Mortality of bullous pemphigoid in the first year after diagnosis: a retrospective study in a Spanish medical centre.

BACKGROUND: Prognosis of patients with bullous pemphigoid (BP) is controversial, with a 1-year mortality rate ranging from 6% to 48%. OBJECTIVE: To determine the mortality rate of a large cohort of patients with BP and to identify prognostic factors associated with early mortality. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with BP between January 1, 1990 and December 31, 2010 in a referral unit for blistering skin diseases at a university hospital in Spain were studied retrospectively. Outcome measures were mortality rate during the first year after diagnosis, standardized mortality rate and poor prognostic factors. RESULTS: A total of 101 patients were included in the study. The mean patient age at diagnosis was 77.8 years, and 52 (51.5%) were men. Overall mortality during the first year was 12.9%. We found a standardized mortality ratio of 2.33 [CI95 = (1.25-4.03)]. Advanced age (patient group >80 years old) was the only risk factor for lethal outcome found, with a multivariate risk estimate of 1.09 [CI95 = (1.02-1.16)]. No significant association with mortality was detected for comorbidities, hospitalization history or treatment received for BP. CONCLUSIONS: We found an increased mortality of our BP patients compared with the general population. The mortality rate of BP patients was 2.3 times the expected rate. Observed mortality rate was lower than described in previous European studies. Advanced age impacts the prognosis of patients with BP. Specific treatment for BP appeared not to influence survival.

Including information about co-morbidity in estimates of disease burden: results from the World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys.

BACKGROUND: The methodology commonly used to estimate disease burden, featuring ratings of severity of individual conditions, has been criticized for ignoring co-morbidity. A methodology that addresses this problem is proposed and illustrated here with data from the World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys. Although the analysis is based on self-reports about one's own conditions in a community survey, the logic applies equally well to analysis of hypothetical vignettes describing co-morbid condition profiles. METHOD: Face-to-face interviews in 13 countries (six developing, nine developed; n=31 067; response rate=69.6%) assessed 10 classes of chronic physical and nine of mental conditions. A visual analog scale (VAS) was used to assess overall perceived health. Multiple regression analysis with interactions for co-morbidity was used to estimate associations of conditions with VAS. Simulation was used to estimate condition-specific effects. RESULTS: The best-fitting model included condition main effects and interactions of types by numbers of conditions. Neurological conditions, insomnia and major depression were rated most severe. Adjustment for co-morbidity reduced condition-specific estimates with substantial between-condition variation (0.24-0.70 ratios of condition-specific estimates with and without adjustment for co-morbidity). The societal-level burden rankings were quite different from the individual-level rankings, with the highest societal-level rankings associated with conditions having high prevalence rather than high individual-level severity. CONCLUSIONS: Plausible estimates of disorder-specific effects on VAS can be obtained using methods that adjust for co-morbidity. These adjustments substantially influence condition-specific ratings.

[Depression in the elderly: prevalence and associated factors]. / Depresión en ancianos: prevalencia y factores asociados.

AIM: To determine the prevalence of depression, and to study the factors associated with it among community-dwelling 85-year-olds. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted within the framework of a randomized clinical trial in elderly people, all born in 1924, from seven urban and rural primary health care centers. Sociodemographic data and geriatric assessment were performed. Functional status was measured with Barthel index and Lawton index, cognitive impairment with Mini-mental Status Examination, social risk with Gijon test, and comorbidity by Charlson index. The presence of exhaustion and physical activity were recorded along with the chronic prescription of psycothropic drugs, and the presence of depression in clinical registers. Depression was evaluated using the Yesavage Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) of 5 items (depression ≥ 2). The statistical program used was the R project: (version 2.12.2) Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna. RESULTS: The sample was consisted of 220 subjects, 129 women (58.6%), 76 (34.5% were depressed using the GDS, 46 (20.9%) subjects had depression in the clinical records, and 60 (35.5%) patients were taking antidepressant drugs, 66 (36,8%) benzodiazepine, and 10 (4%) antipsychotic drugs. Depression was associated with poorer functional status according to basic and instrumental activities of daily living, cognitive impairment, exhaustion, low physical activity, and psychotropic drugs. Finally, the factors significantly associated with depression were low physical activity and increased exhaustion. CONCLUSIONS: The present study found a high prevalence of depression in subjects older than 85 years. Physical activity and having a good self-perception of energy are associated to a lower prevalence of depression.

Factors associated with social risk in 85-year-old community residents.

AIM: To evaluate the social risk and identify possible related factors among community-dwelling 85-year-old residents. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study within the frame of the Octabaix study was conducted. Subjects born in 1924 were included. Social risk was evaluated using the Gijon test (risk>9/25). Two groups were formed, using the cutoff value of 9. RESULTS: Of 328 subjects, 202 (61.6%) were women, 174 (53%) were widowed and 100 (30.5%) lived alone. The mean Gijon test was 9.8 (2.6) and social risk prevalence was 52.4% (172). Logistic analysis showed association with female (OR: 3.49; 95% CI: 2.03-5.98), living alone (OR: 6.25; 95% CI: 3.57-12.5), incapacity (OR: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.71-0.89) and lower quality of life (OR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.97-1.00). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of social risk among 85-year-olds is high (52%). Being a woman multiplies this risk by 3 and living alone in the community by 6.

Obsessive-compulsive symptom dimensions in the general population: results from an epidemiological study in six European countries.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of obsessive-compulsive symptom dimensions and their sociodemographic and psychopathological correlates at the population level are unknown. METHOD: Obsessive-compulsive symptom dimensions and mental disorders were assessed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview 3.0 in a random subsample (n=2804) of individuals participating in a cross-sectional survey of the adult general population of six European countries. RESULTS: The lifetime prevalence of any obsessive-compulsive symptom dimension was 13%. Harm/Checking was the most prevalent dimension (8%) followed by Somatic obsessions (5%) and Symmetry/Ordering (3%). Females were more likely to have symptoms in Contamination/Cleaning (OR=3, 95%CI=1.06-8.51) and Somatic obsessions (OR=1.88, 95%CI=1.05-3.37). All symptom dimensions were associated with an increased risk of most mental (but not physical) disorders. There were some differences in prevalence between countries. LIMITATIONS: The interference associated with each symptom dimension could not be assessed. Few direct data are available on the validity of the CIDI to assess obsessive-compulsive symptom dimensions. CONCLUSIONS: Obsessive-compulsive symptom dimensions are relatively frequent in the general population. Their sociodemographic and psychopathological correlates may be slightly different in clinical and community samples. They are associated with an increased risk of most mental disorders.