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Background and Objective: Thromboembolic risk is higher in women than men with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Published data indicate variability in antithrombotic use by gender and region. We analyzed gender-specific antithrombotic treatment patterns in Spain and rest of Western Europe (rWE) in patients with NVAF., Methods: GLORIA-AF (Phase III) is a global, prospective, observational study which enrolled newly diagnosed NVAF patients with CHA 2 DS 2 -VAScs≥1 (2014-2016). Analyses were performed comparing antithrombotic treatments by gender in Spain and rWE., Results: This analysis included 1163 and 7972 patients from Spain and rWE, respectively. Stroke risk was higher in women than men in both Spain and rWE. While in rWE, bleeding risk and antithrombotic treatment pattern were similar between genders, in Spain bleeding risk in women was lower and more females compared to men received OACs (95.0% versus 92.4%, d=-0.1078, respectively). Fewer Spanish patients received direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) (women 32.1%, men 25.3%) than vitamin-K-antagonists (VKAs) (women 63.0%, men 67.1%) vs. rWE patients. In Spain women received more DOACs compared to men (56.0% versus 44.0%)., Conclusions: OAC rates were higher in Spain as compared to rWE. More women received OACs in Spain, while in rWE no difference by gender was observed. DOACs in rWE are the most prescribed OAC while in Spain, due to prescription barriers, its use remains low for both genders and VKAs are preferred. Spanish women received more DOACs compared to men. (NCT01468701)., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Background: Low birth weight rates are increasing in both developed and developing countries. Although several maternal factors have been identified as associated with low birth weight, little is known of economic or organization factors influencing this increase. This study aims to ascertain the twenty-first century relationships between the contextual country factors and low birth weight rates., Methods: We analyse trends of low birth weight rates in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. Data from 2000 to 2015 were obtained from the OECD data base. Their relationships with demographic and economic variables, health habits, woman-related preventive measures, health care system organization and funding, health care work force and obstetric care were analysed using random-effects linear regression., Results: Low birth weight rates are higher in Southern Europe (7.61%) and lower in Northern Europe (4.68%). Low birth weight rates escalated about 20% in Southern Europe and to less extent in Easter Europe (7%) and Asian/Oceanian countries, while remained stable in America, Central Europe and Northern Europe. Investment in health care, private health system coverage, ratios of paediatricians and obstetricians, average length of admission due to pregnancy or birth and Caesarean section rate were associated with higher low birth weight rates. Factors associated with lower low birth weight rates were health care coverage, public health system coverage, hospitals per million inhabitants, and ratios of health care workers, physicians, midwives and nurses., Conclusions: In OECD countries, LBW rates are related to contextual country characteristics such as GDP per capita, which is inversely related to LBW rate. Health care system factors, including health care coverage or investment in public health system, are directly associated with lower LBW rates.

Objectives: To evaluate the quality of clinical trials on asthma published in Spanish journals in comparison with those published in European or North American English-language journals., Method: Clinical trials were identified by searching MEDLINE and the Spanish Medical Index (Indice Médico Español), and by manual searches for trials mentioned in the bibliographies of the previously identified trials. Quality was assessed by the method proposed by Detsky and colleagues in their 1992 article in Journal of Clinical Epidemiology., Results: The articles published in Spanish journals had lower mean quality scores than those in European or North American English-language journals. Trials published in Spain were less likely to give certain details of methodology, including ethics committee approval, details of randomization or patient enrollment and blinding. Among trials published in Spain, those with non-Spanish authors had lower mean quality scores., Conclusion: Clinical trials published in Spain on asthma treatments are of poorer quality than those published in English-language journals. Editors should consider using clinical trial quality checklists during the peer review process to raise the standards for published articles.