Hipertensión arterial, un reto farmacológico / Arterial hypertension, a pharmacological challenge / Hhipertensão arterial, um desafio farmacológico

La hipertensión arterial (HTA) es una enfermedad crónica que afecta a más del 30% de la población adulta en todo el mundo y se caracteriza por tener una presión arterial más alta de lo normal. Se presentan los principales fármacos para el correcto manejo de la enfermedad según la gravedad de los síntomas del paciente evaluado por SCORE de riesgo cardiovascular y por sus patologías concomitantes. Objetivo. Identificar los fármacos y el tipo de tratamiento, farmacológico o no farmacológico, empleados en la HTA en cuanto a su diagnóstico, mejorando el manejo del paciente que padece esta enfermedad. Metodología. Se realizó una revisión de tipo sistemática empleando el protocolo PRISMA para la recopilación de información en trabajos procedentes de motores de búsqueda como PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science y ELSEVIER sobre el tratamiento de la Hipertensión Arterial Primaria, publicados durante enero del año 2017 hasta diciembre del año 2022. Conclusión. La hipertensión arterial sigue siendo un reto en el campo de la farmacología debido a su alta prevalencia y su asociación con múltiples enfermedades cardiovasculares. Los tratamientos disponibles son efectivos, pero no curan la enfermedad, por lo que es necesario seguir investigando nuevas opciones terapéuticas para mejorar el control y reducir el impacto en la salud pública. La educación y la prevención son herramientas importantes para reducir la incidencia de hipertensión y mejorar el manejo de la enfermedad. Con esta investigación fue posible identificar la importancia del tratamiento farmacológico y el tratamiento de tipo no farmacológico, evaluando adecuadamente el estado del paciente.

Arterial hypertension (AHT) is a chronic disease that affects more than 30% of the adult population worldwide and is characterized by higher than normal blood pressure. The main drugs for the correct management of the disease are presented according to the severity of the patient's symptoms evaluated by SCORE of cardiovascular risk and by his concomitant pathologies. Objective. To identify the drugs and the type of treatment, pharmacological or non-pharmacological, used in HT in terms of its diagnosis, improving the management of the patient suffering from this disease. Methodology. A systematic review was performed using the PRISMA protocol for the collection of information in works from search engines such as PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and ELSEVIER on the treatment of Primary Arterial Hypertension, published during January 2017 until December 2022. Conclusion. Arterial hypertension remains a challenge in the field of pharmacology due to its high prevalence and association with multiple cardiovascular diseases. Available treatments are effective, but do not cure the disease, so it is necessary to continue investigating new therapeutic options to improve control and reduce the impact on public health. Education and prevention are important tools to reduce the incidence of hypertension and improve disease management. With this research it was possible to identify the importance of pharmacological treatment and non-pharmacological treatment, adequately assessing the patient's condition.

A hipertensão arterial (HTA) é uma doença crônica que afeta mais de 30% da população adulta em todo o mundo e é caracterizada por pressão arterial acima do normal. Os principais medicamentos para o correto manejo da doença são apresentados de acordo com a gravidade dos sintomas do paciente, conforme avaliado pelo SCORE, risco cardiovascular e patologias concomitantes. Objetivo. Identificar os medicamentos e o tipo de tratamento, farmacológico ou não farmacológico, utilizados na hipertensão arterial em termos de seu diagnóstico, melhorando o manejo do paciente que sofre dessa doença. Metodologia. Foi realizada uma revisão sistemática utilizando o protocolo PRISMA para a coleta de informações em trabalhos de mecanismos de busca como PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science e ELSEVIER sobre o tratamento da Hipertensão Arterial Primária, publicados de janeiro de 2017 a dezembro de 2022. Conclusões. A hipertensão arterial continua sendo um desafio no campo da farmacologia devido à sua alta prevalência e associação com várias doenças cardiovasculares. Os tratamentos disponíveis são eficazes, mas não curam a doença, portanto, são necessárias mais pesquisas sobre novas opções terapêuticas para melhorar o controle e reduzir o impacto na saúde pública. A educação e a prevenção são ferramentas importantes para reduzir a incidência de hipertensão e melhorar o controle da doença. Com essa pesquisa, foi possível identificar a importância do tratamento farmacológico e do tratamento não farmacológico, avaliando adequadamente a condição do paciente.

Influence of education and depressive symptoms on cognitive function in the elderly.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the influence that education and depression have on the performance of elderly people in neuropsychological tests. METHODS: The study was conducted at the Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, Hospital das Clínicas. All of the individuals evaluated were aged 60 or older. The study sample consisted of 59 outpatients with depressive disorders and 51 healthy controls. We stratified the sample by level of education: low = 1-4 years of schooling; high = 5 or more years of schooling. Evaluations consisted of psychiatric assessment, cognitive assessment, laboratory tests and cerebral magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS: We found that level of education influenced all the measures of cognitive domains investigated (intellectual efficiency, processing speed, attention, executive function and memory) except the Digit Span Forward and Fuld Object Memory Evaluation (immediate and delayed recall), whereas depressive symptoms influenced some measures of memory, attention, executive function and processing speed. Although the combination of a low level of education and depression had a significant negative influence on Stroop Test part B, Trail Making Test part B and Logical Memory (immediate recall), we found no other significant effects of the interaction between level of education and depression. CONCLUSION: The results of this study underscore the importance of considering the level of education in the analysis of cognitive performance in depressed elderly patients, as well as the relevance of developing new cognitive function tests in which level of education has a reduced impact on the results.

Profile of caregivers of Alzheimer's disease patients attended at a reference center for cognitive disorders.

This is a study on burden of caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease attended at a Reference Center for Cognitive Disorders. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the profile and burden on caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease attended at a Reference Center for Cognitive Disorders. METHODS: We collected demographic information and data on the relationship with the patient from caregivers, and measured burden with the Zarit scale. The patients were evaluated with the following scales: the Cambridge Cognitive Test (CAMCOG); Mini Mental State Examination, the Neuropsychiatric Inventory for neuropsychiatry symptoms, and Functional Activities Questionnaire - FAQ for functional impairment. RESULTS: Of the 31 caregivers, 77.4% were female, predominantly, and daughters, having a mean age of 58.6 years, educational level of 8.1 years, 70% of caregivers co-resided with the patient and 71% did not work. The mean time as a caregiver was 3 years. Twenty-seven percent of the caregivers presented mild to severe burden. The variables presenting significant association with caregiver burden were scores on the NPI and CAMCOG. CONCLUSION: The social demographic characteristics of the sample were similar to those of studies performed in other countries. The average time as a caregiver and the frequency of caregivers with mild to intense burden were lower than those reported in international studies. Neuropsychiatric symptoms and severity of cognitive decline were the main factors associated to burden in this sample of mostly mild to moderate demented AD patients. Further studies are necessary to verify whether the burden is indeed less intense in our milieu.

Trata-se de um estudo sobre a sobrecarga do cuidador dos pacientes com doença de Alzheimer atendidos em Centro de Referência em Distúrbios Cognitivos. OBJETIVO: Avaliar o perfil e a sobrecarga do cuidador dos pacientes com doença de Alzheimer atendidos em Centro de Referência em Distúrbios Cognitivos. MÉTODO: Foram obtidos dados demográficos do cuidador e sobrecarga de acordo com a Escala de Sobrecarga de Zarit. Os pacientes foram avaliados com os seguintes testes e escalas: Teste Cognitivo Cambridge (CAMCOG); Mini-Exame do Estado Mental; Inventário Neuropsiquiátrico (NPI), para a presença de sintomas neuropsiquiátricos; e o Questionário de Atividades Funcionais (QAF), de Pfeffer, para o comprometimento funcional. RESULTADOS: Os 31 cuidadores eram predominantemente do sexo feminino, filhas, idade média 58,6 anos, escolaridade média de 8,1 anos; 70% dos cuidadores moravam com o paciente; 71% não trabalhavam. O tempo médio como cuidador foi de 3 anos. Vinte e sete por cento dos cuidadores apresentavam sobrecarga de intensidade leve a intensa. As variáveis que apresentaram associação significativa com a sobrecarga do cuidador foram os escores do NPI e do CAMCOG. CONCLUSÃO: As características sociodemográficas dos cuidadores foram semelhantes às de estudos feitos em outros países. Entretanto, sobrecarga foi menos freqüente do que em estudos internacionais. A intensidade dos transtornos neuropsiquiátricos e a gravidade do declínio cognitivo foram os principais fatores associados à sobrecarga nesta amostra constituída principalmente por pacientes com DA, com demência leve a moderada. Mais estudos são necessários para verificar se a sobrecarga do cuidador é menos intensa em nosso meio.

Neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer disease and cognitively impaired, nondemented elderly from a community-based sample in Brazil: prevalence and relationship with dementia severity.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to describe the prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia in Alzheimer disease (AD) and cognitively impaired nondemented (CIND) subjects from a community-based Brazilian sample and to correlate these symptoms with severity of cognitive deficits. METHOD: A total of 1,563 randomly selected subjects were evaluated with the following screening tests: Mini-Mental Status Examination, Fuld Object Memory Evaluation, Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly, and Activities of Daily Living-International Scale. Screen positives were submitted to a workup for dementia, physical and neurologic examination, cranial computed tomography or cerebral magnetic resonance imaging, the Cambridge Examination for Mental Disorders, Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR), and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI). Diagnosis was made according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, criteria. RESULTS: Sixty patients with AD, 25 CIND, and 78 healthy elderly subjects were evaluated. Informants reported that 78.33% of patients with AD had one or more neuropsychiatric symptoms. Apathy (53.33%), depression (38.33%), sleep alterations (38.33%), and anxiety (25%) were the most prevalent disturbances in AD subjects. These disturbances were more prevalent in patients with AD than in the comparison group and CIND individuals. In the CIND group, the most frequent neuropsychiatric symptoms were anxiety and sleep alterations (both with 24%) followed by depression (16%). Total NPI scores were significantly different between AD and CIND groups, AD and comparison groups, and CIND and the comparison group. Apathy was the only neuropsychiatric symptom that was significantly different between the groups divided according to the CDR being more frequent in subjects with moderate to severe dementia. CONCLUSIONS: Neuropsychiatric symptoms seem to be as common in patients living in a developing country as they are in demented patients from the developed world. Indeed, the fact that some of our results are similar to other population-based studies may suggest that cultural factors play a minor role in the emergence of these symptoms, at least in a Latin American country like Brazil.