ABSTRACT
Abstract Background: HIV-positive patients are twice as likely than the general population to have a heart attack and are four times at greater risk of sudden death. In addition to the increased risk, these individuals present with cardiovascular events on average approximately 10 years earlier than the general population. Objective: To compare Framingham and reduced DAD (Data Collection on Adverse Effects of Anti-HIV Drugs Cohort) scores for cardiovascular risk assessment in HIV-positive patients and potential impact on clinical decision after evaluation of subclinical carotid atherosclerosis. Methods: Seventy-one HIV-positive patients with no history of cardiovascular disease were clinically evaluated, stratified by the Framingham 2008 and reduced DAD scores and submitted to subclinical carotid atherosclerosis evaluation. Agreement between scores was assessed by Kappa index and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: mean age was 47.2 and 53.5% among males. The rate of subclinical atherosclerosis was 39.4%. Agreement between scores was 49% with Kappa of 0.735 in high-risk patients. There was no significant difference between scores by ROC curve discrimination analysis. Among patients with intermediate risk and Framingham and reduced DAD scores, 62.5% and 30.8% had carotid atherosclerosis, respectively. Conclusion: The present study showed a correlation between the scores and medium-intimal thickening, besides a high correlation between patients classified as high risk by the Framingham 2008 and reduced DAD scores. The high prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis in intermediate risk patients suggests that most of them could be reclassified as high risk.
Resumo Fundamento: Pacientes HIV positivos possuem 2 vezes maior risco que a população geral de apresentarem infarto e 4 vezes maior de morte súbita. Além do risco aumentado, esses indivíduos apresentam eventos cardiovasculares, em média, aproximadamente, 10 anos antes que a população geral. Objetivo: Comparar os escores Framingham e DAD reduzido para avaliação de risco cardiovascular em pacientes HIV positivos e o potencial impacto na decisão clínica após avaliação de aterosclerose carotídea subclínica. Métodos: Foram avaliados clinicamente 71 pacientes HIV positivos sem antecedentes de doenças cardiovasculares, estratificados pelos escores Framingham 2008 e DAD reduzido e submetidos a avaliação de aterosclerose carotídea subclínica. A concordância entre os escores foi avaliada pelo índice Kappa e os valores de p < 0,05 foram considerados estatisticamente significativos. Resultados: A idade média foi 47,2 e 53,5% do sexo masculino. A ocorrência de aterosclerose subclínica foi de 39,4%. A concordância entre os escores foi de 49% com Kappa de 0,735 nos pacientes de alto risco. Não houve diferença significativa entre os escores por meio de análise de discriminação com curva ROC. Dos pacientes com risco intermediário no Framingham e DAD reduzido, 62,5% e 30,8% respectivamente apresentavam aterosclerose carotídea. Conclusão: O presente estudo mostrou correlação entre os escores e espessamento médio-intimal e alta concordância entre os pacientes classificados como alto risco nos escores Framingham 2008 e DAD escore reduzido. A observação de alta prevalência de aterosclerose carotídea em pacientes de risco intermediário sugere que grande parte desses pacientes poderia ser reclassificada como alto risco.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Adult , Middle Aged , Carotid Artery Diseases/diagnosis , HIV Infections/complications , Carotid Artery Diseases/etiology , Carotid Artery Diseases/blood , HIV Infections/blood , Risk Factors , ROC Curve , Risk Assessment , Carotid Intima-Media ThicknessABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: HIV-positive patients are twice as likely than the general population to have a heart attack and are four times at greater risk of sudden death. In addition to the increased risk, these individuals present with cardiovascular events on average approximately 10 years earlier than the general population. OBJECTIVE: To compare Framingham and reduced DAD (Data Collection on Adverse Effects of Anti-HIV Drugs Cohort) scores for cardiovascular risk assessment in HIV-positive patients and potential impact on clinical decision after evaluation of subclinical carotid atherosclerosis. METHODS: Seventy-one HIV-positive patients with no history of cardiovascular disease were clinically evaluated, stratified by the Framingham 2008 and reduced DAD scores and submitted to subclinical carotid atherosclerosis evaluation. Agreement between scores was assessed by Kappa index and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: mean age was 47.2 and 53.5% among males. The rate of subclinical atherosclerosis was 39.4%. Agreement between scores was 49% with Kappa of 0.735 in high-risk patients. There was no significant difference between scores by ROC curve discrimination analysis. Among patients with intermediate risk and Framingham and reduced DAD scores, 62.5% and 30.8% had carotid atherosclerosis, respectively. CONCLUSION: The present study showed a correlation between the scores and medium-intimal thickening, besides a high correlation between patients classified as high risk by the Framingham 2008 and reduced DAD scores. The high prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis in intermediate risk patients suggests that most of them could be reclassified as high risk.
Subject(s)
Carotid Artery Diseases/diagnosis , HIV Infections/complications , Adult , Carotid Artery Diseases/blood , Carotid Artery Diseases/etiology , Carotid Intima-Media Thickness , Female , HIV Infections/blood , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , ROC Curve , Risk Assessment , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
Trypanosoma cruzi infection reactivation is a constant threat for Chagas' heart transplant recipients. From September 2000 to September 2007, 54 patients underwent heart transplantation at our institution. Fourteen (70%) out of 20 Chagas' disease patients who survived the perioperative period were entered into the study. Mean eosinophil count and mean hemoglobin plasma levels were associated to T. cruzi infection reactivation.
Subject(s)
Anemia/blood , Chagas Disease/blood , Chagas Disease/diagnosis , Eosinophils/pathology , Heart Transplantation/adverse effects , Trypanosoma cruzi , Adult , Anemia/complications , Anemia/pathology , Chagas Disease/complications , Eosinophils/parasitology , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Leukocyte Count/methods , Male , Middle Aged , RecurrenceABSTRACT
This report describes three elderly patients with mucosal form of American tegumentary leishmaniasis associated with chronic cardiopathy. Due to the known toxicity of classical drugs with activity against Leishmania sp., the patients received three oral courses of azithromycin therapy in single 500 mg daily dose during ten days, every other month. All lesions healed after the third series. One of the patients relapsed and a new series of azithromycin was prescribed. Azithromycin may be an alternative drug for the treatment of leishmaniasis in special situations due to its optimal mucosal and intraphagocyte concentration, single daily posology, high tolerance and oral administration. The mechanism of this drug on Leishmania sp. is unknown at present.
Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/administration & dosage , Azithromycin/administration & dosage , Leishmaniasis, Mucocutaneous/drug therapy , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Animals , Chronic Disease , Female , Heart Diseases/complications , Humans , Leishmaniasis, Mucocutaneous/complications , MaleABSTRACT
O presente relato descreve três pacientes idosos com leishmaniose mucosa de longa evolução, os quais eram portadores de cardiopatia crônica. Pela alta freqüência de efeitos secundários e tóxicos dos medicamentos utilizados no tratamento clássico, esses pacientes receberam azitromicina. Este medicamento foi administrado pela via oral, em dose única diária de 500 mg, durante dez dias, em três séries com intervalo de um mês. Em todos, houve cicatrização das lesões depois da terceira série. Um dos pacientes apresentou recidiva após seis meses e uma nova série de azitromicina fez regredir novamente o quadro. Azitromicina pode ser uma alternativa para o tratamento das leishmanioses, principalmente pela concentração adequada em mucosas e nos fagócitos, posologia única diária, boa tolerância e administração oral.
