The First Brazilian Cardiovascular Registry of Atrial Fibrillation: Primary Results of the RECALL Study.

BACKGROUND: It is estimated that atrial fibrillation (AF) affects approximately 1.5 million people in Brazil; however, epidemiological data are limited. We sought to evaluate the characteristics, treatment patterns, and clinical outcomes in patients with AF in Brazil by creating the first nationwide prospective registry. METHODS: RECALL was a multicenter, prospective registry that included and followed for 1 year 4,585 patients with AF at 89 sites across Brazil from April 2012 to August 2019. Patient characteristics, concomitant medication use, and clinical outcomes were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariable models. RESULTS: Of 4,585 patients enrolled, the median age was 70 (61, 78) years, 46% were women, and 53.8% had permanent AF. Only 4.4% of patients had a history of previous AF ablation and 25.2% had a previous cardioversion. The mean (SD) CHA2DS2-VASc score was 3.2 (1.6); median HAS-BLED score was 2 (2, 3). At baseline, 22% were not on anticoagulants. Of those taking anticoagulants, 62.6% were taking vitamin K antagonists and 37.4% were taking direct oral anticoagulants. The primary reasons for not using an oral anticoagulant were physician judgment (24.6%) and difficulty in controlling (14.7%) or performing (9.9%) INR. Mean (SD) TTR for the study period was 49.5% (27.5). During follow-up, the use of anticoagulants and INR in the therapeutic range increased to 87.1% and 59.1%, respectively. The rates/100 patient-years of death, hospitalization due to AF, AF ablation, cardioversion, stroke, systemic embolism, and major bleeding were 5.76 (5.12-6.47), 15.8 (14.6-17.0), 5.0 (4.4-5.7), 1.8 (1.4-2.2), 2.77 (2.32-3.32), 1.01 (0.75-1.36), and 2.21 (1.81-2.70). Older age, permanent AF, New York Heart Association class III/IV, chronic kidney disease, peripheral arterial disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and dementia were independently associated with increased mortality while the use of anticoagulant was associated with lower risk of death. CONCLUSIONS: RECALL represents the largest prospective registry of patients with AF in Latin America. Our findings highlight important gaps in treatment, which can inform clinical practice and guide future interventions to improve the care of these patients.

Factors associated with diet quality among Brazilian individuals with cardiovascular diseases.

BACKGROUND: An individual's dietary pattern contributes in different ways to the prevention and control of recurrent cardiovascular events. However, the quality of the diet is influenced by several factors. The present study aimed to evaluate the quality of the diet of individuals with cardiovascular diseases and determine whether there is an association between sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study carried out with individuals with atherosclerosis (coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease or peripheral arterial disease) recruited from 35 reference centres for the treatment of cardiovascular disease in Brazil. Diet quality was assessed according to the Modified Alternative Healthy Eating Index (mAHEI) and stratified into tertiles. For comparing two groups, the Mann-Whitney or Pearson's chi-squared tests were used. However, for comparing three or more groups, analysis of variance or Kruskal-Wallis was used. For the confounding analysis, a multinomial regression model was used. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: In total, 2360 individuals were evaluated: 58.5% male and 64.2% elderly. The median (interquartile range [IQR]) of the mAHEI was 24.0 (20.0-30.0), ranging from 0.4 to 56.0 points. When comparing the odds ratios (ORs) for the low (first tertile) and medium (second tertile) diet quality groups with the high-quality group (third tertile), it was observed that there was an association between diet quality with a family income of 1.885 (95% confidence intervals [CI] = 1.302-2.729) and 1.566 (95% CI = 1.097-2.235), as well as physical activity of 1.391 (95% CI = 1.107-1.749) and 1.346 (95% CI = 1.086-1.667), respectively. In addition, associations were observed between diet quality and region of residence. CONCLUSIONS: A low-quality diet was associated with family income, sedentarism and geographical area. These data are extremely relevant to assist in coping with cardiovascular disease because they enable an assessment of the distribution of these factors in different regions of the country.

Factors associated with diet quality among Brazilian individuals with cardiovascular diseases

BACKGROUND: An individual's dietary pattern contributes in different ways to the prevention and control of recurrent cardiovascular events. However, the quality of the diet is influenced by several factors. The present study aimed to evaluate the quality of the diet of individuals with cardiovascular diseases and determine whether there is an association between sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study carried out with individuals with atherosclerosis (coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease or peripheral arterial disease) recruited from 35 reference centres for the treatment of cardiovascular disease in Brazil. Diet quality was assessed according to the Modified Alternative Healthy Eating Index (mAHEI) and stratified into tertiles. For comparing two groups, the Mann-Whitney or Pearson's chi-squared tests were used. However, for comparing three or more groups, analysis of variance or Kruskal-Wallis was used. For the confounding analysis, a multinomial regression model was used. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: In total, 2360 individuals were evaluated: 58.5% male and 64.2% elderly. The median (interquartile range [IQR]) of the mAHEI was 24.0 (20.0-30.0), ranging from 0.4 to 56.0 points. When comparing the odds ratios (ORs) for the low (first tertile) and medium (second tertile) diet quality groups with the high-quality group (third tertile), it was observed that there was an association between diet quality with a family income of 1.885 (95% confidence intervals [CI] = 1.302-2.729) and 1.566 (95% CI = 1.097-2.235), as well as physical activity of 1.391 (95% CI = 1.107-1.749) and 1.346 (95% CI = 1.086-1.667), respectively. In addition, associations were observed between diet quality and region of residence. CONCLUSIONS: A low-quality diet was associated with family income, sedentarism and geographical area. These data are extremely relevant to assist in coping with cardiovascular disease because they enable an assessment of the distribution of these factors in different regions of the country.