Economic burden of severe cardiovascular diseases in Brazil: an estimate based on secondary data.

Background: The scarce amount of data available in Brazil on the economic burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) does not justify the growing concern in regard to the economic burden involved.

Objective: The present study aims at estimating the costs of severe CVD cases in Brazil.

Methods: Cases of severe CVD were estimated based on hospitalized cases lethality and total CVD mortality rates.

The aldosterone antagonist and facultative diuretic eplerenone: a critical review.

Eplerenone is a new aldosterone-receptor blocker that differs from spironolactone by virtue of higher selectivity for the aldosterone receptor. Therefore, eplerenone treatment is associated with comparative and absolute low incidences of gynecomastia, mastodynia, and abnormal vaginal bleeding. Similarly, a lower incidence of sexual impotence than that associated with spironolactone administration may be anticipated.