Association of regional muscle strength with mortality and hospitalisation in older people.

BACKGROUND: the association between muscular strength, mortality and hospitalisation with ageing can change depending on sex and the body region analysed (e.g. upper and lower limb muscles). OBJECTIVE: to determine the effect of measuring lower and upper extremities muscular strength on the relationship between strength, mortality and hospitalisation risk in elder men and women. DESIGN: a population-based cohort study using data from the Toledo Study for Healthy Aging (TSHA). METHODS: a Spanish population sample of 1,755 elders aged ≥65 years participated in this study. Upper (handgrip and shoulder) and lower limbs (knee and hip) maximal voluntary isometric strength was obtained using standardised techniques and equipment. Cox proportional hazards model was used to examine mortality and hospitalisation over 5.5 and 3 years of follow-up, respectively. RESULTS: after adjustment for potential confounding factors, including co-morbidities and BMI, hazard ratio of death and hospitalisation was significantly lower in the stronger women and men, but showing regional- and sex-specific differences. That is shoulder, knee and hip muscle regions in women and handgrip and shoulder in men (all P < 0.05). There was a cumulative effect of measuring several muscle strengths over the risk of health events (P < 0.05), so that mortality hazard ratio increased by 45% in women and 25% in men per muscular strength (shoulder, grip, knee and hip) in the weaker strength quartile increase (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: regional muscle strength is a predictor of medium-term mortality and hospitalisation in elder men and women. Multiple strength measures including lower and upper body limb muscles are better predictors than a single strength measurement.

Childhood and Adolescent Central Nervous System Tumours in Spain: Incidence and Survival over 20 Years: A Historical Baseline for Current Assessment.

BACKGROUND: Central nervous system (CNS) neoplasms are highly frequent solid tumours in children and adolescents. While some studies have shown a rise in their incidence in Europe, others have not. Survival remains limited. We addressed two questions about these tumours in Spain: (1) Is incidence increasing? and (2) Has survival improved? METHODS: This population-based study included 1635 children and 328 adolescents from 11 population-based cancer registries with International Classification of Childhood Cancer Group III tumours, incident in 1983-2007. Age-specific and age-standardised (world population) incidence rates (ASRws) were calculated. Incidence time trends were characterised using annual percent change (APC) obtained with Joinpoint. Cases from 1991 to 2005 (1171) were included in Kaplan-Meier survival analyses, and the results were evaluated with log-rank and log-rank for trend tests. Children's survival was age-standardised using: (1) the age distribution of cases and the corresponding trends assessed with Joinpoint; and (2) European weights for comparison with Europe. RESULTS: ASRw 1983-2007: children: 32.7 cases/106; adolescents: 23.5 cases/106. The overall incidence of all tumours increased across 1983-2007 in children and adolescents. Considering change points, the APCs were: (1) children: 1983-1993, 4.3%^ (1.1; 7.7); 1993-2007, -0.2% (-1.9; 1.6); (2) adolescents: 1983-2004: 2.9%^ (0.9; 4.9); 2004-2007: -7.7% (-40; 41.9). For malignant tumours, the trends were not significant. 5-year survival was 65% (1991-2005), with no significant trends (except for non-malignant tumours). CONCLUSIONS: CNS tumour incidence in Spain was found to be similar to that in Europe. Rises in incidence may be mostly attributable to changes in the registration of non-malignant tumours. The overall malignant CNS tumour trend was compatible with reports for Southern Europe. Survival was lower than in Europe, without improvement over time. We provide a baseline for assessing current paediatric oncology achievements and incidence in respect of childhood and adolescent CNS tumours.

Breast cancer mortality after eight years of an improved screening program using digital breast tomosynthesis.

OBJECTIVES: To assess screening quality metrics and to describe mortality rates eight years after redesign of breast cancer screening and diagnosis pathways, and the introduction of digital breast tomosynthesis. SETTING: Breast Unit of the Toledo Health Area in the region of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain). METHODS: We recorded screening metrics and mortality data following the introduction of digital breast tomosynthesis in 2011 for screening and diagnosis pathways. We then compared the mortality between Toledo Health Area and the rest of Castilla-La Mancha, where digital breast tomosynthesis is not available. RESULTS: All screening quality metrics improved following the introduction of digital breast tomosynthesis. The cancer detection rate significantly increased from 2.3 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.9-3.6) to 4.5 per 1000 women (95% CI: 3.2-5.2) on average between the periods 2005-2009 and 2015-2018, while the recall rate significantly decreased from 7.0% (95% CI: 6.8%-8.2%) to 2.6% (95% CI: 2.0%-3.6%). Comparing breast cancer mortality rates for 2014-2018 in the Toledo Health Area with the rest of Castilla-La Mancha, which had similar cancer treatment access and management protocols but without digital breast tomosynthesis, the crude mortality rate was 17.79 (95% CI: 15.38 -20.19) vs. 24.76 per 100,000 (95% CI: 26.12-23.39), respectively. The cumulative risk of death was also significantly lower for the Toledo Health Area than for Castilla-La Mancha. CONCLUSION: The introduction of digital breast tomosynthesis improved screening quality indicators. Breast cancer mortality simultaneously decreased with respect to the rest of Castilla-La Mancha. Further research is needed to assess the long-term results, and the role that the redesign may have played in reducing mortality.

[Dialysis and transplant. Spain in 2005]. / Informe de Situación de Diálisis y Trasplante en España, 2005.

In 2005, renal replace treatment (dialysis and transplant) was necessary for about 40,000 people, without being known the number accurate and either their basic characteristics, such as: time in treatment, modality or treatment changes. The presented data cover the 76% of the Spanish population and are the result of the cooperation among technicians of registries, nephrologists and transplant coordinations. 4,125 people started RRT in 2005, the total estimated acceptance rate for renal replacement therapy in adults in Spain was 126 pmp and regarding other European countries it locates us in an intermediate area. The incidence rate seems to keep stable in the last years although there were some differences among communities (from 104 pmp in Castile and Leon to 186 pmp in Canary Islands). Diabetes Mellitus is the most diagnosed cause of renal failure in 2005, more than 20% of patients, followed by vascular diseases. The estimated prevalence of renal replacement therapy in Spain at the end of 2005 was 903 pmp, with important variations among communities (from 806 pmp in Cantabria to 1056 pmp in Valencia Region). The 47% of prevalent RRT patients had a functioning transplant. Mortality on haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis was 13.7% and 10.8% respectively. Mortality on transplant was 1.3%, one of the lowest values registered so far. Mortality on renal replacement therapy was around 5% among patients from 45 to 64 years, 11% between 65 and 74 years and 19% among the patients older than 75 years.

[Shigellosis outbreak with 146 cases related to a fair]. / Brote de shigellosis con 146 casos relacionado con una feria.

BACKGROUND: On September 3, 2005, the Ciudad Real Public Health Service (Spain) received a report of 20 cases of gastroenteritis in the municipality of Daimiel. We conducted an investigation to determine the cause or causes of the outbreak and to implement control measures. Most of the cases involved young people who visited the municipality's fair. METHODS: We carried out a descriptive study and an analytic case-control study. In the descriptive study, all variables of interest available in the medical records were included. In the case-control study, each case was matched with a control by age (plus or minus 5 years), gender, and attendance at the fair. Sixty-five cases and 65 controls were finally included in the study. Samples of foods and stools from food handlers were taken. RESULTS: We found 196 cases, 146 of which were confirmed. The epidemic curve suggested a common source of infection with a short period of activity. The case-control study showed an association between infection and eating potatoes with a sauce at any of the fair's five food stalls (OR = 20.56; 95%CI, 6.15-75.93; p < 0.0001). Logistic regression analysis showed an association with eating potatoes in food stall number 2 (OR = 6.38; 95%CI, 1.70-23.90; p < 0.0059). Neither samples of foods nor stools from food handlers yielded any positive results. However, Shigella sonnei was isolated from stool samples from 20 cases. CONCLUSIONS: The epidemiological study suggested that the most probable cause of the outbreak was a sauce, handmade with garlic, milk, and oil and served with the potatoes.

[Agreements and disagreements between community health and the Spanish health system. SESPAS Report 2018]. / Encuentros y desencuentros entre salud comunitaria y sistema sanitario español. Informe SESPAS 2018.

In this article, we describe the different stages of the rise and decline of Primary Health Care and, in particular, its community approach; we do so by providing a historical journey of the relationship between the Spanish National Health System and community health, outlining the connections and disconnections with Public Health as well as the influence of dominant political ideologies. We defend a community reorientation of health services, considering community health as an essential part of Primary Health Care, and in accordance with the Alma Ata strategy and the principles of the Ottawa Charter. The Primary Health System is taken up as the strategic axis of the National Health System, given its capacity for an integral approach to health-disease processes, and the possibility it poses for reducing inequalities and confronting social determinants as well as overcoming inequities in health, with the participation of the population and in coordination with other sectors. The challenges of the immediate future, as well as the consequences of the economic crisis, the cuts, and the weakening of the Welfare State, make evident the need to promote participatory processes that involve all the social actors and, above all, the citizenship -considered not as a recipient and'user' or consumer, but as an active and collaborative subject. These participatory processes aim at creating a new collective culture regarding the sustainability and universality of existing public health resources.

Cognitive Performance across 3 Frailty Phenotypes: Toledo Study for Healthy Aging.

INTRODUCTION: Frailty is a strong predictor of adverse health events, but its impact on cognitive function is poorly understood. AIM: To assess cognitive performance in frailty and to identify the frailty stage where cognitive impairment begins. METHODS: Data were taken from 2044 people aged ≥65 years without cognitive impairment selected from the Toledo Study for Healthy Aging, a population-based cohort of older adults. Frailty status was assessed by 3 different scales: Frailty Phenotype (FP), Frailty Trait Scale (FTS), and Frailty Index (FI). Neuropsychological assessments of different cognitive domains included the Mini-Mental State Examination, Short and Long-Term Memory Recalling Test, the Boston Naming Test, Verbal Fluency Test, Digit Span Forward, Go/No-go Test, Luria Orders Test, Clock Drawing Test, and Serial Word Learning Test. The relationships between the score of the scales and frailty status (robust, prefrail, and frail for FP and quartiles for FTS and FI) were analyzed using multivariate linear regression models including age, sex, and educative level as possible confounders. RESULTS: Participants classified as the worst degree of frailty (frail in FP and fourth quartile of FTS and FI) presented more cognitive domains affected and to a higher extent than moderate frail (prefrail and second quartile and third quartile of FTS and FI) and robust (and first quartile of FTS and FI) participants. CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive performance progressively declined across the frailty state, regardless of the instrument used to assess frailty. In prefrail participants, cognitive impairment may be an early marker of frailty-dependent cerebral involvement and could be already subject to interventions aimed at reducing the transition to frailty.

[Treatment and temperature series study for use in public health. The case of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain]. / Tratamiento y estudio de series de temperatura para su aplicación en salud pública. El caso de Castilla- La Mancha.

BACKGROUND: Numerous articles relate atmospheric variables to health indicators. In large regions, such as Castilla-La Mancha, it may be necessary to divide the region into areas in terms of the atmospheric variables available by selecting a representative weather station for each zone. This article focuses on analyzing the daily temperature data from numerous Castilla La Mancha observatories and reducing the number thereof to a few representative stations for being used in studies relating atmospheric variables to health indicators in this region. METHODS: Castilla-La Mancha weather stations were selected in terms of the number of years available and missing data. After filling in the gaps in the selected series, to detect any possible discontinuities and to homogenize the series, the daily temperature data is used in hierarchical cluster and factorial analyses by principal components. RESULTS: Factorial analyses extract one single factor by using the maximum, mean or minimum temperature series. For the maximum temperatures, this factor explains 93.45% of the variance, with an eigenvalue of 39.249. The "Compuesta" station in Toledo shows correlation coefficients in the principal components matrix of 0.987, 0.991 and 0.981 respectively for the maximum, mean and minimum temperature series. CONCLUSIONS: Castilla-La Mancha is an isoclimatic region in terms of the temperature, the "Compuesta" station in Toledo being selected as the representative station for the region for public health studies. The results afford the possibility of conducting studies broken down into small units such as the provinces, with the stations in the government capitals as a reference.

Renal replacement therapy in Europe: a summary of the 2012 ERA-EDTA Registry Annual Report.

BACKGROUND: This article summarizes the 2012 European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association Registry Annual Report (available at www.era-edta-reg.org) with a specific focus on older patients (defined as ≥65 years). METHODS: Data provided by 45 national or regional renal registries in 30 countries in Europe and bordering the Mediterranean Sea were used. Individual patient level data were received from 31 renal registries, whereas 14 renal registries contributed data in an aggregated form. The incidence, prevalence and survival probabilities of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) receiving renal replacement therapy (RRT) and renal transplantation rates for 2012 are presented. RESULTS: In 2012, the overall unadjusted incidence rate of patients with ESRD receiving RRT was 109.6 per million population (pmp) (n = 69 035), ranging from 219.9 pmp in Portugal to 24.2 pmp in Montenegro. The proportion of incident patients ≥75 years varied from 15 to 44% between countries. The overall unadjusted prevalence on 31 December 2012 was 716.7 pmp (n = 451 270), ranging from 1670.2 pmp in Portugal to 146.7 pmp in the Ukraine. The proportion of prevalent patients ≥75 years varied from 11 to 32% between countries. The overall renal transplantation rate in 2012 was 28.3 pmp (n = 15 673), with the highest rate seen in the Spanish region of Catalonia. The proportion of patients ≥65 years receiving a transplant ranged from 0 to 35%. Five-year adjusted survival for all RRT patients was 59.7% (95% confidence interval, CI: 59.3-60.0) which fell to 39.3% (95% CI: 38.7-39.9) in patients 65-74 years and 21.3% (95% CI: 20.8-21.9) in patients ≥75 years.

[Prevalence of known diabetes mellitus and unknown diabetes in adults from Castilla-La Mancha, Spain]. / Prevalencia de diabetes y diabetes oculta en adultos de Castilla-La Mancha.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of known diabetes mellitus (KD), unknown diabetes (UD), and carbohydrate metabolism disturbances in a population of Castilla-La Mancha (CLM) older than 30 years old; To study the cardiovascular risk factors related with diabetes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A transversal study was performed in order to determine these prevalence data. Reference date: 2007/06/01. 3,092 subjects were selected, and 1,181 of them (38.1%) participated in the study. A questionnaire, physical exploration and glucose tolerance test were performed. The diagnostic criteria of diabetes were those established by the American Association of Diabetes (ADA) and were compared with the World Health Organization criteria (WHO). RESULTS: Prevalence of diabetes in individuals younger than 30 years: 17.9% (DM 10.7%, DO 7.2%). Ratio UD/KD: 0.7. Prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) 5.6% and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) 22.3% based on ADA criteria and 7.2% if WHO criteria applied. KD, IFT and IFG increased with age. Global prevalence was higher in males (20.9%) than females (14.5%), but the prevalence was higher in females older than 74 years. A positive relationship was found with obesity, male sex, age and familiar history of diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of diabetes in the adult population of CLM is very high, higher in males and increase with age. A great percentage of diabetic people or with carbohydrate metabolism alterations do not know that condition. This situation makes necessary to create early detection strategies.

[Three outbreaks of brucellosis in a one-year period investigated by the occupational health service in Ciudad Real (Spain)]. / Tres brotes de brucelosis investigados en un año de vigilancia de salud laboral en Ciudad Real.

We describe 3 outbreaks of brucellosis investigated by our Occupational Health Service in a 1-year period. Two of these outbreaks, with 2 cases each, occurred in 2 cheese factories and the third outbreak, also with 2 cases, occurred in a cattle laboratory belonging to the local government. In both cheese factories, numerous opportunities for the workers to become infected were found. The greatest risk was considered to be the area for unloading milk, while failure to use personal protection equipment by workers, deficiencies in the laboratories, and the lack of effective separation between areas were also potential risk factors. In the cattle laboratory, we found at least 13 major risk factors that could allow brucellosis transmission. In Spain, there is a substantial risk of Brucella infection in laboratories or dairy factories and current preventive measures are ineffective.