A feasibility study of avoiding positive calcium balance and parathyroid hormone increase in patients on peritoneal dialysis.

Background: The effect of the dialysate calcium concentration (D[Ca]) on mineral and bone metabolism in patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD) is overlooked. D[Ca] of 1.75 mmol/L is still prescribed to many patients on PD around the world. Previous studies on the effects of reducing D[Ca] have been carried out before the incorporation of calcimimetics in clinical practice. We hypothesized that a reduction in D[Ca] is safe and without the risk of a rise in serum parathyroid hormone (PTH). Methods: In this non-randomized clinical trial, the D[Ca] was reduced from 1.75 mmol/L to 1.25 mmol/L for one year in prevalent patients on PD. Demographic, clinical, and CKD-MBD-related biomarkers were evaluated at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months of follow-up. Results: 20 patients completed 1-year follow-up (56 ± 16 years, 50 % male, 25 % diabetic, 55 % with baseline parathyroid hormone - PTH >300 pg/mL). Over time, there was no significant change in calcium, phosphate, total alkaline phosphatase, 25(OH)-vitamin D or PTH, although adjustments in calcitriol and sevelamer prescription were required. After 1 year, absolute and percentual change in PTH levels were 36 (-58, 139) pg/mL, and 20 % (-28, 45) respectively. The proportion of patients with PTH > 300 pg/mL did not change during the follow-up (p = 0.173). Conclusion: Knowing the risk of a positive calcium balance in patients on PD, reducing the D[Ca] concentration is a safe and valuable option, although medication adjustments are needed to detain PTH rising.

Prevalence and variables predictive of depressive symptoms in patients hospitalized for heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Our study set out to determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms and variables that influence its presence in patients hospitalized for heart failure. Depression is associated with a substantially increased risk of developing heart failure in individuals at risk, and has been related to adverse outcomes in patients with established heart failure. It is important to determine its prevalence in different populations and assess related causes. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 103 patients with heart failure, admitted to public hospital, via a questionnaire that evaluates clinical variables, socio-demographics and we applied the Beck Depression Inventory to determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms and predictors of their presence. We used the chi2, Student test and considered significant when < 0.05 and subjected to logistic regression analysis when between 0.05 and 0.1. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients in our study was 65.4 ± 13.6. Depressive symptoms were present in 69 (67%) patients: 35 (34%) had mild depressive symptoms, 22 (21.3%) had moderate symptoms and 12 (11.6%) patients presented severe symptoms. Marital status was significant when analyzed, and the predictors of depressive symptoms were marital status, sex, living arrangements and heart failure etiology. CONCLUSIONS: Because depressive symptoms in patients hospitalized for heart failure are very common, it is important to detect these disorders. The prevalence of these varies according to socio-demographic and clinical data, and these factors should be taken into consideration when planning future studies, as well as screening and intervention programs for co-morbid depressive disorders in hospitalized patients with heart failure.

Sintomas depressivos e hospitalizações por insuficiência cardíaca: prevalência, preditores e mortalidade / Depressive symptoms and hospitalizations for heart failure: prevalence, predictors and mortality

Fundamentos. Estudos sobre sintomas depressivos (SD) têm sido feitos em pacientes hospitalizados por insuficiência cardíaca (IC) e tem sido ignorada a influência de várias características. Objetivos. Avaliar prevalência, preditores e correlação da gravidade dos SD e a mortalidade em hospitalizações por IC. Métodos. Estudo prospectivo que analisou hospitalizações consecutivas por IC. Foram analisados dados sociodemográficos, clínicos e o desfecho considerado foi óbito. Na análise dos SD foi utilizado o Inventário de Depressão de Beck. Foi feita análise comparativa entre grupos com e sem SD e submetidos a regressão logística as variáveis com p entre 0,05 e 0,1. Avaliou-se a relação entre a gravidade de SD e mortalidade. Foi utilizado teste qui-quadrado ou exato de Fisher para variáveis categóricas e t de student para contínuas. Foi considerado estatisticamente significante p<0,05. Resultados. Foram avaliados 103 pacientes, sendo 63,1% mulheres, 50,5% casados e alfabetizados 73,8%. O total de 75,2% estava em classe funcional II e III de New York Heart Association (NYHA). Hipertensão arterial sistêmica foi a comorbidade mais comum (92,2%). A presença de SD foi presente em 69 (67%) pacientes. Os preditores de SD foram: estado civil (p=0,03) e na regressão logística: sexo (p<0,0001), modo de vida (0,002) e etiologia da IC (p<0,0001). A mortalidade relacionou-se à SD em sintomas moderados (p=0,04) e graves (0,01). Conclusão. Os SD são comuns em hospitalizações por IC. A prevalência varia conforme características clínicas dos pacientes. Os preditores foram sexo, estado civil, modo de vida e etiologia da IC. A mortalidade relacionouse a SD moderados e graves.

Background. Studies of depressive symptoms (DS) has been made in patients hospitalized for heart failure (HF) and the influence of various characteristics has been ignored. Objectives. To assess prevalence, predictors and correlated to the severity of DS and mortality in HF hospitalizations. Methods. This prospective study examined consecutive hospitalizations for HF. We analyzed sociodemographic data and clinical outcome was death. In analysis of DS was used Beck Depression Inventory II. Comparative analysis were made between groups with and without DS and subjected to logistic regression variables with p between 0.05 and 0.1. We evaluated the relationship between the severity of SD and mortality. It was considered statistically significant p <0.05. Results: We evaluated 103 patients, 63.1% women, 50.5% were married and 73.8% literate. A total of 75.2% were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class II and III. Hypertension was the most common comorbidity (92.2%). The DS was present in 69 (67%) patients. The predictors of DS were: marital status (p=0.03) and logistic regression: sex (p<0.0001), lifestyle (0.002) and etiology of HF (p<0.0001). Mortality was related to the DS in moderate symptoms (p=0.04) and severe (0.01). Conclusion. The DS are common in HF hospitalizations. The prevalence varies according to clinical characteristics of patients. The predictors were gender, marital status, lifestyle and etiology of HF. Mortality was related to moderate and severe DS.

Sociodemographic factors and depressive symptoms in hospitalized patients with heart failure.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the differences in depressive symptoms (DS) among a sample of patients hospitalized with heart failure (HF). DESIGN: A descriptive, cross-sectional design was used. METHODS: The Beck Depression Inventory was used to measure DS, and HF severity was assessed using the New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification system. The sociodemographic and clinical variables examined include age, sex, education, marital status, fixed monthly income, habitation, living arrangement and HF severity. The differences between the presence and absence of the variables were evaluated using the Student's t test. RESULTS: The sample included 103 patients with a mean age of 65.4 years: 38 (36.9%) were men and 65 (63.1%) were women. Forty-three patients (41.7%) were in NYHA class III, and approximately one-half of the patient sample (49.5%) were married. Patients with NYHA class IV HF had significantly more DS than patients with NYHA class II or III. Age was correlated with scores of DS (P=0.002). There were significant differences in DS among the variables of marital status, habitation and living arrangement. CONCLUSIONS: Depression is a common and treatable clinical finding in hospitalized patients, requiring an early diagnosis and appropriate treatment for effective management. The implementation and monitoring of treatment are necessary to reduce the costs of treatment of HF.

Influência do sexo no tratamento intra-hospitalar da síndrome coronariana aguda / Influence of gender for in-hospital treatment of acute coronary syndrome

Diferenças são observadas na síndrome coronariana aguda em relação ao sexo dos pacientes, interferindo na mortalidade dos mesmos. Analisar as diferenças entre homens e mulheres com síndrome coronariana aguda (SCA) quanto aos fatores de risco, tratamento aplicado e mortalidade hospitalar, admitidos em hospital universitário de Campos de Goytacazes (RJ). Foram avaliados 170 pacientes com SCA, de janeiro a dezembro de 2007, em relação às características basais, modalidade de apresentação da SCA, medicamentos durante a internação, indicação de tratamento clínico ou de revascularização miocárdica (RM) e mortalidade hospitalar, analisando as diferenças entre homens e mulheres. Utilizou-se para a análise estatística os testes qui-quadrado ou exato de Fisher e o t de Student. Resultados: O estudo envolveu percentuais diferentes entre homens (63 por cento) e mulheres. Não houve diferença estatisticamente significativamente quanto à idade e aos fatores de risco cardiovascular, assim como fatores prévios que indicam doença coronariana, à exceção da hipertensão arterial que foi maior no sexo masculino (87,3 por cento vs 76,6 por cento; p=0,001).Durante a internação, o tratamento...