Nevin Manimala

BMC Public Health. 2022 May 6;22(1):908. doi: 10.1186/s12889-022-13233-6.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Advertising alcoholic drinks and food high in fat, sugar, and salt (HFSS) is a driver of alcohol use and HFSS consumption, among children and young people. Whilst advertising legislation and broadcasting regulation protect children from alcohol and HFSS imagery, the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which attracted a global audience, was sponsored and partnered by alcohol and HFSS brands. This study investigated the exposure of viewers to HFSS and alcohol imagery in a selection of group matches, and the final match, of the FIFA 2018 World Cup.

METHODS: The frequency and duration of appearances (to the nearest second) of branding from two sponsors (McDonald’s and Budweiser), one official partner (Coca-Cola) and the official sports drink (Powerade) were recorded during all active play in live coverage of a sample of 13 matches (Six in Group A, which included the host nation, Russia, which has stringent alcohol promotion regulations in place; six in Group G, which featured England; and the final) broadcast in the UK. We used census and viewing data to calculate gross and per capita impressions generated by this imagery in the UK population.

RESULTS: The 13 matches included 1262 min of active play and a total of 1806 appearances of alcohol and HFSS food advertisements, delivering approximately 7.5 billion branded HFSS impressions, including 759 million to children (age < 16 years), and 3.3 billion alcohol impressions, including 385 million to children, in the UK. Appearances of HFSS and alcohol brands were not statistically different between the games in either group.

CONCLUSION: UK advertising legislation and broadcasting regulations intended to prevent exposure to alcohol and HFSS imagery and advertising in UK television was circumvented completely by sponsorship arrangements in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Preventing this exposure therefore requires revision of existing advertising and broadcasting controls to include sponsorship.

PMID:35524237 | DOI:10.1186/s12889-022-13233-6

BMC Public Health. 2022 May 6;22(1):902. doi: 10.1186/s12889-022-13304-8.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: National mortality statistics are only based on the underlying cause of death, which may considerably underestimate the effects of some chronic conditions.

METHODS: The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for diabetes (a common precursor to multimorbidity), dementia (a potential accelerant of death) and cancer (expected to be well-recorded) were calculated from death certificates for 9 056 women from the 1921-26 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health. Log binomial regression models were fitted to examine factors associated with the sensitivity of death certificates with these conditions as underlying or contributing causes of death.

RESULTS: Among women who had a record of each of these conditions in their lifetime, the sensitivity was 12.3% (95% confidence interval, 11.0%, 13.7%), 25.2% (23.7%, 26.7%) and 57.7% (55.9%, 59.5%) for diabetes, dementia and cancer, respectively, as the underlying cause of death, and 40.9% (38.8%, 42.9%), 52.3% (50.6%, 54.0%) and 67.1% (65.4%, 68.7%), respectively, if contributing causes of death were also taken into account. In all cases specificity (> 97%) and positive predictive value (> 91%) were high, and negative predictive value ranged from 69.6% to 84.6%. Sensitivity varied with age (in different directions for different conditions) but not consistently with the other sociodemographic factors.

CONCLUSIONS: Death rates associated with common conditions that occur in multimorbidity clusters in the elderly are underestimated in national mortality statistics, but would be improved if the multiple causes of death listed on a death certificate were taken into account in the statistics.

PMID:35524227 | DOI:10.1186/s12889-022-13304-8

BMC Oral Health. 2022 May 6;22(1):156. doi: 10.1186/s12903-022-02196-0.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the impact of combined defects, bony destruction and furcation involvement, on disease resolution after surgery in terms of pocket elimination, absence of inflammation, furcation improvement and predictive performance.

METHODS: Combined bony (intrabony (+) or (-)) and furcation defects (FI degree 1 or 2) at maxillary molars in patients diagnosed as periodontitis stage III to IV, being through periodontal surgery and at least 6 months follow-up were retrospectively screened. Cumulative predictability (CR, %), failure of treatment and the change of clinical parameters from baseline at pre-operative visit to the latest maintenance care, including pocket depth (PD), horizontal and vertical furcation involvement (FI) were analyzed. Failure of treatment with low predictability was defined as residual PD > 4 mm with bleeding on probing during maintenance period.

RESULTS: Thirty-three patients with fifty-one combined defects were included. Statistical analysis showed significant overall PD reduction and FI improvement (p < 0.001). Combined FI degree 2 with intrabony (+) defects revealed more horizontal furcation improvement compared with FI degree 2 with suprabony defect (p = 0.007). However, type of combined defects was not relevant to CR (p = 0.702) and PD reduction (p = 0.707). Among all parameters, baseline PD with proximal FI degree 2 was indicated to failure of treatment.

CONCLUSIONS: Different types of combined defects, deep baseline pocket and proximal FI degree 2 would compromise the predictability of treatment outcomes in upper molars. Nevertheless, the combination of surgical treatment and strict maintenance care could still yield high predictability and survival rate.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: retrospectively registered.

PMID:35524218 | DOI:10.1186/s12903-022-02196-0

BMC Cancer. 2022 May 6;22(1):507. doi: 10.1186/s12885-022-09484-6.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The MyPeBS study is an ongoing randomised controlled trial testing whether a risk-stratified breast cancer screening strategy is non-inferior, or eventually superior, to standard age-based screening at reducing incidence of stage 2 or more cancers. This large European Commission-funded initiative aims to include 85,000 women aged 40 to 70 years, without prior breast cancer and not previously identified at high risk in six countries (Belgium, France, Italy, Israel, Spain, UK). A specific work package within MyPeBS examines psychological, socio-economic and ethical aspects of this new screening strategy. It compares women’s reported data and outcomes in both trial arms on the following issues: general anxiety, cancer-related worry, understanding of breast cancer screening strategy and information-seeking behaviour, socio-demographic and economic characteristics, quality of life, risk perception, intention to change health-related behaviours, satisfaction with the trial.

METHODS: At inclusion, 3-months, 1-year and 4-years, each woman participating in MyPeBS is asked to fill online questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses, subgroup comparisons and analysis of variations over time will be performed with appropriate tests to assess differences between arms. Multivariate regression models will allow modelling of different patient reported data and outcomes such as comprehension of the information provided, general anxiety or cancer worry, and information seeking behaviour. In addition, a qualitative study (48 semi-structured interviews conducted in France and in the UK with women randomised in the risk-stratified arm), will help further understand participants’ acceptability and comprehension of the trial, and their experience of risk assessment.

DISCUSSION: Beyond the scientific and medical objectives of this clinical study, it is critical to acknowledge the consequences of such a paradigm shift for women. Indeed, introducing a risk-based screening relying on individual biological differences also implies addressing non-biological differences (e.g. social status or health literacy) from an ethical perspective, to ensure equal access to healthcare. The results of the present study will facilitate making recommendations on implementation at the end of the trial to accompany any potential change in screening strategy.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: Study sponsor: UNICANCER. My personalised breast screening (MyPeBS).

CLINICALTRIALS: gov (2018) available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03672331 Contact: Cécile VISSAC SABATIER, PhD, + 33 (0)1 73 79 77 58 ext + 330,142,114,293, contact@mypebs.eu.

PMID:35524202 | DOI:10.1186/s12885-022-09484-6

J Neurodev Disord. 2022 May 6;14(1):30. doi: 10.1186/s11689-022-09440-2.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most prevalent childhood neurodevelopmental disorder. It shares some genetic risk with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and the conditions often occur together. Both are potentially associated with abnormal glutamate and GABA neurotransmission, which can be modelled by measuring the synaptic activity in the retina with an electroretinogram (ERG). Reduction of retinal responses in ASD has been reported, but little is known about retinal activity in ADHD. In this study, we compared the light-adapted ERGs of individuals with ADHD, ASD and controls to investigate whether retinal responses differ between these neurodevelopmental conditions.

METHODS: Full field light-adapted ERGs were recorded from 15 ADHD, 57 ASD (without ADHD) and 59 control participants, aged from 5.4 to 27.3 years old. A Troland protocol was used with a random series of nine flash strengths from -0.367 to 1.204 log photopic cd.s.m^-2. The time-to-peak and amplitude of the a- and b-waves and the parameters of the Photopic Negative Response (PhNR) were compared amongst the three groups of participants, using generalised estimating equations.

RESULTS: Statistically significant elevations of the ERG b-wave amplitudes, PhNR responses and faster timings of the b-wave time-to-peak were found in those with ADHD compared with both the control and ASD groups. The greatest elevation in the b-wave amplitudes associated with ADHD were observed at 1.204 log phot cd.s.m^-2 flash strength (p < .0001), at which the b-wave amplitude in ASD was significantly lower than that in the controls. Using this measure, ADHD could be distinguished from ASD with an area under the curve of 0.88.

CONCLUSIONS: The ERG b-wave amplitude appears to be a distinctive differential feature for both ADHD and ASD, which produced a reversed pattern of b-wave responses. These findings imply imbalances between glutamate and GABA neurotransmission which primarily regulate the b-wave formation. Abnormalities in the b-wave amplitude could provisionally serve as a biomarker for both neurodevelopmental conditions.

PMID:35524181 | DOI:10.1186/s11689-022-09440-2

Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2022 May 6. doi: 10.1007/s00420-022-01870-8. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Acute poisonings of workers handling shipping containers by fumigants and other harmful chemicals off-gassed from cargo have been reported but (sub)-chronic neuropsychological effects have not been well studied.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study assessed, using standardised questionnaires, current (past 3-months) neuropsychological symptoms in 274 container handlers, 38 retail workers, 35 fumigators, and 18 log workers, all potentially exposed to fumigants and off-gassed chemicals, and a reference group of 206 construction workers. Prevalence odds ratios (OR), adjusted for age, ethnicity, smoking, alcohol consumption, education, personality traits and BMI, were calculated to assess associations with the total number of symptoms (≥ 3, ≥ 5 or ≥ 10) and specific symptom domains (neurological, psychosomatic, mood, memory/concentration, fatigue, and sleep).

RESULTS: Compared to the reference group, exposed workers were more likely to report ≥ 10 symptoms, statistically significant only for retail workers (OR 6.8, 95% CI 1.9-24.3) who also reported more fatigue (OR 10.7, 95% CI 2.7-42.7). Container handlers with the highest exposure-duration were more likely to report ≥ 10 symptoms, both when compared with reference workers (OR 4.0, 95% CI 1.4-11.7) and with container handlers with shorter exposure duration (OR 7.5, 95% CI 1.7-32.8). The duration of container handling was particularly associated with symptoms in the memory/concentration domain, again both when compared to reference workers (OR 8.8, 95% CI 2.5-31.4) and workers with the lowest exposure-duration (OR 6.8, 95% CI 1.5-30.3).

CONCLUSION: Container handlers may have an increased risk of neuropsychological symptoms, especially in the memory/concentration domain. Retail workers may also be at risk, but this requires confirmation in a larger study.

PMID:35524148 | DOI:10.1007/s00420-022-01870-8

Support Care Cancer. 2022 May 6. doi: 10.1007/s00520-022-07109-z. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: This systematic review aimed to analyze the use of telehealth in monitoring patients with head and neck cancer regarding the application used, user adherence to technology, user satisfaction, and user quality of life.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A search strategy was developed using the PICO acronym and the terms “Head and Neck Cancer,” “Telehealth,” “Mobile Application,” and “Supportive Care.” A broad literature search was performed on PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, Lilacs, and Embase databases and on grey literature through Open Grey, Google Scholar, and Jstor, for studies comparing the monitoring of head and neck cancer patients with telehealth apps to the monitoring performed in a traditional way at health units. No study design, publication status, publication time, or language restrictions were applied. Pairs of reviewers worked independently for study selection and risk of bias assessment. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO and the PRISMA checklist used for reporting the review.

RESULTS: We found 393 references in the databases, 325 after duplicate removal; 19 met the criteria for full-text reading; 08 studies were included for qualitative synthesis. Although there was heterogeneity regarding the technology used, the studies included showed that remote monitoring and/or self-management of symptoms through mobile applications was feasible for most patients, with satisfactory degrees of acceptability, satisfaction, usability, and adherence. The health-related quality of life improved with the use of remote technologies for telehealth, associated with low to moderate self-efficacy, higher personal control, and higher knowledge of health with clinically acceptable levels of accuracy compared to traditional clinical evaluation. Even when the data presented were not statistically significant, patients reported improvement in health-related quality of life after the intervention.

CONCLUSIONS: Telehealth monitoring through the use of remote technologies presents itself as an alternative way of educating and supporting patients during the treatment of Head and Neck Cancer (HNC). There is the need for a more user-friendly interface, adequate user experience assessment, and the concrete applicability of telehealth technologies for monitoring patients with HNC in order to legitimize the cost-effectiveness of developing long-term multicenter longitudinal studies term.

PMID:35524146 | DOI:10.1007/s00520-022-07109-z

Food Funct. 2022 May 6. doi: 10.1039/d1fo03795a. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Evidence suggests a role of serum cholesterol in prostate cancer (PCa) development and of lipid lowering medications in PCa risk reduction. We developed a score for adherence to an established cholesterol-lowering diet and evaluated its association with PCa risk in a multicentric hospital-based case-control study (1294 cases; 1451 matched controls) in Italy (1992-2001). The score was derived from seven dietary indicators which have been reported to lower cholesterol levels: high intake of non-cellulosic polysaccharides (viscous fibres), monounsaturated fatty acids, legumes, seeds/corn oil; low intake of saturated fatty acids, dietary cholesterol, and glycaemic index. Odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated through the unconditional logistic regression model. Although most of the dietary indicators alone were not significantly associated with reduced PCa risk, men who fulfilled 5 to 7 dietary indicators (187 cases and 281 controls) showed a 43% reduction in PCa risk compared to those with 0 to 2 indicators (OR: 0.57; 95% CI: 0.43-0.77). This association was not modified by socio-demographic characteristics or lifestyle factors. In conclusion, adherence to a cholesterol-lowering diet is a favourable factor against the risk of PCa, providing support to dietary guidelines that promote cholesterol reduction through plant-based diets.

PMID:35522943 | DOI:10.1039/d1fo03795a

Wiad Lek. 2022;75(3):735-741.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The aim: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system (CNS) characterized by inflammation and demyelination, which leads to chronic progressive disability. Fingolimod is the first registered oral disease-modifying drug (DMD) approved for the treatment of highly active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Fingolimod statistically significantly reduced the number of relapses, clinical and radiological disease activity and disability progression. However, fingolimod can be associated with an increased risk of cancer. This study is aimed to underline how important is regular specialist follow-up during fingolimod therapy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and methods: The literature review was conducted using the key words: “fingolimod”, “multiple sclerosis”, “fingolimod and cancer”, “relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis”, “fingolimod adverse effects”, “basal cell carcinoma fingolimod”, “squamous cell carcinoma fingolimod”. The study is based on the case report of a 67-year-old male patient with metachronous skin cancer treated with fingolimod. The drug had an influence on the inhibition of clinical and radiological activity of the disease. Despite the control of the underlying disease, skin cancers occurred during treatment. Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma were diagnosed at an early stage when complete resection was possible and negative (R0) margin resection was achieved.

CONCLUSION: Conclusions: Dermatological examination should be performed at the beginning and during treatment with fingolimod. Patients need to be informed about the risk of malignancy. Patient education are crucial during treatment, which allows achieving a good therapeutic effect, thus minimizing the risk of malignancy and enabling its early detection and cure.

PMID:35522887

Wiad Lek. 2022;75(3):670-677.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The aim: To analyse the structure of sensory impairments, associated with COVID-19. To identify terms of recovery periods depending on severity of disease, age and gender of the patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and methods: Within two weeks, 2225 patients with confirmed COVID-19 completed a questionnaire, created by Google Forms. General complaints, peculiarities of sensory impairments and recovery time were specified. After exclusion criteria application, data of 2108 patients were analyzed by R Statistics Package, Student’s t-test, Wilcoxon rank-sum test, Fisher’s exact test, Spearman’s rank test.

RESULTS: Results: Among patients enrolled (973 males and 1135 females, mean age 28.6±0.18) the most frequent were olfactory (91.32%) and gustatory (66.03%) dysfunctions. Olfactory manifestations were usually accompanied by gustatory disorders (73.72%). Average duration of olfactory dysfunction was 15.46±0.45 days, gustatory – 11.3±0.33, hearing – 4.3±0.16, and visual – 6.53±0.23 days. It was found a correlation between duration of olfactory and gustatory impairments (r=0.65; p < 0.001), hearing and visual disorders (r=0.49; p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: Conclusions: Olfactory and gustatory disorders are prevalent symptoms in Ukrainian population. 7.87% of respondents who had impairment of all four sensory functions had the longest recovery time. Duration of sensory impairments did not depend on age, type of treatment and severity of disease, which rises the question about the neurogenic pathway of virus.

PMID:35522877