The "rule of halves" does not apply in Peru: awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension and diabetes in rural, urban, and rural-to-urban migrants

Trends in cardiometabolic risk factors according to body mass index in Peru between 2015 and 2023

BACKGROUND

Global evidence has shown rising trends in the prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors. Whether the same trends are observed according to body mass index (BMI) cut-offs is unknown, though critical to focus on specific BMI populations.

METHODS

We conducted a pooled analysis of national health surveys in Peru, grouped into three-year periods (2015-17 [n = 97,079], 2018-20 [n = 98,540], 2021-23 [n = 94,850]). BMI (kg/m²) was classified into four categories: normal weight (18-24.9), overweight (25-29.9), obesity I (30-34.9), and obesity II (≥35). For each period-BMI category, we computed the age-sex-standardized prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors: raised blood pressure with and without self-reported antihypertensive treatment, self-reported diabetes with and without treatment, daily smoking, alcohol consumption in the last month, and fruits/vegetables consumption in the last week.

RESULTS

The proportion of people with raised blood pressure increased in the overweight and obesity groups, with the largest increase observed in the obesity II group (22 % relative increase). Diabetes prevalence rose substantially among normal weight (89 %) and overweight individuals (58 %). Smoking, alcohol, and fruit/vegetable consumption showed no major changes across BMI categories.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of raised blood pressure has increased between 2015 and 17 and 2020-23, with greater increases observed in the overweight and obesity groups; conversely, the prevalence of self-reported diabetes has increased across BMI categories. These findings highlight the need for tailored interventions targeting both overweight/obese individuals and normal weight populations with diabetes risk.

Hypertension Prevalence, Awareness, Treatment, Control and Risk Factors in Tribal Population of India: a Multi-Centric Cross-Sectional Study

The prevalence of hypertension is increasing in the tribal population of India. Lifestyle modifications, including dietary changes and acculturation, are the main reasons for the high prevalence of hypertension among the Indian indigenous (tribal) population. This paper reports hypertension prevalence, awareness, treatment, control and risk factors among tribes in five districts of different geographical zones of India. A cross-sectional study was conducted among the adult tribal population of 7590 from these states. Data related to blood pressure, anthropometry, demographic and behavioural variables were collected with prior consent from the participants. The prevalence of hypertension is 34.0% and 28.3% among men and women, respectively. Of the total hypertensives, 27.5% were aware of their hypertension status; of them, 83.9% were receiving treatment, and blood pressure was in control among 33.5% of patients who were receiving treatment. Age, alcohol intake, sedentary lifestyle, Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups status and body mass index are found to be significantly associated with the prevalence of hypertension. The prevalence of hypertension is high among these tribal populations, which could be due to modernization and acculturation. Awareness and treatment-seeking behaviour are poor. Hence, early screening, awareness campaigns for seeking treatment, and health promotion are immediately required. Comprehensive health promotion programs need to promote lifestyle modification and re-orientation of the primary health care system to improve availability and accessibility to hypertension screening and treatment.

Addressing Hypertension and Diabetes through Community-Engaged Systems (ANDES) in Puno, Peru: rationale and study protocol for a hybrid type 2 effectiveness and implementation randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Hypertension is the most common cardiovascular disease in Peru despite the availability of cost-effective, evidence-based treatment. Here we describe the rationale and study design for a hybrid type 2 randomized controlled trial to test the implementation and effectiveness of a community health worker (CHW)-led hypertension control program within the national primary care system in Puno, Peru.

METHODS

We will recruit 1068 adult participants with hypertension aged ≥ 18 years in Puno, Peru, via facility-based enrollment and community health fairs. Participants will be individually randomized (1:1) to either continue with usual care or participate in a 12-month CHW-led home-based hypertension control program consisting of blood pressure monitoring, medication adherence support, and healthy lifestyle counseling. Outcome development and reporting are guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework, and the Proctor et al. framework. Clinical effectiveness outcomes include mean change in systolic blood pressure (primary outcome), diastolic blood pressure, and HbA1C. Implementation outcomes include fidelity (i.e., CHW protocol adherence and dose), reach, adoption, sustainability, acceptability, and cost-effectiveness.

DISCUSSION

The ANDES trial is testing the first CHW-led multicomponent strategy for hypertension and type 2 diabetes management in Peru. This type 2 hybrid trial will provide critical insights into the individual, community, and system-level factors necessary for successful implementation and effectiveness. These data can inform the future adaptation and scaling of the ANDES strategy in Peru and other LMICs, as well as influence policies at the system level to support this transition. Furthermore, by addressing both hypertension and diabetes, the ANDES strategy supports integrated care approaches advocated by the WHO HEARTS technical package, ultimately enhancing health outcomes and reducing morbidity and mortality in the region.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT05524987 , Addressing Hypertension and Diabetes through Community-Engaged Systems in Puno, Peru (ANDES study), prospectively registered on September 1, 2021.

The worldwide trend in diabetes awareness, treatment, and control from 1985 to 2022: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 233 population-representative studies

Background

With the rapid increase in the prevalence of DM, studies on the awareness, treatment, and control of this condition are essential. Therefore, this study aimed to review the literature and pool the awareness, treatment, and control of diabetes at the global, regional, and national levels.

Methods

In this systematic review and meta-analysis, several databases, including MEDLINE/PubMed, Institute of Scientific Information (ISI), Scopus, and Google Scholar, were searched using appropriate keywords up to June 2022. Observational studies investigating the awareness, treatment, and control of glucose levels among diabetic individuals were included. Awareness, treatment, and control were defined as the proportion of participants who were aware of their diabetes condition, treated pharmacologically, and achieved adequate glucose control, respectively. Two investigators independently conducted the study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment. Heterogeneity among studies was calculated using Chi-square, and a random-effect meta-analysis was used to pool the rates.

Results

A total of 233 studies published between 1985 and 2022 met the inclusion criteria. The included studies had a combined population of 12,537,968. The pooled awareness of DM was 60% (95%CI: 56-63) and ranged from 41% (25-57) in low-income countries to 68% (64-72) in high-income countries, with no significant trend observed over the assessed periods at the global level. The pooled treatment of DM globally was 45% (42-48) and varied from 37% (31-43) in lower-middle-income countries to 53% (47-59) in high-income countries, showing variation over the examined time period. Before 2000, the proportion of adequate DM control was 16% (12-20), which significantly improved and reached 22% (19-25) after 2010. The pooled awareness, treatment, and control of DM were higher in females, high-income countries, and urban areas compared to males, upper and lower-middle-income countries, and rural areas, respectively. The older adults population had higher awareness and treatment rates than the adult population, but their DM control did not differ significantly.

Conclusion

Despite the high level of awareness and treatment among the diabetic population, treatment success (control) is considerably low, particularly in low-income countries and rural areas. It is crucial to improve awareness, treatment, and control by strengthening the primary care system in all countries.

Multimorbidity and acute infectious diseases in urban and semi-urban settings in Peru: A mixed-methods study

Background

The co-occurrence of chronic diseases and acute infectious events exacerbates disability and diminishes quality of life, yet research in Low- and Middle-Income countries is scarce. We aimed to investigate the relationship between infectious events and multimorbidity in resource-constrained settings.

Methods

We conducted a sequential mixed-method study in Lima and Tumbes, Peru, with participants having multimorbidity from the CRONICAS Cohort Study. They completed a questionnaire on the occurrence, treatment, and health-seeking behaviour related to acute infectious events. Qualitative interviews explored the perceptions and links between multimorbidity and acute infectious events for a subgroup of participants.

Findings

Among individuals with multimorbidity, low awareness of chronic conditions and poor medication adherence. The cumulative incidence for respiratory and gastrointestinal infections, the most reported acute conditions, was 2.0 [95%CI: 1.8-2.2] and 1.6 [1.2-1.9] events per person per year, respectively. Individuals with cancer (6.4 [1.6-11.2] events per person per year) or gastrointestinal reflux (7.2 [4.4-10.1] events per person per year) reported higher cumulative incidence of infectious events than others, such as those with cardiovascular and metabolic conditions (5.2 [4.6-5.8] events per person per year). Those with three or more chronic conditions had a slightly higher cumulative incidence compared with individuals with two conditions (5.7 [4.4-7.0] vs 5.0 [4.4-5.6] events per person per year). Around 40% of individuals with multimorbidity sought healthcare assistance, while others chose drugstores or didn't seek help. Our qualitative analysis showed diverse perceptions among participants regarding the connections between chronic and acute conditions. Those who recognized a connection emphasized the challenges in managing these interactions.

Interpretation

Our study advances understanding of multimorbidity challenges in resource-limited settings, highlighting the impact of acute infections on patients' existing multimorbidity burden.

Prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of high blood pressure in a cohort in Northern Andean Peru

BACKGROUND

Gaps exist along the high blood pressure (HBP) diagnosis-treatment-control pathway in high, low and middle-income countries.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence of HBP and to describe the levels of awareness, control and treatment of HBP in the rural Peruvian Andes.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study is embedded into a multigenerational cohort. We analysed data of all adult participants aged ≥ 30 years (n = 2752) who answered a baseline health and lifestyle questionnaire and underwent a physical examination, which included three blood pressure readings. HBP was defined as measured systolic or diastolic blood pressure (BP) ≥140 and/or 90 mm Hg and/or self-reported physician-diagnosed hypertension and/or self-reported antihypertensive intake. The determinants of the prevalence of HBP, unawareness of HBP and uncontrolled HBP were assessed using mixed-effect logistic regressions.

RESULTS

HBP was present in 18.9% of the participants. Of those with measured HBP, 72.2% were unaware of their HBP. Among those with a diagnosed or medically treated hypertension, 58.4% had uncontrolled HBP. The prevalence of HBP was higher in women (OR: 1.12, CI: 1.02-1.24), increased with age (OR: 1.01, CI: 1.01-1.01) and the presence of family history of hypertension (OR: 1.15, CI: 1.08-1.24), and decreased with healthier lifestyle score (OR: 0.93, CI: 0.91-0.95). Unawareness of HBP was lower among women (OR: 0.56, CI: 0.38-0.83), higher among participants living over 3000 m Above Sea Level (OR: 1.15, CI: 1.03-1.27) and decreased with age (OR: 0.99, CI: 0.98-0.99).

CONCLUSIONS

Unawareness of HBP was high, few HTN patients received treatment and BP remained high in the presence of antihypertensive treatment.

Weight variation increases the risk of death during the intensive phase of treatment among MDR-TB patients: A retrospective study

Objective

To estimate the predictors of death during intensive phase of Multidrug resistant tuberculosis treatment according to the weight of patients at the time of diagnosed.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted at three public hospitals in the Lahore, Punjab region, namely Jinnah Hospital, Mayo Hospital and Gulab Devi Hospital on 1,496 patients receiving treatment for MDR-TB from January 2018 to December 2020. Data were collected from electronically nominating and recording system of the hospitals. Data were fitted to Cox proportional hazards regression model with 95% confidence interval (CI) to evaluate the associations between predictors of death and weight of MDR-TB patients during the intensive phase of treatment.

Results

This analysis revealed a MDR-TB mortality rate of 30% and the mortality rate due to MDR-TB during the intensive phase of treatment was 23%. The variables related to increased mortality among underweight patients were age more than 60 years (HR: 0.398, 95% CI: 0.314-0.504) , diabetes (HR: 1.496, 95% CI: 1.165-1.921), current smoking (HR: 0.465, 95% CI: 0.222-0.973), history of MDR-TB (HR: 0.701, 95% CI: 0.512-0.959) and culture positive at the time of diagnosed (HR: 0.499, 95% CI: 0.379-0.659) during the intensive phase of treatment.

Conclusion

The high mortality rate among the underweight MDR-TB patients during the intensive phase of the treatment requires the nutritional support for malnourishment and ensured a close follow-up of the elderly patients with co-morbidities as well as family history of Tuberculosis.

Is city-level travel time by car associated with individual obesity or diabetes in Latin American cities? Evidence from 178 cities in the SALURBAL project

There is growing evidence that longer travel time by private car poses physical and mental risks. Individual-level obesity and diabetes, two of the main public health challenges in low- and middle-income contexts, could be associated to city-level travel times by car. We used individual obesity and diabetes data from national health surveys from individuals in 178 Latin American cities, compiled and harmonized by the SALURBAL project. We calculated city-level travel times by car using the Google Maps Distance Matrix API. We estimated associations between peak hour city-level travel time by car and obesity and diabetes using multilevel logistic regression models, while adjusting for individual characteristics and other city-level covariates. In our study we did not observe a relationship between city-level peak-hour travel time by car and individual obesity and diabetes, as reported in previous research for individual time spent in vehicles in high-income settings. Our results suggest that this relationship may be more complex in Latin America compared to other settings, especially considering that cities in the region are characterized by high degrees of population density and compactness and by a higher prevalence of walking and public transportation use.

Disparities in Prevalence and Barriers to Hypertension Control: A Systematic Review

Controlling hypertension (HTN) remains a challenge, as it is affected by various factors in different settings. This study aimed to describe the disparities in the prevalence and barriers to hypertension control across countries of various income categories. Three scholarly databases-ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Google Scholar-were systematically examined using predefined search terms to identify potentially relevant studies. Original research articles published in English between 2011 and 2022 that reported the prevalence and barriers to HTN control were included. A total of 33 studies were included in this systematic review. Twenty-three studies were conducted in low and middle-income countries (LMIC), and ten studies were from high-income countries (HIC). The prevalence of hypertension control in the LMIC and HIC studies ranged from (3.8% to 50.4%) to (36.3% to 69.6%), respectively. Concerning barriers to hypertension control, patient-related barriers were the most frequently reported (n = 20), followed by medication adherence barriers (n = 10), lifestyle-related barriers (n = 8), barriers related to the affordability and accessibility of care (n = 8), awareness-related barriers (n = 7), and, finally, barriers related to prescribed pharmacotherapy (n = 6). A combination of more than one category of barriers was frequently encountered, with 59 barriers reported overall across the 33 studies. This work reported disparities in hypertension control and barriers across studies conducted in LMIC and HIC. Recognizing the multifactorial nature of the barriers to hypertension control, particularly in LMIC, is crucial in designing and implementing customized interventions.

Association between glycemic control and albuminuria among Peruvian adults with diabetes mellitus 2: a cross-sectional analytical study

BACKGROUND

Albuminuria is a risk factor for microvascular and macrovascular complications in the diabetic population. However, few studies have correlated poor glycemic control and albuminuria prevalence in Hispanic populations.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association between glycemic control and albuminuria among Peruvian adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

DESIGN AND SETTING

Cross-sectional analytical study among adults with T2DM in Lima, Peru.

METHODS

We included adults over 18 years old who were in a clinical follow-up program at a private clinic in Lima in 2018. Poor glycemic control was defined as a serum value of glycosylated hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) ≥ 7%. Albuminuria was defined as albumin values > 30 mg/dl in the first morning urine. We generated generalized linear regression models from the Poisson family with robust variance. We calculated the crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs) with their 95% confidence interval (CI).

RESULTS

We analyzed 907 participants of median age 58 years (interquartile range, IQR 49 to 66), and 62.8% were males. The prevalence of poor glycemic control was 39.8%, and the prevalence of albuminuria was 22.7%. The prevalences of albuminuria in groups with poor glycemic control and adequate glycemic control were 32.7% and 16.1%, respectively. In the adjusted regression analysis, we found a statistically significant association between poor glycemic control and albuminuria (annual percentage rate, aPR = 1.70; 95% CI: 1.28-2.27).

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of poor glycemic control and albuminuria was high in our study population. Moreover, Peruvian T2DM adults with poor glycemic control were more likely to have albuminuria.

Rural-Urban Differences in Diabetes Care and Control in 42 Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Cross-sectional Study of Nationally Representative Individual-Level Data

OBJECTIVE

Diabetes prevalence is increasing rapidly in rural areas of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), but there are limited data on the performance of health systems in delivering equitable and effective care to rural populations. We therefore assessed rural-urban differences in diabetes care and control in LMICs.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We pooled individual-level data from nationally representative health surveys in 42 countries. We used Poisson regression models to estimate age-adjusted differences in the proportion of individuals with diabetes in rural versus urban areas achieving performance measures for the diagnosis, treatment, and control of diabetes and associated cardiovascular risk factors. We examined differences across the pooled sample, by sex, and by country.

RESULTS

The pooled sample from 42 countries included 840,110 individuals (35,404 with diabetes). Compared with urban populations with diabetes, rural populations had ∼15-30% lower relative risk of achieving performance measures for diabetes diagnosis and treatment. Rural populations with diagnosed diabetes had a 14% (95% CI 5-22%) lower relative risk of glycemic control, 6% (95% CI -5 to 16%) lower relative risk of blood pressure control, and 23% (95% CI 2-39%) lower relative risk of cholesterol control. Rural women with diabetes had lower achievement of performance measures relating to control than urban women, whereas among men, differences were small.

CONCLUSIONS

Rural populations with diabetes experience substantial inequities in the achievement of diabetes performance measures in LMICs. Programs and policies aiming to strengthen global diabetes care must consider the unique challenges experienced by rural populations.

Is the rule of halves in hypertension valid uniformly across India? A cross-sectional analysis of national family health survey-4 data

Background

Hypertension is widely prevalent across India. The rule of halves is commonly used to describe the attrition and gaps in the care cascade of hypertension management across detection, availing treatment, and having controlled blood pressure (BP) on treatment.

Objectives

Using nationally representative data, we aimed to assess the rule of halves in hypertension management in different states of India and across sociodemographic, health system, and personal factors.

Methods

A descriptive analysis of secondary data from the National Family Health Survey-4 was conducted. We included 770,662 individuals (112,122 men and 658,540 nonpregnant women) of 15-49 years of age. The proportion of individuals not aware of hypertension status among those with high BP, known hypertensives not availing of treatment, and uncontrolled BP among those on treatment were expressed as percentage with a 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

Of those with high BP, 48.5% (95% CI: 47.8%-49.3%) were not aware of their hypertensive status. Among known hypertensives, 72% (95% CI: 71.2%-72.8%) had not availed treatment for hypertension. Among those on treatment, 39.8% (95% CI: 38.7%-40.9%) had uncontrolled hypertension.

Conclusion

The rule of halves of India shows that the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases, and Stroke has made relatively good progress with the detection of hypertension and achieving BP control among those on treatment. However, with three-fourth of known hypertensives not availing treatment, more dividends from the detection of hypertension efforts could be realized. The program needs to especially focus on ensuring the treatment for those detected with hypertension.

Variation in appropriate diabetes care and treatment targets in urban and rural areas in England: an observational study of the 'rule of halves'

OBJECTIVES

To estimate the 'rule of halves' for diabetes care for urban and rural areas in England using several data sources covering the period 2015-2017; and to examine the extent to which any differences in urban and rural settings are explained by population characteristics and the workforce supply of primary care providers (general practices).

DESIGN

A retrospective observational study.

SETTING

Populations resident in predominantly urban and rural areas in England (2015-2017).

PARTICIPANTS

N=33 336 respondents to the UK Household Longitudinal Survey in urban and rural settings in England; N=4913 general practices in England reporting to the National Diabetes Audit and providing workforce data to NHS Digital.

OUTCOMES

Diabetes prevalence; administrative records of diagnoses of diabetes; provision of (all eight) recommended diabetes care processes; diabetes treatment targets.

RESULTS

Diabetes prevalence was higher in urban areas in England (7.80% (95% CI 7.30% to 8.31%)) relative to rural areas (7.24% (95% CI 6.32% to 8.16%)). For practices in urban areas, relatively fewer cases of diabetes were recorded in administrative medical records (69.55% vs 71.86%), and a smaller percentage of those registered received the appropriate care (45.85% vs 49.32%). Among estimated prevalent cases of diabetes, urban areas have a 24.84% achieving these targets compared with 25.16% in rural areas. However, adjusted analyses showed that the performance of practices in urban areas in providing appropriate care quality was not significantly different from practices in rural areas.

CONCLUSIONS

The 'rule of halves' is not an accurate description of the actual pattern across the diabetes care pathway in England. More than half of the estimated urban and rural diabetes population are registered with clinical practices and have access to treatment. However, less than half of those registered for treatment have achieved treatment targets. Appropriate care quality was associated with a greater proportion of patients with diabetes achieving treatment targets.

Population-based stroke incidence estimates in Peru: Exploratory results from the CRONICAS cohort study

BACKGROUND

Limited information exists about the incidence of first-ever stroke at the population level, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Longitudinal data from the CRONICAS Cohort Study includes both altitude and urbanization and allows a detailed assessment of stroke incidence in resource constrained settings. The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence and explore risk factors of first-ever stroke at the population level in Peru.

METHODS

Stroke was defined using a standardised approach based on information from cohort participants or family members. This information was adjudicated centrally by trained physicians using common definitions. Time of follow-up was calculated as the difference between date of enrolment and the reported date of the stroke event. Unstandardised and age-standardised, first-ever stroke incidence rate and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated. Generalized linear models, assuming Poisson distribution and link log, were utilized to determine potential factors to develop stroke.

FINDINGS

3,601 individuals were originally enrolled in the cohort and 2,471 provided data for the longitudinal analysis. The median time of follow-up was 7.0 (range: 1 - 9) years, accruing a total of 17,308 person-years. During followup, there were 25 incident cases of stroke, resulting in an age-standardised incidence of stroke of 98.8 (95% CI: 63.8 - 154.0) per 100,000 person-years. After adjustment by age and sex, stroke incidence was higher among people with hypertension (incidence risk ratio (IRR) = 5.18; 95% CI: 1.89 - 14.16), but lower among people living at high altitude (IRR = 0.09; 95% CI: 0.01 - 0.63).

INTERPRETATION

Our results indicate a high incidence of first-ever strokes in Peruvian general population. These results are consistent with the estimates found in previous LMIC reports. Our study also found a contributing role of hypertension, increasing the risk of having a first-ever stroke. This work further advances the field of stroke epidemiology by identifying high altitude as a factor related to lower incidence of stroke in a longitudinal study. However, this information needs to be considered with cautions because of the study limitations.

Cascades of diabetes and hypertension care in Samoa: Identifying gaps in the diagnosis, treatment, and control continuum - a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Samoa is a Pacific Island country facing one of the highest burdens of non-communicable disease globally.

METHODS

In this study, we apply a cascade-of-care approach to understand gaps in the awareness, treatment, and control cascade of diabetes and hypertension in a cross-sectional, convenience sample of 703 young, high-risk Samoan adults (29.5-50.9 years).

FINDINGS

Non-communicable diseases were prevalent in the study sample: 19.5% (95% CI: 16.6%-22.7%) of participants had diabetes; 47.6% (95% CI: 43.7%-51.4%) presented with pre-diabetes or diabetes; 31.0% (95% CI: 27.5%-34.6%) had hypertension; and nearly 90% (95% CI: 86.7%-91.5%) had overweight or obesity. Among those with diabetes and hypertension, only 20.5% (95% CI: 13.9%-28.4%) and 11.8% (95% CI: 7.8%-16.9%) of participants were aware of their condition, respectively. Only 0.8% (95% CI: 0.0%-4.2%) of all participants with diabetes had achieved glycemic control; only 2.8% (95% CI: 1.1%-6.1%) of those with hypertension achieved control.

INTERPRETATION

We found a significant burden of diabetes and hypertension in Samoa, exceeding the recent prevalence estimates of other low- to middle-income countries by nearly two-fold. A severe unmet need in both detection and subsequent control and monitoring of these chronic conditions exists. Our results suggest that the initial diagnosis and surveillance stage in the cascade of care for chronic conditions should be a major focus of primary care efforts; national screening campaigns and programs that leverage village and district nurses to deliver community-based primary care may significantly impact gap closure in the NCD cascade.

FUNDING

This study was supported by the U.S. National Institutes of Health R01HL140570 (PIs: McGarvey and DeLany); AR was supported by NIH FIC D43TW010540; HK and AR-C were supported by the Minority Health and Health Disparities International Research Training (MHIRT) Program at Brown University, NIH Grant # 5T37MD008655.

Multimorbidity in Latin America and the Caribbean: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the pooled prevalence of multimorbidity (≥2 non-communicable diseases in the same individual) among adults of the general population of Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC).

DESIGN

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

DATA SOURCES

MEDLINE, Embase, Global Health, Scopus and LILACS up to 1 July 2020.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES

The outcome was the prevalence of multimorbidity. Reports were selected whether they enrolled adult individuals (age ≥18 years) from the general population.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

Reviewers extracted relevant data and assessed risk of bias independently. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted to report pooled prevalence estimates of multimorbidity; pooled estimates by pre-specified subgroups (eg, national studies) were also pursued.

RESULTS

From 5830 results, we selected 28 reports, mostly from Brazil and 16 were based on a nationally representative sample. From the 28 selected reports, 26 were further included in the meta-analysis revealing a pooled multimorbidity prevalence of 43% (95% CI: 35% to 51%; I²: 99.9%). When only reports with a nationally representative sample were combined, the pooled prevalence was 37% (95% CI: 27% to 47%; I²: 99.9%). When the ascertainment of multimorbidity was based on self-reports alone, the pooled prevalence was 40% (95% CI: 31% to 48%; I²: 99.9%); this raised to 52% (95% CI: 33% to 70%; I²: 99.9%) for reports including self-reported and objective diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results complement and advance those from global efforts by incorporating much more reports from LAC. We revealed a larger presence of multimorbidity in LAC than previously reported.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42020196177.

Diagnostic accuracy of ADA 2020 criteria for undiagnosed diabetes in a Peruvian population

AIMS

To assess the prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes (UDD) and the diagnostic accuracy of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) criteria to detect UDD cases in a Peruvian population.

METHODS

Population-based cross-sectional study. UDD was defined using fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 2-hour post-prandial plasma glucose (2 h-PPG), and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) traditional cut-offs. Diagnostic accuracy was estimated using areas under the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve, compared with the combination of oral glucose tolerance test (FPG plus 2 h-PPG) plus HbA1c as gold standard.

RESULTS

1609 subjects were evaluated; mean age 48.2 (SD: 10.6) years, 50.3% were women. A total of 179 (11.3%) subjects were classified as having diabetes, 41.3% of them had UDD. Area under the curve for FPG, 2 h-PPG and HbA1c was 86.5% (95% CI: 81.4-91.6%); 87.2% (95% CI: 82.2-92.2%) and 80.4% (95% CI: 74.8-86.0%), respectively. FPG sensitivity was 73.0%, whereas this value was 74.3% for 2 h-PPG and 60.8% for HbA1c. Of 74 UDD cases, 45 were positive for HbA1c, 54 for FPG and 55 for 2 h-PPG.

CONCLUSIONS

41.3% of people with diabetes do not know their diagnosis. Diagnostic accuracy of FPG and 2 h-PPG was higher than HbA1c. The most sensitive combination of two tests to detect UDD cases was FPG plus 2 h-PPG.

Short-term trends in the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of arterial hypertension in Peru

The prevalence of hypertension has been declining in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean. However, we have not identified studies that evaluate trends for awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in LMIC. We aimed to describe the trends in the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in Peru. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using secondary data (4 years) of the Demographic and Health Survey of Peru (ENDES, Spanish acronym), which is conducted annually and is representative at the country level. The age-standardized prevalence was estimated using the World Health Organization population as the reference population. The trend over time was evaluated with the score test for trend of odds. A total of 109,401 participants were included. In Peru, from 2015 to 2018, the age-standardized prevalence of hypertension increased (p < 0.001), while the proportion of people with disease awareness (p < 0.001) and controlled hypertension decreased (p = 0.01). During that same period, the proportion of people with treatment for hypertension did not vary over time (p = 0.13). In 2018, the age-standardized prevalence of hypertension was 20.6%, and the proportion of people with disease awareness, treatment, and control of arterial hypertension was 43.5%, 20.6%, 5.3%, respectively. People with low socioeconomic status and people living in rural areas have the lowest proportion of awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension.

Static and Dynamic Pupillary Responses in Patients with Different Stages of Diabetic Retinopathy

This study aimed to investigate pupillary involvement in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and to evaluate whether there is a relationship between severity of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and pupillary responses. The study included 133 individuals in four groups: proliferative DR, non-proliferative DR, DM group without retinal involvement and a control group. Static pupillometry measurements including scotopic pupil diameter (PD), mesopic PD, low photopic PD, high photopic PD, and dynamic pupillometry measurements, including resting diameter, amplitude, latency, velocity, duration of pupil contraction and latency, duration, and velocity of pupil dilatation were taken using an automated quantitative pupillometry system. The correlations between glycosylated haemoglobin values and duration of DM with these parameters were also investigated. The study showed that patients with DR may also have diabetic autonomic neuropathy and pupillometry can be a useful screening tool for detecting diabetic autonomic neuropathy.

Effect of a salt-reduction strategy on blood pressure and acceptability among customers of a food concessionaire in Lima, Peru

AIM

Limited information exists regarding the implementation of salt reduction strategies on collective food services, such as restaurants and food concessionaires. The present study aimed to assess the effect of a salt reduction strategy on blood pressure levels and food acceptability among customers of a food concessionaire.

METHODS

A quasi-experimental study with two phases was conducted. In the pre-intervention phase, the amount of salt used in food preparation was determined. In the intervention phase, a reduction of 20% in salt added to food preparations was implemented. Four hedonic tests and two blood pressure measurements were performed before and after the intervention implementation using standardised techniques. In addition, an evaluation of uneaten food was conducted daily on all customers' plates. Mixed linear regression models were generated to assess the effect of the intervention on blood pressure and acceptability.

RESULTS

A total of 71 workers were evaluated, mean age of 37.5 years, 57.8% females, who consumed the food of the concessionaire, on average, 4.4 (SD: 0.7) days per week. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were reduced by 3.1 (P < 0.001) and 2.9 (P < 0.001) mmHg at the end of the study, respectively. The results of the hedonic tests and the uneaten food before and after the intervention did not vary significantly.

CONCLUSIONS

The reduction of 20% of salt added to food from a concessionaire had a positive impact on the reduction of customers' blood pressure without reducing food acceptability. This strategy could be implemented in other contexts.

Hypertension prevalence and risk factors among residents of four slum communities: population-representative findings from Port-au-Prince, Haiti

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of hypertension and its risk factors among adults in four slum communities in Port-au-Prince.

METHODS

Cluster area random sampling was used to select adults for a health and demographic survey, including anthropometric measurements. Hypertension was defined as SBP at least 140 mmHg and/or DBP at least 90 mmHg, or current hypertension treatment, and was age-standardized to WHO world population. Correlates of hypertension were tested using sex-stratified logistic regression.

RESULTS

Overall, 20.3% of adults had hypertension (28.5% age-standardized), including 22.3% of men and 18.9% of women. Three percent of participants reported current hypertension treatment, and 49.5% of them had their hypertension controlled. Overweight/obesity (BMI ≥25) was the most common risk factor (20.6% among men, 48.5% among women), while smoking was less common (11.8 and 3.9%, respectively). Increasing age and hypertension prevalence in immediate surroundings were associated with greater odds of hypertension. Among men, having in-migrated in the 3 years prior (versus ≥3 years) was also associated with hypertension [adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=3.32, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.79-6.17], as was overweight and obesity (aOR = 1.90, 95% CI: 1.09-3.33, and aOR = 5.73, 95% CI: 2.49-13.19, respectively) and nonreceipt of needed medical care in the preceding 6 months (aOR = 2.82, 95% CI: 1.35-5.88) among women.

CONCLUSION

Hypertension prevalence was high across the age spectrum, in addition to substantial levels of overweight/obesity and unmet healthcare needs. It is important to better understand the possible effects of intraurban migration and environmental risk factors on hypertension and ensure that the benefits of increasingly cost-effective prevention and treatment programmes extend to slum residents.

Inequalities in Structural Social Capital and Health between Migrant and Local Hypertensive Patients

BACKGROUND

Inequality in health between migrant and local hypertensive patients is an important public health concern. This study aims to examine the associations of registration status with structural social capital and health of hypertensive patients, as well as how structural social capital operates in the relationship between registration status and health.

METHODS

We conducted an on-site based cross-sectional study in Shenzhen, China. A total of 1046 participants completed the survey. Information with respect to structural social capital, subjective and objective health outcomes was collected. Multiple logistic or linear regression models were used to test the associations across registration status, structural social capital and health outcomes.

RESULTS

The findings show that migrant hypertensive patients have lower structural social capital in terms of social contacts (10.87 vs. 10.41; β = -0.457, 95% CI: -0.866, -0.048) and poorer health outcomes, i.e., blood pressure control (56.4 vs. 43.6%; OR = 0.557, 95% CI: 0.364, 0.852) when compared to the local individuals. Meanwhile, individuals with lower structural social capital report poorer self-rated health. However, the differences in structural social capital between migrant and local hypertensives explain only a small proportion of the large inequalities in blood pressure control.

CONCLUSIONS

Inequalities exist between migrant and local hypertensives in objective but not subjective health outcomes. Structural social capital associates with subjective health outcomes of hypertensive patients only. A modest extent of medication is found by structural social capital of registration health inequalities. Our study suggests that growing contacts providing support for migrant hypertensive patients should be an important goal of future strategies and policies. It also highlights the need for more research on mediating and moderating mechanisms in order to understand the relationship between registration status and health outcomes among hypertensive patients.

Diagnostic accuracy of the Finnish Diabetes Risk Score (FINDRISC) for undiagnosed T2DM in Peruvian population

AIMS

To assess the diagnostic accuracy of the Finnish Diabetes Risk Score (FINDRISC) for undiagnosed T2DM and to compare its performance with the Latin-American FINDRISC (LA-FINDRISC) and the Peruvian Risk Score.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A population-based study was conducted. T2DM and undiagnosed T2DM were defined using oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Risk scores assessed were FINDRISC, LA-FINDRISC and Peruvian Risk Score. Diagnostic accuracy of risk scores was estimated using the c-statistic and the area under the ROC curve (aROC). A simplified version of FINDRISC was also derived.

RESULTS

Data from 1609 individuals, mean age 48.2 (SD: 10.6), 810 (50.3%) women, were collected. A total of 176 (11.0%; 95%CI: 9.4%-12.5%) were classified as having T2DM, and 71 (4.7%; 95%CI: 3.7%-5.8%) were classified as having undiagnosed T2DM. Diagnostic accuracy of the FINDRISC (aROC=0.69), LA-FINDRISC (aROC=0.68), and Peruvian Risk Score (aROC=0.64) was similar (p=0.15). The simplified FINDRISC, with 4 variables, had a slightly better performance (aROC=0.71) than the other scores.

CONCLUSION

The performance of FINDRISC, LA-FINDRISC and Peruvian Risk Score for undiagnosed T2DM was similar. A simplified FINDRISC can perform as well or better for undiagnosed T2DM. The FINDRISC may be useful to detect cases of undiagnosed T2DM in resource-constrained settings.

A divergence between underlying and final causes of death in selected conditions: an analysis of death registries in Peru

BACKGROUND

The underlying cause of death is used to study country and global mortality trends and profiles. The final cause of death could also inform the ultimately cause of death in individuals with underlying conditions. Whether there is a pattern between the underlying and final cause of death has not been explored using national death registries. We studied what final causes of death were most common among selected underlying causes using national death registries in Peru, 2015.

METHODS

Underlying and final causes of death were classified according to their ICD-10 codes. Underlying causes included chronic kidney disease (CKD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), hypertension (HTN), diabetes, and selected cancers (cervix, breast, stomach, prostate, and lung). Final causes were categorized as: communicable, cardiovascular, and cancers. Descriptive statistics were used.

RESULTS

A total of 77,065 death registries were analyzed; cases had a mean age of 69.4 (SD: 19.3) years at death and were mostly men (53.9%). When the underlying cause was HTN, the most frequent final cause was cardiovascular diseases (82.3%). For all the other underlying causes, the most frequent final cause was communicable diseases: COPD (86.4%), CKD (79.3%), cancer (76.5%), and diabetes (68.3%).

CONCLUSIONS

In four selected underlying causes of death there was a divergence with respect to the final cause, suggesting there was a shift from non-communicable to communicable causes. Although efforts should be deployed to prevent underlying non-communicable diseases, potential communicable complications should not be neglected.

Cognitive impairment and hypertension in older adults living in extreme poverty: a cross-sectional study in Peru

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have shown that hypertension is a risk factor for cognitive impairment, but whether this association is also present in extremely poor populations in Low Middle Income Countries settings remains to be studied. Understanding other drivers of cognitive impairment in this unique population also merits attention.

METHODS

We performed a secondary analysis using data from the "Encuesta de Salud y Bienestar del Adulto Mayor", a regional survey conducted in an extremely poor population of people older than 65 years old from 12 Peruvian cities in 2012. The outcome variable was cognitive impairment, determined by a score of ≤7 in the modified Mini-Mental State Examination. The exposure was self-reported hypertension status. Variables such as age, gender, controlled hypertension, education level, occupation, depression and area of living (rural/urban) were included in the adjusted analysis. We used Poisson regression with robust variance to calculate prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) adjusting for confounders.

RESULTS

Data from 3842 participants was analyzed, 51.8% were older than 70 years, and 45.6% were females. The prevalence of cognitive impairment was 1.7% (95% CI 1.3%-2.1%). There was no significant difference on the prevalence of cognitive impairment between the group of individuals with hypertension in comparison with those without hypertension (PR = 0.64, 95% CI 0.33-1.23).

CONCLUSIONS

The association described between hypertension and cognitive impairment was not found in a sample of extremely poor Peruvian older adults.

Global Shifts in Cardiovascular Disease, the Epidemiologic Transition, and Other Contributing Factors: Toward a New Practice of Global Health Cardiology

One of the major drivers of change in the practice of cardiology is population change. This article discusses the current debate about epidemiologic transition paired with other ongoing transitions with direct relevance to cardiovascular conditions. Challenges specific to patterns of risk factors over time; readiness for disease surveillance and meeting global targets; health system, prevention, and treatment efforts; and physiologic traits and human-environment interactions are identified. This article concludes that a focus on the most populated regions of the world will contribute substantially to protecting the large gains in global survival and life expectancy accrued over the last decades.

Patient acceptability of and readiness-to-pay for pharmacy-based health membership plans to improve hypertension outcomes in Lima, Peru

INTRODUCTION

Pharmacies have been used to improve population health in Peru and other countries globally, operating as a non-traditional health access point. A pharmacy-based model holds potential to improve patient management of hypertension, a leading risk factor for non-communicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries. The aim of this study was to evaluate patient acceptability of hypertension services and health membership plans, if offered through private pharmacies in the future.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted with 347 hypertensive individuals who purchased anti-hypertensive medications in a private pharmacy during the study period (July-October 2012). The study included a brief survey assessing patients' acceptability of and readiness-to-pay for pharmacy-based hypertension management services. Chi-square tests for differences in proportions were used to evaluate whether any demographic characteristics (e.g., binary variables for age, time since diagnosis, and type of medication usually purchased) could identify groups of hypertensive individuals that might be more or less likely to use pharmacy-based services. Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate associations between readiness-to-pay for pharmacy-based health membership plans and patient-level characteristics.

RESULTS

Over 80% of individuals indicated they would be interested in pharmacy-based hypertension services, particularly discounts on anti-hypertensive medications and free blood pressure screenings. Compared to individuals 65 years of age or older, individuals under 65 years were more interested in receiving at least one pharmacy-based service. Another 80% indicated they would be interested in purchasing a monthly health plan through a pharmacy that provided access to hypertension services each month. The vast majority of individuals interested in pharmacy-based services indicated they would pay ≤$3.69 US/month to participate in a monthly health membership plan.

CONCLUSIONS

Hypertensive patients would be interested in using and ready to pay for pharmacy-based hypertension services.

Prevalence, awareness and risk factors of diabetes in Ahvaz (South West of Iran)

INTRODUCTION

This study was designed to assess the prevalence of diabetes in people aged over 20 years in Ahvaz, Iran.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study population was chosen by cluster sampling. A checklist included: age, sex, weight, height, blood pressure, waist circumference, educational level, smoking status and previous history of diabetes was completed for each patient. Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG) ≥126mg/dl and/or oral hypoglycemic treatment and/or insulin consumption was defined as diabetes, FPG=100-125mg/dl as Impaired Fasting Glucose (IFG) and FPG <100mg/dl as normal.

RESULTS

Study population was 944 persons. Mean age of population was 42.2±14 years. Diabetes was detected in 15.1% of population. Only 40.4% of cases were aware of their disease. Diabetes was detected in 14.7% of female and 15.7% of male participants. Diabetes was related to age, waist circumference, family history of diabetes, hypertension, waist to hip ratio, educational level, marital status, serum triglyceride, cholesterol and body mass index (BMI) in both genders. But by using logistic regression analysis, age, family history of diabetes, hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, and marital status had significant effect on diabetes.

CONCLUSION

This study showed that using FPG criteria or current medication 15.1% of this population had diabetes and about 60% of patients were unaware of their disease. Age, hypertension, family history of diabetes, hypertriglyceridemia and marital status are the risk factors of diabetes in Ahvaz population. IFG have high prevalence and diabetes screening should be intensified in this population.

Characteristics Associated With Antihypertensive Treatment and Blood Pressure Control: A Population-Based Follow-Up Study in Peru

BACKGROUND

Over one-quarter of the world's adult population has hypertension, yet achieving adequate treatment or control targets remains a challenge.

OBJECTIVE

This study sought to identify, longitudinally, characteristics associated with antihypertensive treatment and blood pressure (BP) control among individuals with hypertension.

METHODS

Data from individuals enrolled in the population-based CRONICAS Cohort Study (adults ≥35 years, living in 4 different rural/urban and coastal/high-altitude Peruvian settings) with hypertension at baseline were used. Antihypertensive treatment and BP control were assessed at baseline and at 15 months. Multinomial logistic regressions were used to estimate relative risk ratios (RRR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of factors associated with antihypertensive treatment and BP control at follow-up.

RESULTS

At baseline, among 717 individuals with hypertension (53% women, mean age 61.5 ± 12.4 years), 28% were unaware of their hypertension status, 30% were aware but untreated, 16% were treated but uncontrolled, and 26% were treated and controlled. At follow-up, 89% of unaware and 82% of untreated individuals persisted untreated, and only 58% of controlled individuals remained controlled. Positive predictors of receiving treatment and being controlled at follow-up included age (RRR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.73 to 0.91 for every 5 years) and family history of a chronic disease (RRR: 0.53; 95% CI: 0.31 to 0.92 vs. no history); whereas Puno rural site (RRR: 16.51; 95% CI: 1.90 to 143.56 vs. Lima) and male sex (RRR: 2.59; 95% CI: 1.54 to 4.36) were risk factors. Systolic BP at baseline (RRR: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.16 to 1.39 for every 5 mm Hg) and male sex (RRR: 1.75, 95% CI: 1.02 to 2.98) were risk factors for being treated but uncontrolled at follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Large gaps in treatment of hypertension were observed. Targeting specific populations such as men, younger individuals, or those without family history of disease may increase coverage of antihypertensive treatment. Also, targeting male individuals or those with higher systolic BP could yield better rates of BP control in the short term.

Development and Validation of a Simple Risk Score for Undiagnosed Type 2 Diabetes in a Resource-Constrained Setting

Objective. To develop and validate a risk score for detecting cases of undiagnosed diabetes in a resource-constrained country. Methods. Two population-based studies in Peruvian population aged ≥35 years were used in the analysis: the ENINBSC survey (n = 2,472) and the CRONICAS Cohort Study (n = 2,945). Fasting plasma glucose ≥7.0 mmol/L was used to diagnose diabetes in both studies. Coefficients for risk score were derived from the ENINBSC data and then the performance was validated using both baseline and follow-up data of the CRONICAS Cohort Study. Results. The prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes was 2.0% in the ENINBSC survey and 2.9% in the CRONICAS Cohort Study. Predictors of undiagnosed diabetes were age, diabetes in first-degree relatives, and waist circumference. Score values ranged from 0 to 4, with an optimal cutoff ≥2 and had a moderate performance when applied in the CRONICAS baseline data (AUC = 0.68; 95% CI: 0.62-0.73; sensitivity 70%; specificity 59%). When predicting incident cases, the AUC was 0.66 (95% CI: 0.61-0.71), with a sensitivity of 69% and specificity of 59%. Conclusions. A simple nonblood based risk score based on age, diabetes in first-degree relatives, and waist circumference can be used as a simple screening tool for undiagnosed and incident cases of diabetes in Peru.

Knowledge and Understanding of Hypertension Among Tibetan People in Lhasa, Tibet

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge and understanding about hypertension among residents in Lhasa, Tibet.

METHODS

A total of 1, 370 native Tibetan people aged ≥18 years old were enrolled in this survey. Individuals were selected using stratified proportional sampling and Lhasa was divided into Urban, Suburban, Agricultural and Pastoral areas. Data pertaining to blood pressure, socio-demographic details, knowledge and perceptions about hypertension were obtained.

RESULTS

The prevalence of hypertension was highest among Urban participants (56.1%) and lowest among Pastoral participants (34.2%). The awareness of hypertension (43.1%) was lowest among Agricultural participants. Less than one third of the respondents knew the normal range of blood pressure. A considerable proportion (49.2%) had no idea of risk factors and consequences of hypertension. With regard to prevention and control, about 30% of the respondents did not know the lifestyle changes for hypertension prevention. Regarding treatment, 30% of participants did not provide an answer. Most of the respondents acquired knowledge of hypertension from healthcare providers. Participants from the Agricultural areas had the lowest knowledge of hypertension. Approximately 75.5% of hypertensive patients ceased antihypertensive medications on their own after improvement of blood pressure.

CONCLUSIONS

The understanding of hypertension was poor among the native Tibetan people in Lhasa. There is a need to improve education and primary health care services to this large hypertensive population.

Association between depression and glycemic control among type 2 diabetes patients in Lima, Peru

INTRODUCTION

There is limited and controversial information regarding the potential impact of depression on glycemic control. This study aims to evaluate the association between depression and poor glycemic control. In addition, the prevalence of depression and rates of poor glycemic control were determined.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study performed in the endocrinology unit of two hospitals of ESSALUD in Peru. The outcome of interest was poor glycemic control, evaluated by glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c: <7% versus ≥7%), whereas the exposure of interest was depression defined as 15 or more points in the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 tool. The association of interest was evaluated using Poisson regression models with robust standard errors reporting prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) adjusting for potential confounders.

RESULTS

A total of 277 participants, 184 (66.4%) males, mean age 59.0 (SD: 4.8), and 7.1 (SD: 6.8) years of disease were analyzed. Only 31 participants (11.2%; 95% CI: 7.5%-14.9%) had moderately severe or severe depression, whereas 70 (25.3%; 95% CI 20.3%-30.8%) had good glycemic control. Depression increased the probability of having poor glycemic control (PR=1.32; 95% CI 1.15-1.51) after adjusting for several potential confounders.

CONCLUSIONS

There is an association between depression and poor glycemic control among type 2 diabetes patients. Our results suggest that early detection of depression might be important to facilitate appropriate glycemic control and avoid further metabolic complications.

Type 2 diabetes and cardiac autonomic neuropathy screening using dynamic pupillometry

AIM

To determine if changes in pupillary response are useful as a screening tool for diabetes and to assess whether pupillometry is associated with cardiac autonomic neuropathy.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study with participants drawn from two settings: a hospital and a community site. At the community site, individuals with newly diagnosed diabetes as well as a random sample of control individuals without diabetes, confirmed by oral glucose tolerance test, were selected. Participants underwent an LED light stimulus test and eight pupillometry variables were measured. Outcomes were diabetes, defined by oral glucose tolerance test, and cardiac autonomic dysfunction, determined by a positive readout on two of four diagnostic tests: heart rate response to the Valsalva manoeuvre; orthostatic hypotension; 30:15 ratio; and expiration-to-inspiration ratio. The area under the curve, best threshold, sensitivity and specificity of each pupillometry variable was calculated.

RESULTS

Data from 384 people, 213 with diabetes, were analysed. The mean (±sd) age of the people with diabetes was 58.6 (±8.2) years and in the control subjects it was 56.1 (±8.6) years. When comparing individuals with and without diabetes, the amplitude of the pupil reaction had the highest area under the curve [0.69 (sensitivity: 78%; specificity: 55%)]. Cardiac autonomic neuropathy was present in 51 of the 138 people evaluated (37.0%; 95% CI 28.8-45.1). To diagnose cardiac autonomic neuropathy, two pupillometry variables had the highest area under the curve: baseline pupil radius [area under the curve: 0.71 (sensitivity: 51%; specificity: 84%)], and amplitude of the pupil reaction [area under the curve: 0.70 (sensitivity: 82%; specificity: 55%)].

CONCLUSIONS

Pupillometry is an inexpensive technique to screen for diabetes and cardiac autonomic neuropathy, but it does not have sufficient accuracy for clinical use as a screening tool.

The cost of illness attributable to diabetic foot and cost-effectiveness of secondary prevention in Peru

BACKGROUND

Diabetes mellitus is a public health challenge worldwide, and roughly 25% of patients with diabetes in developing countries will develop at least one foot ulcer during their lifetime. The gravest outcome of an ulcerated foot is amputation, leading to premature death and larger economic costs.

METHODS

This study aimed to estimate the economic costs of diabetic foot in high-risk patients in Peru in 2012 and to model the cost-effectiveness of a year-long preventive strategy for foot ulceration including: sub-optimal care (baseline), standard care as recommended by the International Diabetes Federation, and standard care plus daily self-monitoring of foot temperature. A decision tree model using a population prevalence-based approach was used to calculate the costs and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). Outcome measures were deaths and major amputations, uncertainty was tested with a one-way sensitivity analysis.

RESULTS

The direct costs for prevention and management with sub-optimal care for high-risk diabetics is around US$74.5 million dollars in a single year, which decreases to US$71.8 million for standard care and increases to US$96.8 million for standard care plus temperature monitoring. The implementation of a standard care strategy would avert 791 deaths and is cost-saving in comparison to sub-optimal care. For standard care plus temperature monitoring compared to sub-optimal care the ICER rises to US$16,124 per death averted and averts 1,385 deaths.

CONCLUSION

Diabetic foot complications are highly costly and largely preventable in Peru. The implementation of a standard care strategy would lead to net savings and avert deaths over a one-year period. More intensive prevention strategies such as incorporating temperature monitoring may also be cost-effective.

Disability, caregiver's dependency and patterns of access to rehabilitation care: results from a national representative study in Peru

PURPOSE

To determine the prevalence of disability in Peru, explore dependency on caregiver's assistance and assess access to rehabilitation care.

METHOD

Data from Disability National Survey (ENEDIS), including urban and rural areas, were analyzed. Disability was defined as a permanent limitation on movement, vision, communication, hearing, learning/remembering or social relationships. Dependency was defined as the self-reported need for a caregiver to help with daily activities; and access to rehabilitation care was defined as the self-report of any therapy for disabilities. Estimates and projections were calculated using sample strata, primary sampling units and population weights, and prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95%CI were reported.

RESULTS

From 798,308 people screened, 37,524 (5.1%; 95%CI 4.9--5.2%) had at least one disability. A total of 37,117 were included in further analysis, mean age 57.8 (SD ± 24.1) years, 52.1% women. Dependency was self-reported by 14,980 (40.5%; 95%CI: 39.2-41.9%) individuals with disabilities. A family member, usually female, was identified as a caregiver in 94.3% (95%CI: 93.3-95.3%) of dependent participants. Only 2881 (10.7%; 95%CI: 9.7-11.9%) of people with disabilities reported access to rehabilitation care. Major inequality patterns of disability burden versus access to rehabilitation care were observed by age and education level. Older age groups had higher disability burden yet lower chances of access to rehabilitation care. Conversely, the higher the education level, the lesser the overall disability burden but also the higher chances of reporting receiving care. Private healthcare insurance doubled the probability of having access to rehabilitation compared with those without insurance.

CONCLUSIONS

Approximately 1.6 million Peruvians have at least one disability, and 40% of them require assistance with daily activities. Informal caregiving, likely female and relative-provided, is highly common. Rehabilitation care access is low and inequitable. Our results signal a major need to implement strategies to guarantee the highest standard of health care for people with disabilities.

IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION

Major inequality patterns in terms of burden of disability versus access to rehabilitation care were observed: those groups who concentrate more disability reported receiving less rehabilitation care. Caregiving is mostly informal and provided by a direct relative, mainly a woman, who resigned to their usual activities in order to help care for the person with disability. As a result, there is a need to develop appropriate support and training for caregivers. Access to care services in Peru is low and inequitable, but especially for people with disabilities: they experience greater barriers when accessing healthcare services even in the case of having health insurance.

Mortality among MDR-TB cases: comparison with drug-susceptible tuberculosis and associated factors

Background

An increase in multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) cases is evident worldwide. Its management implies a complex treatment, high costs, more toxic anti-tuberculosis drug use, longer treatment time and increased treatment failure and mortality. The aims of this study were to compare mortality between MDR and drug-susceptible cases of tuberculosis, and to determine risk factors associated with mortality among MDR-TB cases.

Methods and Results

A retrospective cohort study was performed using data from clinical records of the National Strategy for Prevention and Control of Tuberculosis in Lima, Peru. In the first objective, MDR-TB, compared to drug-susceptible cases, was the main exposure variable and time to death, censored at 180 days, the outcome of interest. For the second objective, different variables obtained from clinical records were assessed as potential risk factors for death among MDR-TB cases. Cox regression analysis was used to determine hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). A total of 1,232 patients were analyzed: mean age 30.9 ±14.0 years, 60.0% were males. 61 patients (5.0%) died during treatment, whereas the MDR-TB prevalence was 19.2%. MDR-TB increased the risk of death during treatment (HR = 7.5; IC95%: 4.1–13.4) when compared to presumed drug-susceptible cases after controlling for potential confounders. Education level (p = 0.01), previous TB episodes (p<0.001), diabetes history (p<0.001) and HIV infection (p = 0.04) were factors associated with mortality among MDR-TB cases.

Conclusions

MDR-TB is associated with an increased risk of death during treatment. Lower education, greater number of previous TB episodes, diabetes history, and HIV infection were independently associated with mortality among MDR-TB cases. New strategies for appropriate MDR-TB detection and management should be implemented, including drug sensitivity tests, diabetes and HIV screening, as well as guarantee for a complete adherence to therapy.

Building a platform for translational research in chronic noncommunicable diseases to address population health: lessons from NHLBI supported CRONICAS in Peru

The CRONICAS Centre of Excellence in Chronic Diseases, based at Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, was created in 2009 with support from the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). The vision of CRONICAS is to build a globally recognized center of excellence conducting quality and innovative research and generating high-impact evidence for health. The center's identity is embedded in its core values: generosity, innovation, integrity, and quality. This review has been structured to describe the development of the CRONICAS Centre, with a focus on highlighting the ongoing translational research projects and capacity-building strategies. The CRONICAS Centre of Excellence is not a risk-averse organization: it benefits from past experiences, including past mistakes, and improves upon them and thus challenges traditional research approaches. This ethos and environment are key to fostering innovation in research.

Adherence to pharmacotherapy and medication-related beliefs in patients with hypertension in Lima, Peru

OBJECTIVE

To characterize adherence to pharmacological medication and beliefs towards medication in a group of patients with hypertension in a large national hospital.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Cross-sectional survey among patients with hypertension attending the outpatient clinic of a large national hospital. Exposure of interest was the patient's beliefs towards general medication and antihypertensive drugs, i.e. beliefs of harm, overuse, necessity and concern, measured using the Beliefs about Medication questionnaire. Main outcome was adherence measured using the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-8. Multivariate analysis was conducted using Poisson distribution logistic regression, prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated.

RESULTS

Data from 115 participants, 67% females and mean age 62.7 years were analyzed. Low adherence was found in 57.4%. Highest scores were on the ideas of necessity and one of the most rated statements was "physicians would prescribe less medication if they spent more time with patients". Beliefs of harm about medications and concerns about antihypertensive drugs were higher in the low adherence group (p<0.01). Those who scored higher on ideas of harm were 52% less likely of being high adherents (PR 0.48; 95% CI 0.25-0.93) and those with higher scores on concerns were 41% less likely of being high adherents (PR 0.59; 95% CI 0.39-0.91). Patients whose ideas of necessity outweighed their concerns were more likely to be adherent (PR 2.65; 95% CI 1.21-5.81).

CONCLUSIONS

Low adherence to antihypertensive medication is common. High scores on ideas of harm, concern and a high necessity-concern differential were predictors of medication adherence.