Search results for "EPIDEMICS"
showing 10 items of 44 documents
Obesity and diabetes-Not only a simple link between two epidemics
2018
Summary Diabetes (DM) as well as obesity, due to their increasing incidence, were recognized as epidemic by the World Health Organization. Obesity is involved not only in the aetiopathogenesis of the most common worldwide type of DM—type 2 diabetes—but also in the development of its complications. There is also increasing scientific evidence regarding the role of obesity and overweight in type 1 diabetes. Weight gain may be considered as a complication of insulin treatment but also reveals significant pathophysiological impact on various stages of the disease. Another very important aspect related to DM as well as obesity is the microbiome, which is highly variable. The function of the gut …
Temporal association between the influenza virus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV): RSV as a predictor of seasonal influenza.
2016
SUMMARYEpidemiologists agree that there is a prevailing seasonality in the presentation of epidemic waves of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections and influenza. The aim of this study is to quantify the potential relationship between the activity of RSV, with respect to the influenza virus, in order to use the RSV seasonal curve as a predictor of the evolution of an influenza virus epidemic wave. Two statistical tools, logistic regression and time series, are used for predicting the evolution of influenza. Both logistic models and time series of influenza consider RSV information from previous weeks. Data consist of influenza and confirmed RSV cases reported in Comunitat Valenciana (…
No uniform associations between parasite prevalence and environmental nutrients
2014
The resource quality of the host has been shown to affect parasite transmission success, prevalence, and virulence. Seasonal availability of environmental nutrients alters density and stoichiometric quality (carbon–nutrient ratios) of both producers and consumers, suggesting that nutrient availability may drive fluctuations in parasite prevalence patterns observed in nature. We examined the interactions between the population dynamics of a keystone herbivore, Daphnia, and its parasites, and their associations with water nutrient concentrations, resource quantity and quality, and other environmental variables (temperature, pH, oxygen concentration) in a small lake, using general linear model…
Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis: the therapeutic challenge of a global epidemic.
2011
Nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) and especially its inflammatory variant nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) have become a major challenge to healthcare systems worldwide because of the increasing prevalence of its major risk factors obesity and type 2 diabetes, which are closely linked to overeating, physical inactivity, and the metabolic syndrome.Between 10 and 20% of patients with NAFL develop NASH, which can progress to cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The overall mortality in these patients is significantly increased because of both cardiovascular and liver-related complications. Sustained weight loss by diet and exercise, which is the most effective the…
Global epidemiology of atrial fibrillation: An increasing epidemic and public health challenge.
2020
Background Atrial fibrillation is the most frequent cardiac arrhythmia. It has been estimated that 6–12 million people worldwide will suffer this condition in the US by 2050 and 17.9 million people in Europe by 2060. Atrial fibrillation is a major risk factor for ischemic stroke and provokes important economic burden along with significant morbidity and mortality. Aim We provide here comprehensive and updated statistics on worldwide epidemiology of atrial fibrillation. Methods An electronic search was conducted for atrial fibrillation. The epidemiologic information was retrieved from the Global Health Data Exchange database, which is regarded as one of the most comprehensive worldwide catal…
Increased Vaccination Coverage among Adolescents and Young Adults in the District of Palermo as a Result of a Public Health Strategy to Counteract an…
2018
During the summer of 2016 four cases of invasive meningococcal disease in rapid succession among young adults in the district of Palermo, Italy, resulting in one death, were widely reported by local and national mass media. The resultant ‘epidemic panic’ among the general population overloaded the vaccination units of the Palermo district over the following months. Strategies implemented by the Sicilian and local public health authorities to counteract ‘meningitis fear’ included the following: (a) extension of active and free-of-charge anti-meningococcal tetravalent vaccination from age class 12–18 to 12–30 years old; (b) implementation of vaccination units during normal clinic hours in roo…
The risk of suicide in healthcare workers in nursing home: An exploratory analysis during COVID-19 epidemic.
2021
In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID‐19) outbreak as global pandemic. Nursing homes were particularly struck by the COVID‐19 outbreak, with some authors considering the COVID‐19 pandemic as the “ground zero” for these structures.
Can eastern wisdom resolve western epidemics? Traditional Chinese medicine therapies and the opioid crisis.
2020
The widespread use of opioids to treat chronic pain led to a nation-wide crisis in the United States. Tens of thousands of deaths annually occur mainly due to respiratory depression, the most dangerous side effect of opioids. Non-opioid drugs and non-pharmacological treatments without addictive potential are urgently required. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is based on a completely different medical theory than academic Western medicine. The scientific basis of acupuncture and herbal treatments as main TCM practices has been considerably improved during the past two decades, and large meta-analyses with thousands of patients provide evidence for their efficacy. Furthermore, opinion lead…
Drivers of Spruce Bark Beetle (Ips typographus) Infestations on Downed Trees after Severe Windthrow
2020
Research Highlights: Bark beetles are important agents of disturbance regimes in temperate forests, and specifically in a connected wind-bark beetle disturbance system. Large-scale windthrows trigger population growth of the European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus L.) from endemic to epidemic levels, thereby allowing the killing of Norway spruce trees over several consecutive years. Background and Objectives: There is a lack of evidence to differentiate how outbreaks are promoted by the effects of environmental variables versus beetle preferences of trees from endemic to outbreak. However, little is known about how individual downed-tree characteristics and local conditions such as tre…
Percepciones y creencias al uso de película comercial tipo epidemia/pandemia en el aula: Insumos para orientar el aprendizaje
2020
Objetivo: Valorar el uso de la película comercial ('Contagion') como estrategia para la enseñanza del método epidemiológico aplicado al campo de epidemias/pandemias. Materiales y métodos: se trata de un proyecto de aula que involucró diversas tecnologías emergentes y de comunicación para disponer de herramientas atractivas y pedagógicas que favorezcan aprendizaje significativo para abordaje de temáticas complejas. La actuación pedagógica involucró diversos insumos: Inicialmente se presenta la caracterización de un cuestionario 'ah doc.' que valoró creencias y percepciones ante una epidemia/pandemia y como visibilizaban entes de salud local e internacional, los científicos, la comunidad y el…