World Heart Day

The mission of the Pan American Journal of Public Health is to serve as an important vehicle for disseminating scientific public health information relevant to the Region of the Americas. The journal aims to strengthen national and local health systems and to bridge the gap between health care and policy-makers, ultimately improving the health of the peoples of the Americas.

Synthesis of evidence and recommendations: guidelines for the pharmacological treatment of arterial hypertension in adults

Introduction

Arterial hypertension (high blood pressure) is one of the most prevalent chronic noncommunicable diseases. It is a cause of cardiovascular disease and is the leading attributable cause of death in the Region of the Americas.

Objectives

Synthesize the recommendations developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to improve the quality of care and health outcomes of adults with high blood pressure, and address aspects of implementing these recommendations.

Efficacy of different front-of-package labeling systems in changing purchase intention and product healthfulness perception for food products in Argentina

Objectives

To identify the front-of-package scheme—Multiple Traffic Light (MTL), Nutri-Score (NS), and black octagon Warning System (WS)—most effective in reducing purchase intention and perceived product healthfulness of drinking yogurts, cookies and cheese spreads, and to assess the joint influence of nutrient claims on the effects.

Lung cancer mortality trends in Colombia, 1985-2018

Objective

To determine lung cancer mortality trends in Colombia during the period 1985-2018 in the population aged 35 years and over and identify changes in the trend.

Methods

Analysis of mortality time series. The specific standardized rates by sex and age group were calculated. Using joinpoint regression, the annual percentage change in the rates was estimated and points of change were identified.

Smoking cessation knowledge and perceptions of cancer care providers at six Latin American cancer institutions

Objective

To assess the characteristics, self-reported tobacco use, knowledge, and perceptions about smoking cessation among cancer care providers (CCPs), as well as perceived barriers to inform interventions that can potentially improve quitting rates and the prognosis of cancer patients in Latin America.

Social determinants associated with self-reporting of symptoms and access to COVID-19 testing and diagnosis in the Plurinational State of Bolivia

Objetcive

To identify the prevalence of self-reporting of symptoms and access to testing and diagnosis of coronavirus-19 disease (COVID-19), as well as its association with social determinants of health (SDH).

Improving cardiovascular health with the patient-centered, integrated primary care HEARTS model in Trinidad and Tobago

This article describes the introduction of the Pan American Health Organization’s HEARTS in the Americas program in Trinidad and Tobago and the successful experiences and challenges encountered in introducing and scaling it up as a strategy for strengthening the health system’s response to cardiovascular diseases. Evidence about implementation of the HEARTS program in the World Health Organization’s Region of the Americas was reviewed to identify the progress made, barriers, success factors and lessons learned.

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