The Global Burden of Disease Attributable to Child and Maternal Malnutrition: 1990-2019.

OBJECTIVE: With this study, we aimed to estimate the disease burden attributable to child and maternal malnutrition (CMM) throughout the world between 1990 and 2019. METHODS: The number, age-standardized rate, population attributable fraction of deaths, disability-adjusted life-years, years of life lost, and years lived with disability associated with CMM were estimated using the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 by age, sex, year, location, and sociodemographic index at the global level. The slope index of inequality and concentration index were employed to measure socioeconomic-related health inequalities across countries. RESULTS: The number (million) of global deaths, disability-adjusted life-years, and years of life lost related to CMM were 2.9, 294.8, and 250.5 in 2019, showing decreases of 60.8, 57.4, and 60.7% since 1990. However, the number of years lived with CMM-related disability increased from 36.0 in 1990 to 44.3 in 2019. Additionally, the age-standardized rates of these 4 indicators showed varying degrees of decline. The global burden of CMM-related conditions differed with age and sex. The burden was the heaviest in western sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Chad. In terms of diseases, neonatal disorders represented the most significant burden attributed to CMM. Additionally, the CMM burden was more concentrated in regions with low sociodemographic indices, shown by the slope index of inequality and concentration index. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study highlight the ongoing global burden of CMM, particularly in terms of years lived with disability. Population-wide actions targeting the effective treatment and relief of CMM may reduce the CMM-related disease burden.

Global prevalence of depression in menopausal women: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: An association between the menopause and depression is widely reported. This review aims to determine the global prevalence of depression in menopausal women (this includes women in perimenopause and postmenopause). METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and PsycINFO databases were systematically searched from database inception until March 1, 2024. Studies with validated methods for assessing the prevalence of depression in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women were included. Two authors independently extracted relevant data. Random effects meta-analysis and Meta-regression analysis were performed using Stata software. RESULTS: Total of 55 studies (76,817 participants) were included in the review. A random effects model was used to calculate pooled prevalence. The pooled depression prevalence in menopausal women was 35.6 % (95 % CI: 32.0-39.2 %), with 33.9 % (95 % CI: 27.8-40.0 %) in perimenopausal women, and 34.9 % (95 % CI: 30.7-39.1 %) in postmenopausal women. Subgroup analyses indicated that region, screening tool, study design, and setting moderated the prevalence of depression. Meta-regression indicated that smaller sample sizes and poorer study quality were significantly associated with a higher prevalence. LIMITATIONS: There was a high degree of heterogeneity across the included studies. Only articles published in English were included. There was significant publication bias in this meta-analysis. There is insufficient information about many risk factors of menopausal depression in current meta-analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Depression is common among menopausal women worldwide. To reduce the negative impact of depression on health outcomes in menopausal women, regular screening and the availability of effective prevention and treatment measures should be made available for this population.

Dietary antioxidant intake is associated with heart failure: Results from the NHANES 2003-2019.

BACKGROUND: Growing evidence has shown that antioxidant diets protect against heart failure (HF). However, the association between the composite dietary antioxidant index (CDAI), an important measure of overall antioxidants in the diet, and HF has received little attention. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the CDAI and HF. METHODS: A secondary cross-sectional analysis of the 2003 to 2019 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) was performed. Weighted multivariable logistic regression was used to test the association between the CDAI and HF in four different models, with subgroup analysis and an interaction test subsequently performed. RESULTS: A total of 37,390 participants were included. The HF groups had lower CDAI levels than those in the non-HF group (0.29 ± 0.04 vs. -0.74 ± 0.16, p < 0.0001). After adjusting for demographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, and disease history, a negative association was found between the CDAI and HF (OR: 0.97, 95 % CI: 0.94, 1.00). There was an inverse trend whereby increasing the CDAI was associated with decreasing the odds of HF (p for trend < 0.001). The subgroup analysis and interaction test showed no significant dependence on demographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, and disease history with regard to this association (all p for interaction > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The CDAI was inversely associated with HF in US adults, with higher CDAI levels possibly being associated with a lower incidence of HF, suggesting that dietary antioxidants may help prevent HF.

Puerperal septic shock complicated with symmetrical peripheral gangrene: A case report.

RATIONALE: Puerperal sepsis is a life-threatening condition caused by infection that can rapidly progress to multisystem infection and toxin-mediated shock. Symmetrical peripheral gangrene is defined as symmetrical distal ischemic damage in two or more sites in the absence of major vascular occlusive disease. The syndrome is devastating and rare. In this study, we introduce a case of puerperal septicemia complicated by symmetrical peripheral gangrene. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 23-year-old woman delivered a live female infant vaginally after cervical balloon dilatation at 39 weeks of gestation. Persistent hyperthermia developed on the first postpartum day. After experiencing ventricular fibrillation, acute liver failure, and acute pulmonary edema, she developed blackened extremities on the 5th postpartum day. DIAGNOSES: Puerperal septicemia complicated by symmetrical peripheral gangrene. INTERVENTIONS: Upon transfer to our hospital, the patient was enrolled in the intensive care unit and underwent anti-infective and amputation surgery. OUTCOMES: After the surgery, the patient recovered well and was successfully discharged from the hospital. LESSONS: Early detection and timely treatment is the best way to reduce the mortality and sequelae of puerperal sepsis. Physicians should be alert to the possibility of comorbid symmetrical peripheral gangrene when sepsis patients present with hepatic impairment.

Global burden of leukemia attributable to occupational exposure to formaldehyde from 1990 to 2019.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the worldwide burden of leukemia owing to occupational exposure to formaldehyde (OEF) from 1990 to 2019. Data on leukemia due to OEF were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2019. By region, age, sex, and disease subtype, the numbers and age-standardized rates (ASRs) associated with deaths, years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were analyzed. Annual average percentage change (AAPC) was used to estimate disease burden trends from 1990 to 2019. To measure the risk of leukemia due to OEF, the population attributable fraction (PAF) was introduced. From 1990 to 2019, the number of deaths, DALYs, YLLs, and YLDs for leukemia caused by OEF increased by 44%, 34%, 33%, and 124%, respectively. Regarding the change in ASRs, the age-standardized YLDs (ASYLDs) rate of leukemia due to OEF, which was 38.03% (AAPC = 1.17 [95% confidence interval [CI] 1.11, 1.23]), indicated an increased trend. But the age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR), age-standardized DALY (ASDALY) rate, and age-standardized YLL (ASYLL) rate showed decline trends, with - 11.90% (AAPC = - 0.41 [95% CI - 0.45, - 0.37]), - 14.19% (AAPC = - 0.5 [95% CI - 0.55, - 0.45]), and - 14.97% (AAPC = - 0.53 [95% CI - 0.58, - 0.48]), respectively. In terms of PAFs, there were increasing trends in PAFs of age-standardized deaths, ASDALYs, ASYLLs, and ASYLDs for leukemia caused by OEF, with 20.15% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 11.76%, 30.25%), 36.28% (95% UI 21.46%, 53.42%), 51.91% (95% UI 35.05%, 72.07%), and 36.34% (95% UI 21.58%, 53.63%), respectively. Across the socio-demographic index (SDI) regions, the leukemia burden caused by OEF was concentrated in middle and high-middle SDI regions. Besides, OEF poses a more serious risk for acute leukemia among the leukemia subtype. Globally, leukemia caused by OEF remains a public health burden. Policies must be developed to avoid the burden of leukemia caused by OEF.

Non-coding RNA regulates the immune microenvironment in recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA): new insights into immune mechanisms†.

Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) has various causes, including chromosomal abnormalities, prethrombotic state, and abnormal uterine anatomical factors. However, the pathogenesis of RSA is still unclear. Surprisingly, non-coding RNA can stably express at the maternal-fetal interface and regulate immune cells' proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, metastasis, and angiogenesis. Accumulating evidence suggests that the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory network between non-coding RNAs complicates RSA's pathological process and maybe a new starting point for exploring RSA. In this review, we mainly discuss the regulatory network and potential significance of non-coding RNA in the immune microenvironment of RSA patients. In addition, the cellular interactions of non-coding RNA transported through vesicles were introduced from aspects of trophoblast function and immune regulation. Finally, we analyze previous studies and further discuss that the stable expression of non-coding RNA may be used as a biomarker of some disease states and a prediction target of RSA.

Health-related quality of life in Chinese SLE patients: evidence from 1568 SLE patients and 2610 healthy controls.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) on health-related quality of life (HRQOL), the relationship between disease activity and HRQOL, and potential factors affecting HRQOL in Chinese SLE patients. METHODS: This study recruited 1568 patients and 2610 controls to explore the effects of SLE on HRQOL. The association between disease activity and HRQOL, and the influencing factors of HRQOL were determined in 1568 patients. Then, we prospectively followed 1096 patients to explore the association between reduced disease activity and improved HRQOL, and the influencing factors of improved HRQOL. The Short-Form 36 (SF-36) and SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) were used to evaluate HRQOL and disease activity. RESULTS: Chinese SLE patients had lower HRQOL than controls in all domains (P < 0.001), especially in role-physical (RP) and role-emotional (RE). Compared with SLE patients from outside China, the HRQOL of Chinese patients appeared to be higher in mental component summary (MCS) but lower in RP and RE. SLEDAI was negatively correlated with HRQOL, which was validated using the results of a follow-up study, where SLEDAI reduction was positively associated with HRQOL improvements (P < 0.05). Furthermore, personality, life nervous and experiences of adverse life events may influence HRQOL and HRQOL improvements. CONCLUSION: SLE significantly affected the HRQOL of Chinese patients, especially in RP and RE. Disease activity was negatively correlated with HRQOL. We also found for the first time some factors affecting HRQOL, which can be regarded as the basis for improving the HRQOL of SLE patients.

Associations Between Composite Dietary Antioxidant Index and Gout: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2018.

Introduction: To explore the relationship between the composite dietary antioxidant index (CDAI) and gout to provide support for preventing gout through dietary intervention. Methods: Eligible participants from the 2007 to 2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey aged 20 years and older were included in this cross-sectional study. The weighted chi-square test was used to compare the categorical variables difference between CDAI quartiles groups. The weighted univariate and binary logistic regression analysis were used to test the association between variables and gout. The weighted multivariable logistic regression was used to test the association of CDAI and gout in 4 different models. Subgroup analysis on the associations of CDAI with gout was conducted with stratified factors. Results: The final participants were 26,117, 13,103 (50.17%) were female, 8718 (33.38%) were 40-59 years, 11,200 (42.88%) were white and 1232 (4.72%) had gout. After adjusting for all covariates, the CDAI was associated with gout (odds ratio (OR), .97; 95% CI: .95-1.00). Participants in the highest CDAI quantile group were at low risk of gout (odds ratio (OR), .65; 95% CI: .50-.84) versus those in the lowest quantile group. Subgroup analysis and interaction test showed no significant dependence on diabetes mellitus (DM), marital status, alcohol status, hypertension, poverty income ratio (PIR), education level, body mass index (BMI), smoke status, age, sex, race, and chronic kidney disease (CKD) on this association (all p for interaction >.05). Conclusions: Composite dietary antioxidant index was inversely associated with gout in US adults, and dietary antioxidant intervention might be a promising method in the therapy of gout and greater emphasis should be placed on zinc, selenium, carotenoids, vitamins A, C, and E.

Temperature variability associated with respiratory disease hospitalisations, hospital stays and hospital expenses the warm temperate sub-humid monsoon climate.

OBJECTIVES: The abrupt change of climate has led to an increasing trend of hospitalised patients in recent years. This study aimed to analyse the temperature variability (TV) associated with respiratory disease (RD) hospitalisations, hospital stays and hospital expenses. STUDY DESIGN: The generalized linear model combined with distributed lag non-linear model was used to investigate the association between TV and RD hospitalisations. METHODS: TV was determined by measuring the standard deviation of maximum and minimum temperatures for the current day and the previous 7 days. RD hospitalisations data were obtained from three major tertiary hospitals in Huaibei City, namely, the Huaibei People's Hospital, the Huaibei Hospital Of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Huaibei Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital. First, using a time series decomposition model, the seasonality and long-term trend of hospitalisations, hospital stays and hospital expenses for RD were explored in this warm temperate sub-humid monsoon climate. Second, robust models were used to analyse the association between TV and RD hospitalisations, hospital stays and hospital expenses. In addition, this study stratified results by sex, age and season. Third, using the attributable fraction (AF) and attributable number (AN), hospitalisations, hospital stays and hospital expenses for RD attributed to TV were quantified. RESULTS: Overall, 0.013% of hospitalisations were attributed to TV0-1 (i.e. TV at the current day and previous 1 day), corresponding to 220 cases, 1603 days of hospital stays and 1,308,000 RMB of hospital expenses. Females were more susceptible to TV than males, and the risk increased with longer exposure (the highest risk was seen at TV0-7 [i.e. TV at the current day and previous 7 days] exposure). Higher AF and AN were observed at ages 0-5 years and ≥65 years. In addition, it was also found that TV was more strongly linked to RD in the cool season. The hot season was positively associated with hospital stays and hospital expenses at TV0-3 to TV0-7 exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to TV increased the risk of hospitalisations, longer hospital stays and higher hospital expenses for RD. The findings suggested that more attention should be paid to unstable weather conditions in the future to protect the health of vulnerable populations.

Global disease burden attributed to high sugar-sweetened beverages in 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019.

High sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are a controllable risk factor for chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), but their effect on the global disease burden is uncertain. The study aims to assess the global burden of high SSBs from 1990 to 2019. Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019 provides data on deaths, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), years of life with disabilities (YLDs) and years of life lost (YLLs) ascribe to high SSBs by ages, genders, regions and countries. For the past 30 years, overall exposure to high SSBs decreased for males and increased for females. The number of deaths from chronic NCDs ascribed to high SSBs increased from 149,988 (110,278-182,947) to 242,218 (172,045-302,250), DALYs increased from 3,698,578 (2,693,476-4,559,740) to 6,307,562 (4,300,765-8,079,556), especially the males. Age-standardized YLDs rate (ASYLDs) increased from 11.58 to 17.03. The number of ischemic heart disease (IHD) and diabetes mellitus (DM) deaths and DALYs ascribed to high SSBs has been increasing. Age-standardized death rate (ASDR) for DM risen from 0.56 to 0.62, age-standardized DALYs rate (ASDALYs) risen from 21.41 to 28.21. The burden of disease ascribed to high SSBs was in the elderly significantly higher than in the young and middle-aged, mainly concentrated in Central Asia and Oceania. The disease burden was highest in regions with moderate sociodemographic index (SDI). More extraordinary efforts should be made to raise awareness among the general public about interventions aimed at limiting the use of high SSBs, to reduce disease burden ascribed to high SSBs.

Global, regional, and national burden of digestive diseases: findings from the global burden of disease study 2019.

Background: The global burden of digestive diseases has been rising in the last 30 years. The rates and trends of incidence, deaths, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for digestive diseases need to be investigated. Methods: We extracted the data on overall digestive diseases and by cause between 1990-2019 from the Global Burden of Diseases 2019 website, including the absolute number and the corresponding age-standardized rates of incidence (ASIR), deaths (ASDR), and DALYs (ASDALYs). Results: Globally, the incident cases, deaths, and DALYs of digestive diseases in 2019 increased by 74.44, 37.85, and 23.46%, respectively, compared with that in 1990, with an increasing ASIR of 0.09%, as well as decreasing ASDR and ASDALYs of 1.38 and 1.32% annually. The sociodemographic index (SDI) of overall digestive diseases showed a slight increase in ASIR from low to middle-low regions. The downtrend in ASDR and ASDALYs was found in all SDI regions. The burden of incidence was higher in females, while the burden of deaths and DALYs was higher in males for the overall digestive diseases and most causes. The estimated annual percentage changes were significantly associated with the baseline ASIR, ASDR, and ASDALYs for the overall digestive diseases, and the negative correlations between ASDR, ASDALYs, and human development index both in 1990 (R = -0.68, R = -0.69) and 2019 (R = -0.71, R = -0.73) were noticed. Conclusion: The findings indicate that digestive diseases remain a significant public health burden, with substantial variation across countries, sexes, and age groups. Therefore, implementing age, gender, and country-specific policies for early screening and targeted interventions could significantly reduce the global burden of digestive diseases.

The role of Th17 and Treg cells in normal pregnancy and unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA): New insights into immune mechanisms.

Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) has various causes, including chromosomal abnormalities, a prethrombotic state, and abnormal uterine anatomical factors. However, in about 50% of cases, the cause remains unknown and is referred to as unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA). The fetus is protected from rejection by the maternal system, acting as an allogeneic gene, and immune tolerance serves as a crucial mechanism. The Th17/Treg cell paradigm's emergence as a new subpopulation of CD4+ T cells, interacting with one another, plays an essential role in the immune microenvironment and the body's defense system. This Th17/Treg cell model helps to explain the pathology of recurrent miscarriage that could not be accounted for by the original immune mechanism based on the Th1/Th2 model. Furthermore, the plasticity of Th17 and Treg cells holds innovative significance in autoimmunity and abortion. This paper reviews the role of Th17/Treg cellular immune response in the maintaining normal pregnancy and understanding unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion.

Case report: A novel 10.8-kb deletion identified in the ß-globin gene through the long-read sequencing technology in a Chinese family with abnormal hemoglobin testing results.

Background: Thalassemia is a common inherited hemoglobin disorder caused by a deficiency of one or more globin subunits. Substitution variants and deletions in the HBB gene are the major causes of ß-thalassemia, of which large fragment deletions are rare and difficult to be detected by conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods. Case report: In this study, we reported a 26-year-old Han Chinese man, whose routine blood parameters were found to be abnormal. Hemoglobin testing was performed on the proband and his family members, of whom only the proband's mother had normal parameters. The comprehensive analysis of thalassemia alleles (CATSA, a long-read sequencing-based approach) was performed to identify the causative variants. We finally found a novel 10.8-kb deletion including the ß-globin (HBB) gene (Chr11:5216601-5227407, GRch38/hg38) of the proband and his father and brother, which were consistent with their hemoglobin testing results. The copy number and exact breakpoints of the deletion were confirmed by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) and gap-polymerase chain reaction (Gap-PCR) as well as Sanger sequencing, respectively. Conclusion: With this novel large deletion found in the HBB gene in China, we expand the genotype spectrum of ß-thalassemia and show the advantages of long-read sequencing (LRS) for comprehensive and precise detection of thalassemia variants.

The global burden and trends of four major types of heart disease, 1990-2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.

OBJECTIVES: The global burden of heart disease is severe and increasing in the coming years. This study aims to analyze the global burden of heart disease. STUDY DESIGN: Rheumatic heart disease (RHD), ischemic heart disease (IHD), hypertensive heart disease (HHD), and non-rheumatic valvular heart disease (NRVHD) were selected and analyzed from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. METHODS: The prevalence, deaths, disability-adjusted life years and their corresponding age-standardized rates were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. In addition, estimated annual percentage change was calculated to better assess epidemiological trends. In addition, we performed an age-period-cohort analysis using the Nordpred package in R program to predict death trends over the next 20 years. RESULTS: Globally, the prevalence of four heart diseases (RHD, IHD, HHD, and NRVHD) increased by 70.5%, 103.5%, 137.9%, and 110.0% compared with 1990, respectively. The deaths cases of RHD decreased by 15.6%, whereas IHD, HHD, and NRVHD increased by 60.4%, 76.6%, and 110.6%. Compared with absolute values, their corresponding age-standardized rates only showed a slight increase trend or even decreased in some areas with high sociodemographic index. In the next 20 years, the absolute values of deaths will continue to increase, whereas their age-standardized rates of deaths will flatten out. CONCLUSIONS: Globally, the absolute values of heart disease have increased over the past 30 years and will continue to increase over the next 20 years. Targeted prevention and control strategies and measures need to be developed and improved to reduce this burden.

Impact of diurnal temperature range on other infectious diarrhea in Tongcheng, China, 2010-2019: a distributed lag non-linear analysis.

Our study aimed to quantify the exposure-lag-response effects of the diurnal temperature range (DTR) on other infectious diarrhea (OID) in Tongcheng city and examine the vulnerable populations. Distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) and generalized additive model (GAM) were applied jointly to quantify the association between DTR and the daily number of OID cases compared with the median DTR. Stratified analysis was performed by gender, age, and seasons of onset. There are a total of 8231 cases during this decade. We observed a j-shaped relationship between DTR and OID, with a peak point at the maximum DTR (RR: 2.651, 95% CI: 1.320-5.323) compared to the median DTR. As DTR increased from 8.2 to 10.9 °C, we found the RRs started to decrease and then rise from day 0, and the minimum value occurred on day 7 (RR:1.003, 95% CI: 0.996-1.010). From stratified analysis, we observed that females and adults are more likely to be affected by high DTR significantly. In addition, the influence of DTR was different in cold and warm seasons. High DTR in warm seasons affects the number of OID daily cases, but no statistical significance was identified in cold seasons. This study suggests a significant relationship between high DTR and the incidence risk of OID.

The global burden of disease attributable to metabolic risks in 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019.

AIM: Our study aimed to survey the burden of disease attributed to metabolic risks (MRs) and secondary MR from 1990 to 2019. METHODS: Using methodological framework of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, we reported the global number, age-standardized rate and population attributable fraction of deaths and disability adjusted life years related to MRs and secondary MR. Furthermore, we analyzed the global burden caused by MRs and secondary MR in detail by gender, age, region, country, disease and Socio-demographic Index level. RESULTS: The number (million) of deaths and DALYs caused by MRs was 18.6 and 462.8 in 2019, with an increase of 43.6 % and 75.0 % since 1990. However, the ASR of deaths and DALYs attributed to MRs had a decrease of 23.3 % and 17.0 % since 1990. The burden caused by MRs and secondary MR raised with age, and the burden was the heaviest in low - and middle-income countries, especially in Middle East & North Africa. For diseases, the heaviest burden attributed to MRs was observed in ischemic heart disease, followed by stroke. CONCLUSION: The burden of disease attributed to MRs has continued to rise in the past 30 years, particularly for men and low-middle SDI regions. Therefore, the government should take corresponding actions to reduce the impact of MRs on population health.

Experiences of healthcare workers following occupational exposure to COVID-19 at the early stages of the pandemic: A phenomenological qualitative study.

AIM: To explore the experiences of healthcare workers (HCWs) following occupational exposure to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during the early stage of the pandemic. DESIGN: A Husserl descriptive phenomenological study design was employed. METHODS: Convenient and snowball sampling was used. In-depth semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted from February to March 2020 with the frontline HCWs who were exposed to COVID-19 during work. Data analysis was conducted following the 7-step analysis method developed by Colaizzi. RESULTS: Fifteen HCWs participated in the study. Four themes were identified, including (1) traumatic experiences since the occupational exposure; (2) getting through the hard time; (3) struggling to return to work; (4) reflections on occupational exposures. CONCLUSION: The HCWs had traumatic and painful experiences after the occupational exposure. But they returned to work with strong resilience, professional obligation and social support. Training and supervision, and adequate supply of personal protective equipment are suggested to prevent professional exposure. Social and organizational support should be provided for the exposed HCWs.

Global, regional, and national deaths, disability-adjusted life years, years lived with disability, and years of life lost for the global disease burden attributable to second-hand smoke, 1990-2019: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study.

BACKGROUND: Smoke-free policies have led to a decline in smoking prevalence. Nevertheless, as the global population grows, more non-smokers are exposed to second-hand smoke (SHS) hazards. Mitigating SHS hazards requires a systematic analysis of the global disease burden attributable to SHS. METHODS: Data on SHS was extracted from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. First, we measured the disease burden of SHS by the number of cases and age-standardized rates of deaths, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and years of life lost (YLLs) from 1990 to 2019. Second, trends in the disease burden of SHS in different periods were estimated based on the annual percentage change (APC) by joinpoint regression analysis. Finally, using histogram plots, world maps, Pearson correlation analysis, and population attributable fraction (PAF), we conducted a stratified analysis of SHS exposure by sex, age, geographic location, sociodemographic index (SDI) level, and disease. RESULTS: The number of deaths caused by SHS remained stable between 1990 and 2019, and the number of YLDs more than doubled in three decades. In contrast, the number of DALYs and YLLs caused by SHS decreased. The declining trend in deaths (APC = -1.42 % [95 % UI -1.79 %, -1.05 %]), DALYs (APC = -1.91 % [95 % UI -2.15 %, -1.67 %]), and YLLs (APC = -1.28 % [95 % UI -1.93 %, -0.64 %]) had slowed down in recent years, while SHS-related YLDs were still increasing (APC = 1.84 % [95 % UI 0.74 %, 2.96 %]). From 2010 to 2019, we found that SHS exposure increased the risk of tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer (PAF increased by 11.75 %), breast cancer (PAF increased by 5.36 %), diabetes mellitus (PAF increased by 8.24 %), and ischemic heart disease (PAF increased by 4.46 %). In addition, the disease burden caused by SHS was highest in middle SDI and low-middle SDI countries. CONCLUSION: The global disease burden attributable to SHS is still severe, and policymakers need to implement more effective measures to reduce the harm of SHS.

Associations of RPEL1 and miR-1307 gene polymorphisms with disease susceptibility, glucocorticoid efficacy, anxiety, depression, and health-related quality of life in Chinese systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

OBJECTIVE: Our present study intended to examine the associations of RPEL1 and miR-1307 gene polymorphisms (rs4917385 and rs7911488) with susceptibility, glucocorticoids (GCs) efficacy, anxiety, depression, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Chinese systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. METHODS: Initially, 1000 participants (500 SLE cases and 500 controls) were recruited for the case-control study. Then, 429 cases who received GCs were followed through 12 weeks to explore GCs efficacy, depression, anxiety, and HRQoL. We selected the iMLDR technique for genotyping: RPEL1: rs4917385 (G/T) and miR-1307: rs7911488 (A/G). RESULTS: The minor G allele of rs7911488 reduced the risk of SLE (p = .024). Four haplotypes consisting of rs4917385 and rs7911488 were associated with SLE susceptibility (p < .025). Both rs4917385 and rs7911488 were associated with anxiety symptoms and physical function (PF) in SLE patients (p < .025). The rs4917385 was associated with depression and its improvement. No statistical significance was found between RPEL1 and miR-1307 gene polymorphisms with GCs efficacy. Meanwhile, additive interaction analysis showed a significant association between RPEL1 and miR-1307 gene polymorphisms with tea consumption in anxiety. CONCLUSION: RPEL1 and miR-1307 gene polymorphisms (rs4917385 and rs7911488) might be related to SLE susceptibility in Chinese population. Additionally, the two polymorphisms were possibly associated with depression, anxiety, and HRQoL in Chinese SLE population.

An association study on the risk, glucocorticoids effectiveness, and prognosis of systemic lupus erythematosus: insight from mitochondrial DNA copy number.

This study aimed to explore the role of mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) in the risk, glucocorticoid (GC) effectiveness, and prognosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and its interactions with environmental factors and tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated protein 1 (TRAP1) genetic polymorphisms. We first conducted a case-control study of 1198 subjects (595 SLE patients and 603 healthy controls). Subsequently, we followed up with patients to assess the effectiveness of GC treatment and the prognosis of SLE. Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (qPCR) was used to quantify mtDNAcn. Associations were estimated using logistic regression, and prognosis analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards models. Interactions on multiplicative and additive scales were also evaluated. Individuals with low mtDNAcn had an increased risk of SLE (P < 0.001). Low mtDNAcn was associated with poor GC effectiveness in patients with spicy food consumption or with arthritis (P < 0.05). mtDNAcn was significantly related to the prognosis of SLE in the drinking subgroup (P = 0.018). Furthermore, we found significant interactions between mtDNAcn and environmental factors/TRAP1 genetic polymorphisms on the risk, GC effectiveness, and prognosis of SLE. Our data suggest that low mtDNAcn is associated with an increased risk of SLE. Alteration of mtDNAcn may be associated with GC effectiveness and prognosis in certain subgroups of SLE. The interactions between mtDNAcn, environmental factors, and TRAP1 gene polymorphisms may jointly affect the risk, GC effectiveness, and prognosis of SLE.