Association between age, gender and reasons for smoking cessation

AIMS: To contribute to improved programs for smoking cessation, the authors wanted to assess the relationships between age, gender and ex-smokers' quitting reasons and examine predictors of the most commonly reported quitting reasons. METHODS: A questionnaire was mailed to 11,919 subjects in Akershus County, Norway. Among the 7,697 respondents (65%), self-reported reasons for smoking cessation in 1,715 ex-smokers were analysed. Using cross-tables and multivariate logistic regression, associations between age, gender, and reported quitting reasons were examined. RESULTS: Men were more likely to have stopped smoking to improve physical fitness, or out of consideration for other family members than the children, and less likely to have quit out of consideration for their own children, or in solidarity with a spouse that stopped smoking. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, age was a predictor of all seven most common reasons to quit smoking. Gender, education, and the physical component of health status each predicted three of the seven quitting reasons. CONCLUSIONS: In the study sample, differences in smoking cessation behavior and reported quitting reasons were found according to both age and gender. Smoking cessation programs should be tailored to the relevant target groups, including stratification according to age and gender.     

Leukaemia-Associated Antigen (LAA) in Proliferative Blood Disorders

Serum leukaemia associated antigen (LAA) was found in 41–75% of patients with acute leukaemia or chronic myelogenous leukaemia, but in only 12% of persons suffering from chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. LAA was present in detectable amounts in 1% of healthy blood donors. Thus LAA is truly leukaemia associated rather than leukaemia specific. Occurrence of LAA in the serum of a leukaemia patient may signal a serious turn of the disease.     

Patient-reported outcomes after breast reconstruction with deep inferior epigastric perforator flaps

We assessed patient-reported outcomes in 34 women who had had their breasts reconstructed with a deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap, and compared them with those of 24 patients who were waiting for breast reconstruction. Both groups completed the Short Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire. The DIEP flap group also assessed their preoperative conditions retrospectively and completed a study-specific questionnaire. The DIEP group reported higher SF-36 mental health scores after the operation than before, but no difference on other SF-36 scales. There was no difference on any SF-36 scale between patients who had had DIEP flaps and those waiting for reconstruction. Most of the DIEP group was satisfied with their bodies, the appearance of their breasts after reconstruction, and would have chosen operation again. In conclusion, there was little improvement in generic health-related quality of life after reconstruction with a DIEP flap. However, patients’ satisfaction was high after the procedure.     

Quality of Life in Kidney Donors

Reports on quality of life of kidney donors include small populations with variable response rates. The aim was to evaluate quality of life in kidney donors in a large cross‐sectional study. Through the Norwegian Renal Registry we contacted all 1984 kidney donors in the period 1963–2007 with a response rate of 76%. All received the Short‐Form‐36 (SF ‐ 36) survey form and a questionnaire specifically designed for kidney donors. SF ‐ 36 scores for a subgroup (n = 1414) of kidney donors were not inferior to a general population sample, adjusted for age, gender and education. When asked to reconsider, a majority stated that they still would have consented to donate. Risk factors for having doubts were graft loss in the recipient (OR 3.1, p < 0.001), medical problems after donation (OR 3.7, p < 0.001), unrelated donor (OR 2.2, p = 0.01) and less than 12 years since donation (OR 1.8, p = 0.04). Older age at donation was associated with lower risk (OR 0.98, p = 0.03). Compared with other donors, those expressing doubts had inferior SF ‐ 36 scores. Norwegian kidney donors are mostly first‐degree relatives. They are fully reimbursed and offered life‐long follow‐up. All inhabitants are provided universal healthcare. This should be considered when extrapolating these results to other countries.     

Changes in cardiac structure and function from 3 to 12 months after hospitalization for COVID‐19

BackgroundCardiac function may be impaired during and early after hospitalization for COVID‐19, but little is known about the progression of cardiac dysfunction and the association with postacute COVID syndrome (PACS).MethodsIn a multicenter prospective cohort study, patients who had been hospitalized with COVID‐19 were enrolled and comprehensive echocardiography was performed 3 and 12 months after discharge. Twenty‐four‐hour electrocardiogram (ECG) was performed at 3 and 12 months in patients with arrhythmias at 3 months.ResultsIn total, 182 participants attended the 3 and 12 months visits (age 58 ± 14 years, 59% male, body mass index 28.2 ± 4.2 kg/m²). Of these, 35 (20%) had severe COVID‐19 (treatment in the intensive care unit) and 74 (52%) had self‐reported dyspnea at 3 months. From 3 to 12 months there were no significant overall changes in any measures of left or right ventricle (LV; RV) structure and function (p > .05 for all), including RV strain (from 26.2 ± 3.9% to 26.5 ± 3.1%, p = .29) and LV global longitudinal strain (from 19.2 ± 2.3% to 19.3 ± 2.3%, p = .64). Changes in echocardiographic parameters from 3 to 12 months did not differ by COVID‐19 severity or by the presence of persistent dyspnea (p > .05 for all). Among patients with arrhythmia at 3 months, there was no significant change in arrhythmia burden to 12 months.ConclusionFollowing COVID‐19, cardiac structure and function remained unchanged from 3 to 12 months after the index hospitalization, irrespective of COVID‐19 severity and presence of persistent dyspnea. These results suggest that progression of cardiac dysfunction after COVID‐19 is rare and unlikely to play an important role in PACS.