Pub Date : 2025-12-20DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2025.101340
Mônica Viegas Andrade , Kenya Valeria Micaela de Souza Noronha , Aline de Souza , Nayara Abreu Julião , André Soares Motta-Santos , Paulo Estevão Franco Braga , Henrique Bracarense , André Batista Alves do Santos , Bruno Ramos Nascimento , Ísis Eloah Machado , Francisco Rogerlândio Martins-Melo , Israel Molina , Pablo Perel , Yvonne Geissbühler , Caroline Demacq , Hector Eduardo Castro Jaramillo , Luis Eduardo Echeverría , Mario Bruno Principato , Luisa Fernanda Aguilera Mora , Marisa Liliana Fernandez , Antonio Luiz Pinho Ribeiro
Background
Chagas disease (ChD) remains a public health concern in Latin America. Despite a decline in overall prevalence, the chronic symptomatic forms still impose a substantial epidemiological and economic burden. This study undertakes a comprehensive, population-based cost analysis of chronic Chagas disease (CCD) from a societal perspective in seven endemic Latin American countries for 2010 and 2023.
Methods
A Markov model with one-year cycles and six states was employed. Direct medical and indirect costs, converted to 2024 purchasing power parity US dollars, were estimated using prevalence data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023. Based on a previous Brazilian Markov model, parameters were adjusted using healthcare coverage and per capita health expenditure ratios for each country, further validated by national experts.
Findings
In 2010, Brazil (US$252 billion) and Argentina (US$164 billion) had the highest lifetime burdens. As a percentage of annual Gross Domestic Product, Bolivia (0·9%) and Argentina (0·8%) were most affected. CCD accounted for 6% of total health expenditures in both countries. Between 2010 and 2023, most countries experienced a decline in economic burden due to decreased CCD prevalence, despite an increased proportion of patients with cardiac conditions, reflecting population aging and disease progression.
Interpretation
CCD imposes substantial economic burden across Latin American countries. Epidemiological shift to older populations with severe cardiac forms signals increased healthcare demands. Findings inform policymakers for resource allocation and tailored interventions.
Funding
Funding was provided by Novartis Pharma AG as part of a research collaboration with the World Heart Federation (project number CLCZ696D2010R).
{"title":"Economic burden of Chagas disease in Latin American countries: a population-based cost-of-illness analysis from the RAISE study","authors":"Mônica Viegas Andrade , Kenya Valeria Micaela de Souza Noronha , Aline de Souza , Nayara Abreu Julião , André Soares Motta-Santos , Paulo Estevão Franco Braga , Henrique Bracarense , André Batista Alves do Santos , Bruno Ramos Nascimento , Ísis Eloah Machado , Francisco Rogerlândio Martins-Melo , Israel Molina , Pablo Perel , Yvonne Geissbühler , Caroline Demacq , Hector Eduardo Castro Jaramillo , Luis Eduardo Echeverría , Mario Bruno Principato , Luisa Fernanda Aguilera Mora , Marisa Liliana Fernandez , Antonio Luiz Pinho Ribeiro","doi":"10.1016/j.lana.2025.101340","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lana.2025.101340","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Chagas disease (ChD) remains a public health concern in Latin America. Despite a decline in overall prevalence, the chronic symptomatic forms still impose a substantial epidemiological and economic burden. This study undertakes a comprehensive, population-based cost analysis of chronic Chagas disease (CCD) from a societal perspective in seven endemic Latin American countries for 2010 and 2023.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A Markov model with one-year cycles and six states was employed. Direct medical and indirect costs, converted to 2024 purchasing power parity US dollars, were estimated using prevalence data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023. Based on a previous Brazilian Markov model, parameters were adjusted using healthcare coverage and per capita health expenditure ratios for each country, further validated by national experts.</div></div><div><h3>Findings</h3><div>In 2010, Brazil (US$252 billion) and Argentina (US$164 billion) had the highest lifetime burdens. As a percentage of annual Gross Domestic Product, Bolivia (0·9%) and Argentina (0·8%) were most affected. CCD accounted for 6% of total health expenditures in both countries. Between 2010 and 2023, most countries experienced a decline in economic burden due to decreased CCD prevalence, despite an increased proportion of patients with cardiac conditions, reflecting population aging and disease progression.</div></div><div><h3>Interpretation</h3><div>CCD imposes substantial economic burden across Latin American countries. Epidemiological shift to older populations with severe cardiac forms signals increased healthcare demands. Findings inform policymakers for resource allocation and tailored interventions.</div></div><div><h3>Funding</h3><div>Funding was provided by <span>Novartis Pharma AG</span> as part of a research collaboration with the <span>World Heart Federation</span> (project number CLCZ696D2010R).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":29783,"journal":{"name":"Lancet Regional Health-Americas","volume":"54 ","pages":"Article 101340"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145790536","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-20DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2025.101339
Gabriela Montenegro-Bethancourt , Gabriela V. Proaño , Elizabeth Yakes Jimenez , Taylor C. Wallace , Alison Steiber , Xingya Ma , Ming Ji , Peter Rohloff
Background
There is worldwide interest in determining whether frequent egg provision during complementary feeding enhances child development and growth in low-resource settings. We evaluated effects of adding one whole egg per day to local standard nutrition care on infant outcomes.
Methods
The Saqmolo’ Project individually randomized, partially blinded, comparative effectiveness clinical trial was conducted in rural Guatemala from 2021 to 2023. Maya infants aged 6–9 months were randomized to standard nutrition care alone (growth monitoring, complementary and responsive feeding education, deworming medication, multiple micronutrient powders, and referrals for medical care) versus standard care plus one whole egg per day for 6 months. Mixed linear or logistic regression models were used to estimate between-group differences in primary (global development score) and secondary (growth, anemia status, and diet quality) outcomes.
Findings
This trial included 1200 Maya infants (51.3% male). After adjustment for baseline values and participant characteristics, there was no significant between-group difference in global development score (β −0.08 points [95% CI −0.22 to 0.06]). There were also no significant between-group differences for most secondary outcomes. Intervention participants did have significantly higher odds of stunting (odds ratio [OR] 1.42 [95% CI 1.10–1.82]; p = 0.007) and of meeting minimum dietary diversity (OR 1.41 [95% CI 1.20–1.65]; p < 0.001) and minimum adequate diet (OR 1.44 [95% CI 1.26–1.64]; p < 0.001) benchmarks than standard care participants.
Interpretation
Provision of one whole egg per day in addition to standard care improved diet quality but did not benefit development, growth, or anemia status among Maya infants.
Funding
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation via an Egg Nutrition Center investigator-initiated research grant.
在低资源环境下,确定补充喂养期间频繁提供鸡蛋是否能促进儿童发育和生长,是全世界都感兴趣的问题。我们评估了在当地标准营养护理中每天添加一个全蛋对婴儿结局的影响。方法于2021 - 2023年在危地马拉农村地区进行Saqmolo项目随机、部分盲法临床试验。6 - 9个月的玛雅婴儿被随机分配到单独的标准营养护理组(生长监测、补充和反应性喂养教育、驱虫药物、多种微量营养素粉末和转诊医疗护理组)和标准护理组,每天加一个完整的鸡蛋,持续6个月。使用混合线性或逻辑回归模型来估计主要(总体发展评分)和次要(生长、贫血状况和饮食质量)结局的组间差异。该试验包括1200名玛雅婴儿(51.3%为男性)。调整基线值和参与者特征后,总体发展评分组间无显著差异(β - 0.08分[95% CI - 0.22 - 0.06])。在大多数次要结果方面,组间也没有显著差异。与标准护理参与者相比,干预参与者发育迟缓的几率(比值比[OR] 1.42 [95% CI 1.10-1.82]; p = 0.007)、满足最低饮食多样性(比值比[OR] 1.41 [95% CI 1.20-1.65]; p < 0.001)和最低适当饮食(比值比[OR] 1.44 [95% CI 1.26-1.64]; p < 0.001)的几率明显更高。解释:除了标准护理外,每天提供一个全蛋改善了玛雅婴儿的饮食质量,但对发育、生长或贫血状况没有好处。营养与饮食学会基金会通过鸡蛋营养中心研究者发起的研究资助。
{"title":"Effect of eggs on Maya child development and growth: the Saqmolo’ Project randomized clinical trial","authors":"Gabriela Montenegro-Bethancourt , Gabriela V. Proaño , Elizabeth Yakes Jimenez , Taylor C. Wallace , Alison Steiber , Xingya Ma , Ming Ji , Peter Rohloff","doi":"10.1016/j.lana.2025.101339","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lana.2025.101339","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>There is worldwide interest in determining whether frequent egg provision during complementary feeding enhances child development and growth in low-resource settings. We evaluated effects of adding one whole egg per day to local standard nutrition care on infant outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The Saqmolo’ Project individually randomized, partially blinded, comparative effectiveness clinical trial was conducted in rural Guatemala from 2021 to 2023. Maya infants aged 6–9 months were randomized to standard nutrition care alone (growth monitoring, complementary and responsive feeding education, deworming medication, multiple micronutrient powders, and referrals for medical care) versus standard care plus one whole egg per day for 6 months. Mixed linear or logistic regression models were used to estimate between-group differences in primary (global development score) and secondary (growth, anemia status, and diet quality) outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Findings</h3><div>This trial included 1200 Maya infants (51.3% male). After adjustment for baseline values and participant characteristics, there was no significant between-group difference in global development score (β −0.08 points [95% CI −0.22 to 0.06]). There were also no significant between-group differences for most secondary outcomes. Intervention participants did have significantly higher odds of stunting (odds ratio [OR] 1.42 [95% CI 1.10–1.82]; p = 0.007) and of meeting minimum dietary diversity (OR 1.41 [95% CI 1.20–1.65]; p < 0.001) and minimum adequate diet (OR 1.44 [95% CI 1.26–1.64]; p < 0.001) benchmarks than standard care participants.</div></div><div><h3>Interpretation</h3><div>Provision of one whole egg per day in addition to standard care improved diet quality but did not benefit development, growth, or anemia status among Maya infants.</div></div><div><h3>Funding</h3><div><span>Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation</span> via an <span>Egg Nutrition Center investigator-initiated research</span> grant.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":29783,"journal":{"name":"Lancet Regional Health-Americas","volume":"54 ","pages":"Article 101339"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145790569","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-20DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2025.101344
Nélio Cézar de Aquino , Cadiele Oliana Reichert , Luis Alberto de Padua Covas Lage , Hebert Fabricio Culler , Felipe Santa Rosa Roitberg , Vanderson Rocha , Flávia Neves Rocha Alves , Juliana Pereira
Regulatory agencies are increasingly incorporating real-world data (RWD) and real-world evidence (RWE) into decision-making frameworks to complement randomized clinical trials. While some regions, such as the U.S. and EU, have developed structured approaches for RWE use, Brazil's regulatory environment remains comparatively limited. This study examines the status of RWE regulatory integration in Brazil through an analysis of normative documents, institutional publications, and selected case studies, using a comparative policy perspective. Although advances have been made in data standardization and the publication of technical guidelines, such as ANVISA's Guidance No. 64/2023, the practical use of RWE in regulatory processes is still nascent. Key challenges include fragmented data infrastructure, and limited intersectoral coordination. Addressing these gaps will require improved interoperability across health information systems, convergence of methodological standards, and sustained collaboration among regulatory authorities, academia, and data holders to enable consistent and scientifically robust use of RWE in the Brazilian context and, potentially, in other low- and middle-income countries.
{"title":"Advancing real-world evidence in Brazil: regulatory gaps and global lessons","authors":"Nélio Cézar de Aquino , Cadiele Oliana Reichert , Luis Alberto de Padua Covas Lage , Hebert Fabricio Culler , Felipe Santa Rosa Roitberg , Vanderson Rocha , Flávia Neves Rocha Alves , Juliana Pereira","doi":"10.1016/j.lana.2025.101344","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lana.2025.101344","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Regulatory agencies are increasingly incorporating real-world data (RWD) and real-world evidence (RWE) into decision-making frameworks to complement randomized clinical trials. While some regions, such as the U.S. and EU, have developed structured approaches for RWE use, Brazil's regulatory environment remains comparatively limited. This study examines the status of RWE regulatory integration in Brazil through an analysis of normative documents, institutional publications, and selected case studies, using a comparative policy perspective. Although advances have been made in data standardization and the publication of technical guidelines, such as ANVISA's Guidance No. 64/2023, the practical use of RWE in regulatory processes is still nascent. Key challenges include fragmented data infrastructure, and limited intersectoral coordination. Addressing these gaps will require improved interoperability across health information systems, convergence of methodological standards, and sustained collaboration among regulatory authorities, academia, and data holders to enable consistent and scientifically robust use of RWE in the Brazilian context and, potentially, in other low- and middle-income countries.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":29783,"journal":{"name":"Lancet Regional Health-Americas","volume":"55 ","pages":"Article 101344"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145792268","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-16DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2025.101336
Latam Collaborative Colorectal Surgery Consortium
<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Urgent abdominal operations represent a large proportion of surgical care and are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Evidence is scarce from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including Latin America (LA). The lack of regionally representative outcomes data hinders quality-improvement efforts and understanding of modifiable risk factors that could be targeted to improve urgent care.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We present results from a prospective, multicenter observational cohort study of urgent abdominal surgery conducted in 14 countries across Latin America between February and December 2024. Eligible participants were consecutive adults (≥18 years) undergoing urgent gastrointestinal operations at each site during a 6-week inclusion window. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Secondary outcomes were reoperation, readmission, time to discharge, and prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) stay (defined as >72 h). Bayesian time-to-event models and Bayesian logistic regression were used to estimate associations between the outcomes and pre-specified covariates (age, sex, obesity, center volume, Charlson Comorbidity Index, SOFA score, surgical approach, operative time, prior abdominal surgery, intraoperative complications).</div></div><div><h3>Findings</h3><div>A total of 1015 patients were included from 89 hospitals (mean age 58.3 years; 50.4% female and 49.6% male). The most common indications for surgery were intestinal obstruction (46.8%), perforation (23.4%), and abdominal abscess (9.6%). Overall 30-day mortality was 12.6% (128/1015) and one in three of these deaths occurred within 24 h of the index operation. Prolonged ICU stay occurred in 27.9% of patients, reoperation was required in 18.4% and readmission in 4.9%. Across all models, we consistently found an association between Charlson Comorbidity Index >3, SOFA score >3, and open surgical approach with higher odds or hazard of adverse postoperative outcomes, including death. Patients with SOFA >3 had substantially increased odds of prolonged ICU stay and higher hazard of reoperation and death. In contrast, open surgery was associated with longer hospitalization and more reoperations, as well as higher mortality.</div></div><div><h3>Interpretation</h3><div>This large multi-country cohort provides the first region-wide estimates of outcomes after urgent abdominal surgery in Latin America. Mortality remains high, with almost one-third of all deaths occurring in the first 24 h after surgery. Patients’ comorbidity burden, physiological derangement at presentation, and operative approach are all key determinants of outcome after urgent abdominal surgery. This evidence provides a baseline for quality-improvement efforts and highlights the urgent need for region-specific guidelines and protocols to standardize urgent surgical care across Latin America.</div></div><div><h3>Funding</h3><div>This study received no external f
{"title":"Outcomes of urgent gastrointestinal-related procedures in Latin America (LATAM-URG): a prospective multicentre study","authors":"Latam Collaborative Colorectal Surgery Consortium","doi":"10.1016/j.lana.2025.101336","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lana.2025.101336","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Urgent abdominal operations represent a large proportion of surgical care and are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Evidence is scarce from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including Latin America (LA). The lack of regionally representative outcomes data hinders quality-improvement efforts and understanding of modifiable risk factors that could be targeted to improve urgent care.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We present results from a prospective, multicenter observational cohort study of urgent abdominal surgery conducted in 14 countries across Latin America between February and December 2024. Eligible participants were consecutive adults (≥18 years) undergoing urgent gastrointestinal operations at each site during a 6-week inclusion window. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Secondary outcomes were reoperation, readmission, time to discharge, and prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) stay (defined as >72 h). Bayesian time-to-event models and Bayesian logistic regression were used to estimate associations between the outcomes and pre-specified covariates (age, sex, obesity, center volume, Charlson Comorbidity Index, SOFA score, surgical approach, operative time, prior abdominal surgery, intraoperative complications).</div></div><div><h3>Findings</h3><div>A total of 1015 patients were included from 89 hospitals (mean age 58.3 years; 50.4% female and 49.6% male). The most common indications for surgery were intestinal obstruction (46.8%), perforation (23.4%), and abdominal abscess (9.6%). Overall 30-day mortality was 12.6% (128/1015) and one in three of these deaths occurred within 24 h of the index operation. Prolonged ICU stay occurred in 27.9% of patients, reoperation was required in 18.4% and readmission in 4.9%. Across all models, we consistently found an association between Charlson Comorbidity Index >3, SOFA score >3, and open surgical approach with higher odds or hazard of adverse postoperative outcomes, including death. Patients with SOFA >3 had substantially increased odds of prolonged ICU stay and higher hazard of reoperation and death. In contrast, open surgery was associated with longer hospitalization and more reoperations, as well as higher mortality.</div></div><div><h3>Interpretation</h3><div>This large multi-country cohort provides the first region-wide estimates of outcomes after urgent abdominal surgery in Latin America. Mortality remains high, with almost one-third of all deaths occurring in the first 24 h after surgery. Patients’ comorbidity burden, physiological derangement at presentation, and operative approach are all key determinants of outcome after urgent abdominal surgery. This evidence provides a baseline for quality-improvement efforts and highlights the urgent need for region-specific guidelines and protocols to standardize urgent surgical care across Latin America.</div></div><div><h3>Funding</h3><div>This study received no external f","PeriodicalId":29783,"journal":{"name":"Lancet Regional Health-Americas","volume":"54 ","pages":"Article 101336"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145790568","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-12DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2025.101333
Christopher N. Kaufmann , Adam P. Spira , Chien-Yu Tseng , Emerson M. Wickwire
{"title":"Health and economic burden of insomnia medications among older Americans: findings from the future elderly model","authors":"Christopher N. Kaufmann , Adam P. Spira , Chien-Yu Tseng , Emerson M. Wickwire","doi":"10.1016/j.lana.2025.101333","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lana.2025.101333","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":29783,"journal":{"name":"Lancet Regional Health-Americas","volume":"53 ","pages":"Article 101333"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145736321","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-12DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2025.101335
Alya Govorchin , Maëve Leduc , Clifford G. Atleo , Dawn Hoogeveen , Irina Borgos , Lyana Patrick
The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impacted Indigenous Peoples in Canada, highlighting preexisting health inequities. These disparities were exacerbated by inadequate data management policies across Canadian governments, which contribute to inaccurate health information and access challenges for Indigenous Nations. Indigenous data sovereignty, which recognizes the right of Indigenous Peoples to govern their own data, has been identified as essential for achieving self-determination and improving health outcomes. We focus on British Columbia (BC) given its unique health and data governance structure with First Nations. This policy paper examines the challenges related to health data management that arose during COVID-19 in BC, and the regulatory barriers hindering Indigenous health equity. We present four policy recommendations that address data issues as a promising avenue to reducing health inequities in Canada. This includes supporting research by and with Indigenous Peoples, promoting ethical responsibilities of non-Indigenous researchers, implementing anti-racism policies, and adopting Indigenous data management frameworks.
{"title":"The right to health: indigenous data sovereignty in Canada during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic","authors":"Alya Govorchin , Maëve Leduc , Clifford G. Atleo , Dawn Hoogeveen , Irina Borgos , Lyana Patrick","doi":"10.1016/j.lana.2025.101335","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lana.2025.101335","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impacted Indigenous Peoples in Canada, highlighting preexisting health inequities. These disparities were exacerbated by inadequate data management policies across Canadian governments, which contribute to inaccurate health information and access challenges for Indigenous Nations. Indigenous data sovereignty, which recognizes the right of Indigenous Peoples to govern their own data, has been identified as essential for achieving self-determination and improving health outcomes. We focus on British Columbia (BC) given its unique health and data governance structure with First Nations. This policy paper examines the challenges related to health data management that arose during COVID-19 in BC, and the regulatory barriers hindering Indigenous health equity. We present four policy recommendations that address data issues as a promising avenue to reducing health inequities in Canada. This includes supporting research by and with Indigenous Peoples, promoting ethical responsibilities of non-Indigenous researchers, implementing anti-racism policies, and adopting Indigenous data management frameworks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":29783,"journal":{"name":"Lancet Regional Health-Americas","volume":"54 ","pages":"Article 101335"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145737799","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-12DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2025.101314
Felipe Fregni , Luis Castelo-Branco , Alejandra Cardenas-Rojas , Marianna Daibes , Fernanda MQ. Silva , Kevin Pacheco-Barrios , Guilherme J.M. Lacerda , Lucas Camargo , Anna Carolyna Gianlorenco , Wolnei Caumo
Background
Exercise is first-line therapy for fibromyalgia, but the superiority of aerobic vs. non-aerobic modalities is uncertain. Motor-cortex transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) may enhance descending pain inhibition. We tested the effects of exercise modality and tDCS on conditioned pain modulation (CPM) and clinical outcomes.
Methods
Double-blind, randomised 2 × 2 factorial trial in Boston, USA (2019–2024; allocation 1:1:1:1). Adults with fibromyalgia were assigned to aerobic + active tDCS, aerobic + sham, non-aerobic + active, or non-aerobic + sham. Participants completed 16 in-person sessions over 4 weeks, combining concurrent tDCS and exercise. The non-aerobic condition involved light treadmill walking matched for duration but below aerobic threshold (<40% HRmax). Primary outcomes were changes in CPM and temporal summation of pain (TSP) at week 6; secondary outcomes were pain, fatigue, sleep, quality of life, and depressive symptoms.
Findings
Of 116 participants (mean age 47.1 ± 11.9 years), 88.8% were female. Active tDCS improved CPM vs. sham (Cohen's d = 0.66; p = 0.015), independent of exercise modality, and showed a small, nonsignificant improvement in TSP (mean change −0.19 [95% CI –0.90, 0.51]). All groups showed moderate-to-large improvements in pain, fatigue, and quality of life (Cohen's d 0.60–0.92), with no added benefit from tDCS. Non-aerobic and aerobic exercise produced comparable symptom improvements. Greater age and lower body mass index (BMI) were associated with enhanced response. Changes in pain modulation were not mediated by short-term clinical changes.
Interpretation
Supervised aerobic and non-aerobic exercise produced meaningful short-term clinical improvements. Motor-cortex tDCS enhanced descending pain inhibition but did not add clinical benefit beyond exercise over 6 weeks.
Funding
National Institutes of health (R01 1R01AT009491-01A1).
运动是纤维肌痛的一线治疗方法,但有氧与非有氧方式的优势尚不确定。运动皮质经颅直流电刺激(tDCS)可增强下行疼痛抑制。我们测试了运动方式和tDCS对条件性疼痛调节(CPM)和临床结果的影响。方法在美国波士顿进行双盲、随机2 × 2因子试验(2019-2024年,分配1:1:1:1:1)。患有纤维肌痛的成人被分为有氧+活动tDCS、有氧+假、非有氧+活动或非有氧+假。参与者在4周内完成了16次面对面的训练,结合了并发tDCS和锻炼。非有氧条件包括轻度跑步机步行匹配持续时间,但低于有氧阈值(40% HRmax)。主要结局是第6周时CPM和时间累积疼痛(TSP)的变化;次要结局是疼痛、疲劳、睡眠、生活质量和抑郁症状。116例参与者(平均年龄47.1±11.9岁),88.8%为女性。与假手术相比,主动tDCS改善了CPM (Cohen’s d = 0.66; p = 0.015),与运动方式无关,TSP也有小幅无显著改善(平均变化- 0.19 [95% CI -0.90, 0.51])。所有组在疼痛、疲劳和生活质量方面都有中等到较大的改善(Cohen’s d 0.60-0.92), tDCS没有额外的益处。非有氧运动和有氧运动对症状的改善效果相当。年龄越大,身体质量指数(BMI)越低,反应越强。疼痛调节的改变不受短期临床变化的影响。有监督的有氧和非有氧运动产生了有意义的短期临床改善。运动皮质tDCS增强了下行疼痛抑制,但在超过6周的运动后没有增加临床益处。美国国立卫生研究院(R01 1R01AT009491-01A1)。
{"title":"A randomised, double-blind, sham-controlled, 2×2 factorial trial of aerobic vs. non-aerobic exercise and motor cortex transcranial direct current stimulation in fibromyalgia: effects on clinical outcomes and descending pain modulation","authors":"Felipe Fregni , Luis Castelo-Branco , Alejandra Cardenas-Rojas , Marianna Daibes , Fernanda MQ. Silva , Kevin Pacheco-Barrios , Guilherme J.M. Lacerda , Lucas Camargo , Anna Carolyna Gianlorenco , Wolnei Caumo","doi":"10.1016/j.lana.2025.101314","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lana.2025.101314","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Exercise is first-line therapy for fibromyalgia, but the superiority of aerobic vs. non-aerobic modalities is uncertain. Motor-cortex transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) may enhance descending pain inhibition. We tested the effects of exercise modality and tDCS on conditioned pain modulation (CPM) and clinical outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Double-blind, randomised 2 × 2 factorial trial in Boston, USA (2019–2024; allocation 1:1:1:1). Adults with fibromyalgia were assigned to aerobic + active tDCS, aerobic + sham, non-aerobic + active, or non-aerobic + sham. Participants completed 16 in-person sessions over 4 weeks, combining concurrent tDCS and exercise. The non-aerobic condition involved light treadmill walking matched for duration but below aerobic threshold (<40% HRmax). Primary outcomes were changes in CPM and temporal summation of pain (TSP) at week 6; secondary outcomes were pain, fatigue, sleep, quality of life, and depressive symptoms.</div></div><div><h3>Findings</h3><div>Of 116 participants (mean age 47.1 ± 11.9 years), 88.8% were female. Active tDCS improved CPM vs. sham (Cohen's d = 0.66; p = 0.015), independent of exercise modality, and showed a small, nonsignificant improvement in TSP (mean change −0.19 [95% CI –0.90, 0.51]). All groups showed moderate-to-large improvements in pain, fatigue, and quality of life (Cohen's d 0.60–0.92), with no added benefit from tDCS. Non-aerobic and aerobic exercise produced comparable symptom improvements. Greater age and lower body mass index (BMI) were associated with enhanced response. Changes in pain modulation were not mediated by short-term clinical changes.</div></div><div><h3>Interpretation</h3><div>Supervised aerobic and non-aerobic exercise produced meaningful short-term clinical improvements. Motor-cortex tDCS enhanced descending pain inhibition but did not add clinical benefit beyond exercise over 6 weeks.</div></div><div><h3>Funding</h3><div>National Institutes of health (R01 1R01AT009491-01A1).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":29783,"journal":{"name":"Lancet Regional Health-Americas","volume":"53 ","pages":"Article 101314"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145736320","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-11DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2025.101323
Priscila de Morais Sato , Fernanda Lopes , Sonora English , Silvana Oliveira da Silva , James Berson Lalane , Thilagawathi Abi Deivanayagam , Rute Ramos da Silva Costa , Elizângela Baré , Indira Ramos Gomes , Delan Devakumar
We conducted a scoping review to examine how racism affects the health of minoritized populations in Brazil. A comprehensive search was carried out, and identified articles underwent independent double screening. The 145 included studies consistently highlighted structural health inequities, with White advantage functioning as a protective factor. Institutional racism restricts healthcare access and availability, exacerbating minoritized populations’ vulnerability to violence and disease through discrimination and substandard care. Spatial segregation further exposes minoritized populations to harmful environmental conditions and limited infrastructure, while traditional and migrant communities experience marginalization, social isolation, increased disease exposure, and poorer livelihoods. Interpersonal racism negatively impacts mental and physical health across the lifespan, with gender and socioeconomic conditions intersecting and shaping these experiences. The study provides critical insights for practice, policy, and research by demonstrating how racism at multiple levels shapes health inequities in Brazil and by emphasizing the need for human rights-centred, redistributive interventions that promote justice, equity, and inclusive care for minoritized populations.
Funding: This publication was funded by Edital 02/2025—PRPPG/UFBA (Scientific Publications Support Program) and by the CNPq Productivity in Research Scholarship (process number 306359/2024-3).
{"title":"Mapping the expressions and impacts of racism on health in Brazil: a scoping review","authors":"Priscila de Morais Sato , Fernanda Lopes , Sonora English , Silvana Oliveira da Silva , James Berson Lalane , Thilagawathi Abi Deivanayagam , Rute Ramos da Silva Costa , Elizângela Baré , Indira Ramos Gomes , Delan Devakumar","doi":"10.1016/j.lana.2025.101323","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lana.2025.101323","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We conducted a scoping review to examine how racism affects the health of minoritized populations in Brazil. A comprehensive search was carried out, and identified articles underwent independent double screening. The 145 included studies consistently highlighted structural health inequities, with White advantage functioning as a protective factor. Institutional racism restricts healthcare access and availability, exacerbating minoritized populations’ vulnerability to violence and disease through discrimination and substandard care. Spatial segregation further exposes minoritized populations to harmful environmental conditions and limited infrastructure, while traditional and migrant communities experience marginalization, social isolation, increased disease exposure, and poorer livelihoods. Interpersonal racism negatively impacts mental and physical health across the lifespan, with gender and socioeconomic conditions intersecting and shaping these experiences. The study provides critical insights for practice, policy, and research by demonstrating how racism at multiple levels shapes health inequities in Brazil and by emphasizing the need for human rights-centred, redistributive interventions that promote justice, equity, and inclusive care for minoritized populations.</div><div>Funding: This publication was funded by Edital 02/2025—PRPPG/UFBA (<span>Scientific Publications Support Program</span>) and by the <span>CNPq Productivity in Research Scholarship</span> (process number 306359/2024-3).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":29783,"journal":{"name":"Lancet Regional Health-Americas","volume":"54 ","pages":"Article 101323"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145737867","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-11DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2025.101334
Marco Antonio Catussi Paschoalotto , Eduardo Alves Lazzari , Rudi Rocha , Adriano Massuda , Marcia C. Castro
Health system resilience (HSR) is essential to sustaining equitable essential functions under acute and chronic stressors in decentralized systems. We developed and validated a Brazil-tailored HSR framework that distinguishes steady-state performance from resilience-specific capacities and assigns responsibilities across federal, state, regional, and municipal levels. Using a three-phase qualitative deductive–inductive approach with 48 international and national experts, we identified nine dimensions, 18 subdimensions, and 65 indicators that prioritise governance coherence, surge workforce strategies, emergency regulation, real-time monitoring, and access to critical technologies. The framework clarifies boundaries between general health system performance and adaptive, absorptive, and transformative functions, and specifies how managers can apply it in practice through structured scoping, mapping, scoring, prioritisation, planning, and monitoring steps. Although designed for Brazil's Unified Health System (SUS), the development logic generalises to other decentralised contexts with appropriate re-allocation of responsibilities and calibration to national financing rules. This policy-facing tool supports actionable resilience strengthening in complex, multi-level systems.
{"title":"Building a health system resilience framework: national, state, regional, and local perspectives","authors":"Marco Antonio Catussi Paschoalotto , Eduardo Alves Lazzari , Rudi Rocha , Adriano Massuda , Marcia C. Castro","doi":"10.1016/j.lana.2025.101334","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lana.2025.101334","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Health system resilience (HSR) is essential to sustaining equitable essential functions under acute and chronic stressors in decentralized systems. We developed and validated a Brazil-tailored HSR framework that distinguishes steady-state performance from resilience-specific capacities and assigns responsibilities across federal, state, regional, and municipal levels. Using a three-phase qualitative deductive–inductive approach with 48 international and national experts, we identified nine dimensions, 18 subdimensions, and 65 indicators that prioritise governance coherence, surge workforce strategies, emergency regulation, real-time monitoring, and access to critical technologies. The framework clarifies boundaries between general health system performance and adaptive, absorptive, and transformative functions, and specifies how managers can apply it in practice through structured scoping, mapping, scoring, prioritisation, planning, and monitoring steps. Although designed for Brazil's Unified Health System (SUS), the development logic generalises to other decentralised contexts with appropriate re-allocation of responsibilities and calibration to national financing rules. This policy-facing tool supports actionable resilience strengthening in complex, multi-level systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":29783,"journal":{"name":"Lancet Regional Health-Americas","volume":"54 ","pages":"Article 101334"},"PeriodicalIF":7.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145737800","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}