From 2008 to 2022, the average monthly hospitalizations for infarction of men in Brazil increased from 5282.33 to 13645.25, which is an increase of 158.32%. Similarly, the average monthly hospitalizations of women due to infarction in women increased from 1930.67 to 4973.25, which corresponds to an increase of 157.59%.
The data is part of a survey conducted by the National Institute of Cardiology (INC) in the Datasos Hospital Admission System of the Ministry of Health. The range includes all Brazilian SUS patients (in public hospitals and private hospitals that have an agreement with SUS), which represents 70% to 75% of all patients in Brazil.
The Director General of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, Dr. Aurora Issa, points to an aging population and increasing obesity, among other factors, as reasons for the increase in the number of heart attacks in the country: “Myocardial infarction occurs in the elderly. We also know about the increasing prevalence of obesity in the Brazilian population.”
When analyzing the seasonality of the cases, the INC found that peak hospitalizations for infarcts occur during the winter, while valleys occur during the summer. The difference between peaks in winter and valleys in summer varies from year to year. In 2022, this difference was 27.8% among women and 27.4% among men.
“The cold causes the blood vessels to constrict,” says Aurora Issa. Another explanation is the increase in the number of infections in the winter. A person who has a heart attack, most of the time, already has fatty plaques in the arteries. What leads to a heart attack is inflammation of the plaque and the formation of a clot on top of that plaque. An infection is often the cause of this inflammation.”
From 2017 to 2021, 7,368,654 Brazilians died of cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the country.
Aurora Issa stresses that preventing cardiovascular disease involves adopting a healthy lifestyle, which includes a balanced diet and physical exercise.
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