[Copper intake and blood levels as risk factors for atheromatous disease]. / Estudio de ingesta y niveles séricos de cobre como factor de riesgo de enfermedad ateromatosa.

BACKGROUND: Copper is part of antioxidant enzymes and could have a cardiovascular protective effect. A higher cardiovascular risk has been associated with high as well as low plasma copper levels. AIM: To search for differences in copper intake and plasma levels between patients with coronary artery or cerebrovascular diseases and normal subjects. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Zinc and copper intake, plasma levels and serum lipid levels were measured in 20 patients with cerebrovascular disease, 20 patients with an acute myocardial infarction and 40 subjects hospitalized for elective surgery, that served as controls. RESULTS: Copper and zinc intake was below recommended allowances in all subjects. Serum zinc and copper levels did not differ in the three study groups. In patients with myocardial infarction a weak correlation was found between serum copper and total cholesterol (r = 0.24; p < 0.05) and LDL cholesterol (r = 0.31; p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: No differences in copper levels were found in subjects with atherosclerosis and controls. The correlation between serum copper and cholesterol deserves further investigation.

[Validation of a screening instrument for studying the prevalence of cerebrovascular diseases in the Chilean population]. / Validación de un instrumento de tamizaje para el estudio de la prevalencia de enfermedades cerebrovasculares en la población chilena.

We assessed a screening instrument, adapted from a model suggested by WHO, aimed to perform population studies on the prevalence of cerebrovascular disease in Chile. Sixty-two subjects, 31 with cerebrovascular diseases and 31 without, were asked about symptoms and requested to do simple movements by trained interviewers. The results of the instrument were compared with a neurological examination performed by two specialists. Global sensitivity and specificity of the instrument, using WHO evaluation criteria, were 100 and 38.7% respectively. When three or more symptoms and one positive sign were considered as cutoff points, global specificity increased to 61% and sensitivity decreased to 93%. It is concluded that the present instrument is highly sensitive but lacks specificity.