PLoS medicine
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Alexander Giaquinto and co-authors discuss the East African Community's Medicines Regulatory Harmonization initiative.
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The impacts of air pollution on circulatory and respiratory systems have been extensively studied. However, the associations between air pollution exposure and the risk of noncommunicable diseases of other organ systems, including diseases of the digestive, musculoskeletal, and genitourinary systems, remain unclear or inconclusive. We aimed to systematically assess the associations between short-term exposure to main air pollutants (fine particulate matter [PM2.5] and ozone) and cause-specific risk of hospital admission in China over a wide spectrum of human diseases. ⋯ In the Chinese population during 2013-2017, short-term exposure to air pollution, especially PM2.5, was associated with increased risk of hospitalization for diseases of multiple organ systems, including certain diseases of the digestive, musculoskeletal, and genitourinary systems; many of these associations are important but still not fully recognized. The effect estimates and exposure-response relationships can inform policy making aimed at protecting public health from air pollution in China.
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Obesity is closely related to the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes (T2D). The prevention of T2D has become imperative to stem the rising rates of this disease. Weight loss is highly effective in preventing T2D; however, the at-risk pool is large, and a clinically meaningful metric for risk stratification to guide interventions remains a challenge. The objective of this study is to predict T2D risk using full-information continuous analysis of nationally sampled data from white and black American adults age ≥45 years. ⋯ Our results show that a Bayesian logistic model using full-information continuous predictors has high predictive discrimination, and can be used to quantify race- and sex-specific T2D risk, providing a new, powerful predictive tool. This tool can be used for T2D prevention efforts including weight loss therapy by allowing clinicians to target high-risk individuals in a manner that could be used to optimize outcomes.
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Margareth Ndomondo-Sigonda outlines future challenges for the East African Medicines Regulatory Harmonization initiative.
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Jane H. Mashingia and colleagues reveal the progress made to date for the East African Community Medicines Regulatory Harmonization initiative.