scholarly journals Is Life Getting Better?

2005 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 330-343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruut Veenhoven
Keyword(s):  
Human Life ◽  
Industrial Society ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Past ◽  
Agrarian Society ◽  
Differences Of Opinion ◽  
Sectional Analysis

Abstract. Human society has changed greatly over the past centuries and this process of “modernization” has profoundly affected the lives of individuals; currently we live quite different lives from those our forefathers lived only five generations ago. There are differences of opinion as to whether we live better now than before, and consequently there is also disagreement as to whether we should continue modernizing or rather try to slow the process down. Quality of life in a society can be measured by how long and happy its inhabitants live. Using these indicators I assessed whether societal modernization has made life better or worse. First, I examined some findings from present day survey research. I started with a cross-sectional analysis of 90 nations and found that people live longer and happier in today's most modern societies. Second, I examined trends in 10 modern nations over the last 30 years and found that happiness and longevity have increased in most cases. Third, I considered the long-term and review findings from historical and comparative anthropology, which show that we lived better in the early hunter-gatherer society than in the later agrarian society. Together these data suggest that societal evolution has worked out differently for the quality of human life, first negatively, in the change from a hunter-gatherer existence to agriculture, and next positively, in the more recent transformation from an agrarian to an industrial society. We live now longer and happier than ever before.

ASSECSSING MOCA TEST IN SUBACUTE STROKE PATIENTS AND COMPARE MOCA VERSUS MMSE

2016 ◽  
pp. 120-127
Author(s):  
Dinh Toan Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Human Life ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Female Age ◽  
Subacute Stroke ◽  
Duration Of Illness ◽  
Dsm Iv

Background: Dementia after stroke, particularly subacute period is often overlooked. Today the quality of human life is increasingly high, finding scales that have high value for detection of dementia in patients with stroke is increasingly interested. MoCA test is high sensitivity with mild dementia and identify more abnormalities of awareness caused by vascular, but MoCA have not been studied much in Vietnam. Objective: Assessing MoCA test in subacute stroke patients and compare MoCA versus MMSE in these patients. Subjects: 90 patients with subacute stroke period, these people are being treated at Department of cardiovascular internal medicine at Hue Central Hospital, from 7/2014 - 7/2015. Methods: cross-sectional description and analysis. Results: The mean age is 65.57 ± 13.38, accounting for 54.4% male and 45.6% female. Age, duration of illness has weak correlation with MoCA. The risk factors: hypertension, stroke ischemic transient, alcoholism, smoking, heart disease, diabetes, dyslipidemia related no statistical significance with MoCA. The proportion of dementia in subacute stroke according MoCA is 82.2%. The concordance between MoCA and MMSE was good (kappa = 0.684). Using DSM-IV criteria as the gold standard we found MoCA more valuable in the dementia diagnosis than MMSE (AUC 0.864 versus 0.774, p <0.05). Conclusion: The rate of dementia in stroke subacute period according MoCA is quite high. MoCA is valuable than MMSE in detecting dementia in patients with stroke subacute period, this scale is short, easy to implement so should put into using widely in clinical practice. Key words: MoCA test, subacute stroke, dementia

scholarly journals Dairy Product Intake and Long-Term Risk for Frailty among French Elderly Community Dwellers

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 2151
Author(s):  
Berna Rahi ◽  
Hermine Pellay ◽  
Virginie Chuy ◽  
Catherine Helmer ◽  
Cecilia Samieri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Dairy Product ◽  
Food Group ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Physical Frailty ◽  
Frailty Phenotype ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Sectional Analysis ◽  
Community Dwelling Older Adults

Dairy products (DP) are part of a food group that may contribute to the prevention of physical frailty. We aimed to investigate DP exposure, including total DP, milk, fresh DP and cheese, and their cross-sectional and prospective associations with physical frailty in community-dwelling older adults. The cross-sectional analysis was carried out on 1490 participants from the Three-City Bordeaux cohort. The 10-year frailty risk was examined in 823 initially non-frail participants. A food frequency questionnaire was used to assess DP exposure. Physical frailty was defined as the presence of at least 3 out of 5 criteria of the frailty phenotype: weight loss, exhaustion, slowness, weakness, and low physical activity. Among others, diet quality and protein intake were considered as confounders. The baseline mean age of participants was 74.1 y and 61% were females. Frailty prevalence and incidence were 4.2% and 18.2%, respectively. No significant associations were observed between consumption of total DP or DP sub-types and frailty prevalence or incidence (OR = 1.40, 95%CI 0.65–3.01 and OR = 1.75, 95%CI 0.42–1.32, for a total DP consumption >4 times/d, respectively). Despite the absence of beneficial associations of higher DP consumption on frailty, older adults are encouraged to follow the national recommendations regarding DP.

scholarly journals Nicotine dependence of cigarette and heated tobacco users in Japan, 2019: a cross-sectional analysis of the JASTIS Study

2021 ◽  
pp. tobaccocontrol-2020-056237
Author(s):  
Yan Kwan Lau ◽  
Sumiyo Okawa ◽  
Rafael Meza ◽  
Kota Katanoda ◽  
Takahiro Tabuchi
Keyword(s):  
Nicotine Dependence ◽  
Tobacco Use ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Past ◽  
Cross Sectional Analysis ◽  
Binomial Regression ◽  
Sectional Analysis ◽  
Prevalence Ratios ◽  
Min Cut

ObjectivesJapan is currently the biggest market of heated tobacco products (HTPs) in the world. Little is known about nicotine dependence among HTP users. Thus, the objective was to assess the association of type of tobacco use and time-to-first-use, a marker of nicotine dependence.MethodsA cross-sectional analysis of the 2019 data from an internet cohort study was conducted. The analytical sample consisted of 2147 current (≥1 day use in the past 30 days) HTP and/or conventional cigarette users, aged 25+ years. Marginal structural binomial regression was used to estimate nicotine dependence prevalence ratios (PRs) for each category of tobacco use (exclusive daily cigarette, exclusive HTP (≥1 day), dual HTP+daily cigarette, dual HTP+non-daily cigarette), relative to exclusive, non-daily cigarette smoking.ResultsUsing a 5 min cut-off for time-to-first-use, the prevalence of nicotine dependence was higher among dual users of HTP and daily cigarettes (PR=1.38; 95% CI: 1.05 to 1.82) and exclusive, daily cigarette users (PR=1.48; 95% CI: 1.15 to 1.91), relative to exclusive, non-daily cigarette users. However, nicotine dependence among exclusive HTP users, and dual HTP+non-daily cigarette users, did not differ from that of exclusive, non-daily cigarette users. When using 15 and 30 min cut-offs, all types of users, including exclusive HTP, had higher levels of nicotine dependence relative to exclusive, non-daily cigarette users.ConclusionsRegardless of HTP use, daily cigarette users had higher prevalence of nicotine dependence compared with non-daily cigarette users. Exclusive HTP users had similar (or potentially higher) dependence compared with exclusive, non-daily cigarette users. Longitudinal studies are needed to interrogate the public health implications of growing HTP use worldwide.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Treatment of Chronic Pain

Pain Medicine ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary E Morales ◽  
R Jason Yong
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Racial Differences ◽  
Current Literature ◽  
Ethnic Disparities ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Effective Interventions ◽  
Sociodemographic Profile

Abstract Objective To summarize the current literature on disparities in the treatment of chronic pain. Methods We focused on studies conducted in the United States and published from 2000 and onward. Studies of cross-sectional, longitudinal, and interventional designs were included. Results A review of the current literature revealed that an adverse association between non-White race and treatment of chronic pain is well supported. Studies have also shown that racial differences exist in the long-term monitoring for opioid misuse among patients suffering from chronic pain. In addition, a patient’s sociodemographic profile appears to influence the relationship between chronic pain and quality of life. Results from interventional studies were mixed. Conclusions Disparities exist within the treatment of chronic pain. Currently, it is unclear how to best combat these disparities. Further work is needed to understand why disparities exist and to identify points in patients’ treatment when they are most vulnerable to unequal care. Such work will help guide the development and implementation of effective interventions.

scholarly journals Cardio- and Neurometabolic Adipobiology: Consequences and Implications for Therapy

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (8) ◽  
pp. 4137
Author(s):  
Jan Frohlich ◽  
George N. Chaldakov ◽  
Manlio Vinciguerra
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
Nerve Growth Factor ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Signaling Proteins ◽  
New Developments ◽  
Cardiometabolic Diseases ◽  
The Past ◽  
Neurotrophin 3

Studies over the past 30 years have revealed that adipose tissue is the major endocrine and paracrine organ of the human body. Arguably, adiopobiology has taken its reasonable place in studying obesity and related cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs), including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which is viewed herein as a neurometabolic disorder. The pathogenesis and therapy of these diseases are multiplex at basic, clinical and translational levels. Our present goal is to describe new developments in cardiometabolic and neurometabolic adipobiology. Accordingly, we focus on adipose- and/or skeletal muscle-derived signaling proteins (adipsin, adiponectin, nerve growth factor, brain-derived neuroptrophic factor, neurotrophin-3, irisin, sirtuins, Klotho, neprilysin, follistatin-like protein-1, meteorin-like (metrnl), as well as growth differentiation factor 11) as examples of metabotrophic factors (MTFs) implicated in the pathogenesis and therapy of obesity and related CMDs. We argue that these pathologies are MTF-deficient diseases. In 1993 the “vascular hypothesis of AD” was published and in the present review we propose the “vasculometabolic hypothesis of AD.” We discuss how MTFs could bridge CMDs and neurodegenerative diseases, such as AD. Greater insights on how to manage the MTF network would provide benefits to the quality of human life.

scholarly journals Downregulation of exosomal let-7d and miR-16 in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Donato Lacedonia ◽  
Giulia Scioscia ◽  
Piera Soccio ◽  
Massimo Conese ◽  
Lucia Catucci ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Therapy Response ◽  
Down Regulation ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Exosomal Mirnas ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Sectional Analysis ◽  
Made In

Abstract Background Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a degenerative interstitial lung disease with both a poor prognosis and quality of life once the diagnosis is made. In the last decade many features of the disease have been investigated to better understand the pathological steps that lead to the onset of the disease and, moreover, different types of biomarkers have been tested to find valid diagnostic, prognostic and therapy response predictive ones. In the complexity of IPF, microRNA (miRNAs) biomarker investigation seems to be promising. Methods We analysed the expression of five exosomal miRNAs supposed to have a role in the pathogenesis of the disease from serum of a group of IPF patients (n = 61) and we compared it with the expression of the same miRNAs in a group of healthy controls (n = 15). Results In the current study what emerged is let-7d down-regulation and, unexpectedly, miR-16 significant down-regulation. Moreover, through a cross-sectional analysis, a clustering of the expression of miR-16, miR-21 and miR-26a was found. Conclusions These findings could help the individuation of previously unknown key players in the pathophysiology of IPF and, most interestingly, more specific targets for the development of effective medications.

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