Association between urinary incontinence in elderly patients and caregiver burden in the city of Sao Paulo/Brazil: Health, Wellbeing, and Ageing Study.

AIM: Some elderly patients with incontinence require the care of third parties, known as caregivers. Such care can occur on a daily basis leaving little opportunity for the caregiver to take care of himself/herself. The aims are to assess the association between urinary incontinence in elderly patients and caregiver burden and identify independent factors for caregiver's burden in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. METHODS: The Pan-American Health Organization and World Health Organization coordinated a multicenter study named Health, Wellbeing and Aging (SABE Study) in elderly people living in seven countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. In Brazil, the study population carried out in São Paulo in the year 2000 and reassessed in 2006 (COHORT A). Urinary incontinence was assessed by ICIQ-SF and caregiver burden by means of Zarit Burden Scale. RESULTS: A total of 327 patients with caregivers were included in the study. The general prevalence of urinary incontinence was 25.8%, higher among the women. There was a significant positive association between caregiver burden and incontinent patients, demonstrating that urinary incontinence in elderly patients produced greater caregiver burden. In the present study, the variables with significant correlations were assessed using the multivariate logistic regression model. Category 2 of the ICIQ-SF (incontinent patients) increased the chances of caregiver burden 1.96-fold in comparison to Category 1 (continent patients). Likewise, the category of impaired cognition increased the chances of caregiver burden 2.34-fold. CONCLUSIONS: Urinary incontinence and cognitive impairment in elderly patients were associated to an increase in caregiver burden.

Mortality due to systemic mycoses as a primary cause of death or in association with AIDS in Brazil: a review from 1996 to 2006.

Deaths caused by systemic mycoses such as paracoccidioidomycosis, cryptococcosis, histoplasmosis, candidiasis, aspergillosis, coccidioidomycosis and zygomycosis amounted to 3,583 between 1996-2006 in Brazil. When analysed as the underlying cause of death, paracoccidioidomycosis represented the most important cause of deaths among systemic mycoses (approximately 51.2%). When considering AIDS as the underlying cause of death and the systemic mycoses as associated conditions, cryptococcosis (50.9%) appeared at the top of the list, followed by candidiasis (30.2%), histoplasmosis (10.1%) and others. This mortality analysis is useful in understanding the real situation of systemic mycoses in Brazil, since there is no mandatory notification of patients diagnosed with systemic mycoses in the official health system.

[Deaths due to infectious diseases in women: occurrences in pregnancy and puerperium]. / Mortes por doenças infecciosas em mulheres: ocorrências no ciclo gravídico-puerperal.

OBJECTIVE: To describe deaths due to infectious diseases as an underlying or multiple cause, identifying cases of pre-existent infectious diseases or ones developed during pregnancy; deaths due to an indirect obstetric cause and deaths due to Aids or other infectious diseases during pregnancy or post-partum, however difficult to classify. METHODS: RAMOS methodology was adopted (by investigation in the household and medical records of the deceased, a new death certificate was filled out with the real causes concerning deaths of women from 10 to 49 years of age, residents in Brazilian capital cities,during the first semester of 2002. RESULTS: A total of 7,332 female cases was analyzed, according to underlying and multiple causes of death, of which 917 were due to infectious diseases (mainly Aids and tuberculosis). In 37 cases, the deceased was pregnant or in an 'extended' puerperium (including) post-partum from 43 days up to one year). Of these, 10 were not indirect obstetric deaths, but the underlying cause was an infectious disease and 14 were classified as indirect obstetric deaths. Regarding multiple causes, 791 cases (neither maternal nor infectious disease as underlying cause) generated 1,016 mentions of infectious diseases (1.28 mentions/death). CONCLUSION: As the frequency of maternal deaths is low, investigations on the near miss (severe cases due to complications of pregnancy and puerperium who survived) are recommended, because they occur in larger numbers and are a relevant contribution to studies on maternal mortality.

Cardiometabolic diseases. / Doenças cardiometabólicas.

INTRODUCTION: Cardiometabolic diseases are prevalent in populations and are among the leading causes of death. Objective: This sub-study of the Health, Well-being and Aging (SABE) study describes the self-reported prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) for its three waves (2000, 2006, and 2010). It also analyses the associations with selected risk factors. METHODS: Logistic regression models were performed. RESULTS: Predominance of women and average age (68 years) were maintained in all the waves. During the period, there was a general tendency of increasing prevalence of hypertension (53.1 to 66.7%), DM (16.7 to 25.0%), and CVD (23.0 to 27.2%); and stabilization of the CVD prevalence rate occurred only from 2006 to 2010. Women, with body mass index (BMI) > 27 kg/m2, and ex-smokers had consistently higher risk of self-reported hypertension across the three waves. BMI >27kg/m2 was also associated with a higher probability of DM in the three waves, whereas with ex-smokers this occurred only in 2010. Ex-smokers presented higher risk of CVD in all the waves, but not excess weight. Wave pairs were analyzed to test changes in prevalence, and it was found a significant increase in diseases rates across the years. CONCLUSION: In summary, self-reported DM, hypertension, and CVD had high prevalence rates for participants of SABE Study, in São Paulo. The association of elevated BMI with cardiometabolic diseases suggests that body adiposity might favor their occurrence, although the study design does not guarantee a cause and effect relationship. Increased rates of affected individuals from the first to the third wave may reflect improvement in diagnostic conditions and/or control of these diseases' mortality during that period.

INTRODUÇÃO: Doenças cardiometabólicas são prevalentes nas populações, estando entre as principais causas de morte. Objetivos: Este subestudo do Saúde, Bem-Estar e Envelhecimento (Sabe) descreve as prevalências autorreferidas de hipertensão, diabete mellitus (DM) e doença cardiovascular aterosclerótica (DCV) nas suas três ondas (2000, 2006 e 2010) e analisa a associação com fatores de risco selecionados. MÉTODOS: Empregou-se regressão logística. RESULTADOS: O predomínio de mulheres e a idade (68 anos) foram mantidos nas três ondas. No período, verificou-se tendência geral de aumento nas prevalências de hipertensão (53,1 a 66,7%), DM (16,7 a 25%) e DCV (23,0 a 27,2%) - estabilização da prevalência de DCV apenas de 2006 a 2010. Indivíduos do sexo feminino, com índice de massa corporal (IMC) > 27 kg/m2 e ex-fumantes tenderam consistentemente à maior probabilidade de hipertensão autorreferida ao longo das ondas. Apresentar IMC > 27 kg/m2 associou-se à maior probabilidade de referir DM nas três ondas, enquanto com ex-fumantes isso aconteceu apenas em 2010. Ter sido fumante também se associou à DCV nas ondas, mas não o excesso de peso. Averiguando-se pares de ondas para testar alterações nas prevalências, viu-se que em geral houve elevação significativa nos percentuais das doenças com o tempo. CONCLUSÃO: Em suma, DM, hipertensão e DCV autorreferidos ocorreram com elevadas prevalências nos participantes do Sabe em São Paulo. A associação de IMC elevado com doenças cardiometabólicas sugere que adiposidade corporal pode favorecê-las, embora esta análise não permita assegurar relação causa × efeito. É possível que o aumento dos percentuais de doentes da primeira para a terceira onda reflita melhora nas condições de diagnóstico e/ou no controle dessas doenças no período.

The way forward.

Good public-health decisionmaking is dependent on reliable and timely statistics on births and deaths (including the medical causes of death). All high-income countries, without exception, have national civil registration systems that record these events and generate regular, frequent, and timely vital statistics. By contrast, these statistics are not available in many low-income and lower-middle-income countries, even though it is in such settings that premature mortality is most severe and the need for robust evidence to back decisionmaking most critical. Civil registration also has a range of benefits for individuals in terms of legal status, and the protection of economic, social, and human rights. However, over the past 30 years, the global health and development community has failed to provide the needed technical and financial support to countries to develop civil registration systems. There is no single blueprint for establishing and maintaining such systems and ensuring the availability of sound vital statistics. Each country faces a different set of challenges, and strategies must be tailored accordingly. There are steps that can be taken, however, and we propose an approach that couples the application of methods to generate better vital statistics in the short term with capacity-building for comprehensive civil registration systems in the long run.

[The effect of chronic diseases on functional status of the elderly living in the city of São Paulo, Brazil]. / A influência das doenças crônicas na capacidade funcional dos idosos do Município de São Paulo, Brasil.

The main focus of this study was the effect of chronic disease (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, heart disease, lung disease, cancer, and arthropathy) on the functional status (activities of daily living - ADL, instrumental activities of daily living - IADL) among the elderly, controlling for age, gender, living arrangements, education, and comorbidity. The analysis was based on information provided by the SABE Project, from the city of São Paulo, Brazil, including individuals 60 years of age and over (n = 1,769), from January 2000 to March 2001. A multinomial logistic regression model was used. Compared to the absence of dependency category, heart disease (OR = 1.82), arthropathy (OR = 1.59), lung disease (OR = 1.50), and hypertension (OR = 1.39) were the main diseases that affected the IADL dependency category. Lung disease (OR = 2.58), arthropathy (OR = 2.27), hypertension (OR = 2.13), and heart disease (OR = 2.10) had important impact on the IADL and ADL dependency categories. The results were statistically significant (p < 0.05).

Pragmatic criteria of the definition of neonatal near miss: a comparative study.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to test the validity of the pragmatic criteria of the definitions of neonatal near miss, extending them throughout the infant period, and to estimate the indicators of perinatal care in public maternity hospitals. METHODS: A cohort of live births from six maternity hospitals in the municipalities of São Paulo, Niterói, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was carried out in 2011. We carried out interviews and checked prenatal cards and medical records. We compared the pragmatic criteria (birth weight, gestational age, and 5' Apgar score) of the definitions of near miss of Pileggi et al., Pileggi-Castro et al., Souza et al., and Silva et al. We calculated sensitivity, specificity (gold standard: infant mortality), percentage of deaths among newborns with life-threatening conditions, and rates of near miss, mortality, and severe outcomes per 1,000 live births. RESULTS: A total 7,315 newborns were analyzed (completeness of information > 99%). The sensitivity of the definition of Pileggi-Castro et al. was higher, resulting in a higher number of cases of near miss, Souza et al. presented lower value, and Pileggi et al. and de Silva et al. presented intermediate values. There is an increase in sensitivity when the period goes from 0-6 to 0-27 days, and there is a decrease when it goes to 0-364 days. Specificities were high (≥ 97%) and above sensitivities (54% to 77%). One maternity hospital in São Paulo and one in Niterói presented, respectively, the lowest and highest rates of infant mortality, near miss, and frequency of births with life-threatening conditions, regardless of the definition. CONCLUSIONS: The definitions of near miss based exclusively on pragmatic criteria are valid and can be used for monitoring purposes. Based on the perinatal literature, the cutoff points adopted by Silva et al. were more appropriate. Periodic studies could apply a more complete definition, incorporating clinical, laboratory, and management criteria, including congenital anomalies predictive of infant mortality.

Functional limitations of Brazilian elderly by age and gender differences: data from SABE Survey.

This study provides the prevalence, by gender and age-groups, of observed physical performance test (PPT) assessing functional limitation for representative samples of elderly Brazilian subjects living in São Paulo city. This cross-sectional epidemiological study, both population- and household-based, is part of a multicenter survey (SABE) undertaken in seven Latin American and Caribbean countries and coordinated by the Pan-American Health Organization. From January 2000 to March 2001, 2,143 elderly individuals (>or= 60 years) of both sexes were examined. Of this total, 1,894 participated in the study. PPT included handgrip strength, standing balance, timed repeated "chair stand", and "pick up a pen". Results have shown (based on chi-square) that the prevalence relating to the performance differed according to sex, age group, and from one test to another. With increasing age, there was a reduction (p = 0.000) in both males and females in the proportion of individuals that had better results on the tests. The male group, on every test, when compared to women from the same age group, had a more individuals with better scores. Data suggest that older individuals and women have more functional limitations.

Anthropometry of elderly residents in the city of São Paulo, Brazil.

The article presents gender and age-specific selected anthropometric data for a representative sample of elderly Brazilians in the city of São Paulo. This was a cross-sectional, population-based household survey. A total of 1,894 older adults (men and women, > 60 years) were examined from January to March 2001. Data were presented as means and percentiles for body mass (BM); height or stature (ST); body mass index (BMI); waist (WC), hip (HC), arm (AC), and calf (CC) circumferences; triceps skinfold thickness (TST); and arm muscle circumference (AMC), and differences were described according to age (all variables) and gender (BMI). Except for HC (men), all anthropometric variables were lower in the oldest than in the youngest individuals (p < 0.01) in both genders. BMI was significantly higher (p < 0.01) in women than men (all age groups). The observations suggest that there is loss of muscle mass and redistribution and reduction of fat mass with age (both genders). The data can be used in clinical practice and epidemiological studies based on interpretation of anthropometric measurements in the elderly in São Paulo.

The study of the mother-child binomium: description and general results.

OBJECTIVE: The present study investigated the characteristics of women during pregnancy/immediate postpartum cycles and the product of their pregnancy. METHOD: Data collection was conducted for a period of three months in 2011, in six maternity hospitals in the State of São Paulo. The data were obtained in an interview with the women after the end of the pregnancy and collected from hospital records. The sample included 7,058 women hospitalized for abortion or childbirth in five hospitals from SUS (Unified Health System) and from only one hospital for private health insurance patients and their 6,602 conceptuses (live births and stillborns). Statistical analysis was based on χ2 tests, with a significance level of α = 5%. RESULTS: It was observed that 6,530 women gave birth and 528 showed interruption of pregnancy. Regarding age, 1,448 were teenagers (20.5%). There were no deaths during hospitalization and 99.8% of women received a medical discharge. Maternal morbidity in the current pregnancy was analyzed, showing urinary tract infection, anemia and excessive vomiting as the main problems. The rate of cesarean sections accounted for 31.1% and complications in childbirth and postpartum were shown, respectively, by 834 (12.8%) and 265 (4.1%) women. The characteristics of the conceptuses were also studied: gestation length (9.3% of preterm among live births, and 68% among the stillborn); birth weight (underweight in 8.2% among live births, and 66% among the stillborn) and morbidity, measured by congenital anomalies and other diseases; these diseases were responsible for ICU stay, transfers to better-equipped hospitals (10 cases) and 37 deaths. Thirteen live births were still hospitalized at the end of the investigation.

[Mortality among children enrolled in public day care centers in Brazil]. / Mortalidade de crianças usuárias de creches no Município de São Paulo.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the mortality pattern among children enrolled in public day care centers. METHODS: This was a descriptive study of the mortality pattern among children aged from 0 to 6 years and 11 months who were enrolled in all the public day care centers in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, from 1995 to 1999. The variables of interest were sex, age, underlying cause of death, duration of day care attendance and seasonality. RESULTS: The average mortality rate for the period was 36.4 per 100,000 children. Of the total number of deaths, 32.7% were among children under 1 year old and 78.4% under 3 years old. The deaths of 54.2% of these children occurred before completing six months in the day care center, with a concentration of 36.3% during the first three months. The majority of the deaths occurred during the winter and autumn seasons: 31.8% and 29.6%, respectively. The main underlying causes of death were infections: pneumonia (29.6%), meningococcal disease (13.0%), non-meningococcal meningitis (8.5%), gastroenteritis (7.6%) and chickenpox (5.4%). External causes were responsible for 13.5% of the deaths and included falls, being run over, drowning, burns and physical aggression. CONCLUSIONS: The study indicated that younger children (0-3 years) were the most vulnerable group and that the majority of deaths derived from avoidable causes, some of which preventable by vaccination nowadays.

Cardiovascular diseases in the elderly: analysis of the behavior of mortality in a municipality in the Southern Region of Brazil from 1979 to 1998.

OBJECTIVE: To know the behavior of mortality due to cardiovascular diseases in the elderly living in the municipality of Maringá, in the Brazilian state of Paraná. METHODS: The causes of death over 20 years were studied according to sex, age, and groupings of the International Classification of Diseases, 9th and 10th Revisions, using the mortality database of the Ministry of Health. RESULTS: In regard to total deaths in the elderly, the proportional mortality due to cerebrovascular disease and ischemic heart disease decreased 42.5% and 34.4%, respectively, while that due to hypertension increased 119%, increasing from 2.1% to 4.6%. A 51.2%, 44.6%, and 12.5% decrease occurred, respectively, in the risk of death due to cerebrovascular disease, ischemic heart disease, and other forms of heart disease. For cerebrovascular disease and ischemic heart disease, the decrease in the estimate of the risk of death was greater among women, while for the other forms of heart disease, the decrease was greater among men. In regard to age groups, the risk of death increases as age advances for each cardiovascular disease in both sexes. CONCLUSION: Cardiovascular diseases continue to play an important role in morbidity and mortality in the elderly population, requiring even greater effort from health care providers for their prevention and treatment.

[Gestational weight gain and birth weight of the newborn: a cross-sectional study in Jundiaí, São Paulo, Brazil]. / Ganho de peso gestacional e peso ao nascer do concepto: estudo transversal na região de Jundiaí, São Paulo, Brasil.

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of overweight, pre-pregnancy and gestational obesity and verify the association with the birth weight of the newborn. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 712 pregnant women admitted for delivery at the School of Medicine of Jundiaí hospital. The variables studied were socio-demographics, pregnancy, pre-pregnancy weight, prenatal care, total gestational weight gain and birth weight of the newborn. The majority (99.7%) had a pre-natal and 84.6% > 6 visits. The prevalence of pre-pregnancy overweight was 34.7%, and excessive total weight gain was 36.9%. A significant association was observed between the pregnant women's BMI classification and the newborn's weight (NB) classification and between total weight gain classification of the mother and the newborn's weight classification. In pregnant women with excessive weight a higher prevalence of newborns with appropriate weight was observed. In contrast, women with insufficient weight gain had 2.15 times higher risk of underweight newborns and 2.85 times higher risk of low weight newborns. Although a significant percentage of overweight pregnant women was observed, this influenced the insufficient weight of the pregnant woman though not the birth weight of the newborns.

FEV1 is a better predictor of mortality than FVC: the PLATINO cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the presence of chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) and reduction of lung function parameters were predictors of mortality in a cohort. MATERIALS/PATIENTS AND METHODS: Population based cohorts were followed in Montevideo, Santiago and Sao Paulo during 5, 6 and 9 years, respectively. Outcomes included all-cause, cardiovascular, respiratory and cancer mortality; exposures were COPD, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC). Cox regression was used for analyses. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, receiver operator characteristics curves and Youden's index were calculated. RESULTS: Main causes of death were cardiovascular, respiratory and cancer. Baseline COPD was associated with overall mortality (HR = 1.43 for FEV1/FVC

[Racial/ethnic disparities in self-rated health: a multilevel analysis of 2,697 individuals in 145 Brazilian municipalities]. / Disparidades étnico-raciais em saúde autoavaliada: análise multinível de 2.697 indivíduos residentes em 145 municípios brasileiros.

Recent literature reviews have shown that studies analyzing racial/ethnic disparities in Brazil are still scarce. Multilevel approaches are necessary, since race is a socially constructed concept and can vary by area of residence. The analysis included 2,697 individuals from 145 Brazilian municipalities (counties), classified by race (white, black, or mixed). Multilevel models were fitted using Bayesian inference with Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods. After including demographic, socioeconomic, and health access variables, black and mixed-race individuals showed higher odds of negative self-rated health (OR = 1.71; 95%CI: 1.24; 2.37 and OR = 1.37; 95%CI: 1.10; 1.71, respectively). Characteristics of the area of residence did not significantly affect the association between race and self-rated health. Racial/ethnic disparities lost their statistical significance after re-categorization of the dependent variable. The results indicate that racial/ ethnic disparities in health in Brazil may be deeper and more complex than expected.

[Disaggregation of differences in life expectancy between the States of Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo, Brazil]. / Decomposição da diferença da expectativa de vida de Minas Gerais em relação ao Rio de Janeiro e São Paulo, Brasil.

Comparisons between States of Brazil are still rare in public health. The States of Minas Gerais, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro have adequate mortality registry coverage and are geographically similar, thus making comparison appropriate for identifying possible interventions in public health. Meanwhile, the three States show important socioeconomic differences, consistently worse for Minas Gerais. The study analyzed the disaggregation of differences in life expectancy in Minas Gerais as compared to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro for 1996, 2000, and 2010, using the Arriaga methodology. Minas Gerais had a higher life expectancy than the two other States for the entire period, in both men and women. Advanced age and chronic illness, especially cancer and ischemic heart disease, were the most important factors in this difference. Differences in lifestyle and physical exercise (better for Minas Gerais than for São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro) could help explain the apparent inconsistency between socioeconomic indicators and life expectancy.

Maternal mortality due to hemorrhage in Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: to analyze the rates of maternal mortality due to hemorrhage identified in Brazil from 1997 to 2009. METHODS: the time series and population data from the Brazilian Health Ministry, Mortality Information System and Live Birth Information System were examined. From the Mortality Information System, we initially selected all reported deaths of women between 10 and 49 years old, which occurred from January 1, 1997 to December 31, 2009 in Brazil, recorded as a "maternal death". RESULTS: during the research period, 22,281 maternal deaths were identified, among which 3,179 were due to hemorrhage, accounting for 14.26% of the total deaths. The highest rates of maternal mortality were found in the North and Northeast areas of Brazil. CONCLUSIONS: the Brazilian scenario shows regional inequalities regarding maternal mortality. It presents hemorrhaging as a symptom and not as a cause of death.

[The International Classification of Diseases, the Family of International Classifications, the ICD-11, and post-polio syndrome]. / A Classificação Internacional de Doenças, a Família de Classificações Internacionais, a CID-11 e a Síndrome Pós-Poliomielite.

The first International Classification of Diseases (ICD) was approved in 1893 and since then it has been periodically reviewed. The last, 10th revision (ICD-10), was approved in 1989. Since 1989, it was possible to update from ICD revisions, which did not happen before. The next revision (ICD-11) would probably be published in 2015. In 1989, mechanisms were established to update ICD-10, through the creation of the Morbidity Reference Group (MbRG) in 1997 and the Update and Revision Committee (URC) in 2000. The Morbidity Reference Group (MbRG) was created in 2007 to discuss in more detail the issues to update morbidity. A specific code in ICD was not included in the revision of ICD-10 in 1989 for the post-polio syndrome (PPS). However, the ICD new code G14 for PPS was included in ICD-10 since 2010.

Doenças cardiometabólicas / Cardiometabolic diseases

RESUMO: Introdução: Doenças cardiometabólicas são prevalentes nas populações, estando entre as principais causas de morte. Objetivos: Este subestudo do Saúde, Bem-Estar e Envelhecimento (Sabe) descreve as prevalências autorreferidas de hipertensão, diabete mellitus (DM) e doença cardiovascular aterosclerótica (DCV) nas suas três ondas (2000, 2006 e 2010) e analisa a associação com fatores de risco selecionados. Métodos: Empregou-se regressão logística. Resultados: O predomínio de mulheres e a idade (68 anos) foram mantidos nas três ondas. No período, verificou-se tendência geral de aumento nas prevalências de hipertensão (53,1 a 66,7%), DM (16,7 a 25%) e DCV (23,0 a 27,2%) - estabilização da prevalência de DCV apenas de 2006 a 2010. Indivíduos do sexo feminino, com índice de massa corporal (IMC) > 27 kg/m2 e ex-fumantes tenderam consistentemente à maior probabilidade de hipertensão autorreferida ao longo das ondas. Apresentar IMC > 27 kg/m2 associou-se à maior probabilidade de referir DM nas três ondas, enquanto com ex-fumantes isso aconteceu apenas em 2010. Ter sido fumante também se associou à DCV nas ondas, mas não o excesso de peso. Averiguando-se pares de ondas para testar alterações nas prevalências, viu-se que em geral houve elevação significativa nos percentuais das doenças com o tempo. Conclusão: Em suma, DM, hipertensão e DCV autorreferidos ocorreram com elevadas prevalências nos participantes do Sabe em São Paulo. A associação de IMC elevado com doenças cardiometabólicas sugere que adiposidade corporal pode favorecê-las, embora esta análise não permita assegurar relação causa × efeito. É possível que o aumento dos percentuais de doentes da primeira para a terceira onda reflita melhora nas condições de diagnóstico e/ou no controle dessas doenças no período.

ABSTRACT: Introduction: Cardiometabolic diseases are prevalent in populations and are among the leading causes of death. Objective: This sub-study of the Health, Well-being and Aging (SABE) study describes the self-reported prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) for its three waves (2000, 2006, and 2010). It also analyses the associations with selected risk factors. Methods: Logistic regression models were performed. Results: Predominance of women and average age (68 years) were maintained in all the waves. During the period, there was a general tendency of increasing prevalence of hypertension (53.1 to 66.7%), DM (16.7 to 25.0%), and CVD (23.0 to 27.2%); and stabilization of the CVD prevalence rate occurred only from 2006 to 2010. Women, with body mass index (BMI) > 27 kg/m2, and ex-smokers had consistently higher risk of self-reported hypertension across the three waves. BMI >27kg/m2 was also associated with a higher probability of DM in the three waves, whereas with ex-smokers this occurred only in 2010. Ex-smokers presented higher risk of CVD in all the waves, but not excess weight. Wave pairs were analyzed to test changes in prevalence, and it was found a significant increase in diseases rates across the years. Conclusion: In summary, self-reported DM, hypertension, and CVD had high prevalence rates for participants of SABE Study, in São Paulo. The association of elevated BMI with cardiometabolic diseases suggests that body adiposity might favor their occurrence, although the study design does not guarantee a cause and effect relationship. Increased rates of affected individuals from the first to the third wave may reflect improvement in diagnostic conditions and/or control of these diseases' mortality during that period.

[The vulnerable male, or the sex ratio among fetal deaths in Brazil]. / O sexo masculino vulnerável: razão de masculinidade entre os óbitos fetais brasileiros.

Some studies indicate the existence of innate male vulnerabilities, especially during the perinatal period. The current study is a cross-sectional analysis of fetal mortality in Brazil according to sex from 2000 to 2009, stratified by maternal characteristics (age, schooling, and gestational age), using Ministry of Health data (DATASUS). The analysis included all fetal deaths from 2000 to 2009, except when the sex of the fetus was not recorded. The male/female sex ratio (SR) for all fetal deaths was 1.188. Analysis of maternal characteristics showed that the SR was statistically higher (p < 0.01) in mothers that were younger (10-14 years), had no formal schooling, and with gestational age < 22 weeks. The study showed a statistically higher-than-expected SR (p < 0.01) for 13 underlying causes of death and a lower SR for two others. The results suggest a potential innate male vulnerability.