Background: The PGWBI is a 22-item health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL) questionnaire developed in US which produces a self-perceived evaluation of psychological well-being expressed by a summary score. The PGWBI has been validated and used in many countries on large samples of the general population and on specific patient groups. Recently a study was carried out in Italy to reduce the number of items of the original questionnaire, yielding the creation of a shorter validated version of the questionnaire (PGWB-S). The purpose of the present paper is to describe the methods adopted and to report and discuss the relevance of results.

Limited reports are available on quality of life (HRQL) in thyroid diseases, and no data are available in euthyroid disorders, such as goiter and Hashimoto thyroiditis. Also, asymptomatic patients may suffer a reduction in perceived health status due to distress related to physical appearance and awareness of disease. We measured HRQL by means of Medical Outcome Study Short Form-36 (SF-36) and Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) questionnaires in 368 patients (hypothyroid, 81; hyperthyroid, 45 (for both states including overt and subclinical states); Hashimoto thyroiditis, 51; euthyroid goiter, 191). The final scores of the domains were compared with age- and sex-adjusted Italian normative values, by computing the effect size. All domains of SF-36, except bodily pain, were reduced in thyroid disease; this was mainly the case of role limitation (both physical and emotional), general health and social functioning. The domains of NHP were less severely affected. HRQL was impaired also in the absence of altered hormone levels. Mood/behavior disturbances were present in a large proportion of patients and were significantly associated with poor HRQL. HRQL was significantly reduced in patients with thyroid diseases referred to a secondary level endocrinology unit. Perceived health status may be considered as an additional outcome of management and therapy of thyroid disorders.

Age-related changes in nutritional status can play an important role in brain functioning. Specific nutrient deficiencies in the elderly may exacerbate pathological processes in the brain. Consequently, the potential of nutritional intervention to prevent or delay cognitive impairment and the development of dementia is an important topic. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial has been performed in 25 elderly subjects (86 ± 6 years, 20 females, 5 males) with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). These subjects were randomly assigned to supplement their diet with either an oily emulsion of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-phospholipids containing melatonin and tryptophan (11 subjects) or a placebo (14-matched subjects) for 12 weeks. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the dietary supplement on cognition, by the assessment at the start and after 12 weeks of: (1) Orientation and other cognitive functions: Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE); (2) Short-term memory: digit, verbal, and spatial span (digit span; verbal span; Corsi's test); (3) Long-term memory: Rey's auditory-verbal learning test; 'short story' test; Rey-Osterrieth complex figure (recall); (4) Attentional abilities: attentive matrices; (5) Executive functions: Weigl's sorting test; phonological fluency 'FAS'; (6) Visuo-constructional and visuo-spatial abilities: copy of simple drawings; Rey-Osterrieth complex figure (copy); (7) Language: semantic fluency; (8) Mood: Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Moreover, Sniffin' Sticks olfaction test and Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) have been performed. After 12 weeks, a significant treatment effect for the MMSE (P < 0.001) and a positive trend for the semantic verbal fluency was found in the supplement group (P < 0.06). A significant treatment effect was found out for the olfactory sensitivity assessment (P < 0.009). As regards the nutrition evaluation, after 12 weeks of treatment the supplemented group showed an improvement in the MNA score with a significant difference relative to placebo (P < 0.005). Older adults with MCI had significant improvements in several measures of cognitive function when supplemented with an oily emulsion of DHA-phospholipids containing melatonin and tryptophan for 12 weeks, compared with the placebo.

Mesalazine prophylaxis is necessary for the prevention of relapse by patients with ulcerative colitis in remission for less than 2 years, but this study casts doubt over whether continuous maintenance treatment is necessary in patients with prolonged clinical, endoscopic and histological remission, who are at very low risk of relapse.