Health Promotion – ABC CARDIOL

IJCS

Editorial

Reflections on the Effectiveness of Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Programs in Corporate Settings

The International Journal of Cardiovascular Sciences (IJCS) publishes in this issue the original article entitled “Comparison Between Two Prevention and Control Programs for Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Diseases in an Oil Company.” This study, framed within the field of Epidemiology, addresses a question of growing relevance for public and occupational health: the effectiveness of different intervention strategies to mitigate cardiovascular risk in a specific work environment.

Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally,^– and the workplace represents a crucial area for prevention and control strategies. Workers spend a significant portion of their lives at work, and occupational factors such as stress, sedentary behavior associated with certain roles, and exposure to shifts can directly influence cardiovascular risk.^, As CVDs continue to pose a significant global health concern, analyzing interventions aimed at mitigating them in corporate environments is more relevant than ever.

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IJCS

Original Article

Comparison Between Two Prevention and Control Programs for Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Diseases in an Oil Company

Maria Lúcia Ribeiro Rocha et al. Ana Marice Teixeira Ladeia

Abstract

Background:

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death in the world, and companies can implement prevention and control actions aimed at reducing risk factors among their workers.

Objectives:

To verify whether the result of model A of a CVD prevention and control program was superior to model B in reducing the cardiovascular risk (CVR) of individuals from an oil company.

Methods:

Retrospective evaluation of secondary data from a restricted and fixed cohort of 670 workers, from 01/01/2016 to 12/31/2018. The workers were divided by program model into Group A (514) and Group B (156). The 2016 CVR was compared with that of 2018, within and between groups, as well as the mean and prevalence of risk factors for CVD. Statistical analysis was set at a significance level of 5%.

Results:

Group A improved the level of physical activity (PAL), consumption of fruits and vegetables, and consumption of alcohol, but the “high” CVR increased from 0.4% in 2016 to 1.4% in 2018 (p<0.01). In Group B there was no change in the workers’ health profile, but the percentage of individuals with "intermediate" CVR increased from 14.1% to 16.7% (p=0.01).

Conclusions:

The actions developed by the company had a positive impact on the way of life of workers covered by the model A program; however, they were not sufficient to reduce CVR in this group.

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IJCS

Original Article

Association Between Active Commuting and Cardiometabolic Diseases in Primary Health Care Users

Lucas Bressan Pes et al. Gustavo Olszanski Acrani Ivana Loraine Lindemann Shana Ginar da Silva

Abstract

Background

Although active commuting is inversely related to cardiovascular disease risk factors, these associations are unknown among Brazilian primary health care users.

Objective

To investigate the association between active commuting to daily activities and the prevalence of cardiometabolic diseases.

Methods

This cross-sectional study, conducted between May and August 2019, included primary health care users from all 34 primary health care centers in Passo Fundo, a city in southern Brazil. Cardiometabolic diseases (type 2 diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, cardiovascular diseases, and overweight/obesity) were measured by self-reported medical diagnosis using a questionnaire. Active commuting was analyzed dichotomously: daily commuting on foot or by bicycle was considered active, while daily commuting by car, motorcycle, or bus was considered passive. To determine the association between cardiometabolic diseases and active commuting, crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) were estimated using Poisson regression, considering p <0.05 significant.

Results

The sample consisted of 1443 patients. There was an inverse association between active commuting and type 2 diabetes (PR: 0.59; 95% CI [Confidence Interval]: 0.39-0.90) and overweight/obesity (PR: 0.83: 95% CI: 0.71-0.98).

Conclusion

A lower prevalence of type 2 diabetes and obesity/overweight was observed in people who actively commute. These findings indicate that changes in urban infrastructure to enable safe active commuting will positively impact the health of the population.

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IJCS

Viewpoint

Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health: Practical Strategies to Reduce Sedentary Time in Adult Population

Karolinny Borinelli de Aquino Moura et al. Simone Savaris Janice Debastiani Juliana Beust de Lima

Introduction

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is highly prevalent worldwide and is the main cause of death in the general population. The practice of physical activity (PA) has emerged as a primary prevention strategy for CVD, with the potential to control risk factors, and promote a better quality of life and longer survival.

However, despite the scientifically proven benefits, and formal recommendations for the practice of PA for adults, ( ), published data on the world population are alarming. Recent estimates indicate that one in four (27.5%) adults worldwide and almost half of the population in Brazil do not follow the recommendations made by the World Health Organization (WHO). Additionally to physical inactivity, the growing prevalence of sedentary behavior is a current concern ( ).

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IJCS

Viewpoint

Health Promotion to Reduce Hypertension Patients’ Vulnerability to Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19)

Charles Nsanzabera

Abstract

Hypertension remains a prominent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. It is not a coincidence that 23% to 30% of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) confirmed cases are hypertensive patients, and the case-fatality rate of adult COVID-19 cases with hypertension was estimated at 6%. It is important that hypertensive patients be aware of their vulnerability to COVID-19, which may be achieved by a health promotion program in addition to preventive measures.

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ABC

Original Article

Intermittent Fasting Attenuates Exercise Training-Induced Cardiac Remodeling

Priscilla Gois Basilio et al. Ana Priscila Cayres de Oliveira Ana Carolini Ferreira de Castro Marianna Rabelo de Carvalho … Alessandro Moura Zagatto Paula Felippe Martinez Marina Politi Okoshi Katashi Okoshi Gabriel Elias Ota Filipe Abdalla dos Reis Silvio Assis de Oliveira-Junior

Abstract

Background

The effects of non-pharmacological interventions such as calorie restriction and exercise training on health and prevention of cardiovascular diseases have been investigated in clinical and experimental studies.

Objective

To analyze the influence of intermittent fasting and exercise training on functional fitness, glycemia and cardiac remodeling.

Methods

Wistar rats (n=60) were randomly divided into four groups: control, exercise training (ET), intermittent fasting (IF) and exercise training plus intermittent fasting (ETI). Over 12 weeks, control and ET animals were fed daily a standard commercial diet ad libitum , while IF and ETI animals were fed every other day. In addition, the ET and ETI groups were submitted to a running protocol on a treadmill. After this period, functional fitness, nutritional parameters and blood glucose levels were analyzed. In addition to heart morphology, myocardial protein expression of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) was assessed by Western-blot. The results were analyzed using two-way ANOVA and Student-Newman-Keuls test. The level of significance considered was 5%.

Results

Exercise training increased functional fitness in the ET and ETI groups and promoted cardiac fibrosis. The combination of intermittent fasting and exercise training resulted in a smaller area under the blood glucose curve and reduced cardiomyocyte cross-sectional area and interstitial collagen fraction in the ETI group compared to ET. ERK and JNK expression levels were similar among groups (p>0.05).

Conclusions

Intermittent fasting is associated with improved glucose tolerance and attenuates cardiac remodeling induced by exercise training (Arq Bras Cardiol. 2020; 115(2):184-193)

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ABC

Editorial

Cardiovascular Rehabilitation in Coronary Artery Disease and Better Knowledge of Its Own Disease

Luiz Antonio Machado César

In the last ten to fifteen years, we are seen more and more concern with patients´ awareness about their diseases.^– Campaigns have been brought to the public to teach them about symptoms and signs that might bring concern and make them ask for help and go to an emergency room or, in the United States to call 911. This is true especially for patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), given the possibility of better quality of life and in some cases even a better prognosis of the disease in respect to morbidity and mortality.

Beside this kind of campaigns, recently others started to aware people already with a diagnosis of CAD to the symptoms that may alert them of a problem and the consciousness about all medicines that modify the course of the disease and ways of life that are proved to contribute to this amelioration, as is physical activity.^–

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ABC

Original Article

Healthy School, Happy School: Design and Protocol for a Randomized Clinical Trial Designed to Prevent Weight Gain in Children

Daniela Schneid Schuh et al. Maíra Ribas Goulart Sandra Mari Barbiero Caroline D’Azevedo Sica … Raphael Borges David William Moraes Lucia Campos Pellanda

Abstract

Background:

Schools have become a key figure for the promotion of health and obesity interventions, bringing the development of critical awareness to the construction and promotion of a healthy diet, physical activity, and the monitoring of the nutritional status in childhood and adolescence.

Objectives:

To describe a study protocol to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention designed to improve knowledge of food choices in the school environment.

Methods:

This is a cluster-randomized, parallel, two-arm study conducted in public elementary and middle schools in Brazil. Participants will be children and adolescents between the ages of 5 and 15 years, from both genders. The interventions will be focusing on changes in lifestyle, physical activities and nutritional education. Intervention activities will occur monthly in the school’s multimedia room or sports court. The control group arm will receive usual recommendations by the school. The primary outcome variable will be anthropometric measures, such as body mass index percentiles and levels of physical activity by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire.

Results:

We expect that after the study children will increase the ingestion of fresh food, reduce excessive consumption of sugary and processed foods, and reduce the hours of sedentary activities.

Conclusion:

The purpose of starting the dietary intervention at this stage of life is to develop a knowledge that will enable for healthy choices, providing opportunities for a better future for this population.

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ABC

Special Article

I Cardiovascular Prevention Guideline of the Brazilian Society of Cardiology – Executive Summary

Antonio Felipe Simão et al. Dalton Bertolim Précoma Jadelson Pinheiro de Andrade Harry Correa Filho … José Francisco Kerr Saraiva Gláucia Maria Moraes de Oliveira

Introduction

Brazil currently faces a major health challenge: the pandemic scenario of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. According to Brazilian Health Ministry data, 326,000 deaths due to cardiovascular diseases (CVD) occurred in 2010, corresponding to approximately 1,000 deaths/day, 200,000 deaths due exclusively to ischemic heart and cerebrovascular diseases, reflecting a gloomy scenario far from the minimally acceptable control.

This current scenario can be attributed to many reasons, such as the insufficiency and inadequacy of public health policies for CVD prevention, leading to the well-known lack of infrastructure in primary health care, hindering the fight against preventable affections, mainly in the neediest areas.

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