During the 1980s, the postservice mortality component of the Vietnam Experience Study was conducted to examine the health effects of the Vietnam experience. This study was limited by the relatively short follow-up and the young age of the veterans. Thus, a follow-up mortality investigation on this cohort was undertaken to further assess the impact of the Vietnam experience on chronic conditions.
Methods
Vital status and underlying cause-of-death data on the Vietnam Experience Study cohort (18 313 male US Army veterans) were retrospectively ascertained from the end of the original study through 2000. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to calculate crude and adjusted rate ratios (RRs) for all-cause and cause-specific mortality, comparing Vietnam and non-Vietnam veterans.
Results
All-cause mortality was 7% higher in Vietnam vs non-Vietnam veterans during 30-year follow-up (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.97-1.18). The excess mortality among Vietnam veterans was isolated to the first 5 years after discharge from active duty and resulted from an increase in external causes of death (RR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.16-2.26). Cause-specific analyses revealed no difference in disease-related mortality. Vietnam veterans, however, experienced excess unintentional poisoning (RR, 2.26; 95% CI, 1.12-4.57) and drug-related (RR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.01-2.86) deaths throughout follow-up.
Conclusions
Vietnam veterans continued to experience higher mortality than non-Vietnam veterans from unintentional poisonings and drug-related causes. Death rates from disease-related chronic conditions, including cancers and circulatory system diseases, did not differ between Vietnam veterans and their peers, despite the increasing age of the cohort (mean age, 53 years) and the longer follow-up (average, 30 years).
Abstract Background Prior studies have documented differences in the age, racial, and ethnic characteristics among patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, little is known about how these characteristics changed over time during the pandemic and whether racial, ethnic, and age disparities evident early in the pandemic were persistent over time. This study reports on trends in SARS-CoV-2 infections among U.S. adults from March 1, 2020 to January, 31 2022, using data from electronic health records. Methods and Findings We captured repeated cross-sectional information from 43 large healthcare systems in 52 U.S. States and territories, participating in PCORnet ® , the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network. Using distributed queries executed at each participating institution, we acquired information for all patients ≥ 20 years of age who were tested for SARS-CoV-2 (both positive and negative results), including care setting, age, sex, race, and ethnicity by month as well as comorbidities (assessed with diagnostic codes). During this time period, 1,325,563 patients had positive (13% inpatient) and 6,705,868 patients had negative (25% inpatient) viral tests for SARS-CoV-2. Disparities in testing positive were present across racial and ethnic groups, especially in the inpatient setting. Compared to White patients, Black or African American and other race patients had relative risks for testing positive of 1.5 or greater in the inpatient setting for 12 of the 23-month study period. Compared to non-Hispanic patients, Hispanic patients had relative risks for testing positive in the inpatient setting of 1.5 or greater for 16 of 23. Ethnic and racial differences were present in emergency department and ambulatory settings but were less common across time than in inpatient settings. Trends in infections by age group demonstrated higher test positivity for older patients in the inpatient setting only for most months, except for June and July of 2020, April to August 2021, and January 2022. Comorbidities were common, with much higher rates among those hospitalized; hypertension (38% of patients SARS-CoV-2 positive vs. 29% for those negative) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (22% vs. 13%) were the most common. Conclusion and Relevance Racial and ethnic disparities changed over time among persons infected with SARS-CoV-2. These trends highlight potential underlying mechanisms, such as poor access to care and differential vaccination rates, that may have contributed to greater disparities, especially early in the pandemic. Monitoring data on characteristics of patients testing positive in real time could allow public health officials and policymakers to tailor interventions to ensure that patients and communities most in need are receiving adequate testing, mitigation strategies, and treatment.
The Atlanta Commuters Exposure (ACE) Study was designed to measure in-cabin exposure to roadway particulate pollution and acute health response in a panel of adults with and without asthma following a 2-hour scripted route along major highways in Atlanta. This manuscript focuses on methods and results of both continuous and integrated approaches used to measure the concentration of PM2.5 mass, particle number concentration (PNC), black carbon mass, and particle-bound PAHs, in-cabin noise, PM elemental composition, elemental carbon, organic carbon, water-soluble organic carbon content, and speciation of a broad range of organic compounds including alkanes, hopanes, and PAHs. Speciated PM data indicates that in-cabin particles derive from three non-co-varying processes: the resuspension of road dust containing crustal elements and previously-deposited brake pad residue with a contribution of normal fuel combustion, incomplete combustion processes producing PAHs and carbon particles, and particles ablated from brake pads that have not previously deposited to the roadside environment. Most in-cabin pollutants were elevated during the warm season with the notable exception of PNC. PNC was not found to be correlated with most other pollutants. In-cabin concentrations were marginally higher when windows were open.
This cohort study uses data from the Premier Healthcare Database Special COVID-19 Release to assess the association of demographic and clinical characteristics with severe COVID-19 illness among hospitalized US pediatric patients with COVID-19.
Abstract Background An increasing number of studies have described new and persistent symptoms and conditions as potential post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC). However, it remains unclear whether certain symptoms or conditions occur more frequently among persons with SARS-CoV-2 infection compared with those never infected with SARS-CoV-2. We compared the occurrence of specific COVID-associated symptoms and conditions as potential PASC 31- to 150-day following a SARS-CoV-2 test among adults and children with positive and negative test results. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study using electronic health record (EHR) data from 43 PCORnet sites participating in a national COVID-19 surveillance program. This study included 3,091,580 adults (316,249 SARS-CoV-2 positive; 2,775,331 negative) and 675,643 children (62,131 positive; 613,512 negative) who had a SARS-CoV-2 laboratory test during March 1, 2020–May 31, 2021 documented in their EHR. We used logistic regression to calculate the odds of having a symptom and Cox models to calculate the risk of having a newly diagnosed condition associated with a SARS-CoV-2 positive test. Results After adjustment for baseline covariates, hospitalized adults and children with a positive test had increased odds of being diagnosed with ≥ 1 symptom (adults: adjusted odds ratio[aOR], 1.17[95% CI, 1.11–1.23]; children: aOR, 1.18[95% CI, 1.08–1.28]) or shortness of breath (adults: aOR, 1.50[95% CI, 1.38–1.63]; children: aOR, 1.40[95% CI, 1.15–1.70]) 31–150 days following a SARS-CoV-2 test compared with hospitalized individuals with a negative test. Hospitalized adults with a positive test also had increased odds of being diagnosed with ≥ 3 symptoms or fatigue compared with those testing negative. The risks of being newly diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes (adjusted hazard ratio[aHR], 1.25[95% CI, 1.17–1.33]), hematologic disorders (aHR, 1.19[95% CI, 1.11–1.28]), or respiratory disease (aHR, 1.44[95% CI, 1.30–1.60]) were higher among hospitalized adults with a positive test compared with those with a negative test. Non-hospitalized adults with a positive test also had higher odds or increased risk of being diagnosed with certain symptoms or conditions. Conclusions Patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, especially those who were hospitalized, were at higher risk of being diagnosed with certain symptoms and conditions after acute infection.
Background and Aims: A growing body of research suggests an association between residential exposure to traffic emissions and a variety of health outcomes, including respiratory and cardiovascular disease and premature mortality. In the U.S., an estimated 30.3 million people live within 500 feet (150 m) of an interstate or highway, and this population is disproportionately low-income and minority. Currently, no national and few state policies exist that address this important environmental health issue. Thus, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to better understand the health burden associated with residential proximity to traffic. Methods: We searched 15 electronic databases for original peer-reviewed articles, abstracts, and dissertations published during 1980–2008. Each reference was independently screened, abstracted, and reviewed for quality by two people. Separate meta-analyses were conducted for each health outcome with enough unique studies. We calculated weighted pooled effect estimates using a random effects model to address variability in study design, assessed study heterogeneity, conducted subgroup analyses, and assessed publication bias. Results: Over 14,500 references were screened, of which 149 met the inclusion criteria (84 respiratory and allergic diseases, 22 cancer, 10 cardiovascular diseases, 9 reproductive outcomes, 8 mortality, and 16 other). Preliminary analysis of 10 case-control studies suggests that residential proximity to traffic is associated with childhood leukemia (odds ratio=1.5, 95% confidence interval=1.1–2.1); however, the effect estimate varied by study quality and evidence of publication bias was observed. Analysis of other outcomes will be completed by summer 2011. Conclusions: Roughly 10% of the U.S. population lives near heavy traffic, which may contribute to substantial disease burden, including childhood leukemia. Findings from this review will inform the development of national, state, and local policies to reduce traffic emission exposures and improve population health through zoning and infrastructure changes.
COVID-19 is a condition that can lead to other chronic conditions. These conditions are frequently diagnosed in the primary care setting. We used a novel primary care registry to quantify the burden of post-COVID conditions among adult patients with a COVID-19 diagnosis across the United States.
'%3e%3cpath fill='%23012169' d='M0 0v30h60V0z'/%3e%3cpath stroke='%23fff' stroke-width='6' d='m0 0 60 30m0-30L0 30'/%3e%3cpath stroke='%23C8102E' stroke-width='4' d='m0 0 60 30m0-30L0 30' clip-path='url(%23b)'/%3e%3cpath stroke='%23fff' stroke-width='10' d='M30 0v30M0 15h60'/%3e%3cpath stroke='%23C8102E' stroke-width='6' d='M30 0v30M0 15h60'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/svg%3e)