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Aims: Gestational diabetes (GDM) is associated with the development of postpartum (PP) glucose intolerance. Plasma glycated CD59 (pGCD59) is an emerging biomarker for the detection of hyperglycaemia. The aim of this study was to assess the ability of PP pGCD59 to predict the development of PP GI as defined by the 2 h 75 g OGTT using the ADA criteria, in a cohort of women diagnosed with prior GDM in the index pregnancy using the 2 h 75 g OGTT at 24–28 weeks of gestation according to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2013 criteria. Methods: Of the 2017 pregnant women recruited prospectively 140 women with gestational diabetes had samples for pGCD59 taken PP at the time of the OGTT. The ability of pGCD59 to predict the results of the PP OGTT was assessed using nonparametric receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results: Women with PP glucose intolerance had significantly higher PP pGCD59 levels compared to women with normal glucose tolerance PP (3.8 vs. 2.7 SPU). PP pGCD59 identified women who developed glucose intolerance PP with an AUC of 0.80 (95% CI: 0.70–0.91). A PP pGCD59 cut‐off value of 1.9 SPU generated a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI: 83.9–100), specificity of 16.9% (95% CI: 9.8–26.3), positive predictive value of 22.1% (95% CI: 21.0–22.6), and negative predictive value of 100% (95% CI: 87.4–100). PP fasting plasma glucose generated an AUC of 0.96 (95% CI: 0.89–0.99) for the identification of PP glucose intolerance. Conclusion: Our study found that PP pGCD9 may be a promising biomarker to identify women not requiring PP glucose intolerance screening using the traditional OGTT. While the diagnostic accuracy of pGCD59 is good, fasting plasma glucose remains a better test for the identification of PP glucose intolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are few if any reports regarding the role of lifetime waterpipe smoking in the etiology of multiple sclerosis (MS). In a population-based incident case-control study conducted in Tehran, Iran, we investigated the association between waterpipe smoking and MS, adjusted for confounders. Cases (n  = 547) were patients aged 15–50 years identified from the Iranian Multiple Sclerosis Society between 2013 and 2015. Population-based controls (n  = 1,057) were persons aged 15–50 years recruited through random digit telephone dialing. A doubly robust estimation method, the targeted maximum likelihood estimator (TMLE), was used to estimate the marginal risk ratio and odds ratio for the association between waterpipe smoking and MS. The estimated risk ratio and odds ratio were both 1.70 (95% confidence interval: 1.34, 2.17). The population attributable fraction was 21.4% (95% confidence interval: 4.0, 38.8). Subject to the limitations of case-control studies in interpreting associations causally, these results suggest that waterpipe use, or strongly related but undetermined factors, increases the risk of MS. Further epidemiologic studies, including nested case-control studies, are needed to confirm these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous studies have analysed the effect of comorbidity on cancer outcomes, but evidence on the association between multimorbidity and short-term mortality among colorectal cancer patients is limited. We aimed to assess this association and the most frequent patterns of multimorbidity associated with a higher short-term mortality risk among colorectal cancer patients in Spain. Data were obtained from two Spanish population-based cancer registries and electronic health records. We estimated the unadjusted cumulative incidence of death by comorbidity status at 6 months and 1 year. We used a flexible parametric model to derive the excess mortality hazard ratios (HRs) for multimorbidity after adjusting for sex, age at diagnosis, cancer stage and treatment. We estimated the adjusted cumulative incidence of death by comorbidity status and identified multimorbidity patterns. Among the study participants, 1,048 cases were diagnosed with cancers of the colon and rectum, 2 cases with cancer of the anus with overlapping sites of the rectum and 11 cases with anal adenocarcinomas but treated as colorectal cancer patients. Among 1,061 colorectal cancer patients, 171 (16.2%) died before 6 months, 246 (23.3%) died before the 1-year follow-up, and 324 (30.5%) had multimorbidity. Patients with multimorbidity had two times higher mortality risk than those without comorbidities at 6 months (adjusted HR: 2.04; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.30–3.20, p = 0.002). The most frequent multimorbidity pattern was congestive heart failure + diabetes. However, patients with rheumatologic disease + diabetes had two times higher 1-year mortality risk than those without comorbidities (HR: 2.23; 95% CI: 1.23–4.07, p = 0.008). Multimorbidity was a strong independent predictor of short-term mortality at 6 months and 1 year among the colorectal cancer patients in Spain. The identified multimorbidity pattern was consistent. Our findings might help identify patients at a higher risk for poor cancer and treatment outcomes. • Multimorbidity was a strong predictor of short-term mortality in colorectal cancer. • Patients with multimorbidity had twice higher mortality risk than those without. • The most frequent multimorbidity pattern was congestive heart failure + diabetes. • Our findings can help identify patients at a higher risk for poor cancer outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed a predictive score system for 30-day mortality after palliative radiotherapy by using predictors from routine electronic medical record. Patients with metastatic cancer receiving first course palliative radiotherapy from 1 July, 2007 to 31 December, 2017 were identified. 30-day mortality odds ratios and probabilities of the death predictive score were obtained using multivariable logistic regression model. Overall, 5,795 patients participated. Median follow-up was 39.6 months (range, 24.5–69.3) for all surviving patients. 5,290 patients died over a median 110 days, of whom 995 (17.2%) died within 30 days of radiotherapy commencement. The most important mortality predictors were primary lung cancer (odds ratio: 1.73, 95% confidence interval: 1.47–2.04) and log peripheral blood neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (odds ratio: 1.71, 95% confidence interval: 1.52–1.92). The developed predictive scoring system had 10 predictor variables and 20 points. The cross-validated area under curve was 0.81 (95% confidence interval: 0.79–0.82). The calibration suggested a reasonably good fit for the model (likelihood-ratio statistic: 2.81, P = 0.094), providing an accurate prediction for almost all 30-day mortality probabilities. The predictive scoring system accurately predicted 30-day mortality among patients with stage IV cancer. Oncologists may use this to tailor palliative therapy for patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Stillbirth, one of the urgent concerns of preventable perinatal deaths, has wide-reaching consequences for society. We studied secular stillbirth trends by maternal socioeconomic status (SES) in Spain. Methods We developed a population-based observational study, including 4 083 919 births during 2007–15. We estimate stillbirth rates and secular trends by maternal SES. We also evaluated the joint effect of maternal educational attainment and the Human Development Index (HDI) of women's country of origin on the risk of stillbirth. The data and statistical analysis can be accessed for reproducibility in a GitHub repository: https://github.com/migariane/Stillbirth Results We found a consistent pattern of socioeconomic inequalities in the risk of delivering a stillborn, mainly characterized by a persistently higher risk, over time, among women with lower SES. Overall, women from countries with low HDIs and low educational attainments had approximately a four times higher risk of stillbirth (RR: 4.44; 95%CI: 3.71–5.32). Furthermore, we found a paradoxical reduction of the stillbirth gap over time between the highest and the lowest SESs, which is mostly due to the significant and increasing trend of stillbirth risk among highly educated women of advanced maternal age. Conclusion Our findings highlight no improvement in stillbirth rates among women of lower SES and an increasing trend among highly educated women of advanced maternal age over recent years. Public health policies developing preventive programmes to reduce stillbirth rates among women with lower SES are needed as well as the necessity of further study to understand the growing trend of age-related stillbirths among highly educated women in Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a structural framework for population-based cancer epidemiology and evaluate the performance of double-robust estimators for a binary exposure in cancer mortality. We conduct numerical analyses to study the bias and efficiency of these estimators. Furthermore, we compare 2 different model selection strategies based on 1) Akaike's Information Criterion and the Bayesian Information Criterion and 2) machine learning algorithms, and we illustrate double-robust estimators' performance in a real-world setting. In simulations with correctly specified models and near-positivity violations, all but the naive estimators had relatively good performance. However, the augmented inverse-probability-of-treatment weighting estimator showed the largest relative bias. Under dual model misspecification and near-positivity violations, all double-robust estimators were biased. Nevertheless, the targeted maximum likelihood estimator showed the best bias-variance trade-off, more precise estimates, and appropriate 95% confidence interval coverage, supporting the use of the data-adaptive model selection strategies based on machine learning algorithms. We applied these methods to estimate adjusted 1-year mortality risk differences in 183,426 lung cancer patients diagnosed after admittance to an emergency department versus persons with a nonemergency cancer diagnosis in England (2006-2013). The adjusted mortality risk (for patients diagnosed with lung cancer after admittance to an emergency department) was 16% higher in men and 18% higher in women, suggesting the importance of interventions targeting early detection of lung cancer signs and symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Migraine is associated with a number of cardiometabolic risk factors including abnormalities in lipid metabolism. However, little is known about these associations among pregnant migraineurs. We conducted the present study to evaluate the extent to which altered lipid profiles are associated with history of migraine among pregnant women. Methods A cohort of 1062 Peruvian women were interviewed at 24-28 weeks of gestation. Migraine status was classified based on the International Classification of Headache Disorders- II diagnostic criteria. Serum lipid concentrations were measured enzymatically using standardized assays. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios ( AORs) and 95% confidence intervals ( CIs) as measures of associations of migraine status with varying concentrations of lipids and lipoproteins during pregnancy. Results Approximately 18.5% of the study participants were identified as migraineurs (196 of 1062). Maternal serum total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein ( HDL), low-density lipoprotein ( LDL), triglycerides, and total cholesterol : HDL ratio were all statistically significantly elevated among pregnant migraineurs compared with pregnant non-migraineurs. In multivariate adjusted models, pregnant women with migraine had higher odds of elevated total cholesterol, LDL, and total cholesterol : HDL ratio as compared with pregnant women without migraine. For instance, the AOR and 95% CI for successive quartiles of the total cholesterol associated with history of migraine were Q2 (219-247 mg/d L): 1.05 (0.64-1.70), Q3 (248-281 mg/d L): 1.16 (0.72-1.86), and Q4 (≥282 mg/d L): 1.87 (1.20-2.91) with the lowest quartile (<219 mg/d L) as the referent group ( P value for trend = .003). Obese women with elevated total cholesterol (≥282 mg/d L) were more likely to be migraineurs ( OR = 3.71; 95% CI 1.58-8.71) as compared with non-obese women with lower total cholesterol (<219 mg/d L). Similar elevated odds of migraine were observed for obese women with elevated LDL cholesterol, elevated triglycerides and high total cholesterol : HDL ratio. Conclusion Pregnant migraineurs had elevated odds of dyslipidemia, particularly hypercholesterolemia, elevated LDL, and total cholesterol : HDL ratio as compared with pregnant non-migraineurs. The observed associations were more pronounced among obese migraineurs. Our findings add to the accumulating evidence of adverse cardiometabolic risk profiles among migraineurs and extend these associations to pregnant women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy has been associated with increased risk of complications and adverse perinatal outcomes. We evaluated seasonal variation of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25( OH) D] among pregnant women, focusing on patterns and determinants of variation. Methods Data came from three cohort studies in the US that included 2583 non- Hispanic Black and White women having prenatal 25( OH) D concentrations determined. Fourier time series and generalised linear models were used to estimate the magnitude of 25( OH)D seasonality. We modelled seasonal variability using a stationary cosinor model to estimate the phase shift, peak-trough difference, and annual mean of 25( OH) D. Results We observed a peak for 25( OH) D in summer, a nadir in winter, and a phase of 8 months, which resulted from fluctuations in 25( OH) D3 rather than 25( OH) D2. After adjustment for covariates, the annual mean concentrations and estimated peak-trough difference of 25( OH) D among Black women were 19.8 ng/mL [95% confidence interval ( CI) 18.9, 20.5] and 5.8 ng/mL [95% CI 4.7, 6.7], and for non- Hispanic White women were 33.0 ng/mL [95% CI 32.6, 33.4] and 7.4 ng/mL [95% CI 6.0, 8.9]. Conclusions Non- Hispanic Black women had lower average 25( OH) D concentrations throughout the year and smaller seasonal variation levels than non- Hispanic White women. This study's confirmation of 25( OH) D seasonality over a calendar year has the potential to enhance public health interventions targeted to improve maternal and perinatal outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Diffuse large B-cell (DLBCL) and follicular lymphoma (FL) account for most non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnoses: around 35% and 20% in England, respectively. Despite the vast contrast in survival between the subtypes, similar socioeconomic inequalities in survival have persisted over the past two decades, possibly due to the presence of comorbidities. The aim of our study was to assess the association between socioeconomic status and survival from DLBCL or FL accounting for patient and health system characteristics. We found that, for both DLBCL and FL, the most deprived patients had a higher excess mortality hazard compared to the least deprived, regardless of the comorbidity status. Our results show the need for the current framework of the National Health Service to improve the survival of DLBCL and FL patients in the most deprived areas of England, and further consideration is needed for patient-tailored management plans amongst patients with comorbidities or multimorbidities. (1) Background: Socioeconomic inequalities of survival in patients with lymphoma persist, which may be explained by patients' comorbidities. We aimed to assess the association between comorbidities and the survival of patients diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell (DLBCL) or follicular lymphoma (FL) in England accounting for other socio-demographic characteristics. (2) Methods: Population-based cancer registry data were linked to Hospital Episode Statistics. We used a flexible multilevel excess hazard model to estimate excess mortality and net survival by patient's comorbidity status, adjusted for sociodemographic, economic, and healthcare factors, and accounting for the patient's area of residence. We used the latent normal joint modelling multiple imputation approach for missing data. (3) Results: Overall, 15,516 and 29,898 patients were diagnosed with FL and DLBCL in England between 2005 and 2013, respectively. Amongst DLBCL and FL patients, respectively, those in the most deprived areas showed 1.22 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.18–1.27) and 1.45 (95% CI: 1.30–1.62) times higher excess mortality hazard compared to those in the least deprived areas, adjusted for comorbidity status, age at diagnosis, sex, ethnicity, and route to diagnosis. (4) Conclusions: Deprivation is consistently associated with poorer survival among patients diagnosed with DLBCL or FL, after adjusting for co/multimorbidities. Comorbidities and multimorbidities need to be considered when planning public health interventions targeting haematological malignancies in England. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Despite political efforts across the world and Europe, social inequalities in cancer incidence are persistent. We studied the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and cancer incidence in nine Spanish provinces. Lower SES was associated with an increased risk of lung cancer among males. Higher SES was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer among females in Spain. Understanding the reasons behind the association between cancer incidence and SES could help develop appropriate public health programs to promote health and reduce socioeconomic inequalities in cancer incidence in Spain. Socioeconomic inequalities in cancer incidence are not well documented in southern Europe. We aim to study the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and colorectal, lung, and breast cancer incidence in Spain. We conducted a multilevel study using data from Spanish population-based cancer registries, including incident cases diagnosed for the period 2010–2013 in nine Spanish provinces. We used Poisson mixed-effects models, including the census tract as a random intercept, to derive cancer incidence rate ratios by SES, adjusted for age and calendar year. Male adults with the lowest SES, compared to those with the highest SES, showed weak evidence of being at increased risk of lung cancer (risk ratio (RR): 1.18, 95% CI: 0.94–1.46) but showed moderate evidence of being at reduced risk of colorectal cancer (RR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.74–0.97). Female adults with the lowest SES, compared to those with the highest SES, showed strong evidence of lower breast cancer incidence with 24% decreased risk (RR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.68–0.85). Among females, we did not find evidence of an association between SES and lung or colorectal cancer. The associations found between SES and cancer incidence in Spain are consistent with those obtained in other European countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: There is limited evidence regarding the influence of socioeconomic factors on COVID-19 transmission, severity and outcomes in the overall population. Furthermore, there is an urgent need to identify and explore the most important socioeconomic risk factors associated with the COVID-19 disease among incident cancer patients, one of the most vulnerable groups of the population. Findings from this study provide invaluable evidence needed for risk classification and stratification among incident cancer patients, based on the information from the first pandemic wave in the UK. We identified the clinical and socio-demographic profile of cancer patients at increased risk of COVID-19 infection. The results from the study added knowledge on impact of the pandemic on the most vulnerable cancer patients in the UK, and can shed light on possible treatment and prevention strategies for COVID-19, including future vaccination prioritisation policy. We explored the role of socioeconomic inequalities in COVID-19 incidence among cancer patients during the first wave of the pandemic. We conducted a case-control study within the UK Biobank cohort linked to the COVID-19 tests results available from 16 March 2020 until 23 August 2020. The main exposure variable was socioeconomic status, assessed using the Townsend Deprivation Index. Among 18,917 participants with an incident malignancy in the UK Biobank cohort, 89 tested positive for COVID-19. The overall COVID-19 incidence was 4.7 cases per 1000 incident cancer patients (95%CI 3.8–5.8). Compared with the least deprived cancer patients, those living in the most deprived areas had an almost three times higher risk of testing positive (RR 2.6, 95%CI 1.1–5.8). Other independent risk factors were ethnic minority background, obesity, unemployment, smoking, and being diagnosed with a haematological cancer for less than five years. A consistent pattern of socioeconomic inequalities in COVID-19 among incident cancer patients in the UK highlights the need to prioritise the cancer patients living in the most deprived areas in vaccination planning. This socio-demographic profiling of vulnerable cancer patients at increased risk of infection can inform prevention strategies and policy improvements for the coming pandemic waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]