Can Decrease in Smoking Incidence Reduce Leukemia Mortality?

Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (11) ◽  
pp. 3985-3985
Author(s):  
Ramya Varadarajan ◽  
Michael K Cummings ◽  
Andrew J Hyland ◽  
Eunice S. Wang ◽  
Meir Wetzler

Abstract Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the Western world. There is substantial evidence that smokers are approximately 1.5 times more likely to develop acute myeloid leukemia (AML) than non smokers. We were interested to know if there is a relationship between smoking and treatment outcome in AML. We searched the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) databases for data about smoking incidence and AML mortality. We collected AML mortality data for the United States (US) from SEER and state leukemia mortality data from CDC. CDC data are lumped for all types of leukemia. Since AML is the most common leukemia, and no significant improvement in AML treatment, as compared to chronic myeloid leukemia, occurred in the last two decades, we used the collective leukemia data. We compared smoking incidence and age-adjusted leukemia mortality between overall US and states with either a high (Alabama, Indiana, Ohio, Oklahoma, Kentucky) or a low (California, Connecticut, New York, Utah, Rhode Island) smoking incidence. SEER data revealed a statistically significant correlation (r=0.88) between smoking incidence and AML mortality for the different US regions (Figure 1). The correlation was significant whether we included a 10-year lag period (r= 0.75) for leukemia mortality or not. The correlation between smoking incidence and mortality rates for individual states was much more variable; data from two representative states, California (CA) with low smoking incidence (r=0.74) and Indiana (IN) with high smoking incidence (r=0.03) are shown (Figure 2). Possible causes for decreased mortality can include less pulmonary infections, less aggressive leukemia [reports of more frequent chromosomal aberrations involving chromosome 5, 7 and 8 in smokers] and better transplant outcome in non-smokers. To date, we did not find any data on association between leukemia incidence and smoking prevalence. These data suggest a possible association between smoking and leukemia mortality, and additional research is needed to determine if smoking cessation can be a tool to decrease leukemia mortality. Figure 1 Figure 1. Figure 2: Figure 2:.

1994 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 231-249
Author(s):  
Briar McNutt

The incidence of HIV infection and AIDS in children has grown at an alarming rate. Approximately one million children worldwide have HIV infection. By the year 2000, an estimated ten million children will suffer from the disease. Currently, the United States has a population of an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 HIV-infected children. As of June 30, 1993, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 4,710 known AIDS cases in children twelve years-old and younger. At that point, New York City reported 1,124 pediatric AIDS cases which represented twenty-four percent of all cases in the United States.With the rising number of HIV-infected children, the medical community in the United States has begun to search for HIV-and AIDS-related treatments particularized for children. In addition to establishing guidelines for HIV-infected children's frequent check-ups and timely immunizations, the medical community has initiated research studies involving HIV-infected children.


Neurology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 95 (7) ◽  
pp. e921-e929 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sam M. Hermes ◽  
Nick R. Miller ◽  
Carin S. Waslo ◽  
Susan C. Benes ◽  
Emanuel Tanne

ObjectiveTo determine (1) if mortality among patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) enrolled in the Intracranial Hypertension Registry (IHR) is different from that of the general population of the United States and (2) what the leading underlying causes of death are among this cohort.MethodsMortality and underlying causes of death were ascertained from the National Death Index. Indirect standardization using age- and sex-specific nationwide all-cause and cause-specific mortality data extracted from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wonder Online Database allowed for calculation of standardized mortality ratios (SMR).ResultsThere were 47 deaths (96% female) among 1437 IHR participants that met inclusion criteria. The average age at death was 46 years (range, 20–95 years). Participants of the IHR experienced higher all-cause mortality than the general population (SMR, 1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2–2.1). Suicide, accidents, and deaths from medical/surgical complications were the most common underlying causes, accounting for 43% of all deaths. When compared to the general population, the risk of suicide was over 6 times greater (SMR, 6.1; 95% CI, 2.9–12.7) and the risk of death from accidental overdose was over 3 times greater (SMR, 3.5; 95% CI, 1.6–7.7). The risk of suicide by overdose was over 15 times greater among the IHR cohort than in the general population (SMR, 15.3; 95% CI, 6.4–36.7).ConclusionsPatients with IIH in the IHR possess significantly increased risks of death from suicide and accidental overdose compared to the general population. Complications of medical/surgical treatments were also major contributors to mortality. Depression and disability were common among decedents. These findings should be interpreted with caution as the IHR database is likely subject to selection bias.


2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yao Wang ◽  
Robert K. Kanter

AbstractObjectiveNatural disasters exacerbate risks of hazardous environmental exposures and adverse health consequences. The present study determined the proportion of previously identified lead industrial sites in urban locations that are at high risk for dispersal of toxic chemicals by natural disasters.MethodsGeographic analysis from publicly available data identified former lead smelting plants that coincide with populated urban areas and with high-risk locations for natural disasters.ResultsFrom a total of 229 urban smelting sites, 66 (29%) were in relatively high-risk areas for natural disasters: flood (39), earthquake (29), tornado (3), and hurricane (2). States with urban sites at relatively high risk for natural disaster included California (15); Pennsylvania (14); New York (7); Missouri (6); Illinois (5); New Jersey (4); Kentucky (3); Florida, Oregon, and Ohio (2 each); and Indiana, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, and Washington (1 each). Incomplete historical records showed at least 10 smelting site locations were affected by natural disaster.ConclusionsForgotten environmental hazards may remain hazardous in any community. Uncertainty about risks in disasters causes disruptive public anxiety that increases difficulties in community responses and recovery. Our professional and public responsibility is to seek a better understanding of the risks of latent environmental hazards. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2014;0:1–7)


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raid Amin ◽  
Terri Hall ◽  
Jacob Church ◽  
Daniela Schlierf ◽  
Martin Kulldorff

AbstractBackgroundCOVID-19 is a new coronavirus that has spread from person to person throughout the world. Geographical disease surveillance is a powerful tool to monitor the spread of epidemics and pandemic, providing important information on the location of new hot-spots, assisting public health agencies to implement targeted approaches to minimize mortality.MethodsCounty level data from January 22-April 28 was downloaded from USAfacts.org to create heat maps with ArcMap™ for diagnosed COVID-19 cases and mortality. The data was analyzed using spatial and space-time scan statistics and the SaTScan™ software, to detect geographical cluster with high incidence and mortality, adjusting for multiple testing. Analyses were adjusted for age. While the spatial clusters represent counties with unusually high counts of COVID-19 when averaged over the time period January 22-April 20, the space-time clusters allow us to identify groups of counties in which there exists a significant change over time.ResultsThere were several statistically significant COVID-19 clusters for both incidence and mortality. Top clusters with high rates included the areas in and around New York City, New Orleans and Chicago, but there were also several small rural clusters. Top clusters for a recent surge in incidence and mortality included large parts of the Midwest, the Mid-Atlantic Region, and several smaller areas in and around New York and New England.ConclusionsSpatial and space-time surveillance of COVID-19 can be useful for public health departments in their efforts to minimize mortality from the disease. It can also be applied to smaller regions with more granular data.


Author(s):  
Jon Zelner ◽  
Rob Trangucci ◽  
Ramya Naraharisetti ◽  
Alex Cao ◽  
Ryan Malosh ◽  
...  

Background. As of August 5, 2020, there were more than 4.8M confirmed and probable cases and 159K deaths attributable to SARS-CoV-2 in the United States, with these numbers undoubtedly reflecting a significant underestimate of the true toll. Geographic, racial-ethnic, age and socioeconomic disparities in exposure and mortality are key features of the first and second wave of the U.S. COVID-19 epidemic. Methods. We used individual-level COVID-19 incidence and mortality data from the U.S. state of Michigan to estimate age-specific incidence and mortality rates by race/ethnic group. Data were analyzed using hierarchical Bayesian regression models, and model results were validated using posterior predictive checks. Findings. In crude and age-standardized analyses we found rates of incidence and mortality more than twice as high than Whites for all groups other than Native Americans. Of these, Blacks experienced the greatest burden of confirmed and probable COVID-19 infection (Age- standardized incidence = 1,644/100,000 population) and mortality (age-standardized mortality rate 251/100,000). These rates reflect large disparities, as Blacks experienced age-standardized incidence and mortality rates 5.6 (95% CI = 5.5, 5.7) and 6.9 (6.5, 7.3) times higher than Whites, respectively. We also found that the bulk of the disparity in mortality between Blacks and Whites is driven by dramatically higher rates of COVID-19 infection across all age groups, particularly among older adults, rather than age-specific variation in case-fatality rates. Interpretation. This work suggests that well-documented racial disparities in COVID-19 mortality in hard-hit settings, such as the U.S. state of Michigan, are driven primarily by variation in household, community and workplace exposure rather than case-fatality rates. Funding. This work was supported by a COVID-PODS grant from the Michigan Institute for Data Science (MIDAS) at the University of Michigan. The funding source had no role in the preparation of this manuscript.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy Samuel Faust ◽  
Carlos del Rio

AbstractComparisons between the mortality burdens of COVID-19 and seasonal influenza often fail to account for the fact that the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports annual influenza mortality estimates which are calculated based upon a series of assumptions about the underreporting of flu deaths. COVID-19 deaths, in contrast, are being reported as raw counts. In this report, we compare COVID-19 death counts to seasonal influenza death counts in New York City during the interval from February 1 - April 18, 2020. Using this approach, COVID-19 appears to have caused 21.4 times the number of deaths as seasonal influenza during the same period. We also assessed excess mortality in order to verify this finding. New York City has had approximately 13,032 excess all-cause mortality deaths during this time period. We assume that most of these deaths are COVID-19 related. We therefore calculated the ratio of excess deaths (i.e. assumed COVID-19 deaths) to seasonal influenza deaths during the same time interval and found a similar ratio of 21.1 COVID-19 to seasonal influenza deaths. Our findings are consistent with conditions on the ground today. Comparing COVID-19 deaths with CDC estimates of yearly influenza-related deaths would suggest that, this year, seasonal influenza has killed approximately the same number of Americans as COVID-19 has. This does not comport with the realities of the pandemic we see today.


2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (27_suppl) ◽  
pp. 140-140
Author(s):  
Sindhu Janarthanam Malapati ◽  
Sunny R K Singh ◽  
Rohit Kumar ◽  
Jibran Ahmed ◽  
Vatsala Katiyar ◽  
...  

140 Background: Access to clinical trials is paramount for delivery of high quality cancer care. We aim to study the geographical distribution of phase 3 & 4 clinical trials for females with breast cancer across 51 states between 2011 & 2015. Methods: We searched Clinicaltrials.gov registry for phase 3 & 4 clinical trials in US for females with breast cancer & those first posted from 01/01/2011 to 12/31/2015. New cases of female breast cancer from 2011 to 2015 were estimated with U.S. Cancer Statistics Data Visualizations Tool (www.cdc.gov/cancer/dataviz). Results: We found 88 phase 3 & 4 clinical trials over 51 states. The average number (no.) of new cancer cases and no. of trials per state were 22,985 and 34.4 (range: 16 - 57) respectively. On average, each state had 0.003 (SD: 0.002) trials per case. States with maximum number of cases and trials were California, New York, Texas and Florida. These accounted for 30.7% of total cases, but only 12.5% of total trials. Also, these four states had the lowest no. of clinical trials per case while District of Columbia had the highest (0.0123). The states with the lowest no. of clinical trials included Rhode Island, Vermont, Wyoming & Alaska (3.7% of total trials). Table with data regarding states with lowest and highest cancer burden is attached. Conclusions: For breast cancer in females during the years 2011 to 2015, the ratio of available phase 3 & 4 clinical trials to new cancer cases was quite low when examined state-wise. The gap widened as the cancer burden increased resulting in the lowest no. of clinical trials per case in the states with maximum cancer burden. This highlights the need of better allocation of resources and efforts across the nation when conducting clinical trials. [Table: see text]


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 97 (3) ◽  
pp. 420-423
Author(s):  
◽  

Inhalant abuse is the intentional inhalation of a volatile substance for the purpose of achieving a euphoric state. It is also known as solvent abuse, volatile substance abuse, glue sniffing, sniffing, and huffing. Beginning with children as young as 6 years of age, it is an underrecognized form of substance abuse with a significant morbidity and mortality. This statement reviews important aspects of inhalant abuse and makes several recommendations involving prevention and education strategies to address this problem. EPIDEMIOLOGY As with other types of substance abuse, precise epidemiologic data on inhalant abuse are not available. The peak age of inhalant abuse is 14 to 15 years, with onset occurring in those as young as 6 to 8 years. Use declines typically by 17 to 19 years of age; however, some users may continue into adulthood. Since 1975, the National Institute on Drug Abuse annual survey of high school seniors (Monitoring the Future) has documented a lifetime incidence of inhalant abuse of 15% to 20%, with 5% to 10% of seniors using inhalants during the previous year. This survey underestimates the true prevalence, because school dropouts, who have a relatively higher incidence of substance abuse, are not included. Although there has been a general decline in the use of most other mind-altering substances, the relative incidence of inhalant abuse has increased. Since 1988, eighth graders also have been surveyed, disclosing that inhalant abuse has increased recently and has surpassed marijuana use within this group. Nationwide mortality data are not collected; however, the United Kingdom (with a population approximately one fifth of that of the United States and the only major country in the western world that tracks deaths caused by inhalants) has documented two deaths pen week.


Plant Disease ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 93 (9) ◽  
pp. 906-911 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chi-Min Chen ◽  
Karla A. de la Cerda ◽  
John E. Kaminski ◽  
Greg W. Douhan ◽  
Francis P. Wong

Waitea circinata var. circinata is the causal agent of brown ring patch, an emergent disease of turfgrass in the United States. Forty-two isolates from annual bluegrass were obtained from California, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Oregon, and Rhode Island. Almost all isolates produced white to orange sclerotia (bulbils), 2 to 5 mm in size, that turned dark brown after 21 days on ¼-strength potato dextrose agar. The ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer regions and 5.8S region (ITS) were analyzed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis using MspI and sequencing to attempt identification of the isolates. Some isolates were heterozygous at the MspI restriction site, results not found in previous reports using the RFLP technique for identification. Four additional nucleotide positions were found to be variable within ITS based on sequence analysis, including two indels and two additional heterozygous positions. A total of 17 ITS haplotypes were found, and there was no obvious relationship between ITS haplotype and the geographic distribution of the isolates. Results of this work indicate that W. circinata var. circinata is present in multiple states and provide an initial understanding of the diversity of the pathogen in the United States.


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