Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in a rural population between 25 and 44 years old

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of the following cardiovascular risk factors, in the 25 to the 44 year age group, in persons attending the Goes Health Center: hypertension, high blood cholesterol, obesity, smoking and family history of coronary disease.

METHODS

340 individuals were selected, for random sample stratification by sex and age groups. They were summoned by mail to come to the Health Center for an evaluation of the factors studied. Hypertension was defined if systolic blood pressure was > or = 140 mmHg and/or diastolic arterial pressure was > or = 90 mmHg and/or if the participant was currently under therapy. High blood cholesterol was defined if the determination made at the time with a strip-test "Accutrend Cholesterol" was > or = 200 mg/dl and/or under specific therapy. Obesity was defined as a body mass index > or = 30 kg/m2. Tobacco consumption was defined as an affirmative reply to the question "Do you currently smoke?". Previous family history of coronary heart disease was defined as an affirmative reply to the question "Do you know of anybody in your family who has died or suffers from coronary disease?".

RESULTS

The global prevalence of hypertension, high blood cholesterol, obesity, smoking and previous family history of coronary heart disease was of 20.3%, 32.1%, 11.8%, 21.5% and 26.8%, respectively. There was an association of risk factors in 22.3%.

Distribution of capsular types and antimicrobial susceptibility of invasive isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae in Colombian children. Pneumococcal Study Group in Colombia

Streptococcus pneumoniae is the leading bacterial cause of childhood pneumonia in the developing world. This study describes the type distribution and antimicrobial susceptibility of invasive pneumococcal isolates from Colombian children and is part of the Sistema Regional de Vacunas (SIREVA), a PAHO regional initiative designed to determine the ideal serotype composition of a protein polysaccharide pneumococcal conjugate vaccine for use in children less than 5 years old in Latin America. In Colombia, during the study period, centres in Bogota, Medellin, and Cali collected 324 S. pneumoniae isolates from invasive diseases, 238 (73.5%) from children under the age of 2. Pneumonia was the clinical diagnosis in 41.3% cases, meningitis in 41%, and sepsis in 11.2%. The seven most frequent types included 14(21.9%), 5(10.5%), 23F(9.6%), 1(9%), 6B(9%), 19F(7.1%), and 6A(6.2%). The frequency of diminished susceptibility to penicillin (DSP) was 12%, with 8.9% of isolates showing intermediate level resistance and 3.1% showing high level resistance. Among DSP isolates, 23% were also resistant to cefotaxime, 33.3% to erythromycin, 48.7% to chloramphenicol, and 74.3% to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Multiple resistance was detected in 59% of the isolates that have DSP. Penicillin resistance was associated with types 23F (53.8%) and 14 (25.6%). These data provides information on capsular types prevalent in Colombia that will not only allow the formulation of an ideal vaccine for the region but also reinforce the need for ongoing regional surveillance.

[Comparative study of American tegumentary leishmaniasis between childhood and teenagers from the endemic areas Buriticupu, Maranhao and Corte de Pedra, Bahia, Brazil]

A comparative study on children aged 0-15 years, with American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL), in the endemic regions of Buriticupu (MA) and Corte de Pedra (BA), whereby 214 cases were detected between 1982 and 1993, 78 (36.4%) of them originated from Corte de Pedra and 136 (63.6%) from Buriticupu. In Corte de Pedra, most cases were observed in patients aged between 0-5 years. Twenty nine (37.2%) cases; 62% of those were male. In the Buriticupu region, 88 (64.7%) cases occurred in patients of 11-15 years of age, where in 73.8% consisted of male. In both researched regions, brunetts were predominant, with a ratio of 65.4% in Corte de Pedra and 75% in Buriticupu. Twenty six (33.3%) children in the village of Corte de Pedra were farmers, predominantly male (57.7%), generating statistical significance (chi 2 = 11.21). Twenty one (80.8%) farmers were aged 11-15 years. Thirty seven and a half per cent of the children from Buriticupu were students, however, 41 (30.2%) were farmers, representing 39 (44.3%) cases; all of them male. Both in Buriticupu and Corte de Pedra, the unique wound was predominant, corresponding to 57.7% and 53.7%, respectively. The wounding time stood out from one to three months, with 45 (69.2%) cases in Corte de Pedra and 73 (61%) in Buriticupu (chi 2 = 11.82). As to the wound locations, it has been observed that they were most constantly present on the lower limbs, with 77.2% in Corte de Pedra and 58.9% in Buriticupu (chi 2 = 27.9). The cutaneous case mostly found in Corte de Pedra was the ulcerous one (91%). IDRM was positive in 61 (78.2%) children originated from Corte de Pedra, wherein no statistical difference was detected between age ratio and positivity of the test (chi 2 = 0.0669).