Preventive medicine
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2021
General health checks and incident dementia: A six-year follow-up study of community-dwelling older adults in Japan.
General health checks to detect cardiovascular risk factors form part of routine health care in many countries. Cardiovascular disease and dementia share a number of risk factors; however it remains unclear whether general health checks can reduce the incidence of dementia. We used longitudinal data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study with up to 6.4 years follow-up (from 2010 to 2016). ⋯ We then estimated the effect of health checks on 5-year incident dementia. The 5-year cumulative incidence difference based on the PSM analysis was -0.0046 (95%CI: -0.0101, 0.0009), while that based on the IPTW analysis was -0.0046 (95%CI, -0.0090, -0.0002). The PSM and IPTW approaches yielded similar findings that the incidence of dementia was lower among people having health checks.
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2021
Changes in the body mass index and blood pressure association across time: Evidence from multiple cross-sectional and cohort studies.
Although body mass index (BMI) is considered a key determinant of high blood pressure, its importance may differ over time and by age group. We utilised separate data sources to investigate temporal changes in this association: 23 independent (newly sampled), repeated cross-sectional studies (Health Survey for England (HSE)) at ≥25 years (1994-2018; N = 126,742); and three British birth cohorts at 43-46 years (born 1946, 1958, and 1970; N = 18,657). In HSE, associations were weaker in more recent years, with this trend most pronounced amongst older adults. ⋯ A weaker association between BMI and blood pressure may partly offset the public health impacts of increasing obesity prevalence. However, despite sizable increases in use of antihypertensive medication, BMI remains positively associated with SBP in all ages. Our findings highlight the need to tackle non-medical factors such as population diet which influence both BMI and blood pressure, and the utility of using multiple datasets to obtain robust inferences on trends in risk factor-outcome associations across time.
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2021
Observational StudySymptomology following mRNA vaccination against SARS-CoV-2.
Despite demonstrated efficacy of vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), widespread hesitancy to vaccination persists. Improved knowledge regarding frequency, severity, and duration of vaccine-associated symptoms may help reduce hesitancy. In this prospective observational study, we studied 1032 healthcare workers who received both doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine and completed post-vaccine symptom surveys both after dose 1 and after dose 2. ⋯ We conclude that most post-vaccine symptoms are reportedly mild and last <2 days. Appreciable post-vaccine symptoms are associated with female sex, prior COVID-19, younger age, and hypertension. This information can aid clinicians in advising patients on the safety and expected symptomatology associated with vaccination.
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2021
Randomized Controlled TrialAdherence with protocol medication use and mortality from unrelated causes in a prevention trial.
Several studies have shown that non-adherence to medication use is associated with lower use of preventive services and increased mortality. We aimed to study the relationship between initial adherence to medication use and mortality in the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT). The PCPT randomized men age 55 and over to a finasteride or placebo arm. ⋯ Hazard ratios (HRs) at 5 years were 1.62 (95% CI: 1.37-1.91), 1.55 (95% CI: 1.30-1.83) and 1.49 (95% CI: 1.25-1.76) for Models I-III. HRs at ten years were lower but still statistically significant. Non-adherence to taking protocol medications was associated with increased mortality from unrelated conditions.
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2021
Intentions to participate in cervical and colorectal cancer screening during the COVID-19 pandemic: A mixed-methods study.
Worldwide, cancer screening faced significant disruption in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If this has led to changes in public attitudes towards screening and reduced intention to participate, there is a risk of long-term adverse impact on cancer outcomes. In this study, we examined previous participation and future intentions to take part in cervical and colorectal cancer (CRC) screening following the first national lockdown in the UK. ⋯ Interview participants expressed concerns about visiting healthcare settings but were keen to participate when screening programmes resumed. Intentions to participate in future screening were high and strongly associated with previous engagement in both programmes. As screening services recover, it will be important to monitor participation and to ensure people feel safe to attend.