Coronavirus disease 2019, abbreviated to COVID-19 and sustained by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is the latest biological hazard to assume the relevance of ...insidious worldwide threat. One obvious question that is now engaging the minds of many scientists and healthcare professionals is whether and eventually how laboratory medicine could efficiently contribute to counteract this and other (future) viral outbreaks. Despite there being evidence that laboratory tests are vital throughout many clinical pathways, there are at least three major areas where
diagnostics can also provide essential contributions to diagnostic reasoning and managed care of patients with suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. These include etiological diagnosis, patient monitoring, as well as epidemiologic surveillance. Nonetheless, some structural and practical aspects may generate substantial hurdles in providing timely and efficient response to this infectious emergency, which basically include inadequate (insufficient) environment and shortage of technical and human resources for facing enhanced volume of tests on many infected patients, some of whom are with severe disease. Some proactive and reactive strategies may hence be identified to confront this serious healthcare challenge, which entail major investments on conventional laboratory resources, reinforcement of regional networks of clinical laboratories, installation of mobile laboratories, as well as being proactive in establishing laboratory emergency plans.
Background
Atrial fibrillation is the most frequent cardiac arrhythmia. It has been estimated that 6–12 million people worldwide will suffer this condition in the US by 2050 and 17.9 million people ...in Europe by 2060. Atrial fibrillation is a major risk factor for ischemic stroke and provokes important economic burden along with significant morbidity and mortality.
Aim
We provide here comprehensive and updated statistics on worldwide epidemiology of atrial fibrillation.
Methods
An electronic search was conducted for atrial fibrillation. The epidemiologic information was retrieved from the Global Health Data Exchange database, which is regarded as one of the most comprehensive worldwide catalogs of surveys, censuses, vital statistics, and other health-related data.
Results
A total of 3.046 million new cases of atrial fibrillation worldwide were registered in the database during 2017. The estimated incidence rate for 2017 (403/millions inhabitants) was 31% higher than the corresponding incidence in 1997. The worldwide prevalence of atrial fibrillation is 37,574 million cases (0.51% of worldwide population), increased also by 33% during the last 20 years. The highest burden is seen in countries with high socio-demographic index, though the largest recent increased occurred in middle socio-demographic index countries. Future projections suggest that absolute atrial fibrillation burden may increase by >60% in 2050.
Conclusions
Our analyses suggest that atrial fibrillation incidence and prevalence have increased over the last 20 years and will continue to increase over the next 30 years, especially in countries with middle socio-demographic index, becoming one of the largest epidemics and public health challenges.
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NUK, OILJ, SAZU, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Purpose
Although physical inactivity (PI) is universally considered a major risk factor for cardiovascular disorders, no previous study has investigated its putative contribution on the societal and ...healthcare burden of ischemic heart disease (IHD). Therefore, we aimed to provide an objective assessment of the worldwide epidemiology of PI-related IHD.
Methods
An electronic search was performed in the Global Health Data Exchange (GHDx) registry, a large database of health-related data, for assessing the worldwide epidemiology of PI-related IHD.
Results
The current burden of PI-related disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and deaths caused by IHD is 9.1% (15.42 out of 170.27 million DALYs) and 9.9% (5.46 out of 55.14 million deaths), respectively. Women have a ~ 14% higher risk of both PI-related DALYs and mortality. The impact of PI on IHD remains stable around 7% up to the middle age, then gradually increases in parallel with aging, up to over 11%. A ~ 20% higher risk of PI-related DALYs and mortality caused by IHD can be found in countries with middle-to-high socio-demographic index (SDI) compared with countries with lower SDIs. In multivariable analysis, PI-related DALYs and mortality caused by IHD were significantly predicted by female sex, advanced age, and higher SDI.
Conclusions
The results of our analysis suggest that reinforced efforts shall be prioritized and scaled up for broadening and ameliorating the application of physical activity recommendations in populations more vulnerable to the risk of PI-related IHD.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OBVAL, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
To provide recent statistics on worldwide gout epidemiology. Current and prediction data on gout epidemiology were retrieved from the Global Health Data Exchange (GHDx) registry and from the World ...Health Organization (WHO) database on projected mortality. Overall, 7.44 million cases of gout have been estimated around the world in 2017 (incidence, 0.097%), with a prevalence of 41.22 million cases (0.54%), and causing 1.28 million DALYs (0.051% of all DALYs). Gout incidence, prevalence, and health loss considerably increased during the last 25 years and are all higher in men than in women. The burden of gout increases linearly with aging, until the age of 64 years, and is correlated with socio-demographic index (SDI), with incident risk of gout > 3-fold higher in high than in low SDI regions. Projections suggest that gout mortality may increase by 55% in 2060. The epidemiologic burden of gout remains high around the world, especially in men and in high SDI countries, with a trend that is unlikely to reverse soon.
Key Points
• A significant association can be found between gout and socioeconomic status.
• Projections suggest that gout mortality may increase by 55% in 2060.
• The epidemiologic burden of gout remains high around the world.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OBVAL, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Background
Enhanced focus on primary care provision is essential for lowering the risk of asthma exacerbation and complications, as well as for decreasing asthma‐related hospitalizations and deaths. ...This article provides an update on current worldwide epidemiology of asthma.
Methods
Worldwide epidemiologic information on asthma was obtained through electronic searches in the Global Health Data Exchange (GHDx) database.
Results
In 2017, the incidence of asthma was 43.12 million new cases/year (0.56%), while in that same year, prevalence and mortality accounted for 272.68 million cases (3.57%) and 0.49 million deaths (0.006%), respectively. Although the number of asthma cases significantly increased during the last 25 years, disability‐adjusted life years (DALYs) and deaths constantly declined. After adjustment of asthma incidence, prevalence, and DALYs for worldwide demographic variation, no significant changes could be seen during the last 25 years, while asthma mortality significantly declined during the same period. Asthma incidence peaks before the age of 5 years, whereas prevalence and DALYs peaks are observed between 0 and 14 years. DALYs also display a second peak, between 45 and 74 years. Asthma mortality increases with aging, reaching the peak after 80 years. The epidemiologic burden and mortality of asthma are constantly higher in women than in men. An inverse, highly significant correlation can be found between sociodemographic index and asthma incidence (r = −0.98) or mortality (r = −0.96).
Conclusion
Although the worldwide burden of asthma remains high, incidence and prevalence are not apparently translating into an escalating clinical and economic burden in terms of health loss and deaths.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States and in much of the westernized world, contributing to considerable morbidity. Several of these obesity-related morbidities are associated ...with greater risk for death with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 penetrates human cells through direct binding with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptors on the cell surface. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 expression in adipose tissue is higher than that in lung tissue, which means that adipose tissue may be vulnerable to COVID-19 infection. Obese patients also have worse outcomes with COVID-19 infection, including respiratory failure, need for mechanical ventilation, and higher mortality. Clinicians need to be more aggressive when treating obese, especially severely obese, patients with COVID-19 infection.
Updates on larynx cancer epidemiology Nocini, Riccardo; Molteni, Gabriele; Mattiuzzi, Camilla ...
Chinese journal of cancer research,
02/2020, Volume:
32, Issue:
1
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Laryngeal cancer is an important oncologic entity, whose prognosis depends on establishing appropriate preventive and diagnostic measures, especially in populations at higher risk.
Epidemiologic ...information including worldwide incidence, prevalence, burden of health loss (disability-adjusted life year; DALYs) and mortality of larynx cancer was obtained from the Global Health Data Exchange (GHDx) database.
The current incidence, prevalence and mortality of laryngeal cancer are estimated at 2.76 cases/year per 100,000 inhabitants, 14.33 cases/year per 100,000 inhabitants and 1.66 deaths/year per 100,000 inhabitants, respectively, averaging 3.28 million DALYs each year. Incidence and prevalence have increased by 12% and 24%, respectively during the past 3 decades, whilst mortality has declined by around 5%. The epidemiologic burden of this malignancy is approximately 5-fold higher in males and increases in parallel with ageing, peaking after 65 years of age. Both incidence and mortality rates are higher in Europe and lower in Africa, but the ratio between deaths and incidence is the highest in Africa. Incidence has gradually declined in Europe during the past 3 decades, whilst it has increased in South-East Asia and Western Pacific. Cigarette smoking and alcohol abuse contribute for about 90% of overall worldwide mortality for laryngeal cancer.
Laryngeal cancer still poses a high clinical and societal burden, with an escalating temporal trend not expected to reverse soon.
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