https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12805/4492 Wed, 11 Nov 2026 00:15:02 GMT 2026-11-11T00:15:02Z https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12805/6376 Costs Related to Frontotemporal Dementia in Latin America: A Scoping Review of Economic Health Studies Alva-Dìaz, C.; Malaga, M.; Rodriguez-Calienes, A.; Morán-Mariños, C.; Velásquez-Rimachi, V.; Custodio, N. Introduction: Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a complex syndrome characterized by changes in behavior, language, executive control, and motor symptoms. Its annual economic burden per patient in developed countries has been classified as considerable, amounting to US$119,654 per patient, almost double the patient costs reported for Alzheimer's disease. However, there is little information regarding cost-of-illness (COI) for FTD in Latin-America (LA). Aim: To describe the costs related to FTD in LA. Methods: We included COI studies on FTD conducted in LA published in English, Spanish, or Portuguese from inception to September 2020. We carried out a systematic search in Pubmed/Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, Scielo, Cochrane, and gray literature. For quality assessment, we used a COI assessment tool available in the literature. All costs were reported in USD for 1 year and adjusted for inflation. Results: We included three studies from Argentina, Brazil, and Peru. Direct costs (DCs) included medication (from US$959.20 to US$ 4,279.20), health care costs (from US$ 2,275.80 to US$7,856.16), and caregiver costs (from US$9,634.00 to US$28,730.28). Indirect costs (ICs) amounted to US$43,076.88. Conclusions: In LA countries, the reporting of costs related to FTD continues to be oriented toward DCs. They remain lower than in developed countries, possibly due to the limited health budget allocated. Only one Brazilian report analyzed ICs, representing the highest percentage of the total costs. Therefore, studies on the COI of this disease in LA are essential, focusing on both out-of-pocket spending and the potential economic loss to patients' homes and families. Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12805/6376 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12805/6359 Bovine Ehrlichiosis Prevalence: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Molecular Studies Bonilla-Aldana, D.K.; Quintero-Rada, K.; Montoya-Posada, J.P.; Soler-Tovar, D.; Barato, P.; Arteaga-Livias, K.; Zambrano, L.I.; Faccini-Martínez, Á.A.; Rodriguez-Morales, A.J. While some Ehrlichia species, such as E. ruminantium and E. minasensis, are not popular even among veterinarians, they can infect cattle. The current study aimed to review studies on Ehrlichia spp. to evaluate its worldwide molecular prevalence, given the lack of information about bovine ehrlichiosis and the lack of previous systematic reviews and meta-analyses on this subject. In order to determine the molecular prevalence of Ehrlichia spp. in cattle, a systematic review of the literature was conducted in three databases. A meta-analysis with a random-effects model was performed to calculate the pooled prevalence with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) and measures of heterogeneity were reported. Subgroup analyses were performed in terms of Ehrlichia species, country, and regions. The literature search yielded 1051 papers until August 1, 2019, with 71 studies entirely eligible for review. The pooled molecular prevalence for Ehrlichia at the individual level (N = 6232) was 2.3% (95% CI: 1.7-2.9%) with the highest value of 82.4%. Studies identified the highest pooled molecular prevalence of 6.6% (95% CI: 0.6–12.7%) for E. canis, followed by E. ruminantium (n = 4695, 75.33%) 52 studies, with 1.7% (95% CI: 1.1–2.3%) and E. chaffeensis with 1.5% (95% CI: 0.0–0.3%). Moreover, the obtained result was indicative of only one study addressing E. minasensis. As the findings suggested, heartwater (E. ruminantium infection) is a notifiable disease of domestic and wild ruminants, recorded by the World Organization for Animal Health. There is a possible risk of endemic heartwater in the Americas due to the climatic features. Furthermore, E. minasensis, E. chaffeensis, and E. canis were observed in cattle although the two last species could be a molecular misidentification with regard to their phylogenetic relationships with E. minasensis. Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12805/6359 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12805/6358 Potential role of intermittent fasting on decreasing cardiovascular disease in human immunodeficiency virus patients receiving antiretroviral therapy Gnoni, M.; Beas, R.; Raghuram, A.; Díaz-Pardavé, C.; Riva-Moscoso, A.; Príncipe-Meneses, F.S.; Vásquez-Garagatti, R. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has become one of the commonest causes of comorbidity and mortality among People living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (PLWH) on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Nearly 50% of PLWH are likely to have an increased risk of developing CVD, including coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral artery disease and aortic atherosclerosis. Aside from the common risk factors, HIV infection itself and side effects of antiretroviral therapy contribute to the pathophysiology of this entity. Potential non-pharmacological therapies are currently being tested worldwide for this purpose, including eating patterns such as Intermittent fasting (IF). IF is a widespread practice gaining high level of interest in the scientific community due to its potential benefits such as improvement in serum lipids and lipoproteins, blood pressure (BP), platelet-derived growth factor AB, systemic inflammation, and carotid artery intima-media thickness among others cardiovascular benefits. This review will focus on exploring the potential role of intermittent fasting as a non-pharmacological and cost-effective strategy in decreasing the burden of cardiovascular diseases among HIV patients on ART due to its intrinsic properties improving the main cardiovascular risk factors and modulating inflammatory pathways related to endothelial dysfunction, lipid peroxidation and aging. Intermittent fasting regimens need to be tested in clinical trials as an important, cost-effective, and revolutionary coadjutant of ART in the fight against the increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease in PLWH. Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12805/6358 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12805/6357 Reproductive decision-making of Black women living with HIV: A systematic review Huertas-Zurriaga, A.; Palmieri, P.A.; Aguayo-Gonzalez, M.P.; Dominguez-Cancino, K.A.; Casanovas-Cuellar, C.; Linden, K.L.V.; Cesario, S.K.; Edwards, J.E.; Leyva-Moral, J.M. Background: Black women living with HIV account for a higher proportion of new HIV diagnoses than other groups. These women experience restricted access to reproductive services and inadequate support from healthcare providers because their position in society is based on their sexual health and social identity in the context of this stigmatizing chronic disease. By recognizing the analytical relevance of intersectionality, the reproductive decision-making of Black women can be explored as a social phenomenon of society with varied positionality. Objective: The purpose of this review was to synthesize the evidence about the reproductive decision-making of Black women living with HIV in high-income countries from the beginning of the HIV epidemic to the present. Methods: This systematic review was guided by the JBI evidence synthesis recommendations. Searches were completed in seven databases from 1985 to 2021, and the review protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD420180919). Results: Of 3503 records, 22 studies were chosen for synthesis, including 19 observational and three qualitative designs. Nearly, all studies originated from the United States; the earliest was reported in 1995. Few studies provided detailed sociodemographic data or subgroup analysis focused on race or ethnicity. Influencing factors for reproductive decision-making were organized into the following seven categories: ethnicity, race, and pregnancy; religion and spirituality; attitudes and beliefs about antiretroviral therapy; supportive people; motherhood and fulfillment; reproductive planning; and health and wellness. Conclusion: No major differences were identified in the reproductive decision-making of Black women living with HIV. Even though Black women were the largest group of women living with HIV, no studies reported a subgroup analysis, and few studies detailed sociodemographic information specific to Black women. In the future, institutional review boards should require a subgroup analysis for Black women when they are included as participants in larger studies of women living with HIV. Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12805/6357 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z