cardiovascular diseases

Características Clínicas de Pacientes Hipertensos hospitalizados con y sin Enfermedad Cerebrovascular de 60 a 90 años en Quito, Ecuador: Estudio de Casos y Controles. Clinical Characteristics of hospitalized Hypertensive Patients with and without Stroke aged 60 to 90 years in Quito, Ecuador: A Case-Control Study.

Background: Stroke is the world’s second leading cause of death from disease, and disability-adjusted life years. The investment in management of a hospitalized stroke patient generates a high healthcare cost. In Ecuador it is the third leading cause of death. Hypertension is one of the most important factors in the stroke development. Patients with high blood pressure and stroke have a higher risk of complications, mortality and poor prognosis.

Objective: The present study aimed to identify which variables differ between hypertensive patients with stroke versus hypertensive patients without stroke, hospitalized, during 2017- 2020.

Methods: In a population of 96 cases and 57 controls, a retrospective analytical cohort study between two groups of patients was conducted.

Results: The variable education (primary education) was the most affected among cases (χ²=13.298; p=0.039). Patients with atrial fibrillation were significantly higher in the case group (χ²=7.31 p=0.007). Other variables like: sex, age, provenance, years lived with hypertension, smoking, type 2 diabetes mellitus, heart failure, hypercholesterolemia and anticoagulant therapy, showed no significant difference between the two groups.

Conclusions: Patients with complete primary education and atrial fibrillation had significant presence in hypertensive patients with stroke.

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Palabras clave: comorbilidades, enfermedad cerebrovascular, enfermedades cardiovasculares, Factores de riesgo, Hipertensión arterial, síndrome metabólico,

Keywords: Arterial hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, Comorbidity, metabolic syndrome, Risk factors, stroke,

The Utility Of Earlobe Crease For The Detection Of Sub-Clinical Atherosclerosis. La Utilidad Del Pliegue Del Lóbulo de la Oreja Para la Detección de Aterosclerosis Subclínica.

Traditionally a crease in the ear has been considered a visible marker of atherosclerosis. There is strong evidence of its association with coronary heart disease (CHD) revealed in several retrospective and prospective studies. However, the usefulness of the earlobe crease (ELC) as a marker of atherosclerotic diseases of other vascular beds, especially in the intracranial or extracranial carotid vasculature, is not clear. A non-systematic search of studies evaluating the association between ELC and atherosclerosis was performed. Observational studies that explored the association of ELC with atherosclerosis in many vascular beds were reviewed. Most studies presented methodological limitations, selection bias, and relatively small sample sizes. Discrepancies were found between studies, mainly due to the interaction of age in the association pathway. In a population cohort study, age was the main modifier of the effect of ELC with atherosclerosis in different vascular beds. The role of ELC as a marker of atherosclerosis remains unclear, at least for extra-coronary atherosclerosis.