Health literacy assessment of individuals with and without Chagas disease: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Chagas disease (CD) is neglected that affects vulnerable individuals, whose majority has low ability to understand health information.

Objectives: To assess health literacy and its association with sociodemographic, clinical, and quality of life (QoL) characteristics.

Design And Setting: A cross-sectional study the participants with Chagas disease (ChD) were identified through serological diagnosis during blood donation, while those without the disease were seronegative blood donors.

Left atrial reservoir strain is a superior discriminator of cardioembolism in ischaemic stroke.

Aims: Echocardiographic measures of left heart size and function have long been associated with cardioembolic mechanisms of stroke development, however, the diagnostic performance and comparison of measures of atrial function in this context has not been well studied. We sought to evaluate the diagnostic performance of left atrial reservoir strain (LASr) in identification of cardioembolism in the ischaemic stroke population relative to traditional measures of left heart size and function.

Methods And Results: Consecutive patients admitted to our institution with ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack were recruited and underwent comprehensive transthoracic echocardiography.

Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders in Patients with Rheumatic Heart Disease: Unveiling what is Beyond Cardiac Manifestations.

Background: Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is the most serious manifestation of rheumatic fever, which may also affect the brain. The current study assessed the prevalence of neuropsychiatric manifestations in patients with RHD, including clinical features associated with basal ganglia motor dysfunction (BGMD).

Methods: We conducted neurologic and psychiatric assessments in consecutive patients with RHD referred to a tertiary center for heart valve diseases.

Progression of Mitral Regurgitation in Rheumatic Valve Disease: Role of Left Atrial Remodeling.

Introduction: Mitral regurgitation (MR) is the most common valve abnormality in rheumatic heart disease (RHD) often associated with stenosis. Although the mechanism by which MR develops in RHD is primary, longstanding volume overload with left atrial (LA) remodeling may trigger the development of secondary MR, which can impact on the overall progression of MR. This study is aimed to assess the incidence and predictors of MR progression in patients with RHD.

Relationship of health literacy and adherence to oral anticoagulation therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation: a cross-sectional study.

Oral anticoagulant therapy (OAT) has increased substantially due to the aging population and prevalence rise of atrial fibrillation (AF). Medication adherence is important to achieve effectiveness and safety of OAT. The study aim was to investigate the relationship between health literary (HL) and the adherence to OAT in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).

Factors associated with quality of life in patients with Chagas disease: SaMi-Trop project.

NCT02646943.

Validation of a simplified score for predicting latent rheumatic heart disease progression using a prospective cohort of Brazilian schoolchildren.

Objectives: Echocardiographic (echo) screening is an important tool to estimate rheumatic heart disease (RHD) prevalence, but the natural history of screen-detected RHD remains unclear. The PROVAR+ () study, which uses non-experts, telemedicine and portable echo, pioneered RHD screening in Brazil. We aimed to assess the mid-term evolution of Brazilian schoolchildren (5-18 years) with echocardiography-detected subclinical RHD and to assess the performance of a simplified score consisting of five components of the World Heart Federation criteria, as a predictor of unfavourable echo outcomes.

Left Ventricular Regional Wall Motion Abnormality is a Strong Predictor of Cardiotoxicity in Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy.

Background: Chemotherapeutic agents of anthracyclines class and humanized monoclonal antibodies are effective treatments for breast cancer, however, they present a potential risk of cardiotoxicity. Several predictors have been recognized as predictors in the development of cardiac toxicity, and the evaluation of left ventricular segmental wall motion abnormalities (LVSWMA) has not been studied.

Objective: To analyze prospectively the role of LVSWMA among echocardiographic parameters in the prediction of development of cardiotoxicity in breast cancer patients undergoing treatment with chemotherapy.

Beneficial effects of benznidazole in Chagas disease: NIH SaMi-Trop cohort study.

Background: The effectiveness of anti-parasite treatment with benznidazole in the chronic Chagas disease (ChD) remains uncertain. We evaluated, using data from the NIH-sponsored SaMi-Trop prospective cohort study, if previous treatment with benznidazole is associated with lower mortality, less advanced cardiac disease and lower parasitemia in patients with chronic ChD.

Methods: The study enrolled 1,959 ChD patients and abnormal electrocardiogram (ECG) from in 21 remote towns in Brazil.

Impact of left atrial compliance improvement on functional status after percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty.

Background: Conventional hemodynamic parameters may not accurately predict symptomatic improvement after percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty (PMV). Changes in left heart chamber compliance following adequate relief o0066 mitral stenosis (MS) may be useful in determining functional capacity after PMV. This study aims to determine the acute effects of PMV on compliance of the left heart and whether its changes relate to the patient's functional capacity.

Evaluation of accuracy of IHI Trigger Tool in identifying adverse drug events: a prospective observational study.

Aims: Adverse drug events (ADEs) can seriously compromise the safety and quality of care provided to hospitalized patients, requiring the adoption of accurate methods to monitor them. We sought to prospectively evaluate the accuracy of the triggers proposed by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) for identifying ADEs.

Methods: A prospective study was conducted in a public university hospital in 2015 with patients over the age of 18.

Quality of life in responders after palliative radiation therapy for painful bone metastases using EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-BM22: results of a Brazilian cohort.

Background: Bone metastases cause pain, suffering and impaired quality of life (QoL). Palliative radiotherapy (RT) and/or chemotherapy are effective methods in controlling pain, reducing analgesics use and improving QoL. This study goal was to investigate the changes in QoL scores among patients who responded to palliative treatment.

The polymorphism rs17782313 near MC4R gene is related with anthropometric changes in women submitted to bariatric surgery over 60 months.

Objective: Evaluate whether the polymorphism rs17782313 near MC4R gene influences long-term outcomes after bariatric surgery.

Methods: The rs16782313 polymorphism was genotyped in 217 individuals undergoing bariatric surgery and analyzed in detail in 141 women. Data for comorbidities, BMI, excess weight loss (EWL), and body composition were obtained before and during 60 months after surgery.

The Impact of a Clinical Decision Support System in Diabetes Primary Care Patients in a Developing Country.

Background: Telehealth strategies have the potential to improve diabetes care, but there is a lack of evidence about the impact of these strategies in developing countries. Our objective was to analyze the feasibility, usability, and clinical impact of a decision support system (DSS) in Brazilian primary care diabetes patients.

Materials And Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study that included type 2 diabetes primary care patients >40 years of age.

Incremental value of hormonal therapy for deep vein thrombosis prediction: an adjusted Wells score for women.

Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) management includes prediction rule evaluation to define standard pretest DVT probabilities in symptomatic patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incremental usefulness of hormonal therapy to the Wells prediction rules for DVT in women. We studied women undertaking compressive ultrasound scanning for suspected DVT.

Derivation of a risk assessment model for hospital-acquired venous thrombosis: the NAVAL score.

Venous thrombosis (VT) is a preventable cause of death in hospitalized patients. The main strategy to decrease VT incidence is timely thromboprophylaxis in at-risk patients. We sought to evaluate the reliability of risk assessment model (RAM) data, the incremental usefulness of additional variables and the modelling of an adjusted score (the NAVAL score).

Different prognostic impact of the tissue Doppler-derived E/e' ratio on mortality in Chagas cardiomyopathy patients with heart failure.

Background: Risk assessment of Chagas cardiomyopathy patients is essential for clinical decision making. The ratio of the ratio of early transmitral velocity to tissue Doppler mitral annular early diastolic velocity (E/e') is a powerful predictor of adverse outcome in patients with heart failure. However, its prognostic value remains to be established in the setting of Chagas cardiomyopathy.