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Background: Prevention and reduction of excessive use of alcohol represents damages to society in general. In turn, arterial hypertension is the main attributable risk factor premature life lost years and disability. Objective: To investigate the relationship between alcohol consumption and high blood pressure in participants of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). Methodology: A baseline data of total of 7,655 participants volunteers between 35 and 74 years of age, of both genders, in six educational and research institutions of three different regions of the country were interviewed between 2008–2010. Socioeconomic, haemodynamic, anthropometric and health data were collected in the research centers of ELSA-Brasil. The presence of high blood pressure was identified when the systolic blood pressure was ≥140 mm Hg and/or the diastolic was ≥90 mm Hg. Alcohol consumption was estimated and categorized regarding consumption and pattern of ingestion. The Student’s t-test, chi-squared and logistic regression tests were used for analysis, including potential co-variables of the model, and a 5% significance level was adopted. Results: A dose-response relation was observed for the consumption of alcohol (g/week) in systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure. Alcohol consumption was associated with high blood pressure in men who reported moderate (OR = 1.69; 95%CI 1.35–2.11) and excessive (OR = 2.70; 95%CI 2.04–3.59) consumption. Women have nearly three times more chance of presenting elevated blood pressure when presenting excessive consumption (OR = 2.86, 95%CI 1.77–4.63), and binge drinkers who drink more than 2 to 3 times a month have approximately 70% more chance of presenting with elevated blood pressure, after adjusting for consumption of drinks with meals. Conclusion: The consumption of alcohol beverages increases the odds of elevated blood pressure, especially among excessive drinkers. Therefore alcohol consumption needs a more robust regulation in view of its impact on population health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectiv e: To describe the profile and evolution of the mortality rate due to motorcycle accidents in Belo Horizonte and its Metropolitan Region, from 2000 to 2012. Methods: A time series study with data ex tracted from the Mortality Information System (Sistema de Informações sobre Mortalidade, SIM) and from the IBGE. A linear regression model was used, with a 5% significance level. Results: From 2000 to 2012 there was a 278% increase in the number of deaths. The population most affected was that of male individuals, aged 20 to 29 years old, of black/brown skin, without partners, and with 8 to 11 years of schooling. The mortality rate increased from 1.7 to 3.58 deaths/100,000 inhabitants, with an increasing trend ( β=0.25 per year; p<0.01). Discussion: There was an increase in the mortality rate due to motorcycle accidents. The results of this study can contribute to the formulation of actions that prioritize the prevention of accidents in the public at greatest risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The secular trend of hyperuricemia coincides with the substantial increase in the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. Our aim was to evaluate the association between the consumption of soft drinks, dietary fructose and unsweetened, non-processed fruit juices with hyperuricemia in a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data (2008–2010; n = 7173) of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). The explanatory variables were the consumption of soft drinks, fruit juice, and fructose using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. The outcomes were hyperuricemia and the uric acid concentration in serum. Regression models were tested, and a significance level of 5% was adopted. In men, the daily consumption of a portion of soft drink/day (250 mL) almost doubled the chance of hyperuricemia with a linear trend. In women, the consumption of ≥0.1 to <1.0 soft drink/day was associated with a higher chance of hyperuricemia, but there was no linear trend. High fructose consumption in men and moderate and high consumption in women were associated with hyperuricemia. All categories of soft drinks consumption were linearly associated with increased serum uric acid levels. Our findings suggest that the consumption of soft drinks and dietary fructose is positively associated with a higher chance of hyperuricemia and higher uric acid levels in Brazilian adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]