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Background and Aims: in the Southern Cone of Latin America, previous studies have shown that blood hypertension is one of the most significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and diet plays a fundamental role. We analyzed the cross-sectional relationship between dietary patterns (DP) and blood pressure values in people involved in the CESCAS I Study.Methods and Results: the participants (n = 4626) were derived from randomly selected samples in 4 cities (Bariloche and Marcos Paz, Argentina; Temuco, Chile; and Pando-Barros Blancos, Uruguay). To define DP, a food-frequency questionnaire was applied and principal component analysis was performed. Blood pressure was determined according to standardized guidelines. A multivariate regression model was developed to determine the association between each DP and blood pressure values, according to the quartile (Q) of adherence to DP. Two predominant DP were detected, Prudent (PDP, higher consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fish, seafood and nuts) and Western (WDP, higher consumption of red and processed meats, dressings, sweets, snacks and refined grains). A significant inverse association was found between adherence to PDP and systolic and diastolic blood pressure (-1.85 and -1.29 mmHg for Q4 vs Q1, respectively). Adherence to WDP was positively associated with systolic blood pressure (2.09 mmHg for Q4 vs Q1).Conclusion: the WDP detected in the studied population is positively associated with higher levels of blood pressure, while greater adherence to healthy DP has a positive impact on blood pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the burden of malaria in Latin America and the Caribbean countries through a systematic review and meta-analysis of published literature, gray literature, and information from countries’ public health authorities for the period 1990 to 2009. Methods The random-effects meta-analysis of the prospective studies, carried out in very highly endemic areas, showed an annual incidence rate of 409.0 malaria episodes/1000 person-years (95% confidence interval [CI] 263.1–554.9), considering all ages, which was 40-fold the one estimated from areas with passive surveillance only. Results Overall, the most prevalent species was Plasmodium vivax (77.5%; 95% CI 75.6–79.4) followed by Plasmodium falciparum (20.8%; 95% CI 19.0–22.6) and Plasmodium malariae (0.08%; 95% CI 0.07–0.010). Data from regional ministries of health yielded an estimated pooled crude annual mortality rate of 6 deaths/100,000 people, mainly associated with P. falciparum . Conclusion This study represents the first systematic review of the burden of malaria in Latin America and the Caribbean, with data from 21 countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]