scholarly journals Effect of Hand Hygiene on Infectious Disease Risk in the Community Setting: A Meta-Analysis

2008 ◽  
Vol 98 (8) ◽  
pp. 1372-1381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison E. Aiello ◽  
Rebecca M. Coulborn ◽  
Vanessa Perez ◽  
Elaine L. Larson
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Community Setting

scholarly journals Infectious disease and group size: more than just a numbers game

2015 ◽  
Vol 370 (1669) ◽  
pp. 20140111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles L. Nunn ◽  
Ferenc Jordán ◽  
Collin M. McCabe ◽  
Jennifer L. Verdolin ◽  
Jennifer H. Fewell
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Group Size ◽  
Intraspecific Variation ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Network Size ◽  
Structured Populations ◽  
Disease Spread ◽  
Increased Risk

Increased risk of infectious disease is assumed to be a major cost of group living, yet empirical evidence for this effect is mixed. We studied whether larger social groups are more subdivided structurally. If so, the social subdivisions that form in larger groups may act as barriers to the spread of infection, weakening the association between group size and infectious disease. To investigate this ‘social bottleneck’ hypothesis, we examined the association between group size and four network structure metrics in 43 vertebrate and invertebrate species. We focused on metrics involving modularity, clustering, distance and centralization. In a meta-analysis of intraspecific variation in social networks, modularity showed positive associations with network size, with a weaker but still positive effect in cross-species analyses. Network distance also showed a positive association with group size when using intraspecific variation. We then used a theoretical model to explore the effects of subgrouping relative to other effects that influence disease spread in socially structured populations. Outbreaks reached higher prevalence when groups were larger, but subgrouping reduced prevalence. Subgrouping also acted as a ‘brake’ on disease spread between groups. We suggest research directions to understand the conditions under which larger groups become more subdivided, and to devise new metrics that account for subgrouping when investigating the links between sociality and infectious disease risk.

The burden of cardiovascular disease risk factors in the Middle East: A systematic review and meta-analysis focusing on primary prevention

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akshaya Srikanth Bhagavathula ◽  
Abdullah Shehab ◽  
Anhar Ullah ◽  
Jamal Rahmani
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Family History ◽  
Primary Prevention ◽  
Middle East ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
History Of

Background: The increasing incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) threatens the Middle Eastern population. Several epidemiological studies have assessed CVD and its risk factors in terms of the primary prevention of CVD in the Middle East. Therefore, summarizing the information from these studies is essential. Aim: We conducted a systematic review to assess the prevalence of CVD and its major risk factors among Middle Eastern adults based on the literature published between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2018 and carried out a meta-analysis. Methods: We searched electronic databases such as PubMed/Medline, ScienceDirect, Embase and Google Scholar to identify literature published from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2018. All the original articles that investigated the prevalence of CVD and reported at least one of the following factors were included: hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidaemia, smoking and family history of CVD. To summarize CVD prevalence, we performed a random-effects meta-analysis. Results: A total of 41 potentially relevant articles were included, and 32 were included in the meta-analysis (n=191,979). The overall prevalence of CVD was 10.1% (95% confidence interval (CI): 7.1-14.3%, p<0.001) in the Middle East. A high prevalence of CVD risk factors, such as dyslipidaemia (43.3%; 95% CI: 21.5-68%), hypertension (26.2%; 95% CI: 19.6-34%) and diabetes (16%; 95% CI: 9.9-24.8%), was observed. The prevalence rates of other risk factors, such as smoking (12.4%; 95% CI: 7.7-19.4%) and family history of CVD (18.7%; 95% CI: 15.4-22.5%), were also high. Conclusion: The prevalence of CVD is high (10.1%) in the Middle East. The burden of dyslipidaemia (43.3%) in this region is twice as high as that of hypertension (26.2%) and diabetes mellitus (16%). Multifaceted interventions are urgently needed for the primary prevention of CVD in this region.

scholarly journals On the diverse and opposing effects of nutrition on pathogen virulence

2019 ◽  
Vol 286 (1906) ◽  
pp. 20191220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria L. Pike ◽  
Katrina A. Lythgoe ◽  
Kayla C. King
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Immune System ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Anthropogenic Factors ◽  
Anthropogenic Activity ◽  
Pathogen Virulence ◽  
Disease Outcomes ◽  
Host Nutrition ◽  
Opposing Effects ◽  
The Impact

Climate change and anthropogenic activity are currently driving large changes in nutritional availability across ecosystems, with consequences for infectious disease. An increase in host nutrition could lead to more resources for hosts to expend on the immune system or for pathogens to exploit. In this paper, we report a meta-analysis of studies on host–pathogen systems across the tree of life, to examine the impact of host nutritional quality and quantity on pathogen virulence. We did not find broad support across studies for a one-way effect of nutrient availability on pathogen virulence. We thus discuss a hypothesis that there is a balance between the effect of host nutrition on the immune system and on pathogen resources, with the pivot point of the balance differing for vertebrate and invertebrate hosts. Our results suggest that variation in nutrition, caused by natural or anthropogenic factors, can have diverse effects on infectious disease outcomes across species.

Abstract P375: Vascular Age Versus Calendar Age as Surrogate for Atherosclerotic Burden and Cardiovascular Disease Risk

Circulation ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 127 (suppl_12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanne A Peters ◽  
Karlijn A Groenewegen ◽  
Hester M den Ruijter ◽  
Michiel L Bots
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Cardiovascular Disease Risk ◽  
Intima Media Thickness ◽  
Chronological Age ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
Communication Tool ◽  
Vascular Age

Background Vascular age is the chronological age of an individual adjusted by their level of atherosclerosis. Vascular age can be used as understandable communication tool towards patients. It has been proposed that carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) could be used to estimate the vascular age in individuals. The issue on how to best estimate vascular age remains an unanswered question and was evaluated in this study. Methods Data were used from the USE-IMT study collaboration, a global individual patient data meta-analysis including 14 population-based cohorts contributing data for 45 828 individuals. We used two methods to define vascular age. First, vascular age was the age at which a participant’s CIMT value would be at the 50th percentile of the age-and sex specific reference values of the healthy USE-IMT subpopulation (VA50). Second, vascular age was the age at which the estimated cardiovascular risk equals the risk of the observed CIMT value (VArisk). Results Mean (+/- standard deviation [SD]) chronological age, VA50, and VArisk were 58 (9), 63 (19), and 59 (7) years, respectively. VArisk was 0.24 yrs higher in women and 1.5 yrs higher in men than chronological age whereas VA50 was 4.4 yrs higher in women and 5.8 yrs higher in men than chronological age. After adjustment for traditional cardiovascular risk factors, a SD increase in VA50 and VArisk was associated with a 15% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.12; 1.19) and 22% (95% CI: 1.17; 1.28) higher risk of cardiovascular disease. For comparison, a SD increase in mean common CIMT increased the risk of cardiovascular disease with 15% (95% CI: 1.12; 1.19). Conclusion We presented two distinct measures a vascular age: VA50, and VArisk. VA50 is a straightforward translation of CIMT and is a measure of the age at which the average person would be expected to have a certain CIMT. In contrast, VArisk incorporates information about expected cardiovascular risk and is the chronological age of a person that conveys the same risk as the CIMT. VA50 and VArisk might provide a convenient transformation of CIMT to a scale that is more easily understood by patients and clinicians.

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