Eight-year change in carotid intima-media thickness and associated risk factors in adults with and without psoriasis - the ELSA-Brasil cohort study.

The longitudinal association between psoriasis and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) has not yet been established. This study aimed do compare CIMT and its change (∆CIMT) after an 8-year follow-up according to psoriasis diagnosis and the association with risk factors in the ELSA-Brasil study. Data from 7564 participants were analyzed (median age of 50.0 [44.0-57.0] years, 56.9% women). CIMT was assessed by ultrasound and ∆CIMT was calculated by subtracting baseline values from follow-up values. Psoriasis participants were identified by self-reported medical diagnosis (n=143) and compared with matched participants without disease (n=572) and with the entire sample without psoriasis (n=7421). Baseline CIMT explained the 8-year CIMT increase only in 36.9% among psoriasis participants and in ∼43.0% in participants without disease. CIMT was associated with age (ß=0.002, P=0.002) and hypertension (ß=0.029, P=0.034) in psoriasis participants. Among participants without psoriasis, CIMT was associated with age, male sex, low educational attainment, past smoking, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia (P<0.05). There was an inverse association of CIMT with private health insurance (ß=-0.004, P=0.042) and White ethnicity (ß=-0.006, P=0.004) in the entire sample without psoriasis but not in matched participants. Psoriasis participants showed an inverse association between ∆CIMT and diabetes (ß=-0.214, P=0.011), while the entire sample without psoriasis showed an inverse association between ∆CIMT and age (ß=-0.005, P<0.001), past smoking (ß=-0.048, P=0.009), and hypertension (ß=-0.048, P=0.009). In conclusion, psoriasis was not associated with CIMT after an 8-year follow-up. The inverse association of ∆CIMT with diabetes in psoriasis participants needs further clarification.

Consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks and risk of metabolic syndrome and its components: results of the ELSA-Brasil study (2008-2010 and 2012-2014).

AIM: To estimate the association between consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks and unsweetened fruit juice with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components in participants of the Brazilian Longitudinal Adult Health Study (ELSA-Brasil) after 4 years of follow-up. METHODS: We used data from ELSA-Brasil cohort (N = 15,105). The sample consisted of 6,124 civil servants free of the MetS at baseline (35 to 74 years, both sexes). The consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks and unsweetened fruit juice was estimated by a food frequency questionnaire previously validated. The outcome was MetS and its components (Joint Interim Statement criteria). To test the association between beverage consumption at baseline (2008-2010) and MetS and its components at follow-up (2012-2014), we used Poisson regression models with robust variance adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: After 4-year follow-up, the higher consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks (≥ 1 serving/day = 250 mL/day) increased the relative risk of MetS (RR = 1.22; 95% CI 1.04-1.45), high fasting glucose (RR = 1.23; 95% CI 1.01-1.48), and high blood pressure (RR = 1.23; 95% CI 1.00-1.54). Moderate consumption of this beverage (0.4 to < 1 serving/day) increased the relative risk of high waist circumference (WC) (RR = 1.21; 95% CI 1.02-1.42). After adjustment for confounding variables, the consumption of unsweetened fruit juice was not associated with the MetS and its components. CONCLUSION: Higher sugar-sweetened soft drinks consumption was associated with a higher risk relative of MetS, high fasting glucose, and high blood pressure, while moderate consumption of this beverage increased the relative risk of high WC in Brazilian adults.

Cerebrovascular risk factors and their time-dependent effects on stroke survival in the EMMA cohort study

To investigate the time-dependent effects of traditional risk factors on functional disability in all-cause mortality post-stroke, we evaluated data from a long-term stroke cohort. Baseline cerebrovascular risk factors (CVRF) and functionality at 1 and 6 months were evaluated in survivors from a prospective stroke cohort using the modified Rankin scale (m-RS), which classifies participants as improvement of disability, unchanged disability (at least moderate), and worsening disability. Cox regression models considering baseline risk factors, medication use, and functionality 6 months after stroke were fitted to identify their time-dependent effects up to 12 years of follow-up. Adjusted hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) are presented. Among 632 survivors (median age 68, 54% male, 71% first-ever episode), age and functional disability (unchanged and worsening) 6 months after ischemic stroke had time-dependent effects on all-cause mortality risk up to 12 years of follow-up. The most impacting risk factors were unchanged (at least moderate) (HR, 2.99; 95%CI: 1.98-4.52) and worsening disability (HR, 2.85; 95%CI: 1.26-6.44), particularly in the first two years after a stroke event (Time 1: ≥6 mo to <2.5 y). Worsening disability also impacted mortality in the period from ≥2.5 to <7.5 years (Time 2) of follow-up (HR, 2.43 (95%CI: 1.03-5.73). Other baseline factors had a fixed high-risk effect on mortality during follow-up. Post-stroke and continuous medication use had a fixed protective effect on mortality. Functional disability was the main contributor with differential risks of mortality up to 12 years of follow-up.

Association of coronary artery calcium with heart rate variability in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health - ELSA-Brasil

Current data shows that the autonomic and vascular systems can influence each other. However, only a few studies have addressed this association in the general population. We aimed to investigate whether heart rate variability (HRV) was associated with coronary artery calcium (CAC) in a cross-sectional analysis of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). We examined baseline data from 3138 participants (aged 35 to 74 years) without previous cardiovascular disease who underwent CAC score assessment and had validated HRV recordings. Prevalent CAC was defined as a CAC score>0, and HRV analyses were performed over 5-min segments. We detected CAC score>0 in 765 (24.4%) participants. Subgroup analyses in older participants (≥49 years) adjusted for sociodemographic and clinical variables revealed that CAC score>0 was associated with lower values of standard deviation of NN intervals (SDNN) (odds ratio [OR]=1.32; 95%CI: 1.05,1.65), root mean square of successive differences between adjacent NN intervals (RMSSD) (OR=1.28; 95%CI: 1.02,1.61), and low frequency (LF) (OR=1.53, 95%CI: 1.21,1.92). Interaction analysis between HRV indices and sex in age-stratified groups revealed significant effect modification: women showed increased OR for prevalent CAC in the younger group, while for men, the associations were in the older group. In conclusion, participants aged ≥49 years with low SDNN, RMSSD, and LF values were more likely to present prevalent CAC, suggesting a complex interaction between these markers in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Furthermore, our results suggested that the relationship between CAC and HRV might be sex- and age-related.

Eight-year change in carotid intima-media thickness and associated risk factors in adults with and without psoriasis - the ELSA-Brasil cohort study

The longitudinal association between psoriasis and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) has not yet been established. This study aimed do compare CIMT and its change (∆CIMT) after an 8-year follow-up according to psoriasis diagnosis and the association with risk factors in the ELSA-Brasil study. Data from 7564 participants were analyzed (median age of 50.0 [44.0-57.0] years, 56.9% women). CIMT was assessed by ultrasound and ∆CIMT was calculated by subtracting baseline values from follow-up values. Psoriasis participants were identified by self-reported medical diagnosis (n=143) and compared with matched participants without disease (n=572) and with the entire sample without psoriasis (n=7421). Baseline CIMT explained the 8-year CIMT increase only in 36.9% among psoriasis participants and in ∼43.0% in participants without disease. CIMT was associated with age (β=0.002, P=0.002) and hypertension (β=0.029, P=0.034) in psoriasis participants. Among participants without psoriasis, CIMT was associated with age, male sex, low educational attainment, past smoking, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia (P<0.05). There was an inverse association of CIMT with private health insurance (β=-0.004, P=0.042) and White ethnicity (β=-0.006, P=0.004) in the entire sample without psoriasis but not in matched participants. Psoriasis participants showed an inverse association between ∆CIMT and diabetes (β=-0.214, P=0.011), while the entire sample without psoriasis showed an inverse association between ∆CIMT and age (β=-0.005, P<0.001), past smoking (β=-0.048, P=0.009), and hypertension (β=-0.048, P=0.009). In conclusion, psoriasis was not associated with CIMT after an 8-year follow-up. The inverse association of ∆CIMT with diabetes in psoriasis participants needs further clarification.

Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE): first steps in the process of the engagement in research projects in Brazil

Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) - sometimes called Community Engagement and Involvement (CEI) - comes as a big challenge but one that can be very helpful for health care professionals and stakeholders in planning better health policies for attending to the main needs of the community. PPIE involves three pillars: public involvement, public engagement, and participation. Public involvement occurs when members of the general population are actively involved in developing the research question, designing, and conducting the research. Public engagement tells people about new studies, why they are important, the impact of results, the possible implication of the main findings for the community, and the possible impact of these new findings in society, as well as, in the dissemination of knowledge to the general population. Participation is being a volunteer in the study. Our experience with PPIE, to the best of our knowledge the first initiative in Brazil, is a partnership with the University of Birmingham, the University of Liverpool, and the NIHR Global Health Group on Atrial Fibrillation (AF) Management focusing on the AF care pathway exploring the important aspects of diagnosis and treatment in the primary care system from a low-middle income area in São Paulo. The involvement of patients/public in the research represents a new step in the process of inclusion of all segments of our society based on patient illness and the gaps in knowledge aiming to open new horizons for continuous improvement and better acceptance of research projects.

Ideal vascular health and cognitive performance in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Most evidence for the association between ideal vascular health (IVH) and cognitive performance comes from high income countries. The aim was to investigate this association in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health. METHODS: Cognition was assessed using the word list, verbal fluency and trail making tests. The IVH score included ideal metrics for body mass index, smoking, physical activity, diet, blood pressure, fasting glucose and total cholesterol. Poor, intermediate and optimal health were characterized in those presenting 0-2, 3-4, 5-7 ideal metrics, respectively. To determine the association between IVH score and cognitive performance, linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, education, race, alcohol use, depression and thyroid function were used. RESULTS: In 12 271 participants, the mean age was 51.3 ± 8.9 years, 54% were women, 57% White and 53% had poor vascular health. Participants with intermediate (ß = 0.064, 95% confidence interval 0.033; 0.096) and optimal health (ß = 0.108, 95% confidence interval 0.052; 0.164) had better global cognitive Z-scores. In addition, interactions of IVH score with age, education and race were found, suggesting a better cognitive performance with higher IVH in older adults, Black/Brown participants and those with lower levels of education. CONCLUSION: Ideal vascular health was associated with better cognitive performance. Older, Black/Brown and low-educated participants had better cognition in the presence of higher IVH scores.

Neck and waist circumference values according to sex, age, and body-mass index: Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil)

Body fat distribution predicts cardiovascular events better than body-mass index (BMI). Waist circumference (WC) and neck circumference (NC) are inexpensive anthropometric measurements. We aimed to present the conditional distribution of WC and NC values according to BMI, stratified by age and sex, from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) baseline data. We analyzed 15,085 ELSA-Brasil participants with complete data. We used spline quantile regression models, stratified by sex and age, to estimate the NC and WC quantiles according to BMI. To test a putative association between age and median NC or WC values, we built sex-specific median regression models using both BMI and age as explanatory variables. We present estimated 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles for NC and WC values, according to BMI, age, and sex. Predicted interquartile intervals for NC values varied from 1.6 to 3.8 cm and, for WC values, from 5.1 to 10.3 cm. Median NC was not associated with age in men (P=0.11) nor in women (P=0.79). However, median WC increased with advancing age in both sexes (P<0.001 for both). There was significant dispersion in WC and NC values for a given BMI and age strata for both men and women. WC, but not NC values, were associated with increasing age. The smaller influence of advancing age on the relationship between BMI and NC (compared to WC) values may be useful in longitudinal studies.

Association between cognitive performance and self-reported glaucoma in middle-aged and older adults: a cross-sectional analysis of ELSA-Brasil

Recent evidence suggests that glaucoma and Alzheimer's disease are neurodegenerative diseases sharing common pathophysiological and etiological features, although findings are inconclusive. We sought to investigate whether self-reported glaucoma patients without dementia present poorer cognitive performance, an issue that has been less investigated. We employed cross-sectional data from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) and included participants ≥50 years of age without a known diagnosis of dementia and a self-reported glaucoma diagnosis. We excluded those with previous stroke, other eye conditions, and using drugs that could impair cognition. We evaluated cognition using delayed word recall, phonemic verbal fluency, and trail making (version B) tests. We used multinomial linear regression models to investigate associations between self-reported glaucoma with cognition, adjusted by several sociodemographic and clinical variables. Out of 4,331 participants, 139 reported glaucoma. Fully-adjusted models showed that self-reported glaucoma patients presented poorer performance in the verbal fluency test (β=-0.39, 95%CI=-0.64 to -0.14, P=0.002), but not in the other cognitive assessments. Thus, our results support the hypothesis that self-reported glaucoma is associated with poor cognitive performance; however, longitudinal data are necessary to corroborate our findings.

Association between ideal cardiovascular health and depression incidence: a longitudinal analysis of ELSA-Brasil.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether ideal cardiovascular health (ICH), a metric proposed by the American Heart Association, predicts depression development. METHODS: Cohort analysis from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). Adults with no current depression and other common mental disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and antidepressant drug use at baseline had their ICH (composite score of smoking, dietary habits, body mass index, blood pressure, fasting glucose, cholesterol, and physical activity) assessed and classified into poor, intermediate, and optimal. Depression was assessed using the Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised (CIS-R). Poisson regression models, adjusted for sociodemographic factors and alcohol consumption, were employed. Stratified analyses were performed for age and sex. RESULTS: We included 9214 participants (mean age 52 ± 9 years, 48.6% women). Overall depression incidence at 3.8-year follow-up was 1.5%. Intermediate and poor ICH significantly increased the risk rate (RR) of developing depression (2.48 [95%CI 1.06-5.78] and 3 [1.28-7.03], respectively) at a 3.8-year follow-up. Higher ICH scores decreased the rate of depression development (RR = 0.84 [0.73-0.96] per metric). Stratified analyses were significant for women and adults < 55 years old. CONCLUSIONS: Poor cardiovascular health tripled depression risk at follow-up in otherwise healthy adults. Ameliorating cardiovascular health might decrease depression risk development.

Reproducibility of carotid ultrasound measurements in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) at baseline

Carotid artery assessment by ultrasound is a non-invasive evaluation of subclinical atherosclerosis and a predictor of cardiovascular events. However, ultrasound examinations are operator-dependent. In the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil), ultrasound images have been acquired from more than 10,000 participants. In this article, we describe the reproducibility of carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), carotid plaque detection, and carotid plaque score (defined as the number of arterial sites with plaques) using ELSA-Brasil protocol, in a subset of 118 participants. Two board-certified radiologists and a trained technician read carotid images. We calculated intra- and inter-observer intraclass correlation (ICC) for CIMT values. We also present kappa coefficients for plaque detection and weighted kappa coefficients for carotid plaque score. Participants were aged 58.2±6.6 years, and 60 (50.8%) were men. For common carotid artery CIMT measurements, intra- and inter-observer ICC values were very good to excellent, ranging from 0.90 (95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 0.72-0.95) to 0.98 (95%CI: 0.97-0.99). For carotid plaque, intra- (0.96 [95%CI: 0.96-0.96]) and inter- (0.99 [95%CI: 0.99-0.99]) observer weighted kappa coefficients were very good. Intra- and inter-observer Kappa coefficients for the presence of plaques by site were good to very good, ranging from 0.69 to 1.00. In conclusion, we found very good reproducibility for carotid plaque score and CIMT measurements in the ELSA-Brasil at baseline. These results are comparable to the best findings from similar large cohorts that analyzed carotid ultrasound data.

Thyroid disorders in Brazil: the contribution of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil)

Thyroid disorders are common diseases, both in Brazil and worldwide. The Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) is a prospective cohort study that investigates cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and associated factors, including non-classical cardiovascular risk factors such as thyroid function. Thyroid function was classified according to thyrotropin stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4), and use of medication to treat thyroid disorders, after excluding participants who reported use of any medication that could alter the results of the TSH and FT4 tests. All analyses included in this review are cross-sectional using baseline data (2008 to 2010). The results showed an association of subclinical thyroid disorders with biomarkers of subclinical atherosclerosis, measured by carotid intima-media thickness and coronary artery calcium, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and some psychiatric disorders. No association was found with the biomarker of inflammation high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, or changes in pulse wave velocity or heart rate variability.

Relationship between heart rate variability and subclinical thyroid disorders of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil).

The association between subclinical thyroid dysfunctions and autonomic modulation changes has been described by many studies with conflicting results. We aimed to analyze the association between subclinical hyperthyroidism (SCHyper), subclinical hypothyroidism (SCHypo), and heart rate variability (HRV) using the baseline from ELSA-Brasil. SCHyper and SCHypo were classified by use of medication to treat thyroid disorders, thyrotropin levels respectively above and under the reference range, and normal free thyroxine levels. For HRV, the participants underwent 10 min in supine position and the R-R intervals of the final 5 min were selected for analysis. We first used linear regression models to report crude data and then, multivariate adjustment for sociodemographic (age, sex, and race) and cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, smoking, body mass index, use of alcohol, and leisure physical activity) using the euthyroid group as reference. From 9270 subjects (median age, 50; interquartile range: 44-56), 8623 (93.0%) were classified as euthyroid, 136 (1.5%) as SCHyper, and 511 (5.5%) as SCHypo. Compared to euthyroid subjects, SCHyper participants presented significantly higher heart rate (68.8 vs 66.5 for euthyroidism, P=0.007) and shorter R-R intervals (871.4 vs 901.6, P=0.007). Although SCHyper was associated with lower standard deviation of NN interval (SDNN) (ß: -0.070; 95% confidence interval (95%CI): -0.014 to -0.009) and low-frequency (LF) (ß: -0.242, 95%CI: -0.426 to -0.058) compared to the euthyroid group, these differences lost significance after multivariate adjustment for confounders. No significant differences were found for HRV in SCHypo. No association was found between HRV and SCHyper or SCHypo compared to euthyroid subjects in this sample of apparently healthy subjects.

Allantoin as an independent marker associated with carotid intima-media thickness in subclinical atherosclerosis

Allantoin is the main product of uric acid oxidation and was found to be augmented in atherosclerotic plaque in human autopsy and in animal models of atherosclerosis. Uric acid is abundant in human plasma and is prone to oxidation in inflammatory conditions such as atherosclerosis. In this study, we found a significant increase in plasma uric acid (P=0.002) and allantoin (P=0.025) in participants of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) that presented common carotid intima-media thickness (c-IMT) within the 75th percentile (c-IMT≥P75). Multiple linear regression showed an association of c-IMT with uric acid (β=0.0004, P=0.014) and allantoin (β=0.018, P=0.008). This association was independent of age, the traditional risk factor LDL/HDL ratio, and non-traditional risk factors: pulse pressure, neck circumference, and the inflammatory marker myeloperoxidase. The independent and strong association of allantoin with c-IMT shows that it might be a useful marker, along with other traditional risk factors, to evaluate an early stage of atherosclerosis.

Relationship between heart rate variability and subclinical thyroid disorders of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil)

The association between subclinical thyroid dysfunctions and autonomic modulation changes has been described by many studies with conflicting results. We aimed to analyze the association between subclinical hyperthyroidism (SCHyper), subclinical hypothyroidism (SCHypo), and heart rate variability (HRV) using the baseline from ELSA-Brasil. SCHyper and SCHypo were classified by use of medication to treat thyroid disorders, thyrotropin levels respectively above and under the reference range, and normal free thyroxine levels. For HRV, the participants underwent 10 min in supine position and the R-R intervals of the final 5 min were selected for analysis. We first used linear regression models to report crude data and then, multivariate adjustment for sociodemographic (age, sex, and race) and cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, smoking, body mass index, use of alcohol, and leisure physical activity) using the euthyroid group as reference. From 9270 subjects (median age, 50; interquartile range: 44-56), 8623 (93.0%) were classified as euthyroid, 136 (1.5%) as SCHyper, and 511 (5.5%) as SCHypo. Compared to euthyroid subjects, SCHyper participants presented significantly higher heart rate (68.8 vs 66.5 for euthyroidism, P=0.007) and shorter R-R intervals (871.4 vs 901.6, P=0.007). Although SCHyper was associated with lower standard deviation of NN interval (SDNN) (β: -0.070; 95% confidence interval (95%CI): -0.014 to -0.009) and low-frequency (LF) (β: -0.242, 95%CI: -0.426 to -0.058) compared to the euthyroid group, these differences lost significance after multivariate adjustment for confounders. No significant differences were found for HRV in SCHypo. No association was found between HRV and SCHyper or SCHypo compared to euthyroid subjects in this sample of apparently healthy subjects.

Neck circumference is associated with carotid intimal-media thickness but not with coronary artery calcium: Results from The ELSA-Brasil.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: It is uncertain whether neck circumference can be a risk indicator for subclinical atherosclerosis. We aimed to investigate their relationships measured by coronary artery calcium (CAC) and common carotid intima-media thickness (cc-IMT) with neck circumference in ELSA-Brasil. METHODS AND RESULTS: In cross-sectional and sex-specific analyses of 2266 women (50.6 ± 8.4 yrs) and 1886 men (50.7 ± 9.0 yrs) with both cc-IMT and CAC, free from previous cardiovascular disease at baseline, we built logistic models using diverse cut-off points for CAC score (0 vs > 0, < 100 vs ≥ 100, < 400 vs ≥ 400 Agatston units) and cc-IMT (< 75 th percentile vs ≥ 75 th; <90th percentile vs ≥ 90 th) as dependent variables, after which adjustments for age and traditional cardiovascular risk factors were made. Mean neck circumference was 33.6 (± 2.4 cm) for women and 38.8 (± 2.6 cm) for men. In fully adjusted models including sociodemographic, cardiovascular risk factors and body-mass index and waist circumference, for each 1 standard deviation increase in neck circumference we found an odds ratio (OR, 95% CI) for IMT above the 75th percentile of (1.52, 1.16; 1.99) for women and (1.66, 1.28; 2.14) for men, and above the 90th cc-IMT percentile [1.66 (1.19; 2.32) for men but not for women [1.21 (0.80; 1.82)]. We found no association between neck circumference and CAC using different cut-off points (p > 0.05 for all). CONCLUSION: Neck circumference was significantly and independently associated with cc-IMT but not with CAC in women and men, indicating a possible effect of perivascular fat tissue on atherosclerosis.

Different methods of calculating ankle-brachial index in mid-elderly men and women: the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil)

The ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis related to health-adverse outcomes. ABI is inexpensive compared to other indexes, such as coronary calcium score and determination of carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT). Our objective was to identify how the ABI can be applied to primary care. Three different methods of calculating the ABI were compared among 13,921 men and women aged 35 to 74 years who were free of cardiovascular diseases and enrolled in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). The ABI ratio had the same denominator for the three categories created (the highest value for arm systolic blood pressure), and the numerator was based on the four readings for leg systolic blood pressure: the highest (ABI-HIGH), the mean (ABI-MEAN), and the lowest (ABI-LOW). The cut-off for analysis was ABI<1.0. All determinations of blood pressure were done with an oscillometric device. The prevalence of ABI<1% was 0.5, 0.9, and 2.7 for the categories HIGH, MEAN and LOW, respectively. All methods were associated with a high burden of cardiovascular risk factors. The association with IMT was stronger for ABI-HIGH than for the other categories. The proportion of participants with a 10-year Framingham Risk Score of coronary heart disease >20% without the inclusion of ABI<1.0 was 4.9%. For ABI-HIGH, ABI-MEAN and ABI-LOW, the increase in percentage points was 0.3, 0.7, and 2.3%, respectively, and the relative increment was 6.1, 14.3, and 46.9%. In conclusion, all methods were acceptable, but ABI-LOW was more suitable for prevention purposes.

Decreased brain-derived neurotrophic factor plasma levels in psoriasis patients.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is associated with neuroplasticity and synaptic strength, and is decreased in conditions associated with chronic stress. Nevertheless, BDNF has not yet been investigated in psoriasis, a chronic inflammatory systemic disease that is exacerbated by stress. Therefore, our aim was to determine BDNF plasma levels in psoriasis patients and healthy controls. Adult patients (n=94) presenting with psoriasis for at least 1 year were enrolled, and age- and gender-matched with healthy controls (n=307) from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). Participants had neither a previous history of coronary artery disease nor current episode of major depression. BDNF plasma levels were determined using the Promega ELISA kit. A general linear model was used to compare BDNF levels in psoriasis patients and controls, with age, gender, systolic blood pressure, serum fasting glucose, blood lipid levels, triglycerides, smoking status, and body mass index examined. After adjusting for clinical and demographic variables, significantly decreased BNDF plasma levels were observed in psoriasis patients (P=0.01) (estimated marginal means of 3922 pg/mL; 95%CI=2660-5135) compared with controls (5788 pg/mL; 95%CI=5185-6442). Similar BDNF levels were found in both mild and severe cases of psoriasis. Our finding, that BDNF is decreased in psoriasis, supports the concept of a brain-skin connection in psoriasis. Further studies should determine if BDNF is increased after specific psoriasis treatments, and associated with different disease stages.

Psoriasis severity and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function: results from the CALIPSO study

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease that significantly impacts life quality, being associated with stress and mental disorders. We investigated whether the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis was associated with psoriasis severity, daily life stress and anxiety, and depressive symptoms. In this ancillary study, which was part of the CALIPSO (coronary artery calcium in psoriasis) study, saliva was collected from 102 patients with psoriasis immediately upon awakening, 30, and 60 min after awakening, at 2:00 pm and at bedtime (five time points) to determine salivary cortisol levels. We used Pearson's correlation coefficient to evaluate the association of clinical and psychopathological variables with HPA activity. We found a direct correlation between bedtime cortisol and psoriasis severity evaluated by the psoriasis area severity index (PASI; r=0.39, P<0.001). No correlations between other clinical and psychopathological variables or with other cortisol assessments were observed. The findings indicated that HPA dysfunction may be present in psoriasis, as bedtime cortisol was correlated with psoriasis severity. Our study is limited by the lack of a control group; therefore, we were not able to explore whether these cortisol values were different compared with a concurrent, healthy sample.

Transcranial direct current stimulation and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in consultation-liaison psychiatry.

Patients with clinical diseases often present psychiatric conditions whose pharmacological treatment is hampered due to hazardous interactions with the clinical treatment and/or disease. This is particularly relevant for major depressive disorder, the most common psychiatric disorder in the general hospital. In this context, nonpharmacological interventions could be useful therapies; and, among those, noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) might be an interesting option. The main methods of NIBS are repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), which was recently approved as a nonresearch treatment for some psychiatric conditions, and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a technique that is currently limited to research scenarios but has shown promising results. Therefore, our aim was to review the main medical conditions associated with high depression rates, the main obstacles for depression treatment, and whether these therapies could be a useful intervention for such conditions. We found that depression is an important and prevalent comorbidity in a variety of diseases such as epilepsy, stroke, Parkinson's disease, myocardial infarction, cancer, and in other conditions such as pregnancy and in patients without enteral access. We found that treatment of depression is often suboptimal within the above contexts and that rTMS and tDCS therapies have been insufficiently appraised. We discuss whether rTMS and tDCS could have a significant impact in treating depression that develops within a clinical context, considering its unique characteristics such as the absence of pharmacological interactions, the use of a nonenteral route, and as an augmentation therapy for antidepressants.