The Medical Burden of Heart Failure: A Comparative Delineation with Cancer in Brazil

Abstract Background: Due to its poor prognosis and mortality rates, heart failure (HF) has been recognized as a malignant condition, comparable to some cancers in developed countries. Objectives: To compare mortality from HF and prevalent cancers using data from a nationwide database in Brazil. Methods: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study using secondary data obtained from Brazilian administrative databases of death records and hospitalization claims maintained by the Ministry of Health. Data were analyzed according to main diagnosis, year of occurrence (2005-2015), sex and age group. Descriptive analyses of absolute number of events, hospitalization rate, mortality rate, and in-hospital mortality rate were performed. Results: The selected cancers accounted for higher mortality, lower hospitalization and higher in-hospital mortality rates than HF. In a group analysis, HF showed mortality rates of 100-150 per 100,000 inhabitants over the period, lower than the selected cancers. However, HF had a higher mortality rate than each type of cancer, even when compared to the most prevalent and deadly ones. Regarding hospitalization rates, HF was associated with a higher risk of hospitalization when compared to cancer-related conditions as a group. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that HF has an important impact on mortality, hospitalization and in-hospital mortality, comparable to or even worse than some types of cancer, representing a potential burden to the healthcare system.

Maintained activity in ankylosing spondylitis patients treated with TNFi and/or NSAID for at least 12 weeks: a cross-sectional study in Brazil

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to evaluate disease activity among patients with axial spondyloarthritis (AS) treated with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) and/or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for at least 12 weeks in private outpatient settings in Brazil. Methods This was a cross-sectional, real-world study conducted in 17 Brazilian private health care institutes. Patients were selected if diagnosed with AS or axial radiographic spondyloarthritis (AxSpA) and treated with NSAIDs or TNFi for at least 12 weeks within the last 26 weeks prior to enrollment. The data were collected from interviewed-based and self-administered questionnaires from patients and physicians. Disease activity was defined as active (≥ 4), low /suboptimal (≥ 2 and < 4) and inactive (< 4) by Bath AS Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) and/or very high (≥ 3.5), high (≥ 2.1 to < 3.5), low (≥ 1.3 to < 2.1), and inactive (< 1.3) by AS Disease Activity Score (ASDAS-CRP). Both patients and physicians' perceptions of disease control were assessed using a numeric rating scale (NRS; 0—inactive to 10—very active disease). Results The cohort included 378 patients with a mean age of 46 years, and the median time since diagnosis until enrollment was 5.4 years (interquartile range 2.7-10.5). Most patients were treated with TNFi alone (74%), followed by TNFi in combination with NSAID (15%), and NSAID alone (11%). About half AS patients showed active disease and 24% of patients showed low activity/suboptimal disease control despite having been treated for at least 12 weeks. Although TNFi showed better disease control than NSAID, inactive disease was experienced by few patients. The NRS (mean [standard deviation]) score for disease perception was 4.24 (3.3) and 2.85 (2.6) for patients and physicians, respectively. Conclusion This real-world study showed that most AS patients on TNFi and/or NSAID had not achieved an adequate disease control, as almost 75% of them exhibited active disease or low activity/suboptimal disease control. There remains a need for improved disease management among patients with AS.

Variantes genéticas da N-acetiltransferase 2, CYP2E1 e glutationa S-transferase: relação com a segurança terapêutica em pacientes com tuberculose / Genetic variants of N-acetyltransferase 2, CYP2E1 and glutathione S-transferase: relation with therapeutic safety in patients with tuberculosis

Polimorfismos nos genes da n-acetiltransferase 2 (NAT2), CYP2E1 e glutationa S-transferase (GST) têm sido associados a diferenças na resposta ao tratamento da tuberculose. O papel de variantes dos genes NAT2, CYP2E1 e GSTM1/GSTT1, no perfil de segurança do tratamento da tuberculose, foi avaliado em 99 pacientes com tuberculose, sem co-infecção por HIV ou vírus da hepatite, tratados por 6 meses. Amostras de sangue foram colhidas antes e durante o tratamento para avaliação de marcadores de lesão hepatocelular (ASL T e AST), colestase (ALP, GGT e bilirrubinas) e função renal (creatinina). O DNA genômico foi extraído de sangue colhido em EDTA pelo método precipitação salina. Os polimorfismos NAT2 foram analisados por PCR-RFLP e seqüenciamento de DNA. Os polimorfismos da região promotora do CYP2E1 foram detectados por PCR-RFLP e para a análise dos genótipos nulos de (GSTM1*0) foi utilizada a PCR multiplex. Durante o tratamento, 59,6% dos pacientes apresentaram reações adversas aos medicamentos (RAM) e alterações nos marcadores de lesão hepatocelular e colestase, com aumento de 1 a 4 vezes o limite superior de referência. Foi observada forte relação entre RAM e alterações nos marcadores séricos (p< 0,05) e também com o uso de medicação concomitante (p< 0,001)...