Del Brutto Oscar H, Peñaherrera Ernesto, Ochoa Elio, Santamaría Milton, Zambrano Mauricio, Del Brutto Victor J
School of Medicine, Universidad de Especialidades Espíritu Santo, Guayaquil, Ecuador; Department of Neurological Sciences, Hospital Clínica Kennedy, Guayaquil, Ecuador; Coordinating Center, The Atahualpa Project, Hospital Clínica Kennedy, Guayaquil, Ecuador.
Int J Stroke. 2014 Apr;9(3):367-71. doi: 10.1111/ijs.12030. Epub 2013 Mar 19.
Stroke and cardiovascular diseases will be the next health epidemics in Latin America due to increased life expectancy and changes in the lifestyle and dietary habits of the population. Knowledge of the cardiovascular health status of the inhabitants will allow the implementation of policies directed to reduce the burden of stroke and cardiovascular diseases in the region.
To evaluate the cardiovascular health status of the inhabitants of Atahualpa (a rural village in coastal Ecuador) and to determine the prevalence and incidence of stroke and ischemic heart disease in the region.
Three-phase epidemiologic survey. During phase I, Atahualpa residents aged ≥40 years will be screened with standardized questionnaires to evaluate their cardiovascular health and to identify those with suspected stroke or ischemic heart disease. In phase II, neurologists and cardiologists will examine suspected cases of stroke or ischemic heart disease, as well as a random sample of matched negative individuals, to assess the prevalence and incidence of these conditions. In phase III, patients with a diagnosis of stroke and ischemic heart disease will undergo complementary tests for achieving a more specific diagnosis.
Implementation of public health strategies directed to improve the cardiovascular health status of a given population must be based on studies evaluating specific risk factors at regional levels. Epidemiologic surveys such as the Atahualpa Project may prove cost-effective in improving the cardiovascular health status of people living in Latin American rural villages by increasing the knowledge on the particular needs of these populations.
由于预期寿命的增加以及该地区人口生活方式和饮食习惯的改变，中风和心血管疾病将成为拉丁美洲接下来的健康流行病。了解居民的心血管健康状况将有助于实施旨在减轻该地区中风和心血管疾病负担的政策。
评估阿塔瓦尔帕（厄瓜多尔沿海的一个乡村）居民的心血管健康状况，并确定该地区中风和缺血性心脏病的患病率和发病率。
三阶段流行病学调查。在第一阶段，年龄≥40岁的阿塔瓦尔帕居民将接受标准化问卷调查，以评估他们的心血管健康状况，并识别那些疑似中风或缺血性心脏病的人。在第二阶段，神经科医生和心脏病专家将检查疑似中风或缺血性心脏病的病例，以及一组匹配的阴性个体的随机样本，以评估这些疾病的患病率和发病率。在第三阶段，被诊断为中风和缺血性心脏病的患者将接受补充检查以获得更具体的诊断。
旨在改善特定人群心血管健康状况的公共卫生策略的实施必须基于在区域层面评估特定风险因素的研究。像阿塔瓦尔帕项目这样的流行病学调查可能在通过增加对这些人群特殊需求的了解来改善拉丁美洲农村居民心血管健康状况方面被证明具有成本效益。
