Evaluation of the awareness, control and cost-effectiveness of hypertension treatment in a Brazilian city: populational study.

OBJECTIVES: Hypertension is a highly prevalent disease worldwide, constituting one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The aims of this study were to evaluate the level of awareness and control of hypertension comparing sex, socioeconomic and educational level, BMI and drug therapy in over 40-year-old patients. The cost-effectiveness of the main pharmacologic classes of antihypertensives, as monotherapy and combination therapy, was also assessed. METHODS: In this randomized and cross-sectional populational study, a sample of 738 hypertensive adults with ages at least 40 years were evaluated. Of these, 345 (46.7%) were men and 393 (53.3%) were women. RESULTS: A total of 72.9% of the hypertensives knew about their disease. Women in the 40-49 and 50-59 age groups and obese individuals had a higher rate of awareness of their hypertensive status. The rates of awareness were similar in different social classes and educational levels, however, blood pressure control varied. beta-Blockers were the most effective drugs to control blood pressure with no differences being observed between monotherapy and combinations. Diuretics were the most cost-effective. CONCLUSION: Approximately half of the participants received monotherapy. The best percentage of control with monotherapy was obtained with beta-blockers but the diuretics treatment was the most cost-effective. The levels of awareness and control were high compared with developed countries, most evident in the higher social classes and higher education levels.

Prevalência de anticorpos anticardiolipina em doadores voluntários de banco de sangue / Anticardiolipin antibodies in blood donors of Sâo José do Rio Preto blood center

A presença de anticorpos anticardiolipina ou anticoagulante lúpico em pacientes com trombose arterial ou venosa, aborto de repetiçäo ou trombocitopenia estabelece o diagnóstico da síndrome dos anticorpos antifosfolipídios. O presente estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a prevalência dos anticorpos anticardiolipina em doadores voluntários de banco de sangue. Foram avaliados 100 doadores voluntários de banco de sangue, sendo 83 (83 por cento) do sexo masculino e 17 (17 por cento) do sexo feminino, com idade entre 21 e 59 anos (média de 35,4 anos). Os anticorpos anticardiolipina foram dosados pela técnica de enzima imuno ensaio e por diluiçäo, cujos valores 1/50 e 1/100 ou menos diluídos foram considerados fracamente reagentes (ou de baixo título), e os mais diluídos (acima de 1/100) foram considerados positivos (ou de alto título). Encontraram-se baixos títulos para os anticorpos anticardiolipinas em 6 (6 por cento) pacientes e alto título em 1 (1 por cento). A prevalência dos anticorpos anticardiolipinas mostrou-se semelhante ao da literatura.