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Purpose We investigated the association between social and nutritional adversities in childhood and increased arterial stiffness in adulthood, according to race/skin color. Methods We used baseline data (2008–2010) from 13,365 adults (aged 34–75 years) from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). Arterial stiffness was assessed by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV). Childhood social and nutritional adversities were assessed by maternal education and birth weight. Race/skin color was self-reported. Results The lower the maternal education, the higher the cfPWV in adulthood in Whites, Browns, and Blacks. This association was no longer significant after adjusting for the participant's education level in Whites, but it persisted after full adjustment among Browns (low vs. high maternal education: β = 0.18, 95% confidence interval: 0.01; 0.34) and Blacks (low vs. high maternal education: β = 0.44, 95% confidence interval: 0.18; 0.70). On the other hand, the association between low birth weight and higher cfPWV was found only among Whites. Conclusions Our findings regarding the association between maternal education and arterial stiffness are consistent with the disproportionate burden of cardiovascular disease-related morbidity and mortality in Blacks and Browns. The fact that the association between birth weight and arterial stiffness was only present in Whites may have reflected a survival bias.

The association between racial discrimination and subclinical cardiovascular markers remains under-examined. We aimed to investigate the association of race/skin color and racial discrimination with pulse wave velocity (PWV) and carotid intima-media thickness (c-IMT) in the Brazilian context.We used data from 13,284 participants from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) baseline with information of PWV and 9850 for c-IMT. Self-reported race/skin color and perceived racial discrimination were the exposures. PWV and c-IMT were used continuously and categorizing according to cutoff that indicates increased cardiovascular risk. Linear and logistic regression models were used.Experience of racial discrimination was reported by 7% of total participants, but this prevalence was much higher among Blacks than Browns (PWV sample: 31,9% vs. 6,1%; c-IMT sample: 33,7% vs. 6,8%). After adjustments for age, sex, and research center, Blacks and Browns presented higher means of PWV and c-IMT and had greater chances of PWV10 m/s and c-IMT≥75th percentile than Whites. The magnitude of all these associations were higher among Blacks and Browns with racial discrimination. In final models adjusted for education this pattern of association remained the same, although an attenuation in the magnitude of the association has been observed.Blacks and Browns presented worse profiles of subclinical cardiovascular markers compared to Whites and those exposed to racial discrimination seem to have an additional cardiovascular risk.

The electrocardiogram is a simple and useful clinical tool; nevertheless, few studies have evaluated the prevalence of electrocardiographic abnormalities in the Latin American population. This study aims to evaluate the major electrocardiographic abnormalities according to the Minnesota coding system in Brazilian adults, stratified by gender, age, race, and cardiovascular risk factors. Data from 14,424 adults (45.8% men, age 35 to 74 years) were obtained at baseline of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil), according to standardized protocol. The electrocardiogram were obtained with the Burdick Atria 6100 machine, stored on Pyramis System, automatically coded according to the Minnesota coding system by the Glasgow University software and then manually revised. Major abnormalities were more prevalent in men than women (11.3% and 7.9%, p

Background The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the Brazilian healthcare system, resulting in deferral of elective cardiac procedures and avoidance of medical care due to social distancing. We aimed to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on hospital admissions and death rates associated with coronary events in a Brazilian large-scale private health system. Methods From March 18 - Sep 30, 2020 we evaluated the administrative database of UNIMED-BH, a cooperative Brazilian private insurance, with over 1.25 million clients from a large urban center. We collected data from admissions in all owned and accredited hospitals related to urgent and elective coronary events (acute coronary syndromes, coronary interventions, clinical management of coronary artery disease and invasive diagnostic procedures). Admissions in 2020 were compared to the 2-year historical series (2018, 2019), and rates/100,000 were calculated considering the mean covered population. Outcomes were assessed until October 15th, 15 days after the last enrollment. Results In the 196-day period, the number of coronary admissions in 2018, 2019 and 2020 were, respectively, 2,789, 3,519 and 2,348, and patients had a median age of 67 [58-76] years, being 59% men. The mean length of hospital stay was 6.7±9.3 days, and 27% had >1 admission in 3 years. The adjusted rates of admissions were 221, 278 and 184/100,000 clients, resulting in a significant 26% (95% CI 22 - 30) reduction in 2020 compared to the historical series (p

The prevalence of peripheral artery disease (PAD) is rising worldwide, with considerable impact on health care systems.We aimed to characterize the trends in therapeutic procedures and outcomes of PAD in the Brazilian Public Health System Database (DataSUS) between 2008 and 2012.The number of hospitalizations remained stable from 2008 to 2012, although there was a significant change in the proportions of treatment modalities. In 2008, surgical revascularization (SR) = 8,001 (29%), endovascular revascularization (EVR) = 3,207 (11%), and clinical treatment (CT) = 16,887 (60%); and in 2012, SR = 7,882 (28%), EVR = 5,044 (18%), and CT = 15,225 (54%); P 0.001, a 57% increase in EVR, and 9.8% decrease in CT. Total costs raised 37% (US $18.2-24.9 million, P 0.001), with a marked 92% increase in EVR costs (US $5.1-9.8 million), compared with SR (11%) and CT (30%). Mortality decreased for EVR (2.0-1.4%, P = 0.048), increased for CT (5.1-5.8%, P = 0.002) and remained stable for SR. A nonsignificant increase was observed in total mortality (5.7-5.9%, P = NS).Our analysis depicts the high-PAD mortality in Brazil emphasizing the need of preventing and controlling cardiovascular risk factors. The impact of PAD in costs increased, mainly because of costs related to EVR.

Approximately 30% of all hereditary diffuse gastric cancer (HDGC) families carry CDH1 germline mutations. The other two thirds remain genetically unexplained and are probably caused by alterations in other genes. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)/single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP)/sequencing, we screened 32 Portuguese families with a history of gastric cancer and 23 patients with early onset gastric cancer for CDH1 germline mutations. In probands negative for CDH1 mutations, we screened genes involved in hereditary cancer syndromes in which gastric cancer may be one of the component tumours, namely p53 (Li-Fraumeni Syndrome) and hMLH1 and hMSH2 (HNPCC). We also screened in these patients for mutations in Caspase-10, a gene inactivated in sporadic gastric cancer, and SMAD4, a gene whose inactivation in mice is associated with signet-ring cell carcinoma of the stomach. One of the families fulfilling the HDGC criteria harboured a CDH1 germline mutation, and one of the families with incomplete criteria harboured a p53 germline mutation. No mutations were identified in hMLH1 and hMSH2, and only sequence variants were found in SMAD4 and Caspase-10. The present work reports for the first time CDH1 germline mutations in Portuguese gastric cancer families, and highlights the need for p53 mutation screening in families lacking CDH1 germline mutations, in a country with one of the highest incidences of gastric cancer in the world. No evidence was found for a role of germline mutations in SMAD4 and Caspase-10 in families lacking CDH1 mutations.

ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is responsible for high morbidity and mortality, and new classes of drugs are being added to its treatment overtime. The real benefit versus the bleeding risk of the associations is not yet known, given the large diversity of regimens and doses. Objectives

Creating evidence-based systems of care for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) aims to optimize patient care, from early diagnosis to appropriate treatment in optimal time frames, in accordance to current guidelines. To evaluate the effects of an AMI System of Care in a large metropolitan area in