Biomedical subjects

Fernando Barros

Publications and source records attributed to Fernando Barros.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Tympanic paragangliomas: case reports.

Glomus tumors, also called paragangliomas, originate from nonchromaffin cells. The tumor is typically vascular and grows from capillary and pre-capillary vessels in-between epithelial cells. It is worth mentioning that the most common symptoms are pulsating tinnitus and hearing loss. Imaging studies (CT and MRI) are necessary for diagnosis. This paper shows five patients seen at the Hospital between 1995 and 2001 presenting glomus tympanicum. Women were most commonly affected, and the age ranged from 48 to 60 years (mean age of 50 years). The most common complaints were pulsating tinnitus and hearing loss. All patients were treated surgically.

Ear Neoplasms↗

PubMed2004

[Social, familial, and behavioral risk factors for obesity in adolescents].

OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of different social, familial, and behavioral factors on the risk of developing obesity in adolescents. METHODS: We performed a case-control study nested in a population-based cohort that was followed from birth in 1982. Cases were adolescents with obesity, as defined by the World Health Organization. Controls came from a randomly chosen sample of members of the cohort, examined in 1997 and 1998. Information concerning risk factors was obtained from cohort records that were collected at different ages. Multivariate analysis was carried out using logistic regression. RESULTS: Risk factors varied according to sex. Among boys, a family income at birth above one minimum wage was associated with a six-fold increase in obesity, and the presence of trait anxiety in adolescence with a four-fold increase. In both sexes, a one-unit increase in pre-pregnancy maternal body mass index was associated with a 10% increase in obesity. Smoking, fat consumption, time spent watching television or performing physical activity, and concurrent maternal weight were not associated with obesity. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that it is important to stratify data from obesity studies according to sex. In addition, early-life factors were more strongly associated with obesity than factors present during adolescence. However, the possibility of reporting bias cannot be ruled out, especially in terms of the information provided on diet and physical exercise. Whenever possible, the study of concurrent risk factors for obesity in adolescence should take into account the confounding effect of early-life factors.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Anthropometry and body composition of 18 year old men according to duration of breast feeding: birth cohort study from Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between duration of breast feeding and measures of adiposity in adolescence. DESIGN: Population based birth cohort study. SETTING: Pelotas, a city of 320 000 inhabitants in a relatively developed area in southern Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: All newborn infants in the city's hospitals were enrolled in 1982; 78.8% (2250) of all male participants were located at age 18 years when enrolling in the national army. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Weight, height, sitting height, subscapular and triceps skinfolds, and body composition (body fat, lean mass). RESULTS: Neither the duration of total breast feeding nor that of predominant breast feeding (breast milk plus non-nutritive fluids) showed consistent associations with anthropometric or body composition indices. After adjustment for confounding factors, the only significant associations were a greater than 50% reduction in obesity among participants breast fed for three to five months compared with all other breastfeeding categories (P = 0.007) and a linear decreasing trend in obesity with increasing duration of predominant breast feeding (P = 0.03). Similar significant effects were not observed for other measures of adiposity. Borderline direct associations also occurred between total duration of breast feeding and adult height (P = 0.06). CONCLUSIONS: The significant reduction in obesity among children breast fed for three to five months is difficult to interpret, as no a priori hypothesis existed regarding a protective effect of intermediate duration of breast feeding. The findings indicate that, in this population, breast feeding has no marked protective effect against adolescent adiposity.

Adipose Tissue↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Risk factors for accidental injuries in preschool children].

OBJECTIVE: To measure the main risk factors associated with the occurrence of accidental injuries in children aged 4-5 years. METHODS: The study included a prospective cohort of children whose parents filled in a diary recording accidents and injuries during a period of one-month. The children represented a systematic subsample from a population-based birth cohort in southern Brazil. The outcome was the number of reported injuries per child during one month. Multivariate analysis (Poisson regression) was used to assess confounding factors. RESULTS: The monthly frequency of accidents was 53.8%, and 48.4% of the children suffered at least one injury. Boys had 30% more injuries than girls, and white children had 70% higher incidence than non-white. Family income, parental education and maternal employment were not associated with the frequency of injuries. After adjustment of socioeconomic and environmental factors, having younger siblings was associated with a 30% higher injury rate, and living in a home made of bricks was associated with a 35% increase. The incidence of injuries appeared to be higher among children attending day-care centers and those living in periurban areas. CONCLUSIONS: Few risk factors were associated with an increased frequency of injuries. Among them, the most amenable to intervention seems to be the presence of younger siblings. Parents should become aware of children's needs for increased attention when a younger sibling is born.

English Abstract↗