Estimation of diabetes prevalence among immigrants from the Middle East in Sweden by using three different data sources.

Aims: To estimate diabetes prevalence in immigrants from the Middle East in Sweden compared with Swedish-born subjects. This group accounts for around 15% of Sweden's non-European immigrants.

Methods: Three samples were used: self-reported diabetes in a random sample (SALLS sample) of subjects aged 35-64 years in Sweden (n=22,032); known diabetes among patients aged 35-64 years in primary care (PC) at four primary healthcare centers in Stockholm County (n=30,679); and known and newly diagnosed diabetes in a random population sample of subjects aged 60 years in Stockholm County (n=4106).

Sex differences in risk factor control of treated hypertensives: a national primary healthcare-based study in Sweden.

Background: To evaluate potential sex differences, this study aimed to investigate blood pressure and lipid control and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease in treated hypertensive (tHT) patients from primary healthcare.

Design And Methods: This cross-sectional survey of tHT patients was carried out between 2002 and 2005 by 264 primary care physicians from Sweden who consecutively recruited 6537 tHT patients (48% men and 52% women) from medical records.

Results: tHT men more often reached the treatment goal for systolic/diastolic blood pressure, less than 140/90 mmHg, than tHT women (30 vs.

Concordant and discordant associations between rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and ankylosing spondylitis based on all hospitalizations in Sweden between 1973 and 2004.

Objectives: To quantify the sibling risk of RA, SLE and AS. To analyse the concordant and discordant associations between RA, SLE and AS.

Methods: Follow-up study of all individuals and their siblings born in or after 1932 and hospitalized for RA, SLE or AS between 1973 and 2004 (32 yrs).

Survival in familial pancreatic cancer.

Background: Family history has been reported to be associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer. However, its possible influence on pancreatic cancer survival has rarely been studied, probably because of the rareness of cases in the same family.

Methods: We used the nationwide Swedish Family-Cancer Database to examine the survival differences between familial and sporadic pancreatic cancers.

Association between metabolic effects and tobacco use in 60-year-old Swedish men.

There is a controversy whether use of smokeless tobacco is associated with an increased risk of diabetes. A population-based cross-sectional study was undertaken of 1,859 men, aged 60 years, in Stockholm County. No significant association was found between risk of diabetes and any use of tobacco, even if an association between snuff and risk of diabetes could not be excluded.

Socioeconomic and occupational risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis: a nationwide study based on hospitalizations in Sweden.

Objective: To investigate possible associations between socioeconomic status, occupation, and hospitalization for rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: A nationwide database was constructed by linking the Swedish Census to the Hospital Discharge Register in order to obtain data on all first hospitalizations for RA in Sweden during the study period 1964 to 2004. Standardized incidence ratios (SIR) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated by socioeconomic status (education level) and occupation for men and women aged 30 years and older.

Predictors and non-predictors of symptom relief in dyspepsia consultations in primary care.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate if the course of dyspepsia is influenced by medical consultation in primary care.

Design, Setting And Patients: Australian general practitioners (n = 27) recruited 157 dyspeptic patients, of whom 94 were eligible for follow-up. Dyspepsia, comorbidity, quality of life, emotional status, locus of control and consultation satisfaction were measured at baseline and follow-up (mean 3 months).

Subsequent risk of hospitalization for neuropsychiatric disorders in patients with rheumatic diseases: a nationwide study from Sweden.

Objective: To analyze the association between rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and ankylosing spondylitis and hospitalization for psychiatric disorders, as well as the association between hospitalization for dementia or delirium and systemic lupus erythematosus, by using a novel, large-scale approach.

Design: Cohort study with follow-up between 1973 and 2004.

Participants: The entire Swedish population.

Risk factors associated with newly diagnosed high blood pressure in men and women.

Background: Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Early diagnosis and prevention of hypertension are of great importance in reducing overall mortality. The objective was to determine which potential risk factors are associated with newly diagnosed high blood pressure in women and men.

Socioeconomic and occupational groups and Parkinson's disease: a nationwide study based on hospitalizations in Sweden.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is an association between socioeconomic status, occupation and hospitalization for Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods: A nationwide database was constructed by linking the Swedish Census to the Hospital Discharge Register to obtain data on all first adult hospitalizations for PD diagnosed in Sweden during the study period from 1987 to 2004. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.

Familial risks for depression among siblings based on hospitalizations in Sweden.

Objective: Familial risks of depression have been assessed in small case-control studies, usually based on reported, but not medically verified depressions in family members; thus the degree of familial clustering for these diseases remains to be established.

Methods: We conducted a nationwide study on familial risks of depression linking the Multigeneration Register of 0-72-year-old individuals to the Hospital Discharge Register for diagnosed depression patients in Sweden from 1987 to 2004. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated for affected singleton siblings, twins, and spouses by comparing those whose siblings or spouses had no recorded hospitalization for depression.

Improving quality of life using compound mind-body therapies: evaluation of a course intervention with body movement and breath therapy, guided imagery, chakra experiencing and mindfulness meditation.

Objective: Assess changes in quality of life and in sense of coherence (SOC), after an intervention involving a self-development course using mind-body medicine (MBM) activities.

Design: A questionnaire study using a health-related quality of life (HRQOL) instrument, the SWEDQUAL, with 13 subscales and scores ranging from 0 to 100, combined with the SOC-13 scale, healthcare utilisation, medication and sick listing data.

Setting: A training centre for MBM.

Socioeconomic and occupational groups and risk of asthma in Sweden.

Aim: To investigate possible associations between hospitalization for asthma and socioeconomic status and occupation.

Methods: A nationwide database was constructed by linking Swedish Census data to the Hospital Discharge Register (1987-2004). The hospital diagnoses of asthma were based on the International Classification of Diseases.

Is migration to Sweden associated with increased prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease?

Background: [corrected] The proportion of elderly immigrants in Sweden is increasing. This is an important issue considering that the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a global health problem and that CVD is one of the main causes of morbidity among the elderly. The aim of this study is to analyze whether there is an association between migration status, that is being an elderly Iranian immigrant in Sweden, as compared with being an elderly Iranian in Iran, and the prevalence of risk factors for CVD.

Primary Child Health Care Nurses' assessment of health risks in children of foreign origin and their parents--a theoretical model.

Background: According to recent studies, intercultural interaction in health care between clients and care-givers seems to be problematic. A recent Swedish study revealed that a majority of Primary Child Health Care Nurses (PCHNurses) experienced difficulties in their interaction with children and parents of foreign origin. As every third child in the Primary Child Heath Care (PCHC) services is of foreign origin it seem to be of utmost importance to examine in depth how these difficulties could be understood and explained.

Survival in bladder and renal cell cancers is familial.

Having family members with cancer has been associated with increased risk for bladder and renal cell cancers, but its association with survival has not been examined. This study was an analysis of the nationwide Swedish Family-Cancer Database and revealed that survival for bladder and renal cell cancers was similar whether the cancer was familial or sporadic; however, when survival in offspring was analyzed according to the affected parents' length of survival, prognosis was concordant. Cox proportional hazard regression models revealed that for bladder cancer, the risk for death among offspring whose parents survived > or =5 yr was approximately one third that of offspring whose parents survived <5 yr, after adjustment for gender, age at diagnosis, time period of diagnosis, socioeconomic status, and geographic region (adjusted hazard ratio 0.

The association between low fasting blood glucose value and mortality.

Earlier studies and reviews have shown an association between high fasting blood glucose levels (FBG) and increased mortality. Less is known about the association between low FBG and mortality. This study aimed at reviewing the literature on this topic.

Effects of neighbourhood and individual factors on injury risk in the entire Swedish population: a 12-month multilevel follow-up study.

In this cumulative incidence study of the entire population of Sweden, we examined the association between neighbourhood income level and injury risks across a comprehensive set of individual variables. The population, stratified by age (0-14, 15-64, and > or =65 years), was followed for incident injury events in 1998. Multilevel logistic regression was used to examine the associations between neighbourhood income level and injury, including deaths from injury.

Prevalence and correlates of previous hepatitis B vaccination and infection among young drug-users in New York City.

Unlabelled: Hepatitis B (HBV) vaccination coverage remains low among drug users. In 1997, ACIP made hepatitis B vaccine available for persons aged 0-18 years and many states began requiring HBV vaccination for entry into middle school; these programs might affect HBV vaccination and infection rates in younger DUs. We were interested in determining correlates of immunization among younger (<25 years) and older (25 and older) DUs.

Impact of psychiatric disorders on Parkinson's disease : a nationwide follow-up study from Sweden.

Objectives: To analyze whether hospitalization for a psychiatric disorder predicts Parkinson's disease (PD) in men and women in different age groups after accounting for socioeconomic status and geographical region.

Methods: Data from the MigMed database were used to identify all people in Sweden hospitalized for psychiatric disorder and PD during the study period (1987 to 2001). Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for PD were calculated among those with and without hospitalization for psychiatric disorder.

Familial clustering of cancer at human papillomavirus-associated sites according to the Swedish Family-Cancer Database.

Familial aggregation of cervical cancer has been demonstrated previously, however aggregation of other human papillomavirus-associated anogenital, upper aerodigestive tract and skin cancers has not been fully characterized. The Swedish Family-Cancer Database, which contains reliable data on cancer incidence and nuclear family linkages for all residents of Sweden between 1958 and 2004, was used to calculate standardized incidence ratios (SIR) and 95% confidence intervals for offspring site-specific cancer risks according to site-specific cancer in sibling and parental probands. Offspring cancer risk was significantly increased when either a sibling or parent was affected at the same site for penile squamous cell carcinoma (SCC, SIR = 7.

Population attributable fractions for ovarian cancer in Swedish women by morphological type.

Using the Swedish Family-Cancer Database, among a total of 1,030,806 women followed from 1993 through 2004, invasive and borderline epithelial ovarian cancer was identified in 3306 and 822 women respectively, with data on family history, reproductive variables, residential region and socioeconomic status. Relative risks and population-attributable fractions (PAFs) were estimated by Poisson regression. The overall PAFs of invasive epithelial ovarian cancer for family history and for reproductive factors were 2.

Risks of subarachnoid hemorrhage in siblings: a nationwide epidemiological study from Sweden.

This nationwide study aimed to enhance available data by determining sibling risks of subarachnoid hemorrhage in a total population. The MigMed database at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, was used to identify all cases of subarachnoid hemorrhage diagnosed in Sweden between 1987 and 2001. Incidence ratios standardized for age, region, and socioeconomic status (SIRs) were calculated for persons with at least 1 sibling with subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Health-related quality of life and migration: a cross-sectional study on elderly Iranians in Sweden.

Background: Although elderly Iranian immigrants in Sweden are the largest elderly group born outside Europe, little is known about their health-related quality of life (HRQL). The aim of this study was to examine the association between migration status and HRQL in a comparison of elderly Iranians in Iran, elderly Iranian immigrants in Sweden, and elderly Swedes in Sweden.

Methods: The Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) was administered to a total of 625 men and women aged 60-84 years to collect HRQL information on elderly Iranians in Sweden (n = 176) and elderly Iranians in Iran (n = 298).