scholarly journals Causes of Death during the First COVID-19 Pandemic Wave in Italy: A Comparison with Some European Countries

COVID ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 751-756
Author(s):  
Enrico Grande ◽  
Giulia Marcone ◽  
Alessia Scuro ◽  
Tania Bracci ◽  
Simona Cinque ◽  
...  

Studies comparing cause-of-death patterns across countries during the COVID-19 outbreak are still lacking although such studies would contribute to the understanding of the direct and indirect effect of the virus on mortality. In this report, we compare the mortality pattern observed in Italy during the first pandemic wave (March–April 2020) with that of some European countries. We calculated cause-specific, age-standardized mortality ratios (SMR) for Spain, England, and Sweden for the two mentioned months from 2016 to 2020, using already published data. Although Italy presented the highest crude overall mortality rate (267 per 100,000 population), age-adjusted ratios showed that all-cause and COVID-19 mortality in Italy were higher than in Sweden but lower than in the other two countries. Some causes had a similar increase in 2020 compared to previous years in all countries, i.e., endocrine diseases (especially diabetes), dementia and Alzheimer’s (in general mental disorders), and hypertensive heart diseases. Conversely, respiratory diseases, in particular pneumonia and influenza, increased to a greater extent in Italy. This latter result could be, in part, related to the underreporting of COVID-19 on death certificates during the first period of the pandemic, when Italy was the first European country severely hit by the virus.

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e23009-e23009
Author(s):  
Soon Khai Low ◽  
Bao Long Hoang Trong ◽  
Nourelhoda Sami Bahaie ◽  
Dimitrios Giannis ◽  
Gehad Mohamed Tawfik ◽  
...  

e23009 Background: Increasing survival of patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) may be associated with higher risk of mortality due to causes other than the primary NET, namely the competing causes of death (CCD). Therefore, our study focused on comprehensively investigating the magnitude of the CCD on the overall NET mortality and the associated demographic, clinicopathologic and treatment factors using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Methods: Patients with histologically confirmed primary NET diagnosed from 1973 through 2015 were identified using the SEER-9 registries for subsequent data collection and analysis. CCD were stratified and analyzed using standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) as measures of the relative risks of mortality for NET patients in comparison to the general population in the US adjusted by age, sex and race over the same time period. Competing risk regression analysis was performed using Fine and Gray multivariate regression model. Results: A total of 29,981 NET patients were included, 5481 (42.5%) of which deceased due to CCD. Overall SMR attributed to CCD was 2.50 [95% Confidence interval (CI): 2.43–2.56]. The SMR of non-cancer CCD was 2.65 (95% CI:2.58–2.73) and that of SPN was 1.91 (95% CI:1.79–2.04). Heart diseases and other cardiovascular diseases accounted for approximately half of all non-cancer CCD. SPN mortality accounted for 16.1% of CCD, with lung and bronchus cancer being the most prevalent. Stratification by the year of diagnosis revealed a drastic rise in CCD was observed in the last decade between 2005 and 2015, during which the SMR peaked. Advanced age, black race, small intestinal and gastric NETs, and cancer-directed surgery were significantly associated with an increased risk of CCD (p<0.001). Interestingly, female sex, pancreatic NETs, recto-anal NETs, NETs of unknown primary site, race other than white and black, distant and regional spread, chemotherapy and radiotherapy were significantly associated with a decrease in the incidence of CCD. Conclusions: CCD play an increasingly significant role in NET mortality in recent years, especially for those with higher risk of CCD. Further prospective studies are needed to evaluate the association of NETs with these CCD.


2020 ◽  
Vol 77 (11) ◽  
pp. 761-768
Author(s):  
Kajsa Ugelvig Petersen ◽  
Henrik Lyngbeck Hansen ◽  
Linda Kaerlev ◽  
Johnni Hansen

ObjectivesWhile life at sea traditionally has presented a variety of potential hazards, rigorous measures have been taken in the past decades to ensure the safety and health of all aboard merchant ships. The aim of this study was to examine overall and cause-specific mortality among Danish seafarers in light of these changes.MethodsA cohort of 44 555 male (75%) and female (25%) seafarers employed on Danish ships during 1986–1999 was established through records from the Danish Seafarer Registry. Subsequently, information on vital status and causes of death was linked to members of the cohort from the Danish Civil Registration System and the Danish Register of Causes of Death using unique personal identification numbers. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated for the seafarers using rates from a sample of the Danish employed population.ResultsAmong seafarers with first employment prior to 1992, the overall mortality was high, with increases observed for many individual causes of death (overall SMR 1.78, 95% CI 1.72 to 1.83 for male seafarers; SMR 1.61, 95% CI 1.48 to 1.75 for female seafarers). Mortality among seafarers employed in the following period was reduced, with only a slight remaining excess of deaths. This excess in mortality was evident primarily among non-officers on board tankers and smaller ships.ConclusionsDuring recent decades, mortality among seafarers has changed, replacing the traditional image of a high-risk profession with almost normalised figures compared with the general working population. Marked imbalances in mortality according to job and ship categories have persisted though.


2020 ◽  
pp. 003022282091371
Author(s):  
Hanlin Zhang ◽  
Kang Chen ◽  
Naili Wang ◽  
Di Zhang ◽  
Qing Zhang ◽  
...  

The body donation program of Peking Union Medical College was established in May 1999. From May 1999 to December 2017, a total of 5,576 registrants registered and 1,459 donors donated their bodies. Demographic and medical characteristics of the donors were analyzed. The top four causes of death were neoplasms, heart diseases, respiratory diseases, and cerebrovascular diseases. Age at death among donors who died of neoplasms were significantly lower than other causes of death (all p < .05), and the interval between registration and donation among donors who died of neoplasms was significantly shorter than that among donors with other causes (all p < .001). The age of donors when they registered ( p < .001) and donated ( p < .001) was significantly older than that of general Beijing population. This study may provide a guide for medical colleges or research institutions to establish or enhance their own body donation programs.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peri Harish Kumar ◽  
Sai Sharan Dwarka ◽  
Talal Zahid ◽  
Habib Ur Rehman ◽  
Tajbinder Singh Bains ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective: To identify cancer and non-cancer causes of death in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients over different time periods after diagnosis and to compare the mortality risk of each cause in HCC patients with the general population.Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, data of 67,637 HCC patients from 1975 to 2016 were collected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. We investigated the association between different causes of death and the following variables: age, race, tumor stage at diagnosis, and treatment (surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy); each according to the periods of < 1 year, 1–5 years, 5–10 years, and > 10 years following the diagnosis. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for cancer and non-cancer deaths in each of the mentioned periods following diagnosis.Results: Data of 67,637 patients, of whom 50,571 patients died during the follow-up period, were analyzed. Most deaths were due to HCC itself (35,535, 70.3%), followed by other cancers (3,983, 7.9%). Common causes of non-cancer mortality included infectious and parasitic diseases including HIV (2,823 patients, SMR = 105.68, 95% CI: 101.82-109.65), chronic liver disease (2,719 patients, SMR = 76.56, 95% CI: 73.71,79.5), and heart diseases (1,265 patients, SMR = 2.26, 95% CI: 2.14–2.39), with higher mortality risk in HCC patients than in the general population.Conclusion: Cancers stand for most deaths in patients with HCC. Besides, infectious, and parasitic diseases including HIV represent the commonest non-cancer cause of mortality.


Author(s):  
Deepak Meshram ◽  
Khushbo Bhardwaj ◽  
Charulata Rathod ◽  
Gail B. Mahady ◽  
Kapil K. Soni

Background: Leukotrienes are powerful mediators of inflammation and interact with specific receptors in target cell membrane to initiate an inflammatory response. Thus, Leukotrienes (LTs) are considered to be potent mediators of inflammatory diseases including allergic rhinitis, inflammatory bowel disease and asthma. Leukotriene B4 and the series of cysteinyl leukotrienes (C4, D4, and E4) are metabolites of arachidonic acid metabolism that cause inflammation. The cysteinyl LTs are known to increase vascular permeability, bronco-constriction and mucus secretion. Objectives: To review the published data for leukotriene inhibitors of plant origin and the recent patents for leukotriene inhibitors, as well as their role in the management of inflammatory diseases. Methods: Published data for leukotrienes antagonists of plant origin were searched from 1938 to 2019, without language restrictions using relevant keywords in both free text and Medical Subject Headings (MeSH terms) format. Literature and patent searches in the field of leukotriene inhibitors were carried out by using numerous scientific databases including Science Direct, PubMed, MEDLINE, Google Patents, US Patents, US Patent Applications, Abstract of Japan, German Patents, European Patents, WIPO and NAPRALERT. Finally, data from these information resources were analyzed and reported in the present study. Results: Currently, numerous anti-histaminic medicines are available including chloropheneremine, brompheniramine, cetirizine, and clementine. Furthermore, specific leukotriene antagonists from allopathic medicines are also available including zileuton, montelukast, pranlukast and zafirlukast and are considered effective and safe medicines as compared to the first generation medicines. The present study reports leukotrienes antagonistic agents of natural products and certain recent patents that could be an alternative medicine in the management of inflammation in respiratory diseases. Conclusion: The present study highlights recent updates on the pharmacology and patents on leukotriene antagonists in the management of inflammation respiratory diseases.


Author(s):  
Mohammad Said Ramadan ◽  
◽  
Lorenzo Bertolino ◽  
Tommaso Marrazzo ◽  
Maria Teresa Florio ◽  
...  

AbstractGrowing reports since the beginning of the pandemic and till date describe increased rates of cardiac complications (CC) in the active phase of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). CC commonly observed include myocarditis/myocardial injury, arrhythmias and heart failure, with an incidence reaching about a quarter of hospitalized patients in some reports. The increased incidence of CC raise questions about the possible heightened susceptibility of patients with cardiac disease to develop severe COVID-19, and whether the virus itself is involved in the pathogenesis of CC. The wide array of CC seems to stem from multiple mechanisms, including the ability of the virus to directly enter cardiomyocytes, and to indirectly damage the heart through systemic hyperinflammatory and hypercoagulable states, endothelial injury of the coronary arteries and hypoxemia. The induced CC seem to dramatically impact the prognosis of COVID-19, with some studies suggesting over 50% mortality rates with myocardial damage, up from ~ 5% overall mortality of COVID-19 alone. Thus, it is particularly important to investigate the relation between COVID-19 and heart disease, given the major effect on morbidity and mortality, aiming at early detection and improving patient care and outcomes. In this article, we review the growing body of published data on the topic to provide the reader with a comprehensive and robust description of the available evidence and its implication for clinical practice.


2011 ◽  
Vol 63 (5) ◽  
pp. 1182-1189 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. C. Mok ◽  
C. L. Kwok ◽  
L. Y. Ho ◽  
P. T. Chan ◽  
S. F. Yip

Author(s):  
KHROMUSHIN V.A. ◽  
◽  
VOLKOV A.V. ◽  
KHADARTSEV A.A. ◽  
◽  
...  

The article presents the relevance of the problem, defines the research purpose: to compare the average life expectancy of the population in the areas of the Tula region with different contents of heavy metals in the class of causes of death “Respiratory diseases ”. The authors used the data of the regional mortality register, the results of analyzes of the content of heavy metals (copper, lead, zinc, nickel) in the soil by atomic absorption spectroscopy, and the calculation of the average life expectancy by the algebraic model of constructive logic. The results indicate a decrease in average life expectancy due to the presence of heavy metals in the soil, but the average life expectancy in both contaminated and non-contaminated areas is gradually increasing.


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