Departamento Estadística

Loneliness in patients with cancer: Associations with perceived social support, functional Independence, and psychological distress in a cross-sectional study

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT

[EN] Background: Loneliness has emerged as a psychosocial issue in oncology, with implications for emotional well- being, social and daily functioning, and adaptation to illness. However, its relationship with perceived social support and functional independence in patients with cancer remains insufficiently characterized. Objective: To analyze loneliness in patients with cancer and its association with sociodemographic, psychosocial, and functional variables. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in 153 adults with cancer recruited from the onco-haematology day hospital at the Complejo Asistencial Universitario de Salamanca, Spain. Global loneliness was assessed with the UCLA Loneliness Scale, and emotional and social loneliness with the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale. Perceived social support was evaluated with the Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire, quality of life with the EORTC QLQ-C30, functional independence with the Barthel Index, and anxiety and depressive symptoms with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Correlation analyses and multivariable linear and logistic regression models were performed. Results: The median UCLA loneliness score was 36 (range 20–79), indicating variability in perceived loneliness. Higher loneliness was associated with lower perceived social support, greater depressive and anxiety symptoms, and lower functional independence. In multivariable analyses, perceived social support and functional independence remained independently associated with lower loneliness, while depressive symptoms were associated with higher loneliness only in the linear model. Conclusions: Loneliness was more closely associated with psychosocial and functional than sociodemographic variables. These findings support loneliness assessment in comprehensive cancer care and suggest that social support and functional status may be key loneliness correlates. [ES] Antecedentes: La soledad ha emergido como un problema psicosocial en oncología, con implicaciones en el bienestar emocional, el funcionamiento social y diario, y la adaptación a la enfermedad. Sin embargo, su relación con el apoyo social percibido y la independencia funcional en pacientes con cáncer sigue sin estar suficientemente caracterizada. Objetivo: Analizar la soledad en pacientes con cáncer y su asociación con variables sociodemográficas, psicosociales y funcionales. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio transversal en 153 adultos con cáncer reclutados en el hospital de día de oncohematología del Complejo Asistencial Universitario de Salamanca, España. La soledad global se evaluó con la Escala de Soledad de la UCLA, y la soledad emocional y social con la Escala de Soledad de De Jong Gierveld. El apoyo social percibido se evaluó con el Cuestionario de Apoyo Social Funcional Duke-UNC, la calidad de vida con el EORTC QLQ-C30, la independencia funcional con el Índice de Barthel, y los síntomas de ansiedad y depresión con la Escala de Ansiedad y Depresión Hospitalaria (HADS). Se realizaron análisis de correlación y modelos de regresión lineal y logística multivariante. Resultados: La mediana de la puntuación de soledad de la UCLA fue de 36 (rango 20–79), lo que indica variabilidad en la soledad percibida. Una mayor soledad se asoció con un menor apoyo social percibido, mayores síntomas de depresión y ansiedad, y una menor independencia funcional. En los análisis multivariantes, el apoyo social percibido y la independencia funcional se mantuvieron asociados de forma independiente con una menor soledad, mientras que los síntomas depresivos se asociaron con una mayor soledad solo en el modelo lineal. Conclusiones: La soledad se asoció más estrechamente con las variables psicosociales y funcionales que con las sociodemográficas. Estos hallazgos respaldan la evaluación de la soledad en la atención integral del cáncer y sugieren que el apoyo social y el estado funcional pueden ser correlatos clave de la soledad.

Material campamentos de verano de cultura científica e innovación 5º-6º Primaria

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

[EN]Este libro es un material didáctico y educativo en formato cómic diseñado específicamente para introducir a los niños en el fascinante mundo de la estadística y la ciencia de datos. A través de divertidas viñetas, personajes entrañables y situaciones cotidianas (como encuestas sobre el clima, el uso de bicicletas o juegos de azar), los estudiantes descubren jugando cómo recolectar, analizar e interpretar datos para tomar decisiones informadas en su día a día. El libro incluye, además de las historias gráficas, una sección de "Escape Room" con retos y desafíos lógicos basados en conceptos estadísticos que fomentan el trabajo en equipo, el pensamiento crítico y la resolución de problemas. Este recurso ha sido desarrollado por el Grupo de Transferencia del Conocimiento (GTC) de Ciencia de Datos, Estadística e Investigación Operativa de la Universidad de Salamanca para ser utilizado en los Campamentos de Verano de Cultura Científica y de la Innovación.

Material campamentos de verano de cultura científica e innovación 1º-4º Primaria

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

[ES]Este libro es un material didáctico y educativo en formato cómic diseñado específicamente para introducir a los niños en el fascinante mundo de la estadística y la ciencia de datos. A través de divertidas viñetas, personajes entrañables y situaciones cotidianas (como encuestas sobre el clima, el uso de bicicletas o juegos de azar), los estudiantes descubren jugando cómo recolectar, analizar e interpretar datos para tomar decisiones informadas en su día a día. Este recurso ha sido desarrollado por el Grupo de Transferencia del Conocimiento (GTC) de Ciencia de Datos, Estadística e Investigación Operativa de la Universidad de Salamanca para ser utilizado en los Campamentos de Verano de Cultura Científica y de la Innovación.

The Effect of Rehabilitation Therapy in Children with Intervened Congenital Heart Disease: A Study Protocol of Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Hospital and Home-Based Rehabilitation.

Sun, 26 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT

[EN Children who suffer from congenital heart defects (CHDs) have a decreased ability to perform physical exercise and consequently have a decrease in their functional capacity. The main causes of this decrease in functional capacity have been related on the one hand to residual hemodynamic defects and, at the same time, to a situation of physical deconditioning due to inactivity, as well as problems in lung function, especially the presence of restrictive patterns that influence the amount of O2 insufflated (decreased maximum VO2), consequently generating a deficient maximum O2 consumption and maximum work rate. This represents an important prognostic value, since it constitutes an independent predictor of death and hospitalization. This study aims to determine the benefits obtained regarding respiratory function, exercise capacity, and quality of life after implementing a hospital-based cardio-respiratory rehabilitation program compared to a home-based Cardio-respiratory Physical Activity Program in patients with intervened CHDs. Methods: This is a randomized controlled trial on the effectiveness of two different rehabilitation programs on respiratory function, exercise capacity, and quality of life in patients with CHDs conducted at the Child Cardiology and Congenital Heart Disease Unit of the University Hospital Complex of A Coruña (CHUAC). There will be two groups: Cardio-respiratory rehabilitation group program conducted in a face-to-face format at the hospital (n = 26) and a study group that follows a home-based Cardio-respiratory Physical Activity Program (TELEA) (n = 26). The measurement variables will be respiratory function, forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), maximum expiratory flow (PEF), the Tiffeneau index (FEV1 /FVC), forced expiratory flow (FEF25%, FEF50%, FEF75%, FEF25-75%), exercise capacity (peak VO2), and the quality of life of these children and their families. Conclusions: The implementation of cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programs in children with CHDs is essential to improve their quality of life, exercise tolerance, and socialization. These programs optimize life expectancy and promote integration, being crucial for their physical and emotional well-being.

Restless Legs Syndrome in Patients with Psoriatic Arthritis: Association with Inflammatory and Clinical Parameters and Other Comorbidities-A Cross-Sectional Observational Study.

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

[EN]Introduction/Objectives: Restless legs syndrome (RLS), a chronic neurological disorder related to brain iron metabolism, has been linked to immune-mediated inflammatory conditions such as psoriatic arthritis (PsA). However, the role that inflammation plays in this association and the impact of RLS on PsA outcomes remain unclear. This study aims to investigate the association between RLS and inflammatory/clinical parameters in PsA patients. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 230 PsA patients completed the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (IRLSSG) screening questionnaire, with diagnoses confirmed by a neurologist. Data collected included clinical features, disease activity, and comorbidities (obesity, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and fibromyalgia). Results: In total, forty-six patients met the IRLSSG criteria (20%). Those with RLS more frequently had polyarthritis (27% vs. 6%; p < 0.001), more swollen joints (2.0 vs. 1.4; p = 0.04), greater psoriatic involvement (5.7 vs. 3.6; p < 0.001), greater fatigue (39.0 vs. 30.5; p < 0.001), and greater disease activity (14.5 vs. 10.5; p < 0.001). They also exhibited increased disease impact (4.7 vs. 2.9; p < 0.001), poorer functioning (0.7 vs. 0.5; p = 0.01), and higher levels of anxiety (8.0 vs. 5.5; p < 0.001), depression (6.5 vs. 3.9; p < 0.001), and sleep disturbance (13.9 vs. 8.7; p < 0.001). Skin lesions and polyarthritis explained nearly 40% of RLS cases (Odds Ratio (OR) 1.4; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.03-2.0; p = 0.03 and OR 1.03; 95% CI 1.00-1.9; p = 0.04). Conclusions: Psoriatic activity and inflammation may contribute to RLS in PsA. The coexistence of RLS was associated with greater disease activity, greater disease impact, and more emotional and sleep-related comorbidities.

Effect of Physical Exercise on Telomere Length: Umbrella Review and Meta-Analysis.

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT

[EN]Telomere length (TL) is a marker of cellular health and aging. Physical exercise has been associated with longer telomeres and, therefore, healthier aging. However, results supporting such effects vary across studies. Our aim was to synthesize existing evidence on the effect of different modalities and durations of physical exercise on TL. The aim of this study was to explore the needs and expectations of individuals with physical disabilities and their interventionists for the use of a virtual reality physical activity platform in a community organization. We performed an umbrella review and meta-analysis. Data sources included PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Scopus. We selected systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized and nonrandomized controlled clinical trials evaluating the effect of physical exercise on TL. Our literature search retrieved 12 eligible systematic reviews, 5 of which included meta-analyses. We identified 22 distinct primary studies to estimate the overall effect size of physical exercise on TL. The overall effect size was 0.28 (95% CI 0.118-0.439), with a heterogeneity test value Q of 43.08 (P=.003) and I² coefficient of 51%. The number of weeks of intervention explained part of this heterogeneity (Q_B=8.25; P=.004), with higher effect sizes found in studies with an intervention of less than 30 weeks. Exercise modality explained additional heterogeneity within this subgroup (Q_B=10.28, P=.02). The effect sizes were small for aerobic exercise and endurance training, and moderate for high-intensity interval training. Our umbrella review and meta-analysis detected a small-moderate positive effect of physical exercise on TL, which seems to be influenced by the duration and type of physical exercise. High quality studies looking into the impact of standardized, evidence-based physical exercise programs on TL are still warranted.

Impact of physical exercise on memory and learning in healthy older women: a quasi-experimental study.

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

[EN]The population of people over the age of 65 is currently growing thanks to social and health policies. It presents an increase in age-related diseases due to a series of morphological and physiological changes in these population groups. We aimed to study the effect of a physical exercise program on memory and learning. A quasi-experimental pilot study carried out with a sample of 73 healthy female subjects who were divided into two groups: an intervention group and a control group. Both groups underwent a neuropsychological evaluation before and after the intervention. Subjects in the intervention group performed physical exercise 3 times a week, 50 min each session. The subjects in the control group did not perform any type of physical exercise and completed their daily life activities. The intervention group improvement in cognitive functions after the intervention and obtained higher scores against the control group. Regular physical exercise improves global cognitive function, visoconstructive capacity, and memory functions. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12877-025-06614-0.

Voluntariado, ideología y Estado: un análisis del papel de las creencias políticas en la acción voluntaria, su relación con el tercer sector y la concepción del Estado del bienestar en la prestación de servicios

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT

[ES] La presente tesis doctoral analiza la relación entre la ideología política de las personas voluntarias en España, el tipo de voluntariado que realizan y su concepción del papel del Estado en el tercer sector de acción social. Partiendo de la idea de que el voluntariado constituye una forma de participación social con implicaciones políticas, la investigación explora hasta qué punto las creencias ideológicas influyen en la elección del ámbito de actuación, en el carácter asistencialista o transformador de la acción voluntaria y en la valoración de la autonomía y la financiación pública de las organizaciones. El estudio se enmarca en el debate sobre la reconfiguración del Estado del bienestar y el papel creciente del tercer sector en la provisión de servicios sociales. A través de una encuesta online dirigida a personas voluntarias en España, se recogen datos sobre ideología, interés por la política, tipo de voluntariado, orientación organizativa y percepción del papel del Estado. La metodología empleada se basa en técnicas de estadística multivariante, especialmente análisis factorial y biplots, que permiten identificar dimensiones subyacentes y representar gráficamente las relaciones entre las variables analizadas. Los resultados muestran que el voluntariado no es una práctica ideológicamente neutra, sino un espacio atravesado por valores políticos y concepciones diferenciadas sobre la responsabilidad social. La tesis contribuye a visibilizar la dimensión política del voluntariado y aporta una aproximación empírica innovadora mediante el uso de técnicas multivariantes aplicadas al estudio del tercer sector en España

Bootstrap como estrategia para al estabilización de las soluciones sparse en modelos tensoriales. Aplicado al modelo CenetTucker

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT

[EN] This doctoral thesis addresses a key methodological challenge in high-dimensional data analysis: the instability of sparse solutions in penalized tensor models. Specifically, it proposes a theoretical and computational framework that integrates Bootstrap resampling techniques with the Elastic Net-penalized Tucker decomposition —known as the CenetTucker model— to enhance the stability and reproducibility of latent factor selection. The research is structured around three main pillars: (i) a comprehensive review of the theoretical foundations and limitations of sparse solutions in tensor-structured data, (ii) the formalization and implementation of a Bootstrap-based stabilization procedure tailored to the CenetTucker model, and (iii) the empirical evaluation of model stability through simulated experiments and real datasets. As an applied contribution, the thesis introduces an R package named GSparseBoot, which automates the model fitting, resampling, and computation of stability metrics —including variable inclusion frequency, Jaccard index, support variability, and stable selection index. While the package is not yet published on CRAN, its development is complete, and its public release is currently in process. Results demonstrate that incorporating Bootstrap significantly reduces the structural variability of penalized solutions without compromising interpretability or predictive performance. This improvement is particularly evident in scenarios involving high collinearity or weak latent structures, where traditional approaches tend to be unstable. Additionally, a set of tailored stability metrics is proposed to rigorously assess consistency across resampling replicates in multi-way contexts. This work offers an original methodological contribution at the intersection of computational statistics, tensor factorization, and regularization. It provides a solid mathematical foundation, a reproducible computational implementation, and practical tools to support scientific studies in genomics, neuroscience, sensory data analysis, and other domains where statistical reproducibility is paramount. Overall, this thesis advances the development of more robust and reliable statistical models in the era of complex, highdimensional data.

A non-parametric method to test the statistical significance in rolling window correlations, and applications to ecological time series

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT

[EN]We provide a non-parametric computing-intensive method to test the statistical significance of the rolling window correlation for bi-variate time series. This method (test) addresses the effects due to the multiple testing (inflation of the Type I error) when the statistical significance is estimated for the rolling window correlation coefficients. We follow Telford and Polanco-Martínez to carry out the proposed method. The method is based on Monte Carlo simulations by permuting one of the variables (dependent) under analysis and keeping fixed the other variable (independent). We improve the computational time of this method to reduce the computation time (speedup was up to practically five times faster than the sequential method using 11 cores) through parallel computing. We compare the results obtained through the proposed method with two p-value correction methods frequently used (Bonferroni and Benjamini and Hochberg –BH) after being applied to synthetic and to real-life ecological time series. Our results show that the proposed method works roughly similar to these two p-value correction methods, especially with the method of BH, but our test is a little more restrictive than BH and a little more permissive than Bonferroni. The test is programmed in R and is included in the package NonParRolCor that is available freely on CRAN.

RolWinMulCor: An R package for estimating rolling window multiple correlation in ecological time series

Sun, 01 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMT

[EN]RolWinMulCor estimates the rolling window correlation for bi- and multi-variate cases between regular time series, with particular emphasis on ecological data. It is based on the concept of rolling, running or sliding window correlation, being useful for evaluating the evolution and stability of correlation over time. RolWinMulCor contains six functions to estimate and to plot the correlation coefficients and their respective p-values. The first two focus on the bi-variate case: (1) rolwincor_1win and (2) rolwincor_heatmap, estimate the correlation coefficients and the p-values for only one window-length (time-scale) and considering all possible window-lengths or a band of window-lengths, respectively. The second two functions: (3) rolwinmulcor_1win and (4) rolwinmulcor_heatmap, are designed to analyze the multi-variate case, following the bi-variate case to visually display the results, but these two approaches are methodologically different (the multi-variate case estimate the adjusted coefficients of determination instead of the correlation coefficients). The last two functions: (5) plot_1win and (6) plot_heatmap, are used to represent graphically the outputs of the four aforementioned functions as simple plots or as heat maps. The functions contained in RolWinMulCor are highly flexible, containing several parameters for controlling the estimation of correlation and the features of the plot output. The RolWinMulCor package also provides examples with synthetic and real-life ecological time series for illustrating its use.

The Relationship between Healthy Vascular Aging with the Mediterranean Diet and Other Lifestyles in the Spanish Population: The EVA Study.

Mon, 05 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT

[EN]The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between healthy vascular aging (HVA) and the Mediterranean diet alongside other lifestyles in a Spanish population aged 35 to 75 years without previous cardiovascular diseases. In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 501 individuals aged 35 to 75 years were recruited from five health centers by random sampling stratified by age and sex (55.90 ± 14.24 years, 49.70% men). HVA was determined in two steps. Step 1: Subjects with vascular damage to the carotid arteries or peripheral arterial disease were classified as non-HVA. Step 2: The study population was classified by age and sex using the percentiles of the vascular aging index (VAI), with VAI ≤p25 considered HVA and >p25 considered non-HVA. The VAI was estimated using the following formula (VAI = (log (1.09) × 10 cIMT + log (1.14) cfPWV) × 39.1 + 4.76. Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) was measured with the SphygmoCor® device, and carotid intima-media thickness using Sonosite Micromax® ultrasound. Mediterranean diet (MD) adherence, alcohol and tobacco use were recorded through validated questionnaires. Physical activity was assessed with the ActiGraph-GT3X® accelerometer. The mean VAI value was 61.23 ± 12.86 (men-63.47 ± 13.75 and women-59.04 ± 11.54; p < 0.001). HVA was found in 18.9% (men-19.9% and women-17.8%). In the multiple regression analysis after adjusting for possible confounding factors, the mean VAI value showed a positive association with alcohol use (β = 0.020) and sedentary hours per week (β = 0.109) and a negative association with hours of activity per week (β = -0.102) and with the number of healthy lifestyles (β = -0.640). In the logistic regression analysis, after adjusting for possible confounding factors and compared to those classified as non-HVA, subjects classified as HVA were more likely to show MD adherence (OR = 0.571), do more than 26 h per week of physical activity (OR = 1.735), spend under 142 h per week being sedentary (OR = 1.696), and have more than two healthy lifestyles (OR = 1.877). The results of this study suggest that the more time spent doing physical activity and the less time spent in a sedentary state, the lower the vascular aging index and the greater the likelihood of being classified in the group of subjects with HVA.

Lenalidomide and dexamethasone with or without clarithromycin in patients with multiple myeloma ineligible for autologous transplant: a randomized trial

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

[EN]Although case-control analyses have suggested an additive value with the association of clarithromycin to continuous lenalidomide and dexamethasone (Rd), there are not phase III trials confirming these results. In this phase III trial, 286 patients with MM ineligible for ASCT received Rd with or without clarithromycin until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). With a median follow-up of 19 months (range, 0–54), no significant differences in the median PFS were observed between the two arms (C-Rd 23 months, Rd 29 months; HR 0.783, p = 0.14), despite a higher rate of complete response (CR) or better in the C-Rd group (22.6% vs 14.4%, p = 0.048). The most common G3–4 adverse events were neutropenia [12% vs 19%] and infections [30% vs 25%], similar between the two arms; however, the percentage of toxic deaths was higher in the C-Rd group (36/50 [72%] vs 22/40 [55%], p = 0.09). The addition of clarithromycin to Rd in untreated transplant ineligible MM patients does not improve PFS despite increasing the ≥CR rate due to the higher number of toxic deaths in the C-Rd arm. Side effects related to overexposure to steroids due to its delayed clearance induced by clarithromycin in this elderly population could explain these results. The trial was registered in clinicaltrials.gov with the name GEM-CLARIDEX: Ld vs BiRd and with the following identifier NCT02575144. The full trial protocol can be accessed from ClinicalTrials.gov. This study received financial support from BMS/Celgene.

Autologous stem-cell transplantation as consolidation of first-line chemotherapy in patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma: a multicenter GELTAMO/FIL study

Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT

[EN]Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCL) are a heterogeneous group of rare lymphoid malignancies that mostly have poor prognoses with currently available treatments. Upfront consolidation with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is frequently carried out, but its efficacy has never been investigated in randomized trials. We designed a multicenter, international, retrospective study with the main objective of comparing progression-free survival and overall survival of patients with PTCL who underwent ASCT in complete remission (CR) after first-line chemotherapy with a control group who did not undergo ASCT. From the initial population of 286 registered patients, 174 patients with PTCL other than anaplastic large cell lymphoma, ALK-positive, deemed fit for ASCT at the time of diagnosis, and who were in CR or uncertain CR after induction therapy (CR1) were included in our analysis. one hundred and three patients underwent ASCT, whereas 71 did not, in most cases (n=53) because the physician decided against it. With a median follow-up of 65.5 months, progression-free survival was significantly better in the transplanted patients than in the non-transplanted group: 63% versus 48% at 5 years (P=0.042). Overall survival was significantly longer for ASCT patients in the subgroup with advanced stage at diagnosis (5-year overall survival: 70% vs. 50%, P=0.028). In the multivariate analysis, first-line ASCT was associated with significantly prolonged progression-free survival (HR=0.57, 95% CI: 0.35-0.93) and overall survival (HR=0.57, 95% CI: 0.33-0.99). In conclusion, our study supports the use of ASCT as a consolidation strategy for patients with PTCL in CR1. These results should be confirmed in a prospective randomized study.

Improvement in health‑related quality of life in patients with heavy menstrual bleeding after treatment and its association with hereditary bleeding disorders.

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

[EN]The prevalence of hereditary bleeding disorders (HBDs) in heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) and their impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) remain underexplored. We investigated the HRQoL of women with non-structural HMB and its association with HBDs. Method A prospective longitudinal study of 100 women with HMB without structural gynecological pathology. HMB was defined as ≥ 8 days of bleeding or a PBAC score > 100 points. Four HRQoL questionnaires —SF-12®v2, EQ-5D-3 L, MBQ, and SAMANTA— were administered at baseline and 6 months. HBD diagnosis included hypermobility spectrum disorders, von Willebrand disease, platelet disorders, congenital coagulation factor deficiencies, and hyperfibrinolysis. Result 88 women required treatment for HMB, anemia, or iron deficiency. Combined hormonal therapy (43%) and levonorgestrel intrauterine devices (14%) were the most frequently used treatments. Thirty-one women (31%) were diagnosed with HBD. After 6 months of treatment, SF-12®v2 results showed significant improvements in the mental and physical health components, particularly with respect to mobility, moderate activities, and pain perception. EQ-5D-3 L evaluations revealed significant improvements in anxiety and depression. MBQ and SAMANTA scores indicated significant reductions in menstrual bleeding and enhanced quality of life. However, at T6, HBD patients showed significantly lower improvements compared with non-HBD patients in physical health (SF-12 PCS, p = 0.035), EQ-5D index scores (p = 0.024), PBAC (p = 0.049), and MBQ (p = 0.028). Conclusion HBD is an important cause of HMB. Medical treatment improves mobility, moderate activities, pain perception, and anxiety/depression after 6 months, although HRQoL improvements are less pronounced in HBD patients.

Relationship between the Mediterranean Diet and Vascular Function in Subjects with and without Increased Insulin Resistance

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT

[EN]The main aim of this study was to analyze the relationship of the Mediterranean diet (MD) with vascular function in participants with and without increased insulin resistance (IR) in the Spanish population. A secondary aim was to study differences by gender. (2) Methods: Data were analyzed from 3401 subjects in the EVA, MARK, and EVIDENT studies (mean age = 60 years and 57% men). IR was evaluated with the triglyceride and glucose index (TyG index). TyG index = Ln [(fasting triglyceride mg/dL × fasting glucose mg/dL)/2]. The MD was measured against the MEDAS questionnaire, with the 14 items used in the PREDIMED study. Vascular stiffness was estimated with the brachial–ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and the cardio ankle vascular index (CAVI) using the Vasera VS-1500®. (3) Results: The mean MEDAS value was 5.82 ± 2.03; (men: 5.66 ± 2.06; women: 6.04 ± 1.99; p < 0.001). MD adherence was 36.8% (men: 34.2%; women: 40.3%; p < 0.001). The mean baPWV value was 14.39 ± 2.78; (men: 14.50 ± 2.65; women: 14.25 ± 2.93; p = 0.005). A baPWV value ≥ 14.5 m/s was found in 43.4% (men: 43.6%; women: 40.0%; p = 0.727). The mean CAVI value was 8.59 ± 1.28; (men: 8.75 ± 1.28; women: 8.37 ± 1.26; p < 0.001). CAVI values ≥ 9 were present in 39.0% (men: 44.4%; women: 31.7%; p < 0.001). The mean value of the TGC/G index was 10.93 ± 1.39; (men: 11.08 ± 1.33; women: 10.73 ± 1.43; p < 0.001). IR was found in 49.9%. The average value of the MD score value was negatively associated with baPWV and CAVI in all groups analyzed (<0.05), except in the group of women with insulin resistance. (4) Conclusions: The results suggest that MD adherence is negatively associated with the vascular stiffness parameters analyzed in all the groups studied except the group of women with insulin resistance.