Ingestão habitual de vitamina K em adultos e idosos

OBJETIVO: O principal objetivo deste trabalho é avaliar a ingestão habitual de vitamina K em adultos e idosos. MÉTODOS: Foi realizado um estudo transversal com a participação de 173 indivíduos de ambos os sexos. A ingestão habitual de cada participante foi avaliada pela aplicação de três recordatórios 24h não consecutivos. As variabilidades intra e interpessoal foram avaliadas por meio do software PC-SIDE. RESULTADOS: A média de ingestão de vitamina K na amostra foi de 110,7µg/dia, com uma mediana de 99µg/dia; os idosos foram os que apresentaram maiores valores de ingestão, com uma mediana de 104µg/dia. O consumo de vitamina K entre adultos e idosos foi estatisticamente diferente (p=0,00), e o consumo de hortaliças apresentou forte correlação com o consumo de vitamina K total. CONCLUSÃO: Independentemente da faixa etária e do sexo, a ingestão de vitamina K foi insuficiente em quase metade da amostra, o que pode ocasionar um maior risco de inadequação dietética e acarretar problemas ósseos no futuro e/ou agravar os já presentes quando se trata da população idosa.

Terrestrial non-volant small mammals in agro-silvicultural landscapes of Southeastern Brazil

The area covered by Eucalyptus plantations is significantly increasing in Brazil for economic reasons. However, the impact of such land use change is still unknown. In this study we evaluated the spatial-temporal distribution and abundance of terrestrial non-volant small mammals on a recently converted landscape whose matrix is formed by Eucalyptus plantations up to 3 years of age. From August 2007 to July 2009 we carried out monthly sampling campaigns over a grid of 30 sampling units, formed by pitfall traps covering both the landscape matrix of Eucalyptus plantations (n = 18) and legal conservation areas of native vegetation (n = 7) and abandoned pastures (n = 5). A total of 1640 individuals from 14 species of the orders Didelphimorphia (4 spp.) and Rodentia (10 spp.) were captured. However, only three species of rodents (Olygorysomys flavescens, Oligoryzomys nigripes and Calomy tener) represented 81.8% of the total amount. Eucalyptus plantations had a lower species richness and abundance than the abandoned pasture and the remaining fragments of native vegetation. Although the present species are predominantly generalists, there is clear distinction among environments in terms of their species composition and relative abundance, which also present a pronounced time variation. The assemblage found in this study suggests that silvicultural landscapes still have some conservation value, with species that seem to be resident at the Eucalyptus plantations. Moreover, the presence of the native and abandoned pastures patches imbibed in the Eucalyptus plantation matrix may increase the carrying capacity of such a silvicultural system and these landscapes may play a role in maintaining local biodiversity. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of a long-term use of a minimalist footwear versus habitual shoe on pain, function and mechanical loads in knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial

Background: Recent studies have shown an important reduction of joint overload during locomotion in elderly women with knee osteoarthritis (OA) after short- term use of minimalist shoes. Our aim is to investigate the chronic effect of inexpensive and minimalist footwear on the clinical and functional aspects of OA and gait biomechanics of elderly women with knee OA. Methods/Design: Fifty-six elderly women with knee OA grade 2 or 3 (Kellgren and Lawrence) are randomized into blocks and allocated to either the intervention group, which will use flexible, non-heeled shoes-Moleca (R)-for six months for at least six hours daily, or the control group, which could not use these shoes. Neither group is undergoing physical therapy treatment throughout the intervention period. Moleca (R) is a women's double canvas, flexible, flat walking shoe without heels, with a 5-mm anti-slip rubber sole and a 3-mm internal wedge of ethylene vinyl acetate. Both groups will be followed for six months and will be assessed at baseline condition, after three months, and after six months (end of intervention). All the assessments will be performed by a physiotherapist that is blind to the group allocation. The primary outcome is the pain Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) score. The secondary outcomes are global WOMAC score; joint stiffness and disability WOMAC scores; knee pain with a visual analogue scale; walking distance in the six-minute walk test; Lequesne score; amount and frequency (number of days) of paracetamol (500 mg) intake over six months; knee adduction moment during gait; global medical assessment score; and global patient auto-assessment score. At baseline, all patients receive a diary to record the hours of daily use of the footwear intervention; every two weeks, the same physiotherapist makes phone calls to all patients in order to verify adherence to treatment. The statistical analysis will be based on intention to treat analysis, as well as general linear models of analysis of variance for repeated measure to detect treatment-time interactions (alpha = 5%). Discussion: This is the first randomized, clinical trial protocol to assess the chronic effect of minimalist footwear on the clinical and functional aspects and gait biomechanics of elderly women with knee osteoarthritis. We expect that the use of Moleca (R) shoes for six months will provide pain relief, reduction of the knee adduction moment when walking, and improve joint function in elderly women with knee OA, and that the treatment, thus, can be considered another inexpensive and easy-to-use option for conservative OA treatment.