OSA-related fatigue was strongly associated with serum testosterone, together with OSA severity.

BackgroundObstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is characterized by repeated breathing pauses during sleep and is closely associated with obesity. Body fat is known to be a predictive factor for OSAHS and its severity.AimTo study the correlation between the severity of OSAHS and body composition measurements.Methods30 patients with OSAHS (21 men, 9 women, mean age 45.1 years, mean apnea-hypopnea index = 29.6/hour) were included in the study after full polysomnography. They were divided into 3 groups according to the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI): mild OSAHS (mean AHI 10.9/h), moderate OSAHS (mean AHI 23.9/h) and severe OSAHS (mean AHI 53.9/h). Body composition (body fat, body water and dry lean mass) was assessed using bioelectric impedance assay (BIA). Other measurements included neck and abdominal circumferences and body mass index (BMI). Pearson's coefficient (r) was used to express correlations between AHI and the following parameters: BMI, neck and abdominal circumferences, body fat, dry lean mass, and body water. Wilcoxon Sum-of-Ranks (Mann-Whitney) test for comparing unmatched samples was used to compare anthropometric and body composition measurements between groups.ResultsThe correlation between AHI and BMI was weak (r = 0.38). AHI correlated moderately with neck circumference (r = 0.54), with neck circumference corrected by height (r = 0.60), and more strongly with body fat (r = 0.67), with body water (r = 0.69) and with abdominal circumference (r = 0.75). There was a strong negative correlation between AHI and dry lean mass (r = - 0.92). There were significant differences in body fat, body water, neck circumference corrected by height and abdominal circumference (Wilcoxon Sum-of-Ranks, p < 0.01), between mild and severe OSASH groups, but not in BMI (Wilcoxon Sumof-Ranks, W = 86.5; p = 0.17).ConclusionsIn our study, the severity of OSAHS correlated with body fat and with body water more strongly than with general and cervical obesity. Abdominal adiposity may predict OSAHS severity better than neck circumference.

Imaging techniques have continually evolved during the last few decades to improve diagnosis in obstetrics and gynecology. Developed more than 15 years ago, three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound has been widely used in clinical practice during the last decade, and its use continues to grow as researchers explore innovative new applications. High definition live (HDlive) ultrasound (US) is a novel ultrasound technology that improves both 3D and four-dimensional (4D) ultrasound images. This technology can mainly be used to study normal and pathologic embryonic and fetal development. HDlive could be important to perinatal research and could provide a better understanding of the development of the early embryo and fetus. Because of the natural pictures of the fetus that it provides, HDlive could be beneficial for increasing the fetal-maternal bonding, an important factor for healthy behavior during the pregnancy. In gynecology, HDlive could be useful in providing a better image of the adnexal pathology or coronal plane of the uterus. Although its advantages need to be further explored, in our opinion, HDlive is an innovative technique and a useful tool with applications both in obstetrics and gynecology.

Since the first cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, there have been challenges recognizing the clinical features of SARS-CoV-2 and identifying therapeutic options. This has been compounded by viral mutations that affect clinical response and primary epidemiological indicators. Multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2 have been identified and classified on the basis of nomenclature implemented by scientific organizations and the World Health Organisation (WHO). A total of five variants of concern (VOCs) have been identified to date. The present study aimed to analyse clinical and epidemiological features of each variant. Based on these characteristics, predictions were made about potential future evolution. Considering the time and location of SARS-CoV-2 VOC emergence, it was hypothesised that mutations were not due to pressure caused by the vaccines introduced in December 2020 but were dependent on natural characteristics of the virus. In the process of adapting to the human body, SARS-CoV-2 is expected to undergo evolution to become more contagious but less deadly. SARS-CoV-2 was hypothesized to continue spread through isolated epidemic outbreaks due to the unimmunized population, mostly unvaccinated children and adults, and for coronaviruses to continue to present a public health problem. Contents 1. Introduction 2. SARS-CoV-2 variant gene mutations and impact of clinical features on disease evolution 3. Discussion 4. Limitations