Hypertension management algorithm for type 2 diabetic patients applied in primary care.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension frequently coexists with type 2 diabetes (DM), and increases the risk of cardiovascular outcomes. The aim of the study was to obtain/maintain blood pressure (BP) goals (ADA/JNC 7) according to a stepwise algorithm using the medication supplied by the Brazilian government. METHODS: A one-year, single-arm interventional study conducted with type 2 diabetes patients. Intervention consisted of intensification of lifestyle changes and sequential prescription of drugs: diuretic; ACE inhibitors; ß-adrenergic blocking agent and calcium channel blocking agent if BP >130/80 mmHg. RESULTS: Seventy-eight patients completed the trial. During intervention, the number of antihypertensive tablets rose (3.6 ± 3.5 vs. 5.9 ± 3.5 pills/patient; p <0.001), as the number of antihypertensive classes increased (1.8 ± 1.0 vs. 2.70 ± 1.2; p < 0.01) and the overall drop of BP was 11 mmHg for SBP (145.0 ± 22.8 vs. 133.7 ± 20.9 mmHg; p < 0.01) and 5 mmHg for DBP (78.7 ± 11.5 vs. 73.7 ± 10.5 mmHg; p = 0.001). Although the number of patients with BP in target almost doubled [14 (18.7%) vs. 30 (38.5%) p = 0.008], less than 40% of the patients achieved the proposed goals. CONCLUSIONS: A BP algorithm applied to type 2 diabetic and hypertensive patients is able to lower BP, however more than half of the patients did not achieve the ADA/JNC 7 targets demonstrating the complexity of BP control in this population. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT06260.

Are diabetes management guidelines applicable in 'real life'?

BACKGROUND: The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has published several diabetes treatment algorithms, but none have been tested in real-life settings. The aim of this study is to analyze the feasibility of achieving and/or maintaining HbA1c levels <7.0% using current diabetes treatment guidelines and the resources available in the public health care system of Brazil. METHODS: A one-year, single-arm interventional study was conducted with type 2 diabetes patients in a primary care unit. Intervention consisted of intensification of lifestyle changes and sequential prescription of drugs based on ADA guidelines using the medications available through the publicly funded Unified Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde, SUS). RESULTS: Ninety patients (age: 62.7±10.4 years; diabetes duration: 8.2±9.1 years) completed the trial. During the intervention period, increases were observed in number of oral antidiabetic agent (OAD) classes per patient (1.50±0.74 vs. 1.67±0.7; p=0.015), OAD pills per patient (2.64±1.89 vs. 3.33±2.23 pills/patient; p <0.001), insulin dosage (0.20±0.29 vs.0.50±0.36 UI/kg/day; p=0.008) and number of patients on insulin (19 [21%] vs. 31 [34%]; p<0.01), but no improvement in HbA1c (7.2±1.6% vs. 7.3±1.5%; p=0.453) or frequency of patients on target, defined as HbA1c <7% (53.3% vs. 48.9%; p=0.655). Patients with baseline HbA1c <7% had a small increase in HbA1c during the trial (6.3±0.4 vs. 6.7±0.9%; p=0.002). No such change was observed in those with baseline HbA1c ≥7%. CONCLUSIONS: In this group of patients with a mean baseline HbA1c of 7.2%, implementation of 2006/2009 ADA/EASD guidelines led to achievement of the therapeutic goal of HbA1c <7% in a small proportion of patients.

Considerações sobre a abordagem da mulher fumante pelo profissional de saúde / Considerations on the approach to women smokers by healthcare professionals

Há uma distinção significativa no tratamento de fumantes conforme o gênero, uma vez que a mulher tem uma série de barreiras adicionais que dificultam o abandono do cigarro. O objetivo deste trabalho é discutir a abordagem da paciente fumante. O tratamento do fumante tem como eixo fundamental a abordagem cognitivo-comportamental, com a finalidade de informá-lo sobre os riscos do tabagismo e benefícios de parar de fumar, motivá-lo e apoiá-lo nesse processo, fornecendo orientações para que possa lidar com a síndrome de abstinência, a dependência psicológica e os condicionamentos associados ao hábito de fumar. Essa abordagem pode ser apoiada por medicamentos que diminuem os sintomas da síndrome de abstinência. É importante determinar os níveis de dependência de cada fumante, o grau de motivação para abandonar o hábito de fumar, condições e tempo de exposição ao tabaco, bem como diferenciar as fases de experimentação ou de uso regular do cigarro, a fim de poder avaliaradequadamente o paciente e prepará-lo para deixar o fumo. Nessa abordagem,há cinco passos a serem seguidos: perguntar, avaliar, aconselhar, preparar e acompanhar.

Subtle, but significant distinctions exist in the treatment of smokers of bothgenders. When compared to men, women have some additional difficulties, which make quitting more of a challenge. The aim of this study is to discuss the approach of patients who smoke. Treatment of smokers is based fundamentally on a cognitive-behavioral approach, with the aim of informing them about the risks of smoking and the benefits of giving up, motivating and supporting them during the process of quitting, helping smokers deal with the abstinence syndrome, psychological dependence and the conditioning associated with the habit of smoking. It is important to determine the level of dependence for each smoker, the level of motivation for quitting, the conditions and duration (time period) of exposure to tobacco, as well as to differentiate between mere experimentationand regular cigarette use in order to adequately evaluate smokers and counsel them as best as possible, preparing them to abandon their habit, and following up after they have quit smoking. This approach can be supported by medications which reduce the symptoms of the abstinence syndrome. This cognitive-behavioraltreatment encompasses five steps (the five A´s): Asking, Assessing, Advising,Assisting and Arranging (follow-up).

Bone mineral density in girls with classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to CYP21 deficiency.

AIM: To verify possible associations among glucocorticoid doses, use of dexamethasone, and bone mineral density (BMD), measured by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and quantitative computed tomography (QCT), in female children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to CYP21 deficiency (CAH-CYP21). Classical CAH-CYP21 in females allows the study of the effects of hyperandrogenism and chronic glucocorticoid exposure. DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational study. PATIENTS: Sixteen girls (4-19 years) with CAH-CYP21 and 32 age-matched control girls. MEASUREMENTS: BMD was the main outcome measure assessed by total body and lumbar spine L1-L4 DXA (DXAtot and DXAIs), lumbar spine L1-L4 bone mineral apparent density (BMAD) and spinal L1-L4 QCT of trabecular (QCTtrab) and cortical (QCTcort) bone. The glucocorticoid dose used by patients with CAH-CYP21 was expressed as hydrocortisone equivalents/m2. RESULTS: Mean BMD in both groups was similar by any method. In patients, BMD decreased with the increasing mean dose of glucocorticoid, seen in QCTcort (r = -0.55; p = 0.03) and QCTtrab (r = -0.52; p = 0.04). There was also a negative correlation between cumulative glucocorticoid dose and BMD in QCTcort (beta = -0.0016; p = 0.005) and QCTtrab (beta = -0.0009; p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: The dose of glucocorticoid used in the treatment of girls with CAH-CYP21 correlated negatively with BMD, and dexamethasone was not selectively harmful.

Significant improvement in the quality of life of Brazilian depressed outpatients 12 weeks following the start of antidepressants.

Studies on the impact of depression should go beyond estimating its prevalence and the severity of symptoms to include investigations that seek to establish how it influences the quality of life (QOL) of the affected individuals. Although some depression trials have included QOL measures, assessments were mostly retrospective and relatively infrequent. In the present investigation, 73 patients presenting a severe episode of major depression were assessed by the WHOQOL BREF and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) at the start of antidepressant treatment and again after a mean of 12 weeks. After analyses, depressed patients' QOL scores significantly improved in all the assessed domains (i.e., physical health, psychological, social relations, environmental, and overall QOL) over the study period. Additionally, there was a significant improvement in depressive symptoms between test and retest. Effect sizes for these differences ranged from 0.49 to 1.08 (i.e., medium to large effects). After multiple regression analyses, age, psychiatric comorbidity, and depressions scores were independent predictors of some of the QOL domains (i.e., physical, psychological, and overall). In conclusion, antidepressant treatment seems to be associated with significant improvements in multiple QOL domains in patients with severe major depression. However, our findings are preliminary and suggest that additional controlled and long-term studies are needed.

Portal vein thrombosis and high factor VIII in Turner syndrome.

BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: Turner syndrome is not usually associated with thrombotic events. The aim of this study is to report 3 Turner syndrome patients with portal vein thrombosis and, in 2 of them, high factor VIII. These findings are compared to values in Turner syndrome patients without thrombosis and controls. METHODS: In different years, 3 patients with Turner syndrome were initially seen at the Gastroenterology Clinic of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Brazil, for portal vein thrombosis. After the most common causes of portal vein thrombosis and thrombophilias had been excluded, the 2 surviving patients were studied for clotting factors VIII, IX and von Willebrand factor. The same factors were also assessed in 25 Turner syndrome patients without thrombosis and 25 normal girls. RESULTS: One of the patients with portal vein thrombosis died before the study. In the 2 surviving patients, factors VIII and von Willebrand levels were >150 IU/dl, which is considered to be high. In Turner syndrome patients without thrombosis, the mean factor VIII level was 127.2 +/- 41.1 IU/dl and for von Willebrand factor 101.2 +/- 26.9 IU/dl, while in control girls these were 116.0 +/- 27.6 and 94.28 +/- 27.5 IU/dl, respectively. Factor VIII and von Willebrand factor were not different between these 2 groups. When non-O blood group Turner syndrome patients and normal girls were compared, the former had significantly higher levels of factor VIII. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report on the unusual finding of portal thrombosis in patients with Turner syndrome in whom high levels of factor VIII and von Willebrand factor were found. Factor VIII is higher in the non-O blood group Turner syndrome patients without thrombosis when compared to normal girls.