Wildfires and deforestation potentially have direct effects on multiple health outcomes as well as indirect consequences for climate change. Tropical rainforest areas are characterised by high rainfall, humidity and temperature, and they are predominantly found in low-income and middle-income countries. This study aims to synthesise the methods, data and health outcomes reported in scientific papers on wildfires and deforestation in these locations.

We will carry out a scoping review according to the Joanna Briggs Institute’s (JBI) manual for scoping reviews and the framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley, and Levac et al. The search for articles was performed on 18 August 2023, in 16 electronic databases using Medical Subject Headings terms and adaptations for each database from database inception. The search for local studies will be complemented by the manual search in the list of references of the studies selected to compose this review. We screened studies written in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish. We included quantitative studies assessing any human disease outcome, hospitalisation and vital statistics in regions of tropical rainforest. We exclude qualitative studies and quantitative studies whose outcomes do not cover those of interest. The text screening was done by two independent reviewers. Subsequently, we will tabulate the data by the origin of the data source used, the methods and the main findings on health impacts of the extracted data. The results will provide descriptive statistics, along with visual representations in diagrams and tables, complemented by narrative summaries as detailed in the JBI guidelines.

The study does not require an ethical review as it is meta-research and uses published, deidentified secondary data sources. The submission of results for publication in a peer-reviewed journal and presentation at scientific and policymakers’ conferences is expected.

Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/pnqc7/).

The objective of this study was to develop clinical classifiers aiming to identify prevalent ascending aortic dilatation in patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) and tricuspid aortic valve (TAV).

A prospective, single-centre and observational cohort.

The study involved 543 BAV and 491 TAV patients with aortic valve disease and/or ascending aortic dilatation, excluding those with coronary artery disease, undergoing cardiothoracic surgery at the Karolinska University Hospital (Sweden).

Predictors of high risk of ascending aortic dilatation (defined as ascending aorta with a diameter above 40 mm) were identified through the application of machine learning algorithms and classic logistic regression models.

Comprehensive multidimensional data, including valve morphology, clinical information, family history of cardiovascular diseases, prevalent diseases, demographic details, lifestyle factors, and medication.

BAV patients, with an average age of 60.4±12.4 years, showed a higher frequency of aortic dilatation (45.3%) compared with TAV patients, who had an average age of 70.4±9.1 years (28.9% dilatation, p

Cardiovascular risk profiles appear to be more predictive of aortopathy in TAV patients than in patients with BAV. This adds evidence to the fact that BAV-associated and TAV-associated aortopathy involves different pathways to aneurysm formation and highlights the need for specific aneurysm preventions in these patients. Further, our results highlight that machine learning approaches do not outperform classical prediction methods in addressing complex interactions and non-linear relations between variables.

Pre-eclampsia affects ~5%–7% of pregnancies. Although improved obstetric care has significantly diminished its associated maternal mortality, it remains a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality in the world. Term pre-eclampsia accounts for 70% of all cases and a large proportion of maternal–fetal morbidity related to this condition. Unlike in preterm pre-eclampsia, the prediction and prevention of term pre-eclampsia remain unsolved. Previously proposed approaches are based on combined third-trimester screening and/or prophylactic drugs, but these policies are unlikely to be widely implementable in many world settings. Recent evidence shows that the soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (s-Flt-1) to placental growth factor (PlGF) ratio measured at 35–37 weeks’ gestation predicts term pre-eclampsia with an 80% detection rate. Likewise, recent studies demonstrate that induction of labour beyond 37 weeks is safe and well accepted by women. We hypothesise that a single-step universal screening for term pre-eclampsia based on sFlt1/PlGF ratio at 35–37 weeks followed by planned delivery beyond 37 weeks reduces the prevalence of term pre-eclampsia without increasing the caesarean section rates or worsening the neonatal outcomes.

We propose an open-label randomised clinical trial to evaluate the impact of a screening of term pre-eclampsia with the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio followed by planned delivery in asymptomatic nulliparous women at 35–37 weeks. Women will be assigned 1:1 to revealed (sFlt-1/PlGF known to clinicians) versus concealed (unknown) arms. A cut-off of >90th centile is used to define the high risk of subsequent pre-eclampsia and offer planned delivery from 37 weeks. The efficacy variables will be analysed and compared between groups primarily following an intention-to-treat approach, by ORs and their 95% CI. This value will be computed using a Generalised Linear Mixed Model for binary response (study group as fixed effect and the centre as intercept random effect).

The study is conducted under the principles of Good Clinical Practice. This study was accepted by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of Hospital Clinic Barcelona on 20 November 2020. Subsequent approval by individual ethical committees and competent authorities was granted. The study results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and disseminated at international conferences.

NCT04766866.

Chronic low back pain may be associated with pathoanatomical, neurophysiological, physical, psychological and social factors; thus, treatments to reduce symptoms are important to improve the quality of life of this population. We aimed to evaluate the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) combined with Pilates-based exercises compared with sham stimulation on pain, quality of life and disability in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain.

This is a protocol for a double-blind randomised controlled trial with participants, outcome assessor and statistician blinded. We will include 36 individuals with a history of non-specific chronic low back pain for more than 12 weeks and minimum pain intensity of 3 points on the Numerical Pain Rating Scale. Individuals will be randomised into two groups: (1) active tDCS combined with Pilates-based exercises and (2) sham tDCS combined with Pilates-based exercises. Three weekly sessions of the protocol will be provided for 4 weeks, and individuals will be submitted to three assessments: the first (T0) will be performed before the intervention protocol, the second (T1) immediately after the intervention protocol and the third (T2) will be a follow-up 1 month after the end of the intervention. We will assess pain, disability, central sensitisation, quality of life, pressure pain threshold, global impression of change, adverse events and medication use. The Numerical Pain Rating Scale and the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire will be used at T1 to assess pain and disability, respectively, as primary outcome measures.

This trial was prospectively registered in ClinicalTrials.gov website and ethically approved by the Ethics and Research Committee of the Faculty of Health Sciences of Trairi (report number: 5.411.244) before data collection. We will publish the results in a peer-reviewed medical journal and on institution websites.

ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05467566).

The main objective of the study was to evaluate the influence of arterial hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidaemia, smoking, alcoholism and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) on the viability of the extracted tissue as well as the donor.

Observational case–control study.

Regional hospital in Northern Spain.

1517 corneas were registered.

Patients’ medical history was reviewed after corneal donation and evaluation. Previous medical information (age, sex and cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs)) and data related to the donor (type of donor), the corneal tissue and its evaluation, and the viability of the implant were collected.

A total of 1517 corneas were registered and 81.5% of the donors presented at least one CVRF. In relation to the viability of the donor, it was observed that having suffered from COPD reduced the viability of the donor (no COPD: 93.8% vs COPD: 88%; OR=0.49; 95% CI: 0.28 to 0.84) while alcohol consumption increased it (drinker or ex-drinker: 95.8% vs non-drinker: 92.5%; OR=1.84; 95% CI: 1.01 to 3.33). Regarding tissue viability, decreased viability was observed in the presence of COPD (no COPD: 72.5% vs COPD: 64; OR=0.67; 95% CI: 0.47 to 0.96) and diabetes mellitus (no diabetes: 72.9% vs diabetes: 67.2%; OR=0.76; 95% CI: 0.58 to 0.99). As regards the viability of the implant, a total of 1039 corneas (68.9%) were suitable, observing decreased viability when suffering from COPD (no COPD: 69.8% vs COPD: 60.7%; OR=0.67; 95% CI: 0.47 to 0.94) and increased when having an active smoking habit (no habit: 65.3% vs habit: 74.1%; OR=1.52; 95% CI: 1.21 to 1.91).

Through this study, it can be concluded that in the absence of absolute exclusion criteria for donors, the assessment of how CVRF, alcoholism and COPD may affect the donor provides details about the quality of the tissue to be obtained.

To identify factors associated with malnutrition (undernutrition and overnutrition) and determine appropriate cut-off values for mid-arm circumference (MAC) and calf circumference (CC) among community-dwelling Indian older adults.

Data from the first wave of harmonised diagnostic assessment of dementia for Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI-DAD) were used. Various sociodemographic factors, comorbidities, geriatric syndromes, childhood financial and health status were included. Anthropometric measurements included body mass index (BMI), MAC and CC.

Nationally representative cohort study including 36 Indian states and union territories.

4096 older adults aged >60 years from LASI DAD.

The outcome variable was BMI, categorised as low (2), normal (18.5–22.9 kg/m²) and high (>23 kg/m²). The cut-off values of MAC and CC were derived using ROC curve with BMI as the gold standard.

902 (weighted percentage 20.55%) had low BMI, 1742 (44.25%) had high BMI. Undernutrition was associated with age, wealth-quintile and impaired cognition, while overnutrition was associated with higher education, urban living and comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes and chronic heart disease. For CC, the optimal lower and upper cut-offs for males were 28.1 cm and >31.5 cm, respectively, while for females, the corresponding values were 26 cm and >29 cm. Similarly, the optimal lower and upper cut-offs for MAC in males were 23.9 cm and >26.9 cm, and for females, they were 22.5 cm and >25 cm.

Our study identifies a high BMI prevalence, especially among females, individuals with higher education, urban residents and those with comorbidities. We establish gender-specific MAC and CC cut-off values with significant implications for healthcare, policy and research. Tailored interventions can address undernutrition and overnutrition in older adults, enhancing standardised nutritional assessment and well-being.

The epidemiological and demographic transitions are leading to a rising burden of multimorbidity (co-occurrence of two or more chronic conditions) worldwide. Evidence on the burden, determinants, consequences and care of multimorbidity in rural and urbanising India is limited, partly due to a lack of longitudinal and objectively measured data on chronic health conditions. We will conduct a mixed-methods study nested in the prospective Andhra Pradesh Children and Parents’ Study (APCAPS) cohort to develop a data resource for understanding the epidemiology of multimorbidity in rural and urbanising India and developing interventions to improve the prevention and care of multimorbidity.

We aim to recruit 2100 APCAPS cohort members aged 45+ who have clinical and lifestyle data collected during a previous cohort follow-up (2010–2012). We will screen for locally prevalent non-communicable, infectious and mental health conditions, alongside cognitive impairments, disabilities and frailty, using a combination of self-reported clinical diagnosis, symptom-based questionnaires, physical examinations and biochemical assays. We will conduct in-depth interviews with people with varying multimorbidity clusters, their informal carers and local healthcare providers. Deidentified data will be made available to external researchers.

The study has received approval from the ethics committees of the National Institute of Nutrition and Indian Institute of Public Health Hyderabad, India and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK. Meta-data and data collection instruments will be published on the APCAPS website alongside details of existing APCAPS data and the data access process (www.lshtm.ac.uk/research/centres-projects-groups/apcaps).

The burden of cardiovascular risk factors is increasing in India, which, in turn, can adversely impact cognition. Our objective was to examine the effect of cardiovascular risk factors measured by Framingham Risk Score (FRS) on cognitive performance among a cohort of healthy, ageing individuals (n=3609) aged ≥45 years from rural India.

A cross-sectional analysis.

A rural community setting in southern India.

Healthy, ageing, dementia-free participants, aged 45 years and above, belonging to the villages of Srinivaspura (a rural community located around 100 km from Bangalore, India), were recruited.

Using a locally adapted, validated, computerised cognitive test battery, we assessed cognitive performance across multiple cognitive domains: attention, memory, language, executive functioning and visuospatial ability.

The median (IQR) age of the sample was 57 (50.65) and 50.5% were women. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that participants with higher FRS performed poorly in attention (visual attention (β=–0.018, p=0.041)), executive functioning (categorical fluency (β=–0.064, p

Increased cardiovascular risk as evidenced by FRS was associated with poorer cognitive performance in all cognitive domains among dementia-free middle-aged and older rural Indians. It is imperative to design and implement appropriate interventions (pharmacological and lifestyle-based) for cardiovascular risk reduction and thereby, prevent or mitigate accelerated cognitive impairment in ageing individuals.