Importance of Primary Healthcare in prognosis of individuals with diabetes mellitus and/or hypertension

Dear Editor

I bring considerations as to the article, “Profile of patients with hypertension and/or diabetes mellitus in Primary Healthcare units.”( ¹ ) The importance of prevention and health promotion when related to chronic diseases is well known, making Primary Healthcare decisive and categorical, since it performs basic interventions involving harm reduction and health maintenance. Within the group of chronic diseases,( ² ) diabetes mellitus and hypertension currently account for the main causes of mortality, a major global public health problem.( ³ )

Thus, aggregating and updating the epidemiological data cited in the article highlight the importance of discussing Primary Healthcare in relation to the diseases in question. In 2019, one in every 11 people aged between 20 and 79 years were affected by diabetes mellitus and hypertension in the world, resulting in 463 million individuals diagnosed, with a profile of higher prevalence among women and adults over 65 years of age.( ⁴ , ⁵ )

The perspective is that this figure will increase by 51% by the year 2045, which means 700 million individuals with diabetes mellitus. Due to the lack of access to information and public health, 50% of individuals with diabetes mellitus have not been identified yet, leading to the development of severe complications, which generate overload and high hospital costs, in addition to worsening the prognosis and quality of life of the individual.( ⁵ )

I congratulate the authors for publishing this study, which should be extensively discussed and prioritized to debate the theme in the academic and care settings, ensuring that Primary Health Care achieves excellence!

REFERENCES

• ¹
  Sarno F, Bittencourt CA, Oliveira AS. Profile of patients with hypertension and/or diabetes mellitus from Primary Healthcare units. einstein (São Paulo). 2020;18:eAO4483.
• ²
  Gama CA, Guimarães DA, Rocha GN. Diabetes Mellitus e atenção primária: percepção dos profissionais sobre os problemas relacionados ao cuidado oferecido às pessoas com diabetes. Pesqui Prát Psicossociais. 2017; 12(3):e1398.
• ³
  Salci MA, Meirelles BH, Silva DM. Primary care for diabetes mellitus patients from the perspective of the care model for chronic conditions. Rev Latino Am Enfermagem. 2017;25:e2882.
• ⁴
  Sociedade Brasileira de Diabetes (SBD). Atlas da IDF: epidemia de diabetes pode diminuir em algumas áreas do mundo. 9th ed. São Paulo: SBD; 2019 [citado 2021 Maio 21]. Disponível em: https://www.diabetes.org.br/profissionais/images/pdf/atlas_sbd_novo-2019.pdf
  » https://www.diabetes.org.br/profissionais/images/pdf/atlas_sbd_novo-2019.pdf
• ⁵
  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2020: estimates of diabetes and its Burden in the United States. Atlanta: CDC; 2020 [cited 2021 May 21]. Available from: https://www.diabetes.org.br/profissionais/images/national-diabetes-statistics-report.pdf
  » https://www.diabetes.org.br/profissionais/images/national-diabetes-statistics-report.pdf

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  05 Jan 2022
• Date of issue
  2021

History

• Received
  21 May 2021
• Accepted
  19 Aug 2021