Severe COVID-19 disease is associated with an increase in pro-inflammatory markers, such as IL-1, IL-6, and tumor necrosis alpha, less CD4 interferon-gamma expression, and fewer CD4 and CD8 cells, which increase the susceptibility to bacterial and fungal infections. One such opportunistic fungal infection is mucormycosis. Initially, it was debated whether a person taking immunosuppressants, such as corticosteroids, and monoclonal antibodies will be at higher risk for COVID-19 or whether the immunosuppresive state would cause a more severe COVID-19 disease. However, immunosuppressants are currently continued unless the patients are at greater risk of severe COVID-19 infection or are on high-dose corticosteroids therapy. As understood so far, COVID-19 infection may induce significant and persistent lymphopenia, which in turn increases the risk of opportunistic infections. It is also noted that 85% of the COVID-19 patients’ laboratory findings showed lymphopenia. This means that patients with severe COVID-19 have markedly lower absolute number of T lymphocytes, CD4+T and CD8+ T cells and, since the lymphocytes play a major role in maintaining the immune homeostasis, the patients with COVID-19 are highly susceptible to fungal co-infections. This report is intended to raise awareness of the importance of early detection and treatment of mucormycosis and other fungal diseases, such as candidiasis, SARS-CoV-2-associated pulmonary aspergillosis, pneumocystis pneumonia and cryptococcal disease, in COVID-19 patients, to reduce the risk of mortality.

Obesity is associated with early cardiovascular dysfunction and reduced muscle strength. Whole-body vibration (WBV) training may improve arterial function and muscle strength. The effects of WBV training on arterial stiffness (brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity, baPWV), wave reflection (augmentation index, AIx), brachial systolic blood pressure (bSBP), aortic systolic blood pressure (aSBP), heart rate variability, and muscle strength (one-repetition maximum, 1RM) were examined in 10 young (21 ± 2 year) overweight/obese women (body mass index, BMI¼29.9 ± 0.8 kg m -2 ). Participants were randomized to a 6-week WBV training or non-exercising control (CON) period in a crossover design. WBV training (3 daysÂweek) consisted of static and dynamic squats and calf raises with vibration intensity at 25-30 Hz and 1-2 mm amplitude (2.83-4.86 G). There were significant (Po0.05) decreases in baPWV (À0.9±0.3 m s -1 ), AIx (À8.0±2.2 %), bSBP (À5.3±1.5 mm Hg), aSBP (À5.2 ± 2.1 mm Hg), low-frequency power (À0.13 ± 0.05 nu) and sympathovagal balance (LF/HF, À0.42 ± 0.16) after WBV training compared with CON. Significant (Po0.05) increases in high-frequency power (HF, 0.19 ± 0.04 nu) and leg extension 1RM (8.2±2.3 kg) occurred after WBV training compared with CON. Six weeks of WBV training decreased systemic arterial stiffness and aSBP via improvements in wave reflection and sympathovagal balance in young overweight/obese normotensive women. WBV training may benefit arterial function and muscle strength in deconditioned individuals who cannot perform conventional exercise.

Our findings indicate that a 12-week moderate-intensity combined circuit RE and EE training improves arterial stiffness, hemodynamics, and muscle strength in previously sedentary postmenopausal women. This study provides evidence that combined training may have important health implications for the prevention of hypertension and frailty in postmenopausal women.

Background. Recently, the importance of the gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of several disorders has gained clinical interests. Among exogenous factors affecting gut microbiome, diet appears to have the largest effect. Fatty acids, especially omega-3 polyunsaturated, ameliorate a range of several diseases, including cardiometabolic and inflammatory and cancer. Fatty acids associated beneficial effects may be mediated, to an important extent, through changes in gut microbiota composition. We sought to understand the changes of the gut microbiota in response to an omega-3 rich diet. Case Presentation. This case study investigated changes of gut microbiota with an omega-3 rich diet. Fecal samples were collected from a 45-year-old male who consumed 600 mg of omega-3 daily for 14 days. After the intervention, species diversity was decreased, but several butyrate-producing bacteria increased. There was an important decrease in Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Akkermansia spp. Gut microbiota changes were reverted after the 14-day washout. Conclusion. Some of the health-related benefits of omega-3 may be due, in part, to increases in butyrate-producing bacteria. These findings may shed light on the mechanisms explaining the effects of omega-3 in several chronic diseases and may also serve as an existing foundation for tailoring personalized medical treatments.

A hypocaloric diet decreases baPWV mainly by reducing legPWV, and this reduction is related to the loss of truncal fat. Although LIRET alone does not affect PWV or body composition, LIRET combined with diet improves baPWV and muscle strength while preventing loss of lean body mass in obese postmenopausal women.