Elaboração de um sistema de pontos para intervenções dietéticas em indivíduos hiperlipidêmicos / Preparations a scoring system for dietetic interventions in hyperlipidemic individuals

Fundamentos: Sabe-se da existência de substâncias dietéticas aterogênicas e promotoras de doenças cardiovasculares. Assim a utilização de um guia de fácil compreensão e manejo poderia auxiliar na escolha de alimentos saudáveis. Objetivo: Elaborar um instrumento de orientação alimentar como ferramenta para intervenção dietética em indivíduos com hiperlipidemias. Métodos: Foi elaborado um sistema de pontos com alimentos em medidas caseiras, considerando-se as características socioculturais da população. Criou-se uma listagem de alimentos que receberam pontuações para índicede colesterol/gordura saturada (CSI). O CSI foi calculado por meio de metodologia validada, utilizando a seguinte fórmula: CSI=(1,01xg de gordura saturada) + (0,05xmg decolesterol). Um índice baixo significa alta capacidade de redução das hiperlipidemias. A necessidade individual de gorduras e colesterol para o cálculo do CSI foi extraída das recomendações da American Heart Association. Resultados: Foi organizada uma dieta de pontos para colesterol em formato de cartilha acompanhada de material explicativo. Utilizou-se como representação gráfica o Guiada Pirâmide Alimentar Saudável, pois reflete rapidamente conceitos alimentares importantes, porém em formato decoração em alusão à prevenção de doenças cardiovasculares. Conclusão: Elaborou-se, com sucesso, um instrumento de orientação alimentar denominado Sistema de Pontos para Controle de Colesterol e Gordura no Sangue. É uma ferramenta que pode apoiar a capacitação de profissionais promotores da saúde, para orientar pacientes e a população em geral.

Background: The existence of foods containing atherogenic substances that cause cardiovascular diseases is well known. An eating guide that is easy tohandle and understand could thus help patients choose healthier foods.Objective: To prepare an eating guide as a tool for dietetic intervention in hyperlipidemic individuals. Methods: A food scoring system was drawn up,assigning points to foods using ordinary home measurements, considering the social and cultural characteristics of the population. A list of foods was prepared, assigning points based on the Cholesterol / Saturated Fat Index (CSI). This Index was calculatedthrough a validated methodology based on the following formula: CSI=(1.01xg saturated fat) + (0.05xmg of cholesterol). A low score indicates goodcapacity for reducing hyperlipidemias. The individual fat and cholesterol requirements for calculating thisIndex are drawn from the American Heart Association recommendations. Results: A cholesterol score diet was designed and presented in a leaflet, together with explanatory materials,using the Healthy Food Guide Pyramid as this clearly demonstrates important food-related concepts, but reshaped into a heart in order to underscore its importance for preventing cardiovascular diseases. Conclusion: A successful eating guide was prepared,using a points system to score cholesterol and fat in the blood. This tool can provide input for trainingprofessional health promoters, as well as offering guidance to patients and the population in general.

Associação de doença periodontal com Síndrome Coronária Aguda: um estudo caso-controle / Association of periodontal disease with acute coronary syndrome: a case-control study

INTRODUÇÃO: Estudos epidemiológicos experimentais, assim como evidências clínicas, têm sugerido que o desenvolvimento da doença cardiovascular (DCV), aterosclerose e infarto cerebral podem ser influenciados por infecção. Desta forma, tem-se demonstrado que pessoas com manifestações clínicas de doença arterial coronariana (DAC) ou infarto cerebral apresentam infecções periodontais mais graves e que a gravidade da doença periodontal apresentou correlação positiva com a aterosclerose. OBJETIVO O objetivo deste estudo é avaliar a associação da doença periodontal em pacientes com e sem diagnóstico de síndrome coronária aguda e investigar as possíveis associações com os fatores de risco conhecidos. MATERIAL E MÈTODO: Foram selecionados os participantes no Hospital Dante Pazzanese de Cardiologia para os grupos caso e controle. Foram entrevistados por meio de um questionário estruturado e submetidos a exame clínico periodontal que consistiu na avaliação dos seguintes parâmetros clínicos: profundidade de sondagem e nível clínico de inserção em seis sítios por dente em todos os dentes presentes na cavidade oral. As variáveis contínuas foram descritas em média e desvio-padrão. As comparações das variáveis contínuas foram feitas através do teste t de Student não pareado ou através do teste de Mann-Whitney para dados assimétricos. As variáveis categóricas foram descritas por freqüência relativa e absoluta dentro dos grupos caso e controle, e foram aplicados os testes de Qui-quadrado ou, quando possível, o teste exato de Fisher para verificar associação. A análise multivariada foi realizada pelo modelo de regressão logística. RESULTADOS: Participaram do estudo 96 indivíduos com média de idade de 52,5 anos (com desvio padrão de 12,4). Dos indivíduos do grupo controle 18,2 por cento apresentaram quadro de periodontite grave enquanto, que no grupo caso, 40,4 por cento apresentaram este quadro (p=0,03)...

INTRODUCTION: Epidemiological Studies, experimental and clinical evidence, have suggested that the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD), atherosclerosis and stroke may be influenced by infection. This way, it has been shown that persons with clinical signs of coronary artery disease (CAD) or stroke have more severe periodontal infections and the severity of periodontal disease was related correlation with atherosclerosis. PURPOSE The objective of this study is to evaluate the Association of periodontal disease in patients with and without diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome and investigate possible associations with known risk factors. MATERIAL and METHODS: Participants were selected at the Cardiology Hospital Dante Pazzanese for case and control groups. Were interviewed using a structured questionnaire and underwent clinical examination which consisted in periodontal evaluation on the following clinical parameters: probing depth and clinical level of insertion into six sites per tooth in all teeth present in the oral cavity. The continuous variables were described on average and standard deviation. Comparisons of continuous variables were made through the test the student's t not paired or through Mann-Whitney test for asymmetrical data. Categorical variables were described by relative frequency and absolute within groups and were applied Q Square Q test or, when possible, the Fisher exact test. The multivariate analysis was conducted by logistic regression model. RESULTS: 96 individuals participated in the study with mean age of 52.5 years (with standard deviation of 12.4). In the control group 18.2 per cent have severe periodontitis frame while in Group case, 40.4 per cent showed this frame (p=0,03)...

Connections: can the 20th century coronary heart disease epidemic reveal something about the 1918 influenza lethality?

This essay proposes that the ecologic association shown between the 20th century coronary heart disease epidemic and the 1918 influenza pandemic could shed light on the mechanism associated with the high lethality of the latter. It suggests that an autoimmune interference at the apoB-LDL interface could explain both hypercholesterolemia and inflammation (through interference with the cellular metabolism of arachidonic acid). Autoimmune inflammation, then, would explain the 1950s-60s acute coronary events (coronary thrombosis upon influenza re-infection) and the respiratory failure seen among young adults in 1918. This hypothesis also argues that the lethality of the 1918 pandemic may have not depended so much on the 1918 virus as on an immune vulnerability to it, possibly resulting from an earlier priming of cohorts born around 1890 by the 1890 influenza pandemic virus.

Immunocomb Chlamydia bivalent assay to study Chlamydia species-specific antibodies in patients with coronary heart disease.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Serological evidences suggested an association between Chlamydia pneumoniae infection and coronary heart disease (CHD). Efficacy of available serological tests for detection of C. pneumoniae antibody has been debated. The present study was carried-out to assess the efficacy of Immunocomb Chlamydia bivalent IgG assay vis-à-vis micro immunofluorescence (MIF) test in detecting C. pneumoniae and C. trachomatis--specific antibodies in patients with CHD. METHODS: Serum samples collected from clinically confirmed cases of CHD (n=114) were subjected to Immunocomb Chlamydia bivalent assay and the standard MIF test. Antibodies specific to C. pneumoniae and C. trachomatis were detected quantitatively. RESULTS: Though Immunocomb Chlamydia bivalent test yielded 73.7 per cent positivity for C. pneumoniae- specific IgG antibody (compared to 50.8% by MIF), the specificity of Immunocomb was found only 32.14 per cent. Positive and negative predictive values of Immunocomb assay were 54.8 and 60.0 per cent respectively. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: The findings of the present study indicated that though Immunocomb assay was inferior to MIF, it can be used as a method for presumptive serology due to its rapidity and ease of performance. Wherever possible, one or more additional tests should also be performed to increase the specificity of such studies.

Autoantibody against, Malondialdehyde-Modified Low Density Lipoprotein in Patients with Non-Diabetic Unstable Angina: A Potential Role in Immunologic Reaction of Plaque Instability

The role of autoantibody against oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis is still unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine whether autoantibodies against malondialdehyde (MDA)-modified LDL are associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) and clinical presentations of CAD in non-diabetic patients without acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We determined the serum levels of autoantibody against MDA-modified LDL by ELISA in 71 patients with angiographically significant CAD (> or = 50% diameter stenosis in at least 1 vessel) and 80 controls without angiographically significant CAD. Among the total 151 subjects, 30 subjects did not have any clinical ischemic event, 90 subjects had stable angina symptoms, and 31 subjects had unstable angina symptoms. The autoantibody titer, expressed mean optical density units, was significantly higher in patients with CAD than in controls (0.177+/- 0.014 versus 0.127+/- 0.011, respectively; p=0.006) and higher in unstable angina group than in stable angina group (0.240+/- 0.025 versus 0.145+/- 0.007, respectively; p < 0.001). By logistic regression analysis, the high autoantibody titer was associated significantly with CAD (P=0.008), independent of age, gender, body mass index, triglyceride concentration, and the ratio of total cholesterol-high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. In multiple regression analysis, presence of CAD, smoking history and low HDL-cholesterol level were independent factors associated with a increased anti-oxLDL Ab titer. The autoantibody titer was significantly lower in nonsmoker than smoker (p=0.019) and higher in low HDL- cholesterol (< or = 35 mg/dl) group than in high HDL-cholesterol group (p=0.012). Elevated autoantibody titer was associated with CAD and the unstable clinical presentation of CAD. Our results suggest that immune response to oxidized LDL may play a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and plaque instability.

Chlamydia pneumoniae antibodies and angiographically demonstrated coronary artery disease in Thailand.

Recent reports have suggested an association between Chlamydia pneumoniae and coronary artery disease. This study investigated the relationship between the presence of immunoglobulin G (IgG), immunoglobulin A (IgA) of C. pneumoniae in angiographically diagnosed coronary disease. Patients enrolled were 243 (178 male, 65 female, mean age 61 +/- 10 years) with angiographically proven at least one significant coronary artery stenosis. Fifty-eight patients (33 male, 25 female, mean age 57 +/- 11 years) with no angiographic evidence of coronary lesions were used as the normal coronary angiogram group. Control subjects (95 male, 92 female, mean age 58 +/- 17 years) were used as normal healthy persons who had no history of coronary artery disease. C. pneumoniae IgG and IgA antibodies were measured by ELISA method. We found that 179 out of 243 (73.7%) coronary artery disease (CAD) patients were positive for IgG and 132 out of 243 (54.3%) were positive for IgA. In 58 normal coronary angiogram patients, 23 (39.7%) cases were positive for IgG and 6 (10.3%) cases were positive for IgA. Among 187 healthy controls, 111 (59.4%) cases were positive for IgG and 83 (44.4%) were positive for IgA. When C. pneumoniae IgG antibodies were considered, there was significant difference between CAD patients and healthy controls (OR = 1.91, 95% CI = 1.27 - 2.88, p = 0.0018). In cases of positive IgA antibodies, significant difference was also found between CAD patients and healthy controls (OR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.02 - 2.19, p = 0.0257). These findings were also found with higher odds ratio when we compared between CAD patients and normal coronary angiogram patients. The result suggested that C. pneumoniae infection is common in Thai people and chronic C. pneumoniae infection is more common in CAD patients. Chronic C. pneumoniae infection may be associated with the development of atherosclerotic coronary disease and treatment with antibiotics should be considered in ischemic heart disease.