Epidemiological Study Of Risk Factors Research Articles

Sarcopenia in Thai community-dwelling older adults: a national, cross-sectional, epidemiological study of prevalence and risk factors

BackgroundSarcopenia is an age-related condition characterized by a progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass. It leads to declining physical performance, potentially culminating in a diminished quality of life or death. This study investigated the prevalence of sarcopenia and its associated risk factors among Thai community-dwelling individuals of advanced age.MethodsBetween March 2021 and August 2022, we conducted a nationwide community-based epidemiological survey across all six major regions of Thailand. Participants with sarcopenia were identified according to the 2019 criteria of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS). The risk factors were examined using multivariable logistic regression.ResultsOf the 2456 participants, the overall prevalence of sarcopenia was 18.1%, with nearly two-thirds (66.9%) classified as having severe sarcopenia. Multivariate analysis identified six associated risk factors for sarcopenia. They are a lower body mass index (odds ratio [OR] = 11.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 7.8–17.4), suboptimal leg calf circumference (OR = 6.3, 95% CI = 4.3–9.5), male sex (OR = 2.8, 95% CI = 2.2–3.7), a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR = 2.3, 95% CI = 2.3–5.0), advanced age (OR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.3–3.3), and an increasing time in the timed up-and-go test (OR = 1.1, 95% CI = 1.0–1.1).ConclusionsThis is the first large-scale national study to represent the prevalence and risk factors for sarcopenia in Thai community-dwelling individuals of advanced age using the AWGS 2019 criteria. Interventions such as lifestyle modifications and appropriate nutrition should be promoted throughout adulthood to maintain muscle strength and delay the onset of sarcopenia, particularly in males.Trial registrationThe Central Research Ethics Committee of the National Research Council of Thailand authorized the study protocol (approval number COA-CREC023/2021).

Epidemiology of work-related fall injuries resulting in hospitalisation: individual and work risk factors and severity

ObjectivesInjuries at work are common and costly for individuals and employers. A common mechanism of workplace injury is through falls, but there have been few epidemiological studies of risk factors....

Epidemiological study of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and related risk factors among automobile maintenance workers.

The automotive industry is labor-intensive, and workers are involved in highly repetitive tasks, long hours, and medium to low workloads, resulting in work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs), which have become a major health concern for workers in this industry. China is a major automotive country with tens of thousands of auto repair workers, but their conditions of WMSDs have been poorly reported. This work aimed to analyze the current prevalence of WMSDs and their associated risk factors among automobile maintenance workers. A total of 539 respondents from 50 automotive repair and maintenance companies in China were selected to investigate the prevalence of WMSDs via the modified Nordic Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire. Chi-square test and logistic regression models were applied to analyze their associated risk factors. The total prevalence of WMSDs among 539 workers was 32.8%. The top three body parts for prevalence were the lower back (17.1%), neck (16.3%), and shoulders (14.5%). The highest prevalence of WMSDs was found in the neck (23.6%) and lower back (14.3%) for sheet metal workers and mechanics, respectively, whereas painters had the highest prevalence of WMSDs in the lower back and feet (both at 15.4%). Logistic regression analysis showed that females were at higher risk of WMSDs than males (OR 5.027, [95% CI] [1.278-19.772], p < 0.05). Workers subjected to uncomfortable positions were at increased risk of WMSDs (OR 1.79, [95% CI] [1.333-2.410], p < 0.01). The prevalence of WMSDs is high among automotive maintenance workers, with the highest prevalence in the lower back (17.1%). Uncomfortable working postures and frequent repetitive movements with lower limbs and ankles at work may be important risk factors.

Population-based study of the reproductive risk factors for transvaginal ultrasound diagnosed uterine fibroids in Nigerian women

There has been no previous systematic, epidemiological study of the reproductive risk factors for uterine fibroids (UF) in African populations despite African women having the highest burden of UF in the world. Improved knowledge of the associations between UF and reproductive factors would contribute to better understanding of the etiology of UF and may suggest novel opportunities for prevention and therapeutic interventions. We used nurse administered questionnaires to survey the demographic and reproductive risk factors of UF among 484 women who are members of the African Collaborative Center for Microbiome and Genomics Research (ACCME) Study Cohort in central Nigeria, and who had transvaginal ultrasound diagnosis (TVUS). We used logistic regression models to the evaluate associations between reproductive risk factors and UF, adjusted for significant covariates. In our multivariable logistic regression models, we found inverse associations with number of children (OR = 0.83, 95%CI = 0.74–0.93, p-value = 0.002), parity (OR = 0.41, 95%CI = 0.24–0.73, p-value = 0.002), history of any type of abortion (OR = 0.53, 95%CI = 0.35–0.82, p-value = 0.004), duration of use of Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (DMPA) (p-value for trend = 0.02), menopausal status (OR = 0.48, 95%CI = 0.27–0.84, p-value = 0.01), and a non-linear positive association with age (OR = 1.04, 95%CI = 1.01–1.07, p-value = 0.003). Other reproductive risk factors that have been reported in other populations (age at menarche and menopause, and oral contraceptives) were not associated with UF in this study. Our study confirms some of the reproductive risk factors for UF that have been found in other populations and shows that some of them are stronger in the Nigerian population. The associations we found with DMPA suggest opportunities for further research to understand the mechanisms of action of progesterone and its analogues in the etiology of UF, their potential use for prevention and treatment of UF.

Epidemiological Study of Congenital Anomalies and Risk Factors in Newborn Infants at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Bangladesh

Epidemiological Study of Congenital Anomalies and Risk Factors in Newborn Infants at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Bangladesh

Clinical and descriptive characteristics associated with high-grade meningioma in a large clinical series

Purpose We studied 571 patients with intracranial meningioma for clinical characteristics and tumor location associated with high grade meningioma (WHO II/III). Materials and methods Patients were participants in a multicentre epidemiologic study of risk factors for primary brain tumors including meningioma recruited from September 2005 to November 2019. We included patients 18 or older with a recent diagnosis of a primary intracranial meningioma of any subtype (ICD9/10: 9530-0, 9531-0, 9532-0, 9537-0, 9533-0, 9534-0, 9530-0, 9538-1, 9538-3) who were enrolled at neuro-oncology and neuro-surgery clinics in the southeastern U.S. Results The median patient age was 58 years (IQR: 48–68) and the majority of patients were female (n = 415; 72.7%) and Caucasian (n = 516; 90.4%). Most patients were symptomatic (n = 460; 80.6%) and their tumours more commonly occurred in a non-skull base location (n = 298; 52.2%). A total of 86 patients (15.0%) had a WHO grade II/III meningioma. Compared to patients with WHO grade I tumours, patients with WHO II/III meningiomas were over 3-times more likely to be male (odds ratio (OR): 3.25; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.98, 5.35) adjusting for age, race, symptomatic presentation, and skull-based location. Moreover, a WHO grade II/III meningioma was substantially less likely to be observed in asymptomatic patients (OR: 0.15, 95% CI: 0.04, 0.42), and in patients with a skull-based tumour (OR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.24, 0.66), adjusting for other factors. Male gender, symptomatic tumour, and a non-skull base location were independently associated with WHO grade II/III meningioma. Conclusion These findings may shed additional light on the underlying pathogenesis of meningioma.

Evaluation of the updated SOCcer v2 algorithm for coding free-text job descriptions in three epidemiologic studies.

Computer-assisted coding of job descriptions to standardized occupational classification codes facilitates evaluating occupational risk factors in epidemiologic studies by reducing the number of jobs needing expert coding. We evaluated the performance of the 2nd version of SOCcer, a computerized algorithm designed to code free-text job descriptions to US SOC-2010 system based on free-text job titles and work tasks, to evaluate its accuracy. SOCcer v2 was updated by expanding the training data to include jobs from several epidemiologic studies and revising the algorithm to account for nonlinearity and incorporate interactions. We evaluated the agreement between codes assigned by experts and the highest scoring code (a measure of confidence in the algorithm-predicted assignment) from SOCcer v1 and v2 in 14,714 jobs from three epidemiology studies. We also linked exposure estimates for 258 agents in the job-exposure matrix CANJEM to the expert and SOCcer v2-assigned codes and compared those estimates using kappa and intraclass correlation coefficients. Analyses were stratified by SOCcer score, score distance between the top two scoring codes from SOCcer, and features from CANJEM. SOCcer's v2 agreement at the 6-digit level was 50%, compared to 44% in v1, and was similar for the three studies (38%-45%). Overall agreement for v2 at the 2-, 3-, and 5-digit was 73%, 63%, and 56%, respectively. For v2, median ICCs for the probability and intensity metrics were 0.67 (IQR 0.59-0.74) and 0.56 (IQR 0.50-0.60), respectively. The agreement between the expert and SOCcer assigned codes linearly increased with SOCcer score. The agreement also improved when the top two scoring codes had larger differences in score. Overall agreement with SOCcer v2 applied to job descriptions from North American epidemiologic studies was similar to the agreement usually observed between two experts. SOCcer's score predicted agreement with experts and can be used to prioritize jobs for expert review.

Epidemiological studies of risk factors could aid in designing risk stratification tools

Epidemiological studies of risk factors could aid in designing risk stratification tools

Epidemiological Study of Risk Factors for Lung Cancer in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

The high incidence cancer rates are due to factors such as behavior, occupational exposures, genetics, environmental pollution and infections. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors associated with lung cancer among patients seen in the public health facilities in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. In this case-control study, 75 cases and 159 controls were interviewed using a structured close-ended questionnaire. Logistic regression showed a positive association between lung cancer and tobacco smoking (OR = 2.86, 95% CI: 1.21–6.77) and exposure to passive smoke (OR = 3.28, 95% CI: 1.48–7.30). When adjusted for other covariates, tobacco smoking and passive smoke were still positively associated with increased risk of lung cancer. Alcohol consumption (aORs ranging from 2.79 to 3.35) and history of lung disease (aORs ranging from 9.91 to 12.1) were statistically significantly associated with lung cancer. Our study suggests that tobacco smoke exposure is the major cause of lung cancer, and increased exposure to occupational and environmental carcinogenic substances, alcohol consumption and history of lung disease increase the risk of lung cancer. Based on our findings, policy development and planning of prevention strategies incorporating smoking legislations, occupational health and safety are essential in South Africa.

A serological biomarker of type I collagen degradation is related to a more severe, high neutrophilic, obese asthma subtype

BackgroundAsthma is a heterogeneous disease; therefore, biomarkers that can assist in the identification of subtypes and direct therapy are highly desirable. Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that leads to changes in the extracellular matrix (ECM) by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) degradation causing fragments of type I collagen that is released into circulation.ObjectiveHere, we asked if MMP-generated type I collagen (C1M) was associated with subtypes of asthma.MethodsC1M was serologically assessed at baseline in the adult participants of the All Age Asthma study (ALLIANCE) (n = 233), and in The Prospective Epidemiological Risk Factor study (PERF) (n = 283). In addition, C1M was assessed in mice sensitized to ovalbumin (OVA) and challenged with OVA aerosol. C1M was evaluated in mice with and without acute neutrophilic inflammation provoked by poly(cytidylic-inosinic) acid and mice treated with CP17, a peptide inhibiting neutrophil accumulation.ResultsSerum C1M was significantly increased in asthmatics compared to healthy controls (p = 0.0005). We found the increased C1M levels in asthmatics were related to blood neutrophil and body mass index (BMI) in the ALLIANCE cohort, which was validated in the PERF cohort. When patients were stratified into obese (BMI > 30) asthmatics with high neutrophil levels and uncontrolled asthma, this group had a significant increase in C1M compared to normal-weight (BMI < 25) asthmatics with low neutrophil levels and controlled asthma (p = 0.0277). C1M was significantly elevated in OVA mice with acute neutrophilic inflammation compared to controls (P = 0.0002) and decreased in mice treated with an inhibitor of neutrophil infiltration (p = 0.047).Conclusion & clinical relevanceC1M holds the potential to identify a subtype of asthma that relates to severity, obesity, and high neutrophils. These data suggest that C1M is linked to a subtype of overall inflammation, not only derived from the lung. The link between C1M and neutrophils were further validated in in vivo model.Trial registration(ALLIANCE, NCT02419274).

The Influence of Modifiable Factors on Breast and Prostate Cancer Risk and Disease Progression.

Breast and prostate cancers are among the most commonly diagnosed cancers worldwide, and together represented almost 20% of all new cancer diagnoses in 2020. For both cancers, the primary treatment options are surgical resection and sex hormone deprivation therapy, highlighting the initial dependence of these malignancies on the activity of both endogenous and exogenous hormones. Cancer cell phenotype and patient prognosis is not only determined by the collection of specific gene mutations, but through the interaction and influence of a wide range of different local and systemic components. While genetic risk factors that contribute to the development of these cancers are well understood, increasing epidemiological evidence link modifiable lifestyle factors such as physical exercise, diet and weight management, to drivers of disease progression such as inflammation, transcriptional activity, and altered biochemical signaling pathways. As a result of this significant impact, it is estimated that up to 50% of cancer cases in developed countries could be prevented with changes to lifestyle and environmental factors. While epidemiological studies of modifiable risk factors and research of the biological mechanisms exist mostly independently, this review will discuss how advances in our understanding of the metabolic, protein and transcriptional pathways altered by modifiable lifestyle factors impact cancer cell physiology to influence breast and prostate cancer risk and prognosis.

Commentary: Shifting our focus to diabetic retinopathy is the need of the hour.

The initiatives started under the VISION 2020 program have made a huge impact on global eye health, especially in developing countries like India. One such initiative is the organization of outreach camps to identify and treat patients with avoidable blindness. The programs related to the diseases requiring one-time treatment like cataract and refractive errors have achieved huge success.[1] On the contrary, the programs associated with the diseases requiring long-term follow-up like diabetic retinopathy (DR) and glaucoma are still in their nascent steps. With the increasing life expectancy, sedentary lifestyle, and changing dietary pattern, diabetic retinopathy is expected to become a major health problem of the community.[2] We congratulate the authors for performing a thorough systemic review on the prevalence of DR in India in the published article in the current issue of the Indian Journal of Ophthalmology.[3] The authors have performed an excellent meta-analysis of the various risk factors evaluated by the previous studies, gender being the only exception.[3] The evaluation of gender as a risk factor in epidemiological studies is important as several studies have shown a gender bias in health-seeking behavior.[4] The authors have correctly highlighted that most of the previous studies have been performed in South India and it is difficult to extrapolate the prevalence of DR in one region to other parts of the country as India is a conglomerate of people with different ethnicity, dietary habits, and probably genetic makeup. Hence, a nationwide study or multiple studies with the same inclusion/exclusion and evaluation criteria to determine the prevalence of DR, sight-threatening DR (STDR), and diabetic macular edema (DME) are needed. The dietary habits vary with the geographical, cultural as well as socio-economic profile of people. Studies are warranted to evaluate the influence of different Indian dietary habits on DR and the indigenous diet(s) found to be beneficial should be promoted.[5] The job profile and sedentary lifestyle have also been found to influence the incidence of DR. Sedentary behavior is defined as any activity (sitting or reclining position) that is associated with minimal energy expenditure, i.e., ≤1.5 metabolic equivalents.[6] Kohli et al.[7] showed that the incidence of DR in state bus drivers was higher than that reported among the general diabetic population in India, which they hypothesized may be due to long working hours. Similarly, other professions which predispose to high risk of developing DR should be established. The sample size of the study needs to be carefully calculated so that it has adequate power to evaluate the influence of the region and different parameters like dietary habits, rural-urban status, age, gender, socio-economic status, per-capita income, level of education, level of health-seeking behavior, and access to general and ophthalmic health care. The presence of other systemic diseases like hypertension, dyslipidemia, and chronic renal disease has a significant effect on the prevalence of DR, STDR, and DME. Such studies will go a long way in projecting the prevalence of DR in the future. This will help to formulate government policies and plan strategies for capacity building to screen and treat the ever-increasing load of patients of DR. One of the difficulties in performing such studies is the availability of retina specialists for diagnosing and grading DR. However, the recent technological advances can be used to fill in this gap. The use of nonmydriatic fundus cameras and telemedicine has reduced the need for the retina specialist to travel to the various sites of cluster selection. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze retinal images can further enhance speed, accuracy, and consistency. However, a legal framework for the use of AI in DR screening is necessary before planning any large-scale studies.[8] The last step is to create public awareness. It should be highlighted that in contrast to cataract, the management of DR is complex and needs life-long treatment. Just like diabetes itself, the management of DR does not end with a single time intervention. The need for a regular life-long follow-up as well as multiple sessions and modalities of treatment like laser, intravitreal injections, and vitrectomy should be emphasized.

Exposure to a SARS-CoV-2 infection at work: development of an international job exposure matrix (COVID-19-JEM).

ObjectiveThis study aimed to construct a job exposure matrix (JEM) for risk of becoming infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus in an occupational setting.MethodsExperts in occupational epidemiology from three European countries (Denmark, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom) defined the relevant exposure and workplace characteristics with regard to possible exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. In an iterative process, experts rated the different dimensions of the COVID-19-JEM for each job title within the International Standard Classification of Occupations system 2008 (ISCO-08). Agreement scores, weighted kappas, and variances were estimated.ResultsThe COVID-19-JEM contains four determinants of transmission risk [number of people, nature of contacts, contaminated workspaces and location (indoors or outdoors)], two mitigation measures (social distancing and face covering), and two factors for precarious work (income insecurity and proportion of migrants). Agreement scores ranged from 0.27 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.25–0.29] for ‘migrants’ to 0.76 (95% CI 0.74–0.78) for ‘nature of contacts’. Weighted kappas indicated moderate-to-good agreement for all dimensions [ranging from 0.60 (95% CI 0.60–0.60) for ‘face covering’ to 0.80 (95% CI 0.80–0.80) for ‘contaminated workspaces’], except for ‘migrants’ (0.14 (95% CI -0.07–0.36). As country differences remained after several consensus exercises, the COVID-19-JEM also has a country-axis.ConclusionsThe COVID-19-JEM assesses the risk at population level using eight dimensions related to SARS-COV-2 infections at work and will improve our ability to investigate work-related risk factors in epidemiological studies. The dimensions of the COVID-19-JEM could also be valuable for other future communicable diseases in the workplace.

RISK FACTORS AND GINGIVAL INFLAMMATION IN CHILDREN AGED 10 TO 14 YEARS - AN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY

Aim: The aim of the present study is an epidemiological study of risk factors and the prevalence of periodontal disease in children aged 10-14 years. Materials and methods: The subject of the study were 457 children. All were clinically examined, and the data were recorded on a specially designed card. Each child was assessed for risk periodontal profile in 4 levels, which includes: assessment of oral hygiene habits; registration of dental status, reporting of carious lesions and obturations on surfaces dangerous for periodontal health (proximal, cervical); the presence of orthodontic anomalies and other risk factors; assessment of the plaque index of Silness-Loe (PLSL); assessment of gingival index according to Loe and Silness (GILS) Results: Carious lesions at risk for gingival inflammation surfaces are registered in 59% of children, at risk for periodontal health fillings in 32% and orthodontic anomalies in 37%. The studied children showed relatively good oral hygiene (PLSL-0.43 ± 0.28), which improved with age, with the largest amount of plaque observed on the proximal and vestibular surfaces. Over 88% of children have mild gingival inflammation (GILS-0.56 ± 0.42), mainly affecting the front teeth in both jaws. Conclusions: Gingival inflammation in 10-14 year old children covers more than half of the studied children, with mild forms of inflammation predominating with a relatively low oral hygiene index. 2/3 of registered caries and 1/3 of the fillings have a localization which presents a risk for periodontal health. Orthodontic anomalies are the next most serious risk factor for plaque accumulation and gingival inflammation.

Ethnicity as a model for the development of cardiovascular diseases and their risk factors in epidemiological studies

Aim. To assess the indigenous small population of the Shor people in terms of the ethnic-specific development of cardiovascular diseases and their risk factors during the epidemiological studies in the Mountain Shoria.&#x0D; Methods. The study was carried included the indigenous and non-indigenous population of the Mountain Shoria during two different time periods: the first period (19982002) 1215 people (550 indigenous Shors and 665 non-indigenous people) and the second period (20132017) 1409 people (901 and 508, respectively). The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, arterial hypertension (AH) and ischemic heart disease (CHD) was studied. In the second period of the study, the genotype frequencies of the genes ACE (I/D, r 4340), AGT (c.803TC, rs699), AGTR1 (A1166C, rs5186), ADRB1 (c.145AG, Ser49Gly, rs1801252), ADRA2B (I/D, rs28365031), MTHFR (c.677CT, Ala222Val, rs1801133) and NOS3 (VNTR, 4b/4a) and their associations with arterial hypertension were identified. There was data on organ damage obtained among patients with high blood pressure (left ventricular myocardial hypertrophia, carotid arteries intima-media complex thickening, albumin level).&#x0D; Results. The first period of the studies showed that the Shors differed from the incoming population in an extremely low prevalence of lipid metabolism disorders, obesity, and an almost complete absence of diabetes mellitus. At the same time, there was a high prevalence of tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption. The second period of the studies demonstrated significant differences between different ethnic cohorts according to the genetic passport towards a more favorable profile among the indigenous people. However, the Shor people with arterial hypertension had a more severe course of hypertensive disease, defined as frequent organ damage. In addition, the profile of a patient with coronary heart disease differed depending on the place of residence, in urban or rural. Epidemiological studies contribute to the acquisition of new knowledge about different ethnic groups, their lifestyles and agricultural practices, regions of residence, and the features of candidate gene polymorphism. This provides valuable material for individualizing the prevention and treatment of diseases.&#x0D; Conclusion. Ethnicity makes adjustments to the patient's profile; understanding the ethnic specificity allows developing targeted preventive measures, thereby preserving the peoples health.

Endotrophin is associated with chronic multimorbidity and all-cause mortality in a cohort of elderly women.

BackgroundThe signalling peptide endotrophin is derived through proteolytic cleavage of the carboxyl-terminal during formation of type VI collagen. It is expressed by most descendants of the mesenchymal stem cells lineage, including adipocytes and fibroblasts, and have been proposed to be a central extracellular matrix hormone associated with several age-related diseases. We aimed to assess the association of endotrophin with chronic disease incidence and death in older women.Methods5,602 elderly Danish women from the observational, prospective cohort: The Prospective Epidemiological Risk Factor (PERF) study were included in the analysis which covered baseline (BL) and follow-up (FU) 14 years later. An elastic net was used to investigate the relative importance of 58 variables to serum endotrophin-levels. 20 chronic diseases were defined on the basis of clinical variables available along with diagnoses extracted from both the National Patient Register, the National Diabetes Register and the Danish Cancer Registry. The cross-sectional associations between endotrophin-levels and these 17 chronic age-related diseases were investigated using logistic regression and a set-analysis explored disease-combinations within multimorbidity. The association of endotrophin with mortality was assessed by Cox proportional hazard models.FindingsFormation of type III collagen (PRO-C3), age and creatine-levels were the most influential variables of endotrophin-levels. Several chronic diseases were significantly associated with endotrophin-levels independent of age and BMI including chronic kidney disease (BL OR=3.7, p < 0.001; FU OR = 7.9 p < 0.001), diabetes (BL OR = 1.5, p = 0.0015, FU OR=1.6, p = 0.004) and peripheral arterial disease (BL OR = 1.3, p = 0.029; FU OR=2.4, p < 0.001). Lastly, endotrophin-levels were significantly rising with number of morbidities (p < 0.001) and a predictor of death after adjusting for age and BMI (BL HR=1.95; FU HR = 2.00).InterpretationEndotrophin was associated with death and increased with number of morbidities. Endotrophin may be a central hormone of fibroblast that warrant investigation and possible targeted intervention in several chronic diseases.

A nationwide cross-sectional epidemiological study of cardiovascular risk factors as a tool for management of primary and secondary prevention in Latvia

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – EU funding. Main funding source(s): EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND MINISTRY OF HEALTH, LATVIA Background. An increasing prevalence (PREV.) of noncomunicable diseases is a major public health concern in Latvia. Regular nationwide epidemiological studies present an opportunity to estimate the dinamics of PREV of health risk factors (RF) and thus assist in planning resources and improving prevention strategies at national level. Objective. The aim was to analyze the PREV of cardiovascular RF identified in a epidemiological study in 2019-2020. To assess changes in RF prevalence, the results were compared to data from a similar study in 2009-2010. Methods. 4070 inhabitants (age 25-74) of Latvia enrolled. The statistical sample (6000 pers.) was random selected from the Housing Register, Central Statistical Bureau (1’209’756 INDV). The survey included an interview, physical examination (body mass index (BMI), arterial pressure etc.) and venous blood sample collection for fasting glucose (Glu), total cholesterol (TC), high and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (Tg) measurement. The data were processed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS. Results. The mean number of RF ((AH, TC, LDL-C, Tg, BMI, smoking, arterial hypertension) was 2,93 ±0.1 (mean ± SE) per person for the overall study population. The men group had a significantly greater number of RF than the female group (3.15 ± 0.15 vs.2.55 ± 0.12). A positive correlation between age and the number of RF was found. In the age group 65 and more, the mean number of RF decreased in men and stabilized in women. Although the mean number of RFs has decreased statistically insignificantly over 10 years, changes in the PREV of individual RFs are significant (see table). Decrease of PREV of elevated TC, LDL-C, Glu ≥3.0 mmol/L, as well as a decrease in the PREV of young smokers, men, should be noted. Conclusion. The nationwide data can be used as the baseline characteristics against which other measurements can be compared down the road including of health prevention activities Prevalence of most important RF (%) 2019-2020 2009-2010 RF All Men Women All Men Women TC≥5.0 mmol/L 63.2× 60.7× 65.4× 75,2 72.0 78.0 LDL-C≥3.0 mmol/L 62.0× 63.1× 61.1× 73.7 73.1 73.9 Glucose 5.6-6.99 mmol/L 22.1× 27.1× 17.8× 28.7 35.3 24.9 Arterial Hypertension 38.0× 41.1× 35.3× 44.8 52.9 40.2 BMI≥30.0 kg/m&amp;sup2; 29.1 28.1 29.8 30.7 25.6 32.6 Daily smokers 25-34 y 30.3× 21.8 46.3 22.3 (x) p below 0.05 comparing years 2019-20 and 2009-10

Health Risks of Structural Firefighters from Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Firefighters have an elevated risk of cancer, which is suspected to be caused by occupational and environmental exposure to fire smoke. Among many substances from fire smoke contaminants, one potential source of toxic exposure is polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). The goal of this paper is to identify the association between PAH exposure levels and contributing risk factors to derive best estimates of the effects of exposure on structural firefighters’ working environment in fire. We surveyed four databases (Embase, Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science) for this systematic literature review. Generic inverse variance method for random effects meta-analysis was applied for two exposure routes—dermal and inhalation. In dermal, the neck showed the highest dermal exposure increased after the fire activity. In inhalation, the meta-regression confirmed statistically significant increases in PAH concentrations for longer durations. We also summarized the scientific knowledge on occupational exposures to PAH in fire suppression activities. More research into uncontrolled emergency fires is needed with regard to newer chemical classes of fire smoke retardant and occupational exposure pathways. Evidence-based PAH exposure assessments are critical for determining exposure–dose relationships in large epidemiological studies of occupational risk factors.

Might changes in diagnostic practice explain increasing incidence of brain and central nervous system tumors? A population-based study in Wales (United Kingdom) and the United States.

Increasing incidence of central nervous system (CNS) tumors has been noted in some populations. However, the influence of changing surgical and imaging practices has not been consistently accounted for. We evaluated average annual percentage change (AAPC) in age- and gender-stratified incidence of CNS tumors by tumor subtypes and histological confirmation in Wales, United Kingdom (1997-2015) and the United States (2004-2015) using joinpoint regression. In Wales, the incidence of histologically confirmed CNS tumors increased more than all CNS tumors (AAPC 3.62% vs 1.63%), indicating an increasing proportion undergoing surgery. Grade II and III glioma incidence declined significantly (AAPC -3.09% and -1.85%, respectively) but remained stable for those with histological confirmation. Grade IV glioma incidence increased overall (AAPC 3.99%), more markedly for those with histological confirmation (AAPC 5.36%), suggesting reduced glioma subtype misclassification due to increased surgery. In the United States, the incidence of CNS tumors increased overall but was stable for histologically confirmed tumors (AAPC 1.86% vs 0.09%) indicating an increase in patients diagnosed without surgery. An increase in grade IV gliomas (AAPC 0.28%) and a decline in grade II gliomas (AAPC -3.41%) were accompanied by similar changes in those with histological confirmation, indicating the overall trends in glioma subtypes were unlikely to be caused by changing diagnostic and clinical management. Changes in clinical practice have influenced the incidence of CNS tumors in the United Kingdom and the United States. These should be considered when evaluating trends and in epidemiological studies of putative risk factors for CNS tumors.

Epidemiologic Study of the Main Risk Factors for one Year Ischemic Stroke and Surivial in Patients admitted to the neurology department of Ghayim Hospital in Mashhad, Iran, 2015

Introduction: Stroke is the third most common cause of death in developed countries and is the most common neurological disabling disease. Today, several risk factors are known for stroke including lifestyle and risk factors such as hypertension and diabetes which differ in cultures and countries. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of ischemic stroke in patients admitted to the brain department of Ghaem Hospital in 1395.&#x0D; Methods: In this observational cohort study, 201 cases of ischemic stroke who confirmed by neurologists as well as imaging techniques for diagnosis patients hospitalized to the neurology section of Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad, Iran During 1395. The Patients' information such as age, sex, and The place of living and also the type of stroke and its main risk factors, including history of stroke in the past, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, high blood sugar cigar and high blood lipids were extracted from their records and completed in the checklist. 1 year follow up performed by telephone calling. Data were analyzed and examined by SPSS 21 and statistical tests.&#x0D; Results: According to the analysis, except for the cigarette variable (P-value = 0.003) HDL and TG (P-value = 0.001), no significant relationship was found between the other risk factors of disease risk and sex. In this study, 201 patients with ischemic stroke were studied. The mean age of the participants in the study was 50.92 years. In this study, the prevalence of stroke in men were higher than that of women, 104 (51.7%) for males and 97 (48.3%) for women. In the study of the most important clinical risk factors for stroke, the results showed that the highest prevalence was hypertension in women with 68 (70.1%) and the least of them was smoking with 16 (16.5%). The mean annual death rate in this study was 15.9%, which did not have a significant relationship with sex groups.&#x0D; Conclusion: In this study, hypertension, having diabetes and high blood glucose levels were the most important risk factors for stroke in patients, these results are in accordance with the previous finding studies. Regarding the results, it seems that the control of blood pressure and diabetes is not effectively considered, which requires further investigation.