It is not clear whether the co-occurrence of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) affects the course of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). We investigated the occurrence of IMIDs in relation ...to onset of IBD and the effects of concurrent IMIDs on IBD outcomes in a nationwide study of the Danish population.
We used a nationwide cohort of all individuals diagnosed with IBD, including Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC), in Denmark from 2007 through 2016 (n = 14,377). Patients were match with individuals without IBD from the general population (controls, n = 71,885). All cohort members were followed from birth until 2016, their migration, or their death. The occurrence of IMIDs was assessed using the Danish national patient register and Registry of Medicinal Products Statistics.
A total of 3,235 patients with a diagnosis of IBD (22.5%) has also received a diagnosis of an IMID; most IMIDs occurred before the onset of IBD (n = 2,600, 80.3%). The most common IMIDs observed were psoriasis, asthma, type 1 diabetes, and iridocyclitis. Patients with IBD treated with infliximab were at reduced risk of developing IMIDs (CD adjusted odds ratio aOR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.34-0.81 and UC aOR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.29-0.76). Co-occurrence of IMIDs increased the risk of surgery in patients with CD that developed IMIDs after CD onset (aOR, 2.30; 95% CI, 1.46-4.20) but not in UC.
In a nationwide study of the Danish population, 22.5% of patients with IBD also had at least 1 concurrent IMID. Co-occurrence of IMIDs increased the risk of surgery in patients with CD.
To explore whether the climate has played a role in the COVID-19 outbreak, we compared virus lethality in countries closer to the Equator with others. Lethality in European territories and in ...territories of some nations with a non-temperate climate was also compared.
Lethality was calculated as the rate of deaths in a determinate moment from the outbreak of the pandemic out of the total of identified positives for COVID-19 in a given area/nation, based on the COVID-John Hopkins University website. Lethality of countries located within the 5th parallels North/South on 6 April and 6 May 2020, was compared with that of all the other countries. Lethality in the European areas of The Netherlands, France and the United Kingdom was also compared to the territories of the same nations in areas with a non-temperate climate.
A lower lethality rate of COVID-19 was found in Equatorial countries both on April 6 (OR=0.72 CI 95% 0.66-0.80) and on May 6 (OR=0.48, CI 95% 0.47-0.51), with a strengthening over time of the protective effect. A trend of higher risk in European vs. non-temperate areas was found on April 6, but a clear difference was evident one month later: France (OR=0.13, CI 95% 0.10-0.18), The Netherlands (OR=0.5, CI 95% 0.3-0.9) and the UK (OR=0.2, CI 95% 0.01-0.51). This result does not seem to be totally related to the differences in age distribution of different sites.
The study does not seem to exclude that the lethality of COVID-19 may be climate sensitive. Future studies will have to confirm these clues, due to potential confounding factors, such as pollution, population age, and exposure to malaria.
Current information on the prevalence and sociodemographic and clinical profiles of individuals in the general population with DSM-5 drug use disorder (DUD) is limited. Given the present societal and ...economic context in the United States and the new diagnostic system, up-to-date national information is needed from a single uniform data source.
To present nationally representative findings on the prevalence, correlates, psychiatric comorbidity, disability, and treatment of DSM-5 DUD diagnoses overall and by severity level.
In-person interviews were conducted with 36,309 adults in the 2012-2013 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III, a cross-sectional representative survey of the United States. The household response rate was 72%; person-level response rate, 84%; and overall response rate, 60.1%. Data were collected April 2012 through June 2013 and analyzed from February through March 2015.
Twelve-month and lifetime DUD, based on amphetamine, cannabis, club drug, cocaine, hallucinogen, heroin, nonheroin opioid, sedative/tranquilizer, and/or solvent/inhalant use disorders.
Prevalences of 12-month and lifetime DUD were 3.9% and 9.9%, respectively. Drug use disorder was generally greater among men, white and Native American individuals, younger and previously or never married adults, those with lower education and income, and those residing in the West. Significant associations were found between 12-month and lifetime DUD and other substance use disorders. Significant associations were also found between any 12-month DUD and major depressive disorder (odds ratio OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.09-1.64), dysthymia (OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.09-2.02), bipolar I (OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.06-2.05), posttraumatic stress disorder (OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.27-2.10), and antisocial (OR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.11-1.75), borderline (OR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.41-2.24), and schizotypal (OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.18-1.87) personality disorders. Similar associations were found for any lifetime DUD with the exception that lifetime DUD was also associated with generalized anxiety disorder (OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.06-1.49), panic disorder (OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.06-1.59), and social phobia (OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.09-1.64). Twelve-month DUD was associated with significant disability, increasing with DUD severity. Among respondents with 12-month and lifetime DUD, only 13.5% and 24.6% received treatment, respectively.
DSM-5 DUD is a common, highly comorbid, and disabling disorder that largely goes untreated in the United States. These findings indicate the need for additional studies to understand the broad relationships in more detail; estimate present-day economic costs of DUDs; investigate hypotheses regarding etiology, chronicity, and treatment use; and provide information to policy makers about allocation of resources for service delivery and research. Findings also indicate an urgent need to destigmatize DUD and educate the public, clinicians, and policy makers about its treatment to encourage affected individuals to obtain help.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a global public health crisis with social, psychological and long-lasting economical damages. Weather-related dynamics have an impact on the pattern of human health ...and disease. The present study aimed to investigate the impact of heat and humidity on daily basis incidence and mortality due to COVID-19 pandemic in ten of the world's hottest countries compared to ten of the coldest ones.
Worldwide, we selected 20 countries; 10 hottest countries with the highest temperatures and 10 coldest countries with the lowest temperature. The selection of the countries was based on the daily basis mean temperature from the date of appearance of the initial cases of COVID-19, Dec 29, 2019 to May 12, 2020. In the world's 10 hottest countries, the mean temperature was (26.31±1.51) and humidity (44.67±4.97). However, in the world's 10 coldest countries the mean temperature was (6.19±1.61) and humidity (57.26±2.35). The data on the global outbreak of COVID-19, daily new cases and deaths were recorded from World Health Organization, and daily information on temperature and humidity was obtained from metrological web "Time and Date".
In countries with high temperatures and low humidity, the mean daily cases incidence were (407.12±24.33); cumulative cases (9094.34±708.29); and cumulative deaths (452.84±43.30) were significantly low compared to countries with low temperatures and high humidity: daily cases (1876.72±207.37); cumulative cases (44232.38±5875.11); and cumulative deaths (2008.29±310.13). Moreover, COVID-19 cases and deaths per million population were significantly low in countries with high temperatures (cases 711.23, and deaths 16.27) compared to countries with low temperatures (cases 1685.99; and deaths 86.40). Furthermore, in hottest countries, a 1% increase in humidity reduced number of cases and deaths by (β = -5.40, p<0.001) and (β = -0.187, p=0.004) respectively. A similar trend was seen with a 1°C increase in temperature, reducing the number of deaths by (β = -1.35. p<0.001).
The results revealed a significant decrease in incidence of daily cases and deaths in countries with high temperatures and low humidity (warmest countries), compared to those countries with low temperatures and high humidity (coldest countries). The findings could be of interest to the policymakers and the health officials on the epidemiological trends of COVID-19 pandemic and weather changes.
Summary Background Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability, especially in low-income and middle-income countries. We sought to quantify the importance of potentially modifiable risk factors ...for stroke in different regions of the world, and in key populations and primary pathological subtypes of stroke. Methods We completed a standardised international case-control study in 32 countries in Asia, America, Europe, Australia, the Middle East, and Africa. Cases were patients with acute first stroke (within 5 days of symptom onset and 72 h of hospital admission). Controls were hospital-based or community-based individuals with no history of stroke, and were matched with cases, recruited in a 1:1 ratio, for age and sex. All participants completed a clinical assessment and were requested to provide blood and urine samples. Odds ratios (OR) and their population attributable risks (PARs) were calculated, with 99% confidence intervals. Findings Between Jan 11, 2007, and Aug 8, 2015, 26 919 participants were recruited from 32 countries (13 447 cases 10 388 with ischaemic stroke and 3059 intracerebral haemorrhage and 13 472 controls). Previous history of hypertension or blood pressure of 140/90 mm Hg or higher (OR 2·98, 99% CI 2·72–3·28; PAR 47·9%, 99% CI 45·1–50·6), regular physical activity (0·60, 0·52–0·70; 35·8%, 27·7–44·7), apolipoprotein (Apo)B/ApoA1 ratio (1·84, 1·65–2·06 for highest vs lowest tertile; 26·8%, 22·2–31·9 for top two tertiles vs lowest tertile), diet (0·60, 0·53–0·67 for highest vs lowest tertile of modified Alternative Healthy Eating Index mAHEI; 23·2%, 18·2–28·9 for lowest two tertiles vs highest tertile of mAHEI), waist-to-hip ratio (1·44, 1·27–1·64 for highest vs lowest tertile; 18·6%, 13·3–25·3 for top two tertiles vs lowest), psychosocial factors (2·20, 1·78–2·72; 17·4%, 13·1–22·6), current smoking (1·67, 1·49–1·87; 12·4%, 10·2–14·9), cardiac causes (3·17, 2·68–3·75; 9·1%, 8·0–10·2), alcohol consumption (2·09, 1·64–2·67 for high or heavy episodic intake vs never or former drinker; 5·8%, 3·4–9·7 for current alcohol drinker vs never or former drinker), and diabetes mellitus (1·16, 1·05–1·30; 3·9%, 1·9–7·6) were associated with all stroke. Collectively, these risk factors accounted for 90·7% of the PAR for all stroke worldwide (91·5% for ischaemic stroke, 87·1% for intracerebral haemorrhage), and were consistent across regions (ranging from 82·7% in Africa to 97·4% in southeast Asia), sex (90·6% in men and in women), and age groups (92·2% in patients aged ≤55 years, 90·0% in patients aged >55 years). We observed regional variations in the importance of individual risk factors, which were related to variations in the magnitude of ORs (rather than direction, which we observed for diet) and differences in prevalence of risk factors among regions. Hypertension was more associated with intracerebral haemorrhage than with ischaemic stroke, whereas current smoking, diabetes, apolipoproteins, and cardiac causes were more associated with ischaemic stroke (p<0·0001). Interpretation Ten potentially modifiable risk factors are collectively associated with about 90% of the PAR of stroke in each major region of the world, among ethnic groups, in men and women, and in all ages. However, we found important regional variations in the relative importance of most individual risk factors for stroke, which could contribute to worldwide variations in frequency and case-mix of stroke. Our findings support developing both global and region-specific programmes to prevent stroke. Funding Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, Canadian Stroke Network, Health Research Board Ireland, Swedish Research Council, Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation, The Health & Medical Care Committee of the Regional Executive Board, Region Västra Götaland (Sweden), AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada), Pfizer (Canada), MSD, Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland, and The Stroke Association, with support from The UK Stroke Research Network.
Objective
To estimate 22‐year trends in the prevalence and incidence of scleritis, and the associations of scleritis with infectious and immune‐mediated inflammatory diseases (I‐IMIDs) in the UK.
...Methods
The retrospective cross‐sectional and population cohort study (1997–2018) included 10,939,823 patients (2,946 incident scleritis cases) in The Health Improvement Network, a nationally representative primary care records database. The case–control and matched cohort study (1995–2019) included 3,005 incident scleritis cases and 12,020 control patients matched by age, sex, region, and Townsend deprivation index. Data were analyzed using multivariable Poisson regression, multivariable logistic regression, and Cox proportional hazards multivariable models adjusted for age, sex, Townsend deprivation index, race/ethnicity, smoking status, nation within the UK, and body mass index. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated.
Results
Scleritis incidence rates per 100,000 person‐years declined from 4.23 (95% CI 2.16–6.31) to 2.79 (95% CI 2.19–3.39) between 1997 and 2018. The prevalence of scleritis per 100,000 person‐years was 93.62 (95% CI 90.17–97.07) in 2018 (61,650 UK patients). Among 2,946 patients with incident scleritis, 1,831 (62.2%) were female, the mean ± SD age was 44.9 ± 17.6 years (range 1–93), and 1,257 (88.8%) were White. Higher risk of incident scleritis was associated with female sex (adjusted IRR 1.53 95% CI 1.43–1.66, P < 0.001), Black race/ethnicity (adjusted IRR 1.52 95% CI 1.14–2.01, P = 0.004 compared to White race/ethnicity), or South Asian race/ethnicity (adjusted IRR 1.50 95% CI 1.19–1.90, P < 0.001 compared to White race/ethnicity), and older age (peak adjusted IRR 4.95 95% CI 3.99–6.14, P < 0.001 for patients ages 51–60 years versus those ages ≤10 years). Compared to controls, scleritis patients had a 2‐fold increased risk of a prior I‐IMID diagnosis (17 I‐IMIDs, P < 0.001) and significantly increased risk of subsequent diagnosis (13 I‐IMIDs). The I‐IMIDs most strongly associated with scleritis included granulomatosis with polyangiitis, Behçet’s disease, and Sjögren’s syndrome.
Conclusion
From 1997 through 2018, the UK incidence of scleritis declined from 4.23 to 2.79/100,000 person‐years. Incident scleritis was associated with 19 I‐IMIDs, providing data for rational investigation and cross‐specialty engagement.
Abstract Background Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) have many comorbidities and excess risks of hospitalization and death. Whether the impact of comorbidities on outcomes is greater in AF than ...the general population is unknown. Methods 1430 AF patients and community controls matched 1:1 on age and sex were obtained from Olmsted County, Minnesota. Andersen-Gill and Cox regression estimated associations of 19 comorbidities with hospitalization and death, respectively. Results AF cases had a higher prevalence of most comorbidities. Hypertension (25.4%), coronary artery disease (17.7%), and heart failure (13.3%) had the largest attributable risk of AF; these along with obesity and smoking explained 51.4% of AF. Over a mean follow-up of 6.3 years, AF patients experienced higher rates of hospitalization and death than population controls. However, the impact of comorbidities on hospitalization and death was generally not greater in AF patients compared to controls, with the exception of smoking. Ever smokers with AF experienced higher than expected risks of hospitalization and death, with observed vs. expected (assuming additivity of effects) hazard ratios compared to never smokers without AF of 1.78 (1.56–2.02) vs. 1.52 for hospitalization and 2.41 (2.02–2.87) vs. 1.84 for death. Conclusions Patients with AF have a higher prevalence of most comorbidities; however, the impact of comorbidities on hospitalization and death is generally similar in AF and controls. Smoking is a notable exception; ever smokers with AF experienced higher than expected risks of hospitalization and death. Thus, interventions targeting modifiable behaviors may benefit AF patients by reducing their risk of adverse outcomes.
Summary Background Chronic kidney disease is an important cause of global mortality and morbidity. Data for epidemiological features of chronic kidney disease and its risk factors are limited for ...low-income and middle-income countries. The International Society of Nephrology's Kidney Disease Data Center (ISN-KDDC) aimed to assess the prevalence and awareness of chronic kidney disease and its risk factors, and to investigate the risk of cardiovascular disease, in countries of low and middle income. Methods We did a cross-sectional study in 12 countries from six world regions: Bangladesh, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, China, Egypt, Georgia, India, Iran, Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, and Nigeria. We analysed data from screening programmes in these countries, matching eight general and four high-risk population cohorts collected in the ISN-KDDC database. High-risk cohorts were individuals at risk of or with a diagnosis of either chronic kidney disease, hypertension, diabetes, or cardiovascular disease. Participants completed a self-report questionnaire, had their blood pressure measured, and blood and urine samples taken. We defined chronic kidney disease according to modified KDIGO (Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes) criteria; risk of cardiovascular disease development was estimated with the Framingham risk score. Findings 75 058 individuals were included in the study. The prevalence of chronic kidney disease was 14·3% (95% CI 14·0–14·5) in general populations and 36·1% (34·7–37·6) in high-risk populations. Overall awareness of chronic kidney disease was low, with 409 (6%) of 6631 individuals in general populations and 150 (10%) of 1524 participants from high-risk populations aware they had chronic kidney disease. Moreover, in the general population, 5600 (44%) of 12 751 individuals with hypertension did not know they had the disorder, and 973 (31%) of 3130 people with diabetes were unaware they had that disease. The number of participants at high risk of cardiovascular disease, according to the Framingham risk score, was underestimated compared with KDIGO guidelines. For example, all individuals with chronic kidney disease should be considered at high risk of cardiovascular disease, but the Framingham risk score detects only 23% in the general population, and only 38% in high-risk cohorts. Interpretation Prevalence of chronic kidney disease was high in general and high-risk populations from countries of low and middle income. Moreover, awareness of chronic kidney disease and other non-communicable diseases was low, and a substantial number of individuals who knew they were ill did not receive treatment. Prospective programmes with repeat testing are needed to confirm the diagnosis of chronic kidney disease and its risk factors. Furthermore, in general, health-care workforces in countries of low and middle income need strengthening. Funding International Society of Nephrology.
Acute ischemic stroke may occur in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but risk factors, in-hospital events, and outcomes are not well studied in large cohorts. We identified risk ...factors, comorbidities, and outcomes in patients with COVID-19 with or without acute ischemic stroke and compared with patients without COVID-19 and acute ischemic stroke.
We analyzed the data from 54 health care facilities using the Cerner deidentified COVID-19 dataset. The dataset included patients with an emergency department or inpatient encounter with discharge diagnoses codes that could be associated to suspicion of or exposure to COVID-19 or confirmed COVID-19.
A total of 103 (1.3%) patients developed acute ischemic stroke among 8163 patients with COVID-19. Among all patients with COVID-19, the proportion of patients with hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, atrial fibrillation, and congestive heart failure was significantly higher among those with acute ischemic stroke. Acute ischemic stroke was associated with discharge to destination other than home or death (relative risk, 2.1 95% CI, 1.6-2.4;
<0.0001) after adjusting for potential confounders. A total of 199 (1.0%) patients developed acute ischemic stroke among 19 513 patients without COVID-19. Among all ischemic stroke patients, COVID-19 was associated with discharge to destination other than home or death (relative risk, 1.2 95% CI, 1.0-1.3;
=0.03) after adjusting for potential confounders.
Acute ischemic stroke was infrequent in patients with COVID-19 and usually occurs in the presence of other cardiovascular risk factors. The risk of discharge to destination other than home or death increased 2-fold with occurrence of acute ischemic stroke in patients with COVID-19.
•The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in unprecedented hazards to mental health globally.•Relatively high rates of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, ...psychological distress, and stress were reported in the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic in eight countries.•Common risk factors associated with mental distress during the COVID-19 pandemic include female gender, younger age group (≤40 years), presence of chronic/psychiatric illnesses, unemployment, student status, and frequent exposure to social media/news concerning COVID-19.•Mitigation of COVID-19 induced psychological distress requires government intervention and individual efforts.
As a major virus outbreak in the 21st century, the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to unprecedented hazards to mental health globally. While psychological support is being provided to patients and healthcare workers, the general public's mental health requires significant attention as well. This systematic review aims to synthesize extant literature that reports on the effects of COVID-19 on psychological outcomes of the general population and its associated risk factors.
A systematic search was conducted on PubMed, Embase, Medline, Web of Science, and Scopus from inception to 17 May 2020 following the PRISMA guidelines. A manual search on Google Scholar was performed to identify additional relevant studies. Articles were selected based on the predetermined eligibility criteria.
Results: Relatively high rates of symptoms of anxiety (6.33% to 50.9%), depression (14.6% to 48.3%), post-traumatic stress disorder (7% to 53.8%), psychological distress (34.43% to 38%), and stress (8.1% to 81.9%) are reported in the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic in China, Spain, Italy, Iran, the US, Turkey, Nepal, and Denmark. Risk factors associated with distress measures include female gender, younger age group (≤40 years), presence of chronic/psychiatric illnesses, unemployment, student status, and frequent exposure to social media/news concerning COVID-19.
A significant degree of heterogeneity was noted across studies.
The COVID-19 pandemic is associated with highly significant levels of psychological distress that, in many cases, would meet the threshold for clinical relevance. Mitigating the hazardous effects of COVID-19 on mental health is an international public health priority.
PDF
