reduction in salt intake has been identified as one of the most cost-effective measures for improving health outcomes 1-3. Different studies have reported the benefit of salt-reduction interventions in decreasing blood pressure and cardiovascular events 4-6. Results from a meta-analysis show that modest reductions in salt intake are followed by a decrease in blood pressure levels among both hypertensive and normotensive subjects 7. Nevertheless, the evidence of the effectiveness of population-level, behavior change interventions on reducing salt intake is inconsistent, suggesting that education and awareness-raising interventions alone are not sufficient for reducing population salt intake 8. Salt substitutes, that is, salt enriched with potassium or other similar components such as magnesium or aluminum, have been reported to be effective in reducing both systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) 9-11. Under controlled conditions, salt-substitution strategies can reduce the SBP up to 5 mm Hg and the DBP up to 1.5 mm Hg, and this effect was larger among individuals with hypertension than among normotensive subjects 12. There is limited evidence, however, from studying the population-level effect of these salt-substitution interventions. A cluster randomized trial conducted in China, evaluating the effect of a community-based sodium reduction program using a salt substitute on salt consumption and blood pressure, found reductions in urinary sodium excretion but not in blood pressure 13. Currently, an increasing number of countries have adopted national salt-reduction strategies 14. Salt-substitution initiatives could aid such strategies in settings where added salt during cooking is the main source of salt intake, particularly in low-and middle-income countries where hypertension rates are increasing at a fast rate 15. The aim of the present study was to assess the efficacy of a pragmatic intervention using a salt-substitution strategy to reduce blood pressure, as well as its impact on the incidence of hypertension, at the population level, using a stepped-wedge cluster trial in Peru. Results Population characteristics. Figure 1 shows the details of participants' enrollment, including dates, number of subjects assessed, those lost to follow-up and those analyzed for each step of the trial. A total of 2,376 (91.2%) out of 2,605 eligible subjects in the 6 villages were enrolled in the study from 2 April to 17 July, 2014: 49.6% females, mean age 43.3 ± 17.2 years. Of note, only 18.9% of the individuals had ≥12 years of education, 68.1% were in the overweight or obesity range with a body mass index (BMI) ≥25 kg m −2 and 18.3% had a diagnosis of hypertension. Table 1 shows the characteristics of the study population at baseline and a comparison between the control and the intervention periods. There were differences among villages in the distribution of age, education, wealth index, BMI, SBP, DBP and hypertension (see Supplementary Table 1). Effect of the salt substitute on blood pressure levels....

Las personas con diabetes mellitus tipo 2 infectadas por SARS-CoV-2 tienen mayores riesgos de desarrollar COVID-19 con complicaciones y de morir como consecuencia de ella. La diabetes es una condición crónica en la que se requiere continuidad de cuidados que implican un contacto con los establecimientos de salud, pues deben tener acceso regular a medicamentos, exámenes y citas con personal de salud. Esta continuidad de cuidados se ha visto afectada en el Perú a raíz de la declaratoria del estado de emergencia nacional, producto de la pandemia por la COVID-19 pues muchos establecimientos de salud han suspendido las consultas externas. Este artículo describe algunas estrategias que han desarrollado los diferentes proveedores de salud peruanos en el marco de la pandemia para proveer continuidad del cuidado a las personas con diabetes y finalmente brinda recomendaciones para que reciban los cuidados que necesitan a través del fortalecimiento del primer nivel de atención, como el punto de contacto más cercano con las personas con diabetes.

Hypertension is the leading risk factor for global disease burden. Self-management of high blood pressure (BP) through self-monitoring and self-titration of medications, has proved to be one successful and cost-effective tool to achieve better BP control in many high-income countries but not much is known about its potential in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We used semi-structured questionnaires and focus groups in three LMICs; Peru, Cameroon and Malawi to examine perceptions and attitudes of patients diagnosed with essential hypertension towards living with hypertension, BP measurement and treatment, patient–physician relationship and opinions about self-management of high blood pressure. Results in all three countries were comparable. Patients showed varied levels of health literacy related to hypertension. BP measurement habits were mostly affected by resources available and caregiver support. Treatment and adherence to it were primarily affected by cost. Most patients were welcoming of the idea of self-management but skeptical about the ability to do self-monitoring accurately and the safety involving self-titration of medications.

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Objetivo. Presentar y analizar la respuesta que el sistema de salud peruano viene dando a las necesidades en salud sexual y reproductiva de las mujeres venezolanas que radican en la ciudad de Lima, Perú e identificar algunas de las razones que nos permite entender esta respuesta. Métodos. La información se recogió mediante entrevistas a profundidad semiestructuradas por vía telefónica a 30 mujeres venezolanas, 10 trabajadores de salud y 2 funcionarios del Ministerio de Salud. Resultados. A partir de las experiencias de mujeres venezolanas que acudieron a estos servicios durante el 2019-2020 y de las perspectivas del personal y autoridades de salud presentamos un análisis de la capacidad y limitaciones que los servicios de salud públicos tienen para atender las necesidades de salud sexual y reproductiva de esta población. Los testimonios de las mujeres migrantes reportan una experiencia positiva con un sistema de salud que, a pesar de las deficiencias, responde a las necesidades de salud sexual y reproductiva más comunes. Estas coinciden con los testimonios del personal de salud y con las de las autoridades quienes enfatizan la existencia de políticas prioritarias para la atención de la Salud Sexual y Reproductiva. Conclusión. Este estudio muestra cómo un marco de prioridad nacional (disminuir la mortalidad materna), acompañado de mecanismos operativos de protección social (como el Seguro Integral de Salud), se convierten en instrumentos complementarios, que repercute de manera positiva y extiende beneficios para las y los migrantes, a pesar de no haber considerado a esta población durante el diseño de estas políticas.