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Background Despite recommendations, the uptake of dTap maternal vaccination is still low in many countries. The reasons for this must be investigated both on the patient's and the healthcare professionals' sides. Methods A record linkage study was performed linking Birth Assitance Certificates and dTap mothers' vaccination records (5183 deliveries) to describe the influence of socioeconomical and obstetrical-gynecological factors after the recommendations concerning dTap vaccination in pregnancy issued by the Italian Ministry of Health (August 2018). An interview was also administered to a subgroup of 656 new mothers on the occasion of the first vaccination of their newborns, in order to assess the dTap vaccination advice received from maternal care providers during pregnancy. A generalized linear model (binomial family, log link) was implemented to give a correct estimate of the mother's relative risk of being vaccinated. Results Several pregnant women-focused factors are evident, but the most important ones are related to maternal care providers' practices: after mutual adjustment, the explicit advice towards dTap maternal vaccination given by the Obstetrician-Gynecologist or the Midwife is associated with a 12-fold increase in the dTap coverage. Conclusions Multiprofessional training is essential to make Obstetricians-Gynecologists and Midwives more confident in recommending dTaP maternal immunization.

ObjectivesDescription of a SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant outbreak among residents (N=69) and Health Workers (HWs: N=69) of a small Nursing Home in Northern-East Italy, with full vaccination coverage of 91 and 82%, respectively. Evaluation of the Anti-Spike IgG titers 28 weeks after the mRNA vaccine boosts against SARS-COV-2 infection and severe Covid-19.Materials and methodsA timely collection of sera within 48h from the index case; anti-Spike IgG determination (expressed as Binding Antibody Units – BAU/mL) through a commercial quantitative assay; SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics via RT-PCR, and full-genome sequencing for lineage characterization. Residents were grouped according to anti-Spike IgG titers (≤ 50, 51-1000, and > 1000 BAU/mL) and resulting protection against the infection and the severe disease was measured.Results0/20 HWs and 14/59 (24%) residents fully vaccinated and without a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection showed anti-Spike IgG lower/equal to 50 BAU/mL (1-sided Fisher exact p=0.011). Among these residents, a level of anti-Spike IgG ≤50 BAU/mL resulted in a higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection (RR=1.55, CI95% 1.17-2.05) and severe Covid-19 disease (RR=5.33, CI95% 1.83-15.57). Conclusion Low levels of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing anti-Spike IgG in serum 28 weeks after the administration of the second dose parallels the waning of vaccine protection.

The rubella test during pregnancy makes it possible to identify situations at risk of congenital rubella and those pregnant mothers who should be offered the MMR vaccine.The Authors analysed test coverage and the immunity status of pregnant mothers between 2005 and 2017, using birth attendance certificates.Rubella test coverage on 61,437 pregnant mothers was 99.4%. The average proportion of susceptible subjects was 6.4%. Seroconversion was observed in 7 cases, with 1 confirmed case of congenital rubella. 32% of susceptible subjects were vaccinated, and adherence was seen to be influenced by the characteristics of the pregnant women and of the maternity unit.A current information flow including a number of healthcare services, is useful both for monitoring the maternity care pathway and for public health purposes.

The knowledge of ethnic-specific health needs is now essential to design effective health services and population-based prevention strategies. However, data on migrant populations living in Southern Europe are limited. The study is designed to investigate ethnic inequalities in hospitalization for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the Veneto region (Italy). Hospital admissions for AMI in Veneto for the whole resident population aged 20-59 years during 2008-2013 were studied. Age and gender-specific AMI hospitalization rates for immigrant groups (classified by country of origin according to the United Nations geoscheme) and Italians were calculated. The indirect standardization method was used to estimate standardized hospitalization ratios (SHR) for each immigrant group, with rates of Italian residents as a reference. Overall, 8200 AMI events were retrieved, 648 among immigrants. The highest risk of AMI is seen in South Asians males (SHR 4.2, 95% CI 3.6-4.9) and females (SHR 2.5, 95% CI 1.4-4.5). AMI rates in South Asian males sharply increase in the 30-39 years age class. Other immigrant subgroups (Eastern Europe, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, other Asian countries, Central-South America, high-income countries) displayed age- and gender-adjusted hospitalization rates similar to the native population. Present findings stress the urgent need for implementation of ethnic-specific health policies in Italy. The awareness about the high cardiovascular risk in subjects from South Asia must be increased among general practitioners and immigrant communities.

to describe and compare cardiovascular risk prevalence in a large sample of Italian and foreign fifty-year-old residents in Veneto Region (Northern Italy) who do not have a co-pay fee exemption for cardiovascular diseases. Data collection comes from standardized and objective measurements carried out by health personnel of the Department of Prevention of the Local Health Agency 7 of Veneto Region.cross-sectional study.Italian and foreign fifty-years-old residents who do not have a co-pay fee exemption for cardiovascular diseases were extracted from the registry list, excluding people already affected by diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia or cardiovascular diseases, and received a written invitation to participate.adherents were studied through standardized questionnaires about their lifestyles (tobacco, alcohol, weight excess, central obesity, physical inactivity), anthropometric measurements (height, weight, body mass index, waist circumference), the direct measurement of blood pressure and a finger-stick for glucose and cholesterol. Educational level was also recorded in a large subgroup of adherents. Risk factor prevalence has been described and analyzed by geographical area of origin, separately for men and women and adjusted for educational level.among the invited people, 3,420 out of 5,088 accepted the invitation (67.2%); the adherence was lower among foreign women. Both foreign women and men showed lower prevalence of healthy lifestyles compared to Italian participants (women: 20.3% vs. 34.3%; men: 13.2 vs. 25.6%). These differences remained large and statistically significant after adjusting for educational level. The prevalence of hypertension and of hypercholesterolemia/hyperglycaemia (finger stick) was higher among foreign women than among Italian (39.1% vs. 28.4%); remarkably, the prevalence of hyperglycaemia was 8.7% vs.1.9%.the majority of foreign residents can be reached through a personal invitation to participate in a cardiovascular prevention intervention. Foreign participants show a higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors compared to Italian residents. It is advisable to implement a strategy involving both the health personnel of the Department of Prevention and the General practitioners aiming at improving individual and community healthy choices and at an early recognition of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia onset among foreign residents.

Failure to rescue (FTR) patients from postoperative complications could contribute to the variability in surgical mortality seen among hospitals with different volumes. We sought to examine the impact of complications and FTR on mortality following rectal surgery.The National Italian Hospital Discharge Dataset allowed to identify 75,280 patients who underwent rectal surgery between 2002 and 2014. Hospital volume was stratified into tertiles. Rates of major complications, FTR from complications and mortality following rectal surgery were compared.During the study period, both the incidence of complications (2002, 23.7% versus 2014, 21.2%), and FTR decreased overtime (2002, 6.9% versus 2014, 3.8%) (both P 0.001). The complication rate was 24.4% in low-, 21.6% in intermediate- and 20.4% in high-volume hospitals (P 0.001). Complications were less common in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) versus open cases (18.2% versus 23.2%; P 0.001). The most frequent complications included prolonged ileus or small bowel obstruction (5.3%), and anemia requiring blood transfusions (5.3%). The rate of FTR was 5.5%, 5.6% and 3.7% for low-, intermediate- and high-volume hospitals, respectively (P 0.001). FTR after MIS was 2.6% vs. 5.5% after open surgery (P 0.001). After accounting for patient and hospital characteristics, patients treated at low-volume hospitals were 23% more likely to die after a complication, compared to patients at high-volume hospitals (OR 1.23, 95%CI 1.13-1.33).Hospital volume is the strongest predictor of complication and FTR. The reduction in mortality in high-volume hospitals could be determined by the better ability to rescue patients. These findings support the centralization policy of rectal cancer treatment.

Based on different estimation methods, mortality attributable to atrial fibrillation (AF) has been demonstrated to increase over time in developed countries, reaching a share ranging from 1% to 5% of overall deaths. To assess the whole burden of AF-associated mortality, all diseases mentioned in death certificates of subjects aged ≥45 years resident in the Veneto Region (Northeastern Italy) were analyzed for the 2008 to 2013 period. The prevalence of common chronic co-morbidities was compared between deaths with mention of AF and a sample of age-matched deaths without reported AF. The disease was mentioned among conditions contributing to death in 25,834 subjects, corresponding to 9.8% of all regional deaths. Rates of AF-associated mortality were higher in men and increased steeply with age, being above 1 per 100 among residents aged ≥85 years. Compared with non-AF-associated deaths, the strongest associations were observed between AF and hypertensive diseases (prevalence ratio 1.62, 95% CI 1.57 to 1.67), cardiac valve disorders (2.43, 2.25 to 2.61), cardiomyopathies (1.93, 1.70 to 2.19), cerebrovascular diseases (1.55, 1.50 to 1.60), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (1.49, 1.42 to 1.57). AF-associated mortality resulted higher than previously reported, probably due to aging of the population with multiple predisposing diseases, an increased recognition of AF among the elderly, and a raised awareness of certifying physicians about the importance of AF. Analyses of all diseases mentioned in death certificates underscored the interaction of AF with several other circulatory and respiratory disorders in pathologic networks leading to an increased risk of death.

Aims We assessed the influence of patient and General Practitioner (GP) characteristics on the adherence to process of care indicators for non-insulin-treated type 2 diabetes management in the Veneto Region (northeastern Italy). Methods Among non-insulin-treated diabetic patients aged 18–84 years identified by multiple information sources, we assessed the measurement of glycated hemoglobin, microalbumin, and lipids through the year 2013. Patients’ variables included gender, age, citizenship, and the attendance to Diabetes Clinics, while GP characteristics were gender, age and an attitude score derived from a questionnaire. The influence of patient and GP variables were investigated through multilevel regression with the execution of two HbA1c tests in 2013 as the outcome. Results Out of 139,935 study subjects, more than 70% had at least one HbA1c test in 2013; this percentage decreased to about 40% for two HbA1c examinations. 67% of patients had an assessment of lipid profile, while 45% underwent a microalbumin test. These percentages were lower for immigrant patients and increased with age until the 65–74 years age class. Patients attending Diabetes Clinics were usually better monitored than those who did not. In this latter group, female gender (risk ratio 1.08, 1.02–1.14), younger age (risk ratio 1.15, 1.06–1.25) and high attitude score of GPs (risk ratio 1.20, 1.13–1.27) were associated with a better management. Conclusions Both patient and GP variables influence the adherence to process of care indicators. The implementation of effective strategies of disease management at the primary care level may improve the control of glycemic and cardiovascular risk factors.

Background Esophageal atresia (EA) is a congenital malformation of the upper gastrointestinal tract with an estimated prevalence varying from 1 in 2500 to 1 in 4500 births. The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiology of EA between 1981 and 2012 and evaluate patients' survival. Methods This study used data from a population-based Italian Congenital Malformation Registry. The survival status was ascertained by linking the registry records, vital records and the regional registries of patients. Kaplan-Meier methods were used to estimate survival probabilities up to 25 years and Cox proportional hazards regression was used to evaluate factors that affected survival. Results A total of 407 cases of EA were identified among 1,417,724 total births. After the exclusion of cases with chromosomal anomalies, 49.9% of the patients presented with at least one associated congenital anomaly. The 25-year survival probability was 85.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 80.8–89.4), with most deaths occurring during the first months of life. Patients' characteristics associated with decreased survival probability were low birth weight (hazard ratio, 3.7; 95% CI, 1.7–8.3) and presence of additional major defects (hazard ratio, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.3–6.0). A significant improvement in survival over the decades was observed for patients with nonisolated EA. Conclusion This study detected a significant improvement in survival of individuals with EA over the past decades and identified the strongest predictors of mortality. These results will be important for the planning of the clinical management and formulation of prognosis when EA is diagnosed in a newborn. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 106:542–548, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening programs based on the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) were found to reduce overall CRC surgery rates, but to the authors’ knowledge data by subsite are lacking. The objective of the current study was to assess the impact of FIT-based screening on proximal and distal CRC surgical resection rates. METHODS The Veneto region in Italy can be subdivided into 3 areas with staggered introduction of FIT-based screening programs: early (2002-2004), intermediate (2005-2007), and late (2008-2009) areas. Time series of proximal and distal CRC surgery were investigated in the 3 populations between 2001 and 2012 by Joinpoint regression analysis and segmented Poisson regression models. RESULTS The impact of screening was similar in the study populations. Rates of distal CRC surgical resection were stable before screening, increased at the time of screening implementation (rate ratio [RR], 1.25; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.14-1.37), and thereafter declined by 10% annually (RR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.88-0.92). Rates of proximal CRC surgical resection increased by 4% annually before screening (RR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.03-1.05) but, after a peak at the time of screening initiation, the trend was reversed. The percentage represented by proximal CRC surgery rose from 28% in 2001 to 41% in 2012. CONCLUSIONS In this natural multiple-baseline experiment, consistent findings across each time series demonstrated that FIT-based screening programs have an impact both on proximal and distal CRC surgery rates. However, underlying preexisting epidemiological trends are leading to a rapidly increasing percentage of proximal CRC. Cancer 2015;121:3982–3989. © 2015 American Cancer Society.

validation of codes of hospital discharge records (SDO) for identification of new cases of malignant testicular tumour in the Veneto Region (Northern Italy).record linkage between the regional archive of SDO and the archive of the Veneto Tumour Registry (VTR).extraction of cases from SDO source with ICD-9-CM 186 code for diagnosis and 62.3-62.4 codes for surgical procedure, and from VTR database using ICD-O-3 C62 code for site and 9060-9062, 9064-9066, 9070, 9071, 9080-9083, 9085, 9100, 9101 codes for morphology, with 5th digit behaviour code equal to "/3". Comparison of the two sources in a classification table using VTR data as gold standard.positive predictive value and sensitivity of SDO, with 95% confidence interval (95%CI) based on binomial distribution.from 2006 to 2008, in areas covered by the registry, SDO and VTR identified, respectively, 221 and 216 cases of testicular cancer. SDO procedure showed a sensitivity of 92% (95%CI 87%- 95%) and a positive predictive value of 90% (95%CI 85%-93%).the SDO procedure can be considered an acceptable proxy for testis cancer incidence, thus allowing a wider spatiotemporal observation of the epidemiological trends.

Background The global real-life impact of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) introduction in the healthcare system in a setting of well-managed vitamin K antagonist (VKA) therapy has not been specifically addressed. Methods We did a population-based retrospective cohort study in naive patients initiating oral anticoagulants for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation in a region with a well-managed VKA therapy. NOAC and VKA cohorts were identified using Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) codes, while excluding other indications for anticoagulation therapy using ICD-9CM codes. Propensity score was conducted using two different approaches: stratification and 1:1 matching. Event-rates were assessed using both an intention to treat (ITT) and as treated analyses. Results Of the 137,800 selected patients, 40,411 (6923 treated with NOACs and 33,488 with VKAs) were identified (June 2013–December 2015). Overall ischaemic stroke and major bleeding risk did not significantly differ between the groups both in the ITT and as treated analyses. Noteworthy, intracranial bleeding risk was lower with NOACs (stratified model HR=0.69; 95%CI 0.48–0.99; 1:1 matched model HR=0.73; 95%CI 0.47–1.13) reaching statistical significance in the as treated analysis in both stratified and 1:1 matched models (HR=0.51; 95%CI 0.32–0.80 and HR=0.52; 95%CI 0.30–0.90, respectively). Conclusion Despite well-managed anticoagulation with VKAs, NOACs' introduction has a positive global impact in the public healthcare system in terms of effectiveness and safety especially by lowering intracranial bleeding.

Objective Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening programmes based on the guaiac faecal occult blood test (gFOBT) reduce CRC-specific mortality. Several studies have shown higher sensitivity with the faecal immunochemical test (FIT) compared with gFOBT. We carried out an ecological study to evaluate the impact of FIT-based screening programmes on CRC mortality. Design In the Veneto Region (Italy), biennial FIT-based screening programmes that invited 50–69-year-old residents were introduced in different areas between 2002 and 2009. We compared CRC mortality rates from 1995 to 2011 between the areas where screening started in 2002–2004 (early screening areas (ESA)) and areas that introduced the screening in 2008–2009 (late screening areas (LSA)) using Poisson regression models. We also compared available data on CRC incidence rates (1995–2007) and surgical resection rates (2001–2012). Results Before the introduction of screening, CRC mortality and incidence rates in the two areas were similar. Compared with 1995–2000, 2006–2011 mortality rates were 22% lower in the ESA than in the LSA (rate ratio (RR)=0.78; 95% CI 0.68 to 0.89). The reduction was larger in women (RR=0.64; CI 0.51 to 0.80) than in men (RR=0.87; CI 0.73 to 1.04). In the ESA, incidence and surgery rates peaked during the introduction of the screening programme and then returned to the baseline (2006–2007 incidence) or dropped below initial values (surgery after 2007). Conclusions FIT-based screening programmes were associated with a significant reduction in CRC mortality. This effect took place much earlier than reported by gFOBT-based trials and observational studies.

Purpose Mortality from liver cirrhosis has sharply declined in most countries in the last few decades, but includes only a fraction of deaths due to chronic liver disease. Methods Mortality records for liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, viral hepatitis, and the three disease categories combined were extracted for the period 1995 to 2010 in the Veneto Region (northeastern Italy). The presence of a birth cohort effect was assessed by fitting Poisson regression models. The alcoholic or viral etiology was retrieved through multiple causes of death analysis for the years 2008 to 2010. Results Liver cirrhosis mortality represented only one-third of all liver disease deaths; this proportion was even smaller for deaths with a viral etiology and among elderly people. Through the study period, age-standardized rates declined by 50% for liver cirrhosis, and by 30% (world standard) or by 25% (regional standard) for all liver diseases; the reduction in proportional mortality was limited to 11%. Mortality rates started to decline in subjects born after the early 1920s. Conclusions The decline in mortality was smaller than that reported by standard statistics for chronic liver disease; these statistics should routinely include viral hepatitis and liver cancer deaths. When available, multiple causes of death data should be analyzed.

Background While the total number of persons affected by hip fractures may be increasing over time in the next decades, due to the progressive aging of the population, incidence rates appear to be declining in most countries. The objective of this study is to describe annual hip fracture incidence rate trends in the Veneto Region, Italy, over a decade (2001–2010). Methods All incident hip fractures in men and women above or aged 65 years old using ICD-9 diagnosis codes 820–820.9 in the Hospital Discharge Database were identified. Crude, sex- and age-specific and standardized annual incidence rates were calculated. Results The median age of patients has increased from 82 to 84 years in the last decade. The absolute number of hip fractures increased by 21%. The age-standardized hip fracture incidence rate for men increased from 304 per 100,000 person-years in 2001 to 319 in 2010. For women, incidence declined from 787 in 2001 to 751 in 2010. Hip fracture rates decreased through the study period in the 65–74 age group, especially among females. In the age group 75–84, there was a clear increase up to 2004, then a progressive decline in both genders. Among subjects aged 85 years or older, incidence rates were stable in women and showed a non-statistically significant increase in men. Conclusion The aging of the population, with a rapid increase concentrated particularly in the oldest old segment, implies that the overall number of hip fracture will continue to represent a major public health challenge to health and social systems.

Context Frequent end-of-life health care setting transitions can lead to an increased risk of fragmented care and exposure to unnecessary treatments. Objectives We assessed the relationship between the presence and the intensity of an Integrated Cancer Palliative Care (ICPC) plan and the occurrence of multiple transitions during the last month of life. Methods Decedents of cancer aged 18–85 years residents in two regions of Italy were investigated accessing their integrated administrative data (death certificates, hospital discharges, hospice, and home care records). The principal outcome was defined as having 3+ health care setting transitions during the last month of life. The ICPC plans instituted 90–31 days before death represented the main exposure of interest. Results Of the 17,604 patients, 6698 included in an ICPC, although spending in hospital a median number of only two days (interquartile range 1–2), experienced 1+ (59.8%), 2+ (21.1%), or 3+ (5.9%) health care transitions. Among the latter group, the most common trajectory of care is home-hospital-home-hospital (36.0%). The intensity of the ICPC plan showed a marked protective effect toward the event of 3+ health care setting transitions; the effect is already evident from an intensity of at least one home visit/week (odds ratio 0.73; 95% confidence interval 0.62–0.87). Conclusion A well-integrated palliative care approach can be effective in further reducing the percentage of patients who spent many days in hospital and/or undergo frequent and inopportune changes of their care setting during their last month of life.

Hospital admissions at the end of life (EOL) represent an established indicator of poor quality of care.To examine the impact of intensity of integrated primary and specialist home-based palliative care for chronic diseases (HPCCD) plans of care on EOL hospital access.Retrospective population-based study using linked mortality, hospitalization, and home care data. Intensity of HPCCD was measured 90-31 days before death; outcomes were hospital death and prolonged hospital stay for medical reasons in the last month of life. Outcomes were modeled through Poisson and quartile regressions. Adults aged 65-84 years with at least an ordinary hospitalization and a drug treatment in the year before death, who died from nononcological chronic diseases in the Veneto Region, January 2012-December 2013, were included.Among 2087 patients, 1016 (48.7%) did not receive any HPCCD homecare visit; 860 (41.2%), 152 (7.3%), and 59 (2.8%) had2, 2-4, and 4-7 homecare visits/week, respectively. Hospital death occurred for 1310 patients (62.8%) and the median hospital stay in the last month of life was five days (interquartile range 0-14). In multivariate analysis, a higher intensity of HPCCD was associated with lower rates of prolonged (≥14 days) EOL hospitalization and hospital death with a dose-response relationship. When no access to HPCCD was compared with 2-4 visits/week, adjusted percentage of hospital death decreased by -18.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] -5.4% to -29.7%) and the length of hospital stay decreased by 37.9% (95% CI 16.7%-56.0%).The intensity of integrated HPCCD plans of care was associated with a reduction in EOL hospital stay and in hospital death.

The Veneto Region implemented a novel integrated home-based palliative cancer care (HPCC) program embedded in primary care. We examined the impact of timing and intensity of this program on the quality of end-of-life (EOL) care. We selected adult cancer patients died in the Veneto Region between March and December 2013, excluding those died from haematological malignancies as well as the very elderly (85+ years). We retrieved the claim-based data on hospitalization and homecare visits, and defined two observation windows: 90 to 16 days before death to examine intensity of HPCC exposure, and the last 15 days of life to examine EOL outcomes, including hospital death, any hospital stay for medical reasons and hospital stay ≥7 days for medical reasons. Multivariate analysis was conducted using a Poisson model. Among the 2211 adults who died of solid tumours and received 1+ homecare visits during the exposure period, 1077 (48.7%), 552 (25.0%) and 582 (26.3%) had 0.1–1.9, 2–3.9 and 4+ homecare visits/week, respectively. The median duration between an HPCC home visit and death was 92 days (IQR 42–257 days). Hospital death occurred in 856 (38.7%) patients, while 1087 (49.2%) and 556 (25.1%) had a hospital stay and a hospital stay ≥7 days during the exposure period, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, a greater intensity of integrated HPCC (4+ visits/week) was significantly associated with a lower risk of hospital death (relative risk [RR] = 0.67, 0.59–0.76), any hospital stay (RR = 0.69, 0.62–0.77) and hospital stay ≥7 days for medical reasons (RR = 0.59, 0.49–0.71). A late activation (≤30 days before death) of HPCC was also associated with increased both hospital stay (RR = 1.26, 0.11–1.42) and hospital stay ≥7 days (RR = 1.25, 1.01–1.54). A greater HPCC program intensity reduces the risk of hospital death and hospital stay in the end-of-life. An early activation of this program can contribute to improve these EOL outcomes.

In Italian primary care, chronic heart failure (CHF) patients are mainly managed by general practitioners (GPs). However, there are few studies analysing CHF management challenges in primary care and identifying opportunities for improvement.To describe CHF care as implemented by GPs in the Veneto Region and to identify opportunities for improvement.In 2008, using an audit process, 114 Venetian GPs analysed their electronic health records, identified CHF patients and collected clinical and care related information: prevalence, co-morbidity, caring conditions, diagnostic and therapeutic management, and hospitalization. After two training sessions, data on pharmacotherapy were analysed again in 2009.The prevalence of CHF was 1.2% (95% CI: 1.1-1.3%). Diagnostic echocardiography was used in 57% of cases. At baseline, the proportions of patients that used specific medication were: diuretics 88%; angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) 77%, beta-blockers 46% and anti-aldosterone agents 32%. After two training sessions, the use of ACE inhibitors/ARB and beta-blockers increased to 80% and 56%, respectively. Renal failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes mellitus and dementia were the most prevalent concomitant diseases, posing specific management problems. Half of the patients were generally visited at home; they were dependent on some kind of care given.In Veneto a large number of CHF patients are mainly managed by GPs. Further improvements are necessary to meet standards of care with regard to diagnosis, medication, follow-up and home care. The care situation affected hospitalization and the quality of follow-up visits.

A blood glucose (BG) fall after an oral glucose load has never been described previously at a population level. This study was aimed at looking for a plasma glucose trend after an oral glucose load for possible blood glucose fall if any, and for its impact on coronary mortality at a population level.In subjects from an unselected general population, BG and insulin were detected before and 1 and 2h after a 75-g oral glucose load for insulin sensitivity and β-cell function determination. Blood pressure, blood examinations and left ventricular mass were measured, and mortality was monitored for 18.8±7.7 years. According to discriminant analysis, the population was stratified into cluster 0 (1-h BGfasting BG; n=497) and cluster 1 (1-h BG ≥ fasting BG; n=1733). To avoid any interference of age and sex, statistical analysis was limited to two age-gender-matched cohorts of 490 subjects from each cluster (n=940). Subjects in cluster 0 showed significantly higher insulin sensitivity and β-cell function, lower visceral adiposity and lower blood pressure values. Adjusted coronary mortality was 8 times lower in cluster 0 than 1 (p0.001). The relative risk of belonging to cluster 1 was 5.40 (95% CI 2.22-13.1).It seems that two clusters exist in the general population with respect to their response to an oral glucose load, independent of age and gender. Subjects who respond with a BG decrease could represent a privileged sub-population, where insulin sensitivity and β-cell function are better, some risk factors are less prevalent, and coronary mortality is lower.

The question on whether the electrocardiographic criteria are reliable for detection of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and play a role in predicting outcome is open. Answer can only proceed from population-based studies over unselected people followed up for years. In this study, 1,699 subjects from general population underwent echocardiogram and standard electrocardiogram (ECG) codified for LVH with Minnesota code and with other five methods. Other items were also recorded and used as covariables. Left ventricular mass index (LVMI) was 127.6 +/- 44.9 g m(-2) in men and 120.8 +/- 41.2 g m(-2 )in women, and correlated directly with age in both genders. Prevalence of echocardiographic LVH was 36.6% in men and 53.4% in women. LVMI correlated directly with the Sokolow-Lyon score in both genders at any age, with the Romhilt-Estes, Cornell and R(aVL) scores in all subjects but elderly men, and with the Lewis score in men and women agedor =69 years. Sensitivity and the predictive value of electrocardiographic tests, as well as the prevalence of LVH diagnosed with electrocardiographic criteria, were always low. Specificity was high for all the tests, and in particular for the Cornell index. Only when diagnosed with echocardiogram or with the Sokolow-Lyon criterion, LVH was an independent predictor of mortality. We conclude that electrocardiographic tests cannot be used as a surrogate of echocardiogram in detecting LVH in the general population because their positive predictive value (PPV) is unacceptably low. On the contrary, they could replace echocardiography in the follow up and for prediction of outcome, when LVH has previously been correctly diagnosed with other methods.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of Surgical Unit volume on the 30-day reoperation rate in patients with CRC. Data were extracted from the regional Hospital Discharge Dataset and included patients who underwent elective resection for primary CRC in the Veneto Region (2005–2013). The primary outcome measure was any unplanned reoperation performed within 30 days from the index surgery. Independent variables were: age, gender, comorbidity, previous abdominal surgery, site and year of the resection, open/laparoscopic approach and yearly Surgical Unit volume for colorectal resections as a whole, and in detail for colonic, rectal and laparoscopic resections. Multilevel multivariate regression analysis was used to evaluate the impact of variables on the outcome measure. During the study period, 21,797 elective primary colorectal resections were performed. The 30-day reoperation rate was 5.5 % and was not associated with Surgical Unit volume. In multivariate multilevel analysis, a statistically significant association was found between 30-day reoperation rate and rectal resection volume (intermediate-volume group OR 0.75; 95 % CI 0.56–0.99) and laparoscopic approach (high-volume group OR 0.69; 95 % CI 0.51–0.96). While Surgical Unit volume is not a predictor of 30-day reoperation after CRC resection, it is associated with an early return to the operating room for patients operated on for rectal cancer or with a laparoscopic approach. These findings suggest that quality improvement programmes or centralization of surgery may only be required for subgroups of CRC patients.

A high mortality from cerebrovascular diseases has been reported among immigrants in Europe; however, data on stroke incidence in immigrants are sparse. Aim of the study is to assess hospitalization rates for stroke across different immigrant groups in the Veneto Region (Italy). The study population was represented by all residents aged 20–64 years. Admissions for stroke in 2008–2013 were extracted from hospital discharge records based on diagnosis codes. We computed age and gender specific rates separately for Italian and foreign residents. For each area of origin (Eastern Europe, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, other Asian countries, Central-South America, and industrialized countries) we calculated standardized hospitalization ratios (SHR) by means of indirect standardization, with rates observed in Italian residents as a reference. We identified 9740 hospitalization for stroke, 8.0 % of which occurred in immigrants. Overall stroke rates were higher in immigrants males (SHR 1.45, 95 % confidence interval 1.32–1.59) and females (SHR 1.21, 1.08–1.36) with respect to the Italian population. The highest risk was observed in Sub-Saharan Africans, in both genders (males SHR 3.15, 2.62–3.76; females SHR 3.15, 2.22–4.34), followed by immigrants from South Asia and other Asian countries. Our findings confirm the increased risk of stroke in immigrants, with wide variations by country of origin. Further studies are warranted to investigate associated risk factors in order to shape effective preventive strategies.

Analysis of COPD mortality based only on the underlying cause of death (UCOD) derived from death certificates underestimates disease burden. We analyzed the burden of COPD, as well as the pattern of reporting COPD and its co-morbidities in death certificates, using multiple-cause of death (MCOD) records.All 220,281 death certificates of decedents aged ≥ 40 years in the Veneto region (northeastern Italy) were analyzed through 2008-2012. The UCOD was selected by the Automated Classification of Medical Entities software. COPD was defined by ICD-10 codes J40-J44 and J47 based either on the UCOD or on any mention of COPD in death certificates (MCOD). Annual age-standardized COPD death rates were computed for 40-85 year-old subjects.COPD was mentioned in 7.9% (and selected as the UCOD in 2.7%) of death certificates. In about half of these, COPD was mentioned in Part II only. After circulatory and neoplastic diseases, the most frequent chronic diseases reported in certificates with any mention of COPD were diabetes (15.2%) and dementia/Alzheimer (8.9%). Between 2008 and 2012, age-standardized death rates (/100,000/year) decreased from 39.8 to 34.0 in males and from 12.7 to 11.3 in females in the UCOD analyses. These trends were confirmed, although figures were three times greater, in the MCOD analyses.MCOD analysis should be adopted to fully evaluate the burden of COPD-related mortality. Our findings support a decreasing trend in COPD-related mortality in northeastern Italy between 2008 and 2012, in line with other recent studies in Europe and beyond.

Background Data are lacking on mortality from chronic liver diseases of different aetiology by education level. Aims To investigate the association between education level and mortality from alcoholic, viral, and non-viral/non-alcoholic chronic liver disease. Methods Proportional mortality was investigated in 2011–2013 in the Veneto Region (Italy). Odds ratios were estimated by conditional logistic regression with deaths from liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, and viral hepatitis as cases, and all other deaths as controls. Disease aetiology was determined from all conditions mentioned in the death certificate. Results Overall chronic liver disease proportional mortality was higher in males (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.18–1.60) and females (OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.29–2.30) with primary education than in subjects with higher educational level. The risk for alcohol-related and non-viral/non-alcohol-related disease significantly increased with lower education in both genders. Conclusions Proportional mortality analysis of multiple causes of death records showed an association between education and chronic liver diseases with alcoholic and non-viral/non-alcoholic aetiology.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening programs based on the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) were found to reduce overall CRC surgery rates, but to the authors' knowledge data by subsite are lacking. The objective of the current study was to assess the impact of FIT-based screening on proximal and distal CRC surgical resection rates.The Veneto region in Italy can be subdivided into 3 areas with staggered introduction of FIT-based screening programs: early (2002-2004), intermediate (2005-2007), and late (2008-2009) areas. Time series of proximal and distal CRC surgery were investigated in the 3 populations between 2001 and 2012 by Joinpoint regression analysis and segmented Poisson regression models.The impact of screening was similar in the study populations. Rates of distal CRC surgical resection were stable before screening, increased at the time of screening implementation (rate ratio [RR], 1.25; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.14-1.37), and thereafter declined by 10% annually (RR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.88-0.92). Rates of proximal CRC surgical resection increased by 4% annually before screening (RR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.03-1.05) but, after a peak at the time of screening initiation, the trend was reversed. The percentage represented by proximal CRC surgery rose from 28% in 2001 to 41% in 2012.In this natural multiple-baseline experiment, consistent findings across each time series demonstrated that FIT-based screening programs have an impact both on proximal and distal CRC surgery rates. However, underlying preexisting epidemiological trends are leading to a rapidly increasing percentage of proximal CRC.

Background. Despite massive immigration towards Southern Europe in the last two decades, data on mortality by cause among immigrants in Italy are scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate mortality from all and from specific causes of death among immigrants residing in the Veneto Region (Northeastern Italy). Methods. Mortality records for the period 2008–2013 were extracted from the regional archive of causes of death, whereas population data were obtained from the 2011 Italian census. Immigrants were grouped by area of provenience based on the information on country of citizenship available both in mortality and census data. Standardized Mortality Ratios (SMR) with 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) were computed for the period 2008–2013 in subjects aged 20–59 years, with rates of Italian citizens as a reference. Results. Overall mortality was reduced both in male (SMR 0.86, CI [0.80–0.92]) and female immigrants (SMR 0.72, CI [0.65–0.78]), although an increased risk was observed for subjects from Sub-Saharan Africa. Significantly raised SMR for circulatory diseases were found among Sub-Saharan Africans and Southern Asians in both genders. Sub-Saharan Africans experienced a higher risk of death, especially from cerebrovascular diseases: SMR 4.78 (CI [2.67–7.89]) and SMR 6.09 (CI [1.96–14.2]) in males and females, respectively. Among Southern Asians, the increase in mortality from ischemic heart diseases reached statistical significance in males (SMR 2.53, CI [1.42–4.18]). In spite of a lower risk of death for all neoplasms combined, mortality from cancer of cervix uteri was increased among immigrants (SMR 2.61, CI [1.35–4.56]), as well as for other cancer sites in selected immigrant groups. A raised mortality was found for infectious diseases in Sub-Saharan Africans (both genders), and for transport accidents among females from Eastern Europe. Conclusion. Our study showed great variations in mortality by cause and area of provenience among immigrants resident in the Veneto Region and highlighted specific health issues that should be addressed through tailored efforts in chronic diseases prevention.

Type 2 diabetes, one of the most important non-communicable diseases, represents a major health problem worldwide. Immigrants may contribute relevantly to the increase in diabetes. The aim of the study was to investigate variability in diabetes prevalence across different immigrant groups in the Veneto Region (northeastern Italy).Diabetic subjects on January 2013 were identified by record linkage of hospital discharge records, drug prescriptions, and exemptions from medical charges for diabetes. Immigrant groups were identified based on citizenship. Age-standardized prevalence rates were obtained for residents aged 20-59 years by the direct method, taking the whole regional population as reference. Prevalence rate ratios (RR) with 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) were computed with respect to Italian citizens. Among residents aged 20-59 years, 45280 Italian and 7782 foreign subjects affected by diabetes were identified. Prevalence rates were highest among immigrants from South-East Asia, RR 4.9 (CI 4.7-5.1) among males, and 7.6 (7.2-8.1) among females, followed by residents from both North and Sub-Saharan Africa. Citizens from Eastern Europe (the largest immigrant group) showed rates similar to Italians. Most South-Asian patients aged 20-39 years were not insulin-treated, suggesting a very high risk of early onset type 2 diabetes in this ethnic group.Large variations in diabetes prevalence by ethnicity should prompt tailored strategies for primary prevention, diabetes screening, and disease control. An increased demand for prevention and health care in selected population groups should guide appropriate resource allocation.

Background Identifying a single disease as the underlying cause of death (UCOD) is an oversimplification of the clinical-pathological process leading to death. The multiple causes of death (MCOD) approach examines any mention of a disease in death certificates. Taking diabetes as an example, the study investigates: patterns of death certification, differences in mortality figures based on the UCOD and on MCOD, factors associated to the mention of diabetes in death certificates, and potential of MCOD in the analysis of the association between chronic diseases. Methods The whole mortality archive of the Veneto Region-Italy was extracted from 2008 to 2010. Mortality rates and proportional mortality were computed for diabetes as the UCOD and as MCOD. The position of the death certificate where diabetes was mentioned was analyzed. Conditional logistic regression was applied with chronic liver diseases (CLD) as the outcome and diabetes as the exposure variable. A subset of 19,605 death certificates of known diabetic patients (identified from the archive of exemptions from medical charges) was analyzed, with mention of diabetes as the outcome and characteristics of subjects as well as other diseases reported in the certificate as predictors. Results In the whole mortality archive, diabetes was mentioned in 12.3 % of death certificates, and selected as the UCOD in 2.9 %. The death rate for diabetes as the UCOD was 26.8 × 105 against 112.6 × 105 for MCOD; the UCOD/MCOD ratio was higher in males. The major inconsistencies of certification were entering multiple diseases per line and reporting diabetes as a consequence of circulatory diseases. At logistic regression the mention of diabetes was associated with the mention of CLD (mainly non-alcohol non-viral CLD). In the subset of known diabetic subjects, diabetes was reported in 52.1 %, and selected as the UCOD in 13.4 %. The probability of reporting diabetes was higher with coexisting circulatory diseases and renal failure and with long duration of diabetes, whereas it was lower in the presence of a neoplasm. Conclusions The use of MCOD makes the analysis of mortality data more complex, but conveys more information than usual UCOD analyses.

A high hospital utilisation at the end of life (EOL) is an indicator of suboptimal quality of health care. We evaluated the impact of the intensity of different Integrated Cancer Palliative Care (ICPC) plans on EOL acute medical hospitalisation among cancer decedents. Decedents of cancer aged 18-84 years, who were residents in two Italian regions, were investigated through integrated administrative data. Outcomes considered were prolonged hospital stay for medical reasons, 2+ hospitalisations during the last month of life and hospital death. The ICPC plans instituted 90 to 31 days before death represented the main exposure of interest. Other variables considered were gender, age class at death, marital status, recent hospitalisation and primary cancer site. Among 6,698 patients included in ICPC plans, 44.3% presented at least one critical outcome indicator; among these, 76.5% died in hospital, 60.3% had a prolonged (12+ days) medical hospitalisation, 19.1% had 2+ hospitalisations at the EOL. These outcomes showed a strong dose-response effect with the intensity of the ICPC plans, which is already evident at levels of moderate intensity. A well-ICPC approach can be very effective-beginning at low levels of intensity of care-in reducing the percentage of patients spending many days or dying in hospital.

Early implementation of home care and 30 day readmissions in65 years Veneto region patients discharged for heart failure and with disability.The effectiveness of Home care (HC) on preventing rehospitalizations in patients discharged for heart failure (HF) are uncertain.The aim of the study was to measure the impact of HC on early rehospitalizations of patients discharged for HF and with disabilities.Cohort retrospective study on65 years patients, discharged at home and with a Barthel index50. Variables considered were: previous hospitalizations for ischaemic cardiopathy ad/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, number of hospital admissions in the previous year, length of index hospitalization; outcomes considered were: hospital readmissions and days of hospitalizations 30 days from hospital discharge in patients with or without a home care visit within two days from hospital discharge.Of the 5.094 patients (60%85 years), 14.8% received a HC visit within 2 days from discharge (43.7% from a nurse); 18.3% of patients (933) were readmitted within one month. In multivariate analyses an HC access within 2 days did not reduce the risk for readmission (although with better results in younger males but not in older women). An early HC visit reduced the days of hospital stay in males of all ages (65-74 years IRR 0.53 CI 95% 0.37-0.75; 75-84 years IRR 0.71 CI95% 0.60-0.83; 85+ years IRR 0.79 CI 95% 0.67-0.93) while in75 years females there was a significant increase.An early HC visit (within two days from discharge) may have positive effects on males, but not in older women, possibly for the coexistence of socio-economic factors.

In a large cohort of subjects with diabetes cancer mortality increased by 30%, possibly due to lower survival, reverse causality, and an etiologic role of diabetes in cancer. A two-fold increased mortality from liver and pancreatic cancer was confirmed in both genders irrespective of follow-up period or disease duration.

Background The general belief that orthostatic hypotension (OH) predisposes to cardiovascular events is based on sparse and contradictory data, rarely derived from population studies. Methods A total of 1,016 men and women aged ≥65 years was studied in a 12-year epidemiological population-based study. Cardiovascular events were detected in subjects with and without OH (blood pressure (BP) decrease ≥20mm Hg for systolic or ≥10mm Hg for diastolic), and Cox analysis was performed including OH as an independent variable. Results In univariate analysis, coronary (20.2% vs. 13.1%, P = 0.05), cerebrovascular (13.1% vs. 8.4%, P = 0.05), and heart failure (HF) events (20.2% vs. 13.8%, P = 0.03) were apparently more incidental in subjects with OH than in those without OH. Nevertheless, after adjusting for age, gender, and systolic BP as confounders, OH did not act as a cardiovascular predictor (relative risk for cerebrovascular events 1.33, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.78-2.2, for coronary events 1.25, CI 0.82-1.88, for HF 1.07, CI 0.71-1.62, for arrhythmias 0.82, CI 0.40-1.37, and for syncope 0.58, CI 0.13-2.71). Conclusions Although OH seems to be a predictor of coronary, cerebrovascular, and HF events, no predictive role was found in models that include biological confounders. Independent of the cause of OH, age and systolic BP, which are positively associated with OH, fully explain the greater incidence of cardiovascular events and the greater cardiovascular risk observed in subjects with OH.

Objectives Mortality from chronic liver diseases (CLDs) is increased in diabetes, but little is known about the etiology. The aim of this study was to assess mortality rates from CLD by etiology in known diabetic subjects living in the Veneto Region, Northern Italy. Methods A total of 167,621 diabetic subjects, aged 30-89 years (54.6% men), were identified in the year 2007 and their vital status was assessed between 2008 and 2010. Standardized mortality ratios (SMR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed with regional mortality rates as reference. The underlying cause of death and all comordidities reported on the certificate were scrutinized in order to identify CLD deaths and their main etiologies. The latter were grouped into the following three categories: (i) virus-related, (ii) alcohol-related, and (iii) non-virus, non-alcohol-related (mainly represented by nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, NAFLD). Results Analyses were based upon 473,374 person-years of follow-up and 17,134 deaths. We observed an increased risk of dying from CLD in diabetic subjects with an SMR of 2.47 (95% CI=2.19-2.78) in men and 2.70 (2.24-3.23) in women. SMRs were 2.17 (1.90-2.47), 2.25 (1.98-2.54), and 2.86 (2.65-3.08) for virus-related, alcohol-related, and non-virus, non-alcohol-related CLD, respectively. Conclusions Diabetic patients have a twofold to threefold higher risk of dying of CLD, mainly associated with a non-virus and non-alcohol-related etiology, which is largely attributable to NAFLD. An early diagnosis and treatment of NAFLD, if any, may have a beneficial clinical impact on the survival of diabetic patients.

summary Background & aims: This research was aimed at clarifying whether high dietary fiber intake has an impact on incidence and risk of stroke at a population level. Methods: In 1647 unselected subjects, dietary fiber intake (DFI) was detected in a 12-year populationbased study, using other dietary variables, anagraphics, biometrics, blood pressure, heart rate, blood lipids, glucose, insulin, uricaemia, fibrinogenaemia, erytrosedimentation rate, diabetes, insulin resistance, smoking, pulmonary disease and left ventricular hypertrophy as covariables. Results: In adjusted Cox models, high DFI reduced the risk of stroke. In analysis based on quintiles of fiber intake adjusted for confounders, HR for incidence of stroke was lower when the daily intake of soluble fiber was >25 g or that of insoluble fiber was >47 g. In multivariate analyses, using these values as cut-off of DFI, the risk of stroke was lower in those intaking more that the cut-off of soluble (HR 0.31, 0.17e0.55) or insoluble (HR 0.35, 0.19e0.63) fiber. Incidence of stroke was also lower (� 50%, p < 0.003 and � 46%, p < 0.01, respectively). Conclusions: Higher dietary DFI is inversely and independently associated to incidence and risk of stroke in general population.

Background The analysis of multiple causes of death data has been applied in the United States to examine the population burden of chronic liver disease (CLD) and to assess time trends of alcohol-related and hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related CLD mortality. The aim of this study was to assess the mortality for CLD by etiology in the Veneto Region (northeastern Italy). Methods Using the 2008–2010 regional archive of mortality, all causes registered on death certificates were extracted and different descriptive epidemiological measures were computed for HCV-related, alcohol-related, and overall CLD-related mortality. Results The crude mortality rate of all CLD was close to 40 per 100,000 residents. In middle ages (35 to 74 years) CLD was mentioned in about 10% and 6% of all deaths in males and females, respectively. Etiology was unspecified in about half of CLD deaths. In females and males, respectively, HCV was mentioned in 44% and 21% and alcohol in 11% and 26% of overall CLD deaths. A bimodal distribution with age was observed for HCV-related proportional mortality among females, reflecting the available seroprevalence data. Conclusions Multiple causes of death analyses can provide useful insights into the burden of CLD mortality according to etiology among different population subgroups.

BACKGROUND The role of C825T polymorphism of the candidate GNB3 gene in predicting cerebrovascular outcome has been poorly explored in longitudinal setting at a population level. METHODS In an epidemiological setting, 1,678 men and women from general population were genotyped for C825T polymorphism of GNB3 gene and follow-up for 10 years to detect nonfatal and fatal cerebrovascular events (CE). Established cerebrovascular risk factors were used to adjust the multivariate Cox analysis for confounders. RESULTS Seventy-three nonfatal and 30 fatal CE were recorded. Incidence of CE was higher in TT than in C-carriers (fatal: 2.6 vs. 1.7%, P < 0.03; nonfatal: 7.8 vs. 3.9%, P < 0.03; fatal recurrences: 1.6 vs. 0.6%, P < 0.03). In Cox analysis, the TT genotype predicted nonfatal (hazard ratio 1.99, 95% confidence interval 1.05-3.79, P = 0.03), fatal (2.91, 1.05-8.12, P = 0.04), and fatal recurrent CE (6.82, 1.50-31.1, P = 0.02) also after adjustment for age, gender, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, body adiposity, atherogenetic blood lipids, serum uric acid, diabetes, calories, caffeine and ethanol intake, and coronary events at baseline. Further adjustment for historical CE made the association between TT genotype and incident fatal CE nonsignificant (hazard ratio 2.72, 95% confidence interval 0.96-7.22, P = 0.06). CONCLUSIONS The TT genotype of GNB3 gene predicts incident CE independent of blood pressure and other established risk factors at a population level. Further studies are needed to clarify the nature and pathways of this association.

Both low and high iron levels have been associated with cardiovascular outcome. The aim of this study was to determine if dietary iron intake is a cardiovascular predictor in women at a population level.A 138-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was administered to 906 women aged 61.1±17.1 years from an unselected general population followed for 10 years. The mass of dietary items was calculated, and each food was resolved into its chemical components according to food composition tables conceived for Italian food.An inverse association between iron intake and cardiovascular morbidity was found. Incident nonfatal cerebrovascular events were 10 of 302 (3.3%), 4 of 302 (1.3%), and 2 of 302 (0.7%) in the first, second, and third tertiles of nonheme iron intake (p for trend0.01), respectively; fatal cerebrovascular events were 20 of 302 (6.6%), 13 of 302 (4.3%), and 5 of 302 (1.7%), respectively (p0.01); nonfatal coronary events were 24 of 302 (7.9%), 13 of 302 (4.3%), and 10 of 302 (3.3%), respectively, and fatal coronary events were 20 of 302 (6.6%), 15 of 302 (5.0%), and 10 of 302 (3.3%), respectively (p0.01). Independenly of confounders, hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of being the first rather than third tertile of nonheme iron intake were 5.00 (1.08-23.26), 3.18 (1.41-10.12), and 3.25 (1.39-7.59), respectively, for cerebrovascular and 2.48 (1.17-5.25), 2.25 (1.03-4.80), and 2.51 (1.39-4.53), respectively, for coronary events. Heme iron intake was not a predictor.Based on a longitudinal population analysis, low iron intake seems to be an independent predictor of cerebrovascular and coronary morbidity and mortality in women.

The District care activities are often presented as number of patients, interventions or home visits. A better description should render more visible the persons and their clinical problems whose outcomes should be monitored.To prospectically monitor the outcomes in a sample of home care patients followed for one year.Six hundred sixty two home care patients of two Local Health Units of Veneto Region with at least two nurses visits per month had a multidimensional assessment and were followed for one year.At the end of follow-up 32% of patients had died, 3.9% had been admitted to a Nursing home; 41.9% had at least one hospital admission and for 49.7% the number of nursing visits was increased. Closeness to death and inadequate family support were independently associated to an increased risk of hospital admission, while patients with severe cognitive impairment tend to be admitted to hospital less frequently. Of the 216 bedridden patients those with inadequate family support are at higher risk for death and hospital admissions.Home care informative systems allow to assess and monitor the more severe patients thus producing information useful for the continuous improvement of caring processes.

Menopause is considered to be a cardiovascular risk factor, but this belief is based on opinions rather than on evidence. Confounding effects of age are often neglected.Population-based study with further subanalysis of case-to-case age-matched cohorts of men and fertile and menopausal women.Epidemiology in primary, public, institutional frame.Nine thousand three hundred and sixty-four men and women aged 18-70 years representative of Italian general population followed-up for 18.8 +/- 7.7 years.Blood pressure (BP), prevalence and incidence of hypertension, serum total, high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, glucose tolerance, body adiposity, vascular reactivity, target organ damage, overall and cardiovascular mortality and morbidity, by gender and by menopausal status.Cross-sectional: crude BP, pressor response to cold, orthostatic BP decrease, BMI, skinfold thickness, fasting and postload blood glucose and insulin, serum lipids, left ventricular mass, serum creatinine, microalbuminuria and augmetantion index were higher in menopausal than in fertile women, and comparable in menopausal women and men, a difference that was no longer present when adjusting for age or considering age-matched cohorts. Longitudinal: BP increase during follow-up, cardiovascular mortality and morbidity were greater in menopausal than in fertile women, and comparable in menopausal women and men, a difference no longer present in age-matched cohorts. Menopausal status was rejected from multivariate Cox analysis also including age.The cardiovascular effects usually attributed to menopause seem to be a mere consequence of the older age of menopausal women.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate risk pattern and mortality in a general population epidemiologic study performed by a staff of hypertension specialists working as the "good father of a family," with lifestyle and therapeutic advice and instrumental measurements. Mortality among the study population (n=856) during the 4-y study was compared with that recorded in the general population during the 4-y period before the study; those who refused to participate in the study were also recorded (n=280). Among study subjects, blood pressure decreased by 3.6/3.5 mm Hg (P

This article describes the use of the Mini Cog test in a sample of elderly subjects participating in a multicentre Italian study on the healthcare needs of older adults. The Mini Cog is a simple screening test for cognitive impairment. It combines a brief memory test and a simply scored clock-drawing test and allows rapid screening for short term memory defects, learning and different cognitive abilities that are impaired in dementia patients. Various studies have shown that the Mini-Cog, which can be administered in as little as 3 minutes, is as effective in detecting dementia as longer screening tests. In addition, it can be easily administered by personnel that is unfamiliar with cognitive testing.The Mini-Cog test was administered to 2,186 elderly subjects participating in the Argento study, a study conducted in 11 Italian regions. Clocks were rated as abnormal (0 points) or normal (1 point) and 1 point was given for each recalled word in the memory test. A total score of 0-2 was considered positive for dementia. Two training courses were organized for the 11 regional coordinators who were responsible for rating the clock drawing test. In order to validate the study results, 300 clocks were rated by expert raters who had developed the test.The test was acceptable to study subjects and less than 1% refused to perform the clock drawing test. Ratings by expert and local raters were found to be 90% concordant. The estimated prevalence of persons with a scoreor=2 was 23.1% and double in persons over 75 years of age (65-74: 16,4%;or=75: 31,2%). No gender differences were observed. On the other hand large differences were observed between persons with different educational levels; in fact while 63.1% of illiterate subjects scored positive for dementia, only 8.9% of university educated persons had positive tests.The Mini-Cog test was found to be easy to administer by Italian Local Health Unit personnel in the context of evaluating healthcare needs of older persons. Study results were consistent with other population studies that evaluated cognitive impairment in elderly subjects in developed countries. In view of its high acceptability and reliability the Mini-Cog can be a valid screening tool for use in outpatient services and by general practitioners and in the planning and management of healthcare services.

Aims To assess the use of antithrombotic treatment (ATT) after hospitalization with atrial fibrillation (AF) and the attributable effectiveness of ATT during follow-up. Methods and results On the basis of record linkage of administrative registers, 1812 patients discharged with AF were identified and followed-up for major clinical events up to 1 year. Mean age was 79 years. After hospitalization, 56% of the patients received ATT: 29% anticoagulants, 22% antiplatelets (APs), and 5% both agents. Among patients without comorbidities, 63.0% were exposed to ATT. Several factors significantly influence the use of antithrombotic agents, including increasing age [odds ratio (OR) 0.93 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.92–0.95)], chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [0.77 (0.59–1.00)], malignancy [0.57 (0.39–0.82)], and previous use of ATT [4.56 (3.67–5.67)]. A significantly lower mortality was observed in patients exposed to ATT [hazard ratio (HR) 0.36 (95% CI, 0.28–0.47)], both to anticoagulants [0.23 (0.15–0.35)] and to APs [0.66 (0.50–0.86)]. ATT was associated with the reduction of thrombo-embolic events [0.52 (0.25–1.07)]. Major bleeding did not contribute to increased morbidity. Subgroups analysis, propensity score (PS), and sensitivity analysis confirmed these results. Conclusion Our data demonstrated that ATT was underused, also in patients without comorbidities. Exposure to ATT is associated with improved survival among elderly high-risk community patients hospitalized with AF.

Mortality and morbidity appear to be higher in a Cimbrian population representing an enclave of people who migrated from medieval Germany to the secluded Leogra valley in Italy. A population-based study was organized, recruiting 881 elderly subjects of Cimbrian origin and comparing them with a standard control population (SCP, n = 3,282) having comparable general characteristics and lifestyle. Serum lipids and glucose, blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory function, ECG abnormalities, and historical events were used as risk indicators. Age-adjusted systolic and pulse pressure were higher in the Cimbrians than in the SCP, while diastolic blood pressure was comparable. The prevalences of arterial hypertension, isolated systolic hypertension, and pulse hypertension were significantly more represented among Cimbrians than SCP. The prevalences of diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertriglyceridemia were higher among the former than the latter. The ratio between apolipoproteins B and A1 was also higher, while the HDL fraction was significantly lower in Cimbrians than in the SCP. In Cimbrians, the relative risk (RR) for ischemic heart disease was 1.92 (1.57-2.34) in women, 2.30 (1.54-3.43) in men and 1.03 (1.00-1.06) in women for stroke, 2.43 (1.54-3.83) in men and 1.45 (1.01-1.12) in women for atrial fibrillation, 3.85 (2.83-5.24) in men and 1.39 (1.20-1.60) in women for respiratory disease, 1.97 (1.32-2.94) in men and 6.81 (4.38-10.60) in women for intermittent claudication, and 3.31 (2.44-4.50) in men and 2.30 (1.76-3.01) in women for left ventricular hypertrophy. The subjects living in the secluded Leogra valley are at higher cardiovascular risk than the standard controls. Whether this depends on genetic factors, lifestyle, or both will need to be clarified by further analysis.

To review the statistical approaches to test for spatial heterogeneity of relative risks. Three different statistical tests (Gail, Martuzzi-Hills and Potthoff-Whittinghill) are reviewed and applied--as motivating example--to the analysis of cause-specific mortality records (years: 1991-2000) of the Municipalities belonging to the Local Health Unit Alto Vicentino.Spatial heterogeneity was found in 17 (Martuzzi-Hills) and 18 (Gail, Potthoff-Whittinghill) among 70 selected causes of death. Cohens Kappa test was chosen to assess the agreement among the tests (k = 0.596; por = 0.001).Spatial heterogeneity must be interpreted with great caution, taking into account the available evidence about risk factors for specific causes of death and carefully evaluating available exposure data.