Greater Health Benefits Research Articles

Assesment of Nurtritional Analysis of Bombax Buonopozense Found in Adamawa and Taraba States, Nigeria (Red Flowered Silk Cotton Tree)

Bonbax Buonoponzense popularly known as red flower cotton silk tree found in Adamawa and Taraba was used for the study. The population of the study comprised of 120 respondent 60 each from the two-study area, this was based on the availability of the red flower cotton tree found in the study area. The study adopted an experimental designed with an oral interview. The material used was the red cotton flower which was picked, dried, and grounded to obtained a powder which was used for the proximate analysis at the department of biochemistry, University of Jos. For the purpose of determining its nutritional content, the nutritional components of the plant (leaves) was determined using proximate analytical procedures. The analysis unraveled the presence of six nutrients which comprises of the following: moisture content, crude fibre, crude lipids, crude protein, NFE, and ash. Nitrogen free extracts consisting of carbohydrates, sugars and starches was found to be the highest with 18.48 followed by crude fibre with 5%, crude lipids having 3.8%. crude protein with 2.8% The least of them all was found to be moisture with a value of 2%. It was concluded that, Carbohydrates hydrolyzed the body to yield glucose, Proteins as body builders, they replace worn out tissues, and proteins are also immune booster and can help in cell division as well as growth, Fats which are important in energy production and help to regulate blood pressure of vital cell parts, and fibres which are parts of fruits and vegetable. It could be deduced therefore that Bombax buonopozense leaves could be of great health benefit if well harnessed.

MARKET ASPECTS, THERAPEUTIC ADVANCEMENTS AND SYNERGISTIC POTENTIAL OF BLACK PEPPER

Black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) is widely regarded as the "king of spices" due to its enormous trading share in the world market. This worldwide trade is not only attributed to its pungency properties, but widely due to its great health benefits and richness in the bioactive components. From the ancient times to the modern science, the black pepper has evolved as a one of the important medicinal agents which is not only used in the kitchen for its nutritional and heath properties, but widely employed in the pharmaceutical sciences for its scientifically proven pharmacological actions and therapeutic role. These actions are mainly due to the presence of the alkaloids, flavonoids, steroids, phenols, amides, lignans, essential oil etc. Piperine, a piperidine alkaloid and its derivatives are widely employed as a bioavailability enhancer and produces synergistic effects with many other phytoconstituents or medicinal drugs and contribute to improve the bioactivity, dose reduction, and even lessen the side effects of many pharmaceutical drugs. Black pepper is widely employed to increase appetite, treats the hypertension, cough, sinusitis, vomiting, epilepsy, gastric problems, dyspnea, worm infections, and skin diseases. It also found to possess several important pharmacological properties such as antimicrobial, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticonvulsant, hypolipidemic, hypoglycemic, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, and anticancer activities. Due to these wide applications, the trade of black pepper is increasing day-by-day all the world. The black pepper is mainly produced throughout the world especially in Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Brazil, Malaysia, China, and Sri Lanka. In India, Karnataka, and Kerala account for almost 55 % and 34 % of the total production respectively. The present review outlined the recent advancements in therapeutic potential of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) along with its synergism and analysed the trade performance in terms of area, production, import and export of black pepper in the world focusing on India.

Retrospection of Analytical Data Collected through Smart Devices for Diseases and Disability Caused by Physical Inactivity.

The basic meaning of inactive lifestyle is doing sedentary activities. This includes playing video games, watching TV, operating computers, and sitting in a particular place for a long time. It may be sitting on the train or in bus, car, or office. This has many adverse effects on our bodies. This paper emphasizes the importance of physical activity, and a case study is presented to support the hypothesis that physical activity can certainly help improve human health. The diseases caused by inactive life are discussed in our paper. In this paper, a case study is described in which 200 individuals have participated in an activity called “Activity is Life,” with the goal of improving the sedentary lifestyle and getting rid of physical ailments. The usage of analytical tools is made to analyse the data collected from the empirical research study, and IoT-based smart devices are used to capture the runtime data. The physicians and nurses have odd working hours, they have to go through many stress-induced situations, and most of them are suffering from life-threatening diseases such as depression, hypertension, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. The main reason is inactivity in their lifestyles. To carry out an experimental study and to see the impact of regular activities on the health of doctors and nurses, a program was designed where 200 participants have participated. It is found that the activity-based 30-day program yielded great health benefits, including reduction in stress level, improvement in sleep quality index, and improvement in blood pressure values.

ANALISIS KADAR OKSALAT PADA DUA JENIS TANAMAN KALE (Brassica oleracea var. acephala dan Brassica oleracea var. palmifolia ) DENGAN METODE SPEKTROFOTOMETRI UV

Vegetables have an important function for metabolic and physiological processes in the body. Kale is dubbed as a super food because it has great health benefits. Kale contains nutrients such as vitamins A, C, potassium, calcium, iron, and manganese. Although vegetables have a lot of nutritional content, they also contain anti-nutrients, one of which is oxalic acid. Oxalic acid can irritate the intestines and can be fatal if taken in high doses, so it should be limited to 0.60-1.25 g per day. The purpose of this study was to determine the levels of oxalate in kale by UV spectrophotometry method measured at a wavelength of 351 nm. The product of the reaction is I3 which is proportional to the oxalate concentration. This research begins with method validation. The results of the validation of the calibration curve analysis method have a regression line equation y = 0.4943x + 0.244 with a correlation coefficient 0.998. The detection limit and quantization limit are 0.4018 and 1.3395. The coefficient of variance is 0.8180 and the percent recovery is 89, 92 and 101%. The results of this study showed that the oxalate content in curly kale was 0.6911 mg/100g and kale nero was 1.7045 mg/100g.

Effect of Herbal Aphrodisiac, Dioscorea Bulbifera on Sperm Parameters, Serum Hormonal Levels and Testicular Histology of Wistar Rats

Aim: The present study was aimed at screening phytochemicals of Dioscorea bulbifera extracts and evaluating its effects on male rat reproductive system. Background: Since ancient times, man has found a lot of health benefits from medicinal plants. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), about 80% of the world population depends on traditional medicine, which is 90% plant-based, for their health needs. In respect of this, men in Africa use herbal medicines in the management of erectile dysfunction and infertility. Amongst thousands of herbs, folklore has implicated Dioscorea bulbifera bulbils in the treatment of piles, dysentery, syphilis, ulcers, cough, leprosy, diabetes, asthma, cancer and infertility. Despite such great health benefits from D. bulbifera, in vitro studies and clinical data in support of its efficacy as an aphrodisiac are scanty. Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of Dioscorea bulbifera extracts on Wistar rat sperm parameters, hormonal levels and histology of the testis. Methods: Thirty healthy adult male Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups of 6 rats each and were given different treatments of Dioscorea bulbifera extracts by oral gavage at 200 and 400 mg kg-1 body weight. After 8 weeks, body and reproductive organ weights, sperm concentration, hormonal levels and histological structure of the testis were evaluated. A calorimetric method was used to assess the quantity of phytochemical constituents. Results: Testosterone, luteinizing hormone, estradiol and follicle-stimulating hormone levels were significantly (p<0.05) enhanced whereas prolactin levels were significantly (p<0.05) down-regulated in the treated groups. Total sperm motility, sperm concentration and the percentage of progressively motile cells increased compared to the control. All the treated animals showed an increase in body weight, seminiferous tubule diameter and germinal epithelial height with the testes showing all the stages of spermatogenesis. Phytochemical screening of the methanol extracts revealed the presence of alkaloids, steroids, flavonoids, phenols and saponins. Conclusion: Dioscorea bulbifera has secondary metabolites that seem to stimulate androgenic and anabolic effects. These secondary metabolites appear to be responsible for the positive changes in testicular architecture, serum hormonal levels, caudal sperm concentration and motility parameters. This study supports the ethno-aphrodisiac claims that have been made against it.

Addition of Bee Products in Diverse Food Sources: Functional and Physicochemical Properties

The growing interest of consumers to find products with greater health benefits has led to multiple research works focused on product developments with antioxidant-rich foods by creating safe, acceptable, and high-value nutrition, even in those foods susceptible to deterioration, in order to replace synthetic preservatives with natural ones. Bee products are an alternative addition for food products (dairy and meat products, coating fruits, and alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks), which can improve the final quality of the food for the benefit of the consumer. The aim of this review was to provide detailed information on the main findings of innovative food products based on the addition of bee products by highlighting their physicochemical and functional properties and their behavior throughout storage.

The Influence of Flower Head Order and Gibberellic Acid Treatment on the Hydroxycinnamic Acid and Luteolin Derivatives Content in Globe Artichoke Cultivars.

Flower head orders and the use of GA3 (gibberellic acid) treatment could be two influencing factors determining the bioactive compound levels in artichoke, but little to no information is available about their effects. In this study, we have therefore evaluated the influence of these factors on the hydroxycinnamic acid and luteolin derivative levels in three categories of artichoke: Seed-propagated open-pollinated cultivars; vegetatively propagated cultivars; and seed-propagated hybrids. The hydroxycinnamic acids and luteolin derivatives were quantified by RP-HPLC-DAD. The average flower head weight was the lowest in tertiary heads and GA3-treated artichokes, followed by secondary and main heads. Moreover, the hydroxycinnamic acid and luteolin derivatives levels were significantly higher in tertiary heads than in secondary or main heads. In addition, the GA3 treatment significantly reduced the hydroxycinnamic acid content and, in contrast, improved luteolin derivatives levels. These effects depended on the flower head order and cultivar. Knowledge of the effects of flower head order and GA3 treatment is therefore key in order to achieve the greatest health-benefits from artichoke consumption.

Energy Expenditure during Acute Weight Training Exercises in Healthy Participants: A Preliminary Study

Energy expenditure during weight training exercises produces great fitness and health benefits for humans, but few studies have investigated energy expenditure directly during weight training. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to determine energy costs during three training sessions consisting of three different exercises. Ten participants were randomly allocated into two groups: an untrained (n = 5, with no weight training experience) and a trained group (n = 5, with some weight training experience). Each participant completed three training sessions on separate days. While wearing a mask for indirect calorimetric measurements, each participant participated in training sessions conducted with three dumbbell exercises: the bent-over row, deadlift, and lunge. Metabolic equivalents (METs), energy expenditure (EE), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured. The total energy cost was calculated from the oxygen consumption (VO2) during each exercise. Our results showed that the METs of a single training session were 3.3 for the untrained group and 3.4 for the trained group, while the sum of the EE was 683–688 and 779–840 kcal, respectively. The physiological parameters, such as heart rate (p = 0.001 *) for the lunge and rate of perceived exertion (p = 0.005 *) for the bent-over row, changed significantly in both groups. It was concluded that the exercise protocol of this study involved a moderate intensity of 2.4–3.9 METs. The energy cost of each training exercise was between 179 and 291 kcal.

Environmental benefit analysis of “road-to-rail” policy in China based on a railway tunnel measurement

The substitution of long-distance road transportation by railways, so-called the “road-to-rail” policy, is one of the major national regulatory policies for atmospheric pollution mitigation in China. However, owing to the lack of real-world diesel locomotive emission measurements, the environmental benefits of the “road-to-rail” policy have not been well evaluated. In this study, emissions from 245 in-use line-haul diesel locomotives (including three types of DF4, HX3, and HX5) were measured under real-world conditions via a railway tunnel observation conducted in Beijing on September 7–13, 2017. The fuel-specific and distance-specific emission factors (EFs) of NOx, CO, SO2, and BC were determined by using the carbon balance and mass conservation methods, respectively. The measured EFs of NOx and CO for the HX series locomotives were 41% and 30% higher than the Tire 2 emission standard limits respectively. Based on the two sets of EFs and corresponding activity levels, total locomotive emissions of NOx and CO in China in 2018 were approximately 17.36–19.23 × 104 t and 4.76–5.69 × 104 t respectively. Scenario analysis based on the fuel life cycle shows that all “road-to-rail” scenarios reduce the total energy consumption and pollutant emissions in the short term. For the scenario maintaining the current proportion (20%) of diesel locomotives, the “road-to-rail” policy may reduce NOx and BC emissions by 7.03–70.33 × 104 t/year and 0.10–1.02 × 104 t/year respectively. Considering the upgradation of emission standards with heavy-duty diesel vehicles, the air quality improvement benefit of the “road-to-rail” policy may only be sustained for 2–3 years and 8 years respectively, under the full diesel locomotive scenario and the current diesel locomotive scenario. We highlight the necessity of a more careful and accurate estimation of “road-to-rail” policy environmental benefits to obtain better air quality and the greatest health benefits.

Bioactivity and Functional Properties of Protein Hydrolysate from Muscle and Visceral Waste of Ribbon Fish (Lepturacanthus savala) Extracted by Three Different Proteolytic Enzymes

The study focuses on utilization of solid visceral waste from ribbon fish in preparation of protein hydrolysates, possessing bioactive properties. Three different proteolytic enzymes (alcalase 2.4 U/g, flavourzyme 500 U/g, and papain 1 U/mL) were used to standardize the preparation of visceral waste protein hydrolysates (VPH) in comparison to muscle protein hydrolysate (MPH). Based on the preliminary studies, the hydrolysis process was standardized to 4 h at 1.5 % (w/v) enzyme concentration. MPH and VPH form all the enzymes were taken to study the bioactive (ACE-1 and antioxidant activity) and functional properties. MPH and VPH extracted from alcalase (IC50 = 0.835 and 0.902 mg/mL) showed higher angiotensin converting enzyme-1 (ACE-1) inhibitory activity than flavourzyme (IC50 = 1.602 and 1.323 mg/mL) and papain (1.263 and 1.565 mg/mL). Similarly, alcalase extracted samples were showed higher levels of radical scavenging activity (IC50 = 2.538 and 2.835 mg/mL) than papain (IC50 = 8.382 and 9.389 mg/mL) and flavourzyme (IC50 = 10.562 and 11.56 mg/mL). The present study proves that visceral waste, which is often discarded in a larger quantity, polluting the environment can be converted into a nutraceutical component with greater health benefits.

A tool for assessing the climate change mitigation and health impacts of environmental policies: the Cities Rapid Assessment Framework for Transformation (CRAFT).

Background: A growing number of cities, including Greater London, have set ambitious targets, including detailed policies and implementation plans, to reach global goals on sustainability, health, and climate change. Here we present a tool for a rapid assessment of the magnitude of impact of specific policy initiatives to reach these targets. The decision-support tool simultaneously quantifies the environmental and health impacts of specified selected policies. Methods: The 'Cities Rapid Assessment Framework for Transformation (CRAFT)' tool was applied to Greater London. CRAFT quantifies the effects of ten environmental policies on changes in (1) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, (2) exposures to environmental hazards, (3) travel-related physical activity, and (4) mortality (the number of attributable deaths avoided in one typical year). Publicly available data and epidemiological evidence were used to make rapid quantitative estimates of these effects based on proportional reductions in GHG emissions and environmental exposures from current baseline levels and to compute the mortality impacts. Results: The CRAFT tool estimates that, of roughly 50,000 annual deaths in Greater London, the modelled hazards (PM 2.5 (from indoor and outdoor sources), outdoor NO 2, indoor radon, cold, overheating) and low travel-related physical activity are responsible for approximately 10,000 premature environment-related deaths. Implementing the selected polices could reduce the annual mortality number by about 20% (~1,900 deaths) by 2050. The majority of these deaths (1,700) may be avoided through increased uptake in active travel. Thus, out of ten environmental policies, the 'active travel' policy provides the greatest health benefit. Also, implementing the ten policies results in a GHG reduction of around 90%. Conclusions: The CRAFT tool quantifies the effects of city policies on reducing GHG emissions, decreasing environmental health hazards, and improving public health. The tool has potential value for policy makers through providing quantitative estimates of health impacts to support and prioritise policy options.

Effect-directed analysis as a method for quality and authenticity estimation of Rhodiola rosea L. preparations

Adulterations of food and pharmaceutical preparations are the important global problem. On the one hand, fraud practices are becoming more and more sophisticated while on the other, monitoring and uncovering falsifications are insufficient. One of the most common consumer concern is the quality and authenticity of the purchased products, related to the confidence that they have composition and properties in accordance with the manufacturer's declaration on the label. This refers also to pharmaceuticals potentially delivering great health benefits such as Rhodiola rosea L. supplements. The aim of this study was defining authenticity and possible adulterations of two R. rosea preparations basing on their TLC-bioprofiles and the presence of biomarker compounds characteristic for this plant. The effect-directed analysis (EDA), i.e. TLC hyphenated with micro-chemical and biological assays performed directly on TLC plates followed by HPLC-ESI-MS was used for the bioprofiling of antioxidants, antibacterials, and inhibitors of lipase, acetylcholine, α-glucosidase and tyrosinase as well as for the identification of the biomarkers. The results pointed to the possible adulteration of one of the tested products related to the absence of two rosavins, the most important quality markers of R. rosea.

THE EFFECTS OF NITROGEN AND CARBON DIOXIDE GASES IN REDUCING THE PRICKLING AND TINGLING SENSATIONS IN FRESH-CUT PINEAPPLE (Ananas comosus L cv. Morris)

Fresh-cut pineapple has experienced an increase in demand due to its great health benefits and is rich in vitamins A, B and C. Moreover, pineapple is known as a source of the enzyme bromelain, which has therapeutic applications, such as reducing inflammation, improving digestion and treating osteoarthritis. However, bromelain generally affects the pineapple’s flavour and is less preferred by consumers due to the uncomfortable prickling and tingling sensations it brings. In the present study, two types of gases and their combination, nitrogen (N2) and carbon dioxide (CO2), were used to evaluate their impacts on reducing the tingling and prickling sensations, as well as maintaining the postharvest qualities of fresh-cut pineapple stored at 5°C for 12 days. The parameters being evaluated were the bromelain enzyme activity, flesh colour, ascorbic acid concentration, flesh firmness, soluble solids concentration (SSC), titratable acidity (TA) and sensory evaluation. No significant differences were recorded for all parameters tested. Based on the sensory evaluations, all the attributes, such as colour, aroma, texture, sweetness, sourness, tingling and prickling sensations, and overall acceptance were not affected by the different gases application. Even though no apparent effect was observed, the 30 panellists preferred the aforementioned attributes, except sourness. In conclusion, the fumigation treatments with N2 and CO2 gases were not effective in reducing the tingling and prickling sensations of pineapples cv. Morris.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Switching from Trivalent to Quadrivalent Seasonal Influenza Vaccine in Argentina.

The burden of seasonal influenza disease in Argentina is considerable. The cost-effectiveness of trivalent (TIV) versus quadrivalent influenza vaccine (QIV) in Argentina was assessed. An age-stratified, static, decision-tree model compared the costs and benefits of vaccination for an average influenza season. Main outcomes included: numbers of influenza cases; general practitioner (GP) visits; complicated ambulatory cases; hospitalizations; deaths averted; and costs per quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained. Epidemiological data from Argentina for 2014–2019 were used to determine the proportion of A and B strain cases, and the frequency of mismatch between vaccine and circulating B strains. To manage uncertainty, one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed. Switching from TIV to QIV would prevent 19,128 influenza cases, 16,164 GP visits, 2440 complicated ambulatory cases, 524 hospitalizations, and 82 deaths. Incremental cost–effectiveness ratios (ICERs) per QALY were 13,590 and 11,678 USD from the payer’s and societal perspectives, respectively. The greatest health benefits and direct medical cost savings would occur in ≥ 65-year-olds. One-way sensitivity analyses demonstrated the principal drivers of ICER to be vaccine acquisition costs, environmental B strain predominance, and B strain mismatch. Introducing QIV in Argentina would be beneficial and cost-effective relative to TIV, particularly in older adults.

Food flavonols: Nutraceuticals with complex health benefits and functionalities

Flavonols are one of the most promising class of bioactive compounds belonging to the broad family of the flavonoids, characterized by a unique set of features in their basic chemical skeleton and several specific substitutions in selected position of the rings A, B and C. This interesting class of phytochemicals includes compounds such as quercetin, kaempferol, myricetin, rhamnetin, morin, fisetin, galagin, azaleatin and their respective glycosyl derivatives. They have been identified in several foods and provide them great health benefits. This review updates and integrates, in a critical fashion, the current knowledge on flavonols as food sources, chemical features, structure-activity relationships, bioavailability and health benefits (from preclinical and clinical studies), focusing on both in vitro and in vivo reports. Dietary flavonols are bioavailable molecules in human with impressive health benefits (such as antioxidation, cardioprotection, antibacterial, antiviral and anticancer activity) and the process of metabolization also produces compounds with remarkable bioactivities just like the corresponding precursors. Their inclusion into human diet is highly recommended for their unquestionable health promoting properties, being excellent nutraceuticals as well as ingredients for good functional food. • Food flavonols are nutraceuticals with remarkable biological applications. • Basic skeleton of flavonols has characteristic features for their functionality. • Some foods in the human diet are very rich source of flavonols. • Flavonols have promising anticancer, antimicrobial, antioxidant and antiviral properties.

Physiology of Energy Expenditure in the Weight-Reduced State.

Although many individuals achieve weight loss of 10% or more, the ability to maintain a reduced body mass over months and years is much rarer. Unfortunately, our understanding of the adverse consequences of having overweight and obesity argues that long-term maintenance of a reduced weight provides the greatest health benefit. However, to achieve long-term weight reduction requires overcoming neuroendocrine systems that favor restoration of one's initial weight. Identifying and characterizing the components of these systems will be important if we are to develop therapies and strategies to reduce the rates of obesity and its complications in our modern society. During this session, Eric Ravussin and Steven R. Smith, respectively, discussed the physiology of the weight-reduced state that favors weight regain and a molecular component that contributes to this response.

Surface Ozone in the Yangtze River Delta, China: A Synthesis of Basic Features, Meteorological Driving Factors, and Health Impacts

AbstractOzone (O3) is of great importance to air quality in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region, China. Focusing on surface O3 in the YRD, its spatiotemporal characteristics, meteorological driving factors, and health impacts are investigated based on surface O3 observations in this study. We find that from 2015 to 2019, most cities failed to meet the national standards and O3 pollution mainly occurred in warm seasons (April‐September). Surface O3 in the YRD increased in the recent years, so did tropospheric column O3. Spatially, surface shows a significant positive autocorrelation over the YRD except for 2019, and high O3 values mainly gather in the central of the YRD. The first two empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) of O3 accounted for 37.4% and 20.0% of the total variance in O3, respectively, with their spatial patterns characterized by the same phase and west and east contrast, respectively. The EOF1 is related to the change in radiation and the EOF2 is attributed to regional transport by prevailing westerly wind. Downward UV radiation, temperature and u wind are crucial factors. The premature mortality caused by O3 for respiratory disease in the YRD is estimated to be 5,889 cases per year. Furthermore, we find that premature mortality is more sensitive to O3 concentration than population, suggesting that controlling peak O3 concentration can bring great health benefits.

Human papillomavirus vaccination for adults aged 30 to 45 years in the United States: A cost-effectiveness analysis.

BackgroundA nonavalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has been licensed for use in women and men up to age 45 years in the United States. The cost-effectiveness of HPV vaccination for women and men aged 30 to 45 years in the context of cervical cancer screening practice was evaluated to inform national guidelines.Methods and findingsWe utilized 2 independent HPV microsimulation models to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of extending the upper age limit of HPV vaccination in women (from age 26 years) and men (from age 21 years) up to age 30, 35, 40, or 45 years. The models were empirically calibrated to reflect the burden of HPV and related cancers in the US population and used standardized inputs regarding historical and future vaccination uptake, vaccine efficacy, cervical cancer screening, and costs. Disease outcomes included cervical, anal, oropharyngeal, vulvar, vaginal, and penile cancers, as well as genital warts. Both models projected higher costs and greater health benefits as the upper age limit of HPV vaccination increased. Strategies of vaccinating females and males up to ages 30, 35, and 40 years were found to be less cost-effective than vaccinating up to age 45 years, which had an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) greater than a commonly accepted upper threshold of $200,000 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained. When including all HPV-related outcomes, the ICER for vaccinating up to age 45 years ranged from $315,700 to $440,600 per QALY gained. Assumptions regarding cervical screening compliance, vaccine costs, and the natural history of noncervical HPV-related cancers had major impacts on the cost-effectiveness of the vaccination strategies. Key limitations of the study were related to uncertainties in the data used to inform the models, including the timing of vaccine impact on noncervical cancers and vaccine efficacy at older ages.ConclusionsOur results from 2 independent models suggest that HPV vaccination for adult women and men aged 30 to 45 years is unlikely to represent good value for money in the US.

A tool for assessing the climate change mitigation and health impacts of environmental policies: the Cities Rapid Assessment Framework for Transformation (CRAFT)

Background: A growing number of cities, including Greater London, have set ambitious targets, including detailed policies and implementation plans, to reach global goals on sustainability, health, and climate change. Here we present a tool for a rapid assessment of the magnitude of impact of specific policy initiatives to reach these targets. The decision-support tool simultaneously quantifies the environmental and health impacts of specified selected policies. Methods: The ‘Cities Rapid Assessment Framework for Transformation (CRAFT)’ tool was applied to Greater London. CRAFT quantifies the effects of ten environmental policies on changes in (1) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, (2) exposures to environmental hazards, (3) travel-related physical activity, and (4) mortality (the number of attributable deaths avoided in one typical year). Publicly available data and epidemiological evidence were used to make rapid quantitative estimates of these effects based on proportional reductions in GHG emissions and environmental exposures from current baseline levels and to compute the mortality impacts. Results: The CRAFT tool estimates that, of roughly 50,000 annual deaths in Greater London, the modelled hazards (PM 2.5 (from indoor and outdoor sources), outdoor NO 2, indoor radon, cold, overheating) and low travel-related physical activity are responsible for approximately 10,000 premature environment-related deaths. Implementing the selected polices could reduce the annual mortality number by about 20% (~1,900 deaths) by 2050. The majority of these deaths (1,700) may be avoided through increased uptake in active travel. Thus, out of ten environmental policies, the ‘active travel’ policy provides the greatest health benefit. Also, implementing the ten policies results in a GHG reduction of around 90%. Conclusions: The CRAFT tool quantifies the effects of city policies on reducing GHG emissions, decreasing environmental health hazards, and improving public health. The tool has potential value for policy makers through providing quantitative estimates of health impacts to support and prioritise policy options.

Hitting the Target but Missing the Point? Modelling Health and Economic Impacts of Different Approaches to Meeting the Global Action Plan for Physical Activity Target

BackgroundThe World Health Organization launched the Global Action Plan for Physical Activity (GAPPA) in 2018, which set a global target of a 15% relative reduction in the prevalence of physical inactivity by 2030. This target, however, could be acheived in various ways.MethodsWe use an established multi-state life table model to estimate the health and economic gains that would accrue over the lifetime of the 2011 New Zealand population if the GAPPA target was met under two different approaches: (1) an equal shift approach where physical activity increases by the same absolute amount for everyone; (2) a proportional shift approach where physical activity increases proportionally to current activity levels.FindingsAn equal shift approach to meeting the GAPPA target would result in 197,000 health-adjusted life-years (HALYs) gained (95% uncertainty interval (UI) 152,000–246,000) and healthcare system cost savings of US$1.57b (95%UI $1.16b–$2.03b; 0% discount rate). A proportional shift to the GAPPA target would result in 158,000 HALYs (95%UI 127,000–194,000) and US$1.29billion (95%UI $0.99b–$1.64b) savings to the healthcare system.InterpretationAchieving the GAPPA target would result in large health gains and savings to the healthcare system. However, not all population approaches to increasing physical activity are equal—some population shifts bring greater health benefits. Our results demonstrate the need to consider the entire population physical activity distribution in addition to evaluating progress towards a target.