epidemiology

Allergic rhinitis

Allergic rhinitis (AR) was long considered a quite trivial disease, but the advance in epidemiological and clinical knowledge, with a major role for Allergic rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) initiative, substantially changed the scene. Now we know that AR has significant effects on patients’ quality of life and also has a relevant economic burden. The ARIA phenotypes related to the duration of symptoms and to the severity of AR are very useful in establishing the optimal strategy in each patient with AR, also according to the kind of allergens that cause rhinitis.

COVID-19. Pandemic surgery guidance

Abstract – Based on high quality surgery and scientific data, scientists and surgeons are committed to protecting patients as well as healthcare staff and hereby provide this Guidance to address the special issues circumstances related to the exponential spread of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during this
pandemic. As a basis, the authors used the British Intercollegiate General Surgery Guidance as well as recommendations from the USA, Asia, and Italy. The aim is to take responsibility and to provide guidance for surgery

Healthcare-associated infections due to multidrug-resistant organisms: a surveillance study on extra hospital stay and direct costs

BACKGROUND: The increasing antimicrobial resistance poses a challenge for surveillance systems and raises concerns about the impact of multidrug-resistant organisms on patient safety. OBJECTIVE: To estimate extra hospital stay and economic burden of infections due to alert organisms - mostly multidrug-resistant - in a teaching hospital. METHODS: The present retrospective matched cohort study was conducted through the analysis of hospital admissions at Sant'Andrea Teaching Hospital in Rome from April to December 2015.

The relationship between method of anastomosis and anastomotic failure after right hemicolectomy and ileo-caecal resection: an international snapshot audit

Anastomosis technique following right sided colonic resection is widely variable and may affect patient outcomes. This study aimed to assess the association between leak and anastomosis technique (stapled versus handsewn) METHODS: This was a prospective, multicentre, international audit including patients undergoing elective or emergency right hemicolectomy or ileo-caecal resection operations over a two-month period in early 2015. The primary outcome measure was the presence of anastomotic leak within 30 days of surgery, using a pre-specified definition.

Parkinson's disease among migrants in Europe: estimating the magnitude of an emerging phenomenon

INTRODUCTION:
The occurrence of age-related pathological conditions among subjects with a migration background and composing ethnic minorities is an emerging challenge for Western countries. Specifically, the onset of neurodegenerative diseases in these populations of individuals might assume special relevance and generate additional complexities for our healthcare systems. The aim of the present study was to estimate the number of Parkinson's disease (PD) cases in migrant subjects living in Europe.
METHODS:

Global and regional burden of cancer in 2016 arising from occupational exposure to selected carcinogens: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016

OBJECTIVES: This study provides a detailed analysis of the global and regional burden of cancer due to occupational carcinogens from the Global Burden of Disease 2016 study. METHODS: The burden of cancer due to 14 International Agency for Research on Cancer Group 1 occupational carcinogens was estimated using the population attributable fraction, based on past population exposure prevalence and relative risks from the literature. The results were used to calculate attributable deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs).

Association of cerebrospinal fluid α-synuclein with total and phospho-tau181 protein concentrations and brain amyloid load in cognitively normal subjective memory complainers stratified by Alzheimer's disease biomarkers

Introduction: Several neurodegenerative brain proteinopathies, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), are associated with cerebral deposition of insoluble aggregates of α-synuclein. Previous studies reported a trend toward increased cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) α-synuclein (α-syn) concentrations in AD compared with other neurodegenerative diseases and healthy controls. Methods: The pathophysiological role of CSF α-syn in asymptomatic subjects at risk of AD has not been explored.

Sex differences in functional and molecular neuroimaging biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease in cognitively normal older adults with subjective memory complaints

Introduction: Observational multimodal neuroimaging studies indicate sex differences in Alzheimer's disease pathophysiological markers. Methods: Positron emission tomography brain amyloid load, neurodegeneration (hippocampus and basal forebrain volumes adjusted to total intracranial volume, cortical thickness, and 2-deoxy-2-[fluorine-18]fluoro-D-glucose–positron emission tomography metabolism), and brain resting-state functional connectivity were analyzed in 318 cognitively intact older adults from the INSIGHT-preAD cohort (female n = 201, male n = 117).

Use of nonintrusive sensor-based information and communication technology for real-world evidence for clinical trials in dementia

Cognitive function is an important end point of treatments in dementia clinical trials. Measuring cognitive function by standardized tests, however, is biased toward highly constrained environments (such as hospitals) in selected samples. Patient-powered real-world evidence using information and communication technology devices, including environmental and wearable sensors, may help to overcome these limitations.

Perspectives on ethnic and racial disparities in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias: update and areas of immediate need

Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRDs) are a global crisis facing the aging population and society as a whole. With the numbers of people with ADRDs predicted to rise dramatically across the world, the scientific community can no longer neglect the need for research focusing on ADRDs among underrepresented ethnoracial diverse groups. The Alzheimer's Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer's Research and Treatment (ISTAART; alz.org/ISTAART) comprises a number of professional interest areas (PIAs), each focusing on a major scientific area associated with ADRDs.

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