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Fred Paccaud

Publications and source records attributed to Fred Paccaud.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

A two-week workshop to promote cardiovascular disease prevention programs in countries with limited resources.

Training is a crucial tool for building the capacity necessary for prevention and control of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in developing countries. This paper summarizes some features of a 2-week workshop aimed at enabling local health professionals to initiate a comprehensive CVD prevention and control program in a context of limited resources. The workshops have been organized in the regions where CVD prevention programs are being contemplated, in cooperation with health authorities of the concerned regions. The workshop's content includes a broad variety of issues related to CVD prevention and control, and to program development. Strong emphasis is placed on "learning by doing," and groups of 5-6 participants conduct a small-scale epidemiological study during the first week; during the second week, they draft a virtual program of CVD prevention and control adapted to the local situation. This practice-oriented workshop focuses on building expertise among anticipated key players, strengthening networks among relevant health professionals, and advocating the urgent need to tackle the emerging CVD epidemic in developing countries.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed2002

Contribution of major cardiovascular risk factors to familial premature coronary artery disease: the GENECARD project.

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to assess the prevalence of major cardiovascular risk factors in familial premature coronary artery disease (P-CAD), affecting two or more siblings within one sibship. BACKGROUND: Premature CAD has a genetic component. It remains to be established whether familial P-CAD is due to genes acting independently from major cardiovascular risk factors. METHODS: We recruited 213 P-CAD survivors from 103 sibships diagnosed before age <or=50 (men) or <or=55 (women) years old. Hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, obesity, and smoking were documented at the time of the event in 163 patients (145 men and 18 women). Each patient was compared with two individuals of the same age and gender, diagnosed with sporadic (nonfamilial) P-CAD, and three individuals randomly sampled from the general population. RESULTS: Compared with the general population, patients with sporadic P-CAD had a higher prevalence of hypertension (29% vs. 14%, p < 0.001), hypercholesterolemia (54% vs. 33%, p < 0.001), obesity (20% vs. 13%, p < 0.01), and smoking (76% vs. 39%, p < 0.001). These risk factors were equally or even more prevalent in patients with familial P-CAD (43% [p < 0.05 vs. sporadic P-CAD], 58% [p = 0.07], 21% and 72%, respectively). Overall, only 7 (4%) of 163 of patients with familial P-CAD and 22 (7%) of 326 of patients with sporadic P-CAD had none of these conditions, as compared with 167 (34%) of 489 patients in the general population. CONCLUSIONS: Classic, remediable risk factors are highly prevalent in patients with familial P-CAD. Accordingly, a major contribution of genes acting in the absence of these risk factors is unlikely.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Improved smoking cessation in smokers given ultrasound photographs of their own atherosclerotic plaques.

BACKGROUND: We examined whether making smokers aware that they had developed peripheral atherosclerosis would improve smoking cessation. METHODS: Smokers selected from the general population were randomly allocated to undergo high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography of their carotid and femoral arteries. All smokers received quit-smoking counseling. Smokers with > or =1 atherosclerotic plaque were given two photographs of a plaque with a relevant explanation. Quit rates were assessed by telephone 6 months later. RESULTS: Seventy-nine smokers did not undergo ultrasonography (A). Among the 74 smokers submitted to ultrasonography, 20 had no plaque (B) and 54 had > or =1 plaque (C). Quit rates were, respectively, 6.3, 5.0, and 22.2% in groups A, B, and C. Quit rates were higher in smokers submitted to ultrasonography (B + C vs A; P = 0.031) and in those receiving photographs (C vs A + B; P = 0.003). Smoking cessation was independently associated with intervention C (OR = 6.2; 95% CI = 1.8-21) and a white-collar job but not with age or gender. CONCLUSIONS: Providing smokers with photographs demonstrating atherosclerosis on their own person was an effective adjunct to physician's advice to quit smoking. Since ultrasonography is used increasingly often in clinical practice for cardiovascular risk stratification, this can provide an additional opportunity and means to deter smokers from smoking.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Rejuvenating health systems for aging communities.

Nowadays, about the half of Swiss women die after their 84th birthday. This unprecedented proportion of the population reaching an old age, or even a very old age (25% of women die after 89 years, and 5% after 95 years) is a novel aspect of human demographics, and represents the very last stage of the epidemiological transition, a term coined to describe the transformation of the prevailing health burden in the population, shifting from infectious and communicable pathologies to chronic and degenerative diseases. In developed countries, this epidemiological transition has been well documented during the last century; worldwide, a similar transition is taking place, with some countries still at mid or early stages of transition. A striking aspect of the current transition is its speed. In India, the mean duration of life since 1947 has increased from 32 to 62 years. As a result, India, like many other developing countries, is facing a double burden of disease, i.e., an upsurge of degenerative diseases while the burden from the old agenda (i.e., malaria, tuberculosis) still reaches devastating proportions in the population. This double burden is certainly a crucial problem in developing countries, and probably is the most important health challenge for the coming century. A similar accelerated pace of change is observed with the decline of mortality at old age. Worldwide, the current estimate of centenarians is 100000, i.e., ten time more centenarians than the number estimated in 1960. The downward trend in mortality, which is steeper with increasing age, is now the leading factor to Increase the life expectancy in developed countries. In the United Kingdom, life expectancy increased by 2.5 years between 1971 and 1991; this is equivalent to the increase observed between 1851 and 1961. This accelerated increase will influence public health in two different ways. The first will be the absolute increase in the number of older persons, with a corresponding increase in degenerative diseases. A second consequence will be the need for a substantial and rapid adaptation of the health care system. Three selected aspects are addressed below: 1) the increase of resources, 2) the improvement of performance, and 3) the reduction of demand through preventive strategies.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Distribution of blood pressure, body mass index and smoking habits in the urban population of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and associations with socioeconomic status.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the distribution of blood pressure (BP), body mass index (BMI), smoking habits and their associations with socioeconomic status (SES) in an urban population in early epidemiological transition. METHODS: Cross-sectional survey of the entire population aged 25-64 years in five branches of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) through visits to all homes in the study area. Blood pressure was based on the mean of the second and third readings with an automated device. Socioeconomic status was estimated with indicators of education, occupation and wealth. RESULTS: In all 9254 people were examined. Age-adjusted prevalence (%) among men/ women aged 35-64 years was 27.1/30.2 for BP > or = 140/90 mmHg or antihypertensive medication, 13.1/17.7 for BP > or = 160/95 mmHg or antihypertensive medication, 28.0/27.4 for BMI of 25.0-29.9 kg/m(2), 6.9/17.4 for BMI > or = 30 kg/m(2), and 22.0/2.6 for smoking (> or = 1 cigarette per day). Prevalence of categories of drinking frequency and history of diabetes are also reported. After adjustment for covariates, SES was associated inversely with BP and smoking and directly with BMI. Body mass index was associated positively with BP (1.01 and 0.91 mmHg systolic BP per 1 kg/m(2) BMI in men and women, respectively) and inversely with smoking (-1.14 kg/m(2) in male smokers versus non-smokers). Hypertension treatment rates were low, particularly in people of low SES. CONCLUSIONS: High prevalence of several cardiovascular risk factors in the urban population of a low-income country stresses the need for early public health interventions and adaptation of the health care infrastructure to meet the emerging challenge of cardiovascular disease. The direct SES-BMI association may drive increasing BMI and BP while the population becomes more affluent.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Monitoring one-year compliance to antihypertension medication in the Seychelles.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the compliance to medication among newly diagnosed hypertensive patients screened from the general population of the Seychelles, a rapidly developing country. METHODS: Among the 1067 participants to a population-based survey for cardiovascular risk factors, hypertension was discovered in 50 (previously unaware of having hypertension and having blood pressure > or = 160/95 mmHg over 3 visits). These 50 patients were placed on a daily one-pill regimen of medication (bendrofluazide, atenolol, or a combination of hydrochlorothiazide and atenolol) and compliance to the regimen was assessed over 12 months using electronic pill containers. Satisfactory compliance was defined as taking the medication on 6 or 7 days a week on average (which corresponds to a mean compliance level of > or = 86%). FINDINGS: In the first month, fewer than half (46%) of the new hypertension patients achieved satisfactory compliance, and only about one-quarter (26%) achieved this level by the twelfth month. Compliance was better among the 23 participants who regularly attended medical follow-up, with nearly three-quarters of these patients (74%) achieving satisfactory compliance during the first month and over one-half (55%) by the twelfth month. There was a direct association between mean 12-month compliance level and having a highly skilled occupation; having good health awareness; and regularly attending medical appointments. In contrast, there was an inverse relationship between mean compliance level and heavy drinking. CONCLUSION: The low proportion of people selected from the general population who were capable of sustaining satisfactory compliance to antihypertension medication may correspond to the maximum effectiveness of medication interventions based on a screening and treatment strategy in the general population. The results stress the need for both high-risk and population approaches to improve hypertension control.

Adult↗