Background and objectives: Blood donation is suggested to increase the risk of restless legs syndrome (RLS). This study aims to assess the prevalence of RLS in Spanish blood donors and determined its potential correlation with iron metabolism parameters.
Materials and methods: Prospective cohort study of 129 blood donors (54.3% men, 39.44 years ± 11.0) that underwent a physical examination, blood analysis (hemoglobin, ferritin, transferrin saturation index and soluble transferrin receptor) and a RLS screening questionnaire followed by a prospective follow-up study including a clinical phone interview. A multivariate logistic regression model was performed to examine the association between RLS and other variables.
Results: Eighty-four (65.1%) participants were repeat blood donors (mean of 2.11 donations/year) at inclusion and 61 (47.4%) at follow-up (mean of 2.09 donations/year). Non-anemic iron deficiency (ferritin < 50 µg/l) was high in women p < 0.001 and in repeat donors (p = 0.003). The prevalence of RLS was 14.1% at inclusion increasing prospectively (19.5%; p = 0.065). On multivariate analysis, gender was the only variable significantly associated with a RLS diagnosis, being higher in women (OR 5.1; 95% CI 1.71-15.3; p = 0.003).
Conclusions: Despite the high prevalence of non-anemic iron deficiency there was no association between ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor concentration values and RLS diagnosis. Gender was associated with RLS diagnosis regardless of other variables.
Objective: To describe the circadian blood pressure (BP) pattern in stable COPD patients.
Methods: We included stable COPD patients from Internal Medicine Departments. Office BP and ambulatory BP monitoring were performed. Patients were classified as BP reducers (dipper or extreme dipper) or non-reducers (non-dipper or riser).
Results: We included 43 patients (5 women, mean age 69.5 ± 9.5 years). Among them, 11 had sustained normotension, 13 sustained hypertension, 2 white coat hypertension, and 17 masked hypertension. Arterial stiffness was observed in 12 (27.9%) patients. Overall, 26 (60.5%) exhibited a non-reducer BP profile. Non-reducers had a higher frequency of previous major cardiovascular events (50% vs. 11.8%, p = 0.020) and long-acting muscarinic antagonist use (84.6% vs. 47.1%, p = 0.009).
Conclusions: Hypertension is often masked in COPD patients, who frequently display an altered circadian BP pattern. Longitudinal studies with larger samples are needed to evaluate the impact of these patterns on COPD progression.
Introduction: Anti-NOR90 antibodies were initially described in patients with autoimmune diseases based on staining of a nucleolar region known as the nucleolar organizer region (NOR). This study aims to explore the clinical aspects of anti-NOR90 antibodies in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases.
Methods: Observational study of patients with positive anti-NOR90 antibodies using the EUROLINE Systemic Sclerosis profile (IgG) kit (Euroimmun, Germany). Data on demographics, comorbidities, autoimmune diseases, treatment, and clinical manifestations were collected.
Results: Fifteen Patients with positive anti-NOR90 antibodies were included. Majority were female (86.7%), with median age of 54 years. Most common clinical manifestations were Raynaud's phenomenon, dryness, and interstitial lung disease (ILD). Some patients had hematological or solid organ neoplasms. EPID was prevalent, with one case showing rapid progression requiring aggressive treatment.
Discussion and conclusion: This study highlights the association between anti-NOR90 antibodies and systemic autoimmune diseases, particularly SS and ES. EPID was a notable feature, suggesting its consideration in IPAF diagnosis for anti-NOR90 positive patients. Further multicenter studies are needed for better understanding and detection methods optimization.
Background: Patients with heart failure (HF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have a high risk of hospital admission and mortality. This study evaluated the benefit of a care model, characterized by comprehensive and continuous care (UMIPIC program) in patients with HF and a history of COPD.
Methods: A total of 5644 patients were prospectively recruited, of which 1320 had a history of COPD between March 2008 and March 2020. They were divided into 2 follow-up groups at the time of discharge, one in follow-up in the UMIPIC program (435 patients) and another treated conventionally (885 patients). The baseline characteristics of each group were analyzed and patients in each group were selected by propensity score matching and admissions and mortality were evaluated during 12 months of follow-up, after an episode of hospitalization for HF.
Results: The UMIPIC group, compared to the conventional group in the matched cohort, had a lower rate of admissions for HF (21% vs 30 respectively; hazard ratio [HR] = 0.64; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.54-0.84; p = 0.002) and mortality (28% vs 36%, respectively; HR = 0.68; 95% CI: 0.51-0.90; p = 0.008). From a therapeutic point of view, patients with HF and a history of COPD who were followed in the UMIPIC program received a higher percentage of beta-blockers (64% vs 54%; p < 0.05) and direct-acting anticoagulants (17% vs 9%: p < 0.05) than those followed conventionally.
Conclusions: The implementation of the UMIPIC care program for patients with HF and a history of COPD, based on comprehensive and continuous care, reduces both admissions and mortality at one year of follow-up. The prescription of beta-blockers and direct-acting anticoagulants was also higher during follow-up in the UMIPIC program.
Vennous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common complication associated to greater mortality in patients with cancer. Its etiology is multifactorial and depends on the characteristics and co-morbidities of the patient, the tumor type and extension, and the oncological treatment. The management of VTE is more complex in patients with cancer due to an increased risk of recurrence and major bleeding complications during anticoagulation compared to the general non-oncological population. The above differences have led to the development of specific clinical trials to assess the efficacy and safety of anticoagulant therapy in patients with cancer. The present clinical guidelines are intended to provide general recommendations on the management of cancer-associated VTE according to updated according to the most recent scientific evidence.
Venous thromboembolim (VTE) is a highly prevalent condition that requires long-term monitoring and treatment. This monitoring includes: 1) completing the etiological study and determining the risk of VTE recurrence; 2) establishing the optimal duration of anticoagulant treatment, as well as the type of therapy and its dosage; 3) estimating the risk of bleeding, and 4) identifying the occurrence of chronic complications. This consensus document, prepared by the VTE Group of the Spanish Society of Internal Medicine (SEMI), aims to update and establish consensus recommendations on these aspects. The document focuses on four aspects of management: the first includes risk factors for VTE recurrence after an unprovoked VTE episode and describes the predictive scores of VTE recurrence; the second focuses on risk factors for bleeding; the third provides recommendations for long-term follow-up in VTE, addressing specific considerations for screening chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension and post-thrombotic syndrome of the lower limbs; and the fourth provides guidance on the optimal duration of extended anticoagulant treatment, as well as the type of therapy and its dosage. For each area, an exhaustive literature review was conducted, analyzing the updated VTE clinical guidelines and recent studies. This document is intended to be a guide in the long-term management of VTE based on the most current knowledge.
Objectives: This study aims to analyse differences in clinical and therapeutic management for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who present to the emergency department with acute heart failure (AHF). Additionally, it examines mortality rates during such episodes.
Methods: We included patients diagnosed with AHF at 50 Spanish emergency departments from 2012 to 2022 who also had COPD. We compared their baseline characteristics, decompensation episodes, and emergency department management with those of AHF patients without COPD during the same period. We collected data on in-hospital and 30-day all-cause mortality, investigating differences between the two groups using crude and adjusted logistic regression models.
Results: A total of 21,694 AHF patients were analysed (median age = 83 years, 56% female), including 4,942 (23%) with COPD. COPD patients were generally younger and more frequently male, with a higher prevalence of comorbidities (excluding valve disease and dementia, which were more common in non-COPD patients). They exhibited a worse respiratory functional class (NYHA) but a better overall functional capacity (Barthel Index). Decompensation in COPD patients was more often triggered by infection and less frequently by tachyarrhythmia, hypertensive crisis, or acute coronary syndrome. While there were differences in clinical findings in the emergency department, the severity assessed by the MEESSI-AHF Scale was similar across both groups. In terms of emergency department management, a higher proportion of COPD patients received oxygen therapy, non-invasive ventilation, bronchodilators, corticosteroids, and antibiotics, while fewer received intravenous nitroglycerin, and they were hospitalized more frequently. In-hospital mortality rates were 8.1% for patients with COPD and 7.5% for those without (OR = 1.088, 95% CI = 0.968-1.224), with 30-day mortality rates of 11.0% and 10.0%, respectively (OR = 1.111, 95% CI = 1.002-1.231). After adjusting for clinical characteristics, decompensation episodes, and emergency department management, these odds ratios decreased to 1.040 (95% CI = 0.905-1.195) and 1.080 (95% CI = 0.957-1.219), respectively.
Conclusion: Patients with AHF and COPD exhibit distinct clinical and therapeutic management characteristics in the emergency department and require more frequent hospitalization. Although they show higher crude 30-day mortality, this is attributable to their differing clinical profiles rather than the presence of COPD itself.