Abstract
BackgroundThe impact of leprosy reduces health-related quality of life of affected patients, interfering with different factors such as nutrition. This study investigated the lipid profile, nutritional status, and risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients who underwent leprosy treatment in Brazil.MethodsEighty-four adult patients of both genders ranging in age from 20 to 60 years and diagnosed with paucibacillary (PB) or multibacillary (MB) leprosy were selected after undergoing multidrug treatment. The following data were collected: sociodemographic and clinical data; food intake; anthropometric measures (weight, height, and waist circumference); and lipid profile components (total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-c], low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-c], and triglycerides).ResultsAmong the study population, there was a predominance of males (65.48%) aged 50 to 60 years, patients with an income of 248–496 American dollars (63.10%), patients who completed elementary school (65.48%), inactive patients (76.19%), non-smokers (46.43%), and non-drinking patients (69.05%). The levels (mean ± standard deviation) of total cholesterol were 193.8 ± 29.4 mg/dL in the PB form and 203.5 ± 41.7 mg/dL in the MB form. The mean LDL-c was 116.9 ± 22.7 mg/dL in PB patients and 121 ± 31.3 mg/dL in MB patients. Mean triglyceride levels were 123.4 ± 45.2 mg/dL in the PB form and 147.4 ± 88.9 mg/dL in the MB form. The evaluation of nutritional status showed that 41.67% of the patients were eutrophic, while 55.96% had excess weight. Food intake was significantly associated with HDL-c in male patients (P = 0.0264) and with triglycerides in patients above the ideal weight (P = 0.0049).ConclusionsThe risk of acquiring CVDs was observed to be high due to patients’ excess weight and increased waist circumference. This study will guide clinicians in the adequate treatment of patients with leprosy in order to avoid adverse cardiovascular events.
Highlights
The impact of leprosy reduces health-related quality of life of affected patients, interfering with different factors such as nutrition
Inclusion and exclusion criteria Patients of both genders ranging in age from 20 to 60 years who met the following inclusion criteria were included in the study: completion of the multidrug therapy regimen for leprosy at least two years and no more than five years ago; regular attendance to the specialized referral health unit (SRHU) for follow-up and physical rehabilitation with the multidisciplinary team; availability for sample and data collection; and voluntary agreement to sign the informed consent form after receiving detailed information about the study
Criteria for exclusion were: patients not diagnosed with leprosy who had not been followed up regularly in the SRHU; age outside the range established for the study; incomplete data or lack of sociodemographic data or any other information that could not be obtained, especially data regarding blood collection and analysis; presence of diabetes mellitus; infection with human immunodeficiency virus; presence of a reactional state and recurrence of leprosy; diagnosis of dyslipidemias prior to the diagnosis of leprosy; and/or use of corticosteroids
Summary
The impact of leprosy reduces health-related quality of life of affected patients, interfering with different factors such as nutrition. This study investigated the lipid profile, nutritional status, and risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients who underwent leprosy treatment in Brazil. The disease is endemic in Brazil and represents a serious public health problem in several countries [1]. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 16 countries notified 1 000 or more cases in 2009. The highest rate of detection was found in Asia, with 9.39 cases per 100 000 inhabitants, followed by the Americas with 4.58 cases per 100 000 inhabitants [2]. In the Americas, among the 40 474 new cases, 93% were notified in Brazil until 2008, which continues to be the country with the second largest number of new cases in the world [3]. Pará state records one of the highest rates of new leprosy cases per year, with 45.48 cases per 100 000 inhabitants in 2008 [4]
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