La tuberculosis en el municipio Marianao: tendencias en dos periodos recientes, 2001­2005 y 2015­2020 / Tuberculosis in the Marianao Municipality: Trends in Two Recent Periods, 2001-2005 and 2015-2020

Introducción: Marianao históricamente ha sido un municipio de La Habana con alta carga de tuberculosis. Una nueva mirada sería importante.

Introduction: Marianao has historically been a municipality of Havana with a high bur-den of tuberculosis. A new look would be important.

Prevalence of Anemia and Iron Deficiency in Women of Reproductive Age in Cuba and Associated Factors.

This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of anemia and iron deficiency in women of reproductive age and the association with inflammation, global overweight, adiposity, and menorrhagia. A sample design of women of reproductive age from the Eastern, Central, and Havana Regions was carried out. Biochemical determinations of hemoglobin, serum ferritin, soluble transferrin receptors, leukocytes, C-reactive protein, alpha-1 acid glycoprotein, and homocysteine were performed. Serum ferritin was also adjusted by inflammation. Nutritional status was assessed, and menstrual characteristics were collected by survey. A total of 742 women were studied. The prevalence of anemia was 21.4%, iron storage deficiency at 16.0%, and erythropoietic dysfunction at 5.4%, with inflammation at 47.0% and elevated homocysteine at 18.6%. Global overweight was 46.2% and increased adiposity at 58.4%. Anemia is associated with iron deposition deficiency (OR = 3.023 (1.816-5.033)) and with erythropoietic deficiency (OR = 5.62 (3.03-10.39)), but not with inflammation, global overweight, and adiposity. Global overweight was found to be associated with inflammation (OR = 2.23 (1.41-3.53)). Anemia was associated with heavy menstrual bleeding (OR = 1.92 (1.34-2.76)). Homocysteine was associated with inflammation (OR = 2.05 (1.08-3.90)), but not with anemia. In conclusion, anemia in Cuba is classified as a moderate public health problem, but not iron deficiency. A high prevalence of overweight and obesity was found, associated with inflammation, but not with anemia or iron deficiency. Heavy menstrual bleeding is a factor associated with anemia.

Adjusting Iron Deficiency for Inflammation in Cuban Children Aged Under Five Years: New Approaches Using Quadratic and Quantile Regression.

INTRODUCTION: Ferritin is the best biomarker for assessing iron deficiency, but ferritin concentrations increase with inflammation. Several adjustment methods have been proposed to account for inflammation's effect on iron biomarker interpretation. The most recent and highly recommended method uses linear regression models, but more research is needed on other models that may better define iron status in children, particularly when distributions are heterogenous and in contexts where the effect of inflammation on ferritin is not linear. OBJECTIVE: Assess the utility and relevance of quadratic regression models and quantile quadratic regression models in adjusting ferritin concentration in the presence of inflammation. METHODS: We used data from children aged under five years, taken from Cuba's national anemia and iron deficiency survey, which was carried out from 2015-2018 by the National Hygiene, Epidemiology and Microbiology Institute. We included data from 1375 children aged 6 to 59 months and collected ferritin concentrations and two biomarkers for inflammation: C-reactive protein and α-1 acid glycoprotein. Quadratic regression and quantile regression models were used to adjust for changes in ferritin concentration in the presence of inflammation. RESULTS: Unadjusted iron deficiency prevalence was 23% (316/1375). Inflammation-adjusted ferritin values increased iron-deficiency prevalence by 2.6-4.5 percentage points when quadratic regression correction model was used, and by 2.8-6.2 when quantile regression was used. The increase when using the quantile regression correction model was more pronounced and statistically significant when both inflammation biomarkers were considered, but adjusted prevalence was similar between the two correction methods when only one biomarker was analyzed. CONCLUSIONS: The use of quadratic regression and quantile quadratic regression models is a complementary strategy in adjusting ferritin for inflammation, and is preferable to standard regression analysis when the linear model's basic assumptions are not met, or when it can be assumed that ferritin-inflammation relationships within a subpopulation may deviate from average trends.

Educational inequalities and premature mortality: the Cuba Prospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Although socioeconomic status is a major determinant of premature mortality in many populations, the impact of social inequalities on premature mortality in Cuba, a country with universal education and health care, remains unclear. We aimed to assess the association between educational level and premature adult mortality in Cuba. METHODS: The Cuba Prospective Study (a cohort study) enrolled 146 556 adults aged 30 years and older from the general population in five provinces from Jan 1, 1996, to Nov 24, 2002. Participants were followed up until Jan 1, 2017, for cause-specific mortality. Deaths were identified through linkage to the Cuban Public Health Ministry's national mortality records. Cox regression models yielded rate ratios (RRs) for the effect of educational level (a commonly used measure for social status) on mortality at ages 35-74 years, with assessment for the mediating effects of smoking, alcohol consumption, and BMI. FINDINGS: A total of 127 273 participants aged 35-74 years were included in the analyses. There was a strong inverse association between educational level and premature mortality. Compared with a university education, men who did not complete primary education had an approximately 60% higher risk of premature mortality (RR 1·55, 95% CI 1·40-1·72), while the risk was approximately doubled in women (1·96, 1·81-2·13). Overall, 28% of premature deaths could be attributed to lower education levels. Excess mortality in women was primarily due to vascular disease, while vascular disease and cancer were equally important in men. 31% of the association with education in men and 18% in women could be explained by common modifiable risk factors, with smoking having the largest effect. INTERPRETATION: This study highlights the value of understanding the determinants of health inequalities in different populations. Although many major determinants lie outside the health system in Cuba, this study has identified the diseases and risk factors that require targeted public health interventions, particularly smoking. FUNDING: UK Medical Research Council, British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, CDC Foundation (with support from Amgen).

Alcohol consumption and maxillofacial fractures in times of Covid-19: a cross-sectional study in a cuban university hospital / Consumo de alcohol y fracturas maxilofaciales en tiempos de Covid-19: un estudio transversal en un hospital universitario cubano

Introduction: The consumption of alcoholic beverages reduces the body's ability to deal with dangerous situations and exposes people to trauma. Objective: To determine the association between the consumption of alcoholic beverages and the characteristics of maxillofacial fractures treated at a Cuban university hospital in the context of COVID-19. Material and Methods: An observational, analytical, and cross-sectional study was carried out in the Maxillofacial Surgery unit at the "Carlos Manuel de Céspedes" General University Hospital during the year 2020. Prevalence ratios, 95% confidence intervals and p-values were obtained using generalized linear models. Results: In 58.23% of the cases, fractures were related to the consumption of alcoholic beverages. The fundamental etiology was interpersonal violence (47.75%), regardless of the consumption of alcoholic beverages. There was a prevalence of patients with nasal fractures (n=98; 55.06%), among which, 35.71% had consumed alcoholic beverages at the time of the trauma. Being male (p=0.005), the lack of university studies (p=0.007), the need for surgical treatment (p<0.001), the fractures of the zygomaticomaxillary complex (p=0.023), and the traumas that occurred during the weekends (p<0.001) or during the month of June (p=0.029) were factors associated with a higher frequency of fractures related to the consumption of alcoholic beverages. There was a lower frequency of fractures associated with alcohol consumption during the months of January (p=0.006) and March (p=0.001). Conclusion: Six out of ten cases were under the influence of alcoholic beverages. There was a greater number of young and male patients, mainly due to interpersonal violence.

Introducción: La ingestión de bebidas alcohólicas disminuye la capacidad del organismo para enfrentar situaciones de peligro y lo predispone a sufrir traumatismos diversos. Objetivo: Determinar la asociación entre el consumo de bebidas alcohólicas y las características de las fracturas maxilofaciales atendidas en un hospital universitario cubano en el contexto de la COVID-19. Material y Métodos: Estudio observacional, analítico y transversal realizado en el servicio de Cirugía Maxilofacial del Hospital General Universitario "Carlos Manuel de Céspedes" durante el 2020. Se obtuvieron razones de prevalencia, intervalos de confianza a 95% y valores p mediante modelos lineales generalizados. Resultados: En el 58.23% de los casos las fracturas se relacionaron con la ingestión de bebidas alcohólicas. La etiología fundamental fue la violencia interpersonal (47.75%), independientemente del consumo o no de bebidas alcohólicas. Predominaron los pacientes con fracturas nasales (n=98; 55.06%), en los que el 35.71% había consumido bebidas alcohólicas en el momento del trauma. El sexo masculino (p=0.005), la carencia de estudios universitarios (p=0.007), la necesidad de tratamiento quirúrgico (p<0.001), las fracturas del complejo cigomático-maxilar (p=0.023), los traumas sucedidos durante los fines de semanas (p<0.001) o durante el mes de junio (p=0.029) fueron factores asociados a una mayor frecuencia de fracturas relacionadas con el consumo de bebidas alcohólicas. Hubo menor frecuencia de fracturas asociadas a este consumo durante los meses de enero (p=0.006) y marzo (p= 0.001). Conclusión: Seis de cada diez casos estuvieron bajo los efectos de la ingestión de bebidas alcohólicas. Existió una mayor afectación de pacientes jóvenes, masculinos, a causa principalmente de la violencia interpersonal.

Hematological Alterations in Patients Recovered from SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Havana, Cuba.

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 sequelae, or the short-, medium-, and long-term manifestations of the disease are under continuous study. There are currently few reports on the evolution of hematological variables following a demonstrated absence of SARS-CoV-2 after infection. OBJECTIVE: Identify hematological alterations in Cuban adults recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection, and their relation with disease severity. METHODS: We selected 348 persons recovered from COVID-19 residing in Havana, Cuba with an RT-PCR study negative for SARS-CoV-2 performed two weeks after hospital discharge; a structured survey was administered to obtain clinical-epidemiological data. Three groups were established according to COVID-19 clinical criteria: asymptomatic, mild/moderately symptomatic, and severely symptomatic, which, in turn, were divided according to hospital discharge date and blood sample collection date. We performed hemograms with differential leukocyte counts and compared results among groups. We then measured the associations between hematological variables, personal medical history, and relevant lifestyle habits (smoking). RESULTS: All hematological variables were within normal reference limits, although men from the group of severely ill patients had increased total leukocytes, neutrophils and lymphocytes, and decreased hemoglobin and eosinophils, which was also evident in those with a recovery time of 31-90 days. CONCLUSIONS: The relation between hematological variables and degree of clinical severity offers evidence as to persistence of systemic alterations (possibly inflammatory) associated with viral infection. Their identification and characterization can facilitate personalized patient followup and rehabilitation.

Vaccinal chronicity: immunotherapy, primary care, and the temporal remaking of lung cancer's patienthood in Cuba.

The Cuban biotechnology industry is producing cancer immunotherapy, in particular, therapeutic vaccines that actively stimulate the immune system to stabilise the tumour. These products aim to transform metastatic malignancies into a chronic disease. Since 2010, this therapeutic concept has been integrated within a public health experiment, consisting of the large distribution of immunotherapies, including in primary healthcare centres, to enhance access and assess its effectiveness on a wider population of patients. Such experimental intervention, consisting of post-marketing clinical trials, has focused only on lung cancer, one of the most widespread and lethal cancers on the island. Combining interviews with ethnographic observations focusing on care performed by professionals, patients, and their relatives, this paper analyses the experience of lung cancer chronicity under this type of immunotherapy in Cuba. It shows how a certain form of continuity is made between prophylactic and therapeutic vaccination to shape a new temporality of cancer care, through the integration within primary care, constant access to biotechnology, and multiple care practices directed to strengthen the immunotherapy's efficacy. If vaccinal chronicity remains fragile due to its experimental dimension and the fact that long-term survivorship is still an exceptional phenomenon, lung cancer patienthood is deeply transformed through a shared effort of the people and the state to provide more stable, meaningful, and inclusive care.

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention VersusMyocardial Revascularization Surgery inMultivessel Coronary Artery Disease: Four-Year Followup.

INTRODUCTION: In Cuba, 29,939 deaths from ischemic heart disease were recorded in 2020. Myocardial revascularization surgery and percutaneous coronary intervention are well-established methods of treating patients with multivessel coronary artery disease. These methods can reduce overall deaths, but choosing the optimal strategy for treating left main coronary ischemia is a source of debate among specialists. OBJECTIVE: Estimate survival and major cardiac and cerebrovascular events in patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention versus myocardial revascularization surgery and their relationships with pre-existing patients' clinical and angiographic characteristics. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study in 41 patients; 35 men and 6 women aged 40-85 years who had been diagnosed with multivessel coronary artery disease and treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (n = 17) or myocardial revascularization surgery (n = 24) at the Medical-Surgical Research Center in Havana, Cuba, in 2016. The main variable under consideration was the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events over a four-year period following these interventions. We collected clinical and angiographic characteristics, and used the Kaplan-Meier test to calculate survival curves. Survival probabilities were compared using the log-rank test. A value of p ⟨ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the hazard ratio, with 95% confidence intervals used for both procedures. RESULTS: There were a total of 20 major adverse cardiovascular events, 75% (15/20) of which occurred in patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention and 5% in patients who had myocardial revascularization surgery. The probability of survival was 70.6% in surgery and 37.5% in interventionism; p = 0.043; hazard ratio 1.58 (95% confidence interval 0.987-2.530), p = 0.047. The need to repeat a revascularization procedure was the only major cardiovascular event that showed significant differences between methods (log-rank p = 0.015), and was more frequent in percutaneous intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Myocardial revascularization surgery offers a better chance of survival than percutaneous coronary intervention. Major adverse cardiovascular events are more frequent in patients with coronary interventionism, due to the need to repeat revascularization.

Influence of Inflammation on Assessing Iron-Deficiency Anemia in Cuban Preschool Children.

INTRODUCTION: Anemia is a public health problem worldwide and is most prevalent in preschool children, for whom it is the most frequent cause of nutritional deficits. In turn, iron deficiency is the main cause of anemia, affecting 43% of children globally. Previous studies in Cuba show rates of iron deficiency in preschool children between 38.6% and 57.6%, higher in infants (71.2% to 81.1%). WHO recommends using serum ferritin as an indicator of iron deficiency accompanied by acute (C-reactive protein) and chronic (a1-acid glycoprotein) inflammation biomarkers. OBJECTIVE: Assess how inflammation affects measuring and reporting of iron-deficiency anemia rates in Cuban preschool children. METHODS: Data were obtained from serum samples contained in the National Anemia and Iron Deficiency Survey, and included presumably healthy preschool Cuban children (aged 6-59 months). Serum samples were collected from 1375 children from randomly selected provinces in 4 regions of the country from 2014 through 2018. We examined the association between ferritin and two inflammatory biomarkers: C-reactive protein and a1-acid glycoprotein. Individual inflammation-adjusted ferritin concentrations were calculated using four approaches: 1) a higher ferritin cut-off point (⟨30 g/L); 2) exclusion of subjects showing inflammation (C-reactive protein ⟩5 mg/L or a1-acid glycoprotein ⟩1 g/L); 3) mathematical correction factor based on C-reactive protein or a1-acid glycoprotein; and 4) correction by regression with the method proposed by the Biomarkers Reflecting Inflammation and Nutritional Determinants of Anemia Group. We estimated confidence intervals of differences between unadjusted prevalence and prevalence adjusted for inflammation by each method. RESULTS: The proportion of children with inflammation according to C-reactive protein concentrations >5 mg/L was lower (11.1%, 153/1375) than the proportion measured according to the concentrations of a1-acid glycoprotein, at >1 g/L (30.8%, 424/1375). The percentage of children with high concentrations of at least one of the aforementioned biomarkers was 32.7% (450/1375). Thus, each correction method increased the observed prevalence of iron deficiency compared to unadjusted estimates (23%, 316/1375). This increase was more pronounced when using the internal regression correction method (based only on C-reactive protein) or the method based on a higher cut-off point. Adjustment using all four methods changed estimated iron deficiency prevalence, increasing it from 0.1% to 8.8%, compared to unadjusted values. CONCLUSIONS: One-third of preschool children had biomarkers indicating elevated inflammation levels. Without adjusting for inflammation, iron deficiency prevalence was underestimated. The significant disparity between unadjusted and inflammation-adjusted ferritin when using some approaches highlights the importance of selecting the right approach for accurate, corrected measurement. The internal regression correction approach is appropriate for epidemiological studies because it takes into account inflammation severity. However, other models should be explored that account for inflammation and also provide better adjusted ferritin concentrations.

Fragilidad como factor de riesgo de demencia en adultos mayores / Frailty as a risk factor for dementia in older adults

El síndrome de fragilidad se caracteriza por una mayor vulnerabilidad y riesgo de deterioro funcional y cognitivo ante un mínimo estrés, siendo la demencia una de las principales causas de discapacidad y dependencia entre los adultos mayores a nivel global, con un impacto físico, psicológico, social y económico no solo en las personas que la padecen, sino también en sus cuidadores. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar la prevalencia de demencia según fenotipos de fragilidad y estimar la asociación de fragilidad y demencia en adultos mayores. Se tomó como referencia la base de datos del estudio Envejecimiento y Alzheimer (10-66), realizándose una investigación descriptiva de corte transversal, en 2024 adultos mayores de 65 años pertenecientes a siete áreas de salud de La Habana, Cuba. Se efectuó un análisis univariado para los efectos independientes de cada una de las variables y la variable de respuesta o dependiente (demencia) considerando esta asociación significativa cuando (p≤0.001) o por criterio de expertos y un análisis multivariado a través de la Regresión de Poisson. Existió una alta prevalencia de demencia en los sujetos con fragilidad 30,6 %(IC 95 % 22,4 - 39,6), donde la relación entre las mismas mostró una asociación significativa. Las personas frágiles presentaron un riesgo mayor de padecer demencia, con un PR 2.74 (IC 95% 2,29-3,29). La fragilidad se comportó como un factor de riesgo para el desarrollo de demencia.

Frailty syndrome is characterized by a greater vulnerability and risk of functional and cognitive deterioration in the face of minimal stress, with dementia being one of the main causes of disability and dependency among older adults globally, with a physical, psychological, and social impact. and economic not only in the people who suffer from it, but also in their caregivers. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of dementia according to frailty phenotypes and to estimate the association of frailty and dementia in older adults. The database of the Aging and Alzheimer study (10-66) was taken as a reference, carrying out a descriptive cross-sectional investigation in 2024 adults over 65 years of age belonging to seven health areas in Havana, Cuba. A univariate analysis was carried out for the independent effects of each of the variables and the response or dependent variable (dementia), considering this significant association when (p≤0.001) or by expert criteria and a multivariate analysis through the regression of Poisson. There was a high prevalence of dementia in subjects with frailty 30.6% (95% CI 22.4 - 39.6), where the relationship between them showed a significant association. Frail people had a higher risk of suffering from dementia, with a PR 2.74 (CI 95% 2.29-3.29). Frailty behaved as a risk factor for the development of dementia.

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and associated risk factors in domestic pigs raised from Cuba.

A cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and associated risk factors in pigs in the largest pork-producing region in Cuba. Serum samples from 420 pigs, including 210 sows and 210 post-weaning pigs, were tested for antibodies against T. gondii using a commercial indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Anti-T. gondii antibodies were detected in 56 animals (13.3%, 95% CI: 10.1-16.6). A generalized estimating equations model revealed that the risk factors associated with higher seropositivity in pigs were altitude (higher in farm's location < 250 m above sea level (masl) versus ≥ 250 masl) and age (higher in sows compared to post-weaning pigs). The results indicated that this protozoan parasite is widely distributed on pig farms in the study area, which is a public health concern since the consumption of raw or undercooked pork meat products containing tissue cysts is considered one of the main routes of T. gondii transmission worldwide. Control measures should be implemented to reduce the risk of exposure to T. gondii in pigs in Cuba.

Fenotipos clínicos de la enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica en los pacientes atendidos en el Hospital neumológico de La Habana / Clinical phenotypes of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in patients treated at the Hospital Neumológico de La Habana

Introducción: La identificación de los fenotipos clínicos son claves en la modulación de la expresión clínica, para un tratamiento integrado de la EPOC. Objetivos: Caracterizar los fenotipos clínicos de la EPOC en los pacientes atendidos en el Hospital Neumológico Benéfico Jurídico. Métodos:Se realizó un estudio observacional descriptivo retrospectivo, en 172 pacientes con diagnóstico de EPOC, en el Hospital Neumológico Benéfico Jurídico durante el año 2017.Resultados: El 38,4 % de los pacientes tenían edad entre 70-79 años. Del total de pacientes, el 54,6 % eran del sexo masculino. El 52,9 % eran fumadores activos y el 41,3 % exfumadores. Aunque las diferencias no fueron significativas, la edad avanzada y el sexo masculino fueron más frecuentes en el fenotipo enfisematoso agudizador y agudizador bronquítico crónico. El tabaquismo activo fue más frecuente en el fenotipo enfisematoso agudizador. Todos los pacientes con el fenotipo agudizador bronquítico crónico tuvieron dos o más exacerbaciones, mientras que el enfisematoso agudizador se relacionó con una severidad grave de la EPOC (46,7 %). Conclusiones: El sexo masculino y la edad avanzada muestran una tendencia a relacionarse con el fenotipo enfisematoso agudizador y agudizador bronquítico crónico, mientras que el tabaquismo activo es más frecuente en el fenotipo enfisematoso agudizador. El fenotipo agudizador bronquítico crónico se relaciona con mayores exacerbaciones y el enfisematoso agudizador con una mayor severidad de la EPOC.

Introduction: The identification of clinical phenotypes are key in the modulation of clinical expression, for an integrated treatment of COPD. Objectives: To characterize the clinical phenotypes of COPD in patients treated at the Hospital Neumológico Benéfico Jurídico. Methods: A retrospective descriptive observational study was carried out in 172 patients with a diagnosis of COPD at the Hospital Neumológico Benéfico Jurídico in 2017. Results: 38.4 % of the patients were between 70-79 years of age. Of the total number of patients, 54.6 % were male. 52.9 % were active smokers and 41.3 % ex-smokers. Although the differences were not significant, advanced age and male sex were more frequent in the exacerbator emphysematous and chronic bronchial exacerbator phenotype. Active smoking was more frequent in the exacerbating emphysematous phenotype. All patients with the chronic bronchial exacerbator phenotype had two or more exacerbations, while exacerbation emphysematous was associated with severe severity of COPD (46.7 %). Conclusions: Male sex and advanced age show a tendency to be related to the exacerbating emphysematous phenotype and chronic bronchitis exacerbator, while active smoking is more frequent in the exacerbating emphysematous phenotype. The chronic bronchitis exacerbator phenotype is related to greater exacerbations and exacerbation emphysematous with a greater severity of COPD

Body-mass index, blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular mortality in Cuba: prospective study of 146,556 participants.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease accounts for about one-third of all premature deaths (ie, age < 70) in Cuba. Yet, the relevance of major risk factors, including systolic blood pressure (SBP), diabetes, and body-mass index (BMI), to cardiovascular mortality in this population remains unclear. METHODS: In 1996-2002, 146,556 adults were recruited from the general population in five areas of Cuba. Participants were interviewed, measured (height, weight and blood pressure) and followed up by electronic linkage to national death registries until Jan 1, 2017; in 2006-08, 24,345 participants were resurveyed. After excluding all with missing data, cardiovascular disease at recruitment, and those who died in the first 5 years, Cox regression (adjusted for age, sex, education, smoking, alcohol and, where appropriate, BMI) was used to relate cardiovascular mortality rate ratios (RRs) at ages 35-79 years to SBP, diabetes and BMI; RR were corrected for regression dilution to give associations with long-term average (ie, 'usual') levels of SBP and BMI. RESULTS: After exclusions, there were 125,939 participants (mean age 53 [SD12]; 55% women). Mean SBP was 124 mmHg (SD15), 5% had diabetes, and mean BMI was 24.2 kg/m2 (SD3.6); mean SBP and diabetes prevalence at recruitment were both strongly related to BMI. During follow-up, there were 4112 cardiovascular deaths (2032 ischaemic heart disease, 832 stroke, and 1248 other). Cardiovascular mortality was positively associated with SBP (>=120 mmHg), diabetes, and BMI (>=22.5 kg/m2): 20 mmHg higher usual SBP about doubled cardiovascular mortality (RR 2.02, 95%CI 1.88-2.18]), as did diabetes (2.15, 1.95-2.37), and 10 kg/m2 higher usual BMI (1.92, 1.64-2.25). RR were similar in men and in women. The association with BMI and cardiovascular mortality was almost completely attenuated following adjustment for the mediating effect of SBP. Elevated SBP (>=120 mmHg), diabetes and raised BMI (>=22.5 kg/m2) accounted for 27%, 14%, and 16% of cardiovascular deaths, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This large prospective study provides direct evidence for the effects of these major risk factors on cardiovascular mortality in Cuba. Despite comparatively low levels of these risk factors by international standards, the strength of their association with cardiovascular death means they nevertheless exert a substantial impact on premature mortality in Cuba.

Genodermatoses in Las Tunas Province, Cuba, 1989-2019.

INTRODUCTION: INTRODUCTION Genodermatoses are a group of genetic diseases that affect the skin and adjoining tissues. They represent 15% of genetic diseases worldwide. Cuba established a National Program for the Diagnosis, Care and Prevention of Genetic Diseases and Congenital Abnormalities in 1980, which was implemented in Las Tunas in 1989. In 2010, a specialized multidisciplinary provincial service for genodermatoses patients was established in Las Tunas province. Several studies in Las Tunas show that genodermatoses represent 22.2% of genetic diseases; the most common are ichthyosis (16.7%), mastocytosis (11.7%), and neurofibromatosis (8.3%). Children aged <12 years are the most affected (61.6%). OBJECTIVE: Describe genodermatoses in Las Tunas Province, Cuba, since the implementation of the National Program for the Diagnosis, Care, and Prevention of Genetic Diseases and Congenital Abnormalities, and after the creation of a specialized multidisciplinary provincial service for genodermatoses patients. METHODS: We conducted an observational, descriptive, retrospective study in 249 patients diagnosed with some type of genodermatosis who received care in Las Tunas during 1989-2019. Variables considered were: type of genodermatosis, complications, deaths and geographic location by municipality. We studied prevalence rates (1989-2019), incidence rates (2010-2019), proportion of complications, survival rates, and types of genodermatosis diagnosed by municipality in two periods (1989-2009 and 2010-2019) one before, and one after the implementation of a targeted multidisciplinary provincial care service. RESULTS: The general prevalence rate of genodermatoses in Las Tunas Province was 46.51 per 100,000 population. The forms with the highest prevalence rates were neurofibromatosis type 1 (13.6 per 100,000 population), classical Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (7.1 per 100,000), ichthyosis vulgaris (5.0 per 100,000) and cutaneous mastocytosis (2.4 per 100,000). The highest incidence rates coincided with the conditions with the highest prevalence: neurofibromatosis type 1 (81.5 per 1000 cases in 2013), classical Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (44.4 per 1000 cases in 2013) and ichthyosis vulgaris (52 per 1000 cases in 2010). From 1989-2009, patients presented a greater frequency of complications, at 40% (22/55) than from 2010-2019 at 21.1% (41/194). Pyodermitis was the most common during the study period (1989-2019), with 29.1% (16/55). Survival was high, at 98.0% (only 5 deaths in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2015, and were no deaths during other years) in the study period. The greatest share of genodermatosis cases was registered in the municipality of Majibacoa (0.07%), and consanguinity was found in cases of epidermolysis bullosa, Herlitz type and xeroderma pigmentosum. CONCLUSION: In Las Tunas Province, Cuba, genodermatoses as a whole are not rare diseases. Those with the highest prevalence and incidence rates are neurofibromatosis type 1, classical Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and ichthyosis vulgaris. After implementation of the specialized multidisciplinary provincial service for genodermatoses patients within Cuba's National Program for the Diagnosis, Care, and Prevention of Genetic Diseases and Congenital Abnormalities, in addition to the active screening implemented by this Program, more cases were diagnosed, and a lower proportion of complications and a higher survival rates were recorded.

Persons with Substance Abuse Disorders and Other Addictions: Coping with the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Cuba implemented policies mandating social distancing on March 11, 2020, which were still in place at the time of this study. During such periods of isolation, people with psychoactive substance-related disorders and other addictions may be tempted to reduce tension, stress, uncertainty and possible distress by increasing the use of substances or practices they have abused. This can mean relapses and setbacks for patients undergoing treatment. A multidisciplinary team of health professionals specializing in addiction at the Center for Academic Development in Drug Addiction, in Havana, Cuba, cares for people with these disorders and followed their evolution during the initial period of COVID-19 social isolation. With the aim of characterizing strategies employed by patients undergoing treatment for substance abuse and addictions, we conducted a qualitative study from April 2020 through May 2020, using a convenience sample of 37 patients (all students) who had been progressing towards recovery from addictive behaviors when face-to-face encounters were suspended due to COVID-19 restrictions. Contact was maintained through information and communication technologies. The research used telepsychology and focused on understanding patient life experiences. Patients were interviewed using a semi-structured survey, which was then transcribed and coded thematically using a grounded-theory approach. We found that patients' ability to cope successfully with challenges presented by COVID-19 were influenced by: 1) the individual's own methods for maintaining self-control (commitment to studies, projects, and work with therapists) that aided them in their goals concerning abstinence; 2) difficulties faced in addressing specific events and situations (doubts, uncertainties, disagreements, isolation and time use); 3) perpetuation and revivification of myths related to substances and addictive activities (exacerbation of supposed benefits of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, overuse of social networks); and 4) tendencies toward irrationality and lack of emotional control (fear, sadness, anger, constant worry and self-imposed demands). Our findings suggest that despite the potential negative psychological impact of preventive social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, individual coping mechanisms developed by these patients, aiming at improved self-control, allowed most to avoid setbacks that could have affected their recovery. Nevertheless, patients faced challenges to their recovery that were compounded by difficulties in specific situations, myths related to substances and addictive activities, and tendencies toward irrationality or lack of emotional control.

Monoclonal Antibodies vs COVID-19: Eduardo Ojito-Magaz MS General Director, Molecular Immunology Center.

Cuba has five COVID-19 vaccines in clinical trials and is on track to receive emergency use authorization from the country's regulatory agency to begin mass vaccination with two of those candidates: Abdala and SOBERANA 02. Results from phase 1 and 2 trials of these vaccines, the first developed and produced in Latin America, have been encouraging, both in terms of safety and immunogenicity. The ongoing phase 3 trials will continue to look at safety, together with efficacy; parallel intervention studies involving over a million people in Havana will begin generating data on effectiveness. Coordination between Cuba's biotechnology sector and its public health system-particularly throughout the different levels of primary care-to control and treat COVID-19 is a cornerstone of the Cuban strategy and one that could serve as a blueprint for future pandemics. Another Cuban product, itolizumab, is showing positive results mitigating cytokine release syndrome (CRS) in COVID-19 patients with moderate-to-severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Developed in collaboration with Biocon (India), itolizumab is administered under an expanded access program to treat vulnerable populations in Cuba. Marshaling complementary capacities of dozens of institutions belonging to BioCubaFarma-the country's biotech conglomerate-and developing therapies, vaccines and medical technologies together, is another cornerstone of Cuba's strategy to combat COVID-19 and improve population health. The Molecular Immunology Center (CIM) is a key player in this strategy. Founded in 1992, CIM is a powerhouse in monoclonal antibody research and production, with 6 registered products and 22 in the pipeline. Known for several novel therapeutic cancer treatments, CIM has over two decades' experience producing complex recombinant proteins in mammalian cells on an industrial scale. Once Cuba's Innovation Committee (convened in January 2020 as part of the National COVID-19 Prevention & Control Plan) determined Cuban researchers would pursue protein subunit vaccine candidates, they turned to CIM to produce the required receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, among other responsibilities. CIM's General Director, Dr Eduardo Ojito-Magaz, is a chemical engineer and holds a master's degree in biotechnology. He spoke with MEDICC Review just days before 1.7 million Havana residents began participating in the country's largest intervention study with the COVID-19 vaccines his center helped make possible.

Reporte de situación COVID-19 Cuba No. 60 (5 de abril de 2020) / COVID-19 Cuba Situation Report No. 60 (April 5, 2020)

Cuba ya produce lotes monodosis que no contienen tiomersal de los tres candidatos vacunales Soberana contra la COVID-19, de modo que puedan beneficiarse personas que son alérgicas a esta sustancia, y que, en los actuales ensayos clínicos, quedan fuera por esta causa. También con el candidato vacunal Abdala se está trabajando a escala productiva en vacunas que no contendrán tiomersal, para utilizarlas en etapas futuras del desarrollo clínico. El candidato vacunal Mambisa es un spray nasal y el bulbo no contiene esa sustancia.

Researchers at Cuba's National Medical Genetics Center: Pioneering Studies on COVID-19.

Three fourths of the 175 staff at Cuba's National Medical Genetics Center (CNGM) are women. And women constitute 90% of the research team working on the Center's largest current project-unlocking the biological secrets of COVID-19 in the Cuban population. They are identifying particularly vulnerable groups and geographies, reviewing therapies applied and long-term sequelae of the disease, and contributing to ongoing vaccine research and trials. Their results are critical to determining effective preventive and treatment strategies as the country moves into the next phases of epidemic control. The national study is the first and only one of its kind in Latin America. Then the first COVID-19 cases were diagnosed in Cuba on March 11, 2020, the Center's role in epidemiological surveillance was activated, based on its experience with the Zika threat in 2015. This involved mobilizing the National Genetics Network anchored in primary healthcare facilities, comprised of 452 genetics counselors, nurses and clinical geneticists, supported by technicians, epidemiologists and family doctors. The Network's role would become key to the ensuing research. As the magnitude of the pandemic became clearer, CNGM investigators approached the Ministry of Public Health and government leaders with a broad-ranging proposal to study biological factors that would help explain differences in vulnerability, symptoms, immune response and severity of the disease, as well as its profile in different Cuban subpopulations. After approval, the studies got underway in June, encompassing Cubans who had been infected through June 11, 2020, and were by now convalescing. The nine main research lines were defined, and principal investigators went to work developing the instruments needed and training personnel across the island on their use. While final results are still being analyzed, CNGM Director Dr Beatriz Marcheco and four lead researchers talked with MEDICC Review about the scope of their work and some of the most intriguing preliminary findings.

Urinary Metabolic Disorders Associated with Urolithiasis in Cuban Pediatric Patients.

INTRODUCTION: Pediatric urinary lithiasis (urolithiasis) is an important health issue linked to urinary metabolic disorders. In the United States alone, annual costs associated with urolithiasis are $229 million for hospital admissions and $146 million for emergency care. OBJECTIVE: Identify urinary metabolic disorders in Cuban pediatric patients with urolithiasis and better understand the relationship of age, demographic and anthropometric variables to urinary metabolic disorders strongly associated with urolithiasis. METHODS: We carried out a descriptive, cross-sectional study. The study universe was comprised of Cuban patients aged 2 to 19 years with urinary lithiasis who underwent renal metabolic studies at the Dr Abelardo Buch López Nephrology Institute in Havana, Cuba, from 2008 through 2019. All data were obtained from reports of the aforementioned metabolic studies. We collected the following variables: age, sex, nutritional status, urinary volume, plasma and urinary creatine concentrations; and calcium, uric acid, oxalate and citrate urinary excretions collected during a 24-hour period. We included results of urinary cystine tests and urine mini-cultures. We obtained frequency distributions for categorical and qualitative variables and calculated means and standard deviations for quantitative variables. We also evaluated homogeneity of metabolic disorders between children and adolescents. RESULTS: We studied 1592 pediatric patients, of whom 67.7% (1078/1592) were adolescents. The main metabolic disorders included hypercalciuria (39.1%; 622/1592), decreased urinary flow (22.4%; 357/1592) and hypocitraturia (18.2%; 289/1592). Hypercalciuria, hypocitraturia and hyperoxaluria were more common in children, while decreased urinary flow and hyperuricosuria were more common in adolescents. Hyperuricosuria was more frequent in male patients (6.3%; 40/639 vs. 1.8%; 8/439) and had the greatest impact on lithogenesis. Hypercalciuria was more frequent in undernourished children (62.5%; 30/48) than in overweight children (21.7%; 10/46), or those with obesity (33.3%; 15/45). CONCLUSIONS: The main metabolic disorders among Cuban pediatric patients with urinary lithiasis are: hypercalciuria, decreased urinary flow and hypocitraturia. Hypercalciuria, hypocitraturia and hyperoxaluria are more common in children, and decreased urinary flow and hyperuricosuria are more common in adolescents. Identifying urinary metabolic disorders facilitates formulation of treatment plans tailored to decreasing the likelihood of urolithiasis.