1,456 results match your criteria: "Institute for Community Medicine[Affiliation]"

Article Synopsis
  • - The EyeMatics project is part of Germany's Medical Informatics Initiative, focusing on improving treatment for eye diseases through better understanding of intravitreal injection effects.
  • - It aims to enhance patient data integration and visualization from various hospital systems, while promoting strong governance and patient involvement.
  • - The project employs AI methods to analyze data and biomarkers, emphasizing user-centered strategies for effective implementation and evaluation in a multi-site observational study.
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Objective: Research is lacking examining the effect of malocclusion on tooth loss. The aim of this study was to analyze the possible impact of moderate and severe malocclusions on tooth loss over the course of twenty years.

Material And Methods: Of 1269 subjects aged between 25 and 49 years with at least 20 teeth of the population-based Study of Health in Pomerania in Germany, malocclusions were initially assessed according to a German orthodontic index of treatment priority between 1997 and 2001.

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Deep learning-based body composition analysis from whole-body magnetic resonance imaging to predict all-cause mortality in a large western population.

EBioMedicine

December 2024

Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany. Electronic address:

Article Synopsis
  • This study explores the use of advanced deep learning methods to automatically measure body composition from whole-body MRI scans, aiming to assess their ability to predict mortality in the general population.
  • The investigation was based on data from two large Western European cohort studies, focusing on key body composition metrics such as subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue, skeletal muscle, and intramuscular fat.
  • Results indicate significant associations between several volumetric body composition measures and mortality risk, highlighting the potential of automated techniques to improve clinical outcomes related to cardiometabolic diseases and cancer.
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Prevalence trends of type 2 diabetes treatment, dyslipidemia and hepatic steatosis in Northeast Germany.

J Public Health (Oxf)

November 2024

Institute for Community Medicine-SHIP clinical-epidemiological research, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.

Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the trends in metabolic cardiovascular risk factors like type 2 diabetes (T2D), dyslipidemia, and hepatic steatosis in Northeast Germany from 2000 to 2012.
  • It found that while treatments for T2D and dyslipidemia increased among adults, the prevalence of dyslipidemia slightly decreased, and hepatic steatosis rose significantly, especially in women and younger individuals.
  • The study emphasizes that promoting healthy diets and obesity control could help prevent these increasing health issues in the region.
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DNA Methylation Signatures of Cardiovascular Health Provide Insights into Diseases.

medRxiv

November 2024

Nutrition Epidemiology and Data Science, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, MA.

Background: The association of overall cardiovascular health (CVH) with changes in DNA methylation (DNAm) has not been well characterized.

Methods: We calculated the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 (LE8) score to reflect CVH in five cohorts with diverse ancestry backgrounds. Epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) for LE8 score were conducted, followed by bioinformatic analyses.

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Enrolling in a clinical trial or study requires informed consent. Furthermore, it is crucial to ensure proper consent when storing samples in biobanks for future research, as these samples may be used in studies beyond their initial purpose. For pediatric studies, consent must be obtained from both the child and their legal guardians, requiring the recording of multiple consents at once.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study assessed sleep quality in 2333 adults aged 20 to 79 in a southern Brazilian city with German colonization, using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.
  • Poor sleep quality affected 32.7% of participants, with higher rates in women (40%) and older adults (44%), suggesting gender and age as significant risk factors.
  • Multiple factors linked to poor sleep included being a woman, smoking, depression, taking multiple medications, and self-reported health status, while having a Germanic cultural background, higher education, and being employed were associated with better sleep quality.
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Article Synopsis
  • Diet plays a significant role in metabolic syndrome (MetS), with a focus on both dietary diversity and quality being essential for obesity prevention and metabolic health.
  • Data from a study involving 6,753 individuals revealed that higher dietary diversity (DDS) is linked to a lower risk of MetS, while dietary quality (DQS) showed limited positive associations.
  • The findings suggest that while dietary diversity enhances gut microbiota diversity and leads to a healthier metabolic state, dietary quality may not be as influential, indicating that future dietary guidelines should prioritize a variety of foods over simply focusing on nutritional content.
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Background: Perinatal depression affects 10-15% of mothers and approximately 5% of fathers. However, only a small number of affected individuals seek treatment. If left unrecognized and untreated, it can have negative long-term consequences for the family's health, leading to subsequent high costs.

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Article Synopsis
  • * There was a significant increase in the use of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) measurements (44% in males and 31% in females) and levothyroxine (31% increase for both sexes), indicating a rise in diagnosis and treatment.
  • * Conversely, some procedures like scintiscan and biopsy usage declined, suggesting that while thyroid disorders may be decreasing, the increase in TSH testing and levothyroxine prescriptions might indicate potential overdiagnosis and overtreatment.
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Article Synopsis
  • - White matter hyperintensities indicate damage in the brain's white matter, which can lead to brain shrinkage and is linked to dementia; a study of over 51,000 people found that larger volumes of these hyperintensities correspond to thinner brain cortex.
  • - Researchers identified 20 significant genetic loci related to white matter hyperintensities that affect genes involved in brain cell types known to support vascular health and neuronal function; some of these genes play roles in processes like axonal structure and transport within the brain.
  • - The genetic traits tied to white matter issues were linked to cardiovascular health, neurodegeneration markers, and poorer cognitive performance, with a polygenic risk score effectively predicting dementia risk in a separate large
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Association analysis between an epigenetic alcohol risk score and blood pressure.

Clin Epigenetics

October 2024

Framingham Heart Study, 73 Mt. Wayte Avenue, Framingham, MA, 01702, USA.

Article Synopsis
  • This study investigates the link between an epigenetic risk score (ERS) related to alcohol consumption and blood pressure traits, finding significant associations between higher ERS and increased blood pressure levels among participants.
  • In the analysis of 3,898 individuals from the Framingham Heart Study, each unit increase in the ERS correlated with a rise in systolic blood pressure (SBP) by almost 2 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) by about 0.68 mm Hg.
  • The research suggests that the ERS could serve as a useful tool for assessing cardiovascular risks linked to alcohol consumption, especially in cases where self-reported data may be unreliable.
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Article Synopsis
  • Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati are parasitic worms found globally, particularly posing risks to children through their eggs in the environment, highlighting the need for effective diagnostic methods for detection.
  • This study compared different detection techniques including a new sequential sieving protocol and a high-throughput qPCR method, evaluating their efficiency on cat and dog faecal samples.
  • Results indicated that the new sieving method was superior in sensitivity for egg detection, while mechanical lysis of DNA samples outperformed enzymatic lysis, and both DNA detection and microscopy methods showed comparable results with newer techniques being cost-effective.
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Article Synopsis
  • Subcortical brain structures play a crucial role in various developmental and psychiatric disorders, and a study analyzed brain volumes in 74,898 individuals, identifying 254 genetic loci linked to these volumes, which accounted for up to 35% of variation.
  • The research included exploring gene expression in specific neural cell types, focusing on genes involved in intracellular signaling and processes related to brain aging.
  • The findings suggest that certain genetic variants not only influence brain volume but also have potential causal links to conditions like Parkinson’s disease and ADHD, highlighting the genetic basis for risks associated with neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Background: Procedural and reporting guidelines are crucial in framing scientific practices and communications among researchers and the broader community. These guidelines aim to ensure transparency, reproducibility, and reliability in scientific research. Despite several methodological frameworks proposed by various initiatives to foster reproducibility, challenges such as data leakage and reproducibility remain prevalent.

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Article Synopsis
  • Antimicrobial autoantigenic glycoprotein 2 (GP2) plays a significant role in the immune system and is linked to the gut microbiome, but its systemic effects and associations are not fully understood.
  • In a study involving 2,812 participants, higher fecal GP2 levels were found in those with a higher body mass index and smokers, while lower levels were associated with healthier factors, such as good pancreatic function and diet.
  • Increased GP2 levels correlated with less gut microbial diversity, higher systemic inflammation, and a shift towards potentially harmful bacteria, suggesting that GP2 could serve as a biomarker for gut health and inflammation.
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Background: Systematic counseling on behavioral health risk factors (HRFs) may be suitable to promote health among general hospital patients. This study aimed to investigate the openness of patients towards systematic screening and intervention of HRFs, its relation to actual participation in a multi-behavioral intervention, and whether socio-economic characteristics, HRFs and health indicators are related to approval.

Methods: All 18- to 64-year-old patients hospitalized in five medical departments at the University Medicine Hospital Greifswald in Germany were asked between May and July 2022 to participate in a survey and in a subsequent pre-post intervention study.

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Aim: We aimed to investigate the medium-term associations of periodontitis and the number of missing teeth with serum lipoproteins and their plasma subfractions using follow-up data from the population-based Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP-TREND).

Methods: A total of 2,058 participants with 7-year follow-up data underwent periodontal examinations, serum lipid panel tests, and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (H-NMR) spectroscopy of plasma lipoproteins and their subfractions. Generalized models with gamma distribution and loglink were used to analyze associations between periodontal variables and lipoproteins and their subfractions, adjusting for confounders using propensity score weighting.

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Historical Cohort Differences in Views on Aging in the US: A Trend Toward Longer Midlife but Older Felt Age.

Res Aging

October 2024

Department of Prevention Research and Social Medicine, Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.

This study compared equal age groups from two cohorts from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study surveyed at different times to characterize societal changes in measures of subjective age and age threshold. Two successive MIDUS cohorts were utilized (1995-1996 and 2011-2014; age range 25-74). Outcomes included subjective age (felt age and desired age) and age threshold.

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Article Synopsis
  • The COVID-19 pandemic led to studies on how it affected people's mental health, with mixed results; some felt worse, while others stayed stable.
  • The study focused on 135,445 people in Germany to see how age and past mental health issues affected depression and anxiety during the early pandemic.
  • Results showed people with past mental health problems felt the same after the pandemic began, but younger folks without those issues felt worse, highlighting the need for better support strategies.
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Article Synopsis
  • Subcortical brain structures play a crucial role in various disorders, and a study analyzed the genetic basis of brain volumes in nearly 75,000 individuals of European ancestry, revealing 254 loci linked to these volumes.
  • The research identified significant gene expression in neural cells, relating to brain aging and signaling, and found that polygenic scores could predict brain volumes across different ancestries.
  • The study highlights genetic connections between brain volumes and conditions like Parkinson's disease and ADHD, suggesting specific gene expression patterns could be involved in neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Background: Clinical trials are essential for medical research and medical progress. Nevertheless, trials often fail to reach their recruitment goals. Patient recruitment systems aim to support clinical trials by providing an automated search for eligible patients in the databases of health care institutions like university hospitals.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study examines the relationship between major depressive disorder (MDD) and obesity-related traits in a sample of 4,100 adults in Germany, focusing on differences between sexes and the impact of MDD recurrence.
  • Among women, MDD is linked to lower general and central obesity, while in men, MDD is positively associated with certain obesity measures such as subcutaneous and visceral fat, indicating differing obesity patterns based on sex.
  • The findings suggest that understanding how MDD recurrence and sex influence obesity can help identify individuals with MDD at greater risk for cardiometabolic issues, emphasizing the importance of tailored interventions.
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Current Capacity for Diagnosing Alzheimer's Disease in Germany and Implications for Wait Times.

J Alzheimers Dis

October 2024

Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE) Rostock, Rostock, Germany.

Article Synopsis
  • - Germany's healthcare system faces significant challenges in identifying Alzheimer's disease patients eligible for new amyloid-targeting therapies, with projected wait times up to 50 months for specialist visits and PET scans from 2024 to 2043.
  • - Patients with social health insurance are expected to endure longer wait times compared to those with private insurance, with peak delays reaching 76 months for social insurance patients and 40 months for private insurance patients.
  • - Implementing a blood test as part of the diagnostic process could significantly reduce wait times to under 24 months, highlighting the urgent need for effective triage measures to improve patient access to potentially life-changing treatments.
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