Use of medicinal plants during COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil.

Medicinal plants are an integrative and complementary health practice widely used by the population. However, its use is not without risks. This study assessed the profile and associated factors with the traditional use of medicinal plants. To this end, a cross-sectional survey study was conducted in a southeastern Brazilian city. Descriptive analysis was performed by frequency distribution and median and interquartile range. Associated factors with the use of medicinal plants were analyzed using Poisson regression with robust variance. A total of 641 people were interviewed, of whom 258 (40.2%) reported using medicinal plants. A total of 79 distinct plants were identified, of whom Melissa officinalis (31.0%), Peumus boldus (24.4%), Mentha spicata (20.9%), Matricaria recutita L. (18.2%), Rosmarinus officinalis (17.0%), and Foeniculum vulgare (14.7%) were the most used. There were no reports of medicinal plants used to treat COVID-19. However, anxiety was the most frequently cited indication for using medicinal plants, a health condition exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the use of medicinal plants for treating respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms similar to those in COVID-19 has been identified. There was an association between the use of medicinal plants and females, non-white, lower schooling, higher income, and comorbidities.

Self-Medication during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Brazil: Findings and Implications to Promote the Rational Use of Medicines.

Self-medication is identified by the consumption of medications without a prescription or guidance from a qualified prescribing professional. This study estimated the prevalence, profile, and associated factors with self-medication during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. A cross-sectional study was conducted through a household survey in the Alegre city, from November to December 2021. Descriptive analysis was performed for the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of the interviewees. Poisson regression with robust variance was used to identify the association of sociodemographic and clinical variables with self-medication. A total of 654 people were interviewed, of whom 69.4% were self-medicating. The younger age group (PR = 1.13; 95% CI = 1.01-1.26), female gender (PR = 1.19; 95% CI = 1.04-1.37), consumption of alcoholic beverages (PR = 1.13; 95% CI = 1.01-1.25), and problems with adherence to pharmacological treatment (PR = 1.15; 95% CI = 1.04-1.28) were associated with self-medication, while the occurrence of polypharmacy (PR = 0.80; 95% CI = 0.68-0.95) was a protective factor for self-medication. Self-medication was directly related to over-the-counter drugs, with analgesics dipyrone and paracetamol being the most commonly used. Self-medication consumption of prescription drugs, including those under special control, was identified to a lesser extent.

Conventional Synthetic Disease-Modifying Anti-rheumatic Drugs for Psoriatic Arthritis: Findings and Implications From a Patient Centered Longitudinal Study in Brazil.

Background: Conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs are the first-line treatment to inhibit the progression of psoriatic arthritis. Despite their widespread clinical use, few studies have been conducted to compare these drugs for psoriatic arthritis. Methods: a longitudinal study was carried out based on a centered patient national database in Brazil. Market share of drugs, medication persistence, drug costs, and cost per response were evaluated. Results: a total of 1,999 individuals with psoriatic arthritis were included. Methotrexate was the most used drug (44.4%), followed by leflunomide (40.6%), ciclosporin (8.2%), and sulfasalazine (6.8%). Methotrexate and leflunomide had a greater market share than ciclosporin and sulfasalazine over years. Medication persistence was higher for leflunomide (58.9 and 28.2%), followed by methotrexate (51.6 and 25.4%) at six and 12 months, respectively. Leflunomide was deemed the most expensive drug, with an average annual cost of $317.25, followed by sulfasalazine ($106.47), ciclosporin ($97.64), and methotrexate ($40.23). Methotrexate was the drug being the lowest cost per response. Conclusion: Methotrexate had the best cost per response ratio, owing to its lower cost and a slightly lower proportion of persistent patients when compared to leflunomide. Leflunomide had a slightly higher medication persistence than methotrexate, but it was the most expensive drug.

Hipertensão arterial em crianças e adolescentes moradores da região do Caparaó, ES, Brasil / Hipertension among children and adolescents in the Caparaó region, Espírito Santo State, Brasil

Fundamentos: A hipertensão arterial sistêmica (HAS) é uma doença crônica não transmissível de alta prevalência. Muitos estudos demonstram que a HAS do adulto se desenvolve muitas vezes na infância, e isso ressalta a grande importância de se aferir, rotineiramente, a pressão arterial em crianças e adolescentes. Objetivos: Identificar precocemente possíveis níveis elevados de pressão arterial em crianças e adolescentes. Métodos: Estudo de natureza quantitativa com coleta de dados em escolas situadas em municípios pertencentes à região do Caparaó, ES, onde foi realizada a aferição da pressão arterial de crianças e adolescentes com idade entre 7 anos e 14 anos. Foram feitas três aferições da pressão arterial em momentos distintos, no período de maio a agosto 2012. O estudo contou inicialmente com 1647 alunos no ato da primeira aferição; já na segunda aferição, o número de alunos participantes foi reduzido para 1474 e, na terceira aferição, o número de alunos que concluiu o processo se reduziu para 1342, totalizando 4463 aferições. Resultados: A prevalência de hipertensão arterial em crianças e adolescentes, estudantes de escolas situadas em municípios pertencentes à região do Caparaó, foi 1,49 %, enquanto que 1,79 % dos indivíduos apresentaram pressão arterial limítrofe. Conclusão: Mesmo estando abaixo da média nacional, a hipertensão arterial é uma doença que prevalece em crianças e adolescentes moradores da região do Caparaó, ES.

Background: Hypertension is a highly prevalent non-transmittable chronic disease. Many studies have shown that adult hypertension often develops during childhood, underscoring the importance of routinely measuring the blood pressure of children and adolescents. Objectives: Early identification of possible high blood pressure levels among children and adolescents. Methods: Quantitative study with data collected at schools located in municipalities in the Caparaó region of Espírito Santo State, Brazil, measuring the blood pressure of children and adolescents between 7 and 14 years old. Three blood pressure measurements were taken at different times between May and August 2012. This study began with 1 647 schoolchildren for the first measurement, dropping to 1 474 for the second measurement and 1 342 for the third and final measurement, resulting in a total of 4 463 measurements. Results: The prevalence of hypertension among children and adolescents in schools located in municipalities in the Caparaó region reached 1.49 %, with 1.79 % of them presenting borderline blood pressure. Conclusion: Although below the national average, hypertension is a disease that is prevalent among children and adolescents in the Caparaó region of Espírito Santo State, Brazil.