The State Scientific Automated Medical Registry, Kazakhstan: an important resource for low-dose radiation health research.

Direct quantitative assessment of health risks following exposure to ionizing radiation is based on findings from epidemiological studies. Populations affected by nuclear bomb testing are among those that allow such assessment. The population living around the former Soviet Union's Semipalatinsk nuclear test site is one of the largest human cohorts exposed to radiation from nuclear weapons tests. Following research that started in the 1960s, a registry that contains information on more than 300,000 individuals residing in the areas neighboring to the test site was established. Four nuclear weapons tests, conducted from 1949 to 1956, resulted in non-negligible radiation exposures to the public, corresponding up to approximately 300 mGy external dose. The registry contains relevant information about those who lived at the time of the testing as well as about their offspring, including biological material. An international group of scientists worked together within the research project SEMI-NUC funded by the European Union, and concluded that the registry provides a novel, mostly unexplored, and valuable resource for the assessment of the population risks associated with environmental radiation exposure. Suggestions for future studies and pathways on how to use the best dose assessment strategies have also been described in the project. Moreover, the registry could be used for research on other relevant public health topics.

[EVALUATION OF QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE OFFSPRINGS OF PEOPLE EXPOSED TO RADIATION DUE TO NUCLEAR WEAPONS TESTS IN KAZAKHSTAN].

The assessment of environmental factors influence on the population quality of life is one of the generally accepted methods of health status evaluation. The leading position in the structure of stress factors associated with nuclear weapons testing is attributed to inadequate informing of the population considering the consequences of radiation exposure, which leads to the development of anxiety and affects the assessment of the quality of life. This paper presents the outcomes of the quality of life evaluation in the population exposed to radiation on the territories of Abai (n=233), Borodulikha (n=222), and Kurchum districts (n=245) of East Kazakhstan region. The tool for assessing the quality of life was SF-36 (Medical outcomes survey short form-36) questionnaire. The analysis of the results revealed the statistically significant decrease in the quality of life of the population of Abay district where the average radiation doses of the respondents (or doses of their parents) were maximal in comparison with control group presented by the population of Kurchum district. In order to minimize the stressful impact of the radiation factor it is necessary to introduce the effective methods of psychological protection for the local population.

[THE DYNAMICS OF MORBIDITY OF BREAST CANCER IN THE EASTERN-KAZAKHSTANSKAIA OBLAST AND ROLE OF RADIATION FACTOR].

The analysis was carried out concerning morbidity of breast cancer in women of Eastern-Kazakhstanskaia oblast in 1971-2013 subject to indicators of radiation factor impact. The 6575 archive data was analyzed concerning radiation exposure of individuals radiated in the result of the Semipalatinsk nuclear testing area. The derived results testify availability of double dependence of breast cancer from unfavorable ecological conditions due to genetic predisposition related to mutations in genes of apoptosis regulation that can be one of leading causes of increasing of morbidity.

[The morbidity and mortality of residents of Kazakhstan exposed to radiation impact and their posterity].

The most part of population exposed to radiation and their offspring residing in territories bordering upon the Semipalatinsk nuclear testing area represent objects of studying aged 40 years and older because the age is the factor decreasing health indices at the expense of natural gerontological processes. In these conditions, additional radiation exposition, besides radiological biological effects, plays the role ofpotentiation of common biological and environmental risk factors. From the archives of research institute of radiation medicine and ecology the primary medical documents were retrieved containing information about established diagnoses of individuals included into elaboration of epidemiological statistical analysis of dynamics of morbidity of persons in 2008-2012. Within the same period, the acts-certificates of causes of death of specific persons included into study groups were retrieved. It is established that in 8 classes of diseases in the main group and in 5 classes of diseases in comparison group significant exceeding of average annual indices of prevalence of diseases as compared with control group was established. The common prevalence of diseases in the main group comprised 3147.5 cases, in the comparison group - 2615.6 cases and in control group - 2203.8 cases per 1000 of population (RR=1.42;1.19; p<0.05;0.05). The indices of total mortality in the main group comprised 1887.3 cases, in the comparison group - 1531.2 cases and in control group - 1155.1 cases per 100 000 of population (RR=1.58;1.36; p<0.05;0.05). Among persons in the main group in 7 classes of diseases and in the comparison group in 5 classes of diseases significant exceeding of indices of mortality was registered over same indices in control group was registered as causes of death.