PAR% for each risk factor for ischemic stroke.

<p>PAR% for each risk factor for ischemic stroke.</p

Characteristics of case and control patients.

<p>Characteristics of case and control patients.</p

Odds ratios (95% CI) for ischemic stroke: results of a logistic regression adjusting for hypertension, diabetes and smoking status.

<p>Odds ratios (95% CI) for ischemic stroke: results of a logistic regression adjusting for hypertension, diabetes and smoking status.</p

Cardiac Surgery in Jehovah's Witness Patients: Experience of a Brazilian Tertiary Hospital

<div><p>Abstract Introduction: The outcomes of Jehovah's Witness (JW) patients submitted to open heart surgery may vary across countries and communities. The aim of this study was to describe the morbidity and mortality of JW patients undergoing cardiac surgery in a tertiary hospital center in Southern Brazil. Methods: A case-control study was conducted including all JW patients submitted to cardiac surgery from 2008 to 2016. Three consecutive surgical non-JW controls were matched to each selected JW patient. The preoperative risk of death was estimated through the mean EuroSCORE II. Results: We studied 16 JW patients with a mean age of 60.6±12.1 years. The non-JW group included 48 patients with a mean age of 63.3±11.1 years (P=0.416). Isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgery was the most frequent surgery performed in both groups. Median EuroSCORE II was 1.29 (IQR: 0.66-3.08) and 1.43 (IQR: 0.72-2.63), respectively (P=0.988). The mortality tended to be higher in JW patients (18.8% vs. 4.2%, P=0.095), and there was a higher difference between the predicted and observed mortality in JW patients compared with controls (4.1 and 18.8% vs. 2.1 and 4.2%). More JW patients needed hemodialysis in the postoperative period (20.0 vs. 2.1%, P=0.039). Conclusion: We showed a high rate of in-hospital mortality in JW patients submitted to cardiac surgery. The EuroSCORE II may underestimate the surgical risk in these patients.</p></div

Characteristics of study population (n = 448).

<p>Characteristics of study population (n = 448).</p

Retinal Assessment System used to determine vessel caliber.

<p>Retinal Assessment System used to determine vessel caliber.</p

Three dimension scatter plot of arteriolar caliber (μm), 24-hours mean systolic BP (mm Hg), and venular caliber (μm).

<p>The circles were drawn at the locations specified by the vectors x, y, and z for arteriolar caliber, 24-hours systolic BP, and venular caliber.</p

Correlation between Very Short and Short-Term Blood Pressure Variability in Diabetic-Hypertensive and Healthy Subjects

<div><p>Abstract Background: Blood pressure (BP) variability can be evaluated by 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring (24h-ABPM), but its concordance with results from finger BP measurement (FBPM) has not been established yet. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare parameters of short-term (24h-ABPM) with very short-term BP variability (FBPM) in healthy (C) and diabetic-hypertensive (DH) subjects. Methods: Cross-sectional study with 51 DH subjects and 12 C subjects who underwent 24h-ABPM [extracting time-rate, standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variation (CV)] and short-term beat-to-beat recording at rest and after standing-up maneuvers [FBPM, extracting BP and heart rate (HR) variability parameters in the frequency domain, autoregressive spectral analysis]. Spearman correlation coefficient was used to correlate BP and HR variability parameters obtained from both FBPM and 24h-ABPM (divided into daytime, nighttime, and total). Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: There was a circadian variation of BP levels in C and DH groups; systolic BP and time-rate were higher in DH subjects in all periods evaluated. In C subjects, high positive correlations were shown between time-rate index (24h-ABPM) and LF component of short-term variability (FBPM, total, R = 0.591, p = 0.043); standard deviation (24h-ABPM) with LF component BPV (FBPM, total, R = 0.608, p = 0.036), coefficient of variation (24h-ABPM) with total BPV (FBPM, daytime, -0.585, p = 0.046) and alpha index (FBPM, daytime, -0.592, p = 0.043), time rate (24h-ABPM) and delta LF/HF (FBPM, total, R = 0.636, p = 0.026; daytime R = 0,857, p < 0.001). Records obtained from DH showed weak positive correlations. Conclusions: Indices obtained from 24h-ABPM (total, daytime) reflect BP and HR variability evaluated by FBPM in healthy individuals. This does not apply for DH subjects.</p></div

Characteristics associated with heavy alcohol consumption among HIV-infected patients and individuals from the general population.

<p>Characteristics associated with heavy alcohol consumption among HIV-infected patients and individuals from the general population.</p

Characteristics of subjects HIV-infected and the general population from southern Brazil [% or mean (SD)].

<p>Characteristics of subjects HIV-infected and the general population from southern Brazil [% or mean (SD)].</p