Health Data for Public Health: Towards New Ways of Combining Data Sources to Support Research Efforts in Europe.

Objectives: To present the European landscape regarding the re-use of health administrative data for research. Methods: We present some collaborative projects and solutions that have been developed by Nordic countries, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, and the UK, to facilitate access to their health data for research purposes. Results: Research in public health is transitioning from siloed systems to more accessible and re-usable data resources. Following the example of the Nordic countries, several European countries aim at facilitating the re-use of their health administrative databases for research purposes. However, the ecosystem is still a complex patchwork, with different rules, policies, and processes for data provision. Conclusion: The challenges are such that with the abundance of health administrative data, only a European, overarching public health research infrastructure, is able to efficiently facilitate access to this data and accelerate research based on these highly valuable resources.

Higher prevalence of diabetes in hypertensive subjects with upper body fat distribution.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the association of hypertension and upper body fat distribution on the occurrence of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in Mexicans. MATERIAL AND METHODS: It was a population-based cross-sectional study in Cuajimalpa, a district of Mexico City. A total of 1066 subjects were home interviewed, and attended our clinic for fasting plasma glucose sampling, blood pressure and anthropometric measurements. Diabetes was defined according to the World Health Organization criteria, and hypertension as a blood pressure equal to or greater than 140/90. The ratio of upper to lower body skinfolds was used to estimate body fat distribution. RESULTS: The prevalence of diabetes was 12.0%. There was a significant positive trend in the age and sex adjusted prevalence of diabetes according to the magnitude of hypertension (p = 0.0006) and upper body fat distribution (p = 0.007). The age and sex adjusted prevalence in normotensive subjects with lower body fat distribution was 7.1% (95% confidence interval 5.9-8.2) whereas it was 19.9% (CI 17.0-22.8) in those with hypertension and upper body fat distribution. The prevalence of diabetes in Mexicans was high and it may be related to a genetic susceptibility for an insulin resistance syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that there is a dose response effect in the association of hypertension and upper body fat distribution with diabetes in Mexicans, and that there may be an interaction in the effect of hypertension and body fat distribution in this syndrome.

[Results of an educational program for adults with asthma]. / Resultados de un programa educativo para adultos con asma.

BACKGROUND: Asthma is a world health problem. Education of asthmatic patient has been proposed as a choice for diminishing mortality due to asthma. OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate that educational programs for asthmatic patients help to reduce disease's severity, crises and hospitalizations number and encourage a bigger therapeutic compliance. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 80 asthmatic patients were divided into two groups; first one received educational curse and second one does not. All patients received treatment according to international guides, including monthly consultation, flow-meter, and symptoms day book; an initial and final evaluation was made about disease's knowledge. Course consisted of a workshop including crisis management, use of inhaled medication, flow-metry and relaxation techniques. RESULTS: We studied 76 patients, with a mean age of 34 years; 36 were assigned to group 1 and 40 to group 2. Initial assessment of both groups was of 7.8, while final evaluation of groups 1 and 2 was of 9.3 and 8.4, respectively. Group 1 had lesser number of hospitalizations than group 2 (p-0.005), lesser number of emergency consultations (p-0.005) and a higher overall improvement than group 2, in which only 8 patients got well. A third part of the group 1 abandoned treatment, while patients that abandoned treatment in group 2 accounted for 79% (p < 0.0005). CONCLUSIONS: Educational programs for asthmatic adult patients diminish severity of disease, number of crises and hospitalizations, and also increase therapeutic compliance.