2022;35(2) – ABC CARDIOL

IJCS

Família ABC | IJCS

Editorial

Science Gender Gap: Are We in theRight Path?

Gláucia Maria Moraes de Oliveira et al. Marge Tenorio Alessandra de Sá Earp Siqueira

Women are entering the medical and scientific community in growing numbers, reaching and even surpassing their male counterparts in medical schools. However, a settled imbalance between men and women is still a reality in the international cardiology community despite these recent advances. The female presence in Brazilian medical schools was barely noticed until the 1960s; in the following years, there was a gradual increase in the number of women in the medical field, mainly in the first decade of the 21st century (59 % in 2020). In a 2020 demographic analysis of the Brazilian Federal Council of Medicine , men still predominated, accounting for 53.4% of all doctors in the country. Nevertheless, in the age-range below 30-years-old, women are the majority, accounting for 58.5%; the percentage of female doctors is inversely proportional to the increase in the age group, with only 21% of women in the age group above 70 years old.

In the USA, women represent less than 15% of the cardiology workforce and less than 5% of interventional cardiologists, while in Europe, women account for only one-third of cardiologists, and 18% of women are interventionists. Currently, Brazil has nearly 500 thousand doctors, 17,802 thousand cardiologists, of which 31.1% are females, and mostly concentrated in the southeast region. In 2018, only 215 (8.6%) of a total of 2,062 cardiovascular surgeons and 7.5% of 970 interventional cardiologists were women. The Brazilian Society of Cardiology had two female presidents; and the Cardiovascular Surgery Society, the Interventional Cardiology, and the Federation of Portuguese Language Cardiology Societies had one female president. Also, in the last five years, only one fifth of the speakers in the annual congress of the Brazilian Cardiology Society were women.

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Editorial

Challenges in Telemedicine: Even When the Road is Hard, Never Give up

Erito Marques de Souza Filho et al. Alexandra Monteiro

“Even when the road is hard, never give up” – Tupac Shakur and The Outlawz

The above quote is from the hit song “Baby Don’t Cry” immortalized by Tupac and The Outlawz. The song is about a young woman who faces challenges and receives encouragement to persevere and not give up. In a similar way, telemedicine faces several challenges on an arduous path. In this way, imbued with a tenacious spirit, its users have had remarkable experiences. In the current issue of the International Journal of Cardiovascular Sciences, Esmerio and colleagues presented a successful application of a telecardiology service. They emphasized that the work contributed to reducing the distance between patients and specialized professionals, and they highlighted a high level of satisfaction for both patients and health Professionals. Experiences like this represent the relevant role of telemedicine in providing quality health services and generating value. However, these tools still face important challenges that need to be overcome.

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Original Article

Atherosclerosis Complications in the Brazilian Population: An Ecological Time Series Study

Emerson de Jesus Silva et al. Francieudo da Silva Gomes Junior João Vitor Bezerra Firmiano Nilson Roberto da Silva … Wendel Aguiar Carlini Marcello Barbosa Otoni Gonçalves Guedes Matheus Rodrigues Lopes Johnnatas Mikael Lopes

Abstract

Background:

Atherosclerosis is a serious health problem, and several factors contribute to its occurrence. Longitudinal and qualified monitoring of primary health care (PHC) may contribute to the management of atherosclerosis and reduction of avoidable hospital admissions.

Objectives:

To estimate the trend in hospitalizations for atherosclerosis and the impact of PHC coverage on its evolution from 2008 to 2018 in Brazil.

Methods:

An ecological time series analytical study based on the outcomes of hospital admissions for atherosclerosis in Brazil. Time in years, PHC coverage, and Family Health Strategy (FHS) services were considered independent variables. A Prais–Winsten model was used to estimate the outcome trend, and α < 0.05 was adopted.

Results:

We observed a mean increase of 1.81 hospitalizations for atherosclerosis per 100 000 inhabitants annually (p = 0.002) in Brazil. This growth was evidenced in the Northeast (p < 0.001), Southeast (p = 0.003), and South (p < 0.001) regions, being stable in the North (p = 0.057) and Midwest (p = 0.62) regions. Men presented twice the growth in hospitalizations from the fifth decade of life on (p < 0.01). An inversely proportional relationship was observed for PHC coverage (B = -0.71; p < 0.001) and the proportion of FHS services (B = -0.59; p < 0.001) with the rate of admissions due to atherosclerosis in Brazil.

Conclusions:

Although hospitalizations for atherosclerotic complications are increasing in Brazil, they present regional and individual gender and age discrepancies, as well as a mitigating effect exerted by PHC coverage.

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Editorial

Are Wistar Rats the Most Suitable Normotensive Controls for Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats to Assess Blood Pressure and Cardiac Structure and Function?

Nazareth Novaes Rocha

The first animal models of hypertension involved constriction of renal arteries (the Goldblatt kidney) or parenchyma (the Page kidney). Although these human analogs closely mimicked the pathophysiology of the disease, renovascular hypertension and the Page kidney represent only a small fraction of human hypertension.

Most experimental studies of hypertension using animals have focused on understanding the mechanisms of primary hypertension. Models of primary hypertension have been more difficult to develop. Some models may have greater face validity than others with respect to phenotypic aspects of hypertension such as age at onset, temporal course, severity, variability, and associated comorbidities. Given the clinical importance of hypertension-related target organ damage, it is noteworthy that models exhibiting face validity for left ventricular hypertrophy, metabolic abnormalities, heart failure, renal damage, and stroke (e.g., spontaneously hypertensive rats [SHR] and Dahl salt-sensitive [DSS] rats) are also available. However, other conditions such as spontaneous development of atherosclerosis or acute myocardial infarction are not typically observed in current models.

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Editorial

Risk Scores in Acute Coronary Syndrome: Current Applications and Future Perspectives

Pedro G. M. de Barros e Silva et al. Renato D. Lopes

Editorial referring to the article: Validation of the Grace Risk Score to Predict In-Hospital and 6-Month Post-Discharge Mortality in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome

Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) is the most common cause of death worldwide. Nevertheless, ACS represents a heterogenous group of diseases, encompassing since low-risk unstable angina (30-day mortality below 1%), until patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and cardiogenic shock (30-day mortality around 50%). Multivariable prediction models have been developed to classify short-term and long-term risk of these patients (). For patients with the diagnosis of ACS, the TIMI risk score and the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) score have been largely used in clinical practice; the latter, despite being more complex, has shown better performance as a prognostic tool, including prognostic information not only about the acute phase but also about the risk within six months after the cardiac event.

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Editorial

We need to talk about why we don’t talk about exercise!

Fabrício Braga da Silva

We usually avoid subjects that make us feel uncomfortable. As in general these subjects are those we cannot deal with, the consequences of such omission can be really bad. Problems with our children are classical examples of topics we avoid. Published in 2003, “We Need to Talk About Kevin” is a novel written by Lionel Shriver, adapted to the big screen in 2011. The film addresses the vicious cycle of problems caused by the mother who neglects her child with overt psychopathy, culminating in a catastrophe. In this fiction, avoiding the subject cost the lives of many people.

This introductory metaphor was the preamble to the following question: based on available evidence, why do we not have proper conversation about exercise with our patients? Why is physical exercise little addressed in medical visits? Why are healthcare providers not concerned about individual and collective consequences of physical inactivity?

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Editorial

The Pathway to a High Impact Journal and Scopus Indexation–New Achievement of the International Journal of Cardiovascular Sciences

Claudio Tinoco Mesquita

“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.”

Henry Ford

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Original Article

Radioprotective Effect of Nigella Sativa Oil on Heart Tissues of Rats Exposed to Irradition

Mehmet Kaplan et al. Elif Demir Fethi Yavuz Gizem Ilgin Kaplan … Mehmet Resit Taysi Seyithan Taysi Mehmet Murat Sucu

Abstract

Background

Various studies are ongoing related to the radioprotective agents. Herbal preparations are currently becoming popular because of their beneficial effects with fewer side effects compared to the synthetic/semi-synthetic medicines, and Nigella sativa oil (NSO) is only one of them.

Objective

To investigate NSO for its antioxidant effects on the heart tissue of rats exposed to ionizing radiation (IR).

Methods

Thirty six male albino Wistar rats, divided into four groups, were designated to group I (IR plus NSO group) that received both 5 Gray of gamma IR to total cranium and NSO; group II (IR alone group) that received IR plus saline, group III (control group of NSO) that received saline and did not receive NSO or IR; group IV (control group) that received only sham IR. Alterations in Total antioxidant status (TAS) and Total oxidant status (TOS), Oxidative stres index (OSI), Sulhydryl group (SH), Lipid hydroperoxide (LOOH), Paraoxonase (PON) levels, Arylesterase (ARE) and Ceruloplasmin (CER) activities in homogenized heart tissue of rats were measured by biochemical methods.

Results

In heart tissue of the rats in the IR alone group (group II) LOOH, TOS and OSI levels were found to be higher, ARE activity and TAS level were found to be lower than all of the other groups (p < 0.01). These results also support that IR increases oxidative stress and NSO's protective effect.

Conclusion

NSO would reduce the oxidative damage in the irradiated heart tissue in the experimental rat model.

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Original Article

Overview of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Adults in São Paulo, Brazil: Prevalence and Associated Factors in 2008 and 2015

Jaqueline L. Pereira et al. Michelle A de Castro Jean M. R. S. Leite Marcelo M. Rogero … Flavia M. Sarti Chester Luís Galvão César Moisés Goldbaum Regina M. Fisberg

Abstract

Background

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the main cause of morbidity and mortality in Brazil.

Objective

To provide population-based data on prevalence and factors associated with CVD risk factors.

Methods

Individuals aged ≥20 years from two editions of the cross-sectional Health Survey of São Paulo focusing on Nutrition (ISA-Nutrition), performed in Sao Paulo city in 2008 (n=590) and 2015 (n=610), were evaluated for: obesity, central obesity, waist/height ratio, high blood pressure (HBP), dyslipidemia, diabetes, and number of CVD risk factors ≥3. Prevalence was estimated according to complex survey procedures. Factors associated with cardiovascular risk factors were assessed using logistic regression, with statistical significance of p<0.05.

Results

Obesity and older age were associated with higher odds of all cardiovascular risk factors investigated, except for dyslipidemia. HBP was positively associated with being Black/Brown and negatively associated with being physicaly active in leisure time. Women were more likely to have increased adiposity indicators and three or more cardiovascular risk factors than men. Those with higher education had lower chances of having diabetes, HBP and dyslipidemia, and those with higher income had higher chances of having three or more risk factors. Former smokers had higher odds of diabetes, obesity, and high waist/height ratio, and smokers had higher odds of high non-HDL cholesterol levels. From 2008 to 2015, there was an increase (p<0.001) in the prevalence of diabetes (6.9% to 17.3%), HBP (31.9% to 41.8%), dyslipidemia (51.3% to 67.6%), and number of CVD risk factors ≥3 (18.9% to 34.1%).

Conclusion

This study shows increasing prevalence of CVD risk factors in adult population in Sao Paulo and may support the definition of target groups and priority actions on CVD prevention and treatment.

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Review Article

Revisiting the History of Chagas Disease: "Live to tell"

Ademir Batista da Cunha et al. Delma Maria Cunha

Abstract

In 1907, Carlos Chagas was designated to fight paludism in the Rio das Velhas region along the Central do Brasil railroad. During his field research, Chagas discovered a hematophagous insect ( Panstrongylus megitus ) carrying a new trypanosomatide, which he named Trypanosoma cruzi . On April 14th, 1909, he found the same parasite in the blood of a febrile child, submitting the announcement of his discoveries to the Brasil Médico scientific journal. Here, we discuss the early stages in the establishment of a new human morbid entity during the first decades after its discovery with a definite influence from its discoverer, Carlos Chagas, as well the first collaborators. Moreover, we cover the importance of the Center for the Study and Prophylaxis of Chagas Disease in Bambuí (MG), unraveling the most advanced developments in research within the disease’s habitat and the widening perspectives for modern research that have emerged after the 1960s and continue to improve to this day. In this revisitation to the history of Chagas disease, we begin at Manguinhos (RJ ), making our way to Lassance (MG), where the discovery took place. Then, we travel back to Rio de Janeiro in the beginning of the twentieth century and Brazilian republic until the current day, revealing milestone publications that settled Chagas disease both as a source of pride for Brazilian medicine and as a challenge with important aspects that remain to be clarified. Any similarities to our country’s politics and economy in the twentieth century are not mere coincidences.

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Original Article

Physical Fitness Test (PFT) in Police and Military in Brazil: A Systematic Review

Bráulio Nascimento Lima et al. Renato Silveira de Assis Junior Klebson da Silva Almeida Leandro Borelli de Camargo … Ricardo Pablo Passos Carlos Henrique Prevital Fileni Divaldo Martins de Souza Guanis de Barros Vilela Junior

Abstract

Background

Physical Fitness Tests (PFTs) are part of military routines and are usually administered to applicants for the Brazilian corps member, including the civil police.

Objective

To identify in the literature, scientific articles aimed at assessing physical fitness of police and military personnel in Brazil, using PFTs.

Methods

This was a systematic review, using the PRISMA systematization, using the following search keywords “police”, “military”, “physical fitness test” and ” PFT”, in English and Portuguese. The databases used were ScienceDirect, PubMed, BVS (Lilacs) and Scielo. Only original works performed with police and military personnel in Brazil were selected, through the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Results

After the screening process, 11 articles were selected from a total of 1,487.

Conclusions

The data collected from the selected articles suggest that older age is related to a decrease in physical fitness, and better performance in the tests is related to a lower risk of comorbidities. Although high-intensity training improves physical fitness and anthropometric data, it is associated with injury rates; physically active lifestyle is associated with better flexibility.

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Original Article

Subclinical Systolic Dysfunction during Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer

Geanne Maria Holanda de Menezes Barroso et al. Júlio César Oliveira Costa Teles Paulo Victor de Jesus Silva Karin Yasmin Santos Fonseca … Vinícius Antônio Santos Aragão Marília Marques Aquino Enaldo Vieira de Melo Karina Oliveira Ferreira Ronnei José Feitosa de Assis Michel Fabiano Silva Alves Antônio Carlos Sobral Sousa Joselina Luzia Menezes Oliveira

Abstract

Background

Cardiotoxicity is the main complication related to cancer therapy. Studies indicate that global longitudinal strain is an early detector of subclinical dysfunction of the left ventricle, preceding the decline in ejection fraction (EF). However, the reproducibility of such methodology has not been tested outside specialized centers.

Objectives

To assess the frequency of subclinical cardiotoxicity and to compare global longitudinal strain and EF measurements during the clinical course of patients undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer.

Methods

This was an observational prospective study of 78 adult women who underwent serial echocardiograms (baseline and 1, 3, and 6 months after the beginning of chemotherapy), to evaluate biplane and 3D EF and global longitudinal strain. Cardiotoxicity and subclinical dysfunction were defined according to American Society of Echocardiography/European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging criteria. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

Results

The mean age of the patients was 50.1 ± 11.48 years. The frequency of subclinical cardiotoxicity (defined by global longitudinal strain) was 14.9% after 30 days of chemotherapy, 16.7% after 3 months, and 19.7% after 6 months, compared to 4.5%, 3%, and 6.6%, respectively, when clinical cardiotoxicity was determined according to EF. The group that developed subclinical cardiotoxicity by 30 days (group A) had a higher frequency of clinical cardiotoxicity at 3 months (p=0.028) and a lower mean biplane EF after 30 days (p= 0.036) than the group that showed no evidence of subclinical cardiotoxicity (group B).

Conclusion

Subclinical cardiotoxicity was frequent and began early, being associated with a drop in EF during the clinical course.

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Original Article

Acute Myocardial Infarction and Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: What does the Epidemiological Data of the Last Years Indicate?

Gabriel Silvestre Minucci et al. Samuel Marques dos Reis

Abstract

Background:

ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) is a pathological process that involves cardiac muscle tissue death. Intravenous thrombolysis with fibrinolytics or primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), an invasive technique, can be performed for tissue revascularization. PCI has been preferred as compared to non-invasive methods, although few studies have described its use in Brazil.

Objectives:

The aim of the present study was to analyze data on the use of primary PCI and investigate the relevance of hospitalizations for the treatment of STEMI in the country.

Methods:

A descriptive, cross-sectional analysis of data from the Brazilian Unified Health system (SUS) Department of Informatics (DATASUS) from 2010 to 2019 was conducted.

Results:

Hospitalizations for STEMI represented 0.6% of all hospital admissions in Brazil in the analyzed period, 0.9% of hospital costs, and 2.1% of deaths. The number of hospitalizations due to STEMI was 659,811, and 82,793 for PCIs. Length of hospital stay was 36.0% shorter and mortality rate was 53.3% lower in PCI. The mean cost of PCI was 3.5-fold higher than for treatment of STEMI.

Conclusions:

Data on hospitalizations for STEMI treatment in Brazil revealed high hospitalization and mortality rates, elevated costs, and long hospital stay. Although primary PCI is a more expensive and less used technique than other methods, it can reduce the length of hospital stay and mortality in the treatment of STEMI.

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Original Article

Implementation of a Telecardiology Service in a Health Unit in the City of Porto Alegre, Brazil: A Pilot Study

Francieli Giachini Esmerio et al. Silvia Goldmeier Eduardo Costa Duarte Barbosa Luis Marcelo Segredo … Rodolfo Silva Maria Claudia Irigoyen Bruna Eibel Patricia Oliveira Dias

Abstract

Background:

The implementation of Telecardiology in primary care in the city of Porto Alegre, Brazil, is a viable and promising strategy. It would decrease the distance between patient and specialized professional services by reducing unnecessary referrals and improving the quality of primary care and satisfaction of patients and health professionals.

Objective:

To implement a Telecardiology service and assess user satisfaction using the CARDIOSATIS scale.

Methods:

This was a pilot study developed by a partnership between the Institute of Cardiology and the Telehealth Center of Rio Grande do Sul. The study was carried out at Eri Flores-Vila Vargas health center in the city of Porto Alegre, from May to October 2019, and included 21 patients attending the health center. The descriptive analysis of data was performed using the SPSS program (Statistical Package for the Sciences) version 23. Data normality was checked using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Statistical significance was set at 10%.

Results:

Mean age of participants was 43.8 ± 16.1 years. The most common risk factors in the sample were physical inactivity (81%) and smoking (43%). Most patients had normal electrocardiogram (ECG) readings. The time elapsed from the performance of the ECG test, transmission of the ECG traces to Telehealth, and return of the final ECG report to the health center was 0-7 days. The CARDIOSATIS scale revealed a high prevalence of “very satisfied” users for the general satisfaction domain, and only 14.3% of patients were dissatisfied with their health.

Conclusions:

Telecardiology reduced the distance between patient and the specialized professional, with a high level of patient and health professional satisfaction. Our study can serve as a basis for the implementation of a telecardiology network in the city of Porto Alegre in the future.

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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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Original Article

Text Messages to Promote Secondary Prevention after Acute Coronary Syndrome (IMPACS trial)

Luiz Guilherme Passaglia et al. Luisa Campos Caldeira Brant José Luiz Padilha da Silva Bruno Ramos Nascimento Antônio Luiz Pinho Ribeiro

Abstract

Background

Short message service (SMS) to promote healthcare improves the control of cardiovascular risk factors, but there is a lack of evidence in low and middle-income countries, particularly after acute coronary syndromes (ACS).

Objective

This study aims to evaluate whether the use of SMS increases risk factor control after hospital discharge for ACS.

Methods

IMPACS is a 2-arm randomized trial with 180 patients hospitalized due to ACS at a tertiary hospital in Brazil. Eligible patients were randomized (1:1) to an SMS intervention (G1) or standard care (G2) upon hospital discharge. The primary endpoint was set to achieve 4 or 5 points in a risk factor control score, consisting of a cluster of 5 modifiable risk factors: LDL-C <70mg/dL, blood pressure (BP) <140/90mmHg, regular exercise (≥5 days/week, 30 minutes/session), nonsmoker status, and body mass index (BMI) <25 kg/m2] at 6 months. Secondary outcomes were components of the primary outcome plus rehospitalization, cardiovascular death, and death from any cause. Results are designated as significant if p<0.05.

Results

From randomized patients, 147 were included in the final analysis. Mean age was 58 (51–64) years, 74% males. The primary outcome was achieved by 12 (16.2%) patients in G1 and 15 (20.8%) in G2 (OR=0.73, 95%CI 0.32–1.70, p=0.47). Secondary outcomes were also similar: LDL-C<70 mg/dl (p=0.33), BP<140/90 mmHg (p=0.32), non-smoker (p=0.74), regular exercise (p=0.97), BMI (p=0.71), and rehospitalization (p=0.06). Death from any cause occurred in three participants (2%), including one cardiovascular death in each group.

Conclusion

SMS intervention did not significantly improve cardiovascular risk factor control when compared to standard care in patients discharged after ACS in Brazil.

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Case Report

Commotio Cordis Secondary to Aggression

Luisa Gonçalves et al. Inês Pires João Santos Joana Laranjeira Correia … Davide Moreira Inês Almeida

Case report

A 35-year-old man was admitted following a recovered cardiorespiratory arrest. He was attacked by another man with multiples blunts by a wood stick in the chest and head. An eyewitness statement indicated that the victim had lost consciousness and collapsed after being hit in the chest. He was in cardiac arrest, and a nearby healthcare professional provided first aid with cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The first electrocardiogram (ECG) rhythm strip, fifteen minutes later, identified ventricular fibrillation (VF) (). Sixteen electrical shocks were delivered, always with VF, before restoration of sinus rhythm and circulation. A 12-lead-ECG revealed sinus rhythm without ST deviations and a corrected QT interval of 414 msec. On admission, he was under ventilatory support, with a heart rate of 80 beats per minute, blood pressure of 121/70mmHg, and no signs of shock. There was no previously known medical condition, besides being an active smoker and a binge drinker, and no family history of early coronary disease, cardiomyopathy, or sudden death. He was under the influence of alcohol, as was confirmed by blood tests (blood alcohol level of 1.31g/L), and had a discretely elevated cardiac troponin-T of 0.9ng/ml (normal range, 0 to 0.08 ng/ml). The remaining analyzes, cranial and cervical CT scan, chest X-ray, and abdominal eco FAST were normal. An initial echocardiogram in the emergency department demonstrated normal-sized chambers and global ventricular systolic dysfunction explained by a prolonged cardiac arrest. He was admitted to the intensive care unit for post-resuscitation care with therapeutic hypothermia and temporary ventilatory support. At 48 hours of admission, there was a normalization of systolic function with a normal ejection fraction by echocardiogram (). Coronary angiography excluded coronary disease (). Serial electrocardiograms were not suggestive of an arrhythmogenic substrate (). The sudden cardiac arrest was assumed secondary to a commotio cordis (CC), and for this reason, the patient was not proposed for an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). The clinical outcome was favorable, and the patient was discharged. He remained asymptomatic during three years of follow-up, with normal ECG, echocardiogram with strain-rate imaging, exercise stress test, and 24-hour-Holter. During mid-term follow-up, a cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed normal-sized chambers, global and regional function, and no myocardial edema or myocardial scar by late focal hyperenhancement (-).

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Original Article

Is the Wistar Rat a more Suitable Normotensive Control for SHR to Test Blood Pressure and Cardiac Structure and Function?

Leonardo Mateus Teixeira de Rezende et al. Leôncio Lopes Soares Filipe Rios Drummond Pedro Zavagli Suarez … Luciano Leite Joel Alves Rodrigues Tiago Leal Lukiya Favarato Emily Correna Carlo Reis Evandro Favarato Miguel Carneiro Júnior Antônio José Natali Cândido Coimbra Thales Prímola Gomes

Abstract

Background:

There are divergences in the literature regarding the experimental model (Wistar-WIS or Wistar Kyoto-WKY) to be used as a Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat (SHR) control. The characterization of these models in terms of cardiovascular parameters provides researchers with important tools at the time of selection and application in scientific research.

Objective:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of WIS and WKY as a Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat (SHR) control by assessing the long-term behavior of blood pressure and cardiac structure and function in these strains.

Methods:

To this end, WIS, WKY, and SHR underwent longitudinal experiments. Blood pressure and body mass were measured every two weeks from the 8th to the 72nd. Echocardiographic analysis was performed in all groups with 16, 48, and 72 weeks of life. After having applied the normality test, the Two-Way ANOVA of repeated measures followed by the Tukey post hoc test was used. A significance level of 5% was established.

Results:

The WIS group showed higher body mass (p<0.05), while the WKY and SHR presented higher body mass variation over time (p<0.05). SHR exhibited increased values of systolic, diastolic, and mean blood pressure when compared to WKY and WIS, whereas the WKY generally showed higher values than WIS (p<0.05). Regarding the cardiac function, SHR showed reduced values, while the WKY presented an early decrease when compared to WIS with aging (p<0.05).

Conclusion:

WIS is a more suitable normotensive control for SHR than WKY in experiments to test blood pressure and cardiac structure and function.

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Original Article

Validation of the Grace Risk Score to Predict In-Hospital and 6-Month Post-Discharge Mortality in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome

Vítor Boniatti Neves et al. Raquel Melchior Roman Tiago Vendruscolo Gilberto Heineck … Carlos Alberto Santos de Mattos Eduardo Ilha de Mattos Luiz Carlos Pereira Bin Karine de Lima Sírio Boclin Marcelo Fialho Roman

Abstract

Background

The wide range of clinical presentations of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) makes it indispensible to use tools for risk stratification and for appropriate risks management; thus, the use of prognosis scores is recommended in the immediat clinical decision-making.

Objective

To validate the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) score as a predictor of in-hospital and 6-month post-discharge mortality in a population diagnosed with ACS.

Methods

This is a prospective cohort study of consecutive patients diagnosed with ACS between May and December 2018. GRACE scores were calculated, as well as their predictive value for in-hospital and 6-month post-discharge mortality. The validity of the model was assessed by two techniques: discriminative power using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and goodness-of-fit, using the Hosmer-Lemeshow (HL) test, at the 5% level of significance.

Results

A total of 160 patients were included, mean age 64 (±10.9) years; of which 60% were men. The risk model showed to have satisfactory ability to predict both in-hospital mortality, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.76 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.57-0.95; p = 0.014), and 6-month post-discharge mortality, with AUC of 0.78 (95%CI, 0.62-0.94), p = 0.002. The HL test indicated good-fit for both models of the GRACE score.

Conclusion

In this study, the GRACE risk score for predicting mortality was appropriately validated in patients with ACS, with good discriminative power and goodness-of-fit. The results suggest that the GRACE score is appropriate for clinical use in our setting.

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Case Report

Surgical Repair of a Ruptured Giant Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm in a 16-Year-Old with Takayasu’s Arteritis: Case Report and Etiological Review

José Maciel Caldas dos Reis et al. Glauco dos Santos Melo Murilo Vasconcelos de Oliveira Felipe Eduardo de Oliveira Santos … Tereza Maria Meireles Fernandes da Silva Hugo Luis da Silva Ferreira

Abstract

Takayasu’s arteritis is a type of primary systemic vasculitis that affects medium and large arteries, including the aorta and its main branches, as well as the pulmonary and coronary arteries. Although rare in children, it is the third most common vasculitis in the pediatric population, often with delayed diagnosis due to the nonspecific presentation of clinical symptoms in its initial phase. This is a case of a 16-year-old girl with a giant ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm, who needed surgery on an emergency basis. The etiological aspects involved in aneurysms in young patients are also addressed.

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Review Article

Effect of Physical Training on Nitric Oxide Levels in Patients with Arterial Hypertension: An Integrative Review

Tábata de Paula Facioli et al. Mariana Colombini Buranello Eloisa Maria Gatti Regueiro Renata Pedrolongo Basso-Vanelli Marina de Toledo Durand

Abstract

The regular practice of physical exercise as a non-pharmacological treatment of arterial hypertension (AH) has been encouraged due to causing a series of physiological responses in the cardiovascular system, such as the production of vasoactive substances, including nitric oxide (NO). NO is a relaxation factor released by the endothelium, and the decrease in its bioavailability is related to coronary and arterial diseases, such as AH. This study aimed to perform an integrative literature review to elucidate the effect of physical training on NO levels in patients with AH and to establish a relationship between these levels and blood pressure (BP) control. A literature review was was performed by searching PubMed / MEDLINE, Lilacs, Scielo, Cinahl and Embase databases. The search string used was (“arterial hypertension” OR hypertension) AND (exercise OR “physical exercise” OR “aerobic exercise” OR “exercise training” or “physical activity”) AND (“nitric oxide”). We included fully available controlled and uncontrolled clinical trials published in English and Portuguese languages in the last 10 years. The review consisted of 16 articles, of which 13 reported an increase in NO production after the physical training intervention, and three studies found no change. In addition, 15 studies observed a reduction in BP after the intervention. In conclusion, regular practice of physical exercises, advocating moderate intensity, can improve NO bioavailability in pre-hypertensive and hypertensive individuals, which seems to be one of the mechanisms responsible for BP reduction.

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