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Biomedical subjects

Ruy Laurenti

Publications and source records attributed to Ruy Laurenti.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

A method for deriving leading causes of death.

OBJECTIVE: A standard list for ranking leading causes of death worldwide does not exist. WHO headquarters, regional offices and Member States all use different lists that have varying levels of detail. We sought to derive a standard list to enable countries to identify their leading causes of death and to permit comparison between countries. Our aim is to share the criteria and methodology we used to bring some order to the construction of such a list, to provide a consistent procedure that can be used by others, and to give researchers and data owners an opportunity to utilize the list at national and subnational levels. METHODS: Results were primarily data-driven. Data from individual countries representing different regions of the world were extracted from the WHO Mortality Database. Supplementary information from WHO estimates on mortality was used for regions where data were scarce. In addition, a set of criteria was used to group the candidate causes and to determine other causes that should be included on the list. FINDINGS: A ranking list of the leading causes of death that contains broad cause groupings (such as "all cancers", "all heart diseases" or "all accidents") is not effective and does not identify the leading individual causes within these broad groupings; thus it does not allow policy-makers to generate appropriate health advocacy and cost-effective interventions. Similarly, defining candidate causal groups too narrowly or including diseases that have a low frequency does not meet these objectives. CONCLUSION: For international comparisons, we recommend that countries use this list; it is based on extensive evidence and the application of public health disease-prevention criteria. It is not driven by political or financial motives. This list may be adapted for national statistical purposes.

Cause of Death↗
PubMed2006

Anthropometry of elderly residents in the city of São Paulo, Brazil.

The article presents gender and age-specific selected anthropometric data for a representative sample of elderly Brazilians in the city of São Paulo. This was a cross-sectional, population-based household survey. A total of 1,894 older adults (men and women, > 60 years) were examined from January to March 2001. Data were presented as means and percentiles for body mass (BM); height or stature (ST); body mass index (BMI); waist (WC), hip (HC), arm (AC), and calf (CC) circumferences; triceps skinfold thickness (TST); and arm muscle circumference (AMC), and differences were described according to age (all variables) and gender (BMI). Except for HC (men), all anthropometric variables were lower in the oldest than in the youngest individuals (p < 0.01) in both genders. BMI was significantly higher (p < 0.01) in women than men (all age groups). The observations suggest that there is loss of muscle mass and redistribution and reduction of fat mass with age (both genders). The data can be used in clinical practice and epidemiological studies based on interpretation of anthropometric measurements in the elderly in São Paulo.

Age Distribution↗
PubMed2005

Functional limitations of Brazilian elderly by age and gender differences: data from SABE Survey.

This study provides the prevalence, by gender and age-groups, of observed physical performance test (PPT) assessing functional limitation for representative samples of elderly Brazilian subjects living in São Paulo city. This cross-sectional epidemiological study, both population- and household-based, is part of a multicenter survey (SABE) undertaken in seven Latin American and Caribbean countries and coordinated by the Pan-American Health Organization. From January 2000 to March 2001, 2,143 elderly individuals (>or= 60 years) of both sexes were examined. Of this total, 1,894 participated in the study. PPT included handgrip strength, standing balance, timed repeated "chair stand", and "pick up a pen". Results have shown (based on chi-square) that the prevalence relating to the performance differed according to sex, age group, and from one test to another. With increasing age, there was a reduction (p = 0.000) in both males and females in the proportion of individuals that had better results on the tests. The male group, on every test, when compared to women from the same age group, had a more individuals with better scores. Data suggest that older individuals and women have more functional limitations.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2004

Cardiovascular diseases in the elderly: analysis of the behavior of mortality in a municipality in the Southern Region of Brazil from 1979 to 1998.

OBJECTIVE: To know the behavior of mortality due to cardiovascular diseases in the elderly living in the municipality of Maringá, in the Brazilian state of Paraná. METHODS: The causes of death over 20 years were studied according to sex, age, and groupings of the International Classification of Diseases, 9th and 10th Revisions, using the mortality database of the Ministry of Health. RESULTS: In regard to total deaths in the elderly, the proportional mortality due to cerebrovascular disease and ischemic heart disease decreased 42.5% and 34.4%, respectively, while that due to hypertension increased 119%, increasing from 2.1% to 4.6%. A 51.2%, 44.6%, and 12.5% decrease occurred, respectively, in the risk of death due to cerebrovascular disease, ischemic heart disease, and other forms of heart disease. For cerebrovascular disease and ischemic heart disease, the decrease in the estimate of the risk of death was greater among women, while for the other forms of heart disease, the decrease was greater among men. In regard to age groups, the risk of death increases as age advances for each cardiovascular disease in both sexes. CONCLUSION: Cardiovascular diseases continue to play an important role in morbidity and mortality in the elderly population, requiring even greater effort from health care providers for their prevention and treatment.

Age Distribution↗
PubMed2004

[Mortality among children enrolled in public day care centers in Brazil].

OBJECTIVE: To describe the mortality pattern among children enrolled in public day care centers. METHODS: This was a descriptive study of the mortality pattern among children aged from 0 to 6 years and 11 months who were enrolled in all the public day care centers in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, from 1995 to 1999. The variables of interest were sex, age, underlying cause of death, duration of day care attendance and seasonality. RESULTS: The average mortality rate for the period was 36.4 per 100,000 children. Of the total number of deaths, 32.7% were among children under 1 year old and 78.4% under 3 years old. The deaths of 54.2% of these children occurred before completing six months in the day care center, with a concentration of 36.3% during the first three months. The majority of the deaths occurred during the winter and autumn seasons: 31.8% and 29.6%, respectively. The main underlying causes of death were infections: pneumonia (29.6%), meningococcal disease (13.0%), non-meningococcal meningitis (8.5%), gastroenteritis (7.6%) and chickenpox (5.4%). External causes were responsible for 13.5% of the deaths and included falls, being run over, drowning, burns and physical aggression. CONCLUSIONS: The study indicated that younger children (0-3 years) were the most vulnerable group and that the majority of deaths derived from avoidable causes, some of which preventable by vaccination nowadays.

Age Distribution↗
PubMed2002

Prevalence of ICD-10 mental disorders in a catchment area in the city of São Paulo, Brazil.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence (lifetime, 12-month, 1-month) of mental disorders, their relationship with sociodemographic features, and the use of services were investigated in the population aged 18 years or older living in the catchment area of a large hospital complex in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. METHODS: A community survey was conducted in two boroughs of São Paulo, on 1,464 residents aged 18 years or older. The assessment of psychopathology was made by CIDI 1.1, yielding diagnoses according to ICD-10 for mood disorders, anxiety disorders, non-affective psychosis, substance use disorders, dissociative and somatoform disorders, and cognitive impairment. RESULTS: Of the total sample, 45.9 % had at least one lifetime diagnosis of mental disorder, 26.8 % in the year, and 22.2 % in the month prior to interview. The most prevalent disorders (lifetime, 12-month, and 1-month, respectively) were: nicotine dependence (25 %, 11.4 %, 9.3 %), any mood disorder (18.5 %, 7.6 %, 5 %) with depressive episode the most prevalent mood disorder (16.8 %, 7.1 %, 4.5 %), any anxiety disorder (12.5 %, 7.7 %, 6 %), somatoform disorder (6 %, 4.2 %, 3.2 %), and alcohol abuse/dependence (5.5 %, 4.5 %, 4 %). No gender differences were found in overall morbidity. Excluding substance use disorders, women had a higher risk for non-psychotic disorders. The presence of psychiatric diagnosis increased the use of services, with a low proportion of subjects seeking specialty mental care. CONCLUSION: Our results confirm the high prevalence of mental disorders in the community, similar to findings in other countries. A comparison with findings from other studies with similar methodology is made.

Adult↗