Abstract Background: Obesity has been identified as a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Objective: To evaluate the association of central obesity with the incidence of cardiovascular diseases and risk factors. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study, carried out with patients treated at a metabolic syndrome outpatient clinic, with body mass index ≥ 24.9 kg/m2. Nutritional status, laboratory tests (lipid and glycemic profile) and blood pressure status were analyzed. Participants were stratified into groups regarding the presence or absence of […]

Abstract Chronic Chagas disease cardiomyopathy (CCC) is a result of low-intensity, but incessant, focal fibrosing myocarditis, caused by persistent T. cruzi infection associated with inflammation, mediated by adverse immune mechanisms. About 30 percent of infected individuals have developed throughout life the chronic cardiac form of Chagas’ disease with protean clinical manifestations, such as sudden death, signs and symptoms of heart failure, cardioembolic events, arrhythmia and angioid symptoms. Sudden death and the progression of heart failure (HF) are the most common […]

Abstract Heart failure is one of the most important and challenging public health problems of the 21st century and is associated with hard outcomes, such as death and hospitalization. New treatments for heart failure, despite the decrease in mortality, have not contributed to the decrease in hospitalization rates. Patients admitted with heart failure have a high event rate (> 50%) with a mortality rate between 10 and 15% and a rehospitalization rate within 6 months after discharge of 30 to […]

Introduction The endothelium is a monolayer of cells, called endothelial cells, that lines the interior of blood vessels, including arteries, veins and cardiac chambers, acting as a protective layer between circulating blood and other tissues. The endothelium is crucial for the control of vascular homeostasis, and is involved in the regulation of intracellular signaling, vascular tonus and permeability, coagulation cascade and angiogenesis, among others. One of the main activities of the endothelium is the release of autocrine and paracrine substances […]

Abstract Vitamin D is considered a steroid hormone with a broad spectrum of action in the human body. Its action arises from the binding of its active metabolite (1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D) to its receptor (VDR), which is present throughout the body, including vascular smooth muscle cells and cardiomyocytes. Initially, vitamin D deficiency was related only to changes in the musculoskeletal system, but in recent years, researchers have demonstrated its relationship with several pathologies related to other systems, such as cardiovascular diseases. […]

Abstract Background: Heart failure is a highly prevalent disease, responsible for many admissions and high mortality rates in our country. The treatment influences patient’s mortality and quality of life. Objective: To identify and compare the clinical and epidemiological survivor’s and non-survivor’s profiles and treatment of patients hospitalized with heart failure with the international literature. Methods: Cross-sectional, retrospective study of 816 survivors and non-survivors with heart failure. All patients had their clinical and epidemiological, laboratory and echocardiographic data and treatment recorded. […]

Abstract Background: The constant concern about quality of life nowadays has incited individuals to seek parameters for disease prevention. Along with that, arise a need to investigate and the ability to measure elements that characterize an appropriate lifestyle. Objective: To compare the factors determining the quality of life of students in the healthcare area using the Fantastic questionnaire. Methods: Descriptive, cross-sectional, population study. The sample was obtained by convenience and comprised medical and physical therapy students of both sexes and […]

Abstract Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the main cause of mortality and it represents a significant percentage of hospitalizations. In the scenario of minimization of costs of the health system, methods that identify subclinical CVD would be important. Some guidelines include the measures of aortic stiffness and intima-media thickness of the carotid artery as methods to identify subclinical CVD in hypertensive patients. The pulse wave velocity (PWV) is the gold standard for the evaluation of arterial stiffness. In this review, we […]

Abstract Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are responsible for many deaths in Brazil and in the world, especially in the economically active population. Risk factors for these diseases include comorbidities such as high blood pressure (HBP), diabetes mellitus (DM) and dyslipidemia. Innovation of portable technology combined with the high prevalence of CVDs motivated the development of the ASCVD Risk Estimator by the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology. Objectives: Estimate the cardiovascular risk of patients hospitalized in the internal medicine wards […]

Abstract Background The new American Heart Association guidelines for hypertension (HT) proposed a reduction of the diagnostic cut-off point, leading to a substantial increase in the prevalence of HT. Objectives To assess the prevalence of HT determined by the traditional criteria, the AHA criteria, and home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) in a population of young adults attending a primary healthcare unit, and its association with cardiovascular risk. Methods A cross-sectional population study on adults aged from 20 to 50 years […]

Abstract Chronic Chagas disease cardiomyopathy (CCC) is a result of low-intensity, but incessant, focal fibrosing myocarditis, caused by persistent T. cruzi infection associated with inflammation, mediated by adverse immune mechanisms. About 30 percent of infected individuals have developed throughout life the chronic cardiac form of Chagas’ disease with protean clinical manifestations, such as sudden death, signs and symptoms of heart failure, cardioembolic events, arrhythmia and angioid symptoms. Sudden death and the progression of heart failure (HF) are the most common […]

Abstract Background: Tobacco use and hypertension are leading preventable causes of death globally. Tobacco is presented as smoked or smokeless tobacco (ST). ST use has been related to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes (T2D), and cancer. In Venezuela, chimó is the most common ST preparation, and its relationship with hypertension is unknown. Objective: To evaluate the relationship between chimó use and hypertension in a population with a high prevalence of ST use in Venezuela. Methods: From 2013-2014, a total of […]

Abstract Background: There have been scattered reports indicating the possibility that applied magnetic fields can lower human blood viscosity, which has been considered as encouraging for decreasing blood pressure as a result of greater fluidity. Additional motivation comes from partial studies in animals showing some response of vascular variables to magnetic fields. Recently developed FeNbB magnets enable topical application to appropriate sites of much stronger permanent magnetic fields than previously available. Objectives: To establish whether powerful magnetic fields permanently applied […]

Abstract Heart failure is one of the most important and challenging public health problems of the 21st century and is associated with hard outcomes, such as death and hospitalization. New treatments for heart failure, despite the decrease in mortality, have not contributed to the decrease in hospitalization rates. Patients admitted with heart failure have a high event rate (> 50%) with a mortality rate between 10 and 15% and a rehospitalization rate within 6 months after discharge of 30 to […]

Circumference measures, also called perimetry, are part of the anthropometric evaluation. Important Brazilian guidelines, as well as the Brazilian Society of Cardiology (SBC), have considered the abdominal circumference values as a point of reference to classify the risk for cardiovascular disease development. However, what is the adequate terminology that should be used to quantify the increased cardiovascular disease risk: abdominal circumference or waist circumference? […]

Abstract Background Left ventricular apical thrombus (AT) is generally associated with ischemic and non-ischemic cardiomyopathies. The thrombo-inflammatory process plays an important role in the pathophysiology of acute coronary syndromes and post-myocardial thromboembolic complications. Mean platelet volume (MPV) has been linked to poor prognosis following myocardial infarction. Recently, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) has emerged as a new marker of worse outcomes linking inflammation and thrombosis. Objective We aimed to investigate the prognostic significance of the marker – mean platelet volume to lymphocyte […]

Introduction High-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can generate cerebral blood flow capable of inducing different levels of consciousness in patients. This process, called CPR-induced consciousness (CPRIC), has been reported in the literature.– The prevalence of CPRIC has been estimated at 0.3% to 0.9%. However, this low prevalence could be attributed to study design or sample size. […]

A new kid on the Block in POCUS: “LISA” Transesophageal echocardiography (TTE) and computed tomography angiography (CTA) are methods of choice for definitive diagnosis and prognostic stratification of acute aortic syndromes (AAS). Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has important applications in the initial workup of these patients in the emergency room (ER), ruling out other potential causes of chest pain and allowing a faster diagnosis, although conventional transthoracic echocardiographic acoustic windows do not allow for imaging of some segments of the thoracic […]