Predictive capacity of the brain natriuretic peptide in the screening of heart failure in a high altitude population.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) is growing in importance as a significant cause of disease and mortality. When It is suspected, it can be ruled out if BNP values are below 100 pg/mL. Diagnostic certainty can be obtained if echocardiogram shows reduced ejection fraction, diastolic dysfunction or right-sided heart disease. Physiological changes at high altitude are known to affect BNP values. This study pretends to evaluate BNP values when used for HF diagnosis in Huancayo, Perú, a high altitude population located at 3,250 m above sea level. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional, diagnostic test type study. A total of 83 medical charts of patients with suspected HF, admitted to the Emergency Room and Internal Medicine Service of Ramiro Prialé Prialé National Hospital, were reviewed. Data processing was performed with SPSS program for Windows version 21.0. Pearson's Chi Square test was used for categorical variables analysis and ANOVA for continuos variables. P values under 0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Medium age was 74 years. Patient's characteristics that were associated with confirmed HF and high BNP levels were the following: presence of fatigue, night cough, elevated heart rate, shortness of breath, history of lung fibrosis and decreased oxygen arterial saturation (p < 0.05) Pulmonary hypertension, mitral and tricuspid regurgitation, and cor pulmonale were also associated with higher BNP levels. Most subjects had BNP values >100 pg/mL, with low specificity for HF diagnosis (11.5 %). Individuals without heart failure had mean BNP values above 300 pg/mL; while individuals with cor pulmonale had a mean of 975 pg/mL. BNP values were high in patients with or without HF. A cut-off point of ≥130pg/mL is proposed to increase specificity. The predictive capacity of BNP for HF identification at this high altitude population is low because of a high number of false positive results.

Distribución geográfica y factores de riesgo de tuberculosis multidrogorresistente en el centro de Perú / Geographical distribution and risk factors for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in central Peru

Resumen Introducción. De acuerdo con la Organización Mundial de la Salud, la tuberculosis multidrogorresistente (TB-MDR), definida como aquella en la que hay resistencia a isoniacida y rifampicina, representa una seria amenaza para la salud pública, ya que en 2018 se reportaron cerca de medio millón de nuevos casos de tuberculosis resistente a la rifampicina, de los cuales el 78% tenían TB-MDR. En Perú, 6 personas se enferman de tuberculosis (TB) cada hora y de los 27 000 casos notificados de enfermedad activa por año, el 10% corresponde a TB-MDR. Objetivo. Determinar la distribución geográfica de la TB-MDR y los factores de riesgo de esta enfermedad en la región de Junín, ubicada en el centro de Perú. Materiales y métodos. Estudio longitudinal retrospectivo de casos y controles que incluyó 3 602 personas con diagnóstico de tuberculosis confirmado con cultivo positivo para Mycobacterium tuberculosis entre enero y diciembre de 2016. Los casos fueron los pacientes con diagnóstico de TB-MDR y los controles, los demás pacientes. Resultados. Se encontró una mayor prevalencia de casos de TB-MDR en la selva central de Perú, zona con alta incidencia de TB. Al realizar el análisis multivariado, se encontraron los siguientes factores de riesgo de multidrogorresistencia: antecedente de tratamiento de la TB (OR: 1.61, IC95%: 1.14-3.26), fracaso del tratamiento previo (OR: 5.84, IC95%: 4.03-8.21) y contacto intradomiciliario con personas con TB-MDR (OR: 91.57, IC95%: 34.56-289.14). Conclusiones. La distribución geográfica de la TB-MDR es de tipo no heterogéneo con alta incidencia en la selva central. En pacientes con diagnóstico reciente de TB, se debe considerar la posibilidad de TB-MDR si presentan alguno de los factores de riesgo identificados aquí y proceden de alguna zona de alta prevalencia de esta enfermedad.

Abstract Introduction: According to the World Health Organization, multidrugresistant tuberculosis (MDR TB), defined as TB cases in which there is resistance to rifampicin and isoniazid, is a serios threat for public health, since nearly half million new cases of rinfampicin-resistant TB were reported in 2018, of which 78% were MDR TB. In Peru, 6 people fall ill with tuberculosis (TB) every hour and out of the 27 000 active TB cases reported per year, 10% are MDR TB cases. Objective: To determine the geographical distribution of MDR TB and the risk factors of this disease in the Junín region, located in central Peru. Materials and methods: Retrospective longitudinal case-control study. The study population consisted of 3 602 people with TB diagnosis confirmed with positive cultures for M. tuberculosis between January and December 2016. Cases were made up of patients diagnosed with MDR TB, and the remaining patients were the controls. Results: A higher prevalence of MDR-TB cases was observed in the central jungle of Peru, an area with a high incidence of TB. After performing the multivariate analysis, the following risks factors for developing multidrug resistance were found: history of TB treatment (OR: 1.61, 95%CI: 1.14-3.26), prior treatment failure (OR: 5.84, 95%CI: 4.03-8.21) and intra-household contact with people with MDR-TB (OR: 91.57, 95%CI: 34.56-289.14). Conclusions: The geographical distribution of MDR TB is non-heterogeneous and has a high incidence in the central jungle. In the case of patients recently diagnosed with TB, the possibility of MDR TB diagnosis should be considered if they have at least one of the risk factors identified here and come from an area where this disease is highly prevalent.

Endothelial dysfunction assessment by flow-mediated dilation in a high-altitude population.

INTRODUCTION: Endothelial function at high altitude has been measured only in populations that are genetically adapted to chronic hypoxia. The objective of this study was to evaluate endothelial dysfunction (ED) in a nongenetically adapted high-altitude population of the Andes mountains, in Huancayo, Peru (3,250 meters above sea level). METHODS: Participants included 61 patients: 28 cases and 33 controls. The cases were subjects with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, or a history of stroke or coronary artery disease. Flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) of the brachial artery was measured in the supine position, at noon, after 5 minutes of resting. The brachial artery was identified above the elbow. Its basal diameter was measured during diastole, and FMD was tested after 5 minutes of forearm ischemia. Intima-media complex in the right carotid artery was also determined. An increase in the artery's baseline diameter <10% indicated a positive test. Endothelium-independent vasodilation was evaluated with sublingual nitrate administration. The intima-media complex in the right carotid artery was also measured. RESULTS: 100% of diabetics had ED; ED was also found in 68.8% of obese individuals, 55% of hypertensive patients, and 46.5% of controls. Age, height, body mass index, and waist diameter were higher in the cases as compared with the controls. A total of 57.9% (n=11) of the cases and 45.2% (n=19) of the controls presented ED. Patients without ED had a mean increase in brachial artery diameter of 23.16%, while in those with ED it was only 3.84%. Individuals with diabetes or hypertension had a greater thickness of the carotid artery intima media layer (1.092 versus 0.664 cm) (p=0.037). A positive test for ED was associated with a greater basal diameter of the brachial artery (4.66±0.62 versus 4.23±0.59 cm) (p=0.02). A total of 7 patients presented paradoxical response, developing posthyperemia vasoconstriction. DISCUSSION: The proportion of ED was high among controls and among patients with risk factors. Controls showed better FMD profiles than subjects studied in Tibet and the Himalayas.

Asociación de la densidad calórica de la leche materna según parámetros antropométricos de las madres y sus hijos

Antecedentes: La lactancia materna es indispensable para el desarrollo del lactante, y ésta cambia según varios factores, entre los cuales está el estado nutricional de la madre. Objetivo: Determinar si existe asociación entre la densidad calórica de la leche materna y las medidas antropométricas de la madre y su lactante. Método: Se realizó un estudio transversal-analítico, que incluyó a madres y a sus lactantes de 1-6 meses de edad, en el Hospital Materno Infantil "El Carmen"-Huancayo, Perú. Se extrajo leche de las madres participantes según normas internacionales. Se obtuvieron las medidas antropométricas de las madres y sus lactantes. El aporte calórico de la leche se midió con la fórmula de Lucas. Se usó estadística descriptiva y analítica, con intervalos de confianza del 95% y el valor p<0,05 como estadísticamente significativo. Resultados: De las 51 encuestadas, la media del contenido calórico fue de 64,5 kcal/100ml. En el análisis multivariado, ajustado por la edad del lactante, el contenido calórico era mayor en los niños de peso normal en comparación de los desnutridos (peso/edad:+9,9, p<0,001; talla/edad:+8,5, p=0,018 y peso/talla:+7,1, p=0,006); asimismo, en el peso/edad el contenido calórico de la leche materna de los niños obesos era menor que de los desnutridos (-14,3, p<0,001). Conclusión: Las variaciones del contenido calórico de la leche fueron diferentes según los tres parámetros de los niños eutróficos.

Background: Breastfeeding is essential for the proper development of the infant, and it changes depending on factors such as the nutritional status of the mother. Aim: To determine the association between caloric density of human milk and anthropometric measurements of the mother and infant. Method: A cross-analytical study; involving mothers and infants 1-6 months of age in the Maternity Hospital "El Carmen"-Huancayo, Peru. Participating mother’s milk was extracted according to international standards. Anthropometric measurements of mothers and their infants were obtained. The caloric intake of milk was measured with the Lucas technique. We use analytical and descriptive statistics, confidence intervals at 95% and p<0.05 as statistically significant value. Results: Of the 51 respondents, the average heat content was 64.5 kcal/100ml. In multivariate analysis, adjusted for infant age, caloric content was higher in children of normal weight compared malnourished (weight/age: +9.9, p <0.001; size/age: +8.5, p=0.018 and weight/size: +7.1, p=0.006). Also in the weight/age caloric content of breast milk of obese children it was lower than that of malnourished (-14.3, p<0.001). Conclusion: Variations of the caloric content of milk differed among the three parameters of eutrophic children.