Evaluating patient reported outcomes and experiences in a novel proton beam clinic - challenges, activities, and outcomes of the ProtonCare project.

BACKGROUND: The ProtonCare Study Group (PCSG) was formed with the purpose to develop and implement a framework for evaluation of proton beam therapy (PBT) and the related care at a novel clinic (Skandionkliniken), based on patient reported data. METHOD: A logic model framework was used to describe the process of development and implementation of a structured plan for evaluation of PBT for all diagnoses based on patient reported data. After the mission for the project was determined, meetings with networks and stakeholders were facilitated by PCSG to identify assumptions, resources, challenges, activities, outputs, outcomes, and outcome indicators. RESULT: This paper presents the challenges and accomplishments PCSG made so far. We describe required resources, activities, and accomplished results. The long-term outcomes that were outlined as a result of the process are two; 1) Improved knowledge about health outcomes of patients that are considered for PBT and 2) The findings will serve as a base for clinical decisions when patients are referred for PBT. CONCLUSION: Using the logical model framework proved useful in planning and managing the ProtonCare project. As a result, the work of PCSG has so far resulted in long-lasting outcomes that creates a base for future evaluation of patients' perspective in radiotherapy treatment in general and in PBT especially. Our experiences can be useful for other research groups facing similar challenges. Continuing research on patients´ perspective is a central part in ongoing and future research. Collaboration, cooperation, and coordination between research groups/networks from different disciplines are a significant part of the work aiming to determine the more precise role of PBT in future treatment options.

Prevention of sick leave at the workplace: design of a cluster-randomized controlled trial of a problem-solving intervention among employees with common mental disorders.

BACKGROUND: Common mental disorders are highly prevalent in the working population, affecting about 1 in 5 persons in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries. About 30% of those affected have a first period of sick leave. Despite several attempts to reduce the risk of sick leave among employees with common mental disorders, there is a lack of knowledge about effective, preventive interventions which aim to reduce such risks. This protocol describes the design of a study to evaluate the effectiveness of a problem-solving intervention delivered by first-line managers to employees with common mental disorders on the prevention of sick leave during the 12-month follow-up. METHODS/DESIGN: The study applies a two-armed cluster-randomized trial design of a problem-solving intervention conducted in private-sector companies. First-line managers are randomized into intervention- or control groups by computer-generated random numbers, allocation ratio 1:1. Employees are eligible if at risk for future sick leave due to common mental disorders. These are identified by self-reported psychological health measured by the General Health Questionnaire 12-item, cut-off ≥3, or a positive answer to risk of sick leave. The intervention is based on problem-solving principles. It involves the training of the first-line managers who then deliver the intervention to employees identified at risk of sick leave. First-line managers in the control group receives a lecture. Primary outcome is number of registered days of sick leave due to common mental disorders during the 12-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes are general health, psychological symptoms, work performance, work ability and psychosocial work environment. A process evaluation will examine the intervention's reach, fidelity, dose delivered, dose received, satisfaction and context. Research assistants managing the screening procedure, outcome assessors and employees are blinded to randomization and allocation. DISCUSSION: The study includes analyses of the intervention's effectiveness and an alongside process evaluation. Methodological strengths and limitations, for example the risk of selection bias, attrition and risk of contamination are discussed. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT04975750 Date of registration: 08/16/2021.

Effects and moderators of coping skills training on symptoms of depression and anxiety in patients with cancer: Aggregate data and individual patient data meta-analyses.

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the effects of coping skills training (CST) on symptoms of depression and anxiety in cancer patients, and investigated moderators of the effects. METHODS: Overall effects and intervention-related moderators were studied in meta-analyses of pooled aggregate data from 38 randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Patient-related moderators were examined using linear mixed-effect models with interaction tests on pooled individual patient data (n = 1953) from 15 of the RCTs. RESULTS: CST had a statistically significant but small effect on depression (g = -0.31,95% confidence interval (CI) = -0.40;-0.22) and anxiety (g = -0.32,95%CI = -0.41;-0.24) symptoms. Effects on depression symptoms were significantly larger for interventions delivered face-to-face (p = .003), led by a psychologist (p = .02) and targeted to patients with psychological distress (p = .002). Significantly larger reductions in anxiety symptoms were found in younger patients (pinteraction < 0.025), with the largest reductions in patients <50 years (ß = -0.31,95%CI = -0.44;-0.18) and no significant effects in patients ≥70 years. Effects of CST on depression (ß = -0.16,95%CI = -0.25;-0.07) and anxiety (ß = -0.24,95%CI = -0.33;-0.14) symptoms were significant in patients who received chemotherapy but not in patients who did not (pinteraction < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: CST significantly reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety in cancer patients, and particularly when delivered face-to-face, provided by a psychologist, targeted to patients with psychological distress, and given to patients who were younger and received chemotherapy.

Increased risk for hip fracture after death of a spouse-further support for bereavement frailty?

Death of a spouse is associated with poorer physical and mental health. We followed all married individuals, born from 1902 to 1942, during the period from 1987 to 2002, and found that widows and widowers had higher risk for hip fracture, compared with still married women and men. INTRODUCTION: Spousal bereavement can lead to poorer physical and mental health. We aimed to determine whether married women and men had an elevated risk of hip fracture after death of a spouse. METHODS: In a retrospective cohort study, we followed all Swedish married individuals aged 60 to 100 years (n = 1,783,035), from 1987 to 2002. Data are presented as mean with 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: During the follow-up period, 21,305 hip fractures among widows and 6538 hip fractures among widowers were noted. The hazard ratio (HR) for hip fracture in widows compared with married women was 1.34 (95% CI 1.31 to 1.37) and for widowers compared with married men 1.32 (95% CI 1.29 to 1.35). The HR for hip fracture in the first 6 months after death of a spouse was in widows compared with married women 1.62 (95% CI 1.53 to 1.71) and in widowers compared with married men 1.84 (95% CI 1.68 to 2.03). The elevated risk was especially prominent in young widowers in the age range 60-69 years. During the first 6 months they showed a HR of 2.76 (95% CI 1.66 to 4.58) for a hip fractvure compared with age matched married men. Widows aged 60-69 years showed a HR of 1.59 (95% CI 1.26 to 1.99) compared with age matched married women. CONCLUSION: Our observation of a higher hip fracture risk in both genders in connection with the death of a spouse indicates a possible effect of bereavement on frailty.

A systematic review of working conditions and occupational health among immigrants in Europe and Canada.

BACKGROUND: A systematic attempt to summarize the literature that examines working conditions and occupational health among immigrant in Europe and Canada. METHODS: We established inclusion criteria, searched systematically for articles included in the Medline, Embase and Social Sciences Citation Index databases in the period 2000-2016 and checked the reference lists of all included papers. RESULTS: Eighty-two studies were included in this review; 90% were cross-sectional and 80% were based on self-report. Work injuries were consistently found to be more prevalent among immigrants in studies from different countries and in studies with different designs. The prevalence of perceived discrimination or bullying was found to be consistently higher among immigrant workers than among natives. In general, however, we found that the evidence that immigrant workers are more likely to be exposed to physical or chemical hazards and poor psychosocial working conditions is very limited. A few Scandinavian studies support the idea that occupational factors may partly contribute to the higher risk of sick leave or disability pension observed among immigrants. However, the evidence for working conditions as a potential mediator of the associations between immigrant status and poor general health and mental distress was very limited. CONCLUSION: Some indicators suggest that immigrant workers in Europe and Canada experience poorer working conditions and occupational health than do native workers. However, the ability to draw conclusions is limited by the large gaps in the available data, heterogeneity of immigrant working populations, and the lack of prospectively designed cohort studies.

Structural and electronic properties of V2O5 and their tuning by doping with 3d elements - modelling using the DFT+U method and dispersion correction.

New electrode materials for alkaline-ion batteries are a timely topic. Among many promising candidates, V2O5 is one of the most interesting cathode materials. While having very high theoretical capacity, in practice, its performance is hindered by its low stability and poor conductivity. As regards the theoretical descriptions of V2O5, common DFT-GGA calculations fail to reproduce both the electronic and crystal structures. While the band gap is underestimated, the interlayer spacing is overestimated as weak dispersion interactions are not properly described within GGA. Here we show that the combination of the DFT+U method and semi-empirical D2 correction can compensate for the drawbacks of the GGA when it comes to the modelling of V2O5. When compared to common PBE calculations, with a modest increase in the computational cost, PBE+U+D2 fully reproduced the experimental band gap of V2O5, while the errors in the lattice parameters are only a few percent. Using the proposed PBE+U+D2 methodology we studied the doping of V2O5 with 3d elements (from Sc to Zn). We show that both the structural and electronic parameters are affected by doping. Most importantly, a significant increase in conductivity is expected upon doping, which is of great importance for the application of V2O5 in metal-ion batteries.

Effects and moderators of psychosocial interventions on quality of life, and emotional and social function in patients with cancer: An individual patient data meta-analysis of 22 RCTs.

OBJECTIVE: This individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of psychosocial interventions (PSI) on quality of life (QoL), emotional function (EF), and social function (SF) in patients with cancer, and to study moderator effects of demographic, clinical, personal, and intervention-related characteristics. METHODS: Relevant studies were identified via literature searches in 4 databases. We pooled IPD from 22 (n = 4217) of 61 eligible randomized controlled trials. Linear mixed-effect model analyses were used to study intervention effects on the post-intervention values of QoL, EF, and SF (z-scores), adjusting for baseline values, age, and cancer type. We studied moderator effects by testing interactions with the intervention for demographic, clinical, personal, and intervention-related characteristics, and conducted subsequent stratified analyses for significant moderator variables. RESULTS: PSI significantly improved QoL (ß = 0.14,95%CI = 0.06;0.21), EF (ß = 0.13,95%CI = 0.05;0.20), and SF (ß = 0.10,95%CI = 0.03;0.18). Significant differences in effects of different types of PSI were found, with largest effects of psychotherapy. The effects of coping skills training were moderated by age, treatment type, and targeted interventions. Effects of psychotherapy on EF may be moderated by cancer type, but these analyses were based on 2 randomized controlled trials with small sample sizes of some cancer types. CONCLUSIONS: PSI significantly improved QoL, EF, and SF, with small overall effects. However, the effects differed by several demographic, clinical, personal, and intervention-related characteristics. Our study highlights the beneficial effects of coping skills training in patients treated with chemotherapy, the importance of targeted interventions, and the need of developing interventions tailored to the specific needs of elderly patients.

Work-related stress assessed by a text message single-item stress question.

BACKGROUND: Given the prevalence of work stress-related ill-health in the Western world, it is important to find cost-effective, easy-to-use and valid measures which can be used both in research and in practice. AIMS: To examine the validity and reliability of the single-item stress question (SISQ), distributed weekly by short message service (SMS) and used for measurement of work-related stress. METHODS: The convergent validity was assessed through associations between the SISQ and subscales of the Job Demand-Control-Support model, the Effort-Reward Imbalance model and scales measuring depression, exhaustion and sleep. The predictive validity was assessed using SISQ data collected through SMS. The reliability was analysed by the test-retest procedure. RESULTS: Correlations between the SISQ and all the subscales except for job strain and esteem reward were significant, ranging from -0.186 to 0.627. The SISQ could also predict sick leave, depression and exhaustion at 12-month follow-up. The analysis on reliability revealed a satisfactory stability with a weighted kappa between 0.804 and 0.868. CONCLUSIONS: The SISQ, administered through SMS, can be used for the screening of stress levels in a working population.

Decline in Memory, Visuospatial Ability, and Crystalized Cognitive Abilities in Older Adults: Normative Aging or Terminal Decline?

The aim of this study is to explore the pattern of change in multiple measures of cognitive abilities in a sample of oldest-old adults, comparing two different time metrics (chronological age and time to death) and therefore examining both underlying conceptual assumptions (age-related change and terminal decline). Moreover, the association with individual characteristics as sex, education, and dementia diagnosis was also examined. Measures of cognitive status (Mini-Mental State Examination and the Swedish Clock Test) and tests of crystallized (knowledge and synonyms), memory (verbal memory, nonverbal long-term memory, recognition and correspondence, and short-term memory), and visuospatial ability were included. The sample consisted of 671 older Swedish adult participants of the OCTO Twin Study. Linear mixed models with random coefficients were used to analyse change patterns and BIC indexes were used to compare models. Results showed that the time to death model was the best option in analyses of change in all the cognitive measures considered (except for the Information Test). A significant cognitive decline over time was found for all variables. Individuals diagnosed with dementia had lower scores at the study entrance and a faster decline. More educated individuals performed better in all the measures of cognition at study entry than those with poorer education, but no differences were found in the rate of change. Differences were found in age, sex, or time to death at baseline across the different measures. These results support the terminal decline hypothesis when compared to models assuming that cognitive changes are driven by normative aging processes.

The direction of human mesenchymal stem cells into the chondrogenic lineage is influenced by the features of hydrogel carriers.

Low back pain is a major public health issue in the Western world, one main cause is believed to be intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration. To halt/diminish IVD degeneration, cell therapy using different biomaterials e.g. hydrogels as cell carriers has been suggested. In this study, two different hydrogels were examined (in vitro) as potential cell carriers for human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) intended for IVD transplantation. The aim was to investigate cell-survival and chondrogenic differentiation of hMSCs when cultured in hydrogels Puramatrix® or Hydromatrix® and potential effects of stimulation with growth hormone (GH). hMSCs/hydrogel cultures were investigated for cell-viability, attachment, gene expression of chondrogenic markers SOX9, COL2A1, ACAN and accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM). In both hydrogel types, hMSCs were viable for 28days, expressed integrin ß1 which indicates adhesion of hMSCs. Differentiation was observed into chondrocyte-like cells, in a higher extent in hMSCs/Hydromatrix® cultures when compared to hMSCs/Puramatrix® hydrogel cultures. Gene expression analyses of chondrogenic markers verified results. hMSCs/hydrogel cultures stimulated with GH displayed no significant effects on chondrogenesis. In conclusion, both hydrogels, especially Hydromatrix® was demonstrated as a promising cell carrier in vitro for hMSCs, when directed into chondrogenesis. This knowledge could be useful in biological approaches for regeneration of degenerated human IVDs.

Long-term treatment with methylphenidate for fatigue after traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVES: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) may cause long-lasting post-concussive symptoms, such as mental fatigue and concentration difficulties, and this may become the main hindrance for returning to work and studies. There is currently no effective treatment for long-lasting mental fatigue. In this hypothesis generating study, the long-term effects of methylphenidate on mental fatigue, cognitive function, and safety were assessed. MATERIALS & METHODS: Thirty participants who suffered from long-term post-concussion symptoms after a mild TBI or moderate TBI and who had reported positive effects with methylphenidate during an initial phase of this follow-up study were treated with methylphenidate for a further six months. RESULTS: After six-month follow-up, effects on Mental Fatigue Scale (MFS), depression, anxiety, and cognitive function (processing speed, attention, working memory) were significantly improved compared to baseline data (P < 0.001, respectively). Heart rate was significantly increased (P = 0.01), while blood pressure was not changed. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals suffering from prolonged symptoms after TBI reported reduced mental fatigue and improved cognitive functions with long-term methylphenidate treatment. It is suggested that methylphenidate can be a treatment option for long-term mental fatigue and cognitive impairment after a TBI, but further randomized control research is warranted.

Increased risk of hip fracture among spouses-evidence of a homogamy effect.

Spouses tend to share habits and therefore have an increased risk of same diseases. We followed all married couples in Sweden, born 1902 to 1942, in hospital records from 1987 to 2002, and found that individuals whose spouse had a hip fracture had an increased risk of hip fracture. INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to determine whether spouses of hip fracture patients have an elevated risk of hip fracture. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of all couples married for at least 5 years in Sweden and born between 1902 and 1942 (n = 904,451) and all patients registered with a hip fracture (n = 218,285) in the National Inpatients Register in Sweden from 1987 to 2002. RESULTS: During the period 1987 to 2002 hip fractures occurred among spouses in 4212 married couples. The hazard ratio (HR) for hip fracture in a married woman following hip fracture in the husband was 1.11 (95 % confidence interval 1.07 to 1.16) compared to a woman whose husband did not have hip fracture. The corresponding HR for a married man was 1.20 (1.15 to 1.26) compared to a man whose wife did not have hip fracture. The risk was significantly elevated over the age range 60 to 90 years. The increased risk for hip fracture among spouses remained after adjustments for income, education, geographical latitude and urbanisation. In a common model with spouses and their siblings, the HR for spousal effect were 1.63 (1.01 to 2.64) and for sibling effect 2.18 (1.55 to 3.06) compared to married with spouse and sibling respectively without hip fracture. CONCLUSION: The novel finding of an increased risk for hip fracture among spouses provides evidence indicating that there is a homogamy effect due to common social and lifestyle factors but could also be due to assortative mating.

Methylphenidate reduces mental fatigue and improves processing speed in persons suffered a traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVE: Post-traumatic brain injury symptoms, such as mental fatigue, have considerable negative impacts on quality-of-life. In the present study the effects of methylphenidate in two different dosages were assessed with regard to mental fatigue, pain and cognitive functions in persons who had suffered a traumatic brain injury. METHODS: Fifty-one subjects were included and 44 completed the study. The treatment continued for 12 weeks, including three treatment periods with no medication for 4 weeks, administration of low dose methylphenidate (up to 5 mg × 3) for 4 weeks and normal dose methylphenidate (up to 20 mg × 3) for a further 4 weeks. The patients were randomized into three groups where all groups were given all treatments. RESULTS: Significantly reduced mental fatigue, assessed with the Mental Fatigue Scale (MFS) and increased information processing speed (coding, WAIS-III), were detected. The SF-36 vitality and social functioning scales were also improved significantly. Pain was not reduced by methylphenidate. The positive effects of treatment were dose-dependent, with the most prominent effects being at 60 mg methylphenidate/day spread over three doses. Observed side-effects were increased blood pressure and increased heart rate. CONCLUSIONS: Methylphenidate was generally well-tolerated and it improved long-lasting mental fatigue and processing speed after traumatic brain injury.

Variations in automatically recorded rumination time as explained by variations in intake of dietary fractions and milk production, and between-cow variation.

Individual recording of rumination time (RT) is now possible in commercial dairy herds, through development of a microphone-based sensor, which is able to record RT by the sound of rumination activity. The objectives of this study were to examine the relationship between daily RT and intakes of different dietary fractions, the relationship between RT in minutes per kilogram of dry matter intake (DMI) and milk production, and to examine the variation in RT within and between mid-lactating dairy cows. Data from 3 production trials were used in which a total of 27 different diets were fed. The data contained 761, 290, and 203 daily recordings of RT, milk yield, milk components, DMI, and intake of dietary fractions recorded on 29, 26, and 24 Holstein and Swedish Red cows from trials 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The dietary fractions included forage neutral detergent fiber (NDF), concentrate NDF, crude protein, sugar, starch, and the remaining fraction represented by organic matter--(forage NDF+concentrate NDF+crude protein+sugar+starch). The relationship between the dietary fractions and RT was analyzed in 2 steps. In step 1, the dietary fractions, which were significantly related to RT, were selected and simultaneously checked for multicollinearity between the dietary components; in step 2, a multivariate model, including the effect of repeated measurements, the main effect of the selected dietary fractions from step 1, random effects of cow(trial) and trial, and information on breed, days in milk, and parity was used to analyze the relationship between RT and the selected dietary fractions. Relationships between RT in minutes per kilogram of DMI and milk yield and milk components were analyzed, using the same multivariate model as in step 2. Approximately 32% of the variation in daily RT could be explained by variations in intakes of the dietary fractions, whereas 48% of the total variation in RT was accounted for by individual variations between cows. Intakes of forage NDF and starch were positively related to daily RT, whereas intakes of sugar and the remaining fraction were negatively related to daily RT. Rumination time in minutes per kilogram of DMI was negatively related to milk yield and protein percentage, but positively related to milk fat percentage.

Towards the development of a bioengineered uterus: comparison of different protocols for rat uterus decellularization.

Uterus transplantation (UTx) may be the only possible curative treatment for absolute uterine factor infertility, which affects 1 in every 500 females of fertile age. We recently presented the 6-month results from the first clinical UTx trial, describing nine live-donor procedures. This routine involves complicated surgery and requires potentially harmful immune suppression to prevent rejection. However, tissue engineering applications using biomaterials and stem cells may replace the need for a live donor, and could prevent the required immunosuppressive treatment. To investigate the basic aspects of this, we developed a novel whole-uterus scaffold design for uterus tissue engineering experiments in the rat. Decellularization was achieved by perfusion of detergents and ionic solutions. The remaining matrix and its biochemical and mechanical properties were quantitatively compared from using three different protocols. The constructs were further compared with native uterus tissue composition. Perfusion with Triton X-100/dimethyl sulfoxide/H2O led to a compact, weaker scaffold that showed evidence of a compromised matrix organization. Sodium deoxycholate/dH2O perfusion gave rise to a porous scaffold that structurally and mechanically resembled native uterus better. An innovative combination of two proteomic analyses revealed higher fibronectin and versican content in these porous scaffolds, which may explain the improved scaffold organization. Together with other important protocol-dependent differences, our results can contribute to the development of improved decellularization protocols for assorted organs. Furthermore, our study shows the first available data on decellularized whole uterus, and creates new opportunities for numerous in vitro and in vivo whole-uterus tissue engineering applications.

Incidence and prognostic significance of karyotypic subgroups in older patients with acute myeloid leukemia: the Swedish population-based experience.

The Swedish population-based acute myeloid leukemia registry contains data from 3251 patients (excluding acute promyelocytic leukemia) diagnosed between 1997 and 2006. Informative cytogenetic data from 1893 patients were retrospectively added, including 1054 patients aged between 60 and 79 years. Clonal abnormalities were found in 57% of the informative karyotypes. Karyotypic patterns differed by age: t(8;21), inv(16) and t(11q23) were more common in younger patients, whereas loss of 5q, 7q and 17p, monosomal karyotype (MK) and complex karyotypes were more common in older patients. Loss of 5q, 7q and 17p often occurred together within MK. Patients with 5 chromosome abnormalities had worse overall survival than those with fewer abnormalities or normal karyotype in all age groups. Loss of 5q, 7q and/or 17p had, in contrast to MK, a further negative impact on survival. Multivariable Cox regression analyses on risk factors in patients <80 years with cytogenetic abnormalities and intensive treatment revealed that age and performance status had the most significant impact on survival (both P<0.001), followed by sex (P=0.0135) and a karyotype including -7/del(7q) (P=0.048).

Evaluation of dosage, safety and effects of methylphenidate on post-traumatic brain injury symptoms with a focus on mental fatigue and pain.

OBJECTIVE: The neurobehavioural symptoms and pain following traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be long-lasting. The condition impairs the persons' ability to function in their work, studies and gatherings with family and friends. The aim of this study was to investigate dosage, safety and effects of methylphenidate on mental fatigue and pain. METHODS: Twenty-nine physically-well rehabilitated TBI victims, 28 with a mild TBI and one with TBI and also with pain in the neck, shoulders and head were included in the study. Methylphenidate was tested in each patient using three treatment strategies: no medication, low dose (5 mg × 3) and normal dose (20 mg × 3) for 4 weeks using a randomized cross-over design. RESULTS: Twenty-four patients completed the three treatment periods. Five participants discontinued, four females due to adverse reactions and one male due to attenuated motivation. Only minor adverse events were reported. Methylphenidate significantly decreased mental fatigue, as evaluated by the Mental Fatigue Scale (p < 0.001), and the effects on mental fatigue were dose-dependent. No effect on pain was detected. CONCLUSIONS: Methylphenidate decreased mental fatigue for subjects suffering a traumatic brain injury, the treatment is considered to be safe and is recommended, starting with a low dose.

Status of vitamins E and A and ß-carotene and health in organic dairy cows fed a diet without synthetic vitamins.

Synthetic vitamin supplementation is not consistent with organic production, so it is important to investigate whether dairy cows can maintain their health and production without synthetic vitamins being added to their diet. In basic dairy cow diets, provitamin A (ß-carotene) and vitamin E are mainly found in pasture and in grass and legume silages, but the concentrations are highly variable. This study compared the vitamin status and health of cows without synthetic vitamin supplementation (NSV group) with control cows (CON group) fed synthetic vitamins according to Swedish recommendations (600 IU of vitamin E and 80,000 IU of vitamin A per cow per day) to investigate whether dairy cows can fulfill their requirements of vitamins A and E without supplementation with synthetic vitamins. Vitamin concentrations in blood plasma and milk, health, fertility, milk yield, and milk composition were measured in Swedish Holstein cows (n=28) during 2 complete lactations. All cows were fed a 100% organic diet containing grass-legume silage, cold-pressed rapeseed cake, peas, cereal grains, and minerals. Blood samples were collected from each cow 3 wk before expected calving, at calving, and 3 wk, 3 to 5 mo, and 7 to 9 mo after calving. Samples of colostrum were taken and milk samples were collected 4d after calving and at the same time as the 3 blood samplings after calving. The only difference in vitamin status between groups was found in colostrum in yr 1, when CON cows tended to have a higher concentration of α-tocopherol, and their ß-carotene concentration was higher compared with NSV cows. The NSV cows tended to have more cases of mastitis than CON cows in yr 2. Within the NSV group, fewer cows were healthy and more cases of mastitis were observed in yr 2 than in yr 1. The groups did not differ in production parameters. In conclusion, the vitamin status in blood and milk of the studied cows indicated that cows in organic dairy production can fulfill their requirements of vitamins A and E without any supplementation of synthetic vitamins, except at the time around calving, when the requirements are high. However, the impaired health of NSV cows in yr 2 may indicate a long-term negative health effect in cows fed no synthetic vitamins.