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Background: The knowledge of the presence and evolution of cardiovascular risk factors in young people may significantly contribute to actions to modify the natural history of these risks and prevent the onset of cardiovascular disease.Objectives: To assess the presence and evolution of cardiovascular risk factors in health professionals over a 20-year period.Methods: A group of individuals was evaluated when they first started graduate programs in medicine, nursing, nutrition, dentistry, and pharmacy, and 20 years later. Data obtained in the two phases were compared. Questionnaires about hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, family history of early-onset cardiovascular disease, smoking, alcohol consumption, and sedentary lifestyle were administered. Cholesterol, blood glucose, blood pressure, weight, height, and body mass index (BMI) were measured.Results: Of the 281 individuals (62.9 % women; mean age 19.7 years) initially analyzed, 215 (59.07 % women; mean age 39.8 years) were analyzed 20 years later. An increase in mean values of systolic (111.6 vs 118.7 mmHg- p < 0.001) and diastolic blood pressure (71 vs 77.1 mmHg - p < 0.001), cholesterol (150.1 vs 182.4 mg/dL - p < 0.001), blood glucose (74.3 vs 81.4 mg/dL - p < 0.001) and BMI (20.7 vs 23.7 kg/m(2) - p = 0.017) was observed. Despite the decrease of sedentarism (50.2 vs 38.1 % - p = 0.015), the prevalence of hypertension (4.6 vs 18.6 % - p < 0.001), excessive weight (8.2 vs 32.1 % - p < 0.001), hypercholesterolemia (7.8 vs 24.2 % - p < 0.001), and alcohol consumption (32.7 vs 34.9 % - p = 0.037) increased. There was no change in the prevalence of smoking.Conclusion: Health professionals presented an increase in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, blood glucose, body mass index, and cholesterol over the 20-year study period. Regarding the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, increased blood pressure, overweight, hypercholesterolemia and alcohol consumption, and a decrease in sedentary lifestyle were observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relevant aspects to the clinical use of Equisetum arvense L. (common horsetail; EA) were reviewed and a search was conducted in the databases PubMed, LILACS, SciELO, Virtual Health Library, Cochrane and Scopus using the keyword "Equisetum arvense" for articles published from 2013 through 2017. So, eighty-eight articles that addressed the pharmacognostic aspects and in vitro and in vivo biological activity, clinical trials with Equisetum arvense (EA) combined with other plants or alone, case reports concerning possible drug interactions and review studies were selected. The most relevant reported pharmacological effects included antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, antimicrobial, vascular and ileum smooth muscle relaxant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, cytotoxic, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, antilithiatic, dermatologic, wound healing, antileishmanial, diuretic, immunizing, platelet aggregation inhibitory, osteoblast response-promoting, remineralizing, anxiolytic, sedative, anticonvulsant and cognitive performance-stimulating activities. Five clinical trials demonstrated the efficacy of phytotherapeutic complexes containing EA, with three for treating benign prostate hyperplasia, one for chronic musculoskeletal pain and one describing the effects of a topical preparation on brittle nail syndrome. Three clinical trials tested EA alone; one analyzed its pharmacokinetics; another addressed the wound-healing effect of 3% EA ointment and a randomized double-blind clinical trial found that the diuretic effect of EA was superior compared to the negative control and equivalent to treatment with hydrochlorothiazide (25 mg/day) without changes in electrolyte excretion. Considering its long history of traditional use in several countries, in vivo and in vitro research and more recent clinical studies, EA meets the requisites for having well-defined medical applications with proven efficacy and acceptable safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cause of death from cancer in women in less developed regions. Therefore, the objective of this study was to provide data on the temporal trends in female breast cancer mortality between 1990 and 2011 and to evaluate its association with the social inequalities present in Brazil. Methods: Breast cancer mortality data and estimates for the resident population were obtained from the Brazilian National Health Service database for the 1990-2011 period. Age-standardized mortality rates were calculated (20-39, 40-49, 50-69 and =70 years) by direct standardization using the 1960 standard world population. Trends were modeled using joinpoint regression model and linear regression. The Social Exclusion Index and the Human Development Index were used to classify the 27 Brazilian states. Pearson's correlation was used to describe the association between the Social Exclusion Index and the Human DeveIopment and the variations in mortality rates in each state. Results: Age-standardized mortality rates in Brazil were found to be stable (annual percent change [APC] = 0.3; 95% CI: -0.1 - 0.7) between 1994 and 2011. Considering the Brazilian states, significant decreases in mortality rates were found in Rio Grande do Sul, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Increases in mortality rates were most notable in the states of Maranhão (APC = 11.2; 95 %CI: 5.8 - 16.9), Piauí (APC = 9.8; 95% CI: 7.6 - 12.1) and Paraíba (APC = 9.3; 95% CI: 6.0 - 12.8). There was a statistically significant correlation between Social Exclusion Index and a change in female breast cancer mortality rates in the Brazilian states between 1990 and 2011 and between Human Development Index and mortality between 2001 and 2011. Conclusions: Female breast cancer mortality rates are stable in Brazil. Reductions in these rates were found in the more developed states, possibly reflecting better healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this double-blind, randomized clinical trial, 36 healthy male volunteers were randomly distributed into three groups (n = 12) that underwent a three-step treatment. For four consecutive days, we alternately administered a standardized dried extract of Equisetum arvense (EADE, 900mg/day), placebo (corn starch, 900mg/day), or hydrochlorothiazide (25mg/day), separated by a 10-day washout period. Each volunteer served as his own control, and the groups' results were compared. We repeated the same evaluation after each stage of treatment to evaluate the safety of the drug. The diuretic effect of EADE was assessed by monitoring the volunteers' water balance over a 24 h period. The E. arvense extract produced a diuretic effect that was stronger than that of the negative control and was equivalent to that of hydrochlorothiazide without causing significant changes in the elimination of electrolytes. There was no significant increase in the urinary elimination of catabolites. Rare minor adverse events were reported. The clinical examinations and laboratory tests showed no changes before or after the experiment, suggesting that the drug is safe for acute use. Further research is needed to better clarify the mechanism of diuretic action and the other possible pharmacological actions of this phytomedicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]