Health Status and Mortality in Holocaust Survivors Living in Jerusalem 40–50 Years Later

The long-term health sequelae of the Holocaust were assessed 40-50 years later in the framework of a Jerusalem community health study. Holocaust survivors (N = 288, mean age = 67.6 years) and European-born Jews, not exposed to the Holocaust (N = 486, mean age = 68.9 years), were studied in 1985-87. Our objective was to compare psychobehavioral factors, clinical variables, and mortality outcomes. The comparisons revealed higher emotional distress scores in female Holocaust survivors than in unexposed women and poorer self-appraised health status in male Holocaust survivors than unexposed men. A 10-year mortality follow-up that terminated in April 1996 showed no significant association with Holocaust exposure. Long-term Holocaust survivors may represent a selective resilient group.     

Prevalence estimation and follow-up of aortic regurgitation subjects in a Norwegian Sámi population

Objectives. To estimate the prevalence of aortic regurgitation (AR) in the Sámi population and its association with ankylosing spondylitis and HLA-B27. Design. A random sample from two Norwegian Sámi communities was invited to participate in a health survey. Echocardiography was carried out for 84% of the 416 invited. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the odds ratios (OR). The AR persons entered a clinical follow-up programme. Results. Altogether 28 subjects had AR. Weighted overall prevalence of AI was 8.8%. OR of AR for ankylosing spondylitis, age and HLA-B27 were 7.4 (95% CI: 1, 1-49, 0), 1.08 (95% CI, 1, 03-2, 14) and 1.8 (95% CI: 0, 6-5, 4), respectively. Conclusions. The prevalence of AR was 8.8% in the Sámi populations in Northern Norway, which is comparable to that reported in other populations; however, data from other populations are sparse. AR was strongly associated with ankylosing spondylitis, but not with HLA-B27 antigen. The progress rate of AR seems to be low; no clinically significant hemodynamic changes were noted during the 14-to-17-year follow-up programme.     

Prevalence of atherosclerosis in coronary artery and internal thoracic artery and its correlation in North–West Indians

Background  

Incidence of atherosclerosis in coronary arteries is increasing rapidly affecting young Indians. Many individuals require early bypass surgery for critical coronary occlusion and internal mammary artery is considered ideal conduit because of its long term patency. Present autopsy study aims at finding the prevalence of atherosclerosis in coronary and Internal Thoracic Arteries (ITA) in different age groups in north–west India.     

Prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis in Nigeria, 1994–2015: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction

The Global signi?cance of schistosomiasis started waning over the years owing to its eradication in most developed societies, until the reawaking of global attention and it now occupies a prominent place amongst the neglected tropical diseases (NTD). The aim of our study was to accurately estimate the prevalence of schistosomiasis in Nigeria, and its six geo-political zones.

A Paradox in Individual Versus National Mental Health Vulnerability: Are Higher Resource Levels Associated With Higher Disorder Prevalence?

An earlier study (Dückers, Alisic, & Brewin, 2016) found that countries with greater social and economic resources were characterized by a higher lifetime prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Here, we present a similar analysis of national population survey data to examine this vulnerability paradox in relation to other disorders. We predicted the lifetime prevalence of any mental health disorder (i.e., anxiety, mood, substance, and externalizing disorders) in 17 countries based on trauma exposure and country vulnerability data. A substantial proportion of variance in all disorder categories, 32.9% to 53.9%, could be explained by trauma exposure. Explained variance increased by 5 and up to 40 percentage points after adding the variable of vulnerability to the equation. Higher exposure and lower vulnerability levels were accompanied by a higher prevalence in any mental disorder, with the largest effect size in mood disorders (R² = .76). The interaction between exposure and vulnerability did not explain significant additional variance as it did for PTSD. Because a PTSD diagnosis links psychological, physical, and functional symptoms explicitly to trauma exposure, this might mean that populations in less‐vulnerable countries are more likely to attribute health complaints to exposure. The results of this study suggest that country‐level data can help to better explain the multilayered mechanisms of resilience and vulnerability in the context of trauma.     

High Prevalence of Osteoporosis and Morphometric Vertebral Fractures in Indian Males Aged 60 Years and Above: Should Age for Screening Be Lowered?

Current guidelines recommend bone mineral density (BMD) measurement in asymptomatic men above age 70 years and vertebral fracture (VF) assessment above 80 years with T-score <?1.0 with risk factors. We studied the prevalence of osteoporosis and morphometric VF in asymptomatic males aged 60 years and above in North India. Free-living community-dwelling men (n?=?241, age: mean?±?standard deviation 68.0?±?6.2 years) underwent a detailed history, physical examination, biochemical evaluation, and BMD measurements at 3 sites: lumbar spine, total hip (TH), and femoral neck (FN). Morphometric VF were assessed by instant vertebral assessment using Genant et al's semiquantitative method. We observed osteoporosis, osteopenia, and normal BMD in 19%, 56%, and 25% of subjects, respectively. The decade wise prevalence of osteoporosis in the age groups 60–70 years, 71–80 years, and >80 years was 16.9%, 17%, and 50%, respectively. Mean serum 25OHD levels were 17.2?±?10.3?ng/mL. Vitamin D deficiency (<20?ng/mL) and secondary hyperparathyroidism (plasma intact parathyroid hormone >65?ng/mL) were present in 68.8% and 45.4%, respectively. VF were present in 29.6% subjects (grade I: 58%, grade II: 32.4%, and grade III: 8.8%). Age and iPTH had significant negative correlation with BMD at FN and TH. Serum 25OHD had no correlation with BMD at any site. The prevalence of VF was positively associated with age (p?=?0.018) and negatively associated with BMD at FN (p?=?0.002) and TH (p?=?0.013). Osteoporosis and VF are common in asymptomatic Indian males aged 60 years and above. Screening for osteoporosis and instant vertebral assessment may be recommended earlier than currently existing guidelines.     

Prevalence and involvement patterns of radiographic hand osteoarthritis in Japanese women: the Hizen–Oshima Study

The prevalence and pattern of joint involvement in radiographic hand osteoarthritis (OA) have been reported in Western populations, but similar data are lacking for Japanese. We examined this issue in 551 Japanese women aged ≥40 years. Radiographs were obtained of both hands and graded according to the Kellgren–Lawrence (K-L) criteria. OA was defined as K-L grade 2 or higher. The prevalence of radiographic OA in the IP, MCP, and CMC joints was distributed similarly in both hands. The most frequent locations of radiographic OA were the distal IP joints of the index finger, the IP joint of the thumb, and the distal IP joints of the middle finger, in this order. The prevalence of radiographic OA in each joint group increased significantly with age, and that in Japanese women was lower in the thumb CMC joint and higher in the thumb IP joint compared to those in Caucasian women reported previously. The strongest predictor for the presence of radiographic OA in a particular joint was the disease status in the same joint of the opposite hand (OR = 18.5; 95% CI; 15.2–22.7), followed by the joints in the same row of the same hand (OR = 15.5; 95% CI, 11.9–20.1), and then by the joints in the same ray of the same hand (OR = 1.3; 95% CI, 1.0–1.6). Although the prevalence of hand OA is likely to show site-specific differences between Japanese and Caucasian women, our results indicate that both groups show similar involvement pattern symmetrically and in the same row of the same hand.     

Prevalence of vertebral fractures in women and men in the population-based Tromsø Study

Background  

Osteoporotic vertebral fractures are, as the hip fractures, associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Norway has one of the highest reported incidences of hip fractures in the world. Because of methodological challenges, vertebral fractures are not extensively studied. The aim of this population based study was to describe, for the first time, the age- and sex specific occurrence of osteoporotic vertebral fractures in Norway.     

Prevalence of hypogonadism in the aging male and male erectile dysfunction in Asia-Pacific countries

1 BackgroundHypogonadism in aging men and male sexual dysfunction are important gender-specific conditions which have significant clinical, epidemiological and socio-economic implications. Data on their respective prevalence are scarce and sporadic. Yet, it is important that such information be available, in order that healthcare, plan-     

Tender to touch–Prevalence and impact of concomitant fibromyalgia and enthesitis in spondyloarthritis: An ancillary analysis of the ASAS PerSpA study

ObjectivesThe primary objective was to evaluate the co-existence of fibromyalgia (FM) & enthesitis in individuals with spondyloarthritis (SpA). Secondary objectives were to identify clinical features associated with the presence of FM in enthesitis and analyse sex-specific differences.MethodsThis was an ancillary analysis of the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society Peripheral Involvement in SpA (PerSpA) study. Enthesitis was defined as the presence of enthesitis ever. Clinical FM was defined as the rheumatologist's confirmation of the presence of FM. A score of ≥ 5/6 on the Fibromyalgia Rapid Screening Test (FiRST) defined a positive screening test for FM.ResultsEnthesitis ever and FM (EFM) co-existed in 10.3% (n = 425) of the cohort using FiRST criteria and 5.3% using clinical diagnosis of FM. More individuals with FM by clinical diagnosis had imaging-confirmed enthesitis ever than by FiRST criteria. More females had EFM than males, defined clinically (76.9% vs 23.1%) or by FiRST criteria (62.6% vs 37.4%). Individuals with EFM had more severe disease across all measures compared to those with enthesitis only, with no significant difference between sexes. EFM was significantly associated with age, female sex, BMI, BASDAI and region.ConclusionFM is an important comorbidity in the setting of enthesitis in SpA. While EFM is more common in females, it is not a rare condition in males. EFM is associated with worse disease severity measures in SpA in both males and females. Recognition of FM in the setting of enthesitis is essential to prevent overtreatment and optimise patient outcomes.     

Presentation and Survival of Operable Esophageal Cancer in Patients 55 Years of Age and Below

Background  

The increased incidence of esophageal cancer, especially in the younger age group, should encourage early diagnosis. The perceived rarity and poor prognostic outcome of esophageal cancer in this group is based on retrospective studies. The goal of this study was to review the presentation and survival of young patients with esophageal cancer.     

Collective Trauma and Mental Health Hospitalization Rates Among Children in New York State, 1999–2013: Age,Period, and Cohort Effects

Mental health hospitalization rates among U.S. children have been increasing locally and nationally in recent decades. Children in New York State (NYS) have also witnessed several collective traumatic events during the last two decades including the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks (9/11), the Great Recession, and Hurricane Sandy (2012) and its aftermath. Decomposition of these rates into age, period, and cohort effects may help elucidate how large-scale collective traumatic events may be driving time trends. This study examined age–period–cohort effects in children and youth mental health hospitalizations in NYS from 1999–2013. Age effects followed a linear trend from age 5 years, B = −2.76, 95% CI [−3.48, −2.03)] up to age 15 years, B = 1.62, 95% CI [1.52, 1.73]. The largest period effects were noted in 2004, B = 0.36, 95% CI [0.28, 0.45], and in 2013, B = 0.31, 95% CI [0.15, 0.47], approximately 3 years after 9/11 and the Great Recession, respectively. The largest birth cohort effect was noted for children born in 1992–1995 (range: 0.29 for children born in 1992–0.27 for children born in 1995), suggesting that the birth cohorts who experienced the 9/11 attacks during middle childhood and the Great Recession during puberty are at increased risk of mental health hospitalizations compared to other birth cohorts.     

Does Perpetrating Violence Damage Mental Health? Differences Between Forcibly Recruited and Voluntary Combatants in DR Congo

As a consequence of the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), combatants are constantly involved in various forms of violence. Findings concerning the impact of perpetrating violence on mental health are contradictory, ranging from increasing to buffering the risk for mental ill health. The present study investigated the impact of perpetrating violence on mental health. In total, 204 forcibly recruited and voluntary male combatants (mean age = 24.61 years) from different armed groups in the eastern DRC took part in the study. In a semistructured interview, respondents were questioned about appetitive aggression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as self‐experienced violence and self‐perpetrated violent offending. A multivariate analysis of variance (η² = .23) revealed that voluntary combatants perpetrated more violent acts (η² = .06) and showed higher appetitive aggression η² = .03). A moderated multiple regression analysis (R² = .20) showed that perpetrating violence was positively related to PTSD in forcibly recruited combatants, but not in voluntary combatants. Thus, perpetrating violence may not necessarily qualify as a traumatic stressor. Further studies might consider assessing the combatant's perception of committing violent acts.