Case fatality of myocardial infarction among shift workers.

PURPOSE: Shift work has been associated with an excess risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and more specifically myocardial infarction (MI). The majority of the studies that found a positive association between shift work and CVD have been based on incidence data. The results from studies on cardiovascular-related mortality among shift workers have shown little or no elevated mortality associated with shift work. None of the previous studies have analysed short-term mortality (case fatality) after MI. Therefore, we investigated whether shift work is associated with increased case fatality after MI compared with day workers. METHODS: Data on incident cases with first MI were obtained from case-control study conducted in two geographical sites in Sweden (Stockholm Heart Epidemiology Program and Västernorrland Heart Epidemiology Program), including 1,542 cases (1,147 men and 395 women) of MI with complete working time information and 65 years or younger. Case fatality was defined as death within 28 days of onset of MI. Risk estimates were calculated using logistic regression. RESULTS: The crude odds ratios for case fatality among male shift workers were 1.63 [95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.12, 2.38] and 0.56 (95 % CI 0.26, 1.18) for female shift workers compared with day workers. Adjustments for established cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes type II and socio-economic status did not alter the results. CONCLUSION: Shift work was associated with increased risk of case fatality among male shift workers after the first MI.

Long-Term Follow Up of Sexual Function and Steroid Levels in Women after Perimenopausal Hysterectomy with or without Concomitant Oophorectomy.

Hysterectomy, most often performed because of bleeding disorders or uterine leiomyoma, is one of the most common major surgical procedures in women and is usually performed during the perimenopausal period on ages 45-55 years. Hysterectomy may be combined with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, as a risk-reducing procedure to minimize the risk of ovarian cancer. An open question is whether concomitant oophorectomy, with cessation of ovarian androgen secretion, has any long-term effects on sexual function. In the present prospective cohort study of women undergoing benign hysterectomy, the long-term (10-12 years) effects on sexual function and changes in sex hormone levels were investigated in women having undergone perimenopausal hysterectomy, with or without concomitant bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Originally, 491 women (mean age around 50 years) were operated with (patient preference) either only hysterectomy (HYST) or hysterectomy plus bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (HYST + BSO), and 441 women (90%; HYST; n = 271 and HYST + BSO; n = 170) completed a one-year survey. In the present study, 185 women (42%) of the cohort with one-year follow up participated in the long-term follow up after 10-12 years. Follow-up was with the 10-item McCoy Female Sex Questionnaire and blood analysis of levels of testosterone, estradiol and sexual-hormone-binding globulin. The results showed that specific aspects of sexual function were lower after HYST + BSO compared to HYST 10-12 years after surgery. These lowered items were frequency of sexual fantasies, enjoyment of sexual activity, sexual arousal, and orgasmic frequency. No long-term differences in sex hormone levels were found between the two groups. In conclusion, some items related to sexual function were lower after HYST + BSO in a long-term perspective study, although the levels of testosterone were unaltered. This finding may have implications for clinical recommendations concerning prophylactic salpingo-oophorectomy or for hysterectomy during the perimenopausal age.

Risk of obstetric anal sphincter tear among primiparous women with a history of female genital mutilation, giving birth in Sweden.

BACKGROUND: Female genital mutilation (FGM) includes a range of procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia. It is a harmful procedure that violates human rights of girls and women. FGM has been associated with obstetric anal sphincter injury (OASI), among other adverse obstetric complications. However, the obstetric outcomes in high-income countries are not clear. The aim of this study was to compare the risk of OASI among primiparous women, with and without a history of FGM, giving birth in Sweden. METHOD: A population-based cohort-study based on data from the Swedish Medical Birth Register during the period 2014-2018. The study included primiparous women with singleton term pregnancies. We compared the risk, using multivariable logistic regression, of our main outcome OASI between women with a diagnosis of FGM and women without a diagnosis of FGM. Secondary outcomes included episiotomy and instrumental vaginal delivery. RESULT: A total of 239,486 primiparous women with a term singleton pregnancy were identified. We included 1,444 women with a diagnosis of FGM and 186,294 women without a diagnosis of FGM in our analysis. The overall rate of OASI was 3% in our study population. By using multivariable logistic regression analysis, we found that women with a diagnosis of FGM had a significantly increased odds ratio (OR) of OASI (OR 2.69, 95%CI: 2.14-3.37) compared to women without a diagnosis of FGM. We also found an association between FGM and instrumental delivery as well as the use of episiotomy. CONCLUSION: Women with a history of FGM have an almost tripled risk of OASI in comparison with women without FGM, when giving birth in a Swedish setting. Increased knowledge and awareness regarding FGM, and its potential health implications is crucial in order to minimise the risk of OASI among women with FGM giving birth in high-income countries. A limitation in our study is the lack of information about the specific types of FGM.

Feeding Problems Including Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder in Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder in a Multiethnic Population.

We examined feeding problems, including Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), in preschool children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Data were collected from a prospective longitudinal study of 46 children with ASD in a multiethnic, low resource area in Gothenburg, Sweden. Feeding problems were found in 76% of the children with ASD, and in 28%, the criteria for ARFID were met. The study highlights early onset age, the heterogeneity of feeding problems, and the need for multidisciplinary assessments in ASD as well as in feeding problems, and also the need for further elaboration of feeding disorder classifications in children.

Interaction between Shift Work and Established Coronary Risk Factors.

BACKGROUND: Shift work is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but the causes have not yet been fully established. It has been proposed that the coronary risk factors are more hazardous for shift workers, resulting in a potential interaction effect with shift work. OBJECTIVE: To analyse interaction effects of work schedule and established risk factors for coronary artery disease on the risk of myocardial infarction. METHODS: This analysis was conducted in SHEEP/VHEEP, a case-control study conducted in two counties in Sweden, comprising all first-time cases of myocardial infarction among men and women 45-70 years of age with controls stratified by sex, age, and hospital catchment area, totalling to 4648 participants. Synergy index (SI) was used as the main outcome analysis method for interaction analysis. RESULTS: There was an interaction effect between shift work and physical inactivity on the risk of myocardial infarction with SI of 2.05 (95% CI 1.07 to 3.92) for male shift workers. For female shift workers, interaction effects were found with high waist-hip ratio (SI 4.0, 95% CI 1.12 to 14.28) and elevated triglycerides (SI 5.69, 95% CI 1.67 to 19.38). CONCLUSION: Shift work and some established coronary risk factors have significant interactions.

Systematic Review of Validity Assessments of Framingham Risk Score Results in Health Economic Modelling of Lipid-Modifying Therapies in Europe.

BACKGROUND: The Framingham Risk Score is used both in the clinical setting and in health economic analyses to predict the risk for future coronary heart disease events. Based on an American population, the Framingham Risk Score has been criticised for potential overestimation of risk in European populations. OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether the use of the Framingham Risk Score actually was validated in health economic studies that modelled the effects of lipid-lowering treatment with statins on coronary heart disease events in European populations. METHODS: In this systematic literature review of all relevant published studies in English (literature searched September 2016 in PubMed, EMBASE and SCOPUS), 99 studies were identified and 22 were screened in full text, 18 of which were included. Key data were extracted and synthesised narratively. RESULTS: The only type of validation identified was a comparison against coronary heart disease risk data from one primary preventive and one secondary preventive clinical investigation, and from observational population data in one study. Taken together, those three studies reported an overall satisfactory accuracy in the results obtained by Framingham Risk Score predictions, but the Framingham Risk Score tended to underestimate non-fatal myocardial infarctions. In five studies, potential issues in applying the Framingham Risk Score on a European population were not addressed. CONCLUSION: Further studies are needed to ascertain that the Framingham Risk Score can accurately predict cardiovascular outcome in health economic modelling studies on lipid-lowering therapy in European populations. Future modelling studies using the Framingham Risk Score would benefit from validating the results against other data.

Ischemic stroke and shift work.

OBJECTIVES: This study analyzed the potential association between shift work and ischemic stroke. METHODS: The analysis was carried out using a nested case-control study consisting of 138 shift workers and 469 day workers from the register of the Northern Sweden Monitoring of Trends and Determinants in Cardiovascular Diseases (MONICA) study and the Västerbotten Intervention Programme. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the risk estimate for day workers in a comparison with shift workers and the risk of ischemic stroke. RESULTS: The crude odds ratio for shift workers' risk of experiencing an ischemic stroke was 1.0 (95% confidence interval 0.6-1.8) for both the men and the women. The risk estimates were consistent despite the introduction of several recognized risk factors for ischemic stroke in the logistic regression models. CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, none of the findings indicated a higher risk of shift workers undergoing an ischemic stroke than day workers.

Introduction of point of care analysis for prescribing warfarin at a Swedish primary care centre.

Boo Health Centre in Nacka, Sweden, manages approximately 240 patients on warfarin treatment. A risk analysis showed that testing and prescribing of warfarin involved 28 different steps and nine parties, leading to a high risk of errors. The aim of the study was to shorten and simplify the process flow for the testing and prescription of warfarin by introducing point of care analysis (POC). The aim was also to evaluate changes in time expenditure and cost related to the new processes well as the quality in form of time in therapeutic range (TTR) and number of adverse events. A study with POC was performed during six months in 2014. Time expenditure, cost, TTR, and adverse events related to warfarin treatment were recorded. An evaluation was also conducted in the form of surveys to patients and staff regarding satisfaction with the new process. The process was shortened from 28 steps and nine parties involved to nine steps and four parties involved. The patient got their test result and met with the prescribing doctor, all within the same visit, meaning that the feedback time for patients was shortened from one to three days by mail to less than 10 minutes at the medical centre. TTR did not change and the incidence of adverse events was not affected. The surveys showed that the overwhelming proportion of patients, doctors, assistant nurses, and laboratory staff were pleased with the changes and the patients would recommend others to monitor their treatment at Boo Health Centre. There was a reduction in time expenditure for the staff. The costs decreased from approximately 8 000 €/month to about 7 000 €/month. The introduction of the POC method enabled a shorter process flow with reduced time expenditure for both patients and staff and reduced costs. TTR did not change. Patients and staff were satisfied with the changes and the patients could take a more active role in their treatment. It is possible that POC analysis may have implications on improved compliance to warfarin treatment, if so, it will increase patient safety.