Comparative effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of cardioprotective glucose-lowering therapies for type 2 diabetes in Brazil: a Bayesian network model.

BACKGROUND: The escalating prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) poses an unparalleled economic catastrophe to developing countries. Cardiovascular diseases remain the primary source of costs among individuals with T2DM, incurring expenses for medications, hospitalizations, and surgical interventions. Compelling evidence suggests that the risk of cardiovascular outcomes can be reduced by three classes of glucose-lowering therapies (GLT), including SGLT2i, GLP-1A, and pioglitazone. However, an evidence-based and cost-effective protocol is still unavailable for many countries. The objective of the current study is to compare the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of GLT in individuals with T2DM in Brazil. METHODS: We employed Bayesian Networks to calculate the incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER), expressed in international dollars (Int$) per disease-adjusted life years [DALYs] averted. To determine the effectiveness of GLT, we conducted a systematic review with network meta-analysis (NMA) to provide insights for our model. Additionally, we obtained cardiovascular outcome incidence data from two real-world cohorts comprising 851 and 1337 patients in primary and secondary prevention, respectively. Our cost analysis took into account the perspective of the Brazilian public health system, and all values were converted to Int$. RESULTS: In the NMA, SGLT2i [HR: 0.81 (95% CI 0.69-0.96)], GLP-1A [HR: 0.79 (95% CI 0.67-0.94)], and pioglitazone [HR: 0.73 (95% CI 0.59-0.91)] demonstrated reduced relative risks of non-fatal cardiovascular events. In the context of primary prevention, pioglitazone yielded 0.2339 DALYs averted, with an ICER of Int$7,082 (95% CI 4,521-10,770) per DALY averted when compared to standard care. SGLT2i and GLP-1A also increased effectiveness, resulting in 0.261 and 0.259 DALYs averted, respectively, but with higher ICERs of Int$12,061 (95% CI: 7,227-18,121) and Int$29,119 (95% CI: 23,811-35,367) per DALY averted. In the secondary prevention scenario, all three classes of treatments were deemed cost-effective at a maximum willingness-to-pay threshold of Int$26,700. Notably, pioglitazone consistently exhibited the highest probability of being cost-effective in both scenarios. CONCLUSIONS: In Brazil, pioglitazone presented a higher probability of being cost-effective both in primary and secondary prevention, followed by SGLT2i and GLP-1A. Our findings support the use of cost-effectiveness models to build optimized and hierarchical therapeutic strategy in the management of T2DM. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CRD42020194415.

Effect of Polydextrose/Fructooligosaccharide Mixture on Constipation Symptoms in Children Aged 4 to 8 Years.

Constipation is a frequent problem in children. We evaluated the effect of a mixture (polydextrose [PDX] and fructooligosaccharide [FOS]) in children with constipation. We performed a prospective interventional study with a mixture (PDX 4.17 g and FOS 0.45 g) in a daily dose of food supplement. The intervention lasted 45 days, with visits at 15, 30, and 45 days after administration. The sample comprised 105 patients, of whom 77 completed the intervention. A statistically significant reduction in the frequency of symptoms was observed at the end of the study. The frequency of children with fewer than three bowel movements per week dropped from 59.7% to 11.7%, and there was a decrease in the frequency of Bristol type 1 and 2 dry stools (68.8% to 7.8%), pain on defecation (79.2% to 10.4%), and fear of defecation (68.8% to 3.9%). The proportion of children with abdominal pain symptoms decreased from 84.2% to 2.6% at the end of the study. A relevant limitation of the present study was the lack of a control group treated with placebo. The administration of the PDX/FOS mixture was accompanied by a significant reduction in the frequency of constipation symptoms of the children evaluated. The tolerability was very good, and the rate of adverse effects was low.

Chagas' cardiomyopathy: the economic burden of an expensive and neglected disease.

BACKGROUND: Chagas' cardiomyopathy (CC) is a rising etiology for heart failure (HF) that previously was restricted to some countries of Latin America. The chronic CC cases cause now a profound socio-economic impact. However this issue has not been well studied if compared to other causes of HF. The objective of this study was to assess the cost burden of CC during acute decompensated HF admissions (ADHF), and compare this cost to the other etiologies of HF. METHODS AND RESULTS: By the end of 2006 we started a five year follow-up of 577 consecutive adult patients admitted at a high complexity cardiology university hospital in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. This study shows the data of the first admission of each patient of this follow-up. Patients were divided in two groups: CC (58 patients) and non-chagasic (NC) (519 patients). Mortality was different among groups, 19/58 (32.8%) in CC vs 113/519 (21.8%) in NC (p=0.046). The prevalence of signs of inadequate perfusion was higher in the CC group at admission, but in a multivariated analysis chagasic etiology and presence of diabetes were independent predictors of higher costs per day of hospitalization adjusted by mortality. Median costs per day were US$ 308 (277-542) vs US$ 467 (323-815) for NC and CC respectively (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Treating ADHF patients with CC etiology was more expensive and mortality was higher in this population at the first admission of this follow-up. This could be explained by the severity of Chagas' cardiomyopathy disease.

Análise de dados de pacientes internados por insuficiência cardíaca descompensada - impacto sobre desfechos clínicos e custos / Analysis of admissions of patients with acute decompensated heart failure. Influence on outcomes and costs

INTRODUÇÃO: As doenças cardiovasculares estão entre as principais causas de óbito no Brasil e no mundo. Dentre as doenças cardiovasculares, a insuficiência cardíaca (IC) participa de maneira importante para morbi-mortalidade por ser via final de todas as entidades que acometem o coração. A internação hospitalar constitui momento crucial no tratamento e sobrevida dos pacientes com IC. Neste momento, em que o estado da doença atinge seu período mais crítico, é de grande importância o conhecimento dos pacientes com maior risco, que necessitam de cuidados mais intensos. No entanto, a apuração dos custos hospitalares é tarefa difícil, principalmente nas situações de alta complexidade, onde a utilização de recursos nos diversos setores do hospital, materiais e medicamentos, é muito heterogênea. Assim, a busca de variáveis clínicas capazes de ajudar a identificar os pacientes com maior risco, morbidade hospitalar (e conseqüente maior tempo de internação), e o custo destas internações foram o escopo deste estudo. OBJETIVO: primariamente, identificar variáveis clínicas capazes de predizer prognóstico de sobrevida e custos de internação numa população de pacientes internados por IC. Secundariamente, determinar custo mediano destas internações, correlacionando os as variáveis clínicas, de etiologia da cardiopatia de base, e com o perfil hemodinâmico na admissão hospitalar. Visamos ainda projetar os dados da Instituição no modelo de regressão por árvore de decisão proposto pelo estudo ADHERE. MÉTODOS: Realizamos um estudo retrospectivo na qual foram analisados dados consecutivos referentes a internações de pacientes que chegaram ao Pronto Socorro do InCor e permaneceram no Hospital por mais de 24 horas, sendo internados nos anos de 2006 e 2007. Foram avaliados dados clínicos na chegada ao pronto atendimento e evolutivos durante a internação. Foi realizada avaliação de custo da doença durante internação hospitalar através de modelo misto de análises de custos diretos...

BACKGROUND: Heart diseases are the main mortality cause in Brazil and the rest of the world. Among those diseases, heart failure (HF) is utmost importance because it is the final pathway for overall heart diseases. Acute decompensate HF is a crucial situation while treating this disease because of its severity. At this critical time, stratification of risk is imperative in order to determine care. Hospital costs determination, however, is difficult in high complexity situations that use resources in a heterogeneity manner. The look for the clinical variables that could identify patients at higher risk for morbidity (and length of stay), mortality, and costs were the main aims of this study. OBJECTIVES: primarily to identify clinical variable able to predict survive and costs in a population of patients admitted by HF. Secondarily, determine median costs for the admissions, correlating these values to clinical variables, etiologies of HF, and hemodynamic profile at entrance. We aimed also to run our data in the tree regression model previously proposed by the ADHERE registry. METHODS: we reviewed consecutively 577 admissions records of different patients admitted by acute decompensated heart failure that stayed for more than 24 hours at the hospital during 2006 and 2007. Clinical data at the admissions and in-hospital follow-up data were analyzed. Costs analysis was performed through a mix model of microcosting (for direct resources) and average costing (for indirect resources). Statistical analysis included regression models as follows: Cox proportional for length of stay variables, logistic for hospital mortality, and classification and regression tree for defining priority variables. RESULTS: among the 577 patients, 60% were men; median age was 69 years (57- 77). The main predictor variables for length of stay were as follows: C hemodynamic profile, need for dobutamine, mechanic ventilation, or antibiotics. The main predictor variables for mortality were...

Estudo nacional, multicêntrico, aberto, randomizado e comparativo para avaliar a eficácia e tolerabilidade da combinação de valsartana e anlodipino versus anlodipino isoladamente no tratamento da hipertensão arterial leve a moderada / A national, multicentric, open label, randomized, and comparative study to evaluate

Este estudo avaliou os efeitos na redução da pressão arterial(PA) da combinação de valsartana 80 mg mais anlodipino 5 mg (V80A5) comparado a anlodipino (A5) isoladamente, em dose única diária, em uma população de pacientes portadores de hipertensão arterial leve a moderada. Este estudo foi realizado em 24 centros de pesquisa no Brasil. Pacientes com idade entre 21 e 70 anos, com diagnóstico de hipertensão arterial essencial (PA diastólica média na posição sentada [PADMS] ≥ 95 mmHg e < 110 mmHg), foram elegíveis. Após um período de wash-out de 2 semanas, os pacientes foram randomizados para receber V80/A5 ou A5 isoladamente, uma vez ao dia, em um estudo multicêntrico, aberto, randomizado, comparativo, de grupos paralelos, com um período de tratamento ativo de 8 semanas. O desfecho primário foi a variação em relação ao basal na PADMS. Os desfechos secundários foram a média da PA sistólica na posição sentada (PASMS), taxa de resposta, PA sistólica e a diastólica médias na posição ortostática. As avaliações de segurança incluíram a incidência e gravidade dos eventos adversos relacionados ao tratamento relatados durante o estudo. A população da análise intenção de tratar (ITT) consistiu em 273 pacientes (V80A5, 88 homens, 185 mulheres; idade média [DP] de 54,0 [9,6] anos; e Recebido: 16/3/2007 Aceito: 19/4/2007 276 pacientes [A5], 95 homens, 181 mulheres; idade média[DP] de 54,2 [9,4] anos). No grupo V80A5, os valores da média da PAS e PAD (DP) foram, respectivamente, 155,8 (11,8) e 100,3 (3,8) mmHg no basal e 131,9 (14,5) e 84,8(8,6) mmHg ao final do período de tratamento. No grupo A5, as médias da PAS e PAD (DP) foram, respectivamente, 154,2 (11,4) e 99,9 (3,4) mmHg no basal e 134,4 (12,8) e 86,0(7,6) mmHg ao final do período de tratamento.

Análise da preservação do miocardio após administração de N-2 meercaptopropionilglicina / Analysis of myocardiocardial preservation after B2-mercaptopropionylglicin administration in an experimental model of ischemy and reperfusion in dogs

As doenças cardiovasculares representam a principal causa de morbi-mortalidade da atualidade, sendo a doença arterial coronariana seu maior expoente...

Hepatite C e crioglobulinemia / Hepatitis C and cryoglobulinemia

A hepatite C e considerada atualmente a hepatite viral de maior importancia nos aspectos clinico e epidemiologico devido ao carater infeccioso lento e progressivo culminando com maior incidencia de cronicidade e consequentemente de maior suceptibilidade a cirrose e a um risco anual de aproximadamente 3 por cento para hepatocarcinoma...