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Objective: To estimate the burden of excess weight in Brazilian adolescents., Design: Systematic review with meta-analysis., Setting: We searched the literature in four databases (MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, SciELO and LILACS). Studies were included if they had cross-sectional or cohort design and enrolled Brazilian adolescents. Studies based on self-reported measures were excluded. Random effect models were used to calculate prevalence estimates and their 95 % CI., Participants: Brazilian adolescents (10 to 19 years old)., Results: One hundred and fifty-one studies were included. Trend analyses showed a significant increase in the prevalence of excess weight in the last decades: 8·2 % (95 % CI 7·7, 8·7) until year 2000, 18·9 (95 % CI 14·7, 23·2) from 2000 to 2009, and 25·1 % (95 % CI 23·4, 26·8) in 2010 and after. A similar temporal pattern was observed in the prevalence of overweight and obesity separately. In sensitivity analyses, lower prevalence of excess weight was found in older adolescents and those defined using International Obesity Task Force cut-off points. The Southeast and South regions had the highest prevalence of excess weight, overweight and obesity. No significant difference in prevalence by sex was found, except for studies before the year 2000., Conclusions: The prevalence of overweight and obesity in Brazilian adolescents is high and continues to rise. Public policies on an individual level and targeting modifications in the obesogenic environment are necessary.

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of reports of symptoms of COVID-19 among individuals with and without antibodies and identify those with greater capability to predict the presence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2., Methods: The study uses data collected in phases 5 to 8 of Epicovid-19-RS. The presence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 was evaluated by a rapid test. The occurrence of cough, fever, palpitations, sore throat, difficulty breathing, changes in taste and smell, vomiting, diarrhea, body pain, shaking, and headache since March 2020 was also evaluated. Then, the capability to predict the evaluated symptoms concerning the presence of antibodies was calculated., Results: A total of 18,000 individuals were interviewed and 181 had antibodies against COVID-19 in phases 5 to 8. The proportion of asymptomatic individuals was 19.9% among participants with antibodies and 49.7% among those without antibodies. All symptoms were reported more frequently by individuals with antibodies. The division of the prevalence of symptoms among individuals with antibodies by the prevalence among individuals without antibodies showed the following prevalence ratios: for changes in smell or taste (9.1), fever (4.2), tremors (3.9), breathing difficulty (3.2) and cough (2.8 times). Anosmia and fever were the symptoms with a greater capability to predict the presence of antibodies., Conclusion: The prevalence of symptoms was higher among individuals with antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. The proportion of asymptomatic individuals was low. Altered smell or taste and fever were the symptoms that most predict the presence of antibodies. These results can help to identify probable cases, contributing to the clinical diagnosis and screening of patients for testing and isolation guidance in positive cases, especially in scenarios of the scarcity of diagnostic COVID-19 tests.

We assessed the associations of social distancing and mask use with symptomatic, laboratory-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection in Porto Alegre, Brazil. We conducted a population-based case-control study during April-June 2020. Municipal authorities furnished case-patients, and controls were taken from representative household surveys. In adjusted logistic regression analyses of 271 case-patients and 1,396 controls, those reporting moderate to greatest adherence to social distancing had 59% (odds ratio [OR] 0.41, 95% CI 0.24-0.70) to 75% (OR 0.25, 95% CI 0.15-0.42) lower odds of infection. Lesser out-of-household exposure (vs. going out every day all day) reduced odds from 52% (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.29-0.77) to 75% (OR 0.25, 95% CI 0.18-0.36). Mask use reduced odds of infection by 87% (OR 0.13, 95% CI 0.04-0.36). In conclusion, social distancing and mask use while outside the house provided major protection against symptomatic infection.

Objectives. To evaluate the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) over 6 months in the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Sul (population 11.3 million), based on 8 serological surveys. Methods. In each survey, 4151 participants in round 1 and 4460 participants in round 2 were randomly sampled from all state regions. We assessed presence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 using a validated lateral flow point-of-care test; we adjusted figures for the time-dependent decay of antibodies. Results. The SARS-CoV-2 antibody prevalence increased from 0.03% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.00%, 0.34%; 1 in every 3333 individuals) in mid-April to 1.89% (95% CI = 1.36%, 2.54%; 1 in every 53 individuals) in early September. Prevalence was similar across gender and skin color categories. Older adults were less likely to be infected than younger participants. The proportion of the population who reported leaving home daily increased from 21.4% (95% CI = 20.2%, 22.7%) to 33.2% (95% CI = 31.8%, 34.5%). Conclusions. SARS-CoV-2 infection increased slowly during the first 6 months in the state, differently from what was observed in other Brazilian regions. Future survey rounds will continue to document the spread of the pandemic.

Objective: To translate the Leuven Knowledge Questionnaire for Congenital Heart Disease into Brazilian Portuguese and to validate its psychometric properties with parents and family caregivers of children with congenital heart disease., Method: This was a six-step methodological study, including the translation, synthesis, back-translation, evaluation of the version translated by the committee of experts, pre-testing, and validation, for which two pilot tests were used including the think-aloud protocol. The content validity index and the frequency of socioeconomic data were calculated in a statistical programming environment., Results: In content validation, the instrument showed good applicability among experts, with average content validity index of 0.8-1, while kappa agreement analysis was between 0.76 to 1; both results were considered adequate for validation., Conclusions: The results suggest reliability among the evaluators, indicating the instrument's accuracy and the possibility of using it to assess the knowledge of parents and family caregivers about congenital heart disease., (Copyright © 2020 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. All rights reserved.)

Since the beginning of the pandemic of COVID-19, there has been a widespread assumption that most infected persons are asymptomatic. Using data from the recent wave of the EPICOVID19 study, a nationwide household-based survey including 133 cities from all states of Brazil, we estimated the proportion of people with and without antibodies for SARS-CoV-2 who were asymptomatic, which symptoms were most frequently reported, number of symptoms and the association with socio-demographic characteristics. We tested 33,205 subjects using a rapid antibody test previously validated. Information was collected before participants received the test result. Out of 849 (2.7%) participants positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, only 12.1% (95% CI 10.1-14.5) reported no symptoms, compared to 42.2% (95% CI 41.7-42.8) among those negative. The largest difference between the two groups was observed for changes in smell/taste (56.5% versus 9.1%, a 6.2-fold difference). Changes in smell/taste, fever and body aches were most likely to predict positive tests as suggested by recursive partitioning tree analysis. Among individuals without any of these three symptoms, only 0.8% tested positive, compared to 18.3% of those with both fever and changes in smell or taste. Most subjects with antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 are symptomatic, even though most present only mild symptoms.

Objectives: To develop and validate an instrument about nutritional knowledge and feeding practices to be used in children aged 7-11 years, based on the latest Brazilian Food Guide., Methods: Review on the subject; instrument creation; content validity with two groups of judges: first, nutritionists and, after adjustments, a multidisciplinary group (content validity index [CVI]); FACE validity; reproducibility analysis (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC], level of agreement, and kappa [k]); internal consistency analysis (Cronbach's alpha[α]) and construct validity (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin and exploratory factorial analysis). The sample was calculated, considering at least ten subjects for each question of the questionnaire., Results: There was a final sample of 453 children (53.6% girls), with a mean age of 9.45 years (SD = 1.44). The content validity showed a CVI ≥ 0.80 for relevance in 62.3% of the items for nutritionists' group and 100% of the items for the multidisciplinary group, clarity (49.4%, 91.8%), and pertinence (58.8%, 98.4%), respectively. The test-retest showed a level of agreement of 84.3% and k = 0.740 for the Knowledge dimension and ICC = 0.754 for the Food Practices dimension. The internal consistency showed α = 0.589 for the Knowledge dimension and α = 0.618 for the Food Practices dimension. For the construct validity, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin was 0.724 and exploratory factorial analysis showed a variance of 47.01 with varimax rotation and defined five factors for the Practices Dimension., Conclusion: The Food Knowledge and Practices Questionnaire (Questionário de Conhecimento e Práticas Alimentares [QCPA]) instrument showed validity and reliability to assess nutritional knowledge and food practices in children aged 7-11 years., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda.)

Background: Population-based data on COVID-19 are essential for guiding policies. There are few such studies, particularly from low or middle-income countries. Brazil is currently a hotspot for COVID-19 globally. We aimed to investigate severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibody prevalence by city and according to sex, age, ethnicity group, and socioeconomic status, and compare seroprevalence estimates with official statistics on deaths and cases., Methods: In this repeated cross-sectional study, we did two seroprevalence surveys in 133 sentinel cities in all Brazilian states. We randomly selected households and randomly selected one individual from all household members. We excluded children younger than 1 year. Presence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 was assessed using a lateral flow point-of-care test, the WONDFO SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Test (Wondfo Biotech, Guangzhou, China), using two drops of blood from finger prick samples. This lateral-flow assay detects IgG and IgM isotypes that are specific to the SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain of the spike protein. Participants also answered short questionnaires on sociodemographic information (sex, age, education, ethnicity, household size, and household assets) and compliance with physical distancing measures., Findings: We included 25 025 participants in the first survey (May 14-21) and 31 165 in the second (June 4-7). For the 83 (62%) cities with sample sizes of more than 200 participants in both surveys, the pooled seroprevalence increased from 1·9% (95% CI 1·7-2·1) to 3·1% (2·8-3·4). City-level prevalence ranged from 0% to 25·4% in both surveys. 11 (69%) of 16 cities with prevalence above 2·0% in the first survey were located in a stretch along a 2000 km of the Amazon river in the northern region. In the second survey, we found 34 cities with prevalence above 2·0%, which included the same 11 Amazon cities plus 14 from the northeast region, where prevalence was increasing rapidly. Prevalence levels were lower in the south and centre-west, and intermediate in the southeast, where the highest level was found in Rio de Janeiro (7·5% [4·2-12·2]). In the second survey, prevalence was similar in men and women, but an increased prevalence was observed in participants aged 20-59 years and those living in crowded conditions (4·4% [3·5-5·6] for those living with households with six or more people). Prevalence among Indigenous people was 6·4% (4·1-9·4) compared with 1·4% (1·2-1·7) among White people. Prevalence in the poorest socioeconomic quintile was 3·7% (3·2-4·3) compared with 1·7% (1·4-2·2) in the wealthiest quintile., Interpretation: Antibody prevalence was highly heterogeneous by country region, with rapid initial escalation in Brazil's north and northeast. Prevalence is strongly associated with Indigenous ancestry and low socioeconomic status. These population subgroups are unlikely to be protected if the policy response to the pandemic by the national government continues to downplay scientific evidence., Funding: Brazilian Ministry of Health, Instituto Serrapilheira, Brazilian Collective Health Association, and the JBS Fazer o Bem Faz Bem., (Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The first case of COVID-19 was reported in China in December 2019, and, as the virus has spread worldwide, the World Health Organization declared it a pandemic. Estimates on the number of COVID-19 cases do not reflect it real magnitude as testing is limited. Population based data on the proportion of the population with antibodies is relevant for planning public health policies. We aim to assess the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, presence of signs and symptoms of COVID-19, and adherence to isolation measures. A random sample comprising 133 sentinel cities from all states of the country will be selected. Three serological surveys, three weeks apart, will be conducted. The most populous municipality in each intermediate region of the country, defined by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, was chosen as sentinel city. In each city, 25 census tracts will be selected, and 10 households will be systematically sampled in each tract, totaling 33,250 participants. In each household, one inhabitant will be randomly selected to be interviewed and tested for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, using WONDFO SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Test. By evaluating a representative sample of Brazilian sentinel sites, this study will provide essential information for the design of health policies.

Objective: The preparation of parents of children who should undergo cardiac surgery requires special treatment such as the explanations about the event. This study aims to compare the effects of standardized nursing guidelines with routine institutional orientation on the anxiety of parents of children undergoing cardiac surgery., Methods: Randomized clinical trial. The sample consisted of parents of children who underwent cardiac surgery from December 2010 to April 2011. Twenty-two parents were randomized to the intervention group (IG) and received the standard nursing guidelines and 22 participated in the control group (CG) and received the routine guidelines from the institution. Anxiety was assessed by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) applied in the preoperative period, between 12 and 20 hours before surgery and before receiving standard or institutional guidelines and 48 hours after surgery. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) for repeated measures was performed to evaluate the differences between the variations in STAI scores between the groups during the studied period. The level of significance was 0.05., Results: There were no significant differences in baseline anxiety scores between groups with regard to trait anxiety as well as state anxiety: STAI-trait (CG 42.6±4.9 vs. IG 41.4±6.0, P=0.48); STAI-state (CG 42.3±5.7 vs. IG 45.6±8.3, P=0.18). Likewise, the variation in score after 48 hours was similar between groups (STAI-trait P=0.77; STAI-state P=0.61)., Conclusion: There were no significant differences in the parents' anxiety levels when comparing the two types of guidelines: the standard nursing and the institutional orientation.

Population-based data on COVID-19 are urgently needed. We report on three rounds of probability sample household surveys in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil), carried out in nine large municipalities using the Wondfo lateral flow point-of-care test for immunoglobulin M and G antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 (https://en.wondfo.com.cn/product/wondfo-sars-cov-2-antibody-test-lateral-flow-method-2/). Before survey use, the assay underwent four validation studies with pooled estimates of sensitivity (84.8%; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 81.4-87.8%) and specificity (99.0%; 95% CI = 97.8-99.7%). We calculated that the seroprevalence was 0.048% (2/4,151; 95% CI = 0.006-0.174) on 11-13 April (round 1), 0.135% (6/4,460; 95% CI = 0.049-0.293%) on 25-27 April (round 2) and 0.222% (10/4,500; 95% CI = 0.107-0.408) on 9-11 May (round 3), with a significant upward trend over the course of the surveys. Of 37 family members of positive individuals, 17 (35%) were also positive. The epidemic is at an early stage in the state, and there is high compliance with social distancing, unlike in other parts of Brazil. Periodic survey rounds will continue to monitor trends until at least the end of September, and our population-based data will inform decisions on preventive policies and health system preparedness at the state level.

Background: Knowledge about the disease itself can be important for self-care in patients with several problems and comprehends information about the diagnosis up to the most important clinical implications., Objective: To identify the level of knowledge of children and adolescents with congenital heart disease (CHD) about their illness, and to analyze the association between the level of knowledge and the practice of physical activity., Methods: Cross-sectional study with 335 patients with CHD, aged 8 to 13 years, followed at a referral pediatric cardiology service in Southern Brazil. Patients were interviewed regarding their knowledge about CHD and a review of medical records was performed to obtain details on heart disease and procedures. A significance level p<0.05 was used., Results: More than 50% of the children and adolescents did not know how to say the name of their disease or explain it. After adjusted OR (AOR), cyanotic patients in comparison to acyanotic ones (AOR: 2.29; 95%CI: 1.76-6.71; p = 0.019); children with lower level of schooling (AOR: 2.20; 95%CI: 1.81-5.86; p = 0.025); and those who did not practice physical activity (AOR: 1.88; 95%CI: 1.09-3.45; p = 0.011) showed potential for incorrect answers or did not know their disease., Conclusion: Cyanotic children and adolescents, with a lower level of schooling and who did not practice physical activity, had little knowledge about their disease. It is necessary to develop educational intervention strategies to increase knowledge and change behavior in physical activity promotion, according to the CHD complexity. (Arq Bras Cardiol. 2020; 114(5):786-792).

COVID-19, the disease produced by the virus SARS-CoV-2, has spread quickly throughout the world, leading the World Health Organization to first classify it as an international health emergency and, subsequently, declaring it pandemic. The number of confirmed cases, as April 11, surpassed 1,700,000, but this figure does not reflect the prevalence of COVID-19 in the population as, in many countries, tests are almost exclusively performed in people with symptoms, particularly severe cases. To properly assess the magnitude of the problem and to contribute to the design of evidence-based policies for fighting COVID-19, one must accurately estimate the population prevalence of infection. Our study is aimed at estimating the prevalence of infected individuals in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, to document how fast the infection spreads, and to estimate the proportion of infected persons who present or presented symptoms, as well as the proportion of asymptomatic infections. Four repeated serological surveys will be conducted in probability samples of nine sentinel cities every two weeks. Tests will be performed in 4,500 participants in each survey, totaling18,000 interviews. Interviews and tests will be conducted at the participants' household. A rapid test for the detection of antibodies will be used; the test was validated prior to the beginning of the fieldwork.

Objective: The objective of the study was to asses ocular findings' prevalence in children with primary congenital heart disease (CHD)., Patients and Methods: This is a prospective cross-sectional study of children with CHD treated at a specialized center in the South of Brazil between 2013 and 2015. They underwent a complete ocular examination, including measurement of visual acuity, refraction test, external motility, anterior and posterior biomicroscopy, and binocular indirect fundoscopy with retinal photographs. Two experienced examiners independently assessed fundus findings: one at the time of examination and image capture, while the other assessed only the captured images., Results: Of a total of 146 children examined, 124 were included in this analysis (16% loss). Seventy children were male (55.5%). The average age was 9.3 years (minimum 1 month and maximum 15 years). Caucasians race were 81.2%, African Descendants race were 11.1%, and others were 7.7%. About 57.1% had already had heart surgery. About 14.8% had visual acuity below 0.6 and 2.8% below 0.1. Strabismus was found in 7.4% and cataracts in 1.7%. Retinal alterations were recognized in 13.5%, of which 4.8% were related to vascular narrowing or dilation and/or abnormal arteriovenous crossing; 7.14% were related to increased vascular tortuosity, while 1.6% were related to active toxoplasmic chorioretinitis lesions. Concomitant abnormalities in ocular motility, biomicroscopy, or ophthalmoscopy were detected in 24% of the cases., Conclusion: Children under the age of 15 years old with primary CHD have a high prevalence of ocular alterations, with external ocular and retinal manifestations, with higher occurrence rate among cyanotic cases. This leads us to strongly recommend the performance of a complete ophthalmological examination in such cases., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2020 Middle East African Journal of Ophthalmology.)

Background: Periodontitis has been associated with coronary artery disease, but the impact of a periodontal treatment on the endothelial function of patients with a recent ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) was not investigated., Methods: Randomized controlled trial (NCT02543502). Patients admitted between August 2012 and January 2015 were included. Patients were screened during the index hospitalization for STEMI, and those with severe periodontal disease were randomized 2 weeks later to periodontal treatment or to control. The primary endpoint of this trial was the between group difference in the variation of flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) in the brachial artery assessed by ultrasound from baseline to the 6-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes were cardiovascular events, adverse effects of periodontal treatment and inflammatory markers., Results: Baseline characteristics were balanced between patients in the intervention (n = 24) and control groups (n = 24). There was a significant FMD improvement in the intervention group (3.05%; p = .01), but not in the control group (-0.29%; p = .79) (p = .03 for the intergroup comparison). Periodontal treatment was not associated with any adverse events and the inflammatory profile and cardiovascular events were not significantly different between both groups., Conclusions: Treatment of periodontal disease improves the endothelial function of patients with a recent myocardial infarction, without adverse clinical events. Larger trials are needed to assess the benefit of periodontal treatment on clinical outcomes., Clinical Trial Registration: NCT02543502 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02543502?term=NCT02543502&rank=1)., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

OBJECTIVE To describe social distancing practices in nine municipalities of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, stratified by gender, age, and educational attainment. METHODS Two sequential cross-sectional studies were conducted in the municipalities of Canoas, Caxias do Sul, Ijuí, Passo Fundo, Pelotas, Porto Alegre, Santa Cruz do Sul, Santa Maria, and Uruguaiana to estimate the population prevalence of COVID-19. The study was designed to be representative of the urban population of these municipalities. A questionnaire including three questions about social distancing was also administered to the participants. Here, we present descriptive analyses of social distancing practices by subgroups and use chi-square tests for comparisons. RESULTS In terms of degree of social distancing, 25.8% of the interviewees reported being essentially isolated and 41.1% reported being quite isolated. 20.1% of respondents reported staying at home all the time, while 44.5% left only for essential activities. More than half of households reported receiving no visits from non-residents. Adults aged 20 to 59 reported the least social distancing, while more than 80% of participants aged 60 years or older reported being essentially isolated or quite isolated. Women reported more stringent distancing than men. Groups with higher educational attainment reported going out for daily activities more frequently. CONCLUSIONS The extremes of age are more protected by social distancing, but some groups remain highly exposed. This can be an important limiting factor in controlling progression of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Stress is a state of threat to the balance of the organism, which can cause biological and psychological changes. In hypertensive patients, stress can interfere with blood pressure levels, influence on food choices and neglect of the diet., Objective: This study aims to describe the relationship between stress and dietary intake of hypertensive patients., Methods: A transversal study was carried out at the Arterial Hypertension Clinic of the Cardiology Institute of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The participants were aged ≥ 18 years and hypertensive. Blood pressure, food consumption and anthropometric measurements were collected. The variables related to stress were evaluated by the Lipp's Stress Symptoms Inventory (LSSI) for adults. Significance level of 5% has been considered for all analyzed data., Results: The number of participants was 100. There was a higher prevalence of the female sex (67%), the mean age of the study population was 55.87 ± 12.55 years. Among the participants, 86% were classified in some of the stress phases, on which 57% were in the resistance phase. It was observed that there was no correlation between the presence of stress (as well as their actions), pressure levels and food consumption. The consumption of foods rich in lipids and individuals with a prevalence of psychological symptoms of stress displayed a significant association., Conclusions: Rich in fat dietary has been the first choice in patients with psychological symptoms of stress. Further studies regarding remodeled dietary intake and blood pressure levels in relation to the stress phases are suggested. These findings are important to contribute to the development of prevention and treatment strategies for cardiovascular diseases.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of a gratitude intervention on a community sample of adults in relation to aspects involving well-being and mental health. Methods: A randomized clinical trial was conducted with 1,337 participants, composed of an intervention group (Gratitude group, n = 446), and two control groups (Hassles group, n = 444 and Neutral Events group, n = 447). Participants assigned to the intervention condition were asked to write daily gratitude lists for 14 days, listing moments they had been grateful for during the day. The outcomes analyzed were affect, depression, happiness and life satisfaction. Participants completed the positive affect and negative affect schedule (PANAS), center for epidemiological studies depression scale (CES-D), subjective happiness scale (SHS), and satisfaction with life scale (SWLS) three times: pre- and post-intervention and at 14 days after the end of the intervention. Due to attrition, the number of participants analyzed was 410. Results: Before the intervention, the groups did not differ in any of the variables examined, and loss to follow-up was random among the three groups. The gratitude intervention managed to increase positive affect, subjective happiness and life satisfaction, and reduce negative affect and depression symptoms. This change was greater than the changes in the control groups in relation to positive affect. In the other outcomes analyzed, similar changes were observed in the gratitude intervention and the neutral events intervention. Conclusion: Some similarities were found between the Gratitude and the Neutral Events groups probably because participants in the last group usually recorded positive events from their days on the lists, turning it into an activity very similar to that proposed to the gratitude group. Some limitations of the study are discussed, such as the high dropout rate for self-performed online interventions. It is necessary to investigate which characteristics of an intervention ensure better results when the intervention is performed online. Trial Registration: The study is registered in the Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry, under No. RBR-9j9myd. Trial URL: http://www.ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/rg/RBR-9j9myd/.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the intake of yerba mate (YM) and green tea (GT) on serum levels of leptin and paraoxonase-1 (PON-1), compared to control., Methods: Controlled, randomized clinical trial (RCT) that evaluated 142 men and women affected by overweight or obesity aged 35-60 years, untreated dyslipidemia and no history of coronary artery disease. Participants were randomized to ingest 1000 mL GT, YM or apple tea (AT, control group) daily, during eight weeks. Serum PON-1 and leptin levels were analyzed by ELISA immunoassay at the beginning (baseline) and after eight weeks of intervention., Results: The intake of 1 l of YM/day resulted in significant increase in serum levels of PON-1 (9.7%; p = 0.005). The consumption of GT induced no significant difference in the levels of PON-1 (p = 0.154) and leptin (p = 0.783). Intergroup analysis showed a significant difference (p = 0.036) in the variation of PON-1 levels in the YM group when compared to GT and AT groups. In addition, the increase in PON-1 levels in the YM group was significantly associated with increased HDL-c (p = 0.004)., Conclusions: The intake of yerba mate increased the antioxidant capacity by increasing serum levels of PON-1 and was positively associated with increased HDL-c, stressing the protective role of this beverage against atherosclerotic diseases. GT intake had no significant effect on serum levels of PON-1 and leptin., Trial Registration: This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov under protocol number NCT00933647.

Objective: To evaluate the physical activity level and functional capacity of children and adolescents with congenital heart disease and to describe correlations between functionality, surgical and echocardiographic findings, metabolic and inflammatory profile and differences between acyanotic and cyanotic heart defects., Methods: A cross-sectional study including children and adolescents with congenital heart disease between six and 18 years old that were evaluated with the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) to assess functional capacity. The short version form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was performed to evaluate physical activity levels. Also, echocardiography and blood collection, to evaluate the metabolic (blood glucose, lipids, insulin) and inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein), were assessed., Results: Twenty-five individuals were evaluated. Of them, 14 had acyanotic heart defects and 11 cyanotic heart defects. Mean age was 12.0±3.7 years, and 20 (80%) were male. IPAQ showed that six (24%) individuals were very active, eight (32%) were active, nine (36%) had irregular physical activity, and two (8%) were sedentary. The mean distance walked in the 6MWT, considering all studied individuals, was 464.7±100.4 m, which was 181.4±42.0 m less than the predicted (p=0.005). There was a positive correlation between Z score 6MWT and the number of surgical procedures (r=-0.455; p=0.022)., Conclusions: Children and adolescents with congenital heart disease have low functional capacity, but they are not completely sedentary.

Background: Smartphone fundoscopy is a new option for visualizing the ocular fundus but must be validated before being included in population-based examinations. Our aim was to evaluate the quality of fundoscopic images obtained via smartphone and to compare their agreement with retinal camera images or clinical examination., Methods: The database for this study included all observational studies with smartphone fundoscopy that have comparative analyses with the gold standard methods., Results: Out of 121 potentially relevant studies, nine were included in this analysis, comprising a total of 4,219 eyes. Mean age was 56.6 years (SD±8.5). Combined kappa (κ) agreement statistics were equal to 77.77% (95% CI: 70.34%, 83.70%). No heterogeneity was measured by random effects ( I 2 =zero)., Conclusion: Fundoscopic images obtained by using smartphones have substantial agreement with gold standards for clinical or photographic exams., Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Background: Children with familial hypercholesterolemia may develop early endothelial damage leading to a high risk for the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Statins have been shown to be effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels and cardiovascular events in adults. The effect of statin treatment in the pediatric population is not clearly demonstrated., Objective: To systematically review the literature to evaluate the effects of different statins and dosages in total cholesterol levels in children and adolescents with familial hypercholesterolemia. We also aimed to evaluate statin safety in this group., Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, Bireme, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, SciELO and LILACS databases, were searched for articles published from inception until February 2016. Two independent reviewers performed the quality assessment of the included studies. We performed a meta-analysis with random effects and inverse variance, and subgroup analyses were performed., Results: Ten trials involving a total of 1543 patients met the inclusion criteria. Our study showed reductions in cholesterol levels according to the intensity of statin doses (high, intermediate and low): (-104.61 mg/dl, -67.60 mg/dl, -56.96 mg/dl) and in the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level: [-105.03 mg/dl (95% CI -115.76, -94.30), I2 19.2%], [-67.85 mg/dl (95% CI -83.36, -52.35), I2 99.8%], [-58.97 mg/dl (95% CI -67.83, -50.11), I2 93.8%. The duration of statin therapy in the studies ranged from 8 to 104 weeks, precluding conclusions about long-term effects., Conclusion: Statin treatment is efficient in lowering lipids in children with FH. There is need of large, long-term and randomized controlled trials to establish the long-term safety of statins.

Background: Long-term safety, effectiveness and criteria for treatment with statins in children are still unclear in clinical practice. There is very limited evidence for the use of medication to treat children with dyslipidemia secondary to obesity who do not respond well to lifestyle modification., Objective: Systematic review of randomized clinical trials of statin use to treat children and adolescents with dyslipidemia secondary to obesity., Methods: We performed a search in PubMed, EMBASE, Bireme, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, SciELO, and LILACS for data to evaluate the effect of statins on: improvement of surrogate markers of coronary artery disease in clinical outcomes of adulthood; increased serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and apolipropotein B (APOB); and decreased serum levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) from inception to February 2016. Participants were children and adolescents., Results: Of the 16793 potentially relevant citations recovered from the electronic databases, no randomized clinical trials fulfilled the inclusion criteria for children with dyslipidemia secondary to obesity., Conclusions: We found no specific evidence to consider statins in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia secondary to obesity in children. The usual practice of extrapolating findings from studies in genetic dyslipidemia ignores the differences in long-term cardiovascular risks and the long-term drug treatment risks, when compared to recommendation of lifestyle changes. Randomized clinical trials are needed to understand drug treatment in dyslipidemia secondary to obesity.

Objective: Brazil is a large, heterogeneous, and diverse country, marked by social, economic, and regional inequalities. Stillbirth is a global concern, especially in low- and middle-income countries. This study investigated the prevalence and possible determinants of stillbirth in different regions of Brazil., Methods: This is a cross-sectional study including all women of reproductive age who had had a pregnancy in the last five years, enrolled in the most recent Brazilian Demographic and Health Survey (DHS/PNDS-2006/07). Logistic regression was used to assess the association between region and other maternal characteristics and stillbirth risk., Results: The prevalence of stillbirth in Brazil was 14.82 per 1000 births, with great variation by region of the country, and a higher prevalence among the most deprived. The North and Northeast regions had the highest odds of stillbirth compared to the Center-West, which persisted after adjustment for multiple confounders - including deprivation level and ethnicity. Low maternal age and maternal obesity were also related to higher odds of stillbirth., Conclusion: In Brazil, the region influences stillbirth risk, with much higher risk in the North and Northeast. Variation in socioeconomic level does not explain this finding. Further research on the subject should explore other possible explanations, such as antenatal care and type of delivery, as well as the role of the private and public health systems in determining stillbirth. Preventive strategies should be directed to these historically disadvantaged regions, such as guaranteeing access and quality of care during pregnancy and around the time of birth., (Copyright © 2017 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.)

Background: Numerous genetic syndromes associated with heart disease and ocular manifestations have been described. However, a compilation and a summarization of these syndromes for better consultation and comparison have not been performed yet., Objective: The objective of this work is to systematize available evidence in the literature on different syndromes that may cause congenital heart diseases associated with ocular changes, focusing on the types of anatomical and functional changes., Method: A systematic search was performed on Medline electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Lilacs) of articles published until January 2016. Eligibility criteria were case reports or review articles that evaluated the association of ophthalmic and cardiac abnormalities in genetic syndrome patients younger than 18 years., Results: The most frequent genetic syndromes were: Down Syndrome, Velo-cardio-facial / DiGeorge Syndrome, Charge Syndrome and Noonan Syndrome. The most associated cardiac malformations with ocular findings were interatrial communication (77.4%), interventricular communication (51.6%), patent ductus arteriosus (35.4%), pulmonary artery stenosis (25.8%) and tetralogy of Fallot (22.5%)., Conclusion: Due to their clinical variability, congenital cardiac malformations may progress asymptomatically to heart defects associated with high morbidity and mortality. For this reason, the identification of extra-cardiac characteristics that may somehow contribute to the diagnosis of the disease or reveal its severity is of great relevance.

Background: Parental feeding practices may play a key role in dietary habits and nutritional status of adolescents, but research from adolescents' point of view on this topic is scarce., Objective: To adapt and validate an instrument of parental feeding practices as perceived by adolescents in a Brazilian setting., Methods: The Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire was translated into Portuguese and adapted to be answered by adolescents (ages 12 to 18). Content analysis and FACE validity to assess cultural equivalence was undertaken by experts in the adolescent nutritional and psychological fields. Pilot study was evaluated in 23 adolescents. The final version was administered to 41 students to assess instrument reproducibility (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient). Internal consistency (Cronbach's Alpha) and construct validity (Confirmatory Factor Analysis) were assessed in a third sample of 307 adolescents., Results: Experts and adolescents considered content validity as appropriate. In reproducibility analysis (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient), 10 of the 12 factors were above 0.7. The factors "teaching about nutrition" and "food as reward" obtained values of 0.60 and 0.68, respectively. The Cronbach's Alpha of the whole scale was 0.83 and alphas for subscales ranged from 0.52 to 0.85; the factors "teaching about nutrition" and "food as a reward" had the lowest values (0.52). After removing these two factors, the Confirmatory Factor Analysis indicated that the structural model was appropriate. The final scale was made up of 10 factors with 43 questions., Conclusions: The Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire-Teen demonstrates validity and reliability, and is a suitable tool to evaluate the perceptions of adolescents regarding parental feeding practices.

Background: Children and adolescents with congenital heart disease often have alterations in their exercise capacity that can be evaluated by various functional testing., Objective: To evaluate the functional capacity of children and adolescents with congenital heart disease (CHD) with systematic review and meta-analyses., Methods: The review included observational studies, data from the first evaluation of randomized clinical trials or observational follow-up periods after clinical trials which evaluated functional capacity by cardiopulmonary exercise test, stress testing, six-minute walk test or step test, in children and adolescents with CHD, aged between six and 18 years, and comparisons with healthy controls in the same age group. The quantitative assessment was performed by meta-analysis, by comparing the maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) of children and adolescents with CHD and respective control groups., Results: Twenty-five of 2.683 studies identified in the search met the inclusion criteria. The VO2max measurement showed that patients with CHD have a decrease of 9.31 ml/Kg/min (95% CI. -12.48 to -6.13; I2, 94.3%, P for heterogeneity < 0.001) compared with the control group. The meta-analysis of the data of maximum heart rate (HR) reached during cardiopulmonary test and stress testing, retrieved from 18 studies, showed a HR value of -15.14 bpm (95% CI. -20.97 to -9.31; I2, 94.3%, P for heterogeneity < 0.001) compared with the control group., Conclusion: Children and adolescents with CHD have lower VO2max and HR compared to controls.

Objective: To verify the knowledge about food and nutrition and its association with the nutritional status of obese patients with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), and to identify the relationship between information sources and level of knowledge., Method: Cross-sectional study that included 263 outpatients of a cardiology referral hospital in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The participants filled out a questionnaire on socioeconomic data and knowledge about food and nutrition and had their nutritional status evaluated by body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist-hip ratio (WHR)., Results: BMI showed a significant inverse association with the percentage of correct answers (p=0.002), as well as WC (p=0.000) and WHR (p<0.001). This was also true for education (p<0.001) and female gender (p=0.005) compared to males. More than 60% of patients reported using television and 23% reported using newspaper as sources of nutritional information., Conclusion: Our study revealed a significant association between BMI and the level of knowledge about foods, showing that there is need for more information on obesity-related NCDs for greater understanding by patients.

Background: Childhood obesity is an important health problem worldwide. In this context, there is a need for the development and evaluation of innovative educational interventions targeting prevention and formation of health habits., Objectives: To ascertain the impact of ludic workshops on children's knowledge, self-care, and body weight., Methods: This was a randomized, clinical study with 79 students aged 7-11 years, conducted from March to November 2012. Anthropometric measurements were collected and two questionnaires (Typical Day of Physical Activities and Food Intake, in Portuguese, and the CARDIOKIDS, a questionnaire of knowledge about cardiovascular risk factors) were applied at baseline, at the end of intervention, and three months thereafter. The intervention consisted of eight playful workshops, which involved the presentation of a play., Results: Seventy-nine students were randomized to the intervention (n = 40) or the control group (n = 39). Mean age was 10.0 ± 1.1 years. After eight weeks, the intervention group showed significant improvement in the knowledge score (p < 0.001). There was an increase in physical activity scores in both groups, but with no difference between the groups at the end of intervention (p = 0.209). A reduction in the BMI percentile was observed in the intervention group, but there was no significant statistical difference between the two groups after the intervention., Conclusions: Playful interventions may improve knowledge and physical activity levels in children and, when combined with other strategies, may be beneficial to prevent child obesity and improve self-care.

Background: The ocular effects of obesity and hypertension need to be established and can be used as prognostic markers., Objective: To estimate the prevalence of ophthalmological alterations in children and adolescents who are overweight and/or have SAH., Methods: The database for this study included all observational studies (CS, cohort, case-control and "baseline" description of randomized clinical trials) with children and/or adolescents who were overweight, obese or had SAH and that measured ophthalmological alterations., Results: Comparative studies with healthy children demonstrated positive association between body adiposity with retinal venular dilation, and SAH with retinal arteriolar narrowing. Different retinal fundus cameras and computer-assisted programs to evaluate the retinal vessels, variations in the methods of analysis, adjustments, populations, were the main arguments against formal meta-analysis. The heterogeneity was too high (I 2 >90%, in fixed or randomized effects), and the lack of linearity, normal distribution and homoscedasticity did not recommend meta-regression., Conclusion: Obesity and SAH show associations with ophthalmological alterations, especially with retinal vessel diameter. Lack of standardization does not allow a quantitative evaluation.

Background: The prevalence of overweight in children with CHD is about 26.9%. Increase in adipose tissue is related to the secretion of proinflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein. Assuming that children with CHD are exposed to other inherent risk factors for heart disease, our objective was to evaluate the correlation between levels of C-reactive protein and body mass index in children and adolescents with CHD., Methods: A cross-sectional study with 377 children and adolescents with CHD in a clinical setting of a reference hospital was carried out. C-reactive protein data were collected after 12 hours of fasting. Nutritional status was classified according to body mass index. The patients were divided into three groups: cyanotic, acyanotic, and minimal heart defects (controls)., Results: The mean age was 9.9±4.2 years, and 53.6% of the sample included males. The cyanotic group represented 22.3%, acyanotic 42.2%, and minimal defects 35.5% of the sample. The average body mass index percentile was 57.23±32.06. The median values of C-reactive protein were as follows: cyanotic 0.340, acyanotic with clinical repercussion 0.203, and minimal defects 0.128. There was a significant difference between the minimal defects and the cyanotic groups (p=0.023). There was a significant correlation between C-reactive protein and body mass index percentile (r=0.293, p<0.01). C-reactive protein levels were higher in girls (p=0.034). There were no significant correlations between C-reactive protein and age or birth weight., Conclusion: The correlation between body mass index percentile and C-reactive protein was confirmed in this population. The prevention of overweight is paramount to avoid overlapping modifiable risk factors to those already inherent to the CHD.

Background:: Schools have become a key figure for the promotion of health and obesity interventions, bringing the development of critical awareness to the construction and promotion of a healthy diet, physical activity, and the monitoring of the nutritional status in childhood and adolescence., Objectives:: To describe a study protocol to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention designed to improve knowledge of food choices in the school environment., Methods:: This is a cluster-randomized, parallel, two-arm study conducted in public elementary and middle schools in Brazil. Participants will be children and adolescents between the ages of 5 and 15 years, from both genders. The interventions will be focusing on changes in lifestyle, physical activities and nutritional education. Intervention activities will occur monthly in the school's multimedia room or sports court. The control group arm will receive usual recommendations by the school. The primary outcome variable will be anthropometric measures, such as body mass index percentiles and levels of physical activity by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire., Results:: We expect that after the study children will increase the ingestion of fresh food, reduce excessive consumption of sugary and processed foods, and reduce the hours of sedentary activities., Conclusion:: The purpose of starting the dietary intervention at this stage of life is to develop a knowledge that will enable for healthy choices, providing opportunities for a better future for this population., Fundamento:: As escolas tornaram-se essenciais para a promoção de saúde e de intervenções para obesidade, propiciando o desenvolvimento de consciência crítica para a construção e promoção de dieta saudável, atividade física e monitoramento do status nutricional na infância e adolescência., Objetivos:: Descrever um protocolo de estudo para avaliar a eficiência de uma intervenção projetada para aprimorar o conhecimento sobre escolhas alimentares no ambiente escolar., Métodos:: Estudo clínico randomizado em cluster, paralelo, de dois braços, conduzido em escolas públicas de ensino fundamental e médio no Brasil. Os participantes serão crianças e adolescentes entre 5 e 15 anos de idade, dos dois sexos. As intervenções se concentrarão em mudanças de estilo de vida, atividade física e educação nutricional. As atividades de intervenção ocorrerão mensalmente na sala de multimídia ou quadra de esportes das escolas. O grupo controle receberá as recomendações usuais através da escola. O desfecho primário será a mudança nas medidas antropométricas, como índice de massa corporal e os níveis de atividade física conforme o Questionário Internacional de Atividade Física., Resultados:: Esperamos que, após o estudo, as crianças aumentem o consumo de alimentos frescos, reduzam o consumo excessivo de alimentos açucarados e processados, e reduzam as horas gastas em atividades sedentárias., Conclusão:: O propósito de iniciar a intervenção dietética nessa fase da vida é desenvolver o conhecimento que permitirá escolhas saudáveis, propiciando oportunidades para um melhor futuro para essa população.

Background: Arterial hypertension is an important risk factor for cardiovascular outcomes. Blood pressure (BP) control levels remain largely out of target among primary healthcare (PHC) patients. Twenty-four-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) may contribute toward the identification of cardiovascular risk groups., Objective: To assess concordance between conventional office BP measurements and 24-h ABPM of hypertension control in cardiovascular risk groups of PHC hypertensive patients., Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study with 569 hypertensive patients was carried out. The evaluation of BP was performed by a PHC doctor, and the 24-h ABPM was performed by a different and blinded provider. The therapeutic targets for BP followed the guidance of The Eighth Joint National Committee, the Brazilian guideline, and the 2013 European Society of Hypertension. Considering the hypertension control therapeutic targets, the guidelines were not similar and were used to evaluate differences in BP value concordances compared with BP standard measurements., Results: After a multivariate logistic regression analysis, a conventional BP was used in comparison with ABPM in different cardiovascular risk groups of hypertensive patients. According to the ABPM by European Society of Hypertension guideline, the subgroup of inactive patients (P=0.006), with altered glycemia (P=0.015) and over 30 mg/dl albuminuria (P=0.001), presented discordance among methods. When a conventional BP measurement in comparison with the ABPM results according to the Brazilian ABPM guideline was used, the discordance occurred significantly in inactive (P=0.001) and microalbuminuria more than 30 mg/dl (P=0.022) subgroups. However, in this comparison, a concordance between high-density lipoprotein more than 60 mg/dl (P=0.015) and obesity (P=0.035) subgroups occurred., Conclusion: Uncontrolled glucose levels, a sedentary lifestyle, and the presence of microalbuminuria correspond to some cardiovascular risk groups that would particularly benefit from 24-h ABPM as a tool for the control of BP with the PHC hypertensive patients of this study.

Background:: Hypertension is an important risk factor for cardiovascular outcomes. Primary health care (PHC) physicians should be prepared to act appropriately in the prevention of cardiovascular risk factors. However, the rates of patients with control of blood pressure (BP) remain low. The impact of the reclassification of high BP by 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) can lead to different medical decisions in PHC., Objective:: To evaluate the agreement between the BP measured by a conventional method by PHC physicians and by 24-hour ABPM, considering different BP normal thresholds for the 24-hour ABPM according to the V Brazilian ABPM Guidelines and the European Society of Hypertension Guidelines., Methods:: A cross-sectional study including 569 hypertensive patients. The BP was initially measured by the PHC physicians and, later, by 24-hour ABPM. The BP measurements were obtained independently between the two methods. The therapeutic targets for the conventional BP followed the guidelines by the Eighth Joint National Committee (JNC 8), the V ABPM Brazilian Guidelines, and the 2013 European Hypertension Guidelines., Results:: There was an accuracy of 54.8% (95% confidence interval [95%CI] 0.51 - 0.58%) for the BP measured with the conventional method when compared with the 24-hour ABPM, with a sensitivity of 85% (95%CI 80.8 - 88.6%), specificity of 31.9% (95%CI 28.7 - 34.7%), and kappa value of 0.155, when considering the European Hypertension Guidelines. When using more stringent thresholds to characterize the BP as "normal" by ABPM, the accuracy was 45% (95%CI 0.41 - 0.47%) for conventional measurement when compared with 24-hour ABPM, with a sensitivity of 86.7% (95%CI 0.81 - 0.91%), specificity of 29% (95%CI 0.26 - 0.30%), and kappa value of 0.103., Conclusion:: The BP measurements obtained by PHC physicians showed low accuracy when compared with those obtained by 24-hour ABPM, regardless of the threshold set by the different guidelines., Fundamentos:: A hipertensão arterial sistêmica é um fator de risco importante para desfechos cardiovasculares. Médicos da atenção primária à saúde (APS) devem estar preparados para atuar adequadamente na prevenção de fatores de risco cardiovascular. No entanto, as taxas de pacientes com pressão arterial (PA) controlada continuam baixas. O impacto da reclassificação do diagnóstico de hipertensão pela utilização da monitorização ambulatorial da PA (MAPA) de 24 horas pode levar a diferentes decisões médicas na APS., Objetivo:: Avaliar a concordância entre as PAs medidas por método convencional por médicos da APS e por MAPA de 24 horas, considerando diferentes limiares de normalidade para a MAPA de 24 horas de acordo com as recomendações da V Diretriz Brasileira de MAPA e da Diretriz da Sociedade Europeia de Hipertensão., Métodos:: Estudo transversal com 569 pacientes hipertensos. A PA foi medida inicialmente por médicos da APS e, posteriormente, pela MAPA de 24 horas. As medidas foram obtidas de forma independente entre os dois métodos. Os alvos terapêuticos para a PA convencional seguiram as orientações do Eighth Joint National Committee (JNC 8), das V Diretrizes Brasileiras de MAPA e das Diretrizes Europeias de Hipertensão de 2013., Resultados:: Foi observada uma acurácia de 54,8% (intervalo de confiança de 95% [IC95%] 0,51 - 0,58%) para a PA aferida de forma convencional quando comparada à obtida com a MAPA de 24 horas, além de uma sensibilidade de 85% (IC95% 80,8 - 88,6%), especificidade de 31,9% (IC95% 28,7 - 34,7%) e kappa de 0,155, quando consideradas as Diretrizes Europeias de Hipertensão. Quando utilizados limiares mais rígidos para caracterizar a PA como "normal" pela MAPA, foi identificada uma acurácia de 45% (IC95% 0,41 - 0,47%) pela medida convencional quando comparada à obtida pela MAPA de 24 horas, além de uma sensibilidade de 86,7% (IC95% 0,81 - 0,91%), especificidade de 29% (IC95% 0,26 - 0,30%) e kappa de 0,103., Conclusão:: As medidas de PA avaliadas pelos médicos da APS apresentaram baixa acurácia quando comparadas às medidas pela MAPA de 24 horas, independente do limiar utilizado pelas diferentes diretrizes.

Objective:: To evaluate the effectiveness of video resources in increasing patient knowledge during preoperative orientation for cardiac surgery compared to standard orientation., Method:: Randomized clinical trial. Patients in the intervention group (IG) received bedside orientation with the aid of a short video and a slide presentation on the day prior to surgery. Patients in the control group (CG) received standard orientation. Allocation and analysis of knowledge were blinded. Analysis was performed according to the intention to treat principle., Results:: We included 90 patients, 45 in each group; 27.8% had incomplete primary education. There were no differences between groups in the baseline. After orientation, IG scored 7.20 (±1.56) and scored CG 2.71 (±1.96, p<0,001). The topic "surgical room" had the lowest proportion of correct answers in CG (6.7%), compared to IG (68.9%). The question about "postoperative unit" was the one with the highest proportion of correct answers in IG (93.3%), while in CG the proportion was 22.2%. "Ventilatory support" had a low proportion of correct answers in IG (60%), but still much higher than the correct answers in CG (17.8%)., Conclusion:: Orientation performed with the aid of video resources is more effective for knowledge retention in preoperative patients, compared to verbal orientation alone.

Introduction:: In recent decades, there has been a reduction in the number of graduates from medical schools who choose to pursue a career in scientific research. That has an impact on the profile of graduates, since medical education depends on understanding the formation of scientific evidence. The construction of new knowledge is also hampered by the reduction of medical scientists, whose clinical experience with patients provides an essential step towards medical Science evolution., Objective:: The present cross-sectional study sought to identify the interest in research among medical students from a federal university in southern Brazil., Method:: Medical students from a federal university were asked to respond to a self-administered questionnaire that sought to identify the level of knowledge about the importance of scientific research in medical training, and the interest of this population in this element of their training., Results:: 278 medical students from the first to the sixth year responded to the questionnaire, and 81.7% stated their interest in medical research. However, only 4.7% of respondents considered research as first in degree of importance to their medical training. The variable "interest in research" showed no statistically significant association with age, gender, presence of physicians in the family, or other prior college courses., Conclusion:: Although interest in research is clearly present among the students, this is still an underexplored element among the population studied. The incorporation of research in the learning process depends on stimulus and guidance until it becomes culturally consolidated as an essential element of the medical training.

Introduction: To assess dietary habits, nutritional status and food frequency in children and adolescents with Down syndrome (DS) and congenital heart disease (CHD). Additionally, we attempted to compare body mass index (BMI) classifications according to the World Health Organization (WHO) curves and curves developed for individuals with DS., Method: Cross-sectional study including individuals with DS and CHD treated at a referral center for cardiology, aged 2 to 18 years. Weight, height, BMI, total energy and food frequency were measured. Nutritional status was assessed using BMI for age and gender, using curves for evaluation of patients with DS and those set by the WHO., Results: 68 subjects with DS and CHD were evaluated. Atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD) was the most common heart disease (52.9%). There were differences in BMI classification between the curves proposed for patients with DS and those proposed by the WHO. There was an association between consumption of vitamin E and polyunsaturated fatty acids., Conclusion: Results showed that individuals with DS are mostly considered normal weight for age, when evaluated using specific curves for DS. Reviews on specific curves for DS would be the recommended practice for health professionals so as to avoid precipitated diagnosis of overweight and/or obesity in this population.

Objective: to verify the effectiveness of nursing orientation provided to families of patients in the immediate post-operative following cardiac surgery before the first visit to the post-anesthesia care unit, in decreasing anxiety levels, compared to the unit's routine orientation., Method: open randomized clinical trial addressing family members in the waiting room before the first visit in the immediate post-operative period. The family members assigned to the intervention group received audiovisual orientation concerning the patients' conditions at the time and the control group received the unit's routine orientation. Outcome anxiety was assessed using the STAI-State., Results: 210 individuals were included, 105 in each group, aged 46.4 years old on average (±14.5); 69% were female and 41% were the patients' children. The mean score obtained on the anxiety assessment in the intervention group was 41.3±8.6, while the control group scored 50.6±9.4 (p<0.001)., Conclusion: a nursing intervention focused on providing guidance to families before their first visit to patients in the immediate post-operative period of cardiac surgery helps to decrease the levels of anxiety of companions, making them feel better prepared for the moment. ReBEC (Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry) and The Universal Trial Number (UTN), No. U1111-1145-6172., Objetivo: verificar a efetividade das orientações de enfermagem a familiares de pacientes em pós-operatório imediato de cirurgia cardíaca, antes da primeira visita na sala de recuperação pós-anestésica, nos níveis de ansiedade, comparados com a orientação de rotina da unidade., Métodos: ensaio clínico randomizado, realizado com familiares abordados na sala de espera, antes da primeira visita no pós-operatório imediato. Familiares alocados no grupo intervenção receberam orientações audiovisuais sobre as condições em que o paciente se encontrava naquele momento, e o grupo controle recebeu as orientações de rotina da unidade. O desfecho ansiedade foi avaliado pelo inventário IDATE., Resultados: foram incluídos 210 sujeitos, 105 em cada grupo, com idade média de 46,4±14,5 anos, sendo 69% do sexo feminino e 41% filhos dos pacientes. Na avaliação da ansiedade, o escore médio para o grupo intervenção foi de 41,3±8,6 pontos e, para o grupo controle, 50,6±9,4 pontos (p<0,001)., Conclusão: a intervenção de enfermagem voltada à orientação de familiares, no momento que antecede a primeira visita no pós-operatório imediato de cirurgia cardíaca, contribui para possível redução da ansiedade dos acompanhantes, contribuindo para que se sintam mais preparados para esse momento. Registro Brasileiro de Ensaios Clínicos (ReBEC) e The Universal Trial Number (UTN), sob o número U1111-1145-6172., Objetivo: verificar la efectividad de las orientaciones de enfermería - dadas a familiares de pacientes en el posoperatorio inmediato de cirugía cardíaca, antes de la primera visita, en la sala de recuperación postanestésica - en los niveles de ansiedad, comparados con la orientación de rutina de la unidad., Métodos: ensayo clínico aleatorio, realizado con familiares abordados en la sala de espera, antes de la primera visita en el posoperatorio inmediato. Familiares designados para el grupo intervención recibieron orientaciones audiovisuales sobre las condiciones en que el paciente se encontraba en aquel momento, y el grupo control recibió las orientaciones de rutina de la unidad. El resultado ansiedad fue evaluado por el inventario IDATE., Resultados: fueron incluidos 210 sujetos, 105 en cada grupo, con edad promedio de 46,4±14,5 años, siendo 69% del sexo femenino y 41% eran hijos de los pacientes. En la evaluación de la ansiedad, el puntaje promedio para el grupo intervención fue de 41,3±8,6 puntos y, para el grupo control, 50,6±9,4 puntos (p<0,001)., Conclusión: la intervención de enfermería dirigida a orientar a familiares, en el momento que antecede a la primera visita en el posoperatorio inmediato de cirugía cardíaca, induce una posible reducción de la ansiedad de los acompañantes, contribuyendo para que se sientan más preparados para ese momento. Registro Brasileño de Ensayos Clínicos (ReBEC) y The Universal Trial Number (UTN), bajo el no U1111-1145-6172.

Background: Excessive weight is a cardiovascular risk factor since it generates a chronic inflammatory process that aggravates the endothelial function., Objective: To evaluate the endothelial function in individuals with excess weight and mild dyslipidemia using brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (BAFMD), and the association of endothelial function with anthropometric and biochemical variables., Methods: Cross-sectional study that included 74 individuals and evaluated anthropometric variables (body mass index [BMI], waist-hip ratio [WHR], waist circumference [AC], and percentage of body fat [PBF]), biochemical (blood glucose, insulinemia, ultrasensitive C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL-cholesterol) and endothelial function (BAFMD, evaluated by ultrasound). The statistical analysis was performed with SPSS, version 16.0. To study the association between the variables, we used chi-square, Student's t and Mann-Whitney tests, and Pearson's correlation. Logistic regression analyzed the independent influence of the factors. Values of p < 0.05 were considered significant., Results: The participants had a mean age of 50.8 years, and 57% were female. BMI, WC, WHR, and PBF showed no significant association with BAFMD. The male gender (p = 0.02) and higher serum levels of fibrinogen (p = 0.02) were significantly and independently associated with a BAFMD below 8%., Conclusions: In individuals with excess weight and mild untreated dyslipidemia, male gender and higher levels of fibrinogen were independently associated with worse BAFMD.

Background: In Brazil, the prevalence of systemic arterial hypertension (SAH) is approximately 30% of the total population. In 2010, SAH was the cause of death of about 9.4 million people worldwide. A healthy dietary pattern is important to maintain proper blood pressure levels and, consequently, disease control., Objectives: To describe the knowledge and practices of hypertensive patients cared for at a public hypertension outpatient clinic, and its relationship with high-sodium food., Methods: We applied a questionnaire to patients with questions related to sociodemographics, dietary pattern, frequency of ingestion of certain foods, and knowledge about their own disease., Results: We studied 221 patients, 56.1% of whom were women, and 53.8% had only elementary education. Their mean age was 57.7 ±13.5 years, and 75.6% of them reported having high blood pressure, and 11.3%, diabetes mellitus. Regarding dietary pattern, 62% used ready-to-use seasonings, but 94.1% reported not adding extra salt to their ready meals. Regarding patients' knowledge about high-sodium foods and SAH, only 8 patients had 100% of right answers, 37 patients had 73.8%, and 42 patients, 57% of right answers., Conclusion: Knowledge about SAH prevention and high-sodium foods was insufficient. Based on this study's findings, more effective educational strategies targeted at this population can be developed.

Background: CHDs form a complex and heterogeneous group of clinical entities, with high morbidity and mortality. With the advancement of surgical and invasive techniques and clinical treatment, the survival of these patients has increased significantly, and there are reports of a high prevalence of ocular abnormalities in this group. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of ocular findings in children and adolescents diagnosed with CHD., Methods: A systematic search was conducted in the following databases: MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE, and Cochrane CENTRAL, in addition to a manual search on studies published on the patient, from inception until August, 2014. Observational studies assessing the prevalence of ocular abnormalities in children and adolescents with CHDs were included., Results: Of the 2413 articles identified, eight were included, comprising a total of 1061 patients. Among them, the lowest and highest prevalences observed were 6.3 and 65%, respectively. The weighted average prevalence of ocular abnormalities was 32.5% (CI95% 19.3-49.3). Strabismus, cataracts, and retinopathy were the most frequently observed alterations., Conclusion: The prevalence of ocular abnormalities in children and adolescents with CHDs was 32.5%, demonstrating that ocular consequences are not uncommon in this population and may have relevant clinical impact. These results reinforce the need for ophthalmological evaluation of patients with CHDs.

Background: Resilience is a psychosocial factor associated with clinical outcomes in chronic diseases. The relationship between this protective factor and certain diseases, such heart diseases, is still under-explored., Objective: The present study sought to investigate the frequency of resilience in individuals with ischemic heart disease., Method: This was a cross-sectional study with 133 patients of both genders, aged between 35 and 65 years, treated at Rio Grande do Sul Cardiology Institute - Cardiology University Foundation, with a diagnosis of ischemic heart disease during the study period. Sixty-seven patients had a history of acute myocardial infarction. The individuals were interviewed and evaluated by the Wagnild & Young resilience scale and a sociodemographic questionnaire., Results: Eighty-one percent of patients were classified as resilient according to the scale., Conclusion: In the sample studied, resilience was identified in high proportion among patients with ischemic heart disease.