Background: Smoking is the most important risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD) and ischemic events; alcohol consumption, on the other hand, appears to have a protective role. Objective: Assess the association between smoking and alcohol consumption with the severity of coronary artery injuries in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods: Cross-sectional study, performed in Santa Catarina. Variables were evaluated using the Chi-squared T/Fisher’s exact test, Kendall’s correlation coefficient, Student’s t test or Mann-Whitney U test. Values of p […]

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? […]

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is less frequent in young individuals (? 45 years) than in older ones (> 45 years). Young AMI patients differ from older AMI patients in different ways. This article aims to assess the differences between young and older AMI patients. A search was made in the database of Cochrane Library, PubMed, BioMed Central and Embase, sence their establishment to December 2016, using the key words: risk factors, clinical characteristics, acute myocardial infarction and young. Meta-analysis was […]

Abstract Background: Cardiovascular diseases are a major cause of morbidity and mortality today. Despite its wide distribution, it presents particularly prevalent in certain groups of individuals, particularly when exposed to a higher degree of inflammation, giving increased cardiovascular risk. Rheumatic diseases expose their holders to this increased cardiovascular risk condition; however only recently have been associated with spondyloarthritis, particularly ankylosing spondylitis (AS). For being a classically autoimmune disease related to HLA histocompatibility system, AS may present phenotypic variations in different […]

Abstract Background: Maximum oxygen consumption (VO2 max) in healthy individuals decreases approximately 10% per decade of life, and such decrease is more pronounced after the seventh decade. Objectives: To assess functional capacity of individuals aged 75 years or older, submitted to ergometric test and transthoracic echocardiogram exam, by means of metabolic equivalent (MET) and VO2 max measurements. Methods: A total of 381 patients (205 women; 79 ± 3.7 years) were evaluated. Exclusion criteria were: presence of left ventricular (LV) systolic […]

Exposure to environmental pollution is a key factor in the development and worsening of cardiovascular diseases. This alert was issued in a 2004 statement from the American Heart Association (AHA). A large body of new scientific evidence has been accumulated since then, allowing for a better understanding of the aspects related to this modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. […]

Abstract Background: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is defined as the death of cardiomyocytes due to prolonged ischemia, caused by thrombosis and / or vasospasm on an atherosclerotic plaque. Objective: To determine the incidence of patients with myocardial infarction undergoing primary angioplasty; characterize the anthropometric variables and identify the risk factors in this population. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, observational, retrospective study in which we collected secondary data from medical records of a hospital in a city in the state of […]

Abstract Background: No previous study has evaluated the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) in more than one region in Venezuela. Objective: To determine the prevalence of MS in three Venezuelan regions. Methods: From 2006 to 2010, a total of 1,320 subjects aged ≥ 20 years were selected by multistage stratified random sampling from the regions of Lara State (western region), Mérida State (the Andean region), and Capital District (Capital Region). Anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, and biochemical analysis were obtained from […]

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 identification of peripheral artery disease (PAD) can help prevent further progression of the disease and additional complications, considering that this condition is a risk factor for all-cause mortality and cardiovascular death. Objective: To assess the prevalence of PAD in the Baependi Heart Study and investigate associated risk factors in different age groups. Methods: A total of 1,627 individuals (of both genders and aged 18 – 102 years) residing in the municipality of Baependi (Minas Gerais, Brazil) were […]