[Health plans and insurance: financialization of companies and economic groups that control the private healthcare scheme in Brazil].

The article aims to describe the characteristics of financialization in a set of ten companies and economic groups operating health plans and insurance in Brazil from 2008 to 2016, selected according to their turnover and the size of their client portfolio. The financial/accounting and net worth dimensions were analyzed according to the balance sheets and cash flows, compared to microeconomic indicators of financialization and the records of changes in the shareholding structure filed with commercial boards. The authors analyzed the companies' policy positions based on primary data from semi-structured interviews with qualified representatives and the analysis of shareholder reports and news from the specialized media.

Coronavirus disease-related in-hospital mortality: a cohort study in a private healthcare network in Brazil.

COVID-19-related in-hospital mortality has been reported at 30.7-47.3% in Brazil, however studies assessing exclusively private hospitals are lacking.

From health plan companies to international insurance companies: changes in the accumulation regime and repercussions on the healthcare system in Brazil.

The concentration and internationalization of health plan companies in Brazil gave them a clearly financial face. Based on the need to understand the health care industry's capital accumulation patterns, the current study examines health plan companies' expansion strategies through the classification of their supply and demand characteristics by recent historical periods and an analysis of recent shareholding trends in one of the leading corporations in the Brazilian health care industry. The 1960s to 2000s witnessed changes in the scale of demands for health plans and adherence by companies to long-term accumulation strategies.

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and systolic dysfunction in the community.

Background: In developed countries, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is more prevalent than heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) in the community. However, it has not been completely established if this fact is also observed within our community.

Objective: To determine the most prevalent form of heart failure (HFpEF or HFrEF) and whether the prevalence of HFpEF is higher in the community.

The association between metabolic syndrome and its components and heart failure in patients referred to a primary care facility.

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is characterized by a collection of risk factors that are associated with elevated rates of cardiovascular events and the risk of developing heart failure (HF). In our field, the association of MS in stable chronic HF patients has not been established.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of MS in relation to gender and HF type in patients treated at a Primary Care Facility.

[Perceptions of heart failure diagnosis and management: comparison between clinical cardiologists and family doctors].

Objective: To compare the perceptions of heart failure (HF) diagnosis and management between clinical cardiologists (CC) and family doctors (FD) in the city of Niterói.

Methods: A qualitative questionnaire, validated by the EURO-HF study, was submitted to 54 FD and 62 CC. These professionals supplied the following information: HF diagnosis; availability of complementary tests; which tests were used more often; names, dosages and adverse effects of the medications prescribed; and which pharmaceuticals reduced mortality.

[Cost of heart failure in the Unified Health System].

Objective: To describe the direct and indirect costs of ambulatory and in-patient treatments of heart failure during 2002, in the University Hospital Antonio Pedro, Niterói.

Methods: A cross-sectional and retrospective study on utilization and valuation of resources in 70 patients, consecutively selected, under ambulatory and in-patient treatment. Questionnaires and records of the patients were used for data collection.

Epidemiology of decompensated heart failure in the city of Niterói: EPICA - Niterói Project.

Objective: To compare the epidemiological and socioeconomic profiles, clinical features, etiology, length of hospitalization, and mortality of patients with decompensated heart failure admitted to public and private hospitals in the city of Niterói.

Methods: We carried out a prospective, multicenter study (from July to September 2001) comprising all patients older than 18 years with the primary diagnosis of heart failure and admitted to hospitals in the city of Niterói, whose scores according to the Boston criteria were 8 or above. Proportions were compared using the chi-square and Fisher exact tests.