Biblioteca Digital

Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2002;(3):CD001908. Tiagabine add-on for drug-resistant partial epilepsy. Pereira J, Marson AG, Hutton JL. Servico de Neurologia, Hospital de Santo Antonio, Largo Prof. Abel Salazar, 4099-001 Porto, Portugal. joaomccpereira@hotmail.com Abstract BACKGROUND: Epilepsy is a common neurological condition, affecting almost 0.5 to 1 per cent of the population. Nearly 30 per cent of people with epilepsy are resistant to currently available drugs. Tiagabine is one of the newer antiepileptic drugs and its effects as an adjunct (add-on) to standard drugs is assessed in this review. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of add-on treatment with tiagabine upon seizures, side effects, cognition and quality of life for people with drug-resistant localization related seizures. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Epilepsy Group trials register (28 March 2002), the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (Cochrane Library Issue 1, 2002), MEDLINE (1966 to November 2001). In addition, we contacted Sanofi~Synthelabo (makers of tiagabine) and experts in the field to seek any unpublished or ongoing studies. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomized placebo controlled add-on trials of people of any age with localization related seizures...

World J Surg. 2003 Jul;27(7):782-7. Perforated peptic ulcer: main factors of morbidity and mortality. Noguiera C, Silva AS, Santos JN, Silva AG, Ferreira J, Matos E, Vilaça H. Surgery Department, Surgery 1, Hospital Geral de Santo António, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Largo do Prof. Abel Salazar, 4099-001 Oporto, Portugal. Abstract It is well stated in the literature that medical treatment for peptic ulcer is based on a combination of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and antibiotics to eradicate Helicobacter pylori. This treatment is associated with a high rate of immediate success and a low rate of recurrence at 12 months, although it is not effective in all patients. Peptic ulcer (PU) perforation is a serious problem that leads to high complication and mortality rates. Surgical treatment, with its various possibilities, constitutes the ideal treatment. Surgical intervention in these cases, however, can be directed to treating the perforation alone, or it can offer definitive treatment of the ulcer itself. With the hope of establishing why such complications and mortality were seen in the patients in our hospital population, we gathered the facts about PU perforations and the types of surgery performed. We studied 210 consecutive patients (150 men...

J Med Genet. 1999 Aug;36(8):629-32. Two pairs of proven monozygotic twins discordant for familial amyloid neuropathy (FAP) TTR Met 30. Munar-Qués M, Pedrosa JL, Coelho T, Gusmão L, Seruca R, Amorim A, Sequeiros J. Grupo de Estudio de la PAF, Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Abstract Twin studies are an important tool in medical genetics for the evaluation of the relative roles of genetic and non-genetic factors in several diseases. Familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy type I (FAP-I), TTR Met 30, was present in two sets of proven monozygotic (MZ) twins, one from Majorca and the other from Portugal. Monozygosity was established by analysis of DNA polymorphisms. Both pairs were discordant for age at onset and some clinical manifestations of FAP-I. We reviewed the differences in age at onset and clinical features in both sets and in two other pairs of presumed MZ twins with FAP-I and compared them with those in MZ twin pairs with other Mendelian disorders, such as neurofibromatosis type 1, Huntington's disease, facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, and myotonic dystrophy. We conclude that, in addition to the postulated modifying genes, there must be a significant contribution from non-genetic factors to the phenotypic variability of FAP-I (age at onset and clinical expression)...

Transplant Proc. 2003 May;35(3):1093-5. Homocysteine levels in pediatric renal transplant recipients. Mota C, Fonseca I, Santos MJ, Costa T, Faria MS, Henriques AC, Sarmento AM, Pereira E, Pereira M. Department of Paediatric Nephrology, Maria Pia Children's Hospital, R. da Boavista, 827, 4050-111, Porto, Portugal. ccmotacosta@hotmail.com PMID: 12947872 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE

Nat Genet. 2004 Mar;36(3):225-7. Epub 2004 Feb 8. Senataxin, the ortholog of a yeast RNA helicase, is mutant in ataxia-ocular apraxia 2. Moreira MC, Klur S, Watanabe M, Németh AH, Le Ber I, Moniz JC, Tranchant C, Aubourg P, Tazir M, Schöls L, Pandolfo M, Schulz JB, Pouget J, Calvas P, Shizuka-Ikeda M, Shoji M, Tanaka M, Izatt L, Shaw CE, M'Zahem A, Dunne E, Bomont P, Benhassine T, Bouslam N, Stevanin G, Brice A, Guimarães J, Mendonça P, Barbot C, Coutinho P, Sequeiros J, Dürr A, Warter JM, Koenig M. IGBMC (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, ULP) 67404 Illkirch, C.U. de Strasbourg, France. Abstract Ataxia-ocular apraxia 2 (AOA2) was recently identified as a new autosomal recessive ataxia. We have now identified causative mutations in 15 families, which allows us to clinically define this entity by onset between 10 and 22 years, cerebellar atrophy, axonal sensorimotor neuropathy, oculomotor apraxia and elevated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). Ten of the fifteen mutations cause premature termination of a large DEAxQ-box helicase, the human ortholog of yeast Sen1p, involved in RNA maturation and termination. PMID: 14770181 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Am J Hum Genet. 2001 Feb;68(2):501-8. Epub 2001 Jan 22. Homozygosity mapping of Portuguese and Japanese forms of ataxia-oculomotor apraxia to 9p13, and evidence for genetic heterogeneity. Moreira MC, Barbot C, Tachi N, Kozuka N, Mendonça P, Barros J, Coutinho P, Sequeiros J, Koenig M. Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, CNRS/INSERM/Université Louis-Pasteur, Illkirch, C.U. de Strasbourg, France. Abstract Ataxia with oculomotor apraxia (AOA) is characterized by early-onset cerebellar ataxia, ocular apraxia, early areflexia, late peripheral neuropathy, slow progression, severe motor handicap, and absence of both telangiectasias and immunodeficiency. We studied 13 Portuguese families with AOA and found that the two largest families show linkage to 9p, with LOD scores of 4.13 and 3.82, respectively, at a recombination fraction of 0. These and three smaller families, all from northern Portugal, showed homozygosity and haplotype sharing over a 2-cM region on 9p13, demonstrating the existence of both a founding event and linkage to this locus, AOA1, in the five families. Three other families were excluded from this locus, demonstrating nonallelic heterogeneity in AOA. Early-onset cerebellar ataxia with hypoalbuminemia (EOCA-HA)...

The bEuro-Lupus CohortQ is composed by 1000 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) that have been followed prospectively since 1991. These patients have been gathered by a European consortium—the bEuro-Lupus Project GroupQ. This consortium was originated as part of the network promoted by the bEuropean Working Party on SLEQ, a working group created in 1990 in order to promote research in Europe on the different problems related to this disease. The bEuro-Lupus CohortQ provides an updated information on the SLE morbidity and mortality characteristics in the present decade as well as defines several clinical and immunological prognostic factors

Crit Care. 2005 Apr;9(2):R96-109. Epub 2005 Jan 31. Patients' recollections of experiences in the intensive care unit may affect their quality of life. Granja C, Lopes A, Moreira S, Dias C, Costa-Pereira A, Carneiro A; JMIP Study Group. Medical Intensive Care Unit, Hospital Pedro Hispano, Matosinhos, Portugal. cristinagranja@oninet.pt Comment in: Crit Care. 2005 Apr;9(2):145-6. Abstract INTRODUCTION: We wished to obtain the experiences felt by patients during their ICU stay using an original questionnaire and to correlate the memories of those experiences with health-related quality of life (HR-QOL). METHODS: We conducted a prospective study in 10 Portuguese intensive care units (ICUs). Six months after ICU discharge, an original questionnaire on experiences of patients during their ICU stay, the recollection questionnaire, was delivered. HR-QOL was evaluated simultaneously, with the EQ-5D questionnaire. Between 1 September 2002 and 31 March 2003 1433 adult patients were admitted. ICU and hospital mortalities were 21% and 28%, respectively. Six months after ICU discharge, 464 patients completed the recollection questionnaire. RESULTS: Thirty-eight percent of the patients stated they did not remember any moment of their ICU stay. The ICU environment was described as friendly and calm by 93% of the patients. Sleep was described as being good and enough by 73%. The experiences reported as being more stressful were tracheal tube aspiration (81%)...

Blood Press. 2000;9(2-3):146-51. Study on COgnition and Prognosis in the Elderly (SCOPE): baseline characteristics. Hansson L, Lithell H, Skoog I, Baro F, Bánki CM, Breteler M, Castaigne A, Correia M, Degaute JP, Elmfeldt D, Engedal K, Farsang C, Ferro J, Hachinski V, Hofman A, James OF, Krisin E, Leeman M, de Leeuw PW, Leys D, Lobo A, Nordby G, Olofsson B, Opolski G, Prince M, Reischies FM. University of Uppsala, Department of Public Health, Clinical Hypertension Research, Sweden. Abstract The Study on COgnition and Prognosis in the Elderly (SCOPE) is a multi-centre, prospective, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group study. The primary objective of SCOPE is to assess the effect of the angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor blocker, candesartan cilexetil 8-16 mg once daily, on major cardiovascular events in elderly patients (70-89 years of age) with mild hypertension (DBP 90-99 and/or SBP 160-179 mmHg). The secondary objectives of the study are to test the hypothesis that antihypertensive therapy can prevent cognitive decline (as measured by the Mini Mental State Examination, MMSE) and dementia, and to assess the effect of therapy on total mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, renal function, and hospitalization. A total of 4964 patients from 15 participating countries were recruited during the randomization phase of SCOPE...

J Lipid Res. 2007 Apr;48(4):914-23. Epub 2007 Jan 18. Physiologically regulated transgenic ABCA1 does not reduce amyloid burden or amyloid-beta peptide levels in vivo. Hirsch-Reinshagen V, Chan JY, Wilkinson A, Tanaka T, Fan J, Ou G, Maia LF, Singaraja RR, Hayden MR, Wellington CL. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. Abstract ABCA1-deficient mice have low levels of poorly lipidated apolipoprotein E (apoE) and exhibit increased amyloid load. To test whether excess ABCA1 protects from amyloid deposition, we crossed APP/PS1 mice to ABCA1 bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenic mice. Compared with wild-type animals, the ABCA1 BAC led to a 50% increase in cortical ABCA1 protein and a 15% increase in apoE abundance, demonstrating that this BAC supports modest ABCA1 overexpression in brain. However, this was observed only in animals that do not deposit amyloid. Comparison of ABCA1/APP/PS1 mice with APP/PS1 controls revealed no differences in levels of brain ABCA1 protein, amyloid, Abeta, or apoE, despite clear retention of ABCA1 overexpression in the livers of these animals. To further investigate ABCA1 expression in the amyloid-containing brain, we then compared ABCA1 mRNA and protein levels in young and aged cortex and cerebellum of APP/PS1 and ABCA1/APP/PS1 animals. Compared with APP/PS1 controls...

Acta Med Port. 2003 Nov-Dec;16(6):373-80. Epub 2003 Dec 1. [Evaluation of diabetic foot amputation rate]. [Article in Portuguese] Horta C, Vilaverde J, Mendes P, Gonçalves I, Serra L, Pinto PS, Almeida R, Carvalho R, Dores J, Serra MB. Serviços de Endocrinologia, Ortopedia e Cirurgia Vascular, Hospital Geral de Santo António, Porto. Abstract In 1987, it was created the first portuguese Diabetic Foot Clinic in Oporto, at the Hospital Geral de Santo António. The distinction between neuropathic and ischaemic foot was the key stone to reduce drastically the rate of major amputations in the first two years of activity. Since then and until 1995 the rate of major amputations had stabilised around 8%. The aim of the present study was to evaluate if there was any change in the last three years. A retrospective study was performed reviewing the clinical files of 843 new patients between 1998 and 2000. The 593 patients who presented with a foot ulcer with or without infection were selected: 60.4% with neuropathic foot and 39.6% with ischaemic one. Overall, 31 of the 593 patients with ulcer or infection were treated with major amputation (5.2%). There was a statistical difference between the major amputation outcome among the two types of foot (p < 0.001). Necrosis showed to carry a poor prognosis (30.7% in ischaemic foot vs 8...

Arthritis Rheum. 2004 Dec;50(12):3934-40. Early response to immunosuppressive therapy predicts good renal outcome in lupus nephritis: lessons from long-term followup of patients in the Euro-Lupus Nephritis Trial. Houssiau FA, Vasconcelos C, D'Cruz D, Sebastiani GD, de Ramon Garrido E, Danieli MG, Abramovicz D, Blockmans D, Mathieu A, Direskeneli H, Galeazzi M, Gül A, Levy Y, Petera P, Popovic R, Petrovic R, Sinico RA, Cattaneo R, Font J, Depresseux G, Cosyns JP, Cervera R. Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium. houssiau@ruma.ucl.ac.be Abstract OBJECTIVE: In the Euro-Lupus Nephritis Trial (ELNT), 90 patients with lupus nephritis were randomly assigned to a high-dose intravenous cyclophosphamide (IV CYC) regimen (6 monthly pulses and 2 quarterly pulses with escalating doses) or a low-dose IV CYC regimen (6 pulses of 500 mg given at intervals of 2 weeks), each of which was followed by azathioprine (AZA). After a median followup of 41 months, a difference in efficacy between the 2 regimens was not observed. The present analysis was undertaken to extend the followup and to identify prognostic factors. METHODS: Renal function was prospectively assessed quarterly in all 90 patients except 5 who were lost to followup. Survival curves were derived using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: After a median followup of 73 months...

Abstract BACKGROUND: Recent studies in acute stroke patients have shown an association between body temperature and prognosis. OBJECTIVES: Our objective was to assess the effects of cooling when applied to patients with acute ischaemic stroke or primary intracerebral haemorrhage. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Stroke Group's trial register (last searched in March 1999), plus MEDLINE searched up to November 1998 and EMBASE searched from January 1980 to November 1998. We contacted investigators, pharmaceutical companies and manufacturers of cooling equipment in this field. SELECTION CRITERIA: All completed randomised controlled trials or controlled clinical trials, published or unpublished, where cooling therapy (therapy given by physical devices or antipyretic drugs primarily to lower body temperature independently of basal temperature at the beginning of treatment) was applied up to two weeks of an acute ischaemic stroke or primary intracerebral haemorrhage. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two reviewers independently searched for relevant trials. MAIN RESULTS: No randomised trials or controlled trials were identified; one placebo-controlled trial of metamizol is currently underway. REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: There is currently no evidence from randomised trials to support the routine use of physical or chemical cooling therapy in acute stroke. Since experimental studies showed a neuroprotective effect of hypothermia in cerebral ischaemia...

Abstract BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There are no community-based studies on the incidence of transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) in Portugal. This study was designed to determine TIA incidence and the risk of stroke occurrence in rural and urban populations in northern Portugal. METHODS: All suspected first-ever TIAs occurring between October 1998 and September 2000 in 18,677 residents in a rural municipality and 86,023 living in the city of Porto were entered into a population-based registry. Standard definitions and comprehensive sources of information were used for identification of patients who were followed up at 3 and 12 months after the TIA. RESULTS: During a 24-month period, 141 patients with a first-ever TIA were registered, 36 in rural and 104 in urban areas. The vascular territory was carotid in 66.7% of the patients, vertebrobasilar in 29.1%, and undetermined in 4.3%. The overall crude annual incidence rate per 1000 was 0.67 (95% CI, 0.45 to 1.04), 0.61 (95% CI, 0.38 to 1.01) for rural, and 0.96 (95% CI, 0.43 to 2.33) for urban populations. The risk of stroke within the first 7 days of the index event was 12.8% (95% CI, 7.3 to 18.3), reaching 21.4% (95% CI, 14.6 to 28.1) at 1 year. Three factors were associated with stroke occurrence within 120 days after TIA: patients' age > or =65 years and an episode in the carotid distribution lasting > or =3 hours. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of TIA in northern Portugal...

Abstract BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The rationale for in utero repair of myelomeningocele has been supported experimentally by the observation of preserved neural function after prenatal closure of surgically created defects compared with nonrepaired controls. The mechanism of injury to the exposed neural elements is unknown. Postulated mechanisms include trauma to the herniated neural elements or progressive injury from amniotic fluid exposure as gestation proceeds. A component of amniotic fluid that may contribute to neural injury is meconium. In the current study the effect of human meconium on the exposed spinal cord in a fetal rat model of myelomeningocele was examined. METHODS: Twenty time-dated pregnant rats underwent laparotomy at 181/2 days of gestation. The exposed uterus was bathed in ritrodrine for tocolysis. The amniotic cavity was opened over the dorsal midline of the fetal rat, and, under a dissecting microscope (x25), a 2- to 3-level laminectomy was performed. Under magnification (x40), the translucent dura was opened using a 25-gauge needle as a knife. Two fetuses per dam were operated on. In the control group, the amniotic fluid was restored with saline solution, whereas in the experimental group a solution of Human meconium diluted (10%) in saline was used to restore the amniotic fluid. Fetuses were harvested by cesarean section at 211/2 days' gestational age. The liveborn pups were then killed and fixed in 10% formaline. Sections 10 micrometer thick were stained with H&E and studied by light microscopy for evidence of spinal cord injury. RESULTS: Seven of 20 (35%) experimental rat pups and 6 of 20 (30%) control rat pups were liveborn. All liveborn pups had severe paralysis of the hindlimbs and tail...

Arthritis Rheum. 2004 Dec;50(12):3934-40. Early response to immunosuppressive therapy predicts good renal outcome in lupus nephritis: lessons from long-term followup of patients in the Euro-Lupus Nephritis Trial. Houssiau FA, Vasconcelos C, D'Cruz D, Sebastiani GD, de Ramon Garrido E, Danieli MG, Abramovicz D, Blockmans D, Mathieu A, Direskeneli H, Galeazzi M, Gül A, Levy Y, Petera P, Popovic R, Petrovic R, Sinico RA, Cattaneo R, Font J, Depresseux G, Cosyns JP, Cervera R. Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium. houssiau@ruma.ucl.ac.be Abstract OBJECTIVE: In the Euro-Lupus Nephritis Trial (ELNT), 90 patients with lupus nephritis were randomly assigned to a high-dose intravenous cyclophosphamide (IV CYC) regimen (6 monthly pulses and 2 quarterly pulses with escalating doses) or a low-dose IV CYC regimen (6 pulses of 500 mg given at intervals of 2 weeks), each of which was followed by azathioprine (AZA). After a median followup of 41 months, a difference in efficacy between the 2 regimens was not observed. The present analysis was undertaken to extend the followup and to identify prognostic factors. METHODS: Renal function was prospectively assessed quarterly in all 90 patients except 5 who were lost to followup. Survival curves were derived using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: After a median followup of 73 months...

Arthritis Rheum. 2002 Aug;46(8):2121-31. Immunosuppressive therapy in lupus nephritis: the Euro-Lupus Nephritis Trial, a randomized trial of low-dose versus high-dose intravenous cyclophosphamide. Houssiau FA, Vasconcelos C, D'Cruz D, Sebastiani GD, Garrido Ed Ede R, Danieli MG, Abramovicz D, Blockmans D, Mathieu A, Direskeneli H, Galeazzi M, Gül A, Levy Y, Petera P, Popovic R, Petrovic R, Sinico RA, Cattaneo R, Font J, Depresseux G, Cosyns JP, Cervera R. Cliniques Universitaires St. Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium. houssiau@ruma.ucl.ac.be Comment in: Arthritis Rheum. 2003 May;48(5):1466; author reply 1466-7. Abstract OBJECTIVE: Glomerulonephritis is a severe manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) that is usually treated with an extended course of intravenous (IV) cyclophosphamide (CYC). Given the side effects of this regimen, we evaluated the efficacy and the toxicity of a course of low-dose IV CYC prescribed as a remission-inducing treatment, followed by azathioprine (AZA) as a remission-maintaining treatment. METHODS: In this multicenter, prospective clinical trial (the Euro-Lupus Nephritis Trial [ELNT]), we randomly assigned 90 SLE patients with proliferative glomerulonephritis to a high-dose IV CYC regimen (6 monthly pulses and 2 quarterly pulses; doses increased according to the white blood cell count nadir) or a low-dose IV CYC regimen (6 fortnightly pulses at a fixed dose of 500 mg)...

N Engl J Med. 2002 May 30;346(22):1706-13. Clinical trial of lamivudine in children with chronic hepatitis B. Jonas MM, Mizerski J, Badia IB, Areias JA, Schwarz KB, Little NR, Greensmith MJ, Gardner SD, Bell MS, Sokal EM; International Pediatric Lamivudine Investigator Group. of Gastroenterology, Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Erratum in: N Engl J Med 2002 Sep 19;347(12):955. Kelley, Deirdre [corrected to Kelly, Deirdre]. Comment in: J Hepatol. 2003 May;38(5):698-9. N Engl J Med. 2002 May 30;346(22):1682-3. Abstract BACKGROUND: Lamivudine therapy is effective for chronic hepatitis B infection in adults. We evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of lamivudine as a treatment for chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) in children. METHODS: Children with chronic hepatitis B were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive either oral lamivudine (3 mg per kilogram of body weight; maximum, 100 mg) or placebo once daily for 52 weeks. The primary end point was virologic response (defined by the absence of serum hepatitis B e antigen and serum HBV DNA) at week 52 of treatment. RESULTS: Of the 403 children screened, 191 were randomly assigned to receive lamivudine and 97 to receive placebo. The rate of virologic response at week 52 was higher among children who received lamivudine than among those who received placebo (23 percent vs. 13 percent...

Objectivo: conhecer as características e evolução do Refluxo vésicoureteral ( RVU) de diagnóstico pré-natal, nas crianças vigiadas numa na Consulta de Nefrologia Pediátrica nos último 10 anos. Material e Métodos: entre Janeiro de 1992 e Dezembro de 2002 foram enviados à consulta 322 crianças com diagnóstico pré-natal de uropatia malformativa. Destas, 216 tinham critérios para realizar Cistouretrografia miccional seriada (CUMS) e 29 apresentaram RVU primário (foram excluídos os casos de RVU associados a duplicação do pieloureteral, síndrome de junção ou válvulas da uretra posterior). Os parâmetros analisados neste grupo de doentes foram: sexo, frequência de infecção urinária, evolução ecográfica, avaliação das lesões renais através da gamagrafia renal com DMSA e CUMS seriada. Resultados: verificámos um predomínio do sexo masculino, numa relação de 4:1, e do RVU unilateral, num total de 41 Unidades refluxivas ( UR). A ecografia pós-natal do rim homolateral foi normal em 14/41 UR. A gravidade do RVU foi maior no sexo masculino relativamente ao feminino ( dos RVU graus IV e V, 13/ 15 eram rapazes); a lesão renal difusa predominou também nos rapazes: 10/11 casos. Na maioria dos casos o RVU revelou-se uma situação benigna: 26/41 das UR apresentavam RVU moderado...

Rev Port Cardiol. 2005 Apr;24(4):521-30. Deaths from ischemic disease, anthropometry and cardiac biometry. [Article in English, Portuguese] Leal A, Oliveira J, Amado J, Gomes L, Magalhães T. Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas Abel Salazar-Saúde Comunitária, Porto, Portugal. antl@clix.pt Abstract INTRODUCTION: The relation between body mass index (BMI)/obesity and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in ischemic heart disease (IHD) has not been completely established, based on postmortem studies. OBJECTIVE: To study necropsy data of deaths from cardiac ischemia and its relation to macroscopic data of the heart and anthropometry. METHOD: Retrospective study of necropsies conducted by the medical legal services of Porto in 2002-03, with a final diagnosis of "myocardial infarction" or "chronic ischemic heart disease" or with more than 50% obstructive coronary disease. An observation grid was compiled from the necropsy data, with emphasis on anthropometry and cardiac exam. Descriptive and inferential methods (Pearson's correlation, the chi-square test and stepwise multiple regression) were used for the statistical analysis (alpha = 0.05). RESULTS: Of the 231 selected cases, 75.3% were men, of whom 53.7% were diagnosed with myocardial infarction and 46.3% with IHD...