Overview of Morbidity and Mortality from Diabetes Mellitus and Systemic Arterial Hypertension in the State of Bahia, Brazil, between 2010-2022

Abstract

Introduction: Until the last century, the leading causes of mortality in Brazil and worldwide were infectious diseases and hunger. However, with changes in the epidemiological profile throughout the 21st century, noncommunicable chronic diseases, such as Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and Systemic Arterial Hypertension (SAH), have become predominant in terms of morbidity and mortality. Primary Health Care (PHC) plays a crucial role in the prevention, early detection, treatment, and follow-up of these conditions, although many patients still face severe complications such as cardiovascular and kidney diseases. Objective: The objective of this study was to describe the prevalence and epidemiological profile of hospitalizations and deaths due to DM and SAH in the state of Bahia, Brazil, between 2010 and 2022. Methods: An ecological and descriptive study was conducted based on data from the DataSUS Hospital Information and Mortality Systems. The target population included residents of the state of Bahia, with variables such as hospitalization and death described according to sex, skin color/ethnicity, age group, level of education, marital status, type of care, and place of death. As public domain data were used for this study, approval from the Research Ethics Committee was not required. Results: During the period, 164,176 hospitalizations due to DM were recorded, most of them involving women aged 60 years or older who self-identified as brown. For SAH, there were 127,080 hospitalizations, with the same prevalence profile: women aged 60 years or older who self-identified as brown. A total of 67,385 deaths attributed to DM and 55,485 to SAH were recorded, with a similar prevalence profile: women, over 70 years old, brown, and with low levels of education. The DM mortality rate ranged from 28.8 per 100 thousand inhabitants in 2010 to 46.5 in 2022. The SAH mortality rate ranged from 24.8 in 2010 to 43 in 2022. Furthermore, 97.7% of DM-related care and 98.8% of SAH-related care occurred in urgency situations. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the need to strengthen PHC, focusing on prevention, early diagnosis, appropriate treatment, and control of DM and SAH to prevent severe complications, hospitalizations, and deaths from these causes. Implementing health education programs aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles is crucial to reduce the incidence of these diseases. In addition, it is essential to ensure living and working conditions that promote healthy choices and equitable access to healthcare services, especially for the most vulnerable populations, in order to reduce health inequalities.