OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to estimate the incidence of hypertension and determine the risk factors for hypertension among apparently healthy adult Filipinos.

This observational prospective community-based study included apparently healthy adult individuals aged 20–50 years from the Life Course Study in Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology (LIFECARE) Philippine cohort at baseline and followed-up after an average of four years. Sociodemographic data, psychosocial stress, and clinical and metabolic profiles were obtained and analyzed. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with the development of hypertension.

A total of 2,089 non-hypertensive participants were included, with 59% women and average age of 35 years (SD = 8.4). The incidence rate of hypertension was 38.1 per 1,000 person-years. The cumulative incidence of hypertension over a mean follow-up time of four years was 15.4% (95% CI = 13.9–17.0%). The risk of incident hypertension was higher among males (aHR=1.3, 95% CI: 1.0–1.8; p=0.044), ≥40 years old (aHR=3.9, 95% CI: 2.6–5.8; pCONCLUSION

The 4-year incidence rate of hypertension among apparently healthy adult Filipinos is high. Increased age, male sex, family history of hypertension, abdominal obesity, and high normal blood pressure were significantly associated with the development of hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the risk of aristolochic acid (AA)-associated cancer in patients with AA nephropathy (AAN). METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on patients diagnosed with AAN at Peking University First Hospital from January 1997 to December 2014. Long-term surveillance and follow-up data were analyzed to investigate the influence of different factors on the prevalence of cancer. The primary endpoint was the incidence of liver cancer, and the secondary endpoint was the incidence of urinary cancer during 1 year after taking AA-containing medication to 2014. RESULTS: A total of 337 patients diagnosed with AAN were included in this study. From the initiation of taking AA to the termination of follow-up, 39 patients were diagnosed with cancer. No cases of liver cancer were observed throughout the entire follow-up period, with urinary cancer being the predominant type (34/39, 87.17%). Logistic regression analysis showed that age, follow-up period, and diabetes were potential risk factors, however, the dosage of the drug was not significantly associated with urinary cancer. CONCLUSIONS No cases of liver cancer were observed at the end of follow-up. However, a high prevalence of urinary cancer was observed in AAN patients. Establishing a direct causality between AA and HCC is challenging.
Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Incidence ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Liver Neoplasms/epidemiology* ; Kidney Diseases/chemically induced* ; Aristolochic Acids/adverse effects*

Background and Objective: Scabies is the second most common cause of disability due to skin disease in the Philippines. However, there were no cited studies in Global Burden of Disease 2019 and the disability-adjusted life years (DALY) computations were most likely based on statistical modelling. The Philippine Department of Health has embarked on a program to estimate the disease burden of priority diseases in the country, which include scabies. The last nationwide prevalence survey was 23 years ago. This systematic review aimed to estimate the prevalence or incidence of scabies in the Philippines. Methods: We searched PubMed, Scopus, Herdin, and Philippine Health Research Registry (search date October 2022) for studies on prevalence/incidence (including systematic reviews, cross-sectional studies, cohort studies, case series, registry or census studies) of patients diagnosed with scabies in the Philippines. We excluded narrative reviews, commentaries, and conference proceedings or abstracts. Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts, assessed full text reports for eligibility, appraised the quality of included studies, and collected data using a pretested data extraction form. We did not pool studies due to clinical heterogeneity but plotted the individual studies in a forest plot with prevalence estimates and confidence intervals. We reported the median and interquartile range for entire group or relevant subgroups (age, setting) of studies. We used the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach to assess the certainty of evidence. Results: We included nine studies (N=79,065). Most were clinic-based prevalence studies, retrospective chart reviews, conducted in dermatology outpatient clinics, Metro Manila area, and on pediatric populations. Prevalence of scabies was moderate (i.e., between 2 and 10%), ranging from 2.75% (national prevalence survey) to 6.8% (communitybased review), to high (> 10%) among pediatric patients in clinic-based retrospective chart reviews (29 to 36%) and institution-based surveys (39.0% to 45%), and a tertiary government university training hospital dermatology clinic (22.9%). The most affected age group was from 0 to 14 y/o, while males tended to have a higher prevalence than females. The cooler month of January had higher prevalence than the hotter month of June in one study. Conclusion Scabies is common in the Philippines, especially among children and elderly in institutional settings, and during the month of January. There is a need to do a national prevalence survey to identify high-risk areas and to monitor the prevalence of scabies, especially in crowded settings and vulnerable populations. This information can be used for estimating the burden of disease for scabies and guide appropriate health resource allocation.
Scabies ; Philippines ; Epidemiology ; Prevalence ; Incidence

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Scabies is the second most common cause of disability due to skin disease in the Philippines. However, there were no cited studies in Global Burden of Disease 2019 and the disability-adjusted life years (DALY) computations were most likely based on statistical modelling. The Philippine Department of Health has embarked on a program to estimate the disease burden of priority diseases in the country, which include scabies. The last nationwide prevalence survey was 23 years ago. This systematic review aimed to estimate the prevalence or incidence of scabies in the Philippines.

We searched PubMed, Scopus, Herdin, and Philippine Health Research Registry (search date October 2022) for studies on prevalence/incidence (including systematic reviews, cross-sectional studies, cohort studies, case series, registry or census studies) of patients diagnosed with scabies in the Philippines. We excluded narrative reviews, commentaries, and conference proceedings or abstracts. Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts, assessed full text reports for eligibility, appraised the quality of included studies, and collected data using a pretested data extraction form. We did not pool studies due to clinical heterogeneity but plotted the individual studies in a forest plot with prevalence estimates and confidence intervals. We reported the median and interquartile range for entire group or relevant subgroups (age, setting) of studies. We used the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach to assess the certainty of evidence.

We included nine studies (N=79,065). Most were clinic-based prevalence studies, retrospective chart reviews, conducted in dermatology outpatient clinics, Metro Manila area, and on pediatric populations. Prevalence of scabies was moderate (i.e., between 2 and 10%), ranging from 2.75% (national prevalence survey) to 6.8% (communitybased review), to high (> 10%) among pediatric patients in clinic-based retrospective chart reviews (29 to 36%) and institution-based surveys (39.0% to 45%), and a tertiary government university training hospital dermatology clinic (22.9%). The most affected age group was from 0 to 14 y/o, while males tended to have a higher prevalence than females. The cooler month of January had higher prevalence than the hotter month of June in one study.

Scabies is common in the Philippines, especially among children and elderly in institutional settings, and during the month of January. There is a need to do a national prevalence survey to identify high-risk areas and to monitor the prevalence of scabies, especially in crowded settings and vulnerable populations. This information can be used for estimating the burden of disease for scabies and guide appropriate health resource allocation.

Objective: This study aimed to estimate the incidence of hypertension and determine the risk factors for hypertension among apparently healthy adult Filipinos. Methods: This observational prospective community-based study included apparently healthy adult individuals aged 20–50 years from the Life Course Study in Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology (LIFECARE) Philippine cohort at baseline and followed-up after an average of four years. Sociodemographic data, psychosocial stress, and clinical and metabolic profiles were obtained and analyzed. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with the development of hypertension. Results: A total of 2,089 non-hypertensive participants were included, with 59% women and average age of 35 years (SD = 8.4). The incidence rate of hypertension was 38.1 per 1,000 person-years. The cumulative incidence of hypertension over a mean follow-up time of four years was 15.4% (95% CI = 13.9–17.0%). The risk of incident hypertension was higher among males (aHR=1.3, 95% CI: 1.0–1.8; p=0.044), ≥40 years old (aHR=3.9, 95% CI: 2.6–5.8; p < 0.001), family history of hypertension (aHR=1.4, 95% CI: 1.1–1.7; p=0.007), abdominal obesity (aHR=1.4, 95% CI: 1.0–2.0; p=0.027), baseline systolic blood pressure (SBP) of at least 130 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of at least 80 mm Hg (aHR=5.1, 95% CI: 3.8–6.8; p < 0.001). Conclusion The 4-year incidence rate of hypertension among apparently healthy adult Filipinos is high. Increased age, male sex, family history of hypertension, abdominal obesity, and high normal blood pressure were significantly associated with the development of hypertension.
Human ; hypertension ; incidence

Background: Due to the increasing number of elderly patients being referred to anesthesia for surgical procedures, there is a growing interest with regard to the incidence of postoperative delirium and its contributing factors. Objectives: The primary objective of this study is to determine the incidence of postoperative delirium in the charity elderly patients at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH). Methods: The incidence of postoperative delirium was assessed in an analytic prospective study conducted at the PGH among elderly patients undergoing elective surgeries. Through interviews and chart reviews, the collected data focused on baseline intellectual status, age, gender, ASA classification, level of education, comorbidities, vices, previous surgeries, maintenance medications, preoperative diagnostics, duration of surgery, duration of anesthesia, type of anesthetic technique, and pain scores at the recovery room and 24 hours postoperatively. Responses to the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ), the Preoperative and Postoperative assessment forms and the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) instrument were analyzed. Results: It was observed that there was a 2.5% incidence of postoperative delirium in the study population and among the risk factors assessed, polypharmacy and presence of moderate to severe pain scores on the first day following surgery were significant contributors in its occurrence. Conclusion In this preliminary study, the incidence of postoperative delirium as well as the significant contributing factors were described. In succeeding investigations, it is recommended to extend the observation and follow-up periods.
Emergence Delirium ; Aged ; Incidence

Objective: To analyze the incidence and survival rate of liver cancer cases in the entire population in the Qidong region from 1972 to 2019, so as to provide a basis for prognosis evaluation, prevention, and treatment. Methods: The observed survival rate (OSR) and relative survival rate (RSR) of 34 805 cases of liver cancer in the entire Qidong region population from 1972 to 2019 were calculated using Hakulinen's method with SURV3.01 software. Hakulinen's likelihood ratio test was used for statistical analysis. Age-standardized relative survival (ARS) was calculated using the International Cancer Survival Standard. The Joinpoint regression analysis was performed with Joinpoint 4.7.0.0 software to calculate the average annual percentage change (AAPC) of the liver cancer survival rate. Results: 1-ASR increased from 13.80% in 1972-1977 to 50.20% in 2014-2019, while 5-ASR increased from 1.27% in 1972-1977 to 27.64% in 2014-2019. The upward trend of RSR over eight periods was statistically significant (χ (2) = 3045.29, P < 0.001). Among them, male 5-ASR was 0.90%, 1.80%, 2.33%, 4.92%, 5.43%, 7.05%, 10.78%, and 27.78%, and female 5-ASR was 2.33%, 1.51%, 3.35%, 3.92%, 3.84%, 7.18%, 11.45%, and 29.84%, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in RSR between males and females (χ (2) = 45.68, P < 0.001). The 5-RSR for each age group of 25-34 years old, 35-44 years old, 45-54 years old, 55-64 years old, 65-74 years old, and 75 years old were 4.92%, 5.29%, 8.17%, 11.70%, 11.63%, and 9.60%, respectively. There were statistically significant differences in RSR among different age groups (χ (2) = 501.29, P < 0.001). The AAPC in Qidong region from 1972 to 2019 for 1-ARS, 3-ASR, and 5-ARS were 5.26% (t = 12.35, P < 0.001), 8.10% (t = 15.99, P < 0.001), and 8.96 % (t = 16.06, P < 0.001), respectively. The upward trend was statistically significant in all cases. The AAPC of 5-ARS was 9.82% in males (t = 14.14, P < 0.001), and 8.79% in females (t = 11.48, P < 0.001), and the upward trend was statistically significant in both. The AAPC of 25-34 years old, 35-44 years old, 45-54 years old, 55-64 years old, 65-74 years old, and 75 years old were 5.37% (t = 5.26, P = 0.002), 5.22% (t = 5.66, P = 0.001), 7.20% (t = 6.88, P < 0.001), 10.00% (t = 12.58, P < 0.001), 9.96% (t = 7.34, P < 0.001) and 8.83% (t = 3.51, P = 0.013), and the upward trend was statistically significant. Conclusion: The overall survival rate of registered cases of liver cancer in the Qidong region's entire population has greatly improved, but there is still much room for improvement. Hence, constant attention should be paid to the study on preventing and treating liver cancer.
Male ; Humans ; Female ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Survival Rate ; Liver Neoplasms/epidemiology* ; Prognosis ; Incidence ; Software ; China/epidemiology*

Objective: This cross-sectional investigation aimed to determine the incidence, clinical characteristics, prognosis, and related risk factors of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain in mainland China. Methods: Data of patients with SARS-CoV-2 from December 28, 2022, to February 21, 2023, were collected through online and offline questionnaires from 45 tertiary hospitals and one center for disease control and prevention in mainland China. The questionnaire included demographic information, previous health history, smoking and alcohol drinking, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, olfactory and gustatory function before and after infection, other symptoms after infection, as well as the duration and improvement of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction. The self-reported olfactory and gustatory functions of patients were evaluated using the Olfactory VAS scale and Gustatory VAS scale. Results: A total of 35 566 valid questionnaires were obtained, revealing a high incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain (67.75%). Females(χ2=367.013, P<0.001) and young people(χ2=120.210, P<0.001) were more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Gender(OR=1.564, 95%CI: 1.487-1.645), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), oral health status (OR=0.881, 95%CI: 0.839-0.926), smoking history (OR=1.152, 95%CI=1.080-1.229), and drinking history (OR=0.854, 95%CI: 0.785-0.928) were correlated with the occurrence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2(above P<0.001). 44.62% (4 391/9 840) of the patients who had not recovered their sense of smell and taste also suffered from nasal congestion, runny nose, and 32.62% (3 210/9 840) suffered from dry mouth and sore throat. The improvement of olfactory and taste functions was correlated with the persistence of accompanying symptoms(χ2=10.873, P=0.001). The average score of olfactory and taste VAS scale was 8.41 and 8.51 respectively before SARS-CoV-2 infection, but decreased to3.69 and 4.29 respectively after SARS-CoV-2 infection, and recovered to 5.83and 6.55 respectively at the time of the survey. The median duration of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions was 15 days and 12 days, respectively, with 0.5% (121/24 096) of patients experiencing these dysfunctions for more than 28 days. The overall self-reported improvement rate of smell and taste dysfunctions was 59.16% (14 256/24 096). Gender(OR=0.893, 95%CI: 0.839-0.951), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), history of head and facial trauma(OR=1.180, 95%CI: 1.036-1.344, P=0.013), nose (OR=1.104, 95%CI: 1.042-1.171, P=0.001) and oral (OR=1.162, 95%CI: 1.096-1.233) health status, smoking history(OR=0.765, 95%CI: 0.709-0.825), and the persistence of accompanying symptoms (OR=0.359, 95%CI: 0.332-0.388) were correlated with the recovery of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2 (above P<0.001 except for the indicated values). Conclusion: The incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain is high in mainland China, with females and young people more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Active and effective intervention measures may be required for cases that persist for a long time. The recovery of olfactory and taste functions is influenced by several factors, including gender, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status, history of head and facial trauma, nasal and oral health status, smoking history, and persistence of accompanying symptoms.
Female ; Humans ; Adolescent ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Smell ; COVID-19/complications* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; COVID-19 Vaccines ; Incidence ; Olfaction Disorders/etiology* ; Taste Disorders/etiology* ; Prognosis

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence trend and spatial clustering characteristics of scarlet fever in China from 2016 to 2020 to provide evidence for development of regional disease prevention and control strategies. METHODS: The incidence data of scarlet fever in 31 provinces and municipalities in mainland China from 2016 to 2020 were obtained from the Chinese Health Statistics Yearbook and the Public Health Science Data Center led by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.The three-dimensional spatial trend map of scarlet fever incidence in China was drawn using ArcGIS to determine the regional trend of scarlet fever incidence.GeoDa spatial autocorrelation analysis was used to explore the spatial aggregation of scarlet fever in China in recent years. RESULTS: From 2016 to 2020, a total of 310 816 cases of scarlet fever were reported in 31 provinces, municipalities directly under the central government and autonomous regions, with an average annual incidence of 4.48/100 000.The reported incidence decreased from 4.32/100 000 in 2016 to 1.18/100 000 in 2020(Z=103.47, P < 0.001).The incidence of scarlet fever in China showed an obvious regional clustering from 2016 to 2019(Moran's I>0, P < 0.05), but was randomly distributed in 2020(Moran's I>0, P=0.16).The incidence of scarlet fever showed a U-shaped distribution in eastern and western regions of China, and increased gradually from the southern to northern regions.Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Hebei and Gansu provinces had the High-high (H-H) clusters of scarlet fever in China. CONCLUSION Scarlet fever still has a high incidence in China with an obvious spatial clustering.For the northern regions of China with H-H clusters of scarlet fever, the allocation of health resources and public health education dynamics should be strengthened, and local scarlet fever prevention and control policies should be made to contain the hotspots of scarlet fever.
Humans ; Incidence ; Scarlet Fever/epidemiology* ; China/epidemiology* ; Spatial Analysis ; Cluster Analysis ; Spatio-Temporal Analysis

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of dexmedetomidine (DEX) on renal function after laparoscopic radical nephrectomy. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical data of 282 patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC), who underwent laparoscopic radical nephrectomy (LRN) in the Department of Urology, Third Medical Center of PLA General Hospital from November, 2020 and June, 2022.According to whether DEX was used during the operation, the patients were divided into DEX group and control group, and after propensity score matching, 99 patients were finally enrolled in each group.The incidence of acute kidney injuries were compared between the two groups.Serum creatinine (sCr) data within 3 months to 1 year after the operation were available in 51 patients, including 26 in DEX group and 25 in the control group, and the incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) was compared between the two groups. RESULTS: After propensity score matching and adjustment for significant covariates, there were no significant differences in postoperative levels of sCr, cystatin C (CysC), β2-microglobulin (β2-MG), hemoglobin (Hb), or C-reactive protein (CRP), extubation time, incidence of AKI, or length of hospital stay between the two groups (P>0.05).The intraoperative urine volume was significantly higher in DEX group than in the control group (P < 0.05).A significant correlation between AKI and CKD was noted in the patients (P < 0.05).The incidence of CKD did not differ significantly between the two groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION DEX can not reduce the incidence of AKI or CKD after LRN.
Humans ; Dexmedetomidine ; Incidence ; Propensity Score ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic/epidemiology* ; Kidney Neoplasms/surgery* ; Nephrectomy/adverse effects* ; Laparoscopy/adverse effects* ; Acute Kidney Injury/prevention & control* ; Retrospective Studies