Impact of osteosynthesis in fracture care: a cost comparison study.

To estimate the health economic impact of osteosynthesis (OS) in fracture care over six decades in 17 high-income countries. Applying a decision tree model, we assumed a hypothetical absence of OS and compared OS (intervention) with conservative treatment (CONS; comparator). We included patients with femur, tibia and radius fractures (age <65 years) and for proximal femur fractures also elderly patients (≥70 years).

The impact of the AO Foundation on fracture care: An evaluation of 60 years AO Foundation.

Objectives: Sixty years ago, the Association of Osteosynthesis (AO) was founded with the aim to improve fracture treatment and has since grown into one of the largest medical associations worldwide. Aim of this study was to evaluate AO's impact on science, education, patient care and the MedTech business.

Design/methods: Impact evaluations were conducted as appropriate for the individual domains: Impact on science was measured by analyzing citation frequencies of publications promoted by AO.

The contribution of lifestyle and work factors to social inequalities in self-rated health among the employed population in Switzerland.

We sought to examine the joint and independent contributions of working conditions and health-related behaviours in explaining social gradients in self-rated health (SRH). Nationally representative cross-sectional data from the Swiss Health Survey of 2007 were used for this study. Bi- and multivariate statistical analyses were carried out on a sample of 6950 adult employees of working age.

Current challenges in handling genetic data.

In no other field of biomedicine has such revolutionary change taken place in recent decades as it has in molecular genetics. The accumulated knowledge in this field will not only enable clinicians to make new treatment decisions in future, but will also help to save on healthcare costs. A positive test result will be the prerequisite for carrying out targeted drug treatment (companion diagnostics).

Cancer comortality patterns in schizophrenia and psychotic disorders: a new methodological approach for unique databases.

The aim of this study was to determine the pattern of cancer comortality in deaths registered with schizophrenia and psychotic disorders. It focused on the question of whether the proportions of different types of cancer diverge when they are co-registered with schizophrenia/psychotic disorders or with other causes of death in mortality statistics. We developed an analysis approach applicable to common mortality statistics data when no linkage with morbidity databases or other registers is possible.

Death has a preference for birthdays-an analysis of death time series.

Purpose: To examine the relation between the day of death and the day of birth. To determine whether the "death postponement" hypothesis or the "anniversary reaction" hypothesis is more appropriate.

Methods: We analyzed data from the Swiss mortality statistics 1969-2008.

Characteristics and Outcome in Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients with and without Established Modifiable Cardiovascular Risk Factors: Insights from the Nationwide AMIS Plus Registry 1997-2010.

Objectives: Little is known about patients without known modifiable risk factors presenting initially with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). This study assessed baseline characteristics and outcomes of ACS patients with and without the known modifiable risk factors arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, smoking or diabetes.

Methods: All ACS patients enrolled in the AMIS Plus Registry between 1997 and 2010 were analyzed until hospital discharge; a subgroup was re-assessed at the 1-year follow-up.

Health risk or resource? Gradual and independent association between self-rated health and mortality persists over 30 years.

Background: Poor self-rated health (SRH) is associated with increased mortality. However, most studies only adjust for few health risk factors and/or do not analyse whether this association is consistent also for intermediate categories of SRH and for follow-up periods exceeding 5-10 years. This study examined whether the SRH-mortality association remained significant 30 years after assessment when adjusting for a wide range of known clinical, behavioural and socio-demographic risk factors.

Lower age at first myocardial infarction in female compared to male smokers.

Background: Smoking is one of the most important risk factors for myocardial infarction. Smokers usually suffer their first myocardial infarction earlier in life compared to non-smokers. This age difference seems to be greater in women than in men.

Persistent work-life conflict and health satisfaction - a representative longitudinal study in Switzerland.

Background: The objectives of the present study were (1) to track work-life conflict in Switzerland during the years 2002 to 2008 and (2) to analyse the relationship between work-life conflict and health satisfaction, examining whether long-term work-life conflict leads to poor health satisfaction.

Methods: The study is based on a representative longitudinal database (Swiss Household Panel), covering a six-year period containing seven waves of data collection. The sample includes 1261 persons, with 636 men and 625 women.

Diagnostic accuracy of point-of-care testing for acute coronary syndromes, heart failure and thromboembolic events in primary care: a cluster-randomised controlled trial.

Background: Evidence of the clinical benefit of 3-in-1 point-of-care testing (POCT) for cardiac troponin T (cTnT), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and D-dimer in cardiovascular risk stratification at primary care level for diagnosing acute coronary syndromes (ACS), heart failure (HF) and thromboembolic events (TE) is very limited. The aim of this study is to analyse the diagnostic accuracy of POCT in primary care.

Methods: Prospective multicentre controlled trial cluster-randomised to POCT-assisted diagnosis and conventional diagnosis (controls).

Establishing a follow-up of the Swiss MONICA participants (1984-1993): record linkage with census and mortality data.

Background: To assess the feasibility and quality of an anonymous linkage of 1) MONICA (MONItoring of trends and determinants in CArdiovscular disease, three waves between 1984 and 1993) data with 2) census and mortality records of the Swiss National Cohort in order to establish a mortality follow-up until 2008. Many countries feature the defect of lacking general population cohorts because they have missed to provide for follow-up information of health surveys.

Methods: Record linkage procedures were used in a multi-step approach.

Impact of a normal or non-specific admission ECG on the treatment and early outcome of patients with myocardial infarction in Swiss hospitals between 2003 and 2008.

Background: Diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) rests upon clinical, electrocardiographic and biochemical parameters. Previous studies reported AMI patients who present with non-specific ECGs.

Objectives: To examine clinical or demographic features of AMI patients presenting with or without ECG changes and assess the impact of these ECGs on treatment and outcome.

Outcome of patients with acute coronary syndrome in hospitals of different sizes. A report from the AMIS Plus Registry.

Objective: To assess the impact of admission to different hospital types on early and 1-year outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Methods: Between 1997 and 2009, 31 010 ACS patients from 76 Swiss hospitals were enrolled in the AMIS Plus registry. Large tertiary institutions with continuous (24 hour/7 day) cardiac catheterisation facilities were classified as type A hospitals, and all others as type B.

Smoking and psychiatric disorders: have subthreshold disorders been overlooked?

Introduction: The association between smoking and mental disorders has been confirmed by several studies using cross-sectional and retrospective designs. The present study illustrates the need for differentiating subthreshold psychiatric disorders in the analysis.

Methods: The analysis is based on cumulative ("lifetime") prevalences of mental disorders and smoking in the Zurich study.

Work-life conflict and associations with work- and nonwork-related factors and with physical and mental health outcomes: a nationally representative cross-sectional study in Switzerland.

Background: The aim of the present cross-sectional study was to examine work- and nonwork- related factors and physical and mental health outcomes associated with combined time- and strain-based work-life conflict (WLC) among adult employees living and working in Switzerland as well as possible gender differences in this regard.

Methods: The data used for the study were taken from wave 6 of the nationally representative Swiss Household Panel (SHP) collected in 2004. The analysis was restricted to 4'371 employees aged 20 to 64 years.

Acute coronary syndromes in young patients: presentation, treatment and outcome.

Background: Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in very young patients have been poorly described. We therefore evaluate ACS in patients aged 35 years and younger.

Methods: In this prospective cohort study, 76 hospitals treating ACS in Switzerland enrolled 28,778 patients with ACS between January 1, 1997, and October 1, 2008.

High-intensity training increases spontaneous physical activity in children: a randomized controlled study.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that resistance training may increase spontaneous physical activity in children.

Study Design: Two junior ice hockey teams were randomly assigned to unchanged training schedules (team ZSC, 21 boys; mean age, 13.2 years) or to participate twice weekly in guided resistance training for 4 months (team GCK, 25 boys; mean age, 13.

Lower mortality from coronary heart disease and stroke at higher altitudes in Switzerland.

Background: Studies assessing the effect of altitude on cardiovascular disease have provided conflicting results. Most studies were limited because of the heterogeneity of the population, their ecological design, or both. In addition, effects of place of birth were rarely considered.

Adult versus adolescent onset of smoking: how are mood disorders and other risk factors involved?

Aims: To examine the strength of association between smoking and mood disorders and the association between smoking and its traditional risk factors, comparing those who started smoking in adolescence with those who started smoking in early adulthood.

Design And Participants: The analyses relied on prospective data from the Zurich Study. This longitudinal community study started in 1979 with a stratified sample of 591 participants aged 20/21 years, weighted towards those with mental disorders.