Influence of pulmonary rehabilitation on clinical characteristics in patients with chronic heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease / Influência da reabilitação pulmonar nas características clínicas em pacientes com insuficiência cardíaca crônica e doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica

Background: The improvement of treatment strategies in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and especially with comorbid pathology should provide rational conversion of standard schemes of therapy and rehabilitation in accordance with their clinical, pathogenic, functional and economic feasibility. Objective: To assess the influence of pulmonary rehabilitation on clinical characteristics in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and concomitant COPD. Methods: The study included 102 patients with CHF and concomitant COPD (males, 62%; mean age, 68.2 ± 4.5 years). All patients were divided into two groups: control group (CG) (n = 54), received only standard therapy of CHF and COPD; and intervention group (IG) (n = 48) were additionally taught the full yogic breathing as a program of pulmonary rehabilitation. Calculation of points by clinical evaluation scale (CES), assessment of CHF functional class (FC) (NYHA) and 6-minute walk test (6MWT - with the evaluation of dyspnea by the Borg scale) were performed in all patients on admission to the department and at discharge. Significant association was defined by p value < 0.05. Results: At baseline, there were no significant differences in clinical characteristics of the patients and studied parameters between the groups. At discharge both groups showed significant reduction of dyspnea by the Borg scale (in CG: from 7.2 ± 0.8 points to 5.2 ± 0.3; in IG: from 7.4 ± 0.6 points to 3.2 ± 0.4), the number of points by CES (in CG: from 10.8 ± 0.3 points to 7.2 ± 0.4; in IG: from 10.7 ± 0.6 points to 5.9 ± 0.6). Increase in exercise tolerance (by the distance of 6MWT) was observed in both groups (in CG: from 215 ± 24 m to 275 ± 22 m; in IG: from 219 ± 21 m to 308 ± 24 m). The changes were more significant in IG compared to CG. We observed the prominent decrease in CHF FC and length of hospital stay in IG. Conclusions: Application of full yogic breathing as the program of pulmonary rehabilitation in addition to standard therapy of the patients with CHF and COPD is associated with a significant decrease in CHF FC, an increase in exercise tolerance and a reduced length of hospital stay

Relação entre o nível de hemoglobina e a atividade da doença em pacientes com artrite reumatoide / The relationship between hemoglobin level and disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Objetivos Este estudo tem como objetivo investigar a relação entre o nível de hemoglobina e a atividade da doença em pacientes com artrite reumatoide (AR). Pacientes e métodos Avaliou-se a possível relação existente entre o nível de hemoglobina, a contagem de 66/68 articulações, o Escore de Atividade da Doença – 28 articulações (DAS28), o Questionário de Avaliação de Saúde (HAQ), a escala visual analógica (EVA), o Escore de Sharp modificado (MSS) e a duração da doença de 89 pacientes com AR. Os critérios para anemia da Organização Mundial de Saúde (OMS) consideram um limite de hemoglobina<120g/L para as mulheres e<130g/L para os homens. Pacientes grávidas ou amamentando, pacientes com história de outra artrite inflamatória ou não inflamatória, neoplasias, doenças crônicas infecciosas e inflamatórias e outras doenças descompensadas foram excluídas do estudo. Resultados A anemia foi observada em 64% dos pacientes (1° grupo); o outro grupo (2° grupo) apresentou níveis normais de hemoglobina. Houve uma correlação negativa estatisticamente significativa entre o nível de hemoglobina e a contagem de articulações inchadas e sensíveis, DAS28, HAQ, EVA, MSS e duração da doença (p<0,001). O DAS28, escore HAQ, EVA, MSS, contagem de articulações inchadas e sensíveis e duração da doença foram significativamente maiores (p<0,001) no primeiro grupo em comparação com o segundo. Conclusão Determinou-se que o baixo nível de hemoglobina está significativamente correlacionado com a deficiência e incapacidade, atividade da doença, lesão articular, dor e duração da doença em pacientes com AR. Acredita-se que, mantendo ...

Objectives This study aims to investigate the relationship of hemoglobin level with disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Patients and methods The hemoglobin level, the 66/68 joint count, the Disease Activity Score 28 joints (DAS28), the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), the Visual Analog Scales (VAS), the Modified Sharp Score (MSS), and the disease duration in 89 patients with RA were used to analyze the possible relationship. The World Health Organization (WHO) criteria for anemia uses a hemoglobin threshold of<120g/L for women and<130g/L for men. Pregnant or breastfeeding patients, patients with a history of other inflammatory or no inflammatory arthritis, malignancies, chronic infectious and inflammatory diseases and other diseases in the stage of decompensation were excluded from the study. Results Anemia was observed in 64% of the patients (1st group); the other group (2nd group) had normal levels of hemoglobin. There was a statistically significant negative correlation between hemoglobin level and swollen and tender joints’ count, DAS28, HAQ score, VAS, MSS, and disease duration (p<0.001). DAS28, HAQ score, VAS, MSS, swollen and tender joints’ count and disease duration were significantly (p<0.001) higher in 1st versus 2nd group. Conclusion In conclusion, we determined that low hemoglobin level was significantly related to disability and impairment, disease activity, articular damage, pain and disease duration in RA patients in our study. We believe that by keeping disease activity under control, therefore preventing articular damage, the disability in RA patients can be lessened or possibly even eliminated. .