The evidence is inconclusive regarding the effect of periodontal treatment on glycemic control and systemic inflammation in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and periodontitis. To evaluate the effect of scaling and root planing (SRP) on the metabolic control and systemic inflammation of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). A literature search was conducted using the MEDLINE database via PubMed and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, from their oldest records up to July 2018. Only randomized clinical trials (RCT) were considered eligible for evaluating the effect of periodontal treatment on markers of metabolic control [glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C)] and systemic inflammation [C-reactive protein (CRP)] in patients with T2D. The quality of the studies was evaluated using the Cochrane Collaboration risk assessment tool. Meta-analyses were performed for HbA1c and CRP using random effects models. The size of the overall intervention effect was estimated by calculating the weighted average of the differences in means (DM) between the groups in each study. Heterogeneity was assessed using the Q-statistic method (x2 and I²). The level of significance was established at p0.05). SRP has an impact on metabolic control and reduction of systemic inflammation of patients with T2D.

Recent evidence implicates fine particulate matter (PM2.5), principally from vehicular exhaust, as a major cause of increased mortality and morbidity. However, there are limited data on the impact of PM2.5 on infant respiratory illnesses. We conducted a cohort study of 504 infants recruited at 4 months of age from primary health care units in southeastern Santiago, Chile. Project physicians followed infants through the first year of life via monthly check-ups and by appointments on demand. We obtained data for fine particulate matter, sulfur dioxide (SO2), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) from the governmental monitoring network. The most frequent diagnosis during follow-up was wheezing bronchitis, occurring 19.5 times per 100 infants per month. After adjusting for sex, socioeconomic level, family history of asthma, minimum temperature, and number of older siblings, we found that an increase of 10 μg/m3 of PM2.5 24-hour average was related to a 5% increase (95% confidence interval 0–9%) in the risk for wheezing bronchitis (1-day lag). This association was present for different lags, with a maximum observed for a 9-day lag (9%; 6–12%). No consistent association was detected with NO2 or SO2 ambient levels. Lower socioeconomic status and having older siblings were also associated with the risk of wheezing bronchitis. The association of PM2.5 and wheezing bronchitis was stronger among infants with a family history of asthma than among infants without. Air pollution in the form of fine particulates, mostly from vehicular exhaust, may adversely affect infants’ respiratory health with potential for chronic effects later in life.

Introduction: The association of total arsenic exposure with impaired glucose tolerance and gestational diabetes has been shown; however, evidence regarding urinary inorganic arsenic in pregnant women is still limited. Our aim was to evaluate the association between urinary inorganic arsenic concentration and gestational diabetes among pregnant women living in Arica, Chile. Methods: Cross-sectional study of pregnant women receiving care at primary health centers in urban Arica. The exposure was urinary inorganic arsenic concentration, while gestational diabetes was the outcome. The association was evaluated using multiple logistic regression models adjusted by age, education level, ethnicity, and pre-pregnancy body mass index. Results: 244 pregnant women were surveyed. The median urinary inorganic arsenic was 14.95 μg/L, and the prevalence of gestational diabetes was 8.6%. After adjusting, we did not find a significant association between gestational diabetes and inorganic arsenic exposure tertiles (Odds ratio (OR) 2.98, 95% CI = 0.87–10.18), (OR 1.07, 95% CI = 0.26–4.33). Conclusion: This study did not provide evidence on the relationship between urinary inorganic arsenic concentration and gestational diabetes. Further research is needed to elucidate the factors underlying this association.

This study was conducted to relate blood lead levels in infants to changes in lead emissions in Santiago, Chile, a heavily polluted setting where leaded gasoline began to be replaced with unleaded gasoline in 1993. Over an 18-mo period, 422 infants had blood lead levels, cotinine, and iron status determined at 12 mo. Blood lead levels fell at an average rate of 0.5 μ/dl every 2 mo, from 8.3 to 5.9 μ/dl, as the city experienced a net fall of 30% in the quantity of leaded gasoline sold. Time progression, car ownership, serum cotinine, and type of housing were significantly associated with a blood lead level ⩾ 10 μ/dl. In this study, the authors demonstrated that infant blood lead levels, even if relatively low, can drop very rapidly in conjunction with decreases in environmental lead exposure.

Birth before the 37th week of gestation (preterm birth) is an important cause of infant and neonatal mortality, but has been little studied outside of wealthy nations. Chile is an urbanized Latin American nation classified as "middle-income" based on its annual income per capita of about $6000.

Introduction: In animal models, gestational exposure to inorganic arsenic has been associated with higher corticosterone concentration and consequent impairment of stress control in offspring. An equivalent association relating cortisol, a glucocorticoid hormone, in humans has not been...