Ana Maria Baptista Menezes
Site:www.platino-alat.org
Researchers from the CPE, together with scientists from four Latin American countries, developed the Latin American Project for the Investigation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (PLATINO). This project aimed to analyze the disease occurrence, as well as its main risks in five Latin American cities: São Paulo (Brazil), Mexico City (Mexico), Montevideo (Uruguay), Santiago (Chile), and Caracas (Venezuela).
The study had more than five thousand adult participants aged 40 years and older. Besides answering a questionnaire, the participants realized a pulmonary functioning test known as spirometry. The knowledge about obstructive chronic pulmonary disease (COPD) is important because it is essentially caused by the smoking, which makes it an avoidable disease. Public health measures, like stopping smoking, may have an important impact on the reduction of chronic bronchitis and emphysema, which are part of the COPD. After concluding this stage (2002-2004), by the Latin American Thoracic Association (ALAT) initiative, it was realized a follow-up analysis of some participants in two of the five cities: Montevideo and Santiago. This new project will allow the mortality evaluation in sick patients during five years, as well as the identification of new COPD cases. The study was concluded at Montevideo and it has been occurring at Santiago.
