Cardiovascular Risk Profile of a Young Adult Women Population Assisted in Primary Care

Abstract Background Although cardiovascular disease is a major cause of death among women, cardiovascular risk assessment in young women is frequently postponed due to a number of factors. Objectives To assess cardiovascular risk of young adult women living in one of Rio de Janeiro's Family Health Strategy geographical units in the city's central area. Materials and Methods populational, cross-sectional study with adults between 20 and 50 years old. Sociodemographic characteristics such as educational level and employment status were recorded. Anthropometric measurements, traditional cardiovascular risk factors, gynecological and gestational history, and selected laboratory exams were assessed. The bivariate analysis compared the baseline characteristics of the population between genders and the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in women according to educational level and occupation status, using non-paired Student's t-test for normal continuous variables, Mann-Whitney test for asymmetrical continuous variables, and chi-square test for categorical variables. A significance level of 5% (p < 0.05) was adopted. Results A total of 710 individuals were enrolled. In women, who comprised 59.7% of our sample, central obesity and a sedentary lifestyle were more prevalent, whereas smoking and hypertension were less observed. However, women with lower educational status had a higher prevalence of smoking and hypertension. In hypertensive women, factors such as early menopause, higher prevalence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and higher number of pregnancies were noticed. Conclusion An adverse cardiovascular risk profile in our population of young women was particularly influenced by central obesity, sedentary lifestyle, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and lower educational status.

O câncer de colo do útero no Brasil: uma retrospectiva sobre as políticas públicas voltadas à saúde da mulher / Cervical cancer in Brazil: a retrospective on public policies for women's health

O câncer de colo do útero é a terceira neoplasia mais incidente entre as brasileiras, com taxa de mortalidade acima de 5/100 mil mulheres, apesar de possuir bom prognóstico quando diagnosticado em fases precoces. No Brasil, políticas públicas voltadas para o câncer de colo do útero vêm sendo desenvolvidas desde a década de 1970 e incluíram diversos programas de rastreamento, que conseguiram aumentar o acesso ao teste de Papanicolau, com patamar de cobertura estável nos últimos anos, em torno dos 83%. Em 2014, a vacina anti-HPV foi incluída no Calendário Nacional de Vacinação. O mais recente Plano de Ações Estratégicas possui metas de aumento da cobertura de exame citopatológico e tratamento de todas as mulheres com lesões precursoras. Outras duas iniciativas foram criadas: o Programa de Qualificação de Ginecologistas para Assistência Secundária às Mulheres com Alterações Citológicas Relacionadas às Lesões Intraepiteliais e ao Câncer de Colo do Útero e a formalização da Rede Colaborativa para a Prevenção do Câncer de Colo do útero. Mesmo com o constante avanço dessas medidas, mais de 70% das brasileiras são diagnosticadas em fases avançadas da doença, o que impacta negativamente no prognóstico. A análise dos protocolos de tratamento voltados para a saúde coletiva mostra defasagem em relação ao cenário internacional e nacional preconizado por sociedades médicas, especialmente no tratamento de fases tardias da doença. Apesar dos avanços na difusão de medidas preventivas e alcance de ampla cobertura do rastreamento, o câncer de colo do útero continua a ser um problema de saúde importante no país.

Cervical cancer is the third most frequent neoplasm among Brazilian women, with a mortality rate of more than 5/100 thousand women, despite having a good prognosis when diagnosed in the early stages. In Brazil, public policies for cervical cancer have been developed since the 1970s and have included several screening programs that have been able to increase access to the Papanicolaou test, with a stable coverage level in recent years, around 83%. In 2014, the anti-HPV vaccine was included in the National Vaccination Calendar. The most recent Strategic Action Plan has targets to increase coverage of cytopathological examination and treatment of all women with precursor lesions. Two other initiatives were created: the Qualification Program of Gynecologists for Secondary Care for Women with Cytologic Alterations Related to Intraepithelial Lesions and Cervical Cancer, and the formalization of the Collaborative Network for the Prevention of Cervical Cancer. Even with constant progress of these measures, more than 70% of Brazilian women are diagnosed in advanced stages of the disease, which negatively impacts the prognosis. The analysis of treatment protocols aimed at public health shows lag in relation to international and national scenario recommended by medical societies, especially in the treatment of late stage disease. Despite the advances in the dissemination of preventive measures and the scope of extensive screening coverage, cervical cancer remains a major health problem in the country.