Community-based study to estimate prevalence and burden of illness of rheumatic diseases in Cuba: a COPCORD study.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence, burden of illness, and help-seeking behavior of patients with musculoskeletal complaints and provide point prevalence estimates of osteoarthritis, low back pain, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, and bone fractures not related to trauma among the adult population in a urban community in Havana City. METHODS: Home survey of adults validated against physical examination. Forty-eight trained family doctors and 3 rheumatologists supervised the interviews and confirmed diagnoses. Family doctors applied a validated Community Oriented Program for the Control of Rheumatic Diseases core questionnaire. A diagnosis using American College of Rheumatology criteria was established. Analysis was based on descriptive statistics and point prevalence estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of most common diseases and associated disability rate. RESULTS: One thousand two hundred thirty-eight men and 1917 women were included. Prevalence of musculoskeletal pain was estimated in 43.9% (95% CI: 42.2-45.7). The knees were the most affected area (11.7%; 95% CI: 10.6-12) followed by low back pain (11.6%; 95% CI: 10.5-12.8). Point prevalence and 95% CI were as follows: osteoarthritis, 20.4% (95% CI: 19-21.8); gout, 0.38% (95% CI: 0.2-0.6); fibromyalgia, 0.22% (95% CI: 0.09-0.4); systemic lupus erythematosus, 0.06% (95% CI: 0.01-0.25); spondyloarthropathies, 0.19% (95% CI: 0.07-0.4); and rheumatoid arthritis,1.24% (95% CI: 0.8-1.7). Bone fractures not related to trauma were found in 1.14%, hip fracture being the most common (30.5%). Most patients were seen by the general practitioner (65.4%) and 6.2% described some disability. CONCLUSIONS: Musculoskeletal pain is highly prevalent in Cuba. Prevalence estimates are similar to those described in other surveys except for rheumatoid arthritis that seems more prevalent in Cuba and fibromyalgia less prevalent.

Estudio de la incidencia de hipertension arterial en los adultos de 20 consultorios del Policlinico Lawton en 1992 / Study of the arterial hypertension incidence on adults from 20 physician's offices of \"Lawton\" Polyclinic in 1992

Se realizo un estudio sobre la incidencia de hipertension arterial en los adultos del Policlinico Lawton durante 1992. Se selecciono al azar el 40 por ciento de los consultorios del Policlinico y se revisaron las historias clinicas de los adultos diagnosticados como hipertensos para obtener datos y corroborar el diagnostico. Se encontro una incidencia de la enfermedad de 9 por 100 y esta aumentaba con la edad; la mayoria de los hipertensos eran ligeros y el 48 por ciento no estaban clasificados en estados. El 95 por ciento de los hipertensos tenian al menos algun factor de riesgo de la enfermedad y los factores de riesgo se asociaron tambien con las complicaciones. Se recomienda la pesquisa activa de la enfermedad en todos los pacientes atendidos por el medico de la familia