Dengue incidence higher in Cambodia than previously reported

A large-scale active surveillance study for dengue fever in Cambodia found a higher disease incidence than reported to the national surveillance system, particularly in preschool children and that disease incidence was high in both rural and urban areas. It also confirmed the previously observed focal nature of dengue virus transmission.

Source:
1. Vong S, Khieu V, Glass O, et al. Dengue incidence in urban and rural Cambodia: results from population-based active fever surveillance, 2006-2008. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases 2010; 4(11): e903. (open access)

Overweight children have higher heart disease risk as teens

Childhood Obesity Linked to Teen Heart Disease

It is well known that childhood or teen obesity are linked to a greater risk of heart disease later in life; however, a new study shows that children who have a high body mass index (BMI) are more likely to have high blood pressure, cholesterol and blood insulin levels (all risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease) by the time they reach adolescence. The study was published online on 25 November 2010 in the British Medical Journal.

Reassuringly, the authors of the study say, children with a high BMI who shed the weight by the time they become teenagers have better heart disease risk profiles than those who remain overweight.

“Our findings highlight the need to shift the whole childhood population distribution of adiposity downwards and to develop interventions that safely and effectively reduce weight and improve cardiovascular risk factors in overweight/obese children,” the authors conclude.

Read more at Suite101.

Source:
1. Lawlor DA, Benfield L, Logue J, et al. Association between general and central adiposity in childhood, and change in these, with cardiovascular risk factors in adolescence: prospective cohort study. BMJ 2010; 341: c6224. (open access)

Binge drinking may lead to higher risk of heart disease

Binge Drinker

New finding show that Northern Ireland’s binge drinking culture could be behind the country’s high rates of heart disease, according to a study which compared drinking patterns of middle-aged men in France and Northern Ireland.

The study found that the volume of alcohol consumed over a week in both countries is almost identical. However, in Northern Ireland alcohol tends to be drunk over one or two days rather than regularly throughout the week as in France. The research also found that the average amount of alcohol consumed in Northern Ireland over the weekend is around 2-3 times higher than in France.

Men who binge drink had nearly twice the risk of heart attack or death from heart disease compared to regular drinkers over the 10 years of follow up.

Another reason for the higher risk of heart disease in Northern Ireland could be that more people tend to drink beer and spirits than wine. In France, wine is the main alcoholic drink of choice and established research has concluded that drinking a moderate about of wine can protect against heart disease.

The study defined binge drinking as excessive alcohol consumption (over 50g) drunk over a short period of time, for example on one day during the weekend (50g of alcohol equates to 4-5 drinks, and a drink to 125ml of wine or a half pint of beer).

Source:
1. Ruidavets J-B, Ducimetière P, Evans A. Patterns of alcohol consumption and ischaemic heart disease in culturally divergent countries: the Prospective Epidemiological Study of Myocardial Infarction (PRIME). BMJ 2010; 341: c6077. (open access)

Chile’s partial smoking ban ineffective at reducing passive smoke

Complete Smoking Bans Reduce Secondhand Smoke

Chile enacted national legislation restricting smoking in public places and workplaces in 2007. But research indicates that the country’s smoking ban provides no protection from secondhand smoke exposure to employees and customers in bars and restaurants because the law is not comprehensive. The partial smoking ban allows bars and restaurants to decide whether or not they will be smoke-free or to designate smoking and non-smoking areas.

There is urgent need to replace the current legislation with a comprehensive anti-smoking law that fully protects all people and workers from exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in public places, according to a study that compared levels of secondhand smoke exposure in bars and restaurants in Santiago, Chile, before and after the implementation of the 2007 smoking ban. The study appears in the December 2010 issue of the journal Tobacco Control.

“Comprehensive smoke-free legislation is the best policy and the international standard to eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke in indoor public places and workplaces,” the study said.

Read more at Suite101.

Source:
1. Erazo M, Iglesias V, Droppelmann A, et al. Secondhand tobacco smoke in bars and restaurants in Santiago, Chile: evaluation of partial smoking ban legislation in public places. Tobacco Control 2010; 19: 469-474. (open access)

The impact of bans on smoking and cigarette ads in Albania

Despite the adoption of strong anti-smoking policies and restrictions on cigarette adverting in 2007, the smoking rate in Albania has risen. The increase in cigarette smoking has been driven by higher smoking rates among women and young adults.

Albania’s anti-smoking laws have, however, contributed to reductions in exposure to secondhand smoke and tobacco advertising.

“The impacts of smoke-free policies and an advertising ban have been limited due to lack of enforcement and failure to adopt a comprehensive set of tobacco control measures,” said the researchers of a study that appears in the December 2010 issue of the journal Tobacco Control.

Read more at Suite101.

Source:
1. Zaloshnja E, Ross H, Levy DT. The impact of tobacco control policies in Albania. Tobacco Control 2010; 19: 463-468. (open access)

Putting public health in the climate change agenda

Carbon Emissions Affect Health

 

The Lancet, British Medical Journal and Finnish Medical Journal have come together to urge health professionals around the world to put health at the heart of climate change negotiations.

An editorial, published simultaneously in all three medical journals on 18 November 2010, warns that failure to agree on radical reductions in emissions spells a global health catastrophe. Written by Ian Roberts and Robin Stott on behalf of the Climate and Health Council, the editorial is a call to action for health professionals across the world to help tackle the health effects of climate change.

“Responding to climate change could be the most important challenge that health professionals face,” the authors say. “We invite colleagues everywhere to join us in tackling this major public health scourge of the 21st century.”

Read more at Suite101.com.

Source:
1. Roberts I, Stott R. Doctors and climate change. Lancet, published online 18 Nov 2010. (open access; free registration required)

Global Tuberculosis Control Report 2010

The World Health Organization’s Global Tuberculosis Control Report 2010 demonstrates the progress being made in combating the tuberculosis epidemic, including a 35 percent decline in tuberculosis-related deaths since 1990.

The report, released on 11 November 2010, contains the very latest data on this contagious and airborne disease affecting mostly young adults in their most productive years. For the first time, this annual report also includes online profiles from 212 countries and territories.

“The findings in the Global Tuberculosis Control 2010 publication confirm that when WHO’s best practices are put in place, and with the right amount of funding and commitments from governments, we can turn the tide on the TB epidemic,” said Dr. Mario Raviglione, Director of the WHO Stop TB Department.

Read more at Suite101.com. 

Source:
1. World Health Organization. Global Tuberculosis Control Report 2010. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO, 2010. (free access)

Best practices in dengue fever surveillance

Dengue Mosquito

A meeting organized by the Pediatric Dengue Vaccine Initiative brought together dengue fever experts from 22 endemic countries in Asia-Pacific and the Americas to identify best practices in dengue surveillance.

Through presentations, facilitated discussions and surveys, the experts identified the following recommendations for achieving the best possible data from dengue surveillance:

1. Every dengue endemic country should make reporting of dengue cases to the government mandatory.
2. Electronic reporting systems should be developed and used.
3. At minimum dengue surveillance data should include incidence, hospitalization rates and deaths by age group.
4. Additional studies should be completed to check the sensitivity of the system.
5. Laboratories should share expertise and data.
6. Tests that identify the dengue virus should be used in patients with fever for four days or less and antibody tests should be used after day 4 to diagnose dengue.
7. Early detection and prediction of dengue outbreaks should be goals for national surveillance systems.

Dengue fever is a virus infection that is spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito and can cause severe disease especially in children. It is a major problem in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. Dengue fever produces a spectrum of clinical illness that ranges from an influenza-like illness to a fatal shock syndrome. Most patients that progress to shock first develop a more severe form of infection called dengue hemorrhagic fever.

It is estimated that 3.6 billion people in 124 countries are at-risk for infection and 500 million people are infected each year. Over two million cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever occur annually, and approximately 21,000 deaths are likely attributable to dengue.

Source:
1. Beatty ME, Stone A, Fitzsimons DW, et al. Best practices in dengue surveillance: a report from the Asia-Pacific and
Americas Dengue Prevention Boards. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases 2010; 4(11): e890. (open access)

PLoS Medicine: Water and Sanitation

Unsafe Drinking Water

 

PLoS Medicine has published a four-part series on water and sanitation.

 The first article argues that the massive burden of ill health associated with poor hygiene, sanitation and water supply demands more attention from health professionals and policy makers.

The second article focuses on water supply and argues that much more effort is needed to improve access to safe and sustainable water supplies.

The third article discusses the importance of improved sanitation to health and the role that the health sector can play in its advocacy.

The fourth article outlines what needs to be done to make significant progress in providing more and better hygiene, sanitation and water for all.

Source:
PLoS Medicine: Water and Sanitation

BMI and risk of death among Chinese Singaporeans

Researchers in Singapore conducted a study to determine the optimal body mass index (BMI) range in relation to risk of death among Asians. The 51,250 study participants were middle-aged or older (age 45-74 years) men and women of Chinese decent living in Singapore.

The risk of death was higher among those who were either underweight (BMI of 18.5 or under) or obese (BMI of 27.5 or above). Regardless of age or BMI, smoking considerably increased the rate of mortality and modified the association between BMI and death. The most favorable range of BMI for mortality rates and risk in non-smoking persons younger than age 65 years was 18.5–21.4, and for non-smoking persons age 65 and older was 21.5–24.4.

“Our findings contribute to the science behind public health considerations on the appropriate and optimal range of relative weight in some Asian populations where a higher proportion of BMI values fall in a lower range compared to Western populations,” the study concluded.

Source:
1. Odegaard AO, Pereira MA, Koh W-P, et al. BMI, all-cause and cause-specific mortality in Chinese Singaporean men and women: the Singapore Chinese Health Study. PLoS ONE 5(11): e14000. (open access)