Publications by authors named "Alessandra Maciel Almeida"

Objectives: to identify whether implementing a supplementary Primary Health Care (PHC) system makes it possible to reduce care costs for older adults with heart diseases.

Methods: a retrospective cohort of 223 patients with heart disease aged ≥ 60 years. Data were obtained from medical records and cost databases, assessed for a period of one year before and after PHC implementation.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study evaluated the effectiveness, safety, and quality of life outcomes in psoriatic arthritis patients treated with TNF inhibitors (adalimumab and etanercept) over 12 months at a Brazilian center.
  • - While results showed significant improvements in various clinical measures, 31%-51% of patients failed to achieve good clinical control, with some predictors of poor response identified.
  • - Adverse reactions included alopecia, headache, and infections, with the study concluding that TNF inhibitor therapy is effective and safe but may not lead to satisfactory disease management for many patients.
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Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic response (functionality) and its associated factors in patients on biological drugs on the Public Health System for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis.

Methods: An open prospective cohort was carried out from 2011 to 2019, in Belo Horizonte (MG). Functionality was assessed using the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability-Index at baseline, and after 6 and 12 months of follow-up.

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Introduction: Pancreatic cancer is increasing worldwide. The burden of pancreatic cancer in Brazil and its states was analyzed and compared with that from the USA and China.

Methods: This is a descriptive study of the incidence and mortality estimates from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study, from 2000 to 2019.

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Little is known about soft tissue sarcomas (STS) in Brazil, once the federal statistics regarding estimates on incidence and mortality of the most common cancers that affect the Brazilian population currently do not include STS. This study aims to perform a broad evaluation and description of the epidemiological profile, access to treatment and main clinical outcomes of the Brazilian STS patient. A population-based cohort study of 66,825 patients who underwent procedures related to STS treatment registered in the Brazilian public health system (Sistema Único de Saúde, SUS) databases.

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To evaluate the influence of organizational structure and technical-management activities on the availability of essential medicines in the primary healthcare. Cross-sectional, exploratory and evaluative study. The availability was evaluated according to parameters established by the WHO.

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Article Synopsis
  • TNF inhibitors, specifically etanercept and adalimumab, are expensive drugs used to treat psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in Brazil, necessitating a performance analysis to evaluate their cost-effectiveness.
  • A Markov model was used to conduct a cost-utility analysis over five years, revealing etanercept as the more cost-effective option, while adalimumab showed cost-effectiveness under certain economic conditions.
  • The study concluded that costs significantly affect the cost-utility ratio, highlighting the potential for better resource allocation through price renegotiation in the health system.
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: This study aims to evaluate and compare the use of subcutaneous anti-TNF for RA in a Brazilian real-life setting. : A prospective cohort of biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (bDMARD)-naïve patients treated with adalimumab, etanercept, golimumab, and certolizumab was developed. Medication persistence, disease activity by the Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI), functionality by the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), quality of life by the European Quality of Life 5 Dimensions (EQ-5D), and safety were evaluated at 6 and 12 months.

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Background: Female sexual dysfunction is a common condition that negatively impacts the emotional health and quality of life of the affected individuals. Long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) are becoming increasingly popular due to their effectiveness and convenience. LARCs can be hormonal (etonogestrel releasing implant-ENG and Levonorgestrel intrauterine system-LNG) or non-hormonal (copper intrauterine device-CuIUD and copper-silver intrauterine device-SIUD).

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Background: Spending on drugs provided by the Brazilian Public Health System (BPHS) for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) increased substantially with the beginning of the supply of biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARD). This study aims to perform a cost-utility analysis of the most used biological drugs for the treatment of RA in Brazil.

Methods: a Markov model was used to carry out the cost-utility analysis.

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Objectives: To evaluate the association between biological Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs (bDMARDs) use and quality of life (QoL) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

Patients And Methods: We evaluated adult patients prescribed biological DMARDs whose quality of life was evaluated at six and 12 months. The EuroQol 5 dimensions (EQ-5D) was used with the Brazilian tariff.

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Background: Pharmaceutical Assistance (PA) is a dynamic and multidisciplinary process that aims to supply health systems, programs or services with quality medicines, enabling access and health care, in an efficient and timely manner. The objective of the study was to evaluate the profile of administrative processes for the treatment of PsA, identify the time elapsed in the flow of processes and its associated factors.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of medication requests for the treatment of PsA was carried out between November 2014 and December 2016.

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Objectives: To understand patterns of subcutaneous (SC) biologics use over time in adults with inflammatory rheumatic musculoskeletal diseases receiving a homecare delivery service.

Design: Retrospective cohort.

Setting: Patients in secondary care receiving SC biologics in the largest Scottish Health Board.

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Objectives: Evaluate the use of probiotics as an additional therapy in the treatment of children and adolescents with asthma in Belo Horizonte, MG-Brazil.

Methods: A pilot longitudinal, experimental and nonrandomized study with 30 patients from six to 17 years old from Belo Horizonte. In the baseline appointment, all patients received beclomethasone, and one group also received a probiotic containing Lactobacillus reuteri (n=14).

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: Biological therapies have a significant economic and clinical burden but, in general, lose their effectiveness over time. This study evaluated the medication persistence and costs associated to use of anti-TNF agents for psoriatic arthritis (PsA) treatment. : A historical cohort composed of individuals in Brazil with PsA diagnosis was developed during the period between 2010 and 2015.

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Aim: To evaluate the persistence of biological (TNF inhibitor [anti-TNF]) and synthetic (conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs [csDMARDs]) antirheumatic agents for psoriatic arthritis and their associated factors.

Methods: A historical cohort was developed. Persistence and associated factors were evaluated at 6 and 12 months.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to assess how long patients with rheumatoid arthritis continue using their first-line biological drugs and identify factors influencing this persistence.
  • A cohort of 66,787 patients was analyzed, finding that 51.80% remained on their medication after 12 months, with abatacept showing the highest persistence rates.
  • Younger patients and those in areas with greater social inequality were more likely to discontinue treatment, highlighting the need for improved patient monitoring and support from healthcare teams.
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Purpose: To identify cardiovascular risk factors in women between 40 and 65 years old in two private clinic of gynecology in Minas Gerais.

Methods: Cross-sectional study from January/2016 to January/2017 in 137 climacteric women. A standardized questionnaire was used to evaluate socio-demographic characteristics, climacteric phases, cardiovascular risk factors, menopause (age, time and type), number of pregnancies, normal births, abortions, partners and hormonal therapy.

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Aim: Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic disease that can result in disability and decreased quality of life.

Materials & Methods: A prospective cohort was conducted in Brazil. Disease activity was measured by the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) and Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI), functionality by the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI) and the quality of life by the EuroQol 5D (EQ-5D).

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Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic condition that affects about 1% of the adult population. In a historical cohort of Minas Gerais State, 11,573 RA patients registered in the Outpatient Information System (SIA) between 2008 and 2013 were identified. For this study we adopted the public funding body's perspective and the values were adjusted by the national inflation index (IPCA) of December 2015.

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Objective: To evaluate the access to medicines in primary health care of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS), from the patients' perspective.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that used data from the Pesquisa Nacional sobre Acesso, Utilização e Promoção do Uso Racional de Medicamentos - Services, 2015 (PNAUM - National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines), conducted by interviews with 8,591 patients in cities of the five regions of Brazil. Evaluation of access to medicines used concepts proposed by Penshansky and Thomas (1981), according to the dimensions: availability, accessibility, accommodation, acceptability, and affordability.

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The Pesquisa Nacional sobre Acesso, Utilização e Promoção do Uso Racional de Medicamentos -Serviços (PNAUM - National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines - Services) aimed to characterize the organization of pharmaceutical services in the Primary Health Care of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS). PNAUM - Services is a cross-sectional and evaluative study, with planned sample of 600 cities, held between 2014 and 2015, composed of a remote phase, with telephone interviews with health managers. Of these 600 cities, 300 were selected for a survey on health services.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Dyspepsia and heartburn symptoms affect 15% to 40% of the population, with higher prevalence in women and can occur at any age.
  • - A study in Belo Horizonte assessed over 18s using a standard questionnaire and found 68.6% reported symptoms or used medication for dyspepsia; 52.5% experienced heartburn.
  • - The study concluded that the prevalence of dyspeptic symptoms and heartburn in this Brazilian urban population aligns with rates found internationally.
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Introduction: The Brazilian Public Health System offers free-of-charge drug treatment for ankylosing spondylitis (AS) to all Brazilian citizens. We report here the first population-based cohort study on patients with AS in Brazil. The aim of this study was to evaluate the costs of the tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) blockers and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) that were used in the treatments of patients with AS in Brazil between March 2010 and September 2013.

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Introduction: In Brazil, patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) have access to free-of-charge comprehensive therapeutic care through the Brazilian National Health System. We collected prospective data on patients with AS receiving anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapy through the Brazilian National Health System in Belo Horizonte City in order to evaluate the effectiveness, quality-of-life outcomes and safety of this therapy.

Methods: This was a prospective study that included 87 patients receiving their first course of anti-TNF agents (adalimumab, etanercept or infliximab).

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