Since its creation in 1991, the Information Technology Department of the Unified Health System (DATASUS) has implemented information systems and IT support necessary for the planning, operation, and control of institutions linked to the SUS. Furthermore, DATASUS provides information that can assist in analyzing the health situation, making evidence-based decisions and developing health programs. Measuring the population’s health status began with recording mortality and survival data evolving epidemiological and morbidity information. Currently, data on morbidity, disability, access to services, quality […]

Chest pain is one of the most common reasons for admission to the emergency room (ER). Although only a small minority of these correspond to an acute coronary syndrome (ACS), the potential severity of a misdiagnosis or a non-diagnosis implies using systematic protocols to confirm or exclude coronary artery disease (CAD) as a cause of symptoms. In recent years, the sequential blood testing of high-sensitive troponin (cTnI-hs) levels has become a safe and effective method in this context and is […]

In the evaluation of patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD), also called chronic coronary syndrome (CCS), complementary tests are used both for diagnostic and prognostic purposes. , Anatomical (coronary angiography and coronary CT angiography) and functional (exercise testing, stress echocardiography, rest and stress myocardial perfusion imaging by scintigraphy, magnetic resonance, and positron emission tomography) tests are available. Coronary angiography, the gold standard, is invasive and therefore, indicated for clinically more severe patients, or those with poor prognostic findings in […]

Since the discovery, in 2003, that loss-of-function mutations in the gene that encodes proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) reduce LDL cholesterol levels, there has been growing interest in using PCSK9 pathways to treat patients with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis., In multiple randomized clinical trials, PCSK9 inhibitors reduced LDL levels, with a significant reduction in cardiovascular events, although the effect on mortality has been less consistent. The FOURIER clinical trial was the largest randomized clinical trial with […]

The 1988 Brazilian Constitution, also called the “Citizen Constitution”, established universal access to health when, in its article 196, it stated that this is the right of all citizens and the Government’s responsibility. Just over a decade later, the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS, Sistema Único de Saúde ) was created, which, in order to respect the principles of universality, integrality and equality established in the Magna Carta, laid down guidelines for decentralization, comprehensive care and popular participation. Very much […]

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is the leading cause of mortality in the world, being responsible for more than 9 million deaths in 2016. The trend profile of IHD mortality rates varied according to the economic level of countries. Developed nations have experienced a dramatic reduction in IHD mortality rates in recent years, perhaps attributed to a greater focus on primary prevention and better diagnosis and treatment. However, in the so-called developing countries, the reduction was not so accentuated, representing a […]