scholarly journals Causal association between cannabis and psychosis: examination of the evidence

2004 ◽  
Vol 184 (2) ◽  
pp. 110-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise Arseneault ◽  
Mary Cannon ◽  
John Witton ◽  
Robin M. Murray
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factor ◽  
Relative Risk ◽  
Causal Relationship ◽  
Psychotic Disorder ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Cannabis Use ◽  
Causal Association ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Causal Risk Factor

BackgroundControversy remains as to whether cannabis acts as a causal risk factor for schizophrenia or other functional psychotic illnesses.AimsTo examine critically the evidence that cannabis causes psychosis using established criteria of causality.MethodWe identified five studies that included a well-defined sample drawn from population-based registers or cohorts and used prospective measures of cannabis use and adult psychosis.ResultsOn an individual level, cannabis use confers an overall twofold increase in the relative risk for later schizophrenia. At the population level, elimination of cannabis use would reduce the incidence of schizophrenia by approximately 8%, assuming a causal relationship. Cannabis use appears to be neither a sufficient nor a necessary cause for psychosis. It is a component cause, part of a complex constellation of factors leading to psychosis.ConclusionsCases of psychotic disorder could be prevented by discouraging cannabis use among vulnerable youths. Research is needed to understand the mechanisms by which cannabis causes psychosis.

scholarly journals Population-based virucidal phthalocyanine gargle/rinse protocol to reduce the risk of coronavirus disease-2019: a community trial

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Verônica Caroline Brito Reia ◽  
Roosevelt da Silva Bastos ◽  
Fabiano Vieira Vilhena ◽  
Heitor Marques Honório ◽  
Lucas Marques da Costa Alves ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Relative Risk ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Phase 2 ◽  
Control Community ◽  
And Control ◽  
Official Information ◽  
Community Trial

Abstract Purpose: In this community trial, the objective was to evaluate the incidence of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) cases in two similar communities in three distinct phases: phase 1 (before the intervention), 2 (during the intervention), and 3 (after the intervention).Methods: The test community received the oral antiseptic intervention (experimental), while the control community did not. The official information agency provided the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases. Data were analyzed according to the three phases per epidemiological week (epi) using the R Core Team (2021) program. The relative risk and 95% confidence intervals between the cumulative incidence values of the test and control communities were calculated for each period. In the test community, a total of 995 residents, over 10 years of age, received two bottles containing 600 ml of mouthwash with antiviral phthalocyanine derivative (APD). The participants were asked to gargle/rinse with of 5 mL of the mouthwash with ADP 3 to 5 times a day, for 1 min, until the end of the bottles. Results: In phases 1 and 3, disease risk between the two communities did not differ significantly (p> 0.05), while in phase 2, disease risk was 54% lower in the test community than in the control community. Conclusion: The use of the APD mouthwash protocol seems to reduce the COVID-19 incidence at the population level, and further studies are needed to confirm its protective effect in different contexts.

Risk factor intervention at the population level

ESC CardioMed ◽  
2018 ◽  
pp. 873-882
Author(s):  
Eva Prescott ◽  
Torben Jørgensen ◽  
Maja-Lisa Løchen ◽  
Jonathan Pearson-Stuttard ◽  
Simon Capewell
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Entire Life ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Convenience Stores ◽  
Disability Adjusted Life ◽  
Life Years ◽  
Unhealthy Diet

Great health benefits can be achieved if preventive efforts are focused on whole populations rather than mainly on high-risk individuals. Tobacco smoking, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, alcohol abuse, and air pollution are responsible for a large proportion of global deaths and loss of disability-adjusted life years and there are documented effects of interventions at the population level on all of these factors. Population-based strategies include fiscal measures (i.e. taxation and subsidies), international, national, and regional policy regulations and legislation (e.g. smoke-free policies, rules for marketing, food production), and environmental changes (e.g. access to recreational areas, convenience stores), and have the advantages of addressing cardiovascular health over the entire life course, reducing health inequalities and saving costs when compared to individual-level interventions.

scholarly journals Marriage and reductions in men's alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis use

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (15) ◽  
pp. 2634-2640
Author(s):  
Jessica E. Salvatore ◽  
Charles O. Gardner ◽  
Kenneth S. Kendler
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Marital Status ◽  
Social Role ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Cannabis Use ◽  
Individual Factors ◽  
Psychoactive Substance ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Psychoactive Substance Use ◽  
Transition To Marriage

AbstractBackgroundPsychoactive substance use is lower among married compared to divorced or unmarried men; yet, the nature of this effect remains unclear because becoming and staying married is potentially confounded with substance-related background familial and individual factors, like parental divorce and personality. The authors investigated the associations between marital status and substance use; how substance use changed across the transition to marriage; and whether marriage effects were likely to be causal.MethodThe sample included 1790 adults from male–male twin pairs from a population-based registry. Measures of marital status and alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis use came from Life History Calendars. Data were analyzed using regression, co-twin comparison, and within-person models. The latter models are tools for quasi-causal inference that control for familial and individual-level confounders.ResultsMarried men used less alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis than men who were divorced/separated or single. In analyses of substance use across the transition to marriage, men reduced their alcohol and cannabis use both before and after marriage, but their tobacco use only after marriage. These effects were largely robust in co-twin and within-person analyses.ConclusionsMarriage was associated with substantial reductions in substance use compared to being divorced/separated or single, and these reductions began prior to marriage. The co-twin comparison and within-person models ruled out the alternative explanation that marriage effects were due to confounding background familial and individual factors. These results provide strong evidence that the social role expectations associated with marriage reduce psychoactive substance use.

scholarly journals Cystic fibrosis carriers are at increased risk for a wide range of cystic fibrosis-related conditions

2019 ◽  
Vol 117 (3) ◽  
pp. 1621-1627 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron C. Miller ◽  
Alejandro P. Comellas ◽  
Douglas B. Hornick ◽  
David A. Stoltz ◽  
Joseph E. Cavanaugh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cystic Fibrosis ◽  
Failure To Thrive ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Carrier State ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Relative Odds ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Autosomal Recessive Diseases

Autosomal recessive diseases, such as cystic fibrosis (CF), require inheritance of 2 mutated genes. However, some studies indicate that CF carriers are at increased risk for some conditions associated with CF. These investigations focused on single conditions and included small numbers of subjects. Our goal was to determine whether CF carriers are at increased risk for a range of CF-related conditions. Using the Truven Health MarketScan Commercial Claims database (2001–2017), we performed a population-based retrospective matched-cohort study. We identified 19,802 CF carriers and matched each carrier with 5 controls. The prevalence of 59 CF-related diagnostic conditions was evaluated in each cohort. Odds ratios for each condition were computed for CF carriers relative to controls. All 59 CF-related conditions were more prevalent among carriers compared with controls, with significantly increased risk (P < 0.05) for 57 conditions. Risk was increased for some conditions previously linked to CF carriers (e.g., pancreatitis, male infertility, bronchiectasis), as well as some conditions not previously reported (e.g., diabetes, constipation, cholelithiasis, short stature, failure to thrive). We compared our results with 23,557 subjects with CF, who were also matched with controls; as the relative odds of a given condition increased among subjects with CF, so did the corresponding relative odds for carriers (P < 0.001). Although individual-level risk remained low for most conditions, because there are more than 10 million carriers in the US, population-level morbidity attributable to the CF carrier state is likely substantial. Genetic testing may inform prevention, diagnosis, and treatment for a broad range of CF carrier-related conditions.

scholarly journals Private Religious or Spiritual Activities and its Impact on Life Satisfaction: A Population-based Study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sameer Desai
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Canadian Community Health Survey ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
High Satisfaction ◽  
The Impact

Background: Life satisfaction is considered a valid population-based indicator of health and well-being. Recently, many advances in life satisfaction and well-being have been made by improving social and health policies. However, several countries continue to report low levels of life satisfaction, even among many modern industrialized nations. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of private religious or spiritual activities (PRS) as a possible modifiable, individual-level factor to increase life satisfaction, with population-level health implications.Methods: The analytic sample included 9,627 respondents to the 2011-2012 Canadian Community Health Survey. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between self-reported PRS activities and life satisfaction, adjusted for confounders.Results: After adjusting for the confounders, daily PRS activities was associated with an increased odds of high satisfaction (AOR=1.22, 95% CI: 0.84, 1.78) compared to low satisfaction. Engaging in weekly PRS activities was also associated with an increased odds of high satisfaction (AOR = AOR=1.33, 95% CI: 0.87, 2.02) compared to low satisfaction. Monthly engagement in PRS activities was not associated with increases in life satisfaction. Conclusions: There is a moderate association between the odds of high satisfaction and engaging in PRS activities on a daily or weekly basis. The variability in the CIs of the AORs indicates imprecision in the data; however, the majority of the possible range of effects are beneficial. Countries and other relevant organizations should be cognizant of the possible role that religious and spiritual values may have on life satisfaction, as another factor to explore further for population-level health benefits.

scholarly journals Self-harm presentation across healthcare settings by sex in young people

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Marchant ◽  
Samantha Turner ◽  
Lloyd Balbuena ◽  
Evyn Peters ◽  
Dave Williams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Linked Data ◽  
Hospital Admissions ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Service Planning ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Healthcare Data ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
Self Harm

BackgroundAccurate data on self-harm is crucial to suicide prevention efforts. It has been previously found that around twice as many people who self-harm seek help in primary care than in secondary care. Little is known about how contacts for self-harm differ across settings at a population level. This study utilised individual-level linked data across GP, Emergency Departments (ED), outpatients and hospital admissions examining contacts across settings and time by sex for self-harm in 10-24 year olds. MethodsA whole-population based e-cohort study of routinely collected healthcare data was conducted. Rates of self-harm across settings over time by sex were examined. Individuals were categorised based on the service(s) to which they presented. ResultsA total of 937,697 individuals aged 10-24 years contributed 5,369,794 person years of data from the 01.01.2003-30.09.2015. There were differences in self-harm contacts by demographic variables particularly with regards to sex and admissions to hospital following ED attendance. ConclusionThis is the first study to compare self-harm in people aged 10-24 years across primary care, EDs, and hospital settings in the UK. The high rates of self-harm in primary care and for young men in EDs highlight these as important settings for intervention. Understanding patterns of presentation will inform service planning and configuration for follow-up care and could inform tailored support, for example for males in ED. Linked data provides important evidence to support the development of interventions across healthcare settings.

scholarly journals Offering nicotine patches to all households in a community with high smoking rates: Pilot test of a population-based approach to promote tobacco cessation

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
John A Cunningham ◽  
Scott T Leatherdale ◽  
Michael Chaiton ◽  
Rachel Tyndale ◽  
Christina Schell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tobacco Cessation ◽  
Public Health Intervention ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Smoking Rate ◽  
Small Community ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Nicotine Patches ◽  
High Smoking Rate ◽  
Target Community

BackgroundThe objective of this project is to determine the effectiveness of targeting a community with a high smoking rate with the distribution of free-of-charge nicotine patches in order to promote tobacco cessation. Methods/DesignOne small community with an elevated smoking rate (compared to national and provincial averages) has been identified. All households in the community will be sent a letter offering one smoker (18 years or older; 10 or more cigarettes per day) in the household a free-of-charge mailed five-week supply of nicotine patches (up to a total of 800 five-week kits will be available for distribution). Participants receiving nicotine patches will be asked to complete a six-month follow-up survey assessing tobacco cessation defined as 30-day point prevalence abstinence. In addition, attempts will be made to employ ongoing national population surveys containing cigarette smoking variables to compare changes in smoking prevalence in the target community to other communities with similar characteristics. DiscussionWe will examine whether the concentrated distribution of mailed nicotine patches will result in a measurable reduction in smoking rates in the target community. If demonstrated, this would provide support for the targeted population-level distribution of an effective individual-level public health intervention. Clinical Trials registrationNCT04534231

Cannabis Use is Not Associated With the Development of Psychosis in an ‘Ultra’ High-Risk Group

2002 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 800-806 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa J Phillips ◽  
Christina Curry ◽  
Alison R Yung ◽  
Hok Pan Yuen ◽  
Steven Adlard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factor ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Psychotic Disorder ◽  
Risk Group ◽  
High Risk Group ◽  
Cannabis Use ◽  
Psychotic Symptoms ◽  
First Episode ◽  
Psychotic Episode ◽  
Ultra High Risk

Background: The association between cannabis use and the development of a first psychotic episode was studied in a group of 100 young people identified as being at very high risk for the onset of psychosis. Method: The ‘ultra’ high risk cohort was identified by the presence of subthreshold psychotic symptoms, or a combination of first-degree relative with a psychotic disorder and recent functional decline. Thirty-two per cent of the cohort developed an acute psychotic episode over the 12-month period after recruitment. As a component of a larger research study, the level of cannabis use by participants in the year prior to enrolment in the study was assessed at intake. Results: Cannabis use or dependence in the year prior to recruitment to this study was not associated with a heightened risk of developing psychosis over the following 12-month period and therefore did not appear to contribute to the onset of a psychotic disorder. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that cannabis use may not play an integral role in the development of psychosis in a high-risk group. While this study does not support a role for cannabis in the development of first-episode psychosis, we cannot conclude that cannabis use should be completely ignored as a candidate risk factor for onset of psychosis. A number of weaknesses of the study (the low level of cannabis use in the current sample, the lack of monitoring of cannabis use after intake) suggest that it may be premature to dismiss cannabis use as a risk factor for the development of psychosis and further research is urged in this area.

Relative risk of arterial and venous thromboembolism in persons with cancer vs. persons without cancer—a nationwide analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ella Grilz ◽  
Florian Posch ◽  
Stephan Nopp ◽  
Oliver Königsbrügge ◽  
Irene M Lang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Venous Thromboembolism ◽  
Relative Risk ◽  
Cancer Diagnosis ◽  
Strong Association ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Diagnosis Code ◽  
Arterial Embolism ◽  
Icd 10 ◽  
Shared Risk

Abstract Aims An interrelation between cancer and thrombosis is known, but population-based studies on the risk of both arterial thromboembolism (ATE) and venous thromboembolism (VTE) have not been performed. Methods and results International Classification of Disease 10th Revision (ICD-10) diagnosis codes of all publicly insured persons in Austria (0–90 years) were extracted from the Austrian Association of Social Security Providers dataset covering the years 2006–07 (n = 8 306 244). Patients with a history of cancer or active cancer were defined as having at least one ICD-10 ‘C’ diagnosis code, and patients with ATE and/or VTE as having at least one of I21/I24 (myocardial infarction), I63/I64 (stroke), I74 (arterial embolism), and I26/I80/I82 (venous thromboembolism) diagnosis code. Among 158 675 people with cancer, 8559 (5.4%) had an ATE diagnosis code and 7244 (4.6%) a VTE diagnosis code. In contrast, among 8 147 569 people without cancer, 69 381 (0.9%) had an ATE diagnosis code and 29 307 (0.4%) a VTE diagnosis code. This corresponds to age-stratified random-effects relative risks (RR) of 6.88 [95% confidence interval (CI) 4.81–9.84] for ATE and 14.91 (95% CI 8.90–24.95) for VTE. ATE proportion was highest in patients with urinary tract malignancies (RR: 7.16 [6.74–7.61]) and lowest in patients with endocrine cancer (RR: 2.49 [2.00–3.10]). The corresponding VTE proportion was highest in cancer of the mesothelium/soft tissue (RR: 19.35 [17.44–21.47]) and lowest in oropharyngeal cancer (RR: 6.62 [5.61–7.81]). Conclusion The RR of both ATE and VTE are significantly higher in persons with cancer. Our population-level meta-data indicate a strong association between cancer, ATE and VTE, and support the concept of shared risk factors and pathobiology between these diseases. Relative risk of ATE and VTE in persons with a cancer diagnosis code versus persons without a cancer diagnosis code.

scholarly journals From heavy cannabis use to psychosis: is it time to take action?

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
L. Johnson-Ferguson ◽  
M. Di Forti
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factor ◽  
Secondary Prevention ◽  
Functional Outcome ◽  
Psychotic Disorder ◽  
Psychotic Disorders ◽  
Cannabis Use ◽  
Recreational Drugs ◽  
Biological Mechanisms ◽  
Primary And Secondary Prevention ◽  
The Impact

Cannabis is one of the most widely used recreational drugs among people with clinical psychosis, after nicotine and alcohol. There has been a debate in psychiatry about whether or not we can infer a cause-and-effect relationship between the use of cannabis and psychotic disorders. In this editorial, we first present and critically discuss the evidence to date of the association between heavy cannabis use and psychosis. We argue that while the biological mechanisms underlying individual susceptibility to develop a psychotic disorder following heavy cannabis use are still unknown, heavy cannabis use remains the most modifiable risk factor for the onset of psychotic disorders and for its clinical and functional outcome. This demands a clear move towards both primary and secondary prevention intervention to reduce the impact of heavy cannabis use on the incidence and prevalence of psychotic disorders.

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