Countries in the Southeast Asian region have revised their national food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) in response to the public health and nutrition priorities. As a continuous effort to facilitate regional networking, the Southeast Asia Public Health Nutrition Network publishes this review as an update of its previous publication in 2016. This review provides an updated descriptive overview of current FBDGs for the general adult population in Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. It summarises and compares commonalities and differences in key dietary messages and visual communication tools across countries. The findings indicate strong regional alignment on core dietary recommendations, including consuming a balanced and varied diet with foods from all food groups, prioritising vegetables and fruits, prioritising minimally processed grains or whole grains starchy staples, practising moderation in protein intake from both animal and plant sources, limiting foods high in fats/oils, sugar and salt, being physically active and maintaining a healthy body weight. Pictorial food guides, such as food pyramids and healthy plates, are widely used, with variations in design that reflect cultural contexts to enhance public understanding. While countries acknowledge the importance of FBDGs, effective dissemination and adoption remain challenging due to limited resources, weak cross-sectoral collaboration, and unsupportive food environments. This review highlights the need for stronger communication strategies, improved understanding of consumer barriers, systematic monitoring and evaluation, inclusion of guidance on away-from-home meals, strengthened multi-stakeholder collaboration across the food supply chain, and enhanced regional collaboration to support effective FBDGs implementation in Southeast Asia.

Background: Aortic regurgitation (AR) has an important impact on myocardial mechanics and recent studies have proved the value of global longitudinal strain (GLS) in the assessment of its severity and prognosis. Our purpose was to assess if the direct impact of the regurgitant jet on the myocardial wall could affect regional longitudinal strain. Methods: Eighty patients with chronic moderate/severe AR were retrospectively studied. Patients were considered to have a jet-related longitudinal strain reduction when the myocardial segments directly impacted by the jet had their longitudinal strain reduced by at least 30% compared to nonaffected segments. AR severity, left ventricular (LV) size and function were compared according to the presence/absence of this regional pattern. For those who underwent surgery, postoperative regional and global LV function was also analyzed. Results: A pattern of regional longitudinal strain impairment was identified in 43% of patients, with a regional reduction (in median) of 10 percentage points in absolute strain values in the segments impacted by the jet, compared to nonaffected segments. In the subgroup who underwent surgery, this pattern became attenuated after surgery.Patients with regional longitudinal strain impairment were less likely to improve GLS after surgery (10% vs. 38% improved GLS by at least 2.5%, P = 0.049). Conclusions To our knowledge, this study identifies for the first time, a link between the location of the impact of the regurgitant jet in AR and regional longitudinal strain impairment. The presence of this regional pattern might be associated with worse postoperative LV recovery.

Background: Aortic regurgitation (AR) has an important impact on myocardial mechanics and recent studies have proved the value of global longitudinal strain (GLS) in the assessment of its severity and prognosis. Our purpose was to assess if the direct impact of the regurgitant jet on the myocardial wall could affect regional longitudinal strain. Methods: Eighty patients with chronic moderate/severe AR were retrospectively studied. Patients were considered to have a jet-related longitudinal strain reduction when the myocardial segments directly impacted by the jet had their longitudinal strain reduced by at least 30% compared to nonaffected segments. AR severity, left ventricular (LV) size and function were compared according to the presence/absence of this regional pattern. For those who underwent surgery, postoperative regional and global LV function was also analyzed. Results: A pattern of regional longitudinal strain impairment was identified in 43% of patients, with a regional reduction (in median) of 10 percentage points in absolute strain values in the segments impacted by the jet, compared to nonaffected segments. In the subgroup who underwent surgery, this pattern became attenuated after surgery.Patients with regional longitudinal strain impairment were less likely to improve GLS after surgery (10% vs. 38% improved GLS by at least 2.5%, P = 0.049). Conclusions To our knowledge, this study identifies for the first time, a link between the location of the impact of the regurgitant jet in AR and regional longitudinal strain impairment. The presence of this regional pattern might be associated with worse postoperative LV recovery.

Background: Aortic regurgitation (AR) has an important impact on myocardial mechanics and recent studies have proved the value of global longitudinal strain (GLS) in the assessment of its severity and prognosis. Our purpose was to assess if the direct impact of the regurgitant jet on the myocardial wall could affect regional longitudinal strain. Methods: Eighty patients with chronic moderate/severe AR were retrospectively studied. Patients were considered to have a jet-related longitudinal strain reduction when the myocardial segments directly impacted by the jet had their longitudinal strain reduced by at least 30% compared to nonaffected segments. AR severity, left ventricular (LV) size and function were compared according to the presence/absence of this regional pattern. For those who underwent surgery, postoperative regional and global LV function was also analyzed. Results: A pattern of regional longitudinal strain impairment was identified in 43% of patients, with a regional reduction (in median) of 10 percentage points in absolute strain values in the segments impacted by the jet, compared to nonaffected segments. In the subgroup who underwent surgery, this pattern became attenuated after surgery.Patients with regional longitudinal strain impairment were less likely to improve GLS after surgery (10% vs. 38% improved GLS by at least 2.5%, P = 0.049). Conclusions To our knowledge, this study identifies for the first time, a link between the location of the impact of the regurgitant jet in AR and regional longitudinal strain impairment. The presence of this regional pattern might be associated with worse postoperative LV recovery.

In Brazil, visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is expanding and becoming urbanized, especially in non-endemic areas such as the State of Rio Grande do Sul. Considering that infected dogs are the main reservoir for zoonotic VL, this study evaluated the prevalence of canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) in the metropolitan area of Porto Alegre, a new area of expansion of VL in Brazil. Serum and plasma from 405 asymptomatic dogs from the municipalities of Canoas (n=107), São Leopoldo (n=216), and Novo Hamburgo (n=82) were tested for CVL using immunochromatographic (DPP®) and ELISA EIE® assays (2 assays officially adopted by the Brazilian government for the diagnosis of CVL) and real-time PCR to confirm the results. There was no agreement among serological and real-time PCR results, indicating that the Leishmania infection in asymptomatic animals with low parasite load, confirmed by negative parasitological tests (smears and parasite culture), need to be evaluated by molecular methods. The prevalence of LVC in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre, confirmed by real-time PCR was 4% (5.6% in Canoas and 4.6% in São Leopoldo). The use of molecular method is essential for accurate diagnosis of CVL, especially in asymptomatic dogs in non-endemic areas.
Animals ; Brazil ; Diagnosis ; Dogs ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Immunoassay ; Leishmania ; Leishmaniasis, Visceral ; Methods ; Parasite Load ; Parasites ; Plasma ; Prevalence ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction