São Paulo medical journal = Revista paulista de medicina
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The magnitude of economic losses attributed to sleep problems and insufficient physical activity (PA) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between insufficient PA, sleep problems, and direct healthcare costs. ⋯ The combination of sleep problems and insufficient PA plays an important role in increasing direct healthcare costs in adults. Public health stakeholders, policymakers, and health professionals can use these results to reinforce the need for strategies to improve sleep quality and increase PA, especially in nations that finance their National Health Systems.
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The human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) enzyme, encoded by the hTERT gene, synthesizes protective telomeric sequences on chromosomes and plays a fundamental role in cancer formation. Methylation of the hTERT gene has an upregulatory effect, increasing hTERT enzyme synthesis and allowing continuous tumor cell division. ⋯ Only one-third of patients displayed methylation in their cfDNA, which may be related to the success of chemotherapy.
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Although studies have examined the relationship between variables associated with active aging and quality of life (QoL), no studies have been identified to have investigated the effect of a structural model of active aging on QoL in a representative sample of older people in the community. ⋯ Active aging had a direct and positive effect on the self-assessment of QoL, indicating that the more individuals actively aged, the better the self-assessment of QoL.
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The Positive Aspects of Caregiving (PAC) scale is used to assess psychosocial benefits provided to caregivers by the task of caring. The PAC scale consists of nine items, assessed using a five-point Likert scale, with higher values indicating greater positive perceptions and gains from the caregiving experience. ⋯ The PAC scale was translated and culturally adapted for use by informal caregivers of people with dementia in Brazil. However, a psychometric analysis of the instrument is necessary to provide normative data for this population group.
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The impact of metabolic syndrome (MetS) on healthcare costs remains unclear in the literature. ⋯ In conclusion, the presence of the MetS is responsible for increasing primary care costs among older adults, especially in those related to medicines.