01635nas a2200253 4500000000100000008004100001653001200042653002900054653001200083653001100095653001700106100001400123700001500137700001400152700001500166700001400181700001500195245004900210856007100259300001200330490000700342520101800349022001401367 2018 d10aleprosy10aEpidemiology descriptive10aElderly10aBrazil10aEpidemiology1 aSilva DDB1 aTavares CM1 aGomes NMC1 aCardoso AC1 aêncio RA1 aNogueira P00aLeprosy in the elderly population of Alagoas uhttp://www.scielo.br/pdf/rbgg/v21n5/1809-9823-rbgg-21-05-00553.pdf a553-5610 v213 a
Objective: to describe the epidemiological profile of elderly persons with leprosy in the state of Alagoas.
Method: a descriptive epidemiological study of leprosy cases among the elderly reported to the Disease Notification Information System between 2005 and 2015 was carried out.
Results: a total of 896 cases were identified, with a predominance of 60-69 years old (60.5%), who were male (50.4%), had no schooling (34.8%), no source of income (54.1%), multibacillary forms of the disease (67.9%), and a high proportion of grade I (30.3%) and II (11.8%) disability at diagnosis. Hyperendemicity was noted during the survey period, with a mean detection rate of 29.48 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
Conclusion: leprosy is a growing disease among the elderly and early detection should be encouraged in this population to prevent the impairment of active aging.