BACKGROUND: Accurate estimates of Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) burden are needed to justify improved integration of RHD prevention and screening into the public health systems, but data from Latin America are still sparse. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of RHD among socioeconomically disadvantaged youth (5-18years) in Brazil and examine risk factors for the disease. METHODS: The PROVAR program utilizes non-expert screeners, telemedicine, and handheld and standard portable echocardiography to conduct echocardiographic screening in socioeconomically disadvantaged schools in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Cardiologists in the US and Brazil provide expert interpretation according to the 2012 World Heart Federation Guidelines. Here we report prevalence data from the first 14months of screening, and examine risk factors for RHD. RESULTS: 5996 students were screened across 21 schools. Median age was 11.9 [9.0/15.0] years, 59% females. RHD prevalence was 42/1000 (n=251): 37/1000 borderline (n=221) and 5/1000 definite (n=30). Pathologic mitral regurgitation was observed in 203 (80.9%), pathologic aortic regurgitation in 38 (15.1%), and mixed mitral/aortic valve disease in 10 (4.0%) children. Older children had higher prevalence (50/1000 vs. 28/1000, p<0.001), but no difference was observed between northern (lower resourced) and central areas (34/1000 vs. 44/1000, p=0.31). Females had higher prevalence (48/1000 vs. 35/1000, p=0.016). Age (OR=1.15, 95% CI:1.10-1.21, p<0.001) was the only variable independently associated with RHD findings. CONCLUSIONS: RHD continues to be an important and under recognized condition among socioeconomically disadvantaged Brazilian schoolchildren. Our data adds to the compelling case for renewed investment in RHD prevention and early detection in Latin America.
BACKGROUND: Accurate estimates of Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) burden are needed to justify improved integration of RHD prevention and screening into the public health systems, but data from Latin America are still sparse. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of RHD among socioeconomically disadvantaged youth (5-18years) in Brazil and examine risk factors for the disease. METHODS: The PROVAR program utilizes non-expert screeners, telemedicine, and handheld and standard portable echocardiography to conduct echocardiographic screening in socioeconomically disadvantaged schools in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Cardiologists in the US and Brazil provide expert interpretation according to the 2012 World Heart Federation Guidelines. Here we report prevalence data from the first 14months of screening, and examine risk factors for RHD. RESULTS: 5996 students were screened across 21 schools. Median age was 11.9 [9.0/15.0] years, 59% females. RHD prevalence was 42/1000 (n=251): 37/1000 borderline (n=221) and 5/1000 definite (n=30). Pathologic mitral regurgitation was observed in 203 (80.9%), pathologic aortic regurgitation in 38 (15.1%), and mixed mitral/aortic valve disease in 10 (4.0%) children. Older children had higher prevalence (50/1000 vs. 28/1000, p<0.001), but no difference was observed between northern (lower resourced) and central areas (34/1000 vs. 44/1000, p=0.31). Females had higher prevalence (48/1000 vs. 35/1000, p=0.016). Age (OR=1.15, 95% CI:1.10-1.21, p<0.001) was the only variable independently associated with RHD findings. CONCLUSIONS: RHD continues to be an important and under recognized condition among socioeconomically disadvantaged Brazilian schoolchildren. Our data adds to the compelling case for renewed investment in RHD prevention and early detection in Latin America.
Authors: Julia Pereira Afonso Dos Santos; Gabriel Assis Lopes do Carmo; Andrea Zawacki Beaton; Tainá Vitti Lourenço; Adriana Costa Diamantino; Maria do Carmo Pereira Nunes; Craig Sable; Bruno Ramos Nascimento Journal: Arq Bras Cardiol Date: 2017-04 Impact factor: 2.000
Authors: Gláucia Maria Moraes de Oliveira; Luisa Campos Caldeira Brant; Carisi Anne Polanczyk; Deborah Carvalho Malta; Andreia Biolo; Bruno Ramos Nascimento; Maria de Fatima Marinho de Souza; Andrea Rocha De Lorenzo; Antonio Aurélio de Paiva Fagundes Júnior; Beatriz D Schaan; Fábio Morato de Castilho; Fernando Henpin Yue Cesena; Gabriel Porto Soares; Gesner Francisco Xavier Junior; Jose Augusto Soares Barreto Filho; Luiz Guilherme Passaglia; Marcelo Martins Pinto Filho; M Julia Machline-Carrion; Marcio Sommer Bittencourt; Octavio M Pontes Neto; Paolo Blanco Villela; Renato Azeredo Teixeira; Roney Orismar Sampaio; Thomaz A Gaziano; Pablo Perel; Gregory A Roth; Antonio Luiz Pinho Ribeiro Journal: Arq Bras Cardiol Date: 2022-01 Impact factor: 2.000
Authors: Bruno Ramos Nascimento; Luisa Campos Caldeira Brant; Gláucia Maria Moraes de Oliveira; Marcus Vinícius Bolívar Malachias; Gabriel Moreira Alves Reis; Renato Azeredo Teixeira; Deborah Carvalho Malta; Elisabeth França; Maria de Fátima Marinho Souza; Gregory A Roth; Antonio Luiz P Ribeiro Journal: Arq Bras Cardiol Date: 2018-06 Impact factor: 2.000
Authors: Gláucia Maria Moraes de Oliveira; Luisa Campos Caldeira Brant; Carisi Anne Polanczyk; Andreia Biolo; Bruno Ramos Nascimento; Deborah Carvalho Malta; Maria de Fatima Marinho de Souza; Gabriel Porto Soares; Gesner Francisco Xavier Junior; M Julia Machline-Carrion; Marcio Sommer Bittencourt; Octavio M Pontes Neto; Odilson Marcos Silvestre; Renato Azeredo Teixeira; Roney Orismar Sampaio; Thomaz A Gaziano; Gregory A Roth; Antonio Luiz Pinho Ribeiro Journal: Arq Bras Cardiol Date: 2020-09 Impact factor: 2.667
Authors: Bruno R Nascimento; Craig Sable; Maria Carmo P Nunes; Adriana C Diamantino; Kaciane K B Oliveira; Cassio M Oliveira; Zilda Maria A Meira; Sandra Regina T Castilho; Júlia P A Santos; Letícia Maria M Rabelo; Karlla C A Lauriano; Gabriel A L Carmo; Allison Tompsett; Antonio Luiz P Ribeiro; Andrea Z Beaton Journal: J Am Heart Assoc Date: 2018-02-14 Impact factor: 5.501