The primary causes of female mortality often involve diseases related to oxidative stress. Dietary total antioxidant capacity (TAC) evaluates its antioxidant content and potential health effects. This study, registered with PROSPERO (ID: CRD42024427784), explores the association between dietary TAC and women’s health outcomes, including endocrine conditions with gynaecological implications, obstetric outcomes, gynaecological conditions and oncological diseases related to the female reproductive system. We conducted a systematic search in MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE, LILACS and CINAHL for observational studies published up to February 2024 that explored the relationship between dietary TAC and these health conditions. Data were analysed using RevMan 5·4 software. Nineteen studies met the eligibility criteria (sample sizes: 64–3209 women) and examined various conditions, including neoplasms (breast, endometrial and ovarian), bacterial vaginosis, menopause, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), pre-eclampsia (PE), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), miscarriage, infertility and inflammation and oxidative stress markers. The meta-analysis identified a significant association between dietary TAC, measured in vitamin C equivalents, and breast cancer, revealing that women with the disease had a lower dietary TAC due to reduced antioxidant intake. Mixed results were found for endometrial cancer, while higher TAC levels were associated with a lower risk of PCOS and infertility. Among postmenopausal women, higher TAC correlated with fewer symptoms such as sleep issues and anxiety. In gestational conditions, higher dietary TAC was linked to a lower risk of miscarriage, GDM and PE. Twelve of the nineteen studies demonstrated significant associations between dietary TAC and the outcomes of interest.

Objetivo: Avaliar a prevalência e os fatores associados à interrupção precoce do aleitamento materno exclusivo (AME) em recém-nascidos prematuros. Métodos: Coorte prospectiva com puérperas no pós-parto prematuro e seus respectivos filhos, assistidos em hospital da rede pública de saúde, em Maceió-AL, nos anos de 2016/2017. Dados clínicos e obstétricos do binômio, além de informações sobre a prática de aleitamento materno do recém-nascido após alta hospitalar, foram obtidos por aplicação de questionário padronizado. O acompanhamento foi realizado mensalmente, por seis meses. A descontinuidade do aleitamento materno exclusivo, em qualquer momento do estudo, caracterizou a interrupção precoce. O teste de regressão de Poisson foi utilizado para avaliação dos fatores associados ao desfecho, com resultados expressos por Razão de prevalência (RP) e respectivos intervalos de confiança a 95% (IC 95%) considerando p< 0,05 como significativo. Resultados: Dos 132 recém-nascidos que receberam alta hospitalar em aleitamento materno exclusivo e que foram acompanhados até os 6 meses de vida, 94 (71,2%) deles interromperam a amamentação exclusiva precocemente. Idade materna ?35 anos foi caracterizada como fator de proteção para a interrupção precoce do aleitamento materno exclusivo [RP: 0,591 (0,350-0,997); p= 0,049] e a via de parto cesariana, como fator de risco [RP: 1,284 (1,010-1,633); p=0,041]. Conclusão: Foi alta a prevalência de interrupção do aleitamento materno exclusivo antes dos 6 meses de vida em recém-nascidos prematuros. Foram fatores associados ao desfecho, a idade materna avançada, como fator de proteção, e parto cesáreo, como fator de risco para a interrupção precoce do aleitamento materno.

'Diet's total antioxidant capacity and women's health: systematic review and meta-analysis',

Objective To evaluate the relationship between nutritional parameters and clinical factors and the outcome of patients diagnosed with COVID-19. Methods This is a prospective longitudinal study involving patients with COVID-19 infection admitted to a University Hospital in Pernambuco. The sample consisted of individuals aged ≥20 years who tested positive for COVID-19 infection. Nutritional risk was assessed using the recommended screening procedure for this group and the nutritional status using the Body Mass Index. Demographic and clinical variables were transcribed from the medical records. Result There was a predominance of adult inpatients between 20 and 59 years of age (95% CI: 64.6-76.0); nutritional risk was observed in 91.6% of patients and overweight in 58.9% of patients. Age ≥60 years (p=0.03), presence of malignancies and inadequate nutrition (p<0.001) were independent risk factors for in-hospital death. It was also observed that only arterial hypertension (OR 2.34, 95% CI 1.32-4.13, p=0.003) and overweight (OR 1.84, 95% CI 1.05-3.21, p=0.032) were considered independent risk factors for admission of the patients in the Intensive Care Unit. Conclusion Although overweight is a risk factor for admission in the Intensive Care Unit, it was not possible to observe it as a factor for mortality, requiring further studies to determine the mechanisms that interfere in the association between obesity and mortality in those patients.

O objetivo deste estudo é caracterizar o estado nutricional, perfil bioquímico e presença de comorbidades em mulheres com câncer ginecológico e de mama. Trata-se de um estudo transversal e retrospectivo, de natureza quantitativa, incluindo mulheres com diagnóstico de câncer ginecológico ou de mama, acompanhadas no ambulatório de nutrição. A coleta de dados foi realizada por meio da aplicação de um questionário que incluiu dados sociodemográficos, clínicos, antropométricos e bioquímicos. As razões de prevalência e os respectivos intervalos de confiança de 95% foram calculados pelo qui-quadrado de Pearson. Das 108 pacientes elegíveis, a maioria apresentava sobrepeso (66,67%) e baixo peso foi identificado em 12% das mulheres investigadas. A média do IMC foi de 28,78±6,97 kg/m² e não houve diferença significativa de acordo com o tipo de câncer (p=0,531). Baixos níveis de hemoglobina foram observados em 35,19% da amostra, 12,04% com anemia microcítica e 16,67% com anemia hipocrômica. A frequência de anemia foi maior na malignidade ginecológica (p=0,005), além de valores plaquetários mais baixos (p=0,045). A presença de comorbidades não apresentou significância na comparação entre os cânceres. Assim, identificou-se na amostra estudada que a maioria das mulheres com cânceres femininos estava acima do peso. Distúrbios hematimétricos foram identificados em maior proporção em pacientes com câncer ginecológico.

Background/Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of oral administration of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in pregnant women with preeclampsia (PE), using serum markers of redox imbalance and cytokine levels and perinatal outcomes. Methods: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study was carried out from 2021 to 2023. The study was retrospectively registered with REBEC (Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry). After screening, women were randomized into 2 groups according to the type of supplementation: 600 mg of NAC (NAC group) or capsules containing 2% colloidal silicon dioxide and 98% microcrystalline cellulose (placebo group) until delivery. Blood samples were collected to quantify biomarkers of redox imbalance and cytokine levels. Questionnaires containing socioeconomic, clinical, obstetric, and anthropometric data were applied. Results: A total of 51 pregnant women with PE were included (26 in the placebo group and 25 in the NAC group). The use of NAC was associated with a higher gestational age at birth (GA) of the conceptus (placebo group: 37.39 weeks ± 1.96 SD vs. NAC group: 38.45 weeks ± 1.51 SD; p = 0.044). A moderate effect size was observed for this variable (Cohen’s d = 0.52). However, treatment allocation (NAC vs. control) was not independently associated with gestational age at birth after adjustment for covariates (F(1,28) = 0.144; p = 0.707; η²p = 0.005). The adjusted mean difference between groups was 0.92 weeks (95% CI: −0.16 to 2.00). No other significant effects on redox and inflammatory markers were identified using NAC. Conclusions: NAC supplementation did not impact the mode of delivery between the NAC and placebo groups. As a secondary exploratory finding, a possible trend toward prolonged gestational age was observed in the NAC group; however, this result should be interpreted with caution, given the exploratory nature of the analysis, the neutrality of the primary outcome, and the limited sample size.