BackgroundBecause of the long latent period of asbestos-related mesothelioma, investigators suggest that the high incidence of this disease will continue in the coming decades.ObjectivesWe describe the time trends of mesothelioma incidence and its relationship to historical consumption of asbestos in Hong Kong and project future trends of mesothelioma incidence.MethodsWe obtained local annual consumption of total asbestos for 1960–2006 (converted to kilograms per person per year). Age-standardized incidence rates (ASIRs) of mesothelioma were computed and depicted on graphs using the centered moving average method. Indirectly standardized rates were regressed on a transformation of consumption data that assumed that the latency between asbestos exposure and mesothelioma diagnosis followed a normal distribution with a mean ± SD of 42 ± 10.5 years.ResultsASIRs for males started to increase substantially in 1994 and were highest in 2004; for females, ASIRs climbed in the 1980s and in the early 1990s but have fluctuated without obvious trends in recent years. The highest asbestos consumption level in Hong Kong was in 1960–1963 and then decreased sharply afterward. Using past asbestos consumption patterns, we predict that the mesothelioma incidence rate for males will peak in 2009, with the number of cases peaking in 2014, and then slowly decline in the coming decades.ConclusionsHong Kong experienced an epidemic of mesothelioma from 2000 to 2006 that corresponded with the peak of local asbestos consumption in the early 1960s assuming an average latent period of 42 years. The incidence is anticipated to decline in the coming decades but may not decrease back to the background risk level (the risk unrelated to asbestos exposure).

BackgroundDue to the rising standard of living environment and advances in public health and medical care in China, it has been a tendency in recent years that health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has been increasingly acknowledged in community health management. However, large-scale population-based study on evaluating HQRoL in northeast of China was not conducted. This article aims to investigate the HRQoL in community residents in Northeast China and explore the associated factors.MethodsStratified multiple-stage sampling method was used in the cross-sectional survey to investigate HRQoL of community residents in northeast of China. Univariate analysis and multiple linear regressions were used to analyze the factors associated to HRQoL of the community residents. ResultsThe results were confirmed that HRQoL in general population was well performed for the first time in northeast of China in a large scale population. Community residents had better mental health than physical health. The factors influencing HRQoL included gender, age, educational level, marital status, ethnic group, chronic disease status, having breakfast frequency weekly and sleep quality. However, drinking and smoking habits did not affect residents’ HRQoL.ConclusionsIn this study, the result of the large-scale survey was satisfactory in northeast of China, providing HRQoL status of community residents. Policies on specific health management in community public health would emphasize on lifestyle behaviors especially eating habits in order to improving HRQoL.

Purpose: To explore the relationship between central blood pressure (BP) parameters and cardiac structure and function parameters in healthy individuals. Methods: Four hundred Chinese participants with no overt cardiovascular disease participated in this study. One hundred and seventy-one participants (42.8%) were male and the mean age was 60 years. Central BP was measured with the SphygmoCor system. Cardiac structure and function were assessed by echocardiography. Results: We showed a significant association of left atrial volume and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) with brachial and central systolic BP (SBP) and pulse pressure (PP; r = 0.189–0.0.39, p < 0.001). Left ventricular diastolic function and the E/A ratio were significantly associated with brachial and central BP (r = 0.228–0.469, p < 0.001). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that central SBP and PP were independently correlated with LVMI after normalization for age and other confounding variables (sex, body mass index, smoking, and alcohol intake, and the levels of triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, creatinine, uric acid, fasting blood glucose, log C-reactive protein, and fibrinogen. However, only central SBP was found to be independently correlated with the E/A ratio. Conclusions: Cardiac structure and diastolic function were associated with brachial and central BP. However, after normalization, cardiac structure parameters were independently correlated with central SBP and PP. Diastolic function was the only cardiac function parameter that correlated with central SBP.

followed for the incidence of AH and MI. Cox proportional regression model was used for assessment of relative risk (HR) of AH, MI. Results: Low levels of ICC and SNI was revealed in 57.1% and 77.7% of women, respectively. MI was developed in 2.7% of women, AH -in 51%. HR of MI over 16 years of study were in 4.9-fold (95% CI 1.108-21.762; P<0.05) and 2.9-fold (95% CI 1.040-8.208; P<0.05) higher for low ICC and SNI, respectively compared those with higher levels of SS. HR of AH over 5 years was 2.01 (95% CI 1.025-3.938; P<0.05) for low ICC whereas no statistical differences were for low SNI. AH risk in women with low ICC and low SNI within 10 years after the baseline was 1.93 (95% CI 1.138-3.261; P<0.05) and 1.88 (95% CI 1.090-3.255; P<0.05), respectively; over 16 years HR was 1.42 (95% CI 1.138-3.261; P<0.05) and 1.58 (95% CI 1.110-2.274; P<0.01), respectively. There was a tendency of increasing AH and MI incidence rate in married women with low indices ICC, SNI compared to those with higher levels of social support. Those women with higher and vocational education with low SS more likely to have a higher MI rate. Rates of AH were significantly higher in easy physical worker with low SS compared to engineers with low SNI (c 2 ¼4.37 df¼1 P<0.05). There was found a tendency of an increase of AH and MI development in category "executives" and "first-line managers". Conclusions: The prevalence of low SS in women aged 25-64 in Russia is high. Over 16 years of study women with low ICC and SNI have significantly higher risk of MI and AH, especially in married ones occupied in manual class and managers. GW25-e3364MTHFR C677T gene mutation affect the level of plasma homocysteine but do not related to early renal damage in hypertensive patients Objectives: To investigate the possibility that the C677T polymorphism of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene may be an independent risk factor for