| 1. |
- Aryal, Umesh R., 1973, et al.
(författare)
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Establishing a health demographic surveillance site in Bhaktapur district, Nepal : initial experiences and findings
- 2012
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Ingår i: BMC Research Notes. - : BioMed Central. - 1756-0500. ; 5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: A health demographic surveillance system (HDSS) provides longitudinal data regarding health and demography in countries with coverage error and poor quality data on vital registration systems due to lack of public awareness, inadequate legal basis and limited use of data in health planning. The health system in Nepal, a low-income country, does not focus primarily on health registration, and does not conduct regular health data collection. This study aimed to initiate and establish the first HDSS in Nepal.RESULTS: We conducted a baseline survey in Jhaukhel and Duwakot, two villages in Bhaktapur district. The study surveyed 2,712 households comprising a total population of 13,669. The sex ratio in the study area was 101 males per 100 females and the average household size was 5. The crude birth and death rates were 9.7 and 3.9/1,000 population/year, respectively. About 11% of births occurred at home, and we found no mortality in infants and children less than 5 years of age. Various health problems were found commonly and some of them include respiratory problems (41.9%); headache, vertigo and dizziness (16.7%); bone and joint pain (14.4%); gastrointestinal problems (13.9%); heart disease, including hypertension (8.8%); accidents and injuries (2.9%); and diabetes mellitus (2.6%). The prevalence of non-communicable disease (NCD) was 4.3% (95% CI: 3.83; 4.86) among individuals older than 30 years. Age-adjusted odds ratios showed that risk factors, such as sex, ethnic group, occupation and education, associated with NCD.CONCLUSION: Our baseline survey demonstrated that it is possible to collect accurate and reliable data in a village setting in Nepal, and this study successfully established an HDSS site. We determined that both maternal and child health are better in the surveillance site compared to the entire country. Risk factors associated with NCDs dominated morbidity and mortality patterns.
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| 2. |
- Arunachalam, Natarajan, et al.
(författare)
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Community-based control of Aedes aegypti by adoption of eco-health methods in Chennai City, India.
- 2012
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Ingår i: Pathogens and global health. - 2047-7732. ; 106:8, s. 488-96
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Dengue is highly endemic in Chennai city, South India, in spite of continuous vector control efforts. This intervention study was aimed at establishing the efficacy as well as the favouring and limiting factors relating to a community-based environmental intervention package to control the dengue vector Aedes aegypti.
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| 3. |
- Dale, Richard Allan, 1965, et al.
(författare)
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Alcohol environment, gender and nonfatal injuries in young people. An ecological study of fourteen swedish municipalities (2000-2005).
- 2012
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Ingår i: Substance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy. - 1747-597X. ; 7:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Sweden has had a restrictive alcohol policy, but there are gender and geographical differences in alcohol consumption and injury rates within the country. Whether and how the Swedish alcohol environment influences gender differences in injuries in young people is still unclear. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyse the associations between the local alcohol environment and age- and gender-specific nonfatal injury rates in people up to 24 years in Sweden. METHODS: The local alcohol environment from 14 municipalities was studied using indicators of alcohol access, alcohol consumption and alcohol-related crimes. A comprehensive health care register of nonfatal injuries was used to estimate mean annual rates of nonfatal injuries by gender and age group (2000--2005). Pearson's correlation coefficients were used to analyse linear associations. RESULTS: Associations were shown for both alcohol access and alcohol consumption with injury rates in boys aged 13--17 years; no other associations were observed between alcohol access or per capita alcohol consumption and nonfatal childhood injuries. The prevalence of crimes against alcohol laws was associated with injury rates in children of both genders aged 6--17 years. CONCLUSIONS: This study found no strong area-level associations between alcohol and age and gender specific nonfatal injuries in young people. Further, the strength of the area-level associations varied by age, gender and type of indicator used to study the local alcohol environment.
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| 4. |
- Hakkarainen, Katja M, et al.
(författare)
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Percentage of patients with preventable adverse drug reactions and preventability of adverse drug reactions--a meta-analysis.
- 2012
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Ingår i: PloS one. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 7:3
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Numerous observational studies suggest that preventable adverse drug reactions are a significant burden in healthcare, but no meta-analysis using a standardised definition for adverse drug reactions exists. The aim of the study was to estimate the percentage of patients with preventable adverse drug reactions and the preventability of adverse drug reactions in adult outpatients and inpatients.
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| 5. |
- Hammarsten, Ola, et al.
(författare)
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Troponin T percentiles from a random population sample, emergency room patients and patients with myocardial infarction
- 2012
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Ingår i: Clinical Chemistry. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1530-8561 .- 0009-9147. ; 58:3, s. 628-637
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: High-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (cTnT) assays detect small clinically important myocardial infarctions (MI) but also yield higher rates of false-positive results owing to increased concentrations sometimes present in patients without MI. Better understanding is needed of factors influencing the 99th percentile of cTnT concentrations across populations and the frequency of changes in cTnT concentrations >20% often used in combination with increased cTnT concentrations for diagnosis of MI. METHODS: cTnT percentiles were determined by use of the Elecsys® hscTnT immunoassay (Modular® Analytics E170) in a random population sample, in emergency room (ER) patients, and in patients with non–ST-elevation MI (NSTEMI). Changes in cTnT concentrations were determined in hospitalized patients without MI. RESULTS: The 99th cTnT percentile in a random population sample (median age, 65 years) was 24 ng/L. In ER patients <65 years old without obvious conditions that increase cTnT, the 99th cTnT percentile was 12 ng/L with little age dependence, whereas in those >65 years old it was 82 ng/L and highly age dependent. In hospitalized patients without MI the 97.5th percentile for change in the cTnT concentration was 51%–67%. cTnT remained below the 99th percentile (12 ng/L) in 1% of patients with NSTEMI until 8.5 h after symptom onset and 6 h after ER arrival. CONCLUSIONS: Age >65 years was the dominant factor associated with increased cTnT in ER patients. This age association was more prominent in ER patients than in a random population sample. Changes in serial cTnT concentrations >20% were common in hospitalized patients without MI.
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| 6. |
- Hellgren, Margareta, 1955, et al.
(författare)
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Feasibility of the FINDRISC questionnaire to identify individuals with impaired glucose tolerance in Swedish primary care. A cross-sectional population-based study.
- 2012
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Ingår i: Diabetic Medicine. - : Wiley. - 1464-5491 .- 0742-3071. ; 29:12, s. 1501-1505
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim: To evaluate the performance of the FINDRISC questionnaire as a tool to recruit individuals with impaired glucose tolerance for lifestyle intervention programmes. Methods: A cross-sectional population-based study in primary Health Care Centres in a middle-sized Swedish town. All 9734 individuals, aged 35–75 years, living within a defined area, were invited by mail to fill in and return the FINDRISC questionnaire. Participants with a risk score ≥ 15 (n = 525) were invited to perform an oral glucose tolerance test while those with known diabetes were excluded. Results: In total, 5452 questionnaires (58%) were returned and revealed a mean risk-score of 8.5 ± 4.5 (mean ± SD). We found that 525 participants had a risk-score ≥ 15 and 302 (58%) were further examined with an oral glucose tolerance testing (OGTT). Among them we detected 11% with previously undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes, 16% with impaired glucose tolerance and 29% with impaired fasting glucose. A FINDRISC score ≥ 15 was associated with a positive predictive value of 55% for impaired glucose metabolism (impaired fasting glucose + impaired glucose tolerance + Type 2 diabetes) and of 16% for impaired glucose tolerance, respectively. The positive predictive value for impaired glucose tolerance did not increase to more than 17% when choosing the cut-point 17, while there was a significant increase in the positive predictive value for impaired glucose metabolism (70%). Conclusions: The FINDRISC questionnaire is a useful instrument for identification of individuals with impaired glucose metabolism but seems less effective for detection of individuals with impaired glucose tolerance. Strategies to find individuals with impaired glucose tolerance for implementation of lifestyle changes in primary care should therefore be developed further.
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| 7. |
- Holmström, Alexandra, et al.
(författare)
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Red blood cell distribution width and its relation to cardiac function and biomarkers in a prospective hospital cohort referred for echocardiography
- 2012
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Ingår i: European Journal of Internal Medicine. - : Elsevier BV. - 0953-6205. ; 23:7, s. 604-609
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Red blood cell distribution width (RDW), a measure of anisocytosis, is a prognostic biomarker for heart failure (HF). However it is still unclear how RDW is associated with heart function and established cardiac biomarkers. Methods and results: In a prospective hospital cohort of 296 patients referred for echocardiography because of suspected HF, blood sampling and clinical examination were performed within 24 h after echocardiography. The patients were divided into four HF groups, including one group where the HF diagnosis was uncertain (gray zone). In the patients the mean age was 70 +/- 11 years, 44% with systolic HF (SHF), 18% with heart failure with normal ejection fraction (HFNEF), 17% with gray zone and 21% without HF (non-HF). RDW was higher among patients with SHF and HFNEF, compared with gray zone and non-HF patients. The distribution of different variables over the RDW quartiles showed an inverse correlation between RDW levels and LVEF and a positive correlation between RDW and NT-proBNP levels. Further analysis with stepwise multiple linear regression demonstrated that NT-proBNP levels, but not LVEF, were independently correlated with RDW. Conclusion: In patients referred for echocardiography because of suspected HF, RDW levels were higher in patients with SHF and HFNEF. Moreover, NT-proBNP levels were independently linked with elevated RDW. (C) 2012 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 8. |
- Kardassis, Dimitris, et al.
(författare)
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Impact of body composition, fat distribution and sustained weight loss on cardiac function in obesity.
- 2012
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Ingår i: International Journal of Cardiology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1874-1754 .- 0167-5273. ; 159:2, s. 128-133
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Obesity is associated with alterations in left ventricular function varying along with the degree of fatness, but the mechanisms underlying this co-variation are not clear. In a case–control study we examined how sustained weight losses affect cardiac function and report on how body composition and fat distribution relate to the left ventricular performance. Methods At the 10-year follow-up of the Swedish obese subjects (SOS) study cohort we identified 44 patients with sustained weight losses after bariatric surgery (surgery group) and 44 matched obese control patients who remained weight stable (obese group). We also recruited 44 matched normal weight subjects (lean group). Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, computed tomography and echocardiography were performed to evaluate body composition, fat distribution and cardiac function. Results BMI was 42.5 kg/m2, 31.5 kg/m2 and 24.4 kg/m2 for the obese, surgery and lean groups respectively. Increasing degree of obesity was associated with larger left ventricular volumes (p < 0.001), higher cardiac output (p < 0.001), reduced systolic myocardial velocity (p < 0.001) and impaired ventricular relaxation (p = 0.015). In multivariate analyses, left ventricular volume, stroke volume and cardiac output primarily associated with lean body mass, whereas blood pressure, heart rate and variables reflecting cardiac dysfunction were more related to total body fat and visceral adiposity. Conclusion Obesity is associated with discrete but distinct disturbances in the left ventricular performance appearing to be related to both the total amount of body fat and degree of visceral adiposity. Patients with sustained weight losses display superior left ventricular systolic and diastolic functions as compared with their obese counterparts remaining weight stable.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Mehta, Ushma, et al.
(författare)
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Protocol for a drugs exposure pregnancy registry for implementation in resource-limited settings.
- 2012
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Ingår i: BMC pregnancy and childbirth. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2393. ; 12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- ABSTRACT: Background: The absence of robust evidence of safety of medicines in pregnancy, particularly those for major diseases provided by public health programmes in developing countries, has resulted in cautious recommendations on their use. We describe a protocol for a Pregnancy Registry adapted to resource-limited settings aimed at providing evidence on the safety of medicines in pregnancy. Methods/Design: Sentinel health facilities are chosen where women come for prenatal care and are likely to come for delivery. Staff capacity is improved to provide better care during the pregnancy, to identify visible birth defects at delivery and refer infants with major anomalies for surgical or clinical evaluation and treatment. Consenting women are enrolled at their first antenatal visit and careful medical, obstetric and drug-exposure histories taken; medical record linkage is encouraged. Enrolled women are followed up prospectively and their histories are updated at each subsequent visit. The enrolled woman is encouraged to deliver at the facility, where she and her baby can be assessed. Discussion: In addition to data pooling into a common WHO database, the WHO Pregnancy Registry has three important features: First is the inclusion of pregnant women coming for antenatal care, enabling comparison of birth outcomes of women who have been exposed to a medicine with those who have not. Second is its applicability to resource-poor settings regardless of drug or disease. Third is improvement of reproductive health care during pregnancies and at delivery. Facility delivery enables better health outcomes, timely evaluation and management of the newborn, and the collection of reliable clinical data. The Registry aims to improves maternal and neonatal care and also provide much needed information on the safety of medicines in pregnancy.
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