THE INCREASE IN DEATHS FROM CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES AT HOME DURING THE PERIOD OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN BRAZIL: BIBLIOGRAPHIC REVIEW (Atena Editora)

Abstract

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the health crisis caused by COVID-19 reached the status of a pandemic, making countries responsible for detecting, protecting, treating and reducing the transmission of the new coronavirus. However, in view of this, it was observed that health care was focused on the virus, leaving other diseases, such as acute myocardial infarction and heart failure, in the background. The social isolation that is crucial for the control of viral spread also contributed to people failing to monitor their comorbidities. Thus, many cases progressed to seriousness or were fatal, an outcome that often occurred at home. This phenomenon was not only observed in Brazil, but worldwide. The objective of this study is to establish the relationship between the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent increase in the number of deaths from cardiovascular diseases caused by the low demand for health services. This is a literature review based on the search for articles in the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) and Google Scholar based on the descriptors “COVID-19” and “cardiovascular diseases”, covering the years 2020 and 2021. Brazilian Society of Cardiology (SBC), the number of deaths from cardiovascular diseases increased by 132% during the pandemic. The main explanation for this was the fact that patients were not seeking medical care for fear of exposure to the new coronavirus. It is also known that, although there was a 15% drop in hospital admissions and a reduction of up to 45% in procedures and surgeries, these are not related to the decrease in the number of deaths, but rather that these only ceased to occur in an environment hospital and began to take place at home. The cardiometer, a tool used by SBC to measure the number of deaths from heart disease, recorded that every 90 seconds an individual dies as a result of cardiovascular problems in Brazil, and from March to May 2020, 15,847 people died. at home due to cardiovascular diseases, confirming an increase of 32% compared to the same period in 2019. It is evident that the low demand for health services and emergency care led to an increase in the number of deaths from cardiovascular diseases, which is why It is important that patients who are already being followed-up continue to attend appointments regularly, as well as making continuous use of their medications. Another recommendation is with regard to food, seeking to have a follow-up with a nutritionist and continue to moderate the intake of salt. We must also pay attention to the regular practice of physical activity, since because people are more at home, they tend to be sedentary and consequently gain weight, which can trigger future diseases. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary to pay attention to all these risk factors, so that we can observe more favorable outcomes.