Association between acculturation surrogates and alcohol consumption in rural-to-urban migrants: The PERU MIGRANT study

Introduction: There is a paucity of information about the association between acculturation and alcohol consumption in rural-to-urban migrants who move to urban environments usually characterized by a higher prevalence of alcohol consumption than their rural places of origin. Objectives: To evaluate the cross-sectional association between surrogates of acculturation and alcohol consumption in Peruvian rural-to-urban migrants; to explore the effects of sex and age at migration on these associations; and to explore this association longitudinally. Methods: Data from the PERU MIGRANT Study, which evaluated a cohort of Peruvian rural-to-urban migrants from 2007 to 2012, were analyzed. Four acculturation surrogates were evaluated: language preference on the radio, language spoken at home, Spanish proficiency, and length of residence in urban area. Alcohol consumption was defined as having consumed alcohol in the last year at the time of the baseline survey, while onset of alcohol consumption was defined as having consumed alcohol in the last year at the follow-up survey. Poisson regressions with robust variance were performed to estimate crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) and relative risks (RR) with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI) to cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses respectively. Results: Data from 567 rural-to-urban migrants, mean age 47.6 years (SD ±11.5), 52% females, was included in the study. Crude cross-sectional analyses showed an association between acculturation surrogates and alcohol consumption, but these were not observed in adjusted regressions. In the sex-stratified analyses, only women showed an association between Spanish proficiency and alcohol consumption, where those with higher language proficiency had a 22% higher prevalence of alcohol consumption (PR: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.04–1.43). Analyses stratified by age at migration showed no association between acculturation surrogates and alcohol consumption. On the longitudinal analyses, acculturation surrogates were not associated with the onset of alcohol consumption. Conclusions: No association between acculturation surrogates and alcohol consumption in cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses were found. The only exception was observed in female migrants according to their Spanish proficiency and alcohol consumption

Association between chronic conditions and health-related quality of life: differences by level of urbanization in Peru.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of urbanization as an effect modifier for the association between specific chronic conditions and number of conditions with health-related quality of life (QOL). METHODS: We analyzed cross-sectional data from the CRONICAS Cohort Study conducted in Lima (highly urbanized), Tumbes (semi-urban), as well as rural and urban sites in Puno. Exposures of interest were chronic bronchitis, depressive mood, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and a composite variable aggregating the number of chronic conditions (the four exposures plus heart disease and stroke). QOL outcomes were assessed with EuroQol's EQ-5D visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS). We fitted linear regressions with robust variance to evaluate the associations of interest. Study site was assessed as a potential effect modifier using the likelihood-ratio (LR) test. RESULTS: We evaluated data on 2433 subjects: 51.3% were female, mean age was 57.2 years. Study site was found to be an effect modifier only for the association between depressive mood and EQ-VAS score (LR test p < 0.001). Compared to those without depressive mood, participants with depressive mood scored -13.7 points on the EQ-VAS in Lima, -7.9 in urban Puno, -11.0 in semi-urban Tumbes, and -2.7 in rural Puno. Study site was not found to be an effect modifier for the association between the number of chronic conditions and EQ-VAS (LR test p = 0.64). CONCLUSION: The impact of depressive mood on EQ-VAS was larger in urban than in rural sites, while site was not an effect modifier for the remaining associations

Diagnosis of tuberculosis in the context of occupational periodic evaluation: observactions to the current Peruvian regulations

Sr Editor, en Perú la Ley de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo vigente establece que el empleador es responsable de proteger la salud de sus trabajadores mediante actividades como los exámenes médico ocupacionales (EMO), que según la Resolución Ministerial (RM) 312-2011 del Ministerio de Salud (MINSA) son obligatorios para cada actividad económica (1). Si bien esta RM ha implicado un avance en la salud ocupacional peruana, presenta ciertas falencias con respecto al tamizaje de tuberculosis, que podrían estar impidiendo un diagnóstico certero en la población vulnerable.Mr. Editor, in Peru, the current Occupational Health and Safety Law establishes that the employer is responsible for protecting the health of its workers through activities such as occupational medical examinations (EMO), which according to the Ministerial Resolution (RM) 312-2011 of the Ministry of Health (MINSA) are mandatory for each economic activity (1). Although this MRI has implied an advance in Peruvian occupational health, it has certain shortcomings with respect to tuberculosis screening, which could be preventing an accurate diagnosis in the vulnerable population

Factores asociados al ingreso económico, carga laboral y clima laboral en un grupo de médicos generales jóvenes en Perú

Objetivo: Evaluar los factores asociados al ingreso económico, carga laboral y clima laboral en un grupo de médicos generales jóvenes de Perú. Materiales y métodos: Estudio transversal analítico en médicos generales que asistieron a un evento del Colegio Médico del Perú. Durante dicho evento, se realizó una encuesta para recoger las características de sus dos últimos empleos. Para evaluar las asociaciones de interés se calcularon odds ratios crudos y ajustados (ORa) usando modelos de regresión logística de efectos mixtos. Resultados: Se analizaron 332 empleos reportados por 221 médicos. El ingreso económico bajo (S/ 16,00 por hora o menos) fue menos frecuente para empleos en el Ministerio de Salud – MINSA (ORa: 0,38) o en el seguro social – EsSalud (ORa: 0,09) en comparación con el sector privado, pero más frecuente en mujeres (ORa: 1,94), y en quienes realizaban una labor asistencial (ORa: 4,31). El referir mucha carga laboral fue más frecuente en aquellos con ≥ 30 años (ORa: 2,72), y para empleos en el MINSA (ORa: 3,13) o EsSalud (ORa: 7,98) en comparación con el sector privado. El referir un clima laboral inadecuado no presentó factores  asociados. Conclusiones: Los médicos que tuvieron como empleador un establecimiento privado, las mujeres, y quienes realizaron labor asistencial reportaron empleos con menor ingreso económico. Los médicos de mayor edad y quienes tuvieron como empleador al MINSA o a EsSalud reportaron empleos con mayor carga laboral. El reportar un empleo con un clima laboral inadecuado no tuvo factores asociados

The Effect of a Priest-Led Intervention on the Choice and Preference of Soda Beverages: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial in Catholic Parishes.

BACKGROUND: Latin America ranks among the regions with the highest level of intake of sugary beverages in the world. Innovative strategies to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks are necessary. PURPOSE: Evaluate the effect of a one-off priest-led intervention on the choice and preference of soda beverages. METHODS: We conducted a pragmatic cluster-randomized trial in Catholic parishes, paired by number of attendees, in Chimbote, Peru between March and June of 2017. The priest-led intervention, a short message about the importance of protecting one's health, was delivered during the mass. The primary outcome was the proportion of individuals that choose a bottle of soda instead of a bottle of water immediately after the service. Cluster-level estimates were used to compare primary and secondary outcomes between intervention and control groups utilizing nonparametric tests. RESULTS: Six parishes were allocated to control and six to the intervention group. The proportion of soda selection at baseline was ~60% in the intervention and control groups, and ranged from 56.3% to 63.8% in Week 1, and from 62.7% to 68.2% in Week 3. The proportion of mass attendees choosing water over soda was better in the priest-led intervention group: 8.2% higher at Week 1 (95% confidence interval 1.7%-14.6%, p = .03), and 6.2% higher at 3 weeks after baseline (p = .15). CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the proof-of-concept that a brief priest-led intervention can decrease sugary drink choice. CLINICAL TRIAL INFORMATION: ISRCTN, ISRCTN24676734. Registered 25 April 2017, https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN24676734

Could increased axial wall stress be responsible for the development of atheroma in the proximal segment of myocardial bridges?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A recent model describing the mechanical interaction between a stenosis and the vessel wall has shown that axial wall stress can considerably increase in the region immediately proximal to the stenosis during the (forward) flow phases, so that abnormal biological processes and wall damages are likely to be induced in that region. Our objective was to examine what this model predicts when applied to myocardial bridges.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>The model was adapted to the hemodynamic particularities of myocardial bridges and used to estimate by means of a numerical example the cyclic increase in axial wall stress in the vessel segment proximal to the bridge. The consistence of the results with reported observations on the presence of atheroma in the proximal, tunneled, and distal vessel segments of bridged coronary arteries was also examined.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>1) Axial wall stress can markedly increase in the entrance region of the bridge during the cardiac cycle. 2) This is consistent with reported observations showing that this region is particularly prone to atherosclerosis.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The proposed mechanical explanation of atherosclerosis in bridged coronary arteries indicates that angioplasty and other similar interventions will not stop the development of atherosclerosis at the bridge entrance and in the proximal epicardial segment if the decrease of the lumen of the tunneled segment during systole is not considerably reduced.</p

Guía de práctica clínica para diagnóstico y tratamiento de Hemofilia en el Seguro Social del Perú (EsSalud)

Background: This article summarizes the clinical practice guide (CPG) for diagnosis and treatment of hemophilia in the Social Security of Peru (EsSalud). Objective: To provide evidence-based clinical recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of hemophilia in EsSalud. Material and Methods: A guideline development group (GDG) was formed, which included specialist physicians and methodologists, who formulated clinical questions. Systematic searches of systematic reviews were conducted and - when deemed relevant - primary studies in PubMed during 2020 and 2021. Evidence was selected to answer each of the proposed clinical questions. The certainty of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology. In periodic working meetings, the GEG used the GRADE methodology to review the evidence and formulate recommendations. The CPG was reviewed by external experts before its approval. Results: The CPG addressed 09 clinical questions, divided into 02 topics: diagnosis and treatment. Based on these questions, 05 recommendations were formulated (01 strong and 04 conditional), 51 points of good clinical practice, and 02 flow charts. Conclusion: Evidence-based recommendations were issued for the diagnosis and treatment of persons with hemophilia.Introducción: El presente artículo resume la guía de práctica clínica (GPC) para diagnóstico y tratamiento de hemofilia en el Seguro Social del Perú (EsSalud). Objetivo: Proveer recomendaciones clínicas basadas en evidencia para el diagnóstico y tratamiento de la hemofilia en EsSalud. Material y Métodos: Se conformó un grupo elaborador de la guía (GEG) que incluyó médicos especialistas y metodólogos, el cual formuló preguntas clínicas. Se realizaron búsquedas sistemáticas de revisiones sistemáticas y –cuando fue considerado pertinente– estudios primarios en PubMed durante el 2020 y 2021. Se seleccionó la evidencia para responder cada una de las preguntas clínicasformuladas. Se evaluó la certeza de la evidencia usando la metodología Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE). En reuniones de trabajo periódicas, el GEG usó la metodología GRADE para revisar la evidencia y formular las recomendaciones. La GPC fue revisada por expertos externos previa a su aprobación. Resultados: La GPC abordó 09 preguntas clínicas de diagnóstico y tratamiento. En base a dichas preguntas se formularon 05 recomendaciones (01 fuerte y 04 condicionales), 51 puntos de buena práctica clínica, y 02 flujogramas. Conclusión: Se emitieron recomendaciones basadas en evidencia para el diagnóstico y tratamiento de personas con hemofilia

Foot thermometry with mHeath-based supplementation to prevent diabetic foot ulcers: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: Novel approaches to reduce diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) in low- and middle-income countries are needed. Our objective was to compare incidence of DFUs in the thermometry plus mobile health (mHealth) reminders (intervention) vs. thermometry-only (control). Methods: We conducted a randomized trial enrolling adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus at risk of foot ulcers (risk groups 2 or 3) but without foot ulcers at the time of recruitment, and allocating them to control (instruction to use a liquid crystal-based foot thermometer daily) or intervention (same instruction supplemented with text and voice messages with reminders to use the device and messages to promote foot care) groups, and followed for 18 months. The primary outcome was time to occurrence of DFU. A process evaluation was also conducted. Results: A total of 172 patients (63% women, mean age 61 years) were enrolled; 86 to each study group. More patients enrolled in the intervention arm had a history of previous DFU (66% vs. 48%). Follow-up for the primary endpoint was complete for 158 of 172 participants (92%). Adherence to ?80% of daily temperature measurements was 87% (103 of 118) among the study participants who returned the logbook. DFU cumulative incidence was 24% (19 of 79) in the intervention arm and 11% (9 of 79) in the control arm. After adjusting for history of foot ulceration and study site, the hazard ratio (HR) for DFU was 1.44 (95% CI 0.65, 3.22). Conclusions: In our study, conducted in a low-income setting, the addition of mHealth to foot thermometry was not effective in reducing foot ulceration. Importantly, there was a higher rate of previous DFU in the intervention group, the adherence to thermometry was high, and the expected rates of DFU used in our sample size calculations were not met. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02373592 (27/02/2015)

Guía de práctica clínica para el tratamiento del cáncer de próstata metastásico hormonosensible en el Seguro Social del Perú (EsSalud)

Introduction: This article summarizes the clinical practice guideline (CPG) for the treatment of metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer in the Social Security of Peru (EsSalud). Objective: To provide evidence-based clinical recommendations for the treatment of adults with hormone-sensitive metastatic adenocarcinoma of the prostate with de novo or recurrent presentation and high or low metastatic volume in EsSalud. Methods: A guideline development group (GDG) was formed, which included specialist physicians and methodologists, who formulated clinical questions. Systematic searches were conducted for systematic reviews and - when deemed relevant - primary studies in PubMed during 2022. Evidence was selected to answer each of the clinical questions posed. The certainty of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology. In periodic working meetings, the GEG used the GRADE methodology to review the evidence and formulate recommendations. The CPG was reviewed by external experts before its approval. Results: The CPG addressed 6 clinical questions, divided into 2 main topics: considerations on androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and ADT combined with other therapies. Based on these questions, 10 recommendations were formulated (4 strong and 6 conditional), and 6 points of good clinical practice. Conclusion: Evidence-based recommendations were issued for the management of patients with this pathology.Introducción: Este artículo resume la guía de práctica clínica (GPC) para el tratamiento del cáncer de próstata metastásico hormonosensible en el Seguro Social del Perú (EsSalud). Objetivo: Proveer recomendaciones clínicas basadas en evidencia para el tratamiento de adultos con adenocarcinoma de próstata metastásico hormonosensible con presentación de novo o recurrente y de alto o bajo volumen metastásico en EsSalud. Métodos: Se conformó un grupo elaborador de la guía (GEG) que incluyó médicos especialistas y metodólogos, el cual formuló preguntas clínicas. Se realizaron búsquedas sistemáticas de revisiones sistemáticas y –cuando fue considerado pertinente– estudios primarios en PubMed durante el 2022. Se seleccionó la evidencia para responder cada una de las preguntas clínicas planteadas. Se evaluó la certeza de evidencia usando la metodología Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE). En reuniones de trabajo periódicas, el GEG usó la metodología GRADE para revisar la evidencia y formular las recomendaciones. La GPC fue revisada por expertos externos antes de su aprobación. Resultados: La GPC abordó 6 preguntas clínicas, divididas en 2 temas principales: consideraciones sobre la terapia de deprivación androgénica (TDA) y TDA combinada con otras terapias. En base a dichas preguntas se formularon 10 recomendaciones (4 fuertes y 6 condicionales) y 6 puntos de buena práctica clínica. Conclusión: Se emitieron recomendaciones basadas en evidencia para el manejo de pacientes con esta patología

Guía de práctica clínica para el tamizaje, diagnóstico y tratamiento inicial de cáncer de próstata localizado y localmente avanzado en el Seguro Social del Perú (EsSalud)

Background: This article summarizes the clinical practice guide (CPG) for the screening, diagnosis, and initial treatment of localized and locally advanced prostate cancer in the Social Security of Peru (EsSalud). Objective: To provide evidence-based clinical recommendations for the screening, diagnosis, and initial treatment of adults with localized and locally advanced prostate cancer in EsSalud. Methods: A guideline development group (GDG) was formed, which included specialist physicians and methodologists, who formulated clinical questions. Systematic searches of systematic reviews were conducted and - when deemed relevant - primary studies in PubMed during 2020 and 2021. Evidence was selected to answer each of the proposed clinical questions. The certainty of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology. In periodic working meetings, the GEG used the GRADE methodology to review the evidence and formulate recommendations. The CPG was reviewed by external experts before its approval. Results: The CPG addressed 06 clinical questions, divided into 03 topics: screening, diagnosis, and initial treatment. Based on these questions, 08 recommendations were formulated (04 strong and 04 conditional), 10 points of good clinical practice, and 04 flow charts. Conclusion: Evidence-based recommendations were issued for the management of patients with this pathology.Introducción: El presente artículo resume la guía de práctica clínica (GPC) para el tamizaje, diagnóstico, y tratamiento inicial del cáncer de próstata localizado y localmente avanzado en el Seguro Social del Perú (EsSalud). Objetivo: Proveer recomendaciones clínicas basadas en evidencia para el tamizaje, diagnóstico, y tratamiento inicial de adultos con cáncer de próstata localizado y localmente avanzado en EsSalud. Material y Métodos: Se conformó un grupo elaborador de la guía (GEG) que incluyó médicos especialistas y metodólogos, el cual formuló preguntas clínicas. Se realizaron búsquedas sistemáticas de revisiones sistemáticas y –cuando fue considerado pertinente– estudios primarios en PubMed durante el 2020 y 2021. Se seleccionó la evidencia para responder cada una de las preguntas clínicas planteadas. Se evaluó la certeza de evidencia usando la metodología Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE). En reuniones de trabajo periódicas, el GEG usó la metodología GRADE para revisar la evidencia y formular las recomendaciones. La GPC fue revisada por expertos externos antes de su aprobación. Resultados: La GPC abordó 06 preguntas clínicas, divididas en 03 temas: tamizaje, diagnóstico, y tratamiento inicial. En base a dichas preguntas se formularon 08 recomendaciones (04 fuertes y 04 condicionales), 10 puntos de buena práctica clínica, y 04 flujogramas. Conclusión: Se emitieron recomendaciones basadas en evidencia para el manejo de pacientes con esta patología.