Confinement due to COVID-19 has brought important changes in people’s lives as well as in their eating and resting habits. In this study we aimed at exploring the eating habits and sleep quality of the adult population of Ecuador during the mandatory confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a cross-sectional study, which used an online survey that included questions about eating habits and sleeping habits in adults (n = 9522) between 18–69 years old. The Pittsburg sleep quality questionnaire validated for the Hispanic population was used, and questions about dietary habits. The statistical test Chi-square statistical test was used to analyze the data. The results show that sleep quality differs according to sex, being worse in women, both in all components of sleep quality and in the total score (p < 0.001). Women had greater changes in the habitual consumption of food compared to men (24.24% vs. 22.53%), and people between 18 and 40 years of age decreased their food consumption in relation to people >40 years (24.06% vs. 17.73%). Our results indicate that mandatory confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador has generated changes in the eating habits and sleep quality in the adult population sampled, and these changes are more noticeable in women and young adults. These changes offer an important alert for the health system and further, advice for the implementation of future public health policies.

This study aimed to analyze the association between diet, sociodemographic factors, and cardiovascular health in public university students, through a cross-sectional study conducted at the State University of Milagro, Ecuador, during 2022–2023. A total of 204 students participated, with demographic and health data collected through interviews and clinical measurements. The results showed that 22% of participants had a very high fat intake, while only 2% consumed a nutrient-rich diet. In women, a high-fat diet was associated with elevated triglyceride levels and higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure, whereas in men, it was linked to higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Conversely, a nutrient-rich diet was associated with lower systolic blood pressure in women. Place of birth significantly influenced systolic blood pressure in women and LDL cholesterol and diastolic blood pressure levels in men, with men born in Milagro showing higher LDL cholesterol and diastolic blood pressure compared with those born elsewhere. Additionally, place of residence was associated with systolic blood pressure in men. This study highlights the importance of promoting a balanced diet and considering sociodemographic factors when designing public health interventions to improve the cardiovascular health of university students.

Body composition is associated with multiple factors. The main objective of this study is to determine the association between diet and sociodemographic factors on the body structure and composition of university students at a public university in Ecuador. This cross-sectional study allowed for the collection of detailed body composition and dietary data from 204 students (41.7% men and 58.3% women, with an average age of 23.3 ± 4.4 years). The study was conducted using validated questionnaires and bioimpedance techniques. Statistical analysis included ANOVA tests, complemented by a PCA-Biplot, to examine the relationships between study variables. Statistical analysis revealed that men’s birthplace had a significant impact on several body measurements, such as hip circumference and weight, but no significant differences were observed in body structure and composition based on nutrient intake. Furthermore, larger upper-arm circumference in women was correlated with higher fat intake. The results of the multivariate analysis indicated a differential influence of dietary components on body composition. The study highlights the need for nutritional intervention strategies and educational programs that consider the diversity of students’ backgrounds to promote healthy habits and mitigate the negative effects of eating habits and irregular physical activity patterns on their health and body composition.

Biot's breathing, first described in 1876, remains an underrecognized yet clinically relevant marker of pontomedullary dysfunction. In mechanically ventilated patients, its identification through ventilator waveforms provides an objective correlate of central respiratory control failure. We report two elderly female patients admitted to the intensive care unit for acute neurological deterioration, both requiring invasive mechanical ventilation initially delivered in controlled mandatory modes. After sedation withdrawal and transition to spontaneous ventilation, irregular clusters of breaths interspersed with apneic pauses were observed, consistent with Biot's respiratory pattern. In Case 1, neuroimaging showed a large hemispheric ischemic stroke without radiological evidence of brainstem involvement, suggesting a secondary or functional Biot-like pattern. In Case 2, brain MRI confirmed caudal brainstem ischemic involvement, correlating with the classic bulbar form of Biot's breathing. Both patients evolved with poor neurological outcomes. Mechanical ventilation enables objective documentation of Biot's breathing, transforming a historically clinical sign into a quantifiable physiological marker. Early recognition contributes to prognostic assessment and improves understanding of central respiratory control failure.