The effect of physical activity on vitamin D: A systematic review and meta-analysis of intervention studies in humans.

Objectives: Cross-sectional studies demonstrate a positive association between higher physical activity and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration. However, whether this association is causal is unclear. We conducted a systematic review to identify intervention studies that examined the effect of physical activity on serum 25(OH)D concentration in humans. Study design: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: We searched PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science to identify full-text peer-reviewed articles published in English from inception until January 2023. Eligible studies were randomised controlled trials or quasi-experimental studies. We used random effects meta-analysis to calculate the weighted mean difference (WMD) in the change in 25(OH)D concentration between physical activity and control groups. We used the revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials (RoB 2) to assess the methodological quality of included studies. Results: We included 32 articles in the systematic review and 24 in the meta-analysis. The intervention varied from resistance and weight-bearing exercises (n = 13) to aerobic exercises (n = 10), moderate and moderate-to-vigorous exercises (n = 5), aquatic exercise (n = 2), and multicomponent traditional exercises (n = 2) (Tai Chi and Yijinjing). The WMD in 25(OH)D in the physical activity and control groups was 9.51 and 4.87, respectively (between-group mean difference 4.64, p = 0.002). However, the difference was only evident in studies that implemented the intervention outdoors (n = 3; between-group mean difference 17.33, p < 0.0001); when the intervention was indoors there was no significant effect of physical activity on 25(OH)D (n = 16; between-group mean difference 1.80, p = 0.113). Conclusions: This meta-analysis of physical activity interventions in humans showed that physical activity does not lead to increased 25(OH)D independently of time outdoors. However, most studies were under-powered, in many the exercise was low intensity, and vitamin D was not the primary outcome.

Cryosurgery versus curettage for intraepidermal carcinoma: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Cryosurgery is a common destructive treatment method for intraepidermal carcinoma (IEC) above the knee. Curettage alone is a simple, non-aggressive and inexpensive treatment method commonly used on benign skin lesions. However, only one study has assessed curettage for treatment of IEC. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to (1) compare the effectiveness of cryosurgery (standard method) to curettage (experimental method) for treatment of IEC in regard to overall clearance rates at 1-year follow-up, and (2) investigate whether wound healing times differed between the treatment groups. METHODS: In this randomized and controlled, non-inferiority trial, adult patients with one or more IEC with a diameter of 5-20 mm, located above the knee and suitable for destructive treatment were recruited from Sahlgrenska University Hospital (Gothenburg, Sweden). Lesions were randomized to treatment with either cryosurgery or curettage. Wound healing was assessed by a nurse after 4-6 weeks and through self-report forms. Overall clearance was assessed by a dermatologist after 1 year. RESULTS: In total, 183 lesions in 147 patients were included, with 93 lesions randomized to cryosurgery and 90 to curettage. Eighty-eight (94.6%) of the lesions in the cryosurgery group and 71 (78.9%) in the curettage group showed an overall clearance at the 1-year follow-up visit (p = 0.002). The non-inferiority analysis was inconclusive. Curettage resulted in both shorter self-reported wound healing times (mean time 3.1 vs. 4.8 weeks, p < 0.001) and a larger proportion of healed wounds after 4-6 weeks (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Cryosurgery and curettage both result in high clearance rates for treatment of IEC, but cryosurgery is significantly more effective. On the other hand, curettage may result in shorter wound healing times.

Clinicopathological factors associated with death from thin (≤ 1·00 mm) melanoma.

BACKGROUND: Thin cutaneous melanomas (≤ 1·00 mm) are increasing worldwide, causing around a quarter of all melanoma deaths in the U.S.A. and Australia. Identification of predictive factors for potentially fatal thin melanomas could allow better use of resources for follow-up. OBJECTIVES: To identify the clinicopathological factors associated with fatal thin melanomas. METHODS: This large, nested case-case study extracted data from the population-based Queensland Cancer Registry, Australia. Our cohort consisted of Queensland residents aged 0-89 years who were diagnosed with a single, locally invasive thin melanoma (≤ 1·00 mm) between 1995 and 2014. Fatal cases (eligible patients who died from melanoma) were individually matched to three nonfatal cases (eligible patients who were not known to have died from melanoma) according to sex, age, year of diagnosis and follow-up interval. Using conditional logistic regression, we calculated odds ratios (ORs) for melanoma-specific death, adjusting for all collected clinicopathological variables. RESULTS: In the cohort, 27 660 eligible patients were diagnosed with a single, thin melanoma. The final case-case series included 424 fatal cases and 1189 nonfatal cases. Fatal cases were sixfold as likely to arise on the scalp as on the back [OR 6·39, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2·57-15·92] and six times as likely to be of thickness 0·80-1·00 mm as of < 0·30 mm (OR 6·00, 95% CI 3·55-10·17). CONCLUSIONS: Scalp location is a strong prognostic factor of death from thin melanoma. Further, this study provides support that melanomas with a thickness of 0·80-1·00 mm are the more hazardous thin lesions. Patients with these tumour characteristics require specific attention during follow-up. What's already known about this topic? Thin invasive melanomas (≤ 1·00 mm) contribute a substantial proportion of melanoma fatalities, owing to the high volume of disease. There is a need to find prognostic factors that will better identify fatal thin melanomas at the time of diagnosis. What does this study add? In this large population-based study, fatal thin tumours were sixfold as likely to be located on the scalp as on the back. Thin melanomas of 0·80-1·00 mm thickness were six times as likely to be associated with death as tumours < 0·30 mm. Scalp location and increasing thickness are strong predictive factors of fatal thin melanomas, indicating that patients with these tumour characteristics require close follow-up.

[From dermabrasion to laser. Development of operative-interventional methods in aesthetic dermatology]. / Vom Schleifen zum Laser: Entwicklung operativ-interventioneller Methoden in der Kosmetik.

Many operative-interventional methods are available for aesthetic dermatology. The established high-speed dermabrasion as developed by Schreus has been replaced in many indications by newer approaches. Laser ablation can be effectively used for resurfacing of sun-damaged or scarred skin, but is associated with extensive side effects. Newer developments such as fractionated laser treatment are designed to fill the gap between ablative and non-ablative skin resurfacing. The side effects are much less severe, but the effectiveness must be confirmed in larger studies. Photorejuvenation with intense pulsed light (IPL) offers a wide variety of treatment parameters for a broad spectrum of skin changes. Both superficial and deep structures can be treatment in one session using IPL.

Prevalence of cochlear implants in postlingually deafened adults in a Swedish region.

Cochlear implantation (CI) rates vary between countries, depending on identification routines and economic restrictions. The present study aimed at determining the prevalence of CIs in postlingually deafened, aged 20-69 years old, in Göteborg, Sweden. Three patient databases with information on PTA, a questionnaire, medical records and consultations identified 88 subjects with sensorineural hearing loss >/=80 dB HL (PTA of 500, 1000, 3000 Hz), PB word score of

Knowledge into action for child survival.

The child survival revolution of the 1980s contributed to steady decreases in child mortality in some populations, but much remains to be done. More than 10 million children will die this year, almost all of whom are poor. Two-thirds of these deaths could have been prevented if effective child survival interventions had reached all children and mothers who needed them. Translation of current knowledge into effective action for child survival will require leadership, strong health systems, targeted human and financial resources, and modified health system to ensure that poor children and mothers benefit. A group of concerned scientists and policy-makers issues a call to action to leaders, governments, and citizens to translate knowledge into action for child survival.

Health, nutrition and population

As countries refine their poverty reduction strategies, the role of human capital, including health and nutrition, is receiving considerable attention. People become poorer as a result of bad health or health crises, but being poor also makes people less healthy and more exposed to risk.Projects are tools used in all countries and organizations to achieve specific short-term goals. In health, they provide a means of developing targeted interventions to reach the poor or to address specific health problems and to prove that the interventions succeed at reasonable cost. (Au)

Health, nutrition and population

As countries refine their poverty reduction strategies, the role of human capital, including health and nutrition, is receiving considerable attention. People become poorer as a result of bad health or health crises, but being poor also makes people less healthy and more exposed to riskProjects are tools used in all countries and organizations to achieve specific short-term goals. In health, they provide a means of developing targeted interventions to reach the poor or to address specific health problems and to prove that the interventions succeed at reasonable cost. (Au)

Reducing child mortality in India in the new millennium.

Globally, child mortality rates have been halved over the last few decades, a developmental success story. Nevertheless, progress has been uneven and in recent years mortality rates have increased in some countries. The present study documents the slowing decline in infant mortality rates in india; a departure from the longer-term trends. The major causes of childhood mortality are also reviewed and strategic options for the different states of India are proposed that take into account current mortality rates and the level of progress in individual states. The slowing decline in childhood mortality rates in India calls for new approaches that go beyond disease-, programme- and sector-specific approaches.

The evolution of child health programmes in developing countries: from targeting diseases to targeting people.

Mortality rates among children and the absolute number of children dying annually in developing countries have declined considerably over the past few decades. However, the gains made have not been distributed evenly: childhood mortality remains higher among poorer people and the gap between rich and poor has grown. Several poor countries, and some poorer regions within countries, have experienced a levelling off of or even an increase in childhood mortality over the past few years. Until now, two types of programmes--short-term, disease-specific initiatives and more general programmes of primary health care--have contributed to the decline in mortality. Both types of programme can contribute substantially to the strengthening of health systems and in enabling households and communities to improve their health care. In order for them to do so, and in order to complete the unfinished agenda of improving child health globally, new strategies are needed. On the one hand, greater emphasis should be placed on promoting those household behaviours that are not dependent on the performance of health systems. On the other hand, more attention should be paid to interventions that affect health at other stages of the life cycle while efforts that have been made to develop interventions that can be used during childhood continue.

The World Bank's perspective on global health.

PIP: Over the next 25 years, as populations age and tobacco consumption increases, most developing regions will likely see noncommunicable diseases become the leading causes of disability and premature mortality. The already existing problems of malnutrition and infectious diseases will remain. In this context, the World Bank is examining its role and contribution to global health. From a small start approximately 25 years ago, the Bank has greatly expanded its role in international health, population, and nutrition to become the largest single external financier of health activities in low- and middle-income countries. Many other Bank-supported activities affect health, including poverty reduction, housing, water and sanitation, and the education of girls. The Bank is also increasingly active in health policy debates, publishing numerous studies annually. Most of these studies focus upon specific countries, but some address key issues of concern to many developing countries. This article explains why the Bank continues to expand its resources devoted to health and the rationale for the changing emphasis of its activities in the field.^ieng

Regulatory actions to enhance appropriate drug use: the case of antidiarrhoeal drugs.

Inappropriate drug use is a serious problem in the control of diarrhoeal diseases. To address this problem, the World Health Organization's Programme for the Control of Diarrhoeal Diseases reviewed the literature on the most commonly used antidiarrhoeal agents, and distributed the resulting document widely in 1990. Antidiarrhoeal drugs received simultaneous attention in the popular media as groups and individuals campaigned against their registration and use. This article evaluates the actions against antidiarrhoeal drugs taken by national drug regulators in the period during and after these events (January 1989 until December 1993). Information on regulatory actions was requested from countries and extracted from published and unpublished sources. Sixteen countries reported regulatory actions on 21 occasions during the period of study. The majority of actions concerned antimotility drugs; few were against adsorbents, antidiarrhoeal drugs containing antimicrobials, or adult formulae. Six countries took action against large and heterogenous groups of antidiarrhoeal drugs. Most actions occurred in the two-year period immediately following the distribution of the WHO review and the attention in the media. The sequence of distribution of the review, media coverage, and activities of dedicated groups and individuals, followed by a noticeable cluster of regulatory actions suggests a clear relationship. Further research is necessary to determine the relative role of each activity. There are several constraints to deregistration of profitable drugs and some drug regulators may have chosen to delay action until the end of the drug's registration cycle. Many more antidiarrhoeal drugs may lose their register in the future through a passive deregistration process. Deregistration of inappropriate drugs will probably take much time and widespread deregistrations are not likely. Furthermore, regulatory actions alone are probably insufficient to achieve a more appropriate use of drugs. More effect can be expected from simultaneous regulatory, managerial, and educational interventions directed at providers, combined with communication to the general public.

Double think and double talk.

The public health debate on population growth and child mortality continues, fuelled by the hypothesis that in allowing more children to survive until reproductive age, programmes such as the Diarrhoeal Diseases Control Programme of the World Health Organization contribute to long-term human misery by overburdening the carrying capacity of the planet. A significant part of the solution put forward is to withhold public health services to children in developing countries. This argument is here refuted on socioeconomic, ethical and humanitarian grounds. An alternative approach is offered, which takes into account the economic and social obligations of the industrialized nations.

PIP: Dr. Maurice King has predicted that Third-World societies will collapse as a result of their growing demographic entrapment. Although Dr. King acknowledges that a lack of economic connections is strongly related to entrapment, he fails to call for economic solutions or interventions aimed at increasing the carrying capacity of an ecosystem (which would also lead to economic growth and, thus, provide a prerequisite for slowing population growth). Instead, Dr. King proposes withholding support from child survival programs. Since the current mortality rate for children under 5 years old in least developed countries (150-300/1000 live births) is held in check by improved economic and social conditions as well as by child survival interventions, these public health measures only reduce mortality among 15-30% of all children. Therefore, preventing 50% of the deaths which now occur would only increase the population by 10%. Instead of asking children to bear the brunt of the problem, it would be more humane and reasonable to provide better family planning (FP) programs. Also, curtailing existing programs for child survival would only lead to an insignificant reduction in financial allotments as compared to those devoted to such activities as military support. In addition, Dr. King's argument that communities should make their own decisions about whether or not to accept proposed programs of international aid has 4 fallacies. 1) It is unlikely that communities would choose to sacrifice their children for the promise of a better tomorrow. 2) Decision-making implies having viable options. Offering a community a "decision" without offering the social, economic, and technological choices available in developed countries would be unjust. 3) If FP were the only possible alternative to entrapment, societies would have to limit couples to one child or no children. 4) Even if communities opted to withhold public health services which were safe and effective, it would be wrong for the world community to endorse such unethical behavior. Dr. King also misses the point that child survival strategies are also FP strategies (extended breast feeding, for example) and that the best interests of community development are served by better FP and by better health care for children, which are complementary rather than competitive. Dr. King is also incorrect when he maintains that children are receiving the highest priority. Defending the previously-neglected plight of children does not preclude searching for the best balance of developmental strategies for a particular country. Promoting development at the expense of children, however, is a radical position which upsets this balance.

Management of acute diarrhea in children: lessons learned.

PIP: Each year diarrheal disease causes an estimated 3.2 million deaths worldwide in children under 5 years of age. Reported attack rates in developing countries range from 1 to 12 episodes per child per year, with a global average of 3 episodes per child per year. Diarrhea is associated with 1/4 of all deaths in children under 5 years in developing countries. Oral rehydration therapy (ORT) is the cornerstone of global efforts to reduce mortality from acute diarrhea. The World Health Organization (WHO)/UNICEF ORS formula contains glucose and sodium in a molar ratio of 1.2:1. Potassium chloride is added to replace potassium lost in the stool. Trisodium citrate dihydrate (or sodium bicarbonate) corrects metabolic acidosis caused by fecal loss of bicarbonate. The WHO case management strategy for children with diarrhea consists of: prevention of dehydration through early administration of appropriate fluids available in the home; treatment of dehydration with ORS solution; treatment of severe dehydration with an intravenous electrolyte solution; continued feeding during, and increased feeding after the diarrheal episode; and selective use of antibiotics and nonuse of antidiarrheal drugs. The WHO/UNICEF formula is also suitable as a maintenance fluid when given with equal amounts of water, breast milk, or low carbohydrate juice. Despite the unquestioned success of ORT in developing countries, physicians in the United States, the United Kingdom, and other industrialized countries have been slow to adopt ORT. Guidelines for case management call for patient assessment. The physician evaluating a child with diarrhea should inquire about clinical features including its duration and the presence of blood in the stool. Thus, a reliable treatment plan can be made without need of laboratory tests. Most diarrheal episodes are self-limited and do not benefit from antimicrobial therapy. Children with bloody diarrhea should be treated for suspected shigellosis with an oral antibiotic.^ieng

Cholera in Africa: lessons on transmission and control for Latin America.

In January, 1991, epidemic cholera emerged in Peru and spread to 7 other countries of Latin America. Cholera was introduced 20 years ago to Africa, where it spread rapidly to 30 of the 46 countries of the region and by 1990 accounted for 90% of all cases reported to the World Health Organisation. Many lessons from the cholera epidemic in Africa are relevant to efforts to control the disease in Latin America. Public health practices from the past--quarantine and cordon sanitaire to halt introduction of cholera by travellers, and vaccination and mass chemoprophylaxis to control epidemics--are ineffective in preventing spread of the disease. Cholera can be transmitted not only by contaminated water but also by food. Social phenomena such as mass migrations and burial practices may play a greater role than previously understood. While efforts to prevent the spread of cholera have been ineffective, cholera-associated mortality can be decreased with rehydration therapy. Since the current pandemic is unlikely to retreat soon, new strategies are urgently needed to control the spread of cholera through sanitary and behavioural interventions or improved vaccines.

PIP: Latin America had been free of cholera for 70 years until January 1991 when the 7th pandemic of El Tor cholera struck Peru. It killed 1500 people and affected 200,000 people within 6 months. It soon spread to at least 7 other Latin American countries. 20 years earlier the it reached Africa. Foci of infections in Africa included markets, fairs, funerals, and refugee camps. Scientists doubted that vaccination or quarantine would have prevented its introduction into Africa. Yet, in Latin America, public health officials should earnestly reconsider chemoprophylaxis (tetracycline) of family contacts in families with high rates of illness. Presently no such data exist in Latin America. In addition, health workers should test the new oral vaccine in Latin America since there is no preexisting immunity and the people are exposed to high levels of contamination. Little epidemic research was done in Africa to pinpoint modes of transmission so health workers could learn what types of intervention were warranted. It should be done in Latin America, however. As for quarantine, symptomatic and mild to moderate cholera cases can outnumber severe cases as much as 100 to 1, so confining cases would not prevent the spread of the disease. Latin America should broaden diarrheal disease control programs to include adults so they will accept oral rehydration therapy (ORT). It should be used in mild to moderate dehydration cases and intravenous rehydration therapy for severe cases. If the environmental factors are not known and understood and if feces contaminate water supplies, foods, and fisheries, cholera may become endemic in Latin America. In conclusion prompt disease reporting, surveillance, and implementation of control measures could prevent the endemicity of cholera in Latin America.