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In the last couple of decades, there has been a lot of interest on the impact of macroeconomic fluctuations on health and mortality rates. Many studies, for different countries, find that mortality is procyclical. However, studies examining the effects of more recent recessions are less conclusive, finding mortality to be less procyclical, or even countercyclical. In this paper, using data of Spanish provinces from 1999 to 2016, we investigate how this relationship works in the context of a country that is subject to extreme business cycle fluctuations. Furthermore, we analyze the impact of unemployment for different mortality causes and we explore differences by sex, age group and level of education. In general terms, we find mortality to be procyclical so that when the economy is in a recession, mortality falls. When exploring mortality causes, we show that deaths from cardiovascular disease, cancer, senility, transport accidents and homicides are procyclical. By sex, we find procyclicality for both men and women. By age, mortality is procyclical for all age groups; however, the causes of death that result in this procyclical behavior are specific to each age group. By educational level, suicide appears as a countercyclical cause for individuals with intermediate levels of education., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Aim: This paper reports the first estimation of an SF-6D value set based on the SF-12 for Spain., Methods: A representative sample (n = 1020) of the Spanish general population valued a selection of 56 hypothetical SF-6D health states by means of a probability lottery equivalent (PLE) method. The value set was derived using both random effects and mean models estimated by ordinary least squares (OLS). The best model was chosen on the basis of its predictive ability assessed in terms of mean absolute error (MAE)., Results: The model yielding the lowest MAE (0.075) was that based on main effects using OLS. Pain was the most significant dimension in predicting health state severity. Comparison with the previous SF-6D (SF-36) model estimated for Spain revealed no significant differences, with a similar MAE (0.081). Nevertheless, the new SF-6D (SF-12) model predicted higher utilities than those generated by the SF-6D (SF-36) scoring algorithm (minimum value - 0.071 vs - 0.357)., Conclusion: A value set for the SF-6D (SF-12) based on Spanish general population preferences elicited by means of a PLE technique is successfully estimated. The new estimated SF-6D (SF-12) preference-based measure provides a valuable tool for researchers and policymakers to assess the cost-effectiveness of new health technologies in Spain., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Acute retinal toxicity has been demonstrated to be associated with the intraoperative use of perfluorocarbon liquids (PFCLs), especially perfluorooctane (PFO). Recently, several cases of PFO-associated blindness have been reported in Spain, Holland, France, Italy, the Middle East, and South America., Methods: As a result, a new ISO guideline (ISO 16672:2020) was drafted, discussed, approved, and released in 2019. This recent ISO16672:2020 guideline recommends performing direct cytotoxicity tests as an option along with chemical analysis to measure PFCL quality (purity and safety)., Results: In this review paper, it has been emphasized why an appropriate biological test, specifically direct exposure of PFCL to live cells, for measuring cytotoxicity must be performed with each PFCL batch along with chemical analysis., Conclusions: The paper intends to compile all available information to discuss possible approaches for avoiding adverse clinical cases in future., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)