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- Adherence to the mediterranean diet and the risk of metabolic syndrome: a preliminary studyPublication . Alves, Sara Brás; Pereira, Ana Maria Geraldes Rodrigues; Mendes, Eugénia; Monteiro, António M.; Fernandes, Adília; Fernandes, Hélder; Vaz, Josiana A.The aging population is facing an increase in chronic diseases, particularly Metabolic Syndrome (MetS), which raises the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes1,2. Effective prevention strategies are essential. The Mediterranean diet, rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats, has been shown to improve metabolic health and reduce these risks, especially among older adults3,4
- Adherence to the mediterranean diet and the risk of metabolic syndrome: a preliminary studyPublication . Alves, Sara Brás; Mendes, Eugénia; Monteiro, António M.; Fernandes, Adília; Fernandes, Hélder; Vaz, Josiana A.; Pereira, Ana Maria Geraldes RodriguesThe Mediterranean Diet has been widely recognized for its protective effects against cardiovascular and metabolic diseases (Zazpe et al., 2008). Metabolic syndrome, often defined as the simultaneous occurrence of health-related risk factors, is a growing concern in ageing populations (Swarup et al., 2024). Understanding how dietary patterns influence metabolic health in older adults is essential for promoting healthy ageing and preventing disease. Objectives: To explore the association between adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and health-related risk factors among older adults. Methods: A crosssectional study was employed. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect participant data and assessed for sociodemographic characteristics, self-reported health status, presence of chronic diseases. Diet adherence was evaluated through the PREDIMED instrument (Zazpe et al., 2008). Metabolic Syndrome was inferred following cut-off values defined by The Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Cleeman, 2001). Blood collection for laboratory tests was performed following WHO guidelines. Informed consent obtained from all participants. Study approved by Ethical Council of Unidade Local de Saúde do Nordeste, Nº41/2024. Results: Ten participants, aged 69 to 81, adhere to the study. Most were female (90%), with 70% reporting at least one chronic disease. Abdominal obesity was noted in 40%, and 10% had elevated triglycerides, while 20% had high blood pressure. Approximately 50% of individuals exhibited a high level of Diet adherence, while 40% demonstrated moderate and low adherence. No participants met the criteria for Metabolic Syndrome. Statistically significant associations were found between adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and the presence of chronic disease (r=0.869, p<0.01), and an inverse correlation with Mediterranean Diet score and the number of Metabolic Syndrome criteria (r=–0.707, p<0.05). Moreover, the Mediterranean diet score was inversely associated with cholesterol (r=–0.740, p<0.05). Conclusions: While no participants fulfilled the criteria for metabolic syndrome, individual risk factors were present in the sample. Higher adherence to the Mediterranean Diet was associated with fewer metabolic risk factors and better overall health indicators. These preliminary findings suggest that dietary patterns may play a key role in the metabolic health of older adults and warrant further investigation with a larger sample.
- Biomonitoring of wildfire emissions exposure among firefighters during active fire missionsPublication . Barros, B.; Paiva, A.M.; Azevedo, R.; Esteves, F.; Fernandes, Adília; Vaz, Josiana A.; Slezakova, K.; Pereira, M.C.; Costa, S.; Almeida, A.; Teixeira, J. P.; Oliveira, M.; Morais, S.; Alves, Sara BrásThe aim of this study was to conduct a multidisciplinary biomonitoring assessment of the exposure and health impacts of wildfire emissions on firefighters from the Northern Portugal, one of the regions most affected by wildfires. Firefighters from fourteen fire stations participated in pre- and post-exposure sampling campaigns during two consecutive years. Self-reporting biometric characteristics, lifestyle, clinical information, career years, environmental/occupational exposure along with urinary biomarkers of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons metabolites (OHPAHs), metal(loid)s [from the priority pollutant lists compiled by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 14, United States Environmental Protection Agency 11, and the Human Biomonitoring for Europe Initiative priority 4], lung injury, lipid peroxidation, DNA damage, blood pressure, cardiac frequency, and hemogram were evaluated (Barros et al., 2025; Esteves et al., 2025; Paiva et al., 2024a; Paiva et al., 2024b). Stronger correlations were found between OHPAHs and metal(loid) levels and effect biomarkers after wildfire combat in comparison to pre-exposure. Wildfire exposure increased urinary -smokers. For the latter, copper, cadmium and barium ions correlated with lung injury; antimony and cadmium correlated with lipid peroxidation; DNA oxidation correlated with antimony, cadmium, copper, lead, zinc, selenium, and rubidium levels. Moreover, arsenic, antimony, lead, and copper induced lipid peroxidation, and lead was linked with DNA oxidation among wildfire-exposed smokers. Significant positive correlations were found for age and/or career length with cadmium, lead, barium, strontium, and mercury, and for body mass index with arsenic. These results point to an increased risk of health effects both in non-smoking and smoking firefighters because of their occupation, highlighting the necessity to strengthen prevention strategies.
- Conhecimentos das mães face à criança com febrePublication . Alves, Sara Brás; Sousa, Marta; Mata, Maria Augusta; Sousa, FilomenaA febre é o motivo mais frequente de procura de cuidados de saúde em idade pediátrica. Para a DGS(2018) esta representa pelo menos 20% das causas de recurso aos serviços às urgências hospitalares e cerca de 50% das urgências realizadas em consultórios pediátricos. A febre é tradicionalmente, encarada pelos pais com uma situação grave, considerada não como um sintoma/sinal, mas sim como doença. A importância da febre na criança transcende do facto de sr tão comum e um dos principais motivos de consulta em pediatria.
- Current nursing education considering southern europe’s reality and legal framework: a two-phased research approachPublication . Antão, Celeste; Antolí-Forner, Aloma; Fernandes, Hélder; Alves, Sara Brás; Pimentel, Maria HelenaNursing education and formation is still heterogenous in spite of The Bologna Declaration in 1999. Apart from the existence of basic curriculum standards, universities have flexibility regarding its design. The objective of this study is to provide an overview of contemporary nursing education and contrast it with the legal frameworks in place in four Southern European countries: Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Greece. A scoping review was conducted in order to revise and obtain an up-to-date review of current nursing education and quality. Then, a content evaluation of the legal public framework was conducted. A total of nine articles were included in the review. Data analysis evoked three main themes from the results: nursing education heterogeneity owing to ECTS increased from 180 to 240 for the diversity of clinical practice hours; the nursing framework lacked a definition; and the evolution of nursing education, alongside quality improvement and more accurate guidelines were required. Regarding their legal framework, the main directives and legislation standards were assessed and compared with the current curriculum. To conclude, nursing heterogeneity education evokes competence inequality among students and future professionals as larger curricular programs (240 ECTS) offer more clinical practice. Nursing education uniformity could enhance international mobility and promote knowledge exchange and nursing competence framework definitions. These are facts that certainly bring nursing empowerment. This study was not registered.
- Adherence to the mediterranean diet and metabolic health in older adults: insights from a feasibility studyPublication . Alves, Sara Brás; Fernandes, Hélder; Mendes, Eugénia; Monteiro, António M.; Fernandes, Adília; Vaz, Josiana A.; Pereira, Ana Maria Geraldes Rodrigues; Sá, Leandro Moreira de; Agradém, CarlaThe Mediterranean Diet is known for its protective effects against cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Metabolic syndrome, characterized by multiple health risk factors, is increasingly concerning in older populations. Understanding dietary impacts on metabolic health is key for promoting healthy ageing. Objectives: This feasibility study aimed to explore the relationship between adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and metabolic risk factors in older adults participating in a community exercise program and to evaluate the feasibility of applying validated tools in this setting. Methods: A cross-sectional design was used. Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet was evaluated using the PREDIMED questionnaire, while Metabolic Syndrome was evaluated according to National Cholesterol Education Program criteria. Blood samples were taken following WHO guidelines. Results: Ten participants (mean age 73.1 years; 90% women) were included. 50% showed high adherence to the Mediterranean Diet, while 40% had moderate or low adherence. No participants met the full criteria for Metabolic Syndrome. Significant associations were found between Mediterranean Diet adherence and chronic disease (r = 0.869, p < 0.01), and an inverse correlation with the number of Metabolic Syndrome criteria (r = –0.707, p < 0.05). The Mediterranean Diet score was also inversely related to cholesterol (r = –0.740, p < 0.05). Conclusions: Higher adherence to the Mediterranean Diet was associated with better metabolic profiles, highlighting its potential protective role. The study demonstrates the feasibility of incorporating nutritional screening in community exercise programs for older adults. Future research should include larger and longitudinal samples and integrate inflammatory biomarkers.
- Exploring cardiovascular risk and plasma ghrelin levels in older adults: a preliminary studyPublication . Capristano, Jeovana; Sá, Leandro Moreira de; Mendes, Eugénia; Fernandes, Hélder; Vaz, Josiana A.; Alves, Sara BrásCardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of illness and mortality worldwide, with ageing as a key risk factor. As people age, heightened inflammation, oxidative stress, and endothelial dysfunction increase their cardiovascular disease risk. Ghrelin, known as "the hunger hormone," is essential for energy regulation and metabolism. It offers cardiovascular benefits by promoting vasodilation and enhancing endothelial function. With anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties, ghrelin aids vascular health, making it particularly significant for ageing populations where these processes are often disrupted. Imbalanced ghrelin levels may increase the risk of atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular complications. Understanding these variations in plasma ghrelin levels can offer insights into individual susceptibility to cardiovascular disease and highlight the hormone's role in metabolic and cardiovascular health. This preliminary study aimed to evaluate cardiovascular risk and plasma ghrelin levels in a community of 16 older adults aged 60 or above
- Envelhecimento ocupacional e qualidade de vida: um estudo transversal em bombeiros florestais portuguesesPublication . Alves, Sara Brás; Esteves, Filipa; Slezakova, Klara; Pereira, Maria do Carmo; Costa, Solange; Morais, Simone; Teixeira, João Paulo; Julio, María Pilar Molés; Fernandes, Hélder; Vaz, Josiana A.; Fernandes, AdíliaO envelhecimento da força de trabalho representa um desafio crescente nas profissões de elevada exigência física, nomeadamente no combate a incêndios florestais. A Qualidade de Vida Relacionada com a Saúde constitui um indicador multidimensional particularmente relevante nestes contextos, por permitir avaliar simultaneamente as dimensões física e mental da saúde percecionada. Objetivos: Examinar a associação entre a idade e a Qualidade de Vida Relacionada com a Saúde em bombeiros florestais do norte de Portugal. Metodologia: Estudo transversal realizado entre 2022 e 2023, com 181 bombeiros florestais (idade média 38,4 ± 10,5 anos; 73,5% do sexo masculino) de cinco corpos de bombeiros do distrito de Bragança. A Qualidade de Vida Relacionada com a Saúde foi avaliada através da versão portuguesa do SF-36, com oito domínios e duas pontuações compósitas, Componente Física e Componente Mental. Recorreu-se à correlação de Spearman para analisar a associação entre a idade e cada domínio, e ao teste de Kruskal–Wallis com comparações post-hoc de Bonferroni para comparar grupos etários. Resultados: Os participantes apresentaram níveis globalmente elevados de Qualidade de Vida Relacionada com a Saúde. A idade correlacionou-se negativamente com a Função Física (r = −0,163; p = 0,029) e a Componente Fisica (r = −0,160; p = 0,031), e positivamente com a Vitalidade (r = 0,172; p = 0,021) e a Componente Mental (r = 0,175; p = 0,018). O teste de Kruskal–Wallis revelou diferenças significativas na Função Física entre grupos etários (H = 10,50; p = 0,033), com o post-hoc a identificar uma diferença significativa entre os grupos 20–29 e 60–69 anos (p = 0,025). Conclusões: A idade associa-se a um padrão divergente na Qualidade de Vida Relacionada com a Saúde dos bombeiros florestais — declínio físico em paralelo com a preservação ou melhoria do bem-estar mental. Estes resultados desafiam visões simplistas do envelhecimento ocupacional e sustentam o desenvolvimento de estratégias de saúde diferenciadas por idade no setor.