SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “CUBA”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

PubMed2006

Total energy expenditure, resting metabolic rate and physical activity level in free-living rural elderly men and women from Cuba, Chile and México.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess total energy expenditure (TEE), resting metabolic rate (RMR) and physical activity level (PAL), and to estimate energy requirements (ERs) in free-living elderly subjects from Cuba, Chile and Mexico. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study designed to estimate ERs. SETTING: Rural regions of Cuba, Chile and Mexico. SUBJECTS: Forty subjects >60 years old were selected to participate in this study. INTERVENTIONS: A dose of doubly labeled water (DLW) was administered and urine samples were collected in the following 12-14 days. From the isotopic analysis, TEE was derived. RMR was measured by indirect calorimetry. RESULTS: TEE in Chilean (8.8+/-1.6 MJ/day) and Cuban (8.3+/-1.3 MJ/day) elderly was not different, and was higher for the Mexican group (9.5+/-1.5 MJ/day) (P < 0.0001). RMR was not different between countries. PAL and activity energy expenditure (AEE) were only different between Chile and Mexico (P < 0.002). For the three regions, overall PALs were 1.70+/-0.16 for male and 1.62+/-0.13 for female subjects (P < 0.02), and AEE was 3.05+/-0.66 and 2.27+/-0.66 MJ/day for male and female subjects, respectively (P < 0.001). Predictive equations (MJ/day) were RMR = 1.6447 + 0.05714 x weight (kg) + 0.449 sex (male = 1; female = 0) (R2 = 0.75; SEE = 0.479) and TEE = 3.414 + 0.0795 x weight (kg) + 1.227 x sex (male = 1; female = 0) (R2 = 0.75; SEE = 0.668). CONCLUSIONS: There were differences in TEE and PAL owing to sex and region. The average PAL in men was higher than the PAL reported either with factorial approach or with the DLW method in elderly. Predictive ER equations based on RMR and TEE gave very similar results to calculations from the 2004 FAO/WHO/UNU report.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Understanding the potential impact of transgenic crops in traditional agriculture: maize farmers' perspectives in Cuba, Guatemala and Mexico.

Genetically engineered transgenic crop varieties (TGVs) have spread rapidly in the last 10 years, increasingly to traditionally-based agricultural systems (TBAS) of the Third World both as seed and food. Proponents claim they are key to reducing hunger and negative environmental impacts of agriculture. Opponents claim they will have the opposite effect. The risk management process (RMP) is the primary way in which TGVs are regulated in the US (and many other industrial countries), and proponents claim that the findings of that process in the US and its regulatory consequences should be extended to TBAS. However, TBAS differ in important ways from industrial agriculture, so TGVs could have different effects in TBAS, and farmers there may evaluate risks and benefits differently. To evaluate some potential impacts of TGVs in TBAS we used the RMP as a framework for the case of Bt maize in Mesoamerica and Cuba. We interviewed 334 farmers in Cuba, Guatemala and Mexico about farming practices, evaluations of potential harm via hypothetical scenarios, and ranking of maize types. Results suggest high potential for transgene flow via seed, grain and pollen; differences in effects of this exposure in TBAS compared with industrial agriculture; farmers see some potential consequences as harmful. Perceptions of harm differ among farmers in ways determined by their farming systems, and are different from those commonly assumed in industrial systems. An RMP including participation of farmers and characteristics of TBAS critical for their functioning is necessary to ensure that investments in agricultural technologies will improve, not compromise these agricultural systems.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Research colloquium on occupational respiratory diseases: a conference in Cuba (1984).

At an international conference in Havana, Cuba, March 19-21, 1984, health professionals from the United States, Canada, and Cuba participated in a research colloquium on occupational lung diseases. Participants and speakers discussed the state of the art of knowledge, research, and management of key occupational lung diseases, and suggested directions for future efforts. Differences among the three countries in terms of the medical, economic, and social aspects of defining, treating, and compensating occupational diseases were also considered.

Congresses as Topic↗

PubMed2000

Epidemiologic studies on Dengue in Santiago de Cuba, 1997.

A small, isolated outbreak of dengue hemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome (DHF/DSS) due to dengue virus type 2 (DEN-2) was documented in Santiago de Cuba on the island of Cuba beginning in January 1997. There were 205 DHF/DSS cases, all in persons older than age 15 years. All but three had evidence of a prior dengue infection, with the only known opportunity being the islandwide dengue virus type 1 (DEN-1) epidemic of 1977-1979. Virtually complete clinical and laboratory surveillance of overt disease was achieved. From December 1997 to January 1998, a random, age-stratified serum sample was obtained from 1,151 persons in 40 residential clusters in Santiago. Sera were tested for DEN-1 and DEN-2 neutralizing antibodies. The prevalence of DEN-2 antibodies in children age 15 years and under, born after the 1981 DEN-2 epidemic, was taken as the 1997 DEN-2 infection rate. This was adjusted slightly to accommodate observed cases, resulting in an estimated infection rate of 4.3%. Dengue fever and DHF/DSS attack rates were calculated from estimated total primary and secondary DEN-2 infections. Only 3% of 13,116 primary infections were overt. The DHF/DSS attack rate for adults of all ages was 420 per 10,000 secondary DEN-2 infections.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

Invited commentary: Dengue lessons from Cuba.

An 18-year interval between a dengue virus type 1 outbreak in 1977-1979 and a dengue virus type 2 outbreak in 1997 in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, provided a unique opportunity to evaluate risk factors for dengue disease. All patients with symptomatic dengue, including 205 cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever and 12 deaths, were adults born before the dengue virus type 1 epidemic, and nearly all (98%) experienced secondary dengue virus infections. In contrast, almost all of those who seroconverted without illness (97%) experienced primary dengue virus infection. This provides epidemiologic support for the immune enhancement theory of dengue pathogenesis. The Cuban experience suggests that immune enhancement can be seen even 20 years after the primary dengue virus infection. It also supports the contention that primary infections with dengue virus type 2 (and dengue virus type 4) are largely subclinical. These observations have implications for dengue vaccine development based on live-attenuated viruses.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Health in Cuba.

The poorer countries of the world continue to struggle with an enormous health burden from diseases that we have long had the capacity to eliminate. Similarly, the health systems of some countries, rich and poor alike, are fragmented and inefficient, leaving many population groups underserved and often without health care access entirely. Cuba represents an important alternative example where modest infrastructure investments combined with a well-developed public health strategy have generated health status measures comparable with those of industrialized countries. Areas of success include control of infectious diseases, reduction in infant mortality, establishment of a research and biotechnology industry, and progress in control of chronic diseases, among others. If the Cuban experience were generalized to other poor and middle-income countries human health would be transformed. Given current political alignments, however, the major public health advances in Cuba, and the underlying strategy that has guided its health gains, have been systematically ignored. Scientists make claims to objectivity and empiricism that are often used to support an argument that they make unique contributions to social welfare. To justify those claims in the arena of international health, an open discussion should take place on the potential lessons to be learned from the Cuban experience.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗

PubMed2003

High levels of multiple antibiotic resistance among 938 Haemophilus influenzae type b meningitis isolates from Cuba (1990-2002).

OBJECTIVES: A national surveillance study to determine antimicrobial susceptibility in Haemophilus influenzae type b isolated from cerebrospinal fluid was carried out in Cuba from 1990 to 2002. METHODS: Susceptibility to ampicillin, co-amoxiclav, cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, co-trimoxazole, tetracycline, chloramphenicol and rifampicin was tested by the microdilution method according to the NCCLS guidelines. RESULTS: The 34 participating laboratories recovered 938 consecutive, non-identical isolates. All the isolates were retrieved from children aged <5 years. The mean number of isolates collected by year in the pre-vaccination era (1990-1998) was 93; after vaccination, 57 isolates were reported in 1999, 31 in 2000, four in 2001 and five in 2002. Resistance to ampicillin, co-trimoxazole, tetracycline and chloramphenicol was 46.3% (all beta-lactamase-positive), 51.3%, 33.2% and 44.0%, respectively. Ampicillin-resistant beta-lactamase-negative strains were not detected. All strains were susceptible to co-amoxiclav, cefotaxime, ceftriaxone and rifampicin. Ampicillin resistance was strongly associated with resistance to tetracycline, co-trimoxazole and chloramphenicol (P<0.001). Multidrug resistance was present in 43.8% of isolates. The most prevalent phenotype was resistance to ampicillin/chloramphenicol/tetracycline/co-trimoxazole, which was detected in 29.2% of strains overall. An increase in the prevalence of resistance to these antibiotics was observed from 1990 to 2000 in the range 40.7%-54.8% for ampicillin, 40.1%-51.6% for chloramphenicol, 45.4%-58.1% for co-trimoxazole and 23%-45.2% for tetracycline. CONCLUSIONS: In Cuba, the widespread vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae type b prevented a large number of meningitis cases in children caused by strains resistant to multiple antibiotics.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

PubMed1995

An evaluation of the oral cancer control program in Cuba.

The Cuban oral cancer screening program, functioning since 1984, requires all subjects of > or = 15 years to have an annual oral visual inspection by dentists. It covered 12-26% of the target population annually. Less than 30% of the subjects with suspect lesions complied with referral. The program identified 16% of the 4,412 incident oral cancers in Cuba during 1984-1990. The proportion of stage I cases increased from 24% in 1983 to 49% in 1990, although staging information was available only for half of the cases. There was no change in oral cancer incidence and mortality in Cuba over the last decade that could be ascribed to the screening program.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1975

Health and economic development: the example of China and Cuba.

The unprecedented accomplishments reported from China and Cuba in providing health care to their populations question the assumption that economic development along the model of Western nations is a sine qua non for developing effective health care systems among nonaffluent developing nations. Equal distribution of resources, emphasis on preventive public health measures, and attention to improving overall quality of life have been concepts employed to great advantage by both countries. When it is realized that improved standards of living have far overshadowed modern medical technology in upgrading the health of populations, the policies employed in China and Cuba become especially relevant to other nations, both developed and developing.

China↗

PubMed2003

Antimicrobial susceptibility of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Cuba (1995-1999): implications for treatment of gonorrhea.

BACKGROUND: Antibiotic-resistant strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, especially those resistant to penicillin and tetracycline, have spread with remarkable rapidity in many Caribbean countries. GOAL: The goal of the study was to survey the antibiotic susceptibilities of N gonorrhoeae strains isolated from 1995 to 1999 in Cuba and to discuss the impact of antimicrobial resistance on the management of gonorrhea in the country. STUDY DESIGN: Susceptibility of the strains to penicillin, tetracycline, cefuroxime, ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin, spectinomycin, and azithromycin were determined by an agar dilution method. RESULTS: Penicillin and tetracycline resistance was noted in 60.8% and 54.2%, respectively, of the N gonorrhoeae strains tested. A total of 63.35 (76/120) of the N gonorrhoeae strains exhibited plasmid-mediated resistance to penicillin, tetracycline, or both. Strains with chromosomally mediated resistance to these antibiotics accounted for 10% (12/120) of the strains. The strains were susceptible to ceftriaxone, cefuroxime, spectinomycin, and ciprofloxacin. One strain's ciprofloxacin MIC was 0.125 mircog/ml. Of the 52 strains tested, 23.1% displayed intermediate resistance to azithromycin. CONCLUSIONS: N gonorrhoeae strains exhibited a high frequency of resistance and multiresistance to penicillin and tetracycline. Therefore, these antibiotics should no longer be used to treat gonococcal infections in Cuba and should be substituted with effective drugs such as third-generation cephalosporins, spectinomycin, and fluoroquinolones. The detection of intermediate resistance to azithromycin and ciprofloxacin underlines the importance of periodic surveillance for susceptibility of N gonorrhoeae strains to antimicrobials agents used as primary therapy for gonorrhea.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

PubMed2004

Incidence, mortality and survival from prostate cancer in Cuba, 1977-1999.

Prostate cancer is currently one of the most common malignancies in Cuba, as worldwide. The present article analyses the burden of prostate cancer in Cuba. Cancer incidence, survival and mortality rates by province and age group were obtained from the National Cancer Registry and Mortality System from 1977 to 1999. The incidence of prostate cancer has been rapidly increasing in the last 10 years. In 1999 an incidence rate of 34.9 per 100,000 men was observed. Prostate cancer mortality is surpassed only by mortality due to lung cancer. An increase with successive diagnostic periods can be seen in all age groups. Geographical variations in the distribution of incidence and mortality rates in the country were also detected, with no major change in the diagnostic procedures. Our data suggest that the increased prostate cancer incidence represents a real increase in the number of patients with clinical disease.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Deposition of atmospheric nitrogen compounds in humid tropical Cuba.

Acid deposition, a direct effect of gaseous air pollutants, is causing widespread damage to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Further, these pollutants are responsible for the corrosion of building materials and cultural objects, as well as having an impact on human health. In Cuba, main atmospheric deposition of nitrogen compounds varies from approximately 12.0 to 65.0 kg N ha(-1) year(-1) in rural areas. Ammonia and ammonium are the most important elements in Cuba's tropical conditions.

Air Pollutants↗

PubMed2005

Primary health care strategies for the prevention of end-stage renal disease in Cuba.

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is a major health problem in the world, including Cuba. There is an increasing trend in both the incidence and prevalence of ESRD. Global projections consistently show an increase of patients in maintenance dialysis, and also an epidemic trend in diabetes mellitus and hypertension, two diseases that are leading causes of ESRD in most countries. A new paradigm is necessary to handle this major health problem, such as a public health model that integrates health promotion and disease prevention. In 1996, the Ministry of Public Health of Cuba launched a national program for the prevention of chronic renal failure (CRF). The progressive implementation of this program follows several steps: the analysis of the resources and health situation in the country; epidemiological research to define the burden of CRF; continuing education for nephrologists, family doctors, and other health professionals; and reorientation of primary health care toward increased nephrology services, intervention, and surveillance. The main outcomes of the program have been: a rational redistribution of nephrology services in corresponding health areas of primary health care; nephrologists being brought closer to the community; an improvement in the knowledge and ability of family doctors and nephrologists in the prevention of chronic renal disease; an increase in the number of patients with CRF (serum creatinine > or = 133 micromol/L or > or = 1.5 mg/dL, or a glomerular filtration rate < 60 mL/min) who are registered in primary health care every year, from a prevalence of 0.59 per 1,000 inhabitants at the beginning of the program in 1996 to 0.92 per 1,000 inhabitants in 2002, with a mean prevalence growth of 9.2% per year; a significant reduction (0.1%) in the incidence of viral hepatitis B in dialysis patients after the implementation of vaccination against viral hepatitis B in CRF patients who are registered in primary health care; and the implementation of CRF surveillance in primary health care, which provides periodic information on CRF burden, patterns, and trends to assist evidence-based public-health decision making, and measures the impact of interventions in the population. Primary health care is an essential tool, and the community is an appropriate social space for health promotion and the prevention of CRF and ESRD.

Cuba↗

PubMed2000

Insecticide resistance studies on Blattella germanica (Dictyoptera:Blattellidae) from Cuba.

We studied the levels of resistance to seven insecticides: malathion, chlorpyrifos, pirimiphos-methyl, propoxur, cypermethrin, deltamethrin, and lambda-cyhalothrin in nine strains of Blattella germanica (Linnaeus, 1717) collected from sites in Santiago de Cuba and Havana City. The strains from Santiago de Cuba, generally had high levels of resistance to malathion, cypermethrin, deltamethrin, and lambda-cyhalothrin, but only low levels of resistance to pirimiphos-methyl, chlorpyrifos, and propoxur. In the strains from Havana City we found a moderate resistance to the organophosphate insecticides, resistance to the pyrethroids (except for three strains that showed susceptibility to lambda-cyhalothrin), and susceptibility to the carbamate insecticide (propoxur).

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Food shortages and an epidemic of optic and peripheral neuropathy in Cuba.

From late 1991 to mid-1993, cases of optic neuropathy of unknown etiology, which first appeared in unusual numbers in a western province of Cuba, spread and multiplied throughout the island. The dominant symptoms changed, becoming increasingly those of peripheral neuropathy. Incidence rates peaked in April 1993. An estimated 50,000 cases were reported. The majority were adult men and women (aged about 25-65), with comparatively few children or elderly people being affected. The cause has yet to be delineated. However, food shortages and radical changes in diet resulting from the longstanding US trade embargo and the recent loss of Eastern Europe as Cuba's trading partner have compromised nutritional status, especially B-vitamin sufficiency, and appear to be related to the neuropathic illnesses. In April 1993, the Cuban government began distributing vitamin supplements to every citizen. Causal hypotheses include tobacco-alcohol or "nutritional" amblyopia; cyanide toxicity from cassava; toxic legumes introduced as supplements to scarce flour; other toxins, for example pesticides, or a "blue mold" on tobacco; enterovirus; and a hereditary enzyme deficiency in affected persons. None of these factors appears to be present in all cases, but it is generally believed that an interaction of some toxin or toxins, in combination with nutritional deficiency, is likely to be the major cause.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Unusual antigenic and genetic characteristics of human respiratory syncytial viruses isolated in Cuba.

The G protein of 23 strains of human respiratory syncytial virus isolated in Havana, Cuba, between October 1994 and January 1995 was analyzed at the antigenic and genetic level. All viruses reacted with 10 of 11 antibodies specific for the Long strain. Moreover, the G protein gene of the Cuban isolates had only five nucleotide differences from the sequence of the Long gene. The homogeneity of the Cuban isolates and their resemblance to an ancient strain, such as Long, are at odds with previous findings for viruses isolated in countries with a temperate climate and different socioeconomic status. The G proteins of three of four other viruses isolated in Havana 2 years later (1996) were also identical to those of the 1994-to-1995 isolates, and the fourth virus had a single extra nucleotide difference. This, again, is unusual, since no identical viruses had been isolated in different epidemics previously. The singular characteristics of the Cuban isolates reported here are discussed in terms of the epidemiological, climatic, and socioeconomic characteristics of Cuba.

Antibodies, Viral↗

PubMed1995

Cuba: plenty of care, few condoms, no corruption.

The health system in Cuba guarantees accessibility to the entire population, is free of charge, and covers the spectrum from vaccinations to sophisticated interventions. The results are impressive: Cuba's health figures are on a par with developed countries that have 20 times the budget. The country is experiencing a difficult period because of the collapse and loss of support from the Soviet Union; over 30 years' trade embargo by the United States; and the gradual change from a centrally planned economy towards more of a free market system. Shortages are experienced in every sector, and maintaining health care services at the current level is too expensive. Doctors and nurses continue to work towards the goal of health for all Cubans, even though their salaries are minimal. Signs of negligence or corruption, often seen in other socialist countries where incentives for output are lacking, are unknown. Topics such as family planning and AIDS deserve immediate attention.

Cuba↗

PubMed1984

Tuberculosis in Cuba.

Tuberculosis is a significant public health problem in developing countries, despite the fact that the means for effective control have been available for more than 35 yr. Cuba is a developing country that has achieved control of tuberculosis comparable to that of the United States. The history of tuberculosis control in Cuba prior to 1959 is reviewed. The achievement of effective control during the past 24 yr results from the implementation of ambulatory, supervised chemotherapy at the primary care level and the priority set by the government. Case-finding strategies, chemotherapeutic regimens, prevention, and economic implications are discussed. A wider application of the successful Cuban experience is possible by providing an overall improvement in living conditions, a significant but modest investment in human resources, and a political commitment to improved health care.

Adolescent↗