mortality and morbidity in many countries. In Latin
America, it is predicted that, for the next two decades, the
mortality caused by ischemic heart disease and stroke will
triple (PAHO 2007). In Brazil, the prevalence and incidence
rates of chronic kidney disease patients on dialysis were 405
and 144 patients per 1 million population, respectively
(Sesso et al. 2010). In addition, arterial hypertension, which