United States Population (united + states_population)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Incidence of Status Epilepticus in Adults in Germany: A Prospective, Population-Based Study

EPILEPSIA, Issue 6 2001
Susanne Knake
Summary: ,Purpose: To determine the incidence and case-fatality rate of status epilepticus (SE) in adults in Hessen, Germany, we performed a prospective, population-based study from July 1997 through June 1999. Methods: All adult patients residing within the zip-code area 35 (area-35) with SE were included. Area-35 had 743.285 adult inhabitants, including 123.353 adult inhabitants of the primary service area of the University Hospital Marburg (PS-area). Patients were reported by 16 hospitals in the area and were prospectively identified and carefully reviewed within 5 days by one of the authors. Based on the crude annual incidence of SE and a rate of underascertainment of 10% determined for the PS-area, the corrected, age-adjusted incidence of SE in area 35, more representative of the population of Germany, was calculated. Results: The crude annual incidence in the PS-area was 15.8/100,000 [95% confidence interval (CI), 11.2,21.6]. The calculated, corrected, age-adjusted incidence of SE in area 35 was 17.1/100,000. It was higher for men compared with women (26.1 vs. 13.7) and for those aged 60 years and older (54.5 vs. 4.2/100,000, p < 0.0001). The etiology was mainly remote symptomatic due to cerebrovascular disease. Epilepsy was previously diagnosed in only 50% of the patients. The case-fatality rate was 9.3%. Conclusions: Based on our data, at least 14,000 patients would be affected by SE in Germany, associated with ,1,300 deaths annually. The incidence of SE in Germany is similar to that found in the white United States population. Furthermore, this study confirms the higher incidence of SE in male patients and in the elderly population. This may be due to a higher incidence of cerebrovascular disease in these subpopulations. [source]


African American Women's Satisfaction with the Design and Marketing of Ready-to-Wear Clothing

FAMILY & CONSUMER SCIENCES RESEARCH JOURNAL, Issue 3 2009
Nora M. MacDonald
The African American market has increased in terms of percentage of the United States population and income, with purchasing power estimated at more than $800 billion. This pilot study assessed older African American women's perception of how well their clothing needs were being met using focus group discussion methodology. The primary objective was to determine African American women's satisfaction with marketing clothing, clothing fit, cultural dress, and accessories. The dress-body clothing purchase decision-making factors model was used as the theoretical framework. Thirty-two African American women from the Charleston, West Virginia, area participated in the study. Results indicated dissatisfaction with the portrayal of African American females in targeted advertisements and the fit of clothing. Suggestions are provided to overcome these reservations. [source]


Brain cancer mortality and potential occupational exposure to lead: Findings from the National Longitudinal Mortality Study, 1979,1989

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 5 2006
Edwin van Wijngaarden
Abstract We evaluated the association between potential occupational lead exposure and the risk of brain cancer mortality in the National Longitudinal Mortality Study (NLMS), which is a prospective census-based cohort study of mortality among the noninstitutionalized United States population (1979,1989). The present study was limited to individuals for whom occupation and industry were available (n = 317,968). Estimates of probability and intensity of lead exposure were assigned using a job-exposure matrix (JEM). Risk estimates for the impact of lead on brain cancer mortality were computed using standardized mortality ratio (SMR) and proportional hazards and Poisson regression techniques, adjusting for the effects of age, gender and several other covariates. Brain cancer mortality rates were greater among individuals in jobs potentially involving lead exposure as compared to those unexposed (age- and gender-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 1.5; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.9,2.3) with indications of an exposure,response trend (probability: low HR = 0.7 (95% CI = 0.2,2.2), medium HR = 1.4 (95% CI = 0.8,2.5), high HR = 2.2 (95% CI = 1.2,4.0); intensity: low HR = 1.2 (95% CI = 0.7,2.1), medium/high HR = 1.9 (95% CI = 1.0,3.4)). Brain cancer risk was greatest among individuals with the highest levels of probability and intensity (HR = 2.3; 95% CI = 1.3,4.2). These findings provide further support for an association between occupational lead exposure and brain cancer mortality, but need to be interpreted cautiously due to the consideration of brain cancer as one disease entity and the absence of biological measures of lead exposure. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Introduction: Role of the hospitalist in secondary stroke prevention care,

JOURNAL OF HOSPITAL MEDICINE, Issue S4 2008
David J. Likosky MD
Abstract Stroke is a prevalent and often devastating condition that is likely to affect a growing proportion of the United States population in the coming decades. Individuals who have experienced a stroke or transient ischemic attack are at elevated risk for recurrent events, which are frequently more severe. Therefore, secondary prevention has become the focus of much clinical research and widespread initiatives to deliver evidence-based care. Hospitalists are in a unique position to contribute substantially to these efforts. The 4 articles in this supplement are a call to action for hospital-based physicians. They are based on the conclusions of a panel of hospitalists, neurohospitalists, vascular neurologists, and neurointensivists who met for a roundtable discussion in March 2007. This, the first of the 4 articles, discusses the opportunity for hospitalists to take a leadership role in creating stroke systems of care that integrate secondary stroke prevention with inpatient treatment of acute stroke. The articles that follow will summarize the consensus of roundtable participants on stroke care best practices and their implementation. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2008;3(4 Suppl):S1,S5. © 2008 Society of Hospital Medicine. [source]


Incidence of a clinical diagnosis of the irritable bowel syndrome in a United States population

ALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 9 2004
G. R. Locke III
Summary Background :,The incidence of irritable bowel syndrome is uncertain. We aimed to determine the incidence of clinically diagnosed irritable bowel syndrome in the community. Methods :,Using the Rochester Epidemiology Project, all diagnoses of irritable bowel syndrome made among adult residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota, over a 3-year period were identified. The complete medical records of a random sample of the potential subjects were reviewed for the 10 years prior to the irritable bowel syndrome diagnosis and any patient who had received a previous diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome was excluded (prevalent cases). Results :,The diagnostic index listed 1245 possible irritable bowel syndrome patients; 416 patient charts were reviewed and, of these, 149 were physician diagnosed incident cases of irritable bowel syndrome. The age- and sex-adjusted incidence rate was 196 per 100 000 person-years and increased with age (P = 0.006). The age-adjusted annual incidence per 100 000 in women was higher than in men: 238 vs. 141 (ratio 3:2; P = 0.005). The overall symptom frequency at the time of diagnosis was abdominal pain (73%), diarrhoea (41%) and constipation (16%). Conclusions :,The incidence of a clinical diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome in adults was estimated to be two per 1000 per year, increased with age and was higher in women than men. As many people with irritable bowel syndrome do not seek care, the true incidence of irritable bowel syndrome is likely to be higher. [source]


The Prevalence and Significance of Cannabis Use in Patients Prescribed Chronic Opioid Therapy: A Review of the Extant Literature

PAIN MEDICINE, Issue 8 2009
Gary M. Reisfield MD
ABSTRACT Background., Cannabis is the most widely consumed illicit drug in the United States. Its use, particularly in early initiates, is associated with subsequent development of other drug and alcohol use disorders. Objective., The authors examined the prevalence of cannabis use and the association between cannabis use and aberrant opioid-related behaviors in patients prescribed chronic opioid therapy for persistent pain. Methods., PubMed was queried for studies of chronic opioid therapy in which aberrant opioid-related behaviors were quantitatively examined and in which cannabis use data (as determined by cannabinoid-positive urine drug tests) were extricable from that of other substances of abuse. Results., The prevalence of cannabis use among patients prescribed chronic opioid therapy in these studies ranged from 6.2% to 39%, compared with 5.8% in the general United States population. Furthermore, cannabis use in chronic opioid patients shows statistically significant associations with present and future aberrant opioid-related behaviors. Conclusion., Cannabis use is prevalent in patients prescribed chronic opioid therapy and is associated with opioid misuse. Further research is necessary to clarify the strength and the nature of the association between cannabis use and opioid misuse, and to address additional questions about the consequences of cannabis use in the context of chronic opioid therapy. [source]


Estimating ethnic differences in self-reported new use of antidepressant medications: results from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY, Issue 7 2009
Joseph A. C. Delaney PhD
Abstract Introduction There is evidence that the utilization of antidepressant medications (ADM) may vary between different ethnic groups in the United States population. Methods The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) is a population-based prospective cohort study of 6814 US adults from 4 different ethnic groups. After excluding baseline users of ADM, we examined the relation between baseline depression and new use of ADM for 4 different ethnicities: African,Americans (n,=,1822), Asians (n,=,784) Caucasians (n,=,2300), and Hispanics (n,=,1405). Estimates of the association of ethnicity and ADM use were adjusted for age, study site, gender, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), alcohol use, smoking, blood pressure, diabetes, education, and exercise. Non-random loss to follow-up was present and estimates were adjusted using inverse probability of censoring weighting (IPCW). Results Of the four ethnicities, Caucasian participants had the highest rate of ADM use (12%) compared with African,American (4%), Asian (2%), and Hispanic (6%) participants. After adjustment, non-Caucasian ethnicity was associated with reduced ADM use: African,American (HR: 0.42; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.31,0.58), Asian (HR: 0.14; 95%CI: 0.08,0.26), and Hispanic (HR: 0.47; 95%CI: 0.31,0.65). Applying IPCW to correct for non-random loss to follow-up among the study participants weakened but did not eliminate these associations: African,American (HR: 0.48; 95%CI: 0.30,0.57), Asian (HR: 0.23; 95%CI: 0.13,0.37), and Hispanic (HR: 0.58; 95%CI: 0.47,0.67). Conclusion Non-Caucasian ethnicity is associated with lower rates of new ADM use. After IPCW adjustment, the observed ethnicity differences in ADM use are smaller although still statistically significant. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Twenty years of follow-up among survivors of childhood and young adult acute myeloid leukemia,

CANCER, Issue 9 2008
A report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study
Abstract BACKGROUND Limited data exist on the comprehensive assessment of late medical and social effects experienced by survivors of childhood and young adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML). METHODS This analysis included 272 5-year AML survivors who participated in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS). All patients were diagnosed at age ,21 years between the years 1970 and 1986, and none underwent stem cell transplantation. Rates of survival, relapse, and late outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS The average follow-up was 20.5 years (range, 5,33 years). The overall survival rate was 97% at 10 years (95% confidence interval [95%CI], 94%,98%) and 94% at 20 years (95% CI, 90%,96%). Six survivors reported 8 recurrences. The cumulative incidence of recurrent AML was 6.6% at 10 years (95% CI, 3.7%,9.6%) and 8.6% at 20 years (95% CI, 5.1%,12.1%). Ten subsequent malignant neoplasms (SMN) were reported, including 4 with a history of radiation therapy, for a 20-year cumulative incidence of 1.7% (95% CI, 0.02%,3.4%). Six cardiac events were reported, for a 20-year cumulative incidence 4.7% (95% CI, 2.1%,7.3%). Half of the survivors reported a chronic medical condition and, compared with siblings, were at increased risk for severe or life-threatening chronic medical conditions (16% vs 5.8%; P < .001). Among those aged ,25 years, the age-adjusted marriage rates were similar among survivors and the general United States population (57% for both) and lower compared with siblings (67%; P < .01). Survivors' college graduation rates were lower compared with siblings but higher than the general population (40% vs 52% vs 34%, respectively; P < .01). Employment rates were similar between survivors, siblings, and the general population (93%, 97.6%, and 95.8%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Long-term survival from childhood AML ,5-years after diagnosis was favorable. Late-occurring medical events remained a concern with socioeconomic achievement lower than expected within the individual family unit, although it was not different from the general United States population. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society. [source]


Dyslipidemia in the Elderly: Should it Be Treated?

CLINICAL CARDIOLOGY, Issue 1 2010
Madhan Shanmugasundaram MD
Elderly or older adults constitute a rapidly growing segment of the United States population, thus resulting in an increase in morbidity and mortality related to cardiovascular disease,an increase that is reaching epidemic proportions. Dyslipidemia is a well established risk factor for cardiovascular disease and is estimated to account for more than half of the global cases of coronary artery disease. Despite the increased prevalence of dyslipidemia in the older adult population, controversy persists regarding the benefits of treatment in this group. Epidemiologic studies have shown that dyslipidemia is often underdiagnosed and under treated in this population probably as a result of a paucity of evidence regarding the impact of treatment in delaying the progression of atherosclerotic disease, concerns involving increased likelihood of adverse events or drug interactions, or doubts regarding the cost effectiveness of lipid-lowering therapy in older adults. In conclusion, despite the proven efficacy of lipid-lowering therapy in decreasing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, these therapies have been underutilized in older patients. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]


Cesarean Delivery in Native American Women: Are Low Rates Explained by Practices Common to the Indian Health Service?

BIRTH, Issue 3 2005
Sheila F. Mahoney CNM
ABSTRACT:,Background: Studying populations with low cesarean delivery rates can identify strategies for reducing unnecessary cesareans in other patient populations. Native American women have among the lowest cesarean delivery rates of all United States populations, yet few studies have focused on Native Americans. The study purpose was to determine the rate and risk factors for cesarean delivery in a Native American population. Methods: We used a case-control design nested within a cohort of Native American live births, , 35 weeks of gestation (n = 789), occurring at an Indian Health Service hospital during 1996,1999. Data were abstracted from the labor and delivery logbook, the hospital's primary source of birth certificate data. Univariate and multivariate analyses examined demographic, prenatal, obstetric, intrapartum, and fetal factors associated with cesarean versus vaginal delivery. Results: The total cesarean rate was 9.6 percent (95% CI 7.2,12.0). Nulliparity, a medical diagnosis, malpresentation, induction, labor length > 12.1 hours, arrested labor, fetal distress, meconium, and gestations < 37 weeks were each significantly associated with cesarean delivery in unadjusted analyses. The final multivariate model included a significant interaction between induction and arrested labor (p < 0.001); the effect of arrested labor was far greater among induced (OR 161.9) than noninduced (OR 6.0) labors. Other factors significantly associated with cesarean delivery in the final logistic model were an obstetrician labor attendant (OR 2.4; p = 0.02) and presence of meconium (OR 2.3; p = 0.03). Conclusions: Despite a higher prevalence of medical risk factors for cesarean delivery, the rate at this hospital was well below New Mexico (16.4%, all races) and national (21.2%, all races) cesarean rates for 1998. Medical and practice-related factors were the only observed independent correlates of cesarean delivery. Implementation of institutional and practitioner policies common to the Indian Health Service may reduce cesarean deliveries in other populations. [source]