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Biomedical subjects

C M Fischbacher

Publications and source records attributed to C M Fischbacher.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Mortality from all cancers and lung, colorectal, breast and prostate cancer by country of birth in England and Wales, 2001-2003.

Mortality from all cancers combined and major cancers among men and women aged 20 years and over was compared by country of birth with that of the whole of England and Wales as the reference group. Population data from the 2001 Census and mortality data for 2001-2003 were used to estimate standardised mortality ratios. Data on approximately 399 000 cancer deaths were available, with at least 400 cancer deaths in each of the smaller populations. Statistically significant differences from the reference group included: higher mortality from all cancers combined, lung and colorectal cancer among people born in Scotland and Ireland, lower mortality for all cancers combined, lung, breast and prostate cancer among people born in Bangladesh (except for lung cancer in men), India, Pakistan or China/Hong Kong, lower lung cancer mortality among people born in West Africa or the West Indies, higher breast cancer mortality among women born in West Africa and higher prostate cancer mortality among men born in West Africa or the West Indies. These data may be relevant to causal hypotheses and in relation to health care and cancer prevention.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Serological evidence of Helicobacter pylori infection in UK South Asian and European populations: implications for gastric cancer and coronary heart disease.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the prevalence of serological evidence of infection with Helicobacter pylori among people of South Asian and European ethnic origins and to assess its association with prevalent coronary heart disease (CHD). METHODS: We used a quantitative method to compare IgG antibodies to H. pylori in a population sample of 300 South Asians and 302 Europeans in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. RESULTS: For men and women, respectively, H. pylori IgG (95% confidence interval) was 16.7 microg/ml (13.9, 20.2) and 11.3 (9.4, 13.5) among Europeans and 11.6 (9.8, 13.7) and 14.3 (12.1, 16.9) among South Asians. Levels were higher in older participants and in those of lower socioeconomic status. The ratio of geometric mean IgG, (95% confidence interval) adjusted for age, sex and socioeconomic status, in those with and without CHD was 1.02 (0.49, 2.11) among Europeans and 1.79 (1.01, 3.17) among South Asians. Antibodies against staphylococcal enterotoxins A and B were higher among South Asians than Europeans. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of H. pylori infection among UK South Asians does not reflect that of their countries of origin, nor their lower prevalence of gastric cancer. The association with CHD in South Asians requires corroboration in other studies.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

How physically active are South Asians in the United Kingdom? A literature review.

BACKGROUND: Moderate physical activity is protective against coronary heart disease (CHD) and diabetes, both important public health problems among UK South Asian (Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi) ethnic groups. We assessed the evidence that physical activity is lower in South Asian groups than in the general population. METHODS: We carried out a systematic literature review of studies describing levels of physical activity and fitness in UK South Asians using MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane databases, hand searching of relevant journals and review of reference lists. RESULTS: We identified 12 studies in adults and five in children. Various methods were used to assess physical activity and fitness, but all the studies reported lower levels among South Asian groups. The differences were substantial, particularly among women and older people. For example, the Health Survey for England found that Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi men were 14, 30 and 45 per cent less likely than the general population to meet current guidelines for physical activity. Limited information was provided about translation and adaptation of questionnaires. CONCLUSION: Levels of physical activity were lower in all South Asian groups than the general population and patterns of activity differed. No studies used validated measures. Insufficient attention has been paid to issues of cross-cultural equivalence. With these caveats, low levels of physical activity among UK South Asian ethnic groups may contribute to their increased risk of diabetes and CHD. Closer attention to validity, translation and adaptation is necessary to monitor changes and assess the effectiveness of interventions to increase physical activity.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Microalbuminuria is more frequent in South Asian than in European origin populations: a comparative study in Newcastle, UK.

AIMS: We aimed to compare levels of urinary albumin excretion and the prevalence of microalbuminuria in UK South Asians and Europeans. Microalbuminuria predicts cardiovascular disease in European origin populations, but evidence from the general population of South Asians is lacking. Coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality is 40-50% higher in UK South Asians compared with the whole population, for reasons that are incompletely understood. METHODS: Microalbuminuria was measured using the albumin-creatinine ratio in an age- and sex-stratified random sample of 1509 adults from European (n = 825), Indian (n = 259), Pakistani (n = 305) and Bangladeshi (n = 120) ethnic groups. RESULTS: Levels of urinary albumin excretion were substantially higher in South Asians (geometric mean albumin creatinine ratio (95% confidence interval) 0.83 (0.75, 0.91)) than in Europeans (0.55 (0.51, 0.60)). Microalbuminuria was associated with older age, hypertension and diabetes, but independently of these risk factors urinary albumin excretion was higher in South Asians than Europeans. CONCLUSIONS: Urinary albumin excretion is higher and microalbuminuria more frequent in UK South Asians compared with the majority ethnic population. Microalbuminuria may be relevant to the causal pathways leading to the excess of cardiovascular mortality and possibly renal failure in UK South Asians.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

The performance of the Rose angina questionnaire in South Asian and European origin populations: a comparative study in Newcastle, UK.

BACKGROUND: The Rose angina questionnaire has been extensively used in different cultural settings, but may not perform consistently in different ethnic groups. We set out to assess the performance of the Rose angina questionnaire in UK South Asians compared with Europeans. METHODS: Data on major ECG abnormalities, possible or definite Rose questionnaire angina and diagnosed angina were collected from an age- and sex-stratified random sample of 1509 adults from European, Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi ethnic groups. RESULTS: The ECG abnormalities were commoner in South Asians than Europeans (6% versus 2% in men). The prevalence in both South Asian and European men of possible Rose angina and diagnosed angina was 18% and 8%, respectively, but definite Rose angina was less common in South Asians (3% versus 6%). Definite Rose angina showed lower sensitivity for other measures in South Asians than in Europeans: sensitivity for a doctor's diagnosis was 21% in South Asian and 37% in European men. For possible Rose angina, the corresponding figures were 81% and 84%. Similar patterns were seen in women. CONCLUSIONS: The performance of the Rose angina questionnaire was sufficiently inconsistent to warrant further work to achieve greater cross-cultural validity. Possible Rose angina performed more consistently across ethnic groups than definite Rose angina and pending further validation studies may be the most appropriate form to use.

Angina Pectoris↗
PubMed2001

Improving the quality of communicable disease control: the example of meningococcal disease.

Improving the quality of health services is central to current attempts to reform the National Health Service. The main approaches to quality improvement in communicable disease control to date have been the development of practice guidelines and audit projects. Descriptions of the impact of quality initiatives in public health generally and communicable disease in particular have been limited, objective measures of quality are rare and few reports outline improvements that have been achieved in practice. We describe a project to develop a set of quality indicators for meningococcal disease control. A set of candidate indicators was developed and screened using standard approaches based on local consensus. We outline how they could be further tested and used to promote quality improvement.

Communicable Disease Control↗
PubMed2000

Impact of laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: We assessed the effect of the introduction of laparoscopic cholecystectomy on surgical outcomes in routine practice. METHODS: Hospital discharge and death-certificate data were linked for all patients undergoing cholecystectomy (n=85120) in Scottish public-sector hospitals (n=51) between January, 1981, and June, 1999. The primary endpoints were cholecystectomy rate, hospital stay, and postoperative mortality. Regression methods were used to examine the effect of laparoscopic experience and surgeon caseload on postoperative mortality and hospital stay. FINDINGS: From 1989 to 1999, the proportion of cholecystectomies done laparoscopically rose from none to 80%, and the age-standardised cholecystectomy rate increased by 20% (95% CI 15-26). Postoperative mortality did not change in the 1990s (odds ratio 0.99 [0.7-1.4], p=0.99). The mean postoperative hospital stay fell from 8.0 (SD 3.7) to 2.9 (3.2) days. There was wide variation between hospitals in the proportion of cholecystectomies done laparoscopically and in average hospital stay. For individual surgeons, increasing laparoscopic experience and annual caseload were associated with higher proportions of laparoscopic procedures and shorter hospital stays. Postoperative mortality was higher during the first ten laparoscopic cholecystectomies done by a surgeon (compared with >200 procedures, odds ratio 2.3 [1.2-4.6], p=0.015). INTERPRETATION: The laparoscopic method reduced hospital stay but had no overall effect on postoperative mortality. Studies to assess the appropriateness of the increased cholecystectomy rate are merited. The wide variation in the proportion done laparoscopically, together with evidence of better results for surgeons doing more procedures, suggests scope for further reductions in hospital stay and morbidity.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

An exploratory population-based case-control study of primary biliary cirrhosis.

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a disease of unknown etiology, with unexplained geographical variation. Various exposures have been suggested as triggers for disease development-possibly in susceptible individuals, but the evidence was not always well founded. We therefore conducted a population-based case-control study in Northeast England to investigate these and other exposures. All cases incident during 1993 to 1995 in a defined area of Northeast England were identified, and age- and sex-matched population controls were identified from primary care population registers. Cases and controls were sent postal self-completion questionnaires covering medical history and lifestyle. Information was received from 100 cases and 223 controls. The familial tendency of PBC was found to be less marked than has been claimed: Only weak associations were found with other autoimmune diseases. Among factors considered previously, no significant associations were found with surgical procedures, events in pregnancy, past infections, vaccinations, and medications. No significant associations were found for previously unconsidered lifestyle factors (drinking alcohol, previous pets, or stressful events), but there was an unexpected association with past smoking (ever smoked: 76% in cases vs. 57% in controls, odds ratio 2.4; smoked for 20 years or more: 64% vs. 35%, odds ratio 3.5). There were also unexpected significant associations with psoriasis (13% in cases vs. 3% in controls, odds ratio 4.6) and eczema (3% in cases vs. 11% in controls, odds ratio 0. 13). These findings merit further investigation.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Varicella and life-threatening streptococcal infection.

Four children with varicella who subsequently developed life-threatening infection with Streptococcus pyogenes are reported. The need for increased awareness of this potentially lethal complication of what is usually a benign exanthem is stressed.

Adolescent↗