Salud Cardiovascular En Población Migrante Ecuatoriana En Madrid (España). ¿Debemos Preocuparnos? / Cardiovascular Health In An Ecuadorian Migrant Population To Madrid (Spain). Should We Worry?

RESUMEN Antecedentes: La comunidad ecuatoriana es la tercera comunidad extranjera más numerosa en España. Sin embargo, es poco lo que se conoce acerca de su estado de salud cardiovascular (CV) y si los efectos de la migración han causado un detrimento en dicho estado. Métodos: Con el objetivo de conocer la salud CV en una población ecuatoriana de migrantes en Madrid, se realizó un estudio transversal no aleatorizado en el que se incluyeron personas de nacionalidad ecuatoriana, mayores de 25 años, residentes en Madrid desde hace un año o más. Se realizaron encuestas, mediante el uso de cuestionarios previamente validados, para determinar el estado de salud CV de la población, así como el grado de distress psicológico. Resultados: Se incluyeron 165 participantes (68,5% mujeres), con edad promedio de 49 años. El 86,1% de la población estudiada presentó salud cardiovascular pobre y 13,9% intermedia, sin diferencias significativas según el sexo. No hubo individuos que cumplan las 7 variables con valores ideales. Las mujeres presentaron puntuaciones más altas en el cuestionario DASS-21 en comparación a los hombres (p<0,05). Conclusión: En la población migrante ecuatoriana residente en Madrid, más del 85% presentó una salud CV pobre, y ninguno presentó una salud CV ideal. Los factores de riesgo más prevalentes en dicha población fueron pobre actividad física, sobrepeso/obesidad y malos hábitos dietéticos. Se requieren más estudios para identificar la situación real de riesgo CV de la población migrante ecuatoriana. Probablemente, a medio-largo plazo, será necesario implementar políticas de salud especialmente dirigidas a los migrantes.

ABSTRACT Background: The Ecuadorian community is the third largest foreign community in Spain. However, little is known about their cardiovascular (CV) health status and whether the effects of migration have caused a detriment in that state. Methods: With the aim of knowing the CV health in an Ecuadorian population of migrants in Madrid, a non-randomized, cross-sectional study was carried out, which included people of Ecuadorian nationality, older than 25 years, living in Madrid for a year or more. Surveys were conducted through the use of previously validated questionnaires, to determine the health status of the population, as well as the degree of neuro-physiological distress. Results: We included 165 participants (68.5% women), with an average age of 49 years. Of these, 86.1% presented poor cardiovascular health and 13.9% intermediate, without significant differences according to sex. There were no individuals that met the 7 variables consistent with and ideal CV status. Women had higher scores on the DASS-21 questionnaire compared to men (p <0.05). Conclusion: In the Ecuadorian migrant population living in Madrid, more than 85% had poor CV health, and none had an ideal CV health. Most prevalent risk factors in this population were poor physical activity, overweight/obesity and poor dietary habits. More studies are required to identify the real situation of CV risk in the Ecuadorian migrant population. Probably, in the medium-long term, it will be necessary to implement health policies especially addressed to migrants.

Update on Cysticercosis Epileptogenesis: the Role of the Hippocampus

Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is the most common helminthic infection of the nervous system and a frequent cause of reactive seizures and epilepsy worldwide. In many cases, multiple episodes of focal seizures related to an identifiable parenchymal brain cyst (and likely attributable to local damage) continue for years after the cyst resolves. However, cases where seizure semiology, interictal EEG abnormalities, and parasites location do not correlate raise concerns about the causal relationship between NCC and either reactive seizures or epilepsy, as well as the epileptogenic potential of parasites. Neurosurgical series of patients with intractable epilepsy and cross-sectional population-based studies have shown a robust association between NCC and hippocampal sclerosis (HS), which might contribute to the above-referred inconsistencies. Current information does not allow to define whether in patients with NCC, HS could result from recurrent seizure activity from a local or distant focus or from chronic recurrent inflammation. In either case, HS may become the pathological substrate of subsequent mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE). Longitudinal clinical- and population-based cohort studies are needed to evaluate the causal relationship between NCC and HS and to characterize this association with the occurrence of MTLE. If a cause-and-effect relationship between NCC and HS is demonstrated, NCC patients could be assessed to examine neuronal mechanisms of hippocampal epileptogenesis in comparison with animal models, to identify biomarkers of hippocampal epileptogenesis, and to develop novel interventions to prevent epilepsy in NCC and perhaps in other forms of acquired epilepsy.(AU)

Dietary fish intake and sleep quality: a population-based study

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES:Due to the content of omega-3 and vitamin D, fish consumption is likely to be associated with better sleep. However, current data are limited to a single study that is not representative of the population at large. The present study aimed to assess the effects of oily fish consumption on sleep quality in community dwelling adults living in rural coastal Ecuador.METHODS:Atahualpa residents aged ≥40 years and who were identified during a door-to-door survey were interviewed with field instruments directed at assessing cardiovascular risk factors, sleep quality, and fish consumption. Using parametric regression and generalized linear models adjusted for demographics and cardiovascular risk factors, the study evaluated whether oily fish consumption is associated with a lower Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI).RESULTS:Out of 721 eligible people, 677 (94%) were enrolled. Mean oily fish consumption was 9 ± 6 servings per week (one serving = 140 grams). Poor sleep quality was noticed in 187 (28%) individuals. Oily fish intake was higher in individuals with good sleep quality (p = 0.013). There was an inverse association between the PSQI score and oily fish servings per week in both parametric regression (β = -0.040; 95% CI -0.690 to -0.011, p = 0.007) and the adjusted generalized linear model (β = -0.032; 95% CI -0.605 to -0.004, p = 0.025).CONCLUSIONS:Oily fish consumption is associated with better sleep quality. Even in people who ingest more than the recommended amount of fish, an increase in fish intake is associated with further improvement in the quality of sleep.(AU)

Taenia solium Cysticercosis - The lessons of history

Human taeniasis as well as porcine and human cysticercosis - caused by the pork tapeworm Taenia solium - are ancient diseases. The fact that pigs were considered impure in the ancient Greece and that the Koran prohibited the consumption of pork, were likely related to the knowledge that cysticercosis may affect swine. Evidence suggests that human cysticercosis was also present in the ancient Egypt and Rome. During the Renaissance, the causative agent was properly identified and human cases were recognized. Confirmation that both taeniasis and cysticercosis were caused by the same parasite was provided during the 19th Century by German pathologists. During the 20th Century, bouts of human cysticercosis in non-endemic regions left us valuable lessons on the mechanisms of disease acquisition and spread. These included a large series of neurocysticercosis cases in the United Kingdom that occurred after the return of troops stationed in India (which demonstrated that symptoms may occur years after infection), the epidemic of cysticercosis-related epilepsy in the Ekari people of Papua New Guinea occurring after the gift of pigs with cysticercosis received from Indonesia (demonstrating the fast establishment of endemic transmission and the impact of cysticercosis in epilepsy frequency), and the occurrence of neurocysticercosis among members of an Orthodox Jewish community of New York City, related to Latin American Taenia carriers working in their houses (highlighting the fact that cysticercosis transmission do not require the presence of infected pigs). These lessons of history have significantly contributed to our current knowledge on this disease.(AU)

Variants in the circle of Willis and white matter disease in Ecuadorian Mestizos

Studies on Whites and Asians have shown contradictory results on the association between an incomplete circle of Willis (CoW) and white matter disease (WMD). We evaluated such relationship in Ecuadorian Mestizos.(AU)

Willis-Ekbom disease is not associated with poor cardiovascular health in adults

Willis-Ekbom disease (WED), also called restless legs syndrome (RLS), is a neurologic sensorimotor disease that may be associated with cardiovascular disease. Given high morbidity and mortality rates of cardiovascular disease worldwide, we assessed the relation between WED/RLS and cardiovascular health risks in a native South American population. We prospectively analyzed data from The Atahualpa Project of Ecuadorian adults aged 40 years and older. Physicians interviewed consented persons on the health behavior and health factors of the American Heart Association (AHA) for ideal cardiovascular health in adults and underwent fasting laboratory blood collection and blood pressure evaluation. Certified neurologists conducted face-to-face interviews using the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (IRLSSG) field instrument. Persons testing positive for WED/RLS and age-and sex-matched controls underwent confirmatory physical examinations conducted by a neurologist and a sleep specialist to whom IRLSSG designation was blinded.(AU)

Metabolic syndrome correlates poorly with cognitive performance in stroke-free community-dwelling older adults: a population-based, cross-sectional study in rural Ecuador

Studies investigating a possible correlation between metabolic syndrome and cognitive decline have been inconsistent.(AU)

Cognitive performance in community-dwelling older adults with stroke and the contribution of age and diffuse subcortical damage: a population-based study in rural Ecuador (The Atahualpa Project)(AU)

Cognitive impairment is common among stroke survivors. However, there is controversy on the role of the stroke itself or the associated subcortical damage in post-stroke cognitive decline.(AU)

Stroke and pineal gland calcification: lack of association. Results from a population-based study (The Atahualpa Project)

It has been suggested that pineal gland calcifications (PGC) represent a risk factor for stroke; however, information comes from a single retrospective hospital-based registry. We aimed to validate this association in a population-based study conducted in rural Ecuador.(AU)

Incompleteness of the Circle of Willis correlates poorly with imaging evidence of small vessel disease. A population-based study in rural Ecuador (the Atahualpa project)

Studies looking for an association between incompleteness of the Circle of Willis (CoW) and small vessel disease (SVD) markers are scarce and conflicting. We aimed to evaluate this association in an unbiased population-based study conducted in Atahualpa (rural Ecuador).(AU)

Oily fish consumption is inversely correlated with cerebral microbleeds in community-dwelling older adults: results from the Atahualpa Project

Oily fish is a major dietary source of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs). These nutrients improve endothelial dysfunction, reduce β-amyloid induced damage of neurovascular units, and might prevent the occurrence of cerebral microbleeds. However, this relationship has not been investigated so far.(AU)

Dietary Oily Fish Intake and Blood Pressure Levels: A Population-Based Study

The effect of fish consumption on blood pressure is controversial. The authors measured blood pressure and calculated oily fish servings per week in 677 community-dwellers aged 40 years and older living in rural coastal Ecuador. Using regression models with linear splines, the authors evaluated whether dietary fish intake was related to blood pressure levels, after adjusting for relevant confounders. Mean oily fish consumption was 9.1±5.6 servings per week. There was a nonlinear relationship between systolic pressure and fish servings. In the group of individuals consuming up to five servings per week, each serving significantly reduced systolic pressure by 2.3 mm Hg (P=.020). Any extra serving provided no further effects. The study shows an inverse relationship between oily fish consumption and systolic pressure. Currently recommended amounts of dietary oily fish intake per week (1-2 servings) might be insufficient to exert beneficial effects of fish in the control of blood pressure.(AU)

Calcifications in the carotid siphon correlate with silent cerebral small vessel disease in community-dwelling older adults: A population-based study in rural Ecuador

Using a population-based, cross-sectional design, we aimed to assess whether the presence of calcifications in the carotid siphon (as seen on computed tomography) is associated with silent markers of cerebral small vessel disease (on magnetic resonance imaging) in apparently healthy older adults living in Atahualpa, a rural Ecuadorian village.

(AU)

Intracranial arterial stenosis in Ecuadorian Natives/Mestizos. A population-based study in older adults (The Atahualpa Project)

Intracranial arterial stenosis (IAS) is more prevalent among Asians, Blacks and Caribbean Hispanics than in Whites. However, there is no information on the importance of this common cause of stroke among Mestizo/Native populations of Latin America. We aimed to assess prevalence and correlates of IAS in an indigenous Ecuadorian population of older adults.

(AU)

Cerebrovascular correlates of vitamin D deficiency in older adults living near the Equator: results from the Atahualpa Project

All studies attempting to find an association between vitamin D deficiency and cerebrovascular diseases have been conducted at latitudes far away from the Equator, where living conditions, cardiovascular risk factors, and sunshine exposure are different from tropical regions. We aimed to assess cerebrovascular correlates of vitamin D deficiency in community-dwelling older adults living in Atahualpa, a village located in rural coastal Ecuador. Out of 267 individuals enrolled in the neuroimaging substudy of the Atahualpa Project, 220 (82%) signed the informed consent. Mean age of participants was 70·9 ± 7·8 years, and 126 (57%) were women. Fifty-four (25%) persons have vitamin D levels <20 ng/ml, 47 (21%) had ischemic strokes, and 53 (24%) had moderate-to-severe white matter hyperintensities of presumed vascular origin. Exposure effect models constructed with vitamin D deficiency as the exposure, white matter hyperintensities and ischemic stroke as the outcomes, and confounders - age, gender, body mass index, physical activity, blood pressure, fasting glucose, total cholesterol, ionized calcium, phosphorus, intact parathormone, and serum creatinine - as independent variables revealed a significant association of vitamin D deficiency with white matter hyperintensities (P = 0·006) but not with ischemic strokes (P = 0·359). This study shows an association of vitamin D deficiency with diffuse subcortical brain damage in older adults living in a tropical region. Lack of awareness of the importance of vitamin D deficiency might be one of the factors influencing the high prevalence of white matter hyperintensities of presumed vascular origin in underserved Latin American populations.

(AU)

Oily Fish Intake and Cognitive Performance in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: The Atahualpa Project

Due to their high content of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, oily fish consumption is likely associated with a better cognitive performance. However, information on this association is controversial, with some studies showing a positive effect while others showing no association. We aimed to assess the effects of oily fish consumption on cognitive performance in a population of frequent fish consumers living in rural coastal Ecuador. Atahualpa residents aged ≥60 years were identified during a door-to-door survey and evaluated by the use of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Oily fish servings per week were calculated in all participants. We estimated whether fish intake correlated with MoCA scores in generalized multivariate linear models adjusted for demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, edentulism and symptoms of depression. Out of 330 eligible persons, 307 (93 %) were enrolled. Mean MoCA scores were 19 ± 4.8 points, and mean oily fish consumption was 8.6 ± 5.3 servings per week. In multivariate analyses, MoCA scores were related to fish servings (β 0.097, 95 % CI 0.005-0.188, p = 0.038). Locally weighted scatterplot smoothing showed an inflection point in the total MoCA score curve at four fish servings per week. However, predictive margins of the MoCA score were similar across groups below and above this point, suggesting a direct linear relationship between oily fish intake and cognitive performance. Simple preventive measures, such as modifying dietary habits might be of value to reduce the rate of cognitive decline in community-dwelling older adults living in underserved populations.(AU)

The Relationship Between High Pulse Pressure and Low Ankle-Brachial Index. Potential Utility in Screening for Peripheral Artery Disease in Population-Based Studies

The ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a reliable screening procedure for peripheral artery disease detection. However, ABI testing is time-consuming and requires trained personnel, which may preclude its routine use in population-based surveys. Preliminary data suggest a relationship between ABI values and pulse pressure (PP) levels.(AU)

Poor sleep quality and silent markers of cerebral small vessel disease: a population-based study in community-dwelling older adults (The Atahualpa Project)

Evidence of a relationship between non-breathing-related sleep symptoms and silent markers of cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) is scarce. The present study aimed to evaluate this association in older people living in rural Ecuador, where the burden of stroke is on the rise.(AU)

White matter hyperintensities of presumed vascular origin: a population-based study in rural Ecuador (The Atahualpa Project)(AU)

Cerebral small vessel disease is probably one of the most common pathogenetic mechanisms underlying stroke in Latin America. However, the importance of silent markers of small vessel disease, including white matter hyperintensities of presumed vascular origin, has not been assessed so far.(AU)

Global cortical atrophy (GCA) associates with worse performance in the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). A population-based study in community-dwelling elders living in rural Ecuador

Increasing numbers of individuals with cognitive impairment are posing economic threads to the developing world. Proper assessment of this condition may be complicated by illiteracy and cross-cultural factors. We conducted a population-based study in elders living in rural Ecuador to evaluate whether the MoCA associated with structural brain damage in less-educated populations.(AU)