High incidence of vascular reconstructions in socioeconomically deprived areas of an urban Swedish population.

BACKGROUND: In Malmö approximately 250,000 citizens live in 17 administrative areas with substantial socioeconomic differences. At the single centre for arterial reconstruction, Malmö University Hospital, all procedures are registered prospectively. METHODS: Between 1987 and 2002, 1832 Malmö citizens underwent reconstruction for peripheral arterial disease, either intermittent claudication (IC) or critical leg ischaemia (CLI). A socioeconomic score based on migration rate, percentage of residents with foreign citizenship/residents with foreign background, social welfare support dependency and unemployment rate has previously been developed and validated for each area. The relationship between socioeconomic score and area-specific standardized morbidity ratios (SMRs) after vascular reconstruction was analysed by population-weighted linear regression. RESULTS: The mean incidence of vascular reconstruction was 76 (range 27-106) per 100,000 person years. Age- and sex-adjusted SMRs ranged from 0.57 to 1.39. A strong correlation between SMR and socioeconomic score was found overall (R=0.63; P=0.007), in men (R=0.63; P=0.007) and in women (R=0.58; P=0.039), and for IC (R=0.58; P=0.015) and CLI (R=0.58; P=0.015). CONCLUSION: In an urban population with similar access to medical care, vascular reconstruction rates varied substantially. High-rate areas were characterized by inferior socioeconomic circumstances and a higher prevalence of smoking, hypertension and obesity.

The role of low grade inflammation as measured by C-reactive protein levels in the explanation of socioeconomic differences in carotid atherosclerosis.

BACKGROUND: The role of inflammation as part of the explanation of socioeconomic differences in carotid atherosclerosis has not been specifically investigated. METHODS AND RESULTS: The associations between socioeconomic position (SEP), C-reactive protein (CRP), and preclinical carotid atherosclerosis were investigated in a general population sample of 3921 middle-aged Swedish men and women. Common carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and presence of carotid plaque (focal IMT > 1.2 mm) were determined by B-mode ultrasound. The results showed that low SEP was associated with increased levels of CRP, independently of established risk factors. Furthermore, common carotid IMT increased with increasing CRP-levels. Presence of carotid plaque increased with increasing CRP-levels in men, but not in women. While the socioeconomic differences in carotid IMT were weak, there were associations between low educational level and carotid plaque prevalence with an age- and sex-adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 1.39 (95% CI: 1.21, 1.59). A similar association was seen for having a manual occupation, OR = 1.23 (95% CI: 1.07, 1.42). The age- and sex-adjusted absolute differences in carotid plaque prevalence were 9% with regard to educational level and 7% with regard to occupational status. Adjustment for CRP caused only a minor attenuation of the association between SEP and carotid atherosclerosis. CONCLUSIONS: The association between SEP and carotid atherosclerosis as measured by carotid IMT and carotid plaque could only to a minor extent be referred to differences in low grade inflammation as measured by CRP.

Area social characteristics and carotid atherosclerosis.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the effect of social characteristics of residential areas on carotid atherosclerosis prevalence. METHODS AND RESULTS: The associations among area social characteristics and B-mode ultrasound determined carotid plaque-score (a semi-quantitative scale measuring the degree of atherosclerosis in the carotid bifurcation area) were cross-sectionally investigated in a general population sample of 4033 men and women. Area socioeconomic circumstances were described through a social deprivation index calculated from migration rate, percentage residents with foreign citizenship among those with foreign background, dependency on social welfare support, and employment rate. Living in socially deprived areas was associated with an increased carotid plaque-score in both men (P for trend = 0.004) and women (P for trend = 0.007). These associations were only slightly reduced after adjustment for individual level indicators with a decrease of the absolute mean difference in carotid plaque-score between worse-off and better-off areas of 9% for men and 13% for women, whereas adjustment for risk factors turned the trend non-significant in women, however, not in men. CONCLUSIONS: Those living in socially deprived areas in general had more extensive carotid atherosclerosis. However, in these areas there were a substantial number of individuals with low degrees of carotid atherosclerosis and vice versa. Thus, with regard to conceptual ideas of causal inference, the social characteristics of an area seem to be associated with the prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis. However, with regard to benefits of prevention, focusing on geographical areas would probably give a restricted benefit, where only some high-risk individuals would be reached.

Survival rate 28 days after hospital admission with first myocardial infarction. Inverse relationship with socio-economic circumstances.

OBJECTIVE: To study to what extent geographical differences of the mortality from ischaemic heart disease (IHD) can be accounted for by the 28-day case fatality rate (CFR) following first hospital admittance for acute myocardial infarction (MI) and whether the geographical pattern of survival has any relationship with socio-economic circumstances. DESIGN: Register-based surveillance study. SETTING: Seventeen residential areas in Malmö, Sweden. SUBJECTS: All 5533 patients were admitted during 1986-1995 for a first acute MI at Malmö University Hospital. Main outcome measures. CFR is based on record linkage with national registers. Area-specific cardiovascular and socio-economic scores (SES) are based on previous cross-sectional studies. RESULTS: In patients below 75 years of age, differences of the 28-day CFR accounted for 20-30% of the geographical variance in mortality from IHD. No corresponding association was found in older age groups. Patients from areas with low SES had the highest CFR, 23.8%. The odds ratios of fatal outcome for patients from areas with median and low SES (versus high SES) were 1.23 (95% CI: 1.01-1.50) and 1.25 (95% CI: 1.03-1.52), respectively (P for trend: 0.060). The strongest correlation was observed in men below 75 years of age (P for trend: 0.007). During the study period there was an improvement of the survival rate for patients from high and medium SES areas but no corresponding change for patients coming from areas having a low SES. CONCLUSIONS: In patients below 75 years, geographical differences of the mortality from IHD were related to differences of the 28-day CFR following hospital admittance for a first MI. Rates of survival were inversely related to socio-economic circumstances in the patient's residential area.

Costs for screening, intervention and hospital treatment generated by the Malmö Preventive Project: a large-scale community screening programme.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to estimate retrospectively the costs of health care resources used in the Malmö Preventive Project, Sweden and estimate the costs of in-patient care that were avoided because of early intervention. SETTING AND SUBJECTS: A large-scale community intervention programme was conducted from 1974 to 1992 in Malmö, Sweden with the aim of reducing morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), alcohol related illnesses, and breast cancer. Between 1974 and 1992, 33 336 male and female subjects were screened for hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, type-2 diabetes and alcohol abuse. Intervention programmes that included life-style modifications, follow-up visits with physicians and nurses and drug therapy were offered to about 25% of screened subjects. METHODS: Recruitment costs were generated through out the screening period. Intervention costs were estimated for 5 years after screening. Excess in-patient care costs were estimated by subtracting hospital consumption for an unscreened, matched cohort from that of the screened cohort over follow-up periods of 13-19 years. Intervention and excess in-patient care costs were estimated until 1996. RESULTS: The net expenditures for recruitment and intervention was SEK253 million and saved costs for in-patient care of SEK143 millions (1998 prices). Considering the opportunity cost of the resources used in the study, the net cost rises to about SEK200 millions. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that only part of the intervention costs were offset by reduction in future morbidity health care costs. This is in line with results from prospective analyses of other primary prevention programmes.

Geographic distribution of stroke incidence within an urban population: relations to socioeconomic circumstances and prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Geographic differences in stroke incidence indicate a potential for prevention. The present study from the city of Malmö, Sweden, sought to investigate whether incidence of stroke in residential areas is related to prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and socioeconomic circumstances. METHODS: The Stroke Register in Malmö, Sweden, was used for retrieval of the 3540 patients who suffered a first stroke between 1989 and 1998. The Malmö Diet and Cancer cohort (n=28 466) was used to assess area specific prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, smoking, and being overweight and for computation of a cardiovascular risk score. Socioeconomic circumstances for the 17 administrative areas were expressed in terms of a composite score. RESULTS: Standardized stroke incidence ranged among areas from 437 to 743 per 100 000 for men and from 223 to 518 per 100 000 for women. Socioeconomic score correlated significantly with area-specific stroke rates among men (r=-0.62, P=0.008) and women (r=-0.67, P=0.004). Incidence of stroke was significantly associated with cardiovascular risk score for each area (men, r=0.53, P<0.05; women, r=0.76, P<0.001). The cardiovascular score and the socioeconomic score together accounted for 44% of the geographic variance among men and 63% among women. CONCLUSIONS: Marked differences occurred in stroke incidence among residential areas within this urban population. High-rate areas were characterized by a higher prevalence of smoking, hypertension, diabetes, and being overweight and by inferior socioeconomic circumstances. These risk factors accounted for a substantial proportion of the geographic variance in incidence of stroke.

Geographical pattern of female deaths from myocardial infarction in an urban population: fatal outcome out-of-hospital related to socio-economic deprivation.

OBJECTIVE: This study of myocardial infarction (MI) amongst urban women has sought to assess whether there are differences in fatal outcome, in-hospital respectively out-of-hospital, between residential areas defined in terms of socio-economic circumstances. DESIGN: Register-based surveillance study 1986-95. SETTING: Seventeen residential areas in the city of Malmö, Sweden. SUBJECTS: Women 20-74 years of age. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Differences in fatal outcome, in-hospital respectively out-of-hospital, between residential areas were expressed in terms of age-adjusted odds ratios (ORs), calculated by means of logistic regression. Socio-economic circumstances in the areas were expressed in terms of a composite score. RESULTS: Between residential areas there were marked and statistically significant differences in incidence (range 124-328/10(5), P < 0.001, d.f.=16) and mortality (range 38-132/10(5), P < 0.005, d.f.=16). Area rates of mortality covaried with incidence (r=0.85, P < 0.001) and with odds ratios of fatal outcome out-of-hospital (r=0.52, P=0.031) but not in-hospital. The odds ratios of fatal outcome out-of-hospital decreased in a statistically significant stepwise fashion from areas in the lowest socio-economic quintile (reference) to areas in the highest socio-economic quintile (OR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.48-0.94). There was no corresponding association with the odds ratios of fatal outcome in-hospital. CONCLUSIONS: The high rate of mortality from MI amongst women in areas with deprived socio-economic circumstances was related to deaths occurring out-of-hospital. In order to assess the preventive potential there is a need for further studies that may clarify to what extent the association with socio-economic circumstances can be explained by other factors and conditions known to influence the probability of survival.

Self-administered questionnaire compared with a personal diary for assessment of current use of hormone therapy: an analysis of 16,060 women.

A personal diary may be more appropriate than a questionnaire for assessing self-reported current use of hormone therapy (estrogens, progestagens, or their combination); however, use of a questionnaire is more feasible and less expensive. The authors compared both methods for 16,060 Swedish women aged 45-73 years from the Malmo Diet and Cancer Study (baseline, 1991-1996). In a reliability analysis, the authors investigated the agreement (kappa value) between the questionnaire and the diary regarding current hormone therapy use (yes vs. no), studying the ability to replicate results whether or not they were correct. They also explored associations between discrepancy and individual characteristics. A validity analysis was conducted to determine whether use of the questionnaire achieved an outcome without systematic error (i.e., high specificity and sensitivity); the personal diary was considered the "gold standard." Agreement between both methods was high: 95.5% (kappa = 0.840). The sensitivity was 84.9% and the specificity 97.7%. Higher body mass index and being a widow were associated with agreement, whereas age (50-59 years), use of anxiolytics/hypnotics or opiates, high alcohol consumption, past smoking, and higher educational level were associated with discrepancy. Compared with a personal diary, a simple self-administered questionnaire is a valid method for assessing current use of hormone therapy.

Biased risk factor assessment in prospective studies of peripheral arterial disease due to change in exposure and selective mortality of high-risk individuals.

BACKGROUND: Our aim was to assess whether risk factor assessment in prospective studies of peripheral disease (PAD) might be biased by change in exposure and selective mortality of individuals at high risk. METHODS: The cohort 'Men born in 1914' has been followed since the baseline examination 1969. PAD, (i.e. ankle-brachial pressure index < 0.9) at the age of 68 was related to risk factors measured at the age of 55 and 68. RESULTS: Hypertension was present in 64% of the men. Of these, 62% were normotensive at 55. Men with hypertension at the age of 55 had lower odds for PAD (odds ratio 1.9; 95% CI 0.8-4.5) than men who were normotensive at 55 (odds ratio 3.0. 95% CI 1.5-6.1). One-third remained smokers at 68; 27% were ex-smokers. The odds for PAD was 3.0 times higher (95% CI 1.4-6.3) in ex-smokers and 2.6 times higher (95% CI 1.3-5.4) in current smokers than in non-smokers. Less than half remained in the same cholesterol quartile. The odds for PAD was 1.5 (95% CI 0.8-2.8) in men with hypercholesterolaemia at 68 and 2.2 (95% CI 1.1-4.7) in men with hypercholesterolemia at both examinations. Smoking and hypertension at the age of 55 were both associated with an increased mortality rate: 26% Of the smokers and 31% of the men with hypertension died before the age of 68. CONCLUSION: Risk factor assessment in prospective studies of PAD is affected by change in exposure and selective mortality of individuals at high risk.