Consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods in the Brazilian Amazon during COVID-19.

Background: A COVID-19 pandemic erupted, causing a global viral pneumonia outbreak, marking the most significant public health crisis of the 21st century. These changes profoundly impacted population health and well-being, leading to shifts in dietary habits. This study aimed to evaluate the consumption of ultra-processed foods in the Brazilian Amazon before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Analyzing the COVID-19 Transmission Dynamics in Acre, Brazil: An Ecological Study.

The north region of Brazil is characterized by significant vulnerabilities, notably surpassing national poverty indicators. These disparities exacerbated the impact of respiratory illnesses on the healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in areas with limited healthcare resources, inadequate infrastructure, and barriers to healthcare access. The crisis was further influenced by multiple lineages that emerged as significant virus variants associated with increased transmissibility.

Brugada phenocopy in a patient with pectus excavatum: systematic review of the ECG manifestations associated with pectus excavatum.

Brugada phenocopies (BrP) have emerged as new clinical entities that are etiologically distinct from true Brugada syndrome (BrS). BrP are characterized by an ECG pattern that is phenotypically identical to true BrS (type 1 or type 2); however, BrP are caused by various other factors such as mechanical mediastinal compression, myocardial ischemia, pericarditis, myocarditis, pulmonary embolism, and metabolic disturbances. We report a case of an electrocardiographic BrP in a patient with pectus excavatum deformity in the absence of true BrS using currently defined BrP diagnostic criteria.

Electrocardiogram sensitivity in left ventricular hypertrophy according to gender and cardiac mass.

Background: Several factors are known to interfere with electrocardiogram (ECG) sensitivity when diagnosing Left Ventricular Hypertrophy (LVH), with gender and cardiac mass being two of the most important ones

Objective: To evaluate the influence of gender on the sensitivity of some of the criteria used to detect LVH, according to the progression of ventricular hypertrophy degree.

Methods: According to gender and the degree of LVH at the echocardiogram, the patients were divided in three groups: mild, moderate and severe LVH. ECG sensitivity to detect LVH was assessed between men and women, according to the LVH degree.

Clinical value of lead aVR.

Lead aVR is the only lead in the surface ECG that does not face the "typically" relevant walls of the left ventricle. Historically, its value has been neglected most likely due to its unusual configuration and direction, which appeared to have little correlation with other more congruous and easily diagnostic frontal leads. The isolation of the unipolar leads in the Standard surface ECG presentation may also have played an important role.

Progressive conduction disturbance in myotonic dystrophy.

Myotonic dystrophy (DM), the commonest dystrophy in adults, is an autosomal dominant disease characterized by a variety of multisystemic features. Two main genetically distinct forms of DM have been identified: type 1 (DM1), the classic form first described by Steinert, and type 2 (DM2), identified by Ricker. DM1 is caused by trinucleotide expansion of cytosine- -thymine-guanine (CTG) in the myotonic dystrophy protein kinase gene, whereas in DM2 the expansion of tetranucleotide repeats (CCTG) in the zinc finger protein 9 gene was identified.

Catalase inhibition into the fourth cerebral ventricle affects bradycardic parasympathetic response to increase in arterial pressure without changing the baroreflex.

Exogenous catalase influences neural control of cardiovascular system; however, we do not know yet if its inhibition into the fourth cerebral ventricle (4(th) V) influences baroreflex regulation. We evaluated the effects of central catalase inhibition on baroreflex in conscious Wistar rats. We used males Wistar rats (320-370 g), which were implanted with a stainless steel guide cannula into 4(th) V.

Sudden cardiac death athletes: a systematic review.

Previous events evidence that sudden cardiac death (SCD) in athletes is still a reality and it keeps challenging cardiologists. Considering the importance of SCD in athletes and the requisite for an update of this matter, we endeavored to describe SCD in athletes. The Medline (via PubMed) and SciELO databases were searched using the subject keywords "sudden death, athletes and mortality".

Anti-hypertensive drugs have different effects on ventricular hypertrophy regression.

Objectives: There is a direct relationship between the regression of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and a decreased risk of mortality. This investigation aimed to describe the effects of anti-hypertensive drugs on cardiac hypertrophy through a meta-analysis of the literature.

Methods: The Medline (via PubMed), Lilacs and Scielo databases were searched using the subject keywords cardiac hypertrophy, antihypertensive and mortality.

Propofol infusion syndrome and Brugada syndrome electrocardiographic phenocopy.

This anesthetic drug may cause a rare condition named propofol infusion syndrome, characterized by unexplained lactic acidosis, lipemia, rhabdomyolysis, cardiovascular collapse and Brugada-like electrocardiographic pattern or Brugada electrocardiographic phenocopy changes following high-dose propofol infusion over prolonged periods of time. Several articles have contributed to our understanding of the cause of the syndrome, and the growing number of case reports has made it possible to identify several risk factors. Uncertainty remains as to whether a genetic susceptibility exists.

Accelerated idioventricular rhythm: history and chronology of the main discoveries.

Accelerated Idioventricular Rhythm (AIVR) is a ventricular rhythm consisting of three or more consecutive monomorphic beats, with gradual onset and gradual termination. It can rarely manifest in patients with completely normal hearts or with structural heart disease. It is usually seen during acute myocardial infarction reperfusion.

Idiopathic intrafascicular reentrant left ventricular tachycardia in an elite cyclist athlete.

A 32 year-old Caucasian male, an elite athlete, was admitted to the emergency department because of a sudden onset of palpitations which had lasted more than 12 hours and were associated with chest discomfort. He had a two-year history of recurrent stress-induced palpitations. He denied either episodes of syncope or any family history of sudden death.

Chagas disease: state-of-the-art of diagnosis and management.

Chagas' disease or American trypanosomiasis, is a potentially lethal parasitic zoonosis prevalent and endemic only in Latin America, caused by the flagellate protozoa Trypanosoma cruzi. It has 3 different stages, acute, indeterminate and chronic phase, with the chance of an etiological approach in the first stage and pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment in the chronic phase. There are five main clinical forms of chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy: indeterminate, arrhythmogenic (predominantly dromotropic and extrasystolic), with ventricular dysfunction, thromboembolic and mixed forms.

Correlation of electrocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy criteria with left ventricular mass by echocardiogram in obese hypertensive patients.

Introduction: Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and obesity are important cardiovascular risk factors. This study evaluates the influence of obesity on the diagnostic performance of the most used electrocardiographic criteria for LVH in hypertensive patients.

Methods: One thousand two hundred four outpatients from the Hypertensive Unit of the Hospital São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil, were studied.

The management of Brugada syndrome patients.

Brugada syndrome is a congenital electrical disorder characterised by the appearance of distinctive QRST-T patterns in the right precordial leads and an increased risk of sudden death (SCD) in young healthy adults. Although chamber enlargement is not apparent in most cases, autopsy and histological investigations have revealed structural abnormalities. The typical Brugada ECG manifestation is often concealed and may be revealed by Class IC anti-arrhythmic agents with the effect of blocking the fast component of sodium channel currents.

Relationship among amiodarone, new class III antiarrhythmics, miscellaneous agents and acquired long QT syndrome.

Class III drugs prolong the QT interval by blocking mainly the delayed rectifier rapid potassium outward current (IKr), with little effect on depolarization. This K(+) channel in encoded by the human ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG). Inhibition of hERG potassium currents by class III antiarrhythmic drugs causes lengthening of cardiac action potential, which produces a beneficial antiarrhythmic effect.

Early repolarization variant: epidemiological aspects, mechanism, and differential diagnosis.

Early repolarization variant (ERV or ERPV) is a enigmatic electrocardiographic phenomenon, characterized by prominent J wave and ST-segment elevation in multiple leads. Recently, there has been renewed interest in ERV because of similarities to the arrhythmogenic Brugada syndrome (BrS). Not much is known about the epidemiology of ERV and several studies have reported that this condition is associated with a good prognosis.

Wellens syndrome associated with prominent anterior QRS forces: an expression of left septal fascicular block?

Wellens syndrome is a clinical-electrocardiographic entity also referred to as left anterior descending (LAD) coronary T-wave syndrome or acute coronary T-wave syndrome. It is a complex of symptoms and signals indicating the existence of an undesirable condition secondary to critical high-grade proximal stenosis of the LAD coronary artery characterized by the association of prior history of acute coronary syndrome with little or no elevation of markers of myocardial damage (unstable angina) and characteristic electrocardiographic changes consistent with subepicardial anterior ischemic pattern (persistently symmetrical, deep negative and broad-based T waves) or plus-minus T waves with inversion of the terminal portion in the LAD coronary artery territory (V1 through V5 or V6). We present a case of a variant of Wellens syndrome that reveals association and, transitorily, the criteria described in literature for left septal fascicular block.

Kearns-Sayre syndrome: electro-vectorcardiographic evolution for left septal fascicular block of the his bundle.

The Kearns-Sayre syndrome is a neuromyopathic disorder associated with mitochondrial abnormalities and characterized by the triad of chronic external ophthalmoplegia, atypical pigmentary retinopathy, and progressive conduction system disorders. Ragged red muscle fibers that seem to contain an excess of altered mitochondria are observed. The disease affects both sexes alike, during the first or the second decade of life.