng/mL. Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency [25(OH)D < 20 ng/ml] is highly prevalent in Portugal, affecting > 60% of all Portuguese adults, with strong geographical and seasonal variation. This study highlights the need to critically assess the relevance of vitamin D deficiency as a public health problem and the urgent need for a wide and scientifically robust debate about the most appropriate interventions at the individual and societal levels.
- Promising Immuno-Oncology Treatments Beyond the 2018 Nobel PrizePublication . Castelo-Branco, L; Pires Silva, I; Canhão, H; Awada, A
- A Stratified Approach for Managing Patients With Low Back Pain in Primary Care (SPLIT Program): A Before-and-After Study.Publication . Gomes, Luís Antunes; Fernandes, Rita; Caeiro, Carmen; Henriques, Ana Rita; Sousa, Rute Dinis; Branco, Jaime C; Pimentel-Santos, Fernando; Moniz, Rubina; Vicente, Lilia; Canhão, Helena; Rodrigues, Ana Maria; Cruz, Eduardo Brazete; HighWirePurpose: To determine the effects of stratified primary care for low back pain (SPLIT program) in decreasing back-related disability for patients with low back pain (LBP) in primary care. Methods: We conducted a before-and-after study. We compared health-related outcomes for 2 sequential, independent cohorts of patients with LBP recruited at 7 primary care units in Portugal. The first prospective cohort study characterized usual care (UC) and collected data from February to September 2018. The second was performed when the SPLIT program was implemented and collected data from November 2018 to October 2021. Between cohorts, physical therapists were trained in the implementation of the SPLIT program, which used the STarT Back Screening Tool to categorize patients for matched treatment. We compared back-related disability (Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire, 0-24 points), pain (Numeric Pain Rating Scale, 0-10 points), perceived effect of treatment (Global Perceived Effect Scale, -5 to +5 points), and health-related quality of life (EuroQoL 5 dimensions 3 levels index, 0-1 points). Results: We enrolled a total of 447 patients: 115 in the UC cohort (mostly treated with pharmacologic treatment) and 332 in the SPLIT cohort (all referred for a physical therapy intervention program). Over the study period of 6 months, patients in the SPLIT program showed significantly greater improvements in back-related disability (ß, -2.94; 95% CI, -3.63 to -2.24; P ≤ .001), pain (ß, -0.88; 95% CI, -1.18 to -0.57; P ≤ .001), perceived effect of treatment (ß, 1.40; 95% CI, 0.97 to 1.82; P ≤ .001), and health-related quality of life (ß, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.08 to 0.14; P ≤ .001) compared with UC. Conclusions: Patients in the SPLIT program for LBP showed greater benefits regarding health-related outcomes than those receiving UC.