The impact of diabetes and subclinical hypothyroidism association with coronary artery calcium: results from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil)

ABSTRACT Objective: We aimed to analyze the association of diabetes and subclinical hypothyroidism with subclinical atherosclerosis measured by coronary artery calcium (CAC) in the baseline of the ELSA-Brasil study. Materials and methods: CAC was measured using a 64-detector computed tomographic scanner. The association of CAC > 0 was presented as an odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) in logistic models and as β (95%CI) in linear models after multivariable adjustment for confounders. Results: We analyzed 3,809 participants (mean-age (SD) 50.5 (8.8); 51.7% women). In the main analysis, we did not find an association of diabetes and subclinical hypothyroidism with CAC. However, in stratified analysis according to age strata, we found no significative interaction terms, an important heterogeneity between the groups, with the younger age strata showing an association of the group with both diseases and CAC > 0 (OR 7.16; 95%CI, 1.14; 44.89) with a wide but significative 95%CI, suggesting that the smaller number of participants in the younger group may influence the results. Our findings also showed an association of CAC > 0 and log (CAC+1) with diabetes in logistic (OR, 1.31; 95%CI, 1.05-1.63) and linear models (β, 0.24, 0.16, 0.40), respectively. Diabetes was independently associated with CAC > 0 in linear models. Discussion: In conclusion, our results showed a great heterogeneity in stratified analysis based on age in the younger age strata. Although we found no significant interaction factors, the smaller sample size for the analysis may influence the negative findings.

Reflexão sobre a imigração japonesa no Brasil sob o ângulo da adiposidade corporal / Reflection about Japanese immigration to Brazil under the light of body adiposity

Populações migrantes representam oportunidade para se investigar a contribuição de fatores ambientais na gênese da obesidade e suas comorbidades. Em 1993, o Japanese-Brazilian Diabetes Study Group estudou a prevalência de diabetes e doenças associadas em nipo-brasileiros residentes em Bauru, SP. Utilizando critérios específicos para asiáticos, 22,4 por cento dos nipo-brasileiros foram caracterizados como portadores de excesso de peso nessa primeira fase do estudo. Na segunda fase, em 2000, essa prevalência subiu para 44,2 por cento, e 50,3 por cento apresentavam obesidade central. Essa população também apresentava alta prevalência de diabetes tipo 2, hipertensão e dislipidemia, componentes da síndrome metabólica. O JBDS Group também mostrou a associação entre hábitos ocidentais, especialmente alimentação rica em gordura saturada, e a ocorrência de síndrome metabólica. Em 2005, motivado por esses achados, o JBDS Group iniciou a terceira fase do estudo que constou de programa de intervenção com base em orientação para dieta saudável e prática de atividade física, utilizando recursos factíveis em termos de saúde pública no Brasil. Após um ano de intervenção, o JBDS Group observou diminuição nos parâmetros antropométricos, pressão arterial e níveis de glicemia e colesterol. Tempo de acompanhamento maior é necessário para avaliar a persistência desses benefícios e o impacto deles no risco de desenvolver diabetes e eventos cardiovasculares.

Migrant populations represent a good opportunity to investigate the role of environmental factors for the genesis of obesity and its comorbidities. The Japanese-Brazilian Diabetes Study Group studied the prevalence of diabetes and related disorders in Japanese-Brazilians from Bauru, SP, in 1993. Using specific criteria for Asian, 22.4 percent of the Japanese-Brazilians were found as having overweight in this first phase of the study. In the second phase, in 2000, this prevalence increased to 44.2 percent and 50.3 percent had central obesity. This population also had high prevalence of type 2 diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidemia, components of the metabolic syndrome. The JBDS Group also showed the association between Occidentalized habits, mainly a rich saturated-fat-diet, and the occurrence of the metabolic syndrome. In 2005, motivated by these findings, the JBDS Group started the third phase of the study which was an intervention program based on healthy diet and physical activity recommendations, using resources that could be feasible in terms of public health in Brazil. After one year-intervention program, the JBDS Group observed a decrease in anthropometric parameters, blood pressure and plasma glucose and cholesterol levels. It will be necessary a longer follow-up to evaluate the maintainance of these benefits and their impact in the risk development of diabetes and cardiovascular events.