Patients with repeated acute admissions to somatic departments: sociodemographic characteristics, disease burden, and contact with primary healthcare sector - a retrospective register-based case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare systems face escalating capacity challenges and patients with repeated acute admissions strain hospital resources disproportionately. However, studies investigating the characteristics of such patients across all public healthcare providers in a universal healthcare system are lacking. OBJECTIVE: To investigate characteristics of patients with repeated acute admissions (three or more acute admissions within a calendar year) in regard to sociodemographic characteristics, disease burden, and contact with the primary healthcare sector. METHODS: This matched register-based case-control study investigated repeated acute admissions from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2018, among individuals, who resided in four Danish municipalities. The study included 6169 individuals with repeated acute admissions, matched 1:4 to individuals with no acute admissions and one to two acute admissions, respectively. Group comparisons were conducted using conditional logistic regression. RESULTS: Receiving social benefits increased the odds of repeated acute admissions 9.5-fold compared with no acute admissions (odds ratio (OR) 9.5; 95% confidence interval (CI) 8.5; 10.6) and 3.4-fold compared with one to two acute admissions (OR 3.4; 95% CI 3.1; 3.7). The odds of repeated acute admissions increased with the number of used medications and chronic diseases. Having a mental illness increased the odds of repeated acute admissions 5.8-fold when compared with no acute admissions (OR 5.7; 95% CI 5.2; 6.4) and 2.3-fold compared with one to two acute admissions (OR 2.3; 95% CI 2.1; 2.5). Also, high use of primary sector services (e.g. nursing care) increased the odds of repeated acute admissions when compared with no acute admissions and one to two acute admissions. CONCLUSIONS: This study pinpointed key factors encompassing social status, disease burden, and healthcare utilisation as pivotal markers of risk for repeated acute admissions, thus identifying high-risk patients and facilitating targeted intervention.

Use of primary health care and radiological imaging preceding a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis: a nationwide cohort study in Denmark.

OBJECTIVE: To explore health-care use in the 12 months preceding a diagnosis of RA in Denmark. METHODS: We conducted a population-based cohort study using data from national registries. Every patient diagnosed with RA in 2014-18 was matched to 10 reference individuals without RA from the Danish background population. Health-care use was defined as contacts to general practitioners, contacts to private practicing physiotherapists, and X-rays of hands and/or feet performed in primary or secondary care. We estimated the monthly contact rates for patients and references in the 12 months preceding the diagnosis, and we compared incidence rates for health-care use in each month between the two groups while adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and comorbidity. RESULTS: We included 7427 patients with RA and 74 270 references. Patients with RA had increasing contact rates with general practitioners and physiotherapists from 6 to 8 months before the diagnosis. Compared with references, women with RA had statistically significantly more contacts to general practitioners and physiotherapists during all 12 months. A similar contact pattern was seen in men, albeit less distinct. The number of X-rays increased slightly from 8 months before the diagnosis, with a steep increase in the last 3 months. CONCLUSION: Increased contacts to general practitioners and physiotherapists were seen in all 12 months preceding the RA diagnosis, intensifying in the last 6 to 8 months. Imaging increased from 3 months before the diagnosis. This indicates an opportunity to expedite referral to specialist care and ensure earlier diagnosis of RA.

Glucose-lowering drug use in migrants and native Danes with type 2 diabetes: Disparities in combination therapy and drug types.

AIM: To examine disparities in glucose-lowering drug (GLD) usage between migrants and native Danes with type 2 diabetes (T2D). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a nationwide, register-based cross-sectional study of 253 364 individuals with prevalent T2D on December 31, 2018, we examined user prevalence during 2019 of (i) GLD combination therapies and (ii) individual GLD types. Migrants were grouped by origin (Middle East, Europe, Turkey, Former Yugoslavia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Somalia, Vietnam), and relative risk (RR) versus native Danes was computed using robust Poisson regression to adjust for clinical and socioeconomic characteristics. RESULTS: In 2019, 34.7% of native Danes received combination therapy, and prevalence was lower in most migrant groups (RR from 0.78, 95% confidence interval CI 0.71-0.85 [Somalia group] to 1.00, 95% CI 0.97-1.04 [former Yugoslavia group]). Among native Danes, the most widely used oral GLD was metformin (used by 62.1%), followed by dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (13.3%), sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (11.9%) and sulphonylureas (5.2%), and user prevalence was higher in most migrant groups (RR for use of any oral GLD: 0.99, 95% CI 0.97-1.01 [Europe group] to 1.09, 95% CI 1.06-1.11 [Sri Lanka group]). Furthermore, 18.7% of native Danes used insulins and 13.3% used glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), but use was less prevalent in migrants (RR for insulins: 0.66, 95% CI 0.62-0.71 [Sri Lanka group] to 0.94, 95% CI 0.89-0.99 [Europe group]; RR for GLP-1RAs: 0.29, 95% CI 0.22-0.39 [Somalia group] to 0.95, 95% CI 0.89-1.01 [Europe group]). CONCLUSIONS: Disparities in GLD types and combination therapy were evident between migrants and native Danes. Migrants were more likely to use oral GLDs and less likely to use injection-based GLDs, particularly GLP-1RAs, which may contribute to complication risk and mortality among this group.

Gender disparities in time-to-initiation of cardioprotective glucose-lowering drugs in patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease: a Danish nationwide cohort study.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to examine the impact of gender and specific type of cardiovascular disease (CVD) diagnosis (ischemic heart disease [IHD], heart failure, peripheral artery disease [PAD] or stroke) on time-to-initiation of either a sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor or glucagon-like peptide 1 analogue (collectively termed cardioprotective GLD) after a dual diagnosis of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and CVD. METHODS: In a nationwide cohort study, we identified patients with a new dual diagnosis of T2DM and CVD (January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2018). Cumulative user proportion (CUP) were assessed. Poisson models were used to estimate the initiation rate of cardioprotective GLDs. The final analyses were adjusted for potential confounders. RESULTS: In total, we included 70,538 patients with new-onset T2DM and CVD (38% female, mean age 70 ± 12 years at inclusion). During 183,256 person-years, 6,276 patients redeemed a prescription of a cardioprotective GLD. One-year CUPs of cardioprotective GLDs were lower in women than men. Initiation rates of GLDs were lower in women (female-to-male initiation-rate-ratio crude: 0.76, 95% CI 0.72-0.81); adjusted 0.92, 95% CI 0.87-0.97). In CVD-stratified analysis, the adjusted initiation rate ratio was lower in female patients with IHD and heart failure (IHD: 0.91 [95% CI 0.85-0.98], heart failure: 0.85 [95% CI 0.73-1.00], PAD: 0.92 [95% CI 0.78-1.09], and stroke: 1.06 [95% CI 0.93-1.20]). CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with a new dual diagnosis of T2DM and CVD, female gender is associated with lower initiation rates of cardioprotective GLDs, especially if the patient has IHD or heart failure.

The Technology Acceptance of Video Consultations for Type 2 Diabetes Care in General Practice: Cross-sectional Survey of Danish General Practitioners.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, video consultations became a common method of delivering care in general practice. To date, research has mostly studied acute or subacute care, thereby leaving a knowledge gap regarding the potential of using video consultations to manage chronic diseases. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine general practitioners' technology acceptance of video consultations for the purpose of managing type 2 diabetes in general practice. METHODS: A web-based survey based on the technology acceptance model measuring 4 dimensions-perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude, and behavioral intention to use-was sent to all general practices (N=1678) in Denmark to elicit user perspectives. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. RESULTS: The survey sample comprised 425 general practitioners who were representative of the population. Structural equation modeling showed that 4 of the 5 hypotheses in the final research model were statistically significant (P<.001). Perceived ease of use had a positive influence on perceived usefulness and attitude. Attitude was positively influenced by perceived usefulness. Attitude had a positive influence on behavioral intention to use, although perceived usefulness did not. Goodness-of-fit indices showed acceptable fits for the structural equation modeling estimation. CONCLUSIONS: Perceived usefulness was the primary driver of general practitioners' positive attitude toward video consultations for type 2 diabetes care. The study suggests that to improve attitude and technology use, decision-makers should focus on improving usefulness, that is, how it can improve treatment and make it more effective and easier.

Organophosphate and carbamate insecticide exposure is related to lung function change among smallholder farmers: a prospective study.

INTRODUCTION AND AIM: Exposure to some insecticides may cause airway obstruction, but existing evidence is limited by cross-sectional designs and inadequate confounder control. We investigated the relation between organophosphate and carbamate insecticides and pulmonary function in a prospective study accounting for important confounders. METHODS: In a cohort of 364 smallholder farmers in Uganda (69% women), participants underwent pre-bronchodilator spirometry at baseline (September/October 2018) and at two follow-up visits (November/December 2018 and January/February 2019). Exposure to carbamate and organophosphate insecticides was assessed using haemoglobin-adjusted erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase (AChE/Hb). Less than 3% of participants were lost to follow-up. We calculated Z-scores for FEV1, FVC and FEV1/FVC using the Global Lung Function Initiative equations. Data were analysed in linear mixed and fixed effect models accounting for family relationships and repeated measures of exposure and outcome. RESULTS: Low AChE/Hb was significantly associated with low FEV1 Z-score in both unadjusted and adjusted analyses. Compared with individuals with AChE/Hb 25.90 U/g (50th percentile, reference), those with lower AChE/Hb 24.50 U/g (35th percentile) had mean FEV1 Z-score 0.045 (0.003 to 0.087) lower, and persons with higher AChE/Hb 27.30 U/g (65th percentile) had a mean FEV1 Z-score 0.043 (-0.002 to 0.087) higher compared with the reference. Similar, but numerically smaller and statistically non-significant effects were seen for Z-scores of FVC and FEV1/FVC. CONCLUSION: Exposure to organophosphate and carbamate insecticides may lead to lung function decline. Our results add to the growing evidence of health effects in relation to exposure to organophosphate and carbamate insecticides, underlining the importance of minimising exposure.

The Significance of Depression for Short-term Readmission and Mortality After a Pneumonia Admission.

BACKGROUND: Depression is highly prevalent among hospitalized patients with pneumonia. At discharge, these patients transfer to a less care-intensive home-based setting. Nevertheless, little is known on the prognosis in the postdischarge period. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of depression on 30-day mortality and readmission in persons discharged after a pneumonia admission. DESIGN: This was a population-based cohort study using the Danish registries. SUBJECTS: All persons aged 50+ years with a pneumonia admission in 2000-2016 in Denmark. MEASURES: Mortality rate ratios for 30-day mortality and incidence rate ratios for 30-day readmission in pneumonia patients with versus without depression. RESULTS: We identified 379,265 pneumonia admissions, hereof 83,257 (22.0%) with depression. The overall adjusted mortality rate ratio was 1.29 (95% confidence interval: 1.25-1.33), and the overall adjusted incidence rate ratio was 1.07 (95% confidence interval: 1.05-1.08). The mortality risk was higher for all ages and throughout the 30-day period in persons with versus without depression. This risk was modified by sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics (excluding sex and education), admission-related factors, comorbidities, and use of benzodiazepines, opioids, or antipsychotics. The readmission risk was higher until age 90 and tended to be higher throughout the 30-day period. This risk was modified by age, cohabitation, residency, admission-related factors, comorbidities, and use of opioids or antipsychotics. For both outcomes, the relative effect of depression was highest among the youngest, among those with a short hospital stay and among those with few comorbidities. CONCLUSION: Depression is an independent risk factor for 30-day mortality and readmission in persons who transfer from hospital care to home-based care.

Association of weight loss and weight loss maintenance following diabetes diagnosis by screening and incidence of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality: An observational analysis of the ADDITION-Europe trial.

AIMS: Short-term weight loss may lead to remission of type 2 diabetes but the effect of maintained weight loss on cardiovascular disease (CVD) is unknown. We quantified the associations between changes in weight 5 years following a diagnosis of diabetes, and incident CVD events and mortality up to 10 years after diagnosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Observational analysis of the ADDITION-Europe trial of 2730 adults with screen-detected type 2 diabetes from the UK, Denmark and the Netherlands. We defined weight change based on the maintenance at 5 years of weight loss achieved during the year after diabetes diagnosis, and as 5-year overall change in weight. Incident CVD events (n = 229) and all-cause mortality (n = 225) from 5 to 10 years follow-up were ascertained from medical records. RESULTS: Gaining >2% weight during the year after diabetes diagnosis was associated with higher hazard of all-cause mortality versus maintaining weight [hazard ratio (95% confidence interval): 3.18 (1.30-7.82)]. Losing ≥5% weight 1 year after diagnosis was also associated with mortality, whether or not weight loss was maintained at 5 years: 2.47 (0.99-6.21) and 2.72 (1.17-6.30), respectively. Losing ≥10% weight over 5 years was associated with mortality among those with body mass index <30 kg/m2 [4.62 (1.87-11.42)]. Associations with CVD incidence were inconclusive. CONCLUSIONS: Both weight loss and weight gain after screen-detected diabetes diagnosis were associated with higher mortality, but not CVD events, particularly among participants without obesity. The clinical implications of weight loss following a diagnosis of diabetes probably depend on its magnitude and timing, and may differ by body mass index status. Personalization of weight loss advice and support may be warranted.

Exposure to cholinesterase inhibiting insecticides and blood glucose level in a population of Ugandan smallholder farmers.

OBJECTIVES: The risk of diabetes mellitus may be elevated among persons exposed to some pesticides, including cholinesterase-inhibiting insecticides (organophosphates and carbamates). The objective of this study was to investigate how acetylcholinesterase activity was associated with mean blood glucose levels among smallholder farmers in Uganda. METHODS: We conducted a short-term follow-up study among 364 smallholder farmers in Uganda. Participants were examined three times from September 2018 to February 2019. At each visit, we measured glycosylated haemoglobin A (HbA1c) as a measure of long-term average blood glucose levels. Exposure to organophosphate and carbamate insecticides was quantified using erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase normalised by haemoglobin (AChE/Hb). For a subgroup of participants, fasting plasma glucose (FPG) was also available. We analysed HbA1c and FPG versus AChE/Hb in linear mixed and fixed effect models adjusting for age, sex, physical activity level, and consumption of fruits and vegetables, alcohol and tobacco. RESULTS: Contrary to our hypothesis, our mixed effect models showed significant correlation between low AChE/Hb and low HbA1c. Adjusted mean HbA1c was 0.74 (95% CI 0.17 to 1.31) mmol/mol lower for subjects with AChE/Hb=24.3 U/g (35th percentile) compared with subjects with AChE/Hb=25.8 U/g (50th percentile). Similar results were demonstrated for FPG. Fixed effect models showed less clear correlations for between-phase changes in AChE/Hb and HbA1c. CONCLUSIONS: Our results do not clearly support a causal link between exposure to cholinesterase-inhibiting insecticides and elevated blood glucose levels (expressed as HbA1c and FPG), but results should be interpreted with caution due to the risk of reverse causality.

Pesticide exposure and diabetes mellitus in a semi-urban Nepali population: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: Epidemiological studies suggest exposure to pesticides to be related to risk of diabetes mellitus. The objective of the present study was to assess the association between pesticide use and diabetes mellitus in a semi-urban population in Nepal. METHODS: We conducted a nested cross-sectional study on pesticides and diabetes mellitus in a population-based cohort from the former Lekhnath Municipality, Nepal. 2643 persons were invited, and 2310 persons participated (response rate 87.4%). All participants were tested for fasting plasma glucose. Diabetes mellitus was defined as either fasting plasma glucose (FPG) ≥ 7.0 mmol/L (126 mg/dL) or self-reported diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. Exposure to pesticides was determined by questionnaire. For the exposed persons, three exposure metrics (years of exposure, weeks of exposure per year and hours of exposure per week) were categorized and used to model exposure-response relationships. RESULTS: Although 62% of participants reported to be exposed to pesticides, the frequency and intensity of pesticide usage was low. Contrary to our hypothesis, we found lower odds of diabetes mellitus among persons reporting any pesticide use compared to those reporting no use of pesticides-adjusted odds ratio with 95% CI = 0.68 [0.52; 0.90]. However, we found no clear exposure-response relationships between pesticide exposure and neither diabetes mellitus nor FPG, and few and inconsistent associations were seen between pesticide exposure and symptoms of acute pesticide intoxication. CONCLUSIONS: The apparently lower odds of diabetes mellitus among pesticide-exposed persons in this population are probably due to residual confounding. Our results do not seem to support an association between pesticide exposure and diabetes mellitus in this low-exposed population dominated by subsistence farmers, although results should be interpreted with caution in light of the study limitations.

NT-proBNP to exclude heart failure in primary care - a pragmatic, cluster-randomized study.

Heart failure (HF) is difficult to recognize in primary care. N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) can be used as a rule-out test in HF due to its high negative predictive value. We aim to determine whether the number per 1000 patients of HF diagnoses increase among patients referred from primary care to an outpatient HF clinic, if general practitioners (GPs) were offered NT-proBNP in a real-life setting. All GP practices covered by Randers Regional Hospital were randomized to an intervention group (34 GP practices) and a control group (35 GP practices) in this pragmatic, cluster-randomized controlled trial. The main outcome was the number of patients referred to echocardiography and diagnosed with HF in each group. The number of patients per 1000 diagnosed with HF in the two groups was the same (0.09 (0.02-0.16) vs. 0.14 (0.07-0.21), p = .3541). A total of 700 NT-proBNP analyses, of which 611 were unique, were requested from 31 GP practices in 17.5 months. A total of 184 patients were referred to echocardiography on suspicion of HF. The number of patients per 1000 referred in the intervention group was significantly higher (p < .010). NT-proBNP was measured in 36.6% of referred patients in the intervention group. Significantly more women were diagnosed with HF in the intervention group (56.3% vs. 0%, p = .019). Hence, increased diagnostic effectiveness could not be shown in this real-life setting.

Validity of Danish register diagnoses of myocardial infarction and stroke against experts in people with screen-detected diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Administrative patient registers are often used to estimate morbidity in epidemiological studies. The validity of register data is thus important. This study aims to assess the positive predictive value of myocardial infarction and stroke registered in the Danish National Patient Register, and to examine the association between cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular disease based on register data or validated diagnoses in a well-defined diabetes population. METHODS: We included 1533 individuals found with screen-detected type 2 diabetes in the ADDITION-Denmark study in 2001-2006. All individuals were followed for cardiovascular outcomes until the end of 2014. Hospital discharge codes for myocardial infarction and stroke were identified in the Danish National Patient Register. Hospital medical records and other clinically relevant information were collected and an independent adjudication committee evaluated all possible events. The positive predictive value for myocardial infarction and stroke were calculated as the proportion of cases recorded in the Danish National Patient Register confirmed by the adjudication committee. RESULTS: The positive predictive value was 75% (95% CI: 64;84) for MI and 70% (95% CI: 54;80) for stroke. The association between cardiovascular risk factors and incident cardiovascular disease did not depend on using register-based or verified diagnoses. However, a tendency was seen towards stronger associations when using verified diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that studies using only register-based diagnoses are likely to misclassify cardiovascular outcomes. Moreover, the results suggest that the magnitude of associations between cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular outcomes may be underestimated when using register-based diagnoses.

The effect on participation rates of including focused spirometry information in a health check invitation: a cluster-randomised trial in Denmark.

BACKGROUND: Early detection of lung disease may help reduce disease development. Detection through preventive health checks may be beneficial. Nevertheless, the knowledge is sparse on how to enhance the participation rate in health checks among citizens at risk of developing lung disease. This study investigates if focused information on spirometry can increase the participation rate in a general health check. METHODS: We conducted an open-label, household cluster-randomised trial with a two-group parallel design including 4407 citizens aged 30-49 years in Denmark and an average cluster size of 1.55 citizens per household. The control group (n = 2213) received a standard invitation describing the content of the general health check and containing practical information. The intervention group (n = 2194) received an extended invitation highlighting the benefits of early detection and prevention of lung disease. The primary outcome was difference in participation rate between the two groups. The secondary outcome was the proportion of participants at risk of lung disease in both groups. Risk profile was defined as current smoking or self-reported lung symptoms. The inclusion period was 25 November 2015-3 February 2017. RESULTS: No major difference in participation rate was seen between the intervention group (53.4%) and the control group (52.0%). Participants had statistically significantly higher education level compared to non-participants. A total of 24.2% of the participants were at risk of developing lung disease, but no difference was found between the intervention group and the control group. CONCLUSION: This study revealed no effect on participation rate of including focused spirometry information in the health check invitation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02615769 . Registered on 25 November 2015. The trial protocol has been published.

Effect of screening for type 2 diabetes on healthcare costs: a register-based study among 139,075 individuals diagnosed with diabetes in Denmark between 2001 and 2009.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Trials have not demonstrated benefits to the population of screening for type 2 diabetes. However, there may be cost savings for those found to have diabetes. We therefore aimed to compare healthcare costs among individuals with incident type 2 diabetes in a screened group with those in an unscreened group. METHODS: In this register-based, non-randomised controlled trial, eligible individuals were men and women aged 40-69 years without known diabetes who were registered with a general practice in Denmark (n = 1,912,392). Between 2001 and 2006, 153,107 individuals registered with 181 practices participating in the Anglo-Danish-Dutch Study of Intensive Treatment in People with Screen Detected Diabetes in Primary Care (ADDITION)-Denmark study were sent a diabetes risk-score questionnaire. Individuals with a moderate-to-high risk were invited to visit their family doctor for assessment of diabetes status and cardiovascular risk (screening group). The 1,759,285 individuals registered with all other practices in Denmark constituted the retrospectively constructed no-screening (control) group. In this post hoc analysis, we identified individuals from the screening and no-screening groups who were diagnosed with diabetes between 2001 and 2009 (n = 139,075). Using national registry data, we quantified the cost of healthcare services in these two groups between 2001 and 2012. From a healthcare sector perspective, we estimated the potential healthcare cost savings for individuals with diabetes that were attributable to the screening programme. RESULTS: In the screening group, 27,177 of 153,107 individuals (18% of those sent a risk-score questionnaire) attended for screening, 1533 of whom were diagnosed with diabetes. Between 2001 and 2009, 13,992 people were newly diagnosed with diabetes in the screening group (including those diagnosed by screening) and 125,083 in the no-screening group. Healthcare costs were significantly lower in the screening group compared with the no-screening group (difference in mean total annual healthcare costs -€889 per individual with incident diabetes; 95% CI -€1196, -€581). The screening programme was associated with a cost saving per person with incident diabetes over a 5-year period of €2688 (95% CI €1421, €3995). CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Healthcare costs were lower among individuals with incident type 2 diabetes in the screened group compared with the unscreened group. The relatively modest cost of screening per person discovered to have developed diabetes was offset within 2 years by savings in the healthcare system.

Correction to: Soluble CD163, adiponectin, C-reactive protein and progression of dysglycaemia in individuals at high risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: the ADDITION-PRO cohort.

The authors have discovered a coding error in the statistical analysis syntax file used for the mixed-effect model analyses in this paper. The error has led to differences (first decimal) in the estimates for the main results.

The role of physical activity in the development of first cardiovascular disease event: a tree-structured survival analysis of the Danish ADDITION-PRO cohort.

BACKGROUND: Ambiguity exists in relation to the role of physical activity (PA) for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk reduction. We examined the interplay between PA dimensions and more conventional CVD risk factors to assess which PA dimensions were associated with the first CVD event and whether subgroup differences exist. METHODS: A total of 1449 individuals [median age 65.8 (IQR: 61.2, 70.7) years] with low to high risk of type 2 diabetes and free from CVD from the Danish ADDITION-PRO study were included for survival analysis. PA was measured by individually calibrated heart rate and movement sensing for 7 consecutive days. The associations of different PA dimensions (PA energy expenditure, time spent in light-, moderate- and vigorous intensity PA), sedentary time and other conventional CVD risk factors with the first CVD event were examined by tree-structured survival analysis. Baseline information was linked to data on the first CVD event (ischemic heart disease, ischemic stroke, heart failure, atrial flutter/fibrillation and atherosclerotic disease) and mortality obtained from Danish registers. RESULTS: During a median follow-up time of 5.5 (IQR: 5.1-6.1) years, a total of 201 individuals (13.9%) developed CVD. Overall CVD incidence rate was 2.6/100 person-years. PA energy expenditure above 43 kJ/kg/day was associated with lower rates of CVD events among participants ≤ 70 years and with HbA1c ≤ 5.7% (39 mmol/mol), systolic blood pressure ≤ 156 mmHg and albumin creatinine ratio ≤ 70 (incidence rates 0.0-0.8/100 person-years). CONCLUSIONS: Any type of PA resulting in increased PA energy expenditure may over time be the best prevention strategy to uphold reduced risk of CVD.

Uptake of health checks by residents from the Danish social housing sector - a register-based cross-sectional study of patient characteristics in the 'Your Life - Your Health' program.

BACKGROUND: Poor uptake among socio-economically disadvantaged and susceptible populations is a well-known challenge of general health check interventions, and is widely cited as one of the reasons for the lack of population level effects seen in many studies. We report on patient characteristics among attendees and non-attendees of health checks made available to residents in the social housing sector of the municipality of Aarhus. We focus on this general population, as well as a particular sub-group living in an exceptionally deprived social housing area, and discuss the properties of intervention uptake that we need to be aware of to qualify and compare the effects of general versus targeted health checks in socially deprived areas. METHODS: Cross-sectionally in a sample of 6650 residents of the Aarhus social housing sector who were invited for a health check in the first year of the 'Your Life - Your Health' program. The analyses consisted of 1) descriptive analysis of the characteristics of attenders/non-attenders, 2) unadjusted and adjusted Poisson regression to examine associations of patient characteristics and uptake of health checks, and 3) decision tree analyses (CHAID) to examine interaction and homogeneity in patient characteristics among attenders. RESULTS: Of the overall population 30% attended. In a nested cohort of people residing in a particularly deprived social housing settlement, 25% attended. Further, in the overall population, we found an association between the likelihood of taking up a health check and age, sex, country of origin, educational attainment, cohabitation, occupational status, and past medical treatment. In the nested cohort the association between uptake and medical treatment was non-significant, while the association between uptake and occupation was limited to people who were employed. These results resonate with past evidence on health check attendance. CONCLUSIONS: Attendance in the 'Your Life - Your Health' program is higher among people of a higher socio-economic status. This should be taken into consideration when analysing and interpreting the overall study effects. Moreover, the results suggest that a targeted approach in the social housing sector could be more effective than a mass screening approach. However, more information is required to make such assertion definitive.

Diabetes management training for female community health volunteers in Western Nepal: an implementation experience.

BACKGROUND: In the backdroup of a rapidly increasing burden of diabetes in Nepal, a community-based diabetes management program is implemented involving female community health volunteers (FCHVs) under the government run FCHVs program. FCHVs received an intensive one-week training workshop on prevention, control and management of diabetes. The training program was implemented and evaluated to enhance diabetes knowledge of FCHVs and matched according to their literacy level. METHODS: A range of teaching methods were applied, including desk review, active participation, lectures, presentations, discussions, role plays, demonstration and field test. Evaluation of the knowledge attained was done by testing before and after the workshop. Major milestones in the development of the training module were presented from desk review and ending in stakeholder's participation in reviewing and revising the training package. The qualitative interview transcripts of FCHVs were analyzed thematically. RESULTS: A 5-day training package was developed through a desk review of interventions using community health workers (CHWs) on diabetes management from similar settings. Training module included home-based blood glucose monitoring and home-based health education on life style counselling delivered through a participatory learning approach. There were 20 participants with a mean age of 47 years (SD ± 5.7). The overall assessment of knowledge of diabetes before-after the training, evaluated by the Diabetes Knowledge Questionnaire (DKQ) showed increases in mean score from 40.4% before training to a mean score of 63.3% after training (Paired t-test: t = - 11.1, P < 0.001, and Wilcoxon test for paired samples: z = - 3.930, P = 0.0001). Focus group discussions (FGDs) revealed that FCHVs had a favorable perception of the training program's effectiveness. CONCLUSIONS: If FCHVs are appropriately trained they may be instrumental in providing counseling and screening for diabetes management in their communities.

The effect of cardiorespiratory fitness assessment in preventive health checks: a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Poor cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) increases morbidity and mortality risks. Routine CRF assessment in clinical practice has thus been advocated, but little is known about the effect. In this study, we investigated the effect of CRF assessment on CRF in a preventive health check programme. Methods: We used a randomised design, in which we invited 4153 middle-aged adults and included 2201 participants who received a preventive health check with CRF assessment (intervention) or without CRF assessment (control). After 1 year, participants were examined. The primary outcomes were adjusted absolute (l/min), relative (ml/kg/min), and poor (%) CRF assessed by the Astrand-Ryhming test. We adjusted for baseline physical activity and intra-cluster correlation within general practices. Results: A total of 901 attended the 1-year follow-up. In the intervention group, absolute CRF, relative CRF, and poor CRF were 2.7 l/min (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.6; 2.8), 34.5 ml/kg/min (95% CI: 33.5; 35.4), and 31.0% (95% CI: 26.8; 35.2). In the control group, the corresponding figures were 2.8 l/min (95% CI: 2.7; 2.9), 35.2 ml/kg/min (95% CI: 34.2; 36.1), and 25.9% (95% CI: 21.8; 30.0). Adjusted absolute CRF was lower in the intervention group (-0.1 l/min [95% CI: -0.2; -0.01]). Adjusted relative CRF (-0.7 ml/kg/min [95% CI: -2.0; 0.6]) and poor CRF (5.0% [95% CI: -0.002; 10.1]) did not differ between groups. No differences were found when adjusting for potential confounding factors. Conclusion: Preventive health checks with CRF assessment did not provide higher CRF levels at 1-year follow-up than preventive health checks without CRF assessment.

Initiation and cessation of mental healthcare after mental health screening in primary care: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Mental health (MH) problems have considerable personal and societal implications. Systematic MH screening may raise general practitioners' (GP) awareness of the current need of treatment in their listed patients. The focus of MH screening has so far been on increasing diagnostic rates and treatment of mental disorders, whereas cessation of MH treatment after normal test results has rarely been studied. This study aims to examine the mental healthcare trajectories after MH screening combined with feedback on both positive and negative screening results to the GP. METHODS: This prospective cohort study is based on data from 11,714 randomly selected individuals aged 30-49 years, who were invited to a preventive health check in Denmark during 2012-2015. A total of 5970 (51%) were included. MH status was assessed using the SF-12 Health Survey Mental Component Summary score, and scores were categorised into poor, moderate, and good MH. 'Mental healthcare' within 1 year of follow-up covered the following MH support: psychometric testing by GP, talk therapy by GP, contact to psychologist, contact to psychiatrist, and psychotropic medication. RESULTS: MH was found to be poor in 9%, moderate in 25%, and good in 66% of participants. After 1 year, mental healthcare was initiated in 29% of the participants with poor MH who did not receive mental healthcare at baseline, and mental healthcare was ceased in 44% of the participants with good MH who received mental healthcare at baseline. Odds ratio (OR) for initiation of mental healthcare was associated with worse MH screening status: poor MH: OR 7.1 (5.4-9.4), moderate MH: OR 2.4 (1.9-3.1), compared to those with good MH. OR for cessation of mental healthcare was associated with better MH screening status: good MH: OR 1.6 (1.1-2.6), moderate MH: OR 1.6 (1.0-2.4), compared to those with poor MH. Initiation and cessation of mental healthcare appeared to be time-related to the MH screening. CONCLUSIONS: MH screening combined with feedback on both positive and negative screening results to the GP may contribute to relevant initiation and cessation of mental healthcare. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registration of the Check Your Health-trial: ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT02028195 ), 7 March 2014.