- The IMSS Epidemiology Research Unit is about to start a study to Eliminate Coronary Artery Disease.
- For 10 years, the management of hypercholesterolemia will be evaluated in 20,000 young people in order to carry out interventions that prevent the appearance of ischemic heart disease.
- In the past, studies on the non-pharmacological management of heart failure and diabetes mellitus have been developed in this place.
With 80 years of history, the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS) represents the base of public health in the country, although its work goes beyond care for beneficiaries because it also focuses on research in areas such as epidemiology. In this way, it seeks to design new treatments against various diseases and conditions.
With this in mind, one of its most outstanding spaces is the Clinical Epidemiology Research Unit of the Regional General Hospital (HGR) No. 1 “Dr. Carlos MacGregor Sánchez Navarro”. In this place, studies have been carried out on the non-pharmacological management of heart failure and diabetes mellitus; regarding chronic complications associated with diabetes and COVID-19; as well as research on ischemic heart disease, peripheral arterial disease and cerebrovascular disease, to identify risk factors and genetic markers.
Main works carried out
Dr. Jorge Escobedo de la Peña, head of this Research Unit created in the year 2000, pointed out that the main task is aimed at analysis of the main health problems of the right holder of the Institute. At the same time, it participates in the best management approach for patients.
“This has helped to identify risk factors in the beneficiary population, which is essential to influence the reduction of ischemic heart disease. Undoubtedly, the results of these studies have allowed the Institute to modify and promote its prevention measures. The fact of knowing the prevalence of diabetes, obesity and hypertension allows the PrevenIMSS actions carried out in the institution to be more focused on specific populations”.
The most ambitious research work of the IMSS
The boss of the Clinical Epidemiology Research Unit highlighted that this year they will coordinate the ECAD study, in which the 35 IMSS Representative Offices in the country will participate. The idea is to evaluate 20,000 young people for 10 years, which is not identified in the Clinical Practice Guidelines as a population that requires specific management, and in which studies and interventions will be carried out to prevent the appearance of cardiovascular conditions. .
“The hypothesis is that if we treat it at an early age, we will surely avoid morbidity and mortality from ischemic heart disease at later ages.”
He indicated that five full-time researchers from the same Research Unit and four itinerant researchers within HGR No. 1 collaborate in the ECAD study. In addition, researchers from High Specialty Medical Units (UMAE) of the Siglo XXI National Medical Centers (CMN) and La Raza, and from hospitals in Mexico City, Querétaro, the State of Mexico and Veracruz, which are specialists in Cardiology, Infectious Diseases, Nutrition, Computer Science, Rheumatology, Internal Medicine and Genetics, among others.
He recalled that in the beginning, the researchers devoted themselves to studying the burden of disease in the population affiliated with Social Security through the indicator “Disability-adjusted healthy life years lost” that studied the time that people will live with a disability or that they will suffer a premature death due to various types of illnesses, when comparing it with the life expectancy of the Mexican population.
“It was found in the first studies that the two main causes of disease burden in Mexico were ischemic heart disease, since the rate of Years of Healthy Life Lost due to this condition grew three times in the first decade of this century; and the second cause is diabetes, which in the population aged 25 to 44 is significantly associated with suffering some type of disability”.
Dr. Escobedo de la Peña pointed out that after this analysis, the Unit focused on studying both conditions through population studies of the main cardiovascular risk factors. Therefore, he participated in the study Multiple Evaluation of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Latin America (CARMELA, for its acronym in English) that was developed in seven Latin American cities in Argentina, Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Venezuela, Colombia and Mexico, during the first decade of the 21st century.
“In Mexico City, we studied just over 1,700 subjects and found that it was first in diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome (a group of conditions that together increase the risk of coronary heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and other health problems). severe), with a higher prevalence compared to other Latin American cities.
He indicated that with these results a study was carried out with 20,000 beneficiaries and it was found that among the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease, the prevalence of diabetes was 13%, 29% with hypertension, 13% with high cholesterol; 31% smoking in men and 10% in women; 18% obesity in men and 27% in women, and 14% central abdominal obesity in men and 49% in women.
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