Ischemic Heart Disease in German Immigrants and Their Descendants in a Region of Southern Brazil: A Comparison of Initial Symptoms Reported between two Generations

Abstract Background Nothing is known about ischemic heart disease (IHD) in the Germans who emigrated to Brazil during the last century. Objective We sought to compare age at diagnosis and IHD manifestations between German immigrants and their first-generation descendants in the region of Blumenau, Brazil. Methods We reviewed medical records of hospitals in Blumenau. Comparison of the groups in the evaluation times was made by analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures, and comparison of two factors was made by two-way ANOVA. The level of significance was set at p <0.05. Results Study population comprised 68 patients who were born in Germany (group G) and 99 descendants (group D). Twenty-nine patients of group D had two German parents and 70 had one. Mean age at diagnosis was 66.8 ± 10.6 years, with a significant difference between the groups, four years higher in Group G than group D (69.0 ± 8.8 vs 65.4 ± 11.5 years old) (p = 0.025). There was no significant difference in risk factors or coronary angiography data between the groups. HDL cholesterol levels were significantly higher in group G than in group D (48.4 ± 11.1 mg/dL vs 43.3 ± 11.2 mg/dL, p = 0.005). Conclusion At the time of first IHD diagnosis, mean age of the group G was significantly higher than group D, with no differences between groups in sex, risk factors, LDL levels, or clinical and angiographic manifestations. An earlier manifestation of the disease could be part of lifestyle changes in descendants, in this population that mantained eating habits characterized by high saturated fat consumption.

Manifestaçäo clínica da doença coronariana e fatores de risco em imigrantes japoneses e seus descendentes em Säo Paulo / Coronary heart disease clinical manifestation and risk factors in Japanese immigrants and their descendents in the city of Säo Paulo

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether a difference exists in coronary heart disease clinical manifestations and the prevalence of risk factors between Japanese immigrants and their descendents in the city of Säo Paulo. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of coronary artery disease clinical manifestations and the prevalence of risk factors, comparing 128 Japanese immigrants (Japanese group) with 304 Japanese descendents (Nisei group). RESULTS: The initial manifestation of the disease was earlier in the Nisei group (mean = 53 years), a difference of 12 years when compared with that in the Japanese group (mean = 65 years) (P<0.001). Myocardial infarction was the first manifestation in both groups (P = 0.83). The following parameters were independently associated with early coronary events: smoking (OR = 2.25; 95 percent CI = 1.35-3.77; P<0.002); Nisei group (OR = 10.22; 95 percent CI = 5.64-18.5; P<0.001); and female sex (OR = 5.04; 95 percent CI = 2.66-9.52; P<0.001). CONCLUSION: The clinical presentation of coronary heart disease in the Japanese and their descendents in the city of Säo Paulo was similar, but coronary heart disease onset occurred approximately 12 years earlier in the Nisei group than in the Japanese group

Forma indeterminada da doença de Chagas: uma doença polimórfica: [Editorial] / Indeterminated form of Chagas' disease. A polymorphic disease: [Editorial]

Avaliar a associaçäo entre a forma indeterminada da doença de Chagas e alteraçöes em exames cardiovasculares näo invasivos. Vinte e dois portadores da forma idndeterminada da doença de Chagas, sendo 17 do sexo feminino, com idades variando de 25 a 50 anos. Todos os pacientes foram submetidos a estudo através da vetorcardiografia, ecocardiografia, teste de esforço, eletrocardiografia dinâmica e estudo cintilográfico (ventriculografia radioisotópica e mapeamento miocárdico com pirofosfato de tecnécio), num período de dois meses após a primeira consulta. Resultaram os seguintes percentuais de exames alterados: vetorcardiograma - 68,2% (distúrbio de conduçäo - 22,7%); ecocardiograma - 15,8% (hipocinesia apical); mapeamento miocárdico - 81,8%; ventriculografia radioisotópica - 68,2%; teste de esforço - 72,7% (deltaPS diminuído - 59%; arritmia ventricular - 50%); eletrocardiografia dinâmica - 50% (arritmia ventricular). Todos apresentaram pelo menos um exame alterado e a maioria (63,6%) mais de três exames alterados. Estudo da relaçäo entre os resultados do deltaPS diminuído e arritmia ventricular com resultados concordantes em 72,7%. Parece tornar-se lícito conceituar a forma indeterminada da doença de Chagas como verdadeira forma crônica, talvez de potencial agressivo atenuado, de evoluçäo indeterminada e com exteriorizaçäo clínica polimórfica identificada somente à propedêutica armada

Purpose To evaluate the association between the indeterminate form of Chagas' disease and abnormalities in non-invasive cardiovascular propedeutics. Patients and Methods Twenty-two patients in the indeterminate form of Chagas' disease, 17 female, with ages between 25 and 50 years were submitted to studies of: vetor cardiography, echocardiography, stress test, dynamic electrocardiography and scintilographic studies (scintilographic ventriculography and cardiac mapping with pyrophosphate of tecnecium), in a period of two months after first consultation. Results The analysis shows the perceptual of altered exams: vetorcardiogram 68.2% (conduction disturbance 22.7%); echocardiogram 15.8% (apical hypocinesia); cardiac mapping 61.8%; cintilographic ventriculography68.2%; stress test 72.2% (red uced DPS50%, ventricular arrhythmia50% ); and dynamic electrocardiographic 50% (ventricular arrhythmias). We could observe also that the great majority of the patients has more than three exams altered (63.6%). The stud y of relation between methods, shows only association between reduced DPS and ventricular arrhythmia, with concordant results in 72.7%. Conclusion Indeterminate form of Chagas disease appears to be a really chronic form, may be of atenuate agressive potential, with indeterminate evolution and with polimorphical clinical exteriorization seeing only through invasive and non invasive propedeutic techniques.

Incidência da transmissäo congênita na doença de Chagas / Incidence of congenital transmission in Chagas' disease

Estudou-se a incidência da transmissäo congênita da doença de Chagas em um grupo de 129 indivíduos que näo tiveram possibilidade de contrair a doença pelos meios habituais, filho de 45 mäes portadoras da forma crônica da moléstia. Observou-se que apenas quatro apresentaram as três reaçöes sorológicas positivas (reaçäo de fixaçäo do complemento, teste de hemaglutinaçäo e teste de imunofluorescência), dando uma incidência percentual de 3%, vista na populaçäo estudada. Um deles encontra-se na forma cardíaca e outros três na forma indeterminada. Chama-se a atençäo para a falta de relaçäo entre o quadro clínico do filho em relaçäo ao da mäe e para esta forma, que poderá vir a ter maior importância no futuro, na medida em que as outras formas de transmissäo sejam controladas

Biopsia endomiocórdica em pacientes portadoras de miocardiopatia periparto / Endomyocardial biopsy in patients with peripartum myocardiopathy

Foram estudadas nove pacientes portadoras de miocardiopatia periparto com sintomas e sinais de insuficiência cardíaca congestiva, por meio da biopsia endomiocárdica de ventrículo direito. O estudo histopatológico dos fragmentos demonstrou alteraçöes compatíveis com o diagnóstico de miocardite em sete pacientes (77,7%). Destas, de acordo com os critérios empregados, em cinco o processo estava em fase crônica e, em duas, estava evoluindo da fase aguda para a crônica. As duas pacientes que näo apresentaram infiltrado inflamatório nos fragmentos de biopsia, mas que tinham fibrose e hipertrofia de fibras, estavam provavelmente na fase cicatricial da doenca. Estes resultados demonstraram que a miocardite pode ter papel importante na etiopatogenia da miocardiopatia periparto