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Cancer risk and mortality patterns among silicotic men in Sweden and Denmark.

Data from nationwide registry-based cohorts of patients hospitalized for silicosis in Sweden from 1965 to 1983 and Denmark from 1977 to 1989 were linked to national cancer registries in both countries and to mortality data in Sweden to evaluate the risk of cancer and other disorders among hospitalized silicotic patients. The overall cancer standardized incidence ratio (SIR) was 1.5 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3 to 1.7) in Sweden and 1.7 (95% CI, 1.2 to 2.3) in Denmark, primarily because of elevations in primary lung cancer in both Sweden (SIR, 3.1; CI, 2.1 to 4.2) and Denmark (SIR, 2.9; CI, 1.5 to 5.2). For Sweden, the all-causes standardized mortality ratio (SMR) was 2.0 (1.9 to 2.2). The SMR for all malignancies was 1.5 (1.2 to 1.7), primarily because of excesses of lung cancer (SMR, 2.9; CI, 2.1 to 3.9). The significant increase in mortality for all infectious and parasitic conditions (SMR, 11.2) was primarily due to tuberculosis (SMR, 21.8). Significant excesses in mortality from silicosis (SMR, 523), bronchitis (SMR, 2.6) and emphysema (SMR, 6.7) contributed to the elevation in nonmalignant respiratory deaths (SMR, 8.8), whereas excess mortality from musculoskeletal disorders (SMR, 5.9) was due to six deaths from autoimmune diseases. Despite limitations of the available data, our findings are consistent with previous reports indicating that silicotic patients are at elevated risk of lung cancer, nonmalignant respiratory diseases, tuberculosis, and certain autoimmune disorders.

Adult↗

HIV/AIDS surveillance in Denmark: the challenges ahead.

In Denmark, AIDS has been a mandatory reportable disease since 1983, and confirmed HIV infection has been the same since August 1990. The annual AIDS incidence increased initially and peaked in 1993 (4.6 per 100,000 inhabitants), then decreased to 1.2 per 100,000 inhabitants in 1998 and further to 0.9 in 2000. Most AIDS cases occur among men who have sex with men (MSM), representing 92% in 1980-1985 and 31% in 2000. Recently, AIDS incidence and mortality has decreased due to the new antiretroviral drugs. In 1995, 43 per million inhabitants died of AIDS, compared with 5 per million in 1998. HIV reporting in Denmark is anonymous. The annual number of new identified cases has been fairly stable at approximately 5.7 per 100,000 inhabitants. Immigrants represent 24% of identified HIV-infected persons and represent nearly 50% of all heterosexually acquired cases. Estimates show that HIV prevalence as of 2000 is 0.1% of the total population, distributed at 0.03% among heterosexuals and 4.8% among MSM. Estimated annual HIV incidence is around 5.6 per 100,000 inhabitants; three times higher among men than women, and as high as 220 per 100,000 among MSM. The spread of HIV is limited in Denmark but the prevalence is increasing due to the effect of antiretroviral therapy. This is a challenge to the existing HIV/AIDS surveillance and prevention strategy.

Denmark↗

Trends in testicular cancer incidence in the Nordic countries, focusing on the recent decrease in Denmark.

Testicular cancer is the most frequent malignancy among young men, and there have been steady increases in its incidence in most western countries for many decades. Recently, a decrease was seen in some countries, including Denmark. Here, we report recent trends in testicular cancer incidence in the Nordic countries. We address the hypothesis that the causal factors for testicular cancer in Denmark are related to birth cohort and that non-seminoma and seminoma tumours have a common aetiology. An overall increase in testicular cancer incidence was found in the Nordic countries, corresponding to increases with each consecutive birth cohort in each country. In Denmark, a decline in incidence was observed during the past 5 years, and men born around 1943 and around 1968 showed lower incidences than men born just before or just after these dates. These birth-cohort effects were seen both for seminoma and non-seminoma tumours. This descriptive study confirms the hypothesis that birth cohort has a major influence on the incidence pattern of testicular tumours and suggests that seminoma and non-seminoma have common aetiological factors.

Cohort Studies↗

Consumption, overdose and death from analgesics during a period of over-the-counter availability of paracetamol in Denmark.

During the period 1978-1986, annual sales of paracetamol in Denmark increased from 1 million defined daily doses (DDD) (3 g) to 47 million DDD, while the number of admissions and deaths from overdose increased from 26 to 202 and from 1 to 3-4, respectively. The corresponding figures for salicylates are a decrease in sales from 113 to 94 million DDD, an increase in admissions from 282 to 595, and an increase in deaths from 5 to 22. From 1 January 1984 paracetamol became available on an over-the-counter basis. The figures for 1983 and 1984 were an increase in sales from 14 to 28 million DDD, an increase in admissions from 114 to 198, and an increase in deaths from 0 to 4. The number of deaths from opioid overdose remained constant at a value of about fifty during this period, the mortality per dose being about 20-fold higher than for paracetamol and salicylates. Dextropropoxyphene-related deaths increased twofold to 121 in 1986, with unchanged sales figures. A campaign launched by the National Board of Health resulted in a reduction in the number of deaths from dextropropoxyphene to 66 in 1987. The main effect of over-the-counter release of paracetamol was a dramatic increase in sales, without the epidemic of deaths observed a decade ago in the UK. It is suggested that the higher mortality of paracetamol poisonings in the UK compared to Denmark is related to the dextropropoxyphene content of the combination product, which is not available in Denmark. From an epidemiological toxicological viewpoint such combinations are not justified.

Acetaminophen↗

Trends in perinatal death rates in Denmark and Sweden, 1915-1990.

Perinatal mortality rate (PMR) is often taken as an indicator of the quality of obstetric care. Its decline started in the early 1940s in Denmark and Sweden, at the same time as in several other European countries, and its development has been strikingly parallel in the two Scandinavian countries. The changes in the mothers' ages and birth order do not coincide with the changes in the PMR. The percentage of children born weighing less than 2500 g has been very stable over time, albeit higher in Denmark. The move towards hospital confinements in obstetric care took place mainly in the 1930s in Sweden, i.e. before the decline started, and in the 1950s and 1960s in Denmark. The factors investigated have contributed very little to explain why the PMR started to decline in the early 1940s. Factors associated with the distribution of perinatal deaths in a population do not seem to be able to explain the changes taking place over time. In the current study it is postulated that factors behind the change in the PMR are improvements in the mothers' health together with the decline in the total period fertility rate from the beginning of this century. With a smaller number of children the risk of infection was reduced and the amount of food available to each child and pregnant woman increased. This better health in early life may be associated with improved reproductive health in the adult years.

Birth Order↗

Urbanicity during upbringing and bipolar affective disorders in Denmark.

BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that known or suspected risk factors for schizophrenia may also be of importance for other psychoses, but the empirical evidence regarding this is limited. Urbanicity of place of birth and during upbringing has been shown to be related to the risk of schizophrenia. Few studies of urbanicity in relation to bipolar affective disorder exist. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential association between urbanicity at birth and during upbringing and the risk of bipolar affective disorder. METHOD: Using data from the Danish Civil Registration System, we established a population-based cohort of 2.04 million people born in Denmark during 1956-1986, which included information on place of residence during upbringing. Bipolar affective disorder in cohort members was identified by linkage with the Danish Psychiatric Central Register. RESULTS: Overall, 2232 people developed bipolar affective disorder during 1971-2001. We found evidence of an increased risk associated with residence in the provincial city; individuals, who at the 15th birthday lived in the provincial city, had a risk of 1.23 (1.08-1.41). This increased risk was explained solely by an increased risk associated with residence in Aarhus; at the 15th birthday, people residing in Aarhus - the largest of the three Danish provincial cities - had a 1.83 (1.56-2.14) increased risk of bipolar affective disorder (p < 0.001). Urbanicity during upbringing (p = 0.13) had no significant effects on the risk of bipolar affective disorder. CONCLUSIONS: We found no evidence of a dose-response relationship between urbanicity at birth (and during upbringing) and the risk of bipolar affective disorders in Denmark, but found some evidence that the diagnostic practices used in Aarhus differed from the rest of Denmark.

Adolescent↗

Women in Denmark--why do they die so young? Risk factors for premature death.

"In Denmark the life expectancy of women has been declining since 1980, and is now the lowest of all OECD countries. Based upon analyses of the different trends in mortality of 35-64-year-old women in Denmark compared to women in Norway and Sweden, national differentials in external determinants of morbidity and premature mortality are described. The excess mortality of women in Denmark is linked to lifestyle factors: tobacco smoking, alcohol and drug consumption. We discuss the possible impact of other external factors...."

Alcohol Drinking↗

Levodopa use in Denmark: high levels in Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Europarkinson Preparatory Activity Research Group.

Levodopa (LD) sales from wholesalers to pharmacies during the periods, 1977-1989 in Denmark, 1981-1989 in Greenland, and April 1988-May 1989 in Danish counties and the Faroe Islands, were evaluated using a reported method and a procedure expressly developed for assessment of random variation comparative levodopa use (LDU) measurements. The reference population for comparison of LDU was the Swedish from 1984. LDU diffusion had stabilized by 1989 in Denmark, but considerable annual increments of LD sales were still seen in Greenland in 1989. Crude LDU in Denmark and most Danish counties amounted to a level similar to that of Sweden. Adjustments for age and infant mortality rates, taken as an indicator of socioeconomic development, disclosed statistically significant twofold levels of LDU in the Faroe Islands and Greenland, and lowest LDU in urban regions. The social or biological factors underlying such differences in drug use remain unknown.

Adult↗

Neonatal herpes in Denmark 1977-1991.

BACKGROUND: To prevent neonatal herpes, women in labor with genital herpes infection are still delivered by Cesarean section. This policy is currently being debated. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of neonatal herpes in Denmark and to evaluate the prevention practice. METHODS: All newborns with perinatal herpes in Denmark 1977-1991 were identified from hospital-records. RESULTS: Of 862,298 deliveries 136 possible cases were found but only 30 (22%) fulfilled the criteria for neonatal herpes. The incidence increased from 2.36 to 4.56 per 100,000 live births during 1977-1984 through 1984-1991. Three mothers (10%) had recurrent herpes at delivery, three (10%) had primary herpes, and five (17%) had oral herpes. Seven infants (23%) were delivered by Cesarean section. Nine (30%) only had cutaneous herpes, four (13%) had CNS herpes, nine (30%) had disseminated disease. Six (20%) did not have any sequelae. Four (13%) died. Six (20%) had serious neurological sequelae. Seven (23%) only had cutaneous recurrences. In seven cases (23%) information was insufficient. CONCLUSIONS: During a 15 year period in Denmark only one neonate had serious sequelae following a recognized maternal herpes recurrence. Four infants had a serious infection in spite of Cesarean section. This study does not support a policy of Cesarean section in case of maternal recurrent herpes simplex infection at delivery.

Cesarean Section↗

Population structure in Ascaris suum (Nematoda) among domestic swine in Denmark as measured by whole genome DNA fingerprinting.

We here analyze the population structure in the pig roundworm, Ascaris suum, among domestic pigs in Denmark using a whole-genome DNA fingerprinting technique, "amplified fragment length polymorphism" (AFLP) analysis. With these data, we can extract absolute gene frequency variance components and G-statistics for 135 independent nucleotide polymorphisms. The average proportion of total variance partitioned between Jutland and Zealand is less than 3% of the total variance, implying no restriction in gene flow between worms from different regions in Denmark. The average gene frequency difference between two farms widely separated in Jutland represents 5% of the total genetic variance of these two farms combined. Conversely, worms from different hosts within these two farms are more subdivided, with an average of 12% of the total variance in gene frequencies within farms being distributed between hosts. This result implies substantial single generation inbreeding due to founder effects in the establishment of adult worms in single hosts. Absolute variance components extracted from the gene diversities also showed significant differences, with the among-host variance being greater that the between-farm and between-region values. This little geographical variation is discussed in relation to the hierarchic structure of the Danish swine production system. Comparison of our results with other studies on parasitic roundworms, suggests that patterns of host dispersal effectively control patterns of worm gene flow. Furthermore, the potential spread of anthelminth resistance among A. suum may thus be rapid, due to the flow of infected hosts within the domestic swine stocks in Denmark.

Animals↗

Neuroblastomas in Denmark 1943-80. Epidemiological and clinical studies.

Two-hundred-and-fifty patients were registered in a population-based study of neuroblastomas in Denmark in the period 1943-80. The major epidemiological findings were an increased incidence with an unchanged mortality rate during the study period. The increase in incidence related solely to children 0-4 years of age and was most pronounced in infants under 1 year of age. Several reasons for the observed epidemiological rates include (i) changes in the composition of the population, (ii) improved diagnostic procedures, (iii) a shift in the diagnostic criteria, and (iv) an increase in environmental carcinogens of importance in the induction of neuroblastoma. Associated with an increased risk were lower socio-economic levels and young or advanced parental age, suggesting the importance of environmental as well as genetic factors for the induction of neuroblastoma. The epidemiological findings of an increased incidence with an unchanged mortality rate, which suggests the inclusion of borderline lesions in recent years, are of major importance in interpreting the results of mass screening for the disease. The clinical findings in 253 patients treated in Denmark from 1943 to 1980 (including 5 patients resident outside Denmark and excluding 2 patients without available hospital records) were analysed. The major finding was a zero-time shift, that is, earlier diagnosis of the disease during the study period, with increasing survival rates from decade to decade mostly due to a better age and stage distribution, a zero-time shift which was also apparent in the changes of the symptomatology. Independent prognostic variables were age, stage, and treatment with chemotherapy for children over 1 year of age with stage II disease, and for infants with stages III-IV disease. Analysis of data from a subset of the 253 children suggested that high proliferative activity detected by flow cytometry may be an important prognostic variable. The study also suggests that the pattern of metastatic spread might have changed as a consequence of prolonged survival obtained by improved treatment modalities, stressing the importance of a high frequency of autopsy among cancer patients. Hypotheses generated by the study included (i) that most neuroblastomas might be congenital, (ii) that the age influence on prognosis might be explained in terms of growth rate, cell cycle transit time, and duration of the disease, and (iii) that some neuroblastomas might be borderline lesions.

Adolescent↗

Resistance to antimicrobial agents used for animal therapy in pathogenic-, zoonotic- and indicator bacteria isolated from different food animals in Denmark: a baseline study for the Danish Integrated Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring Programme (DANMAP).

This study describes the establishment and first results of a continuous surveillance system of antimicrobial resistance among bacteria isolated from pigs, cattle and broilers in Denmark. The three categories of bacteria tested were: 1) indicator bacteria (Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium), 2) zoonotic bacteria (Campylobacter coli/jejuni, Salmonella enterica, Yersinia enterocolitica), and 3) animal pathogens (E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS), Staphylococcus hyicus, Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae). A total of 3304 bacterial isolates collected from October 1995 through December 1996 were tested for susceptibility to all major classes of antimicrobial agents used for therapy in Denmark. Bacterial species intrinsically resistant to an antimicrobial were not tested towards that antimicrobial. Acquired resistance to all antimicrobials was found. The occurrence of resistance varied by animal origin and bacterial species. In general, resistance was observed more frequently among isolates from pigs than from cattle and broilers. The association between the occurrence of resistance and the consumption of the antimicrobial is discussed, as is the occurrence of resistance in other countries. The results of this study show the present level of resistance to antimicrobial agents among a number of bacterial species isolated from food animals in Denmark. Thus, the baseline for comparison with future prospective studies has been established, enabling the determination of trends over time.

Animal Diseases↗

Subjective need for implant treatment among middle-aged people in Sweden and Denmark.

BACKGROUND: The use of oral implants in prosthodontics has become widespread and regarded as a predictable treatment modality. However, there is a lack of knowledge among the general population about the prevalence and need for implant treatments. PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to register and compare the prevalence of dental implants and the subjective need for implant treatment among people in Sweden and Denmark. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Random samples taken from the national population registers in Sweden and Denmark comprised 1001 Swedish subjects aged 55 to 79 years and 1175 Danish subjects aged 45 to 69 years. Subjects were requested to fill out questionnaires regarding dental conditions, subjective need for implant treatment, whether they had received treatment with dental implants during the previous 10 years, and so on. RESULTS: Of the Swedes, 4.8% reported that they had dental implants, compared with 2.5% of the Danes. In the Swedish sample, age was significantly associated with subjective need for implant treatment. In the Danish sample, women showed a significantly higher subjective need for implant treatment than did men. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with the Swedish sample, the subjective need for treatment with dental implants was higher in the Danish sample, although the patient fees were substantially higher in Denmark.

Age Factors↗

Restriction fragment length polymorphism Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains isolated from Greenland during 1992: evidence of tuberculosis transmission between Greenland and Denmark.

In order to describe the transmission of tuberculosis (TB) at the clonal level in a defined geographic region during a certain period of time, all isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis collected during 1992 from Greenland were subjected to analyses of DNA restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). The RFLP patterns obtained by probing the genomic DNA with the repetitive insertion segment IS6110 revealed a high degree of similarity among the isolates, indicating a relatively high transmission rate and a close relationship between the individual M. tuberculosis clones. This was further confirmed by reprobing the Southern blots with two more-stable genetic markers, IS1081 and the DR sequence. The RFLP patterns were compared with those of 245 M. tuberculosis strains collected from Denmark during the same period (representing 91% of all new, bacteriologically verified cases of TB in Denmark in 1992). One of the three prevalent IS6110-defined clusters was traced to a group of immigrants from Greenland living in a small, defined geographical region in Denmark and to a group of Danish citizens either with known contact with these immigrants or, in other cases, with a record of previous travel or working activities in Greenland. The study showed that the present technique is extremely helpful in monitoring the spread of TB and thereby also contributing to improved disease control.

Cross-Sectional Studies↗

Epidemiology of emerging methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Denmark: a nationwide study in a country with low prevalence of MRSA infection.

Strict infection control measures introduced during the 1970s have kept the incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections extremely low in Denmark. Nevertheless, similarly to other countries, MRSA infections began to appear in the community in the late 1990s. A nationwide surveillance program has collected and stored all MRSA isolates since 1988 and, since 1999, clinical information has been also recorded. We used this information and isolates in a detailed epidemiological and molecular analysis of the 81 MRSA infections identified in Denmark in 2001. MRSA isolates were characterized by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), spa typing, multilocus sequence typing, and SCCmec typing. Comparison of the 45 community-onset MRSA (CO-MRSA) infections with the 36 hospital-acquired MRSA (HA-MRSA) infections showed several striking contrasts. Most CO-MRSA were recovered from skin and soft tissue infections caused by isolates carrying the Panton-Valentine leucocidin toxin genes, and the majority (84%) of isolates belonged to a single clonal type, ST80-IV, which has been found in the community in other European countries. Clone ST80-IV could be traced in Denmark back to 1993. ST80-IV was rarely found in HA-MRSA infections, which belonged to a large number of clonal types, including some pandemic MRSA clones. The low number of HA-MRSA infections and the diversity of MRSA clones in Danish hospitals may be the result of successful infection control measures that prevent spread of clones in hospitals. The mechanism of spread of the ST80-IV clone in the Danish community is not known, and new control measures are needed to control further spread of this and other CA-MRSA clones.

Adolescent↗

Higher blood pressure among Inuit migrants in Denmark than among the Inuit in Greenland.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Previous studies of blood pressure among the Inuit have given inconsistent results and studies comparing Inuit migrants with those living in traditional Inuit areas are absent. The purpose of the study was to compare the blood pressure of the Inuit in Greenland with that of Inuit migrants in Denmark. DESIGN: Questionnaire, interview, and clinical examination in a cross sectional random population sample. SETTING: A population based survey among Inuit in Greenland and Inuit migrants in Denmark. PARTICIPANTS: 2046 Inuit aged >/or =18, 61% of the sample. MAIN RESULTS: Age and gender adjusted blood pressures were 117/72 mm Hg in Greenland and 127/81 mm Hg among the migrants (p<0.001). In both populations, blood pressure increased with age and body mass index, and was higher among men and non-smokers. In Greenland, blood pressure increased with the level of school education. The associations with Inuit heritage, alcohol, diet, and physical activity were not significant. The difference between the two populations persisted after adjusting for age, gender, body mass index, education, and smoking. Among those who had completed high school, there was no difference between the systolic blood pressure of the two populations while the difference for diastolic blood pressure was much less than for those with less education. CONCLUSIONS: Blood pressure was lower among the Inuit in Greenland than among the Inuit migrants in Denmark but the difference was absent (systolic pressure) or reduced (diastolic pressure) among the better educated. The results suggest that the blood pressure of the Inuit, especially Inuit men, may be responsive to factors related to the modern Western way of life.

Adult↗

A comparative study of the prevalence of abdominal aortic aneurysms in the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Australia.

OBJECTIVES: To compare attendance and prevalence of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in population based randomised trials of sonographic screening in the United Kingdom, Western Australia, and Denmark. METHODS: 65,290 men were randomised to screening in the four trials, and data were collected and analysed from 46,397 aortic scans for men aged between 64 and 83 years who attended one of four community screening programmes. Comparisons were made for age standardised populations (65-74 years). RESULTS: Age standardised attendance varied between 74% and 81%, and was highest in the United Kingdom and lowest in Western Australia. Age standardised prevalence of AAAs of 3.0 cm or more varied significantly between 4.5% and 7.7%, and was highest in the United Kingdom and lowest in Denmark. CONCLUSIONS: Participation in the four programmes compares favourably with other reported screening studies. The possibility that variations may reflect the different recruitment methods used is discussed. The prevalence of AAA in central Denmark would appear to be significantly different from that in southern England and Western Australia.

Aged↗

Stroke case fatality in Denmark from 1977 to 1992: the Copenhagen City Heart Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Stroke mortality rates have decreased in Denmark but little is known about the reasons for these changes. One possible explanation is decreased case-fatality, and the aim of the present investigation was to study trends in case-fatality for first-ever stroke in a large population-based cohort study in Copenhagen, Denmark. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The Copenhagen City Heart Study comprised 19,698 inhabitants in Copenhagen, Denmark. Linkage to two national registers enabled identification of all subjects irrespective of participation in the study examinations. Follow-up in the present study was from January 1, 1977 to December 31, 1992. Case fatality after 7 days, 28 days, 1 year and 1 year in 28-day survivors was assessed for first-ever stroke. Uniform identification and validation methods made it possible to estimate trends in case-fatality. The World Health Organization's definition of stroke was used, and stroke was categorized into either unspecified stroke, ischemic infarction, intracerebral hemorrhage, or subarachnoid hemorrhage. The effect of time was estimated by means of multiple logistic regression analyses adjusting for gender, age at onset and type of stroke. RESULTS: A total of 1,213 strokes occurred during the study period from 1977 to 1992 in the study population. The case-fatality was highest during the first 28 days, and especially the initial 7 days; thereafter a steady state was reached. From the period 1977-1980 to the period 1989-1992 case-fatality did not change in analyses of 7-day case-fatality odds ratio (OR) = 1.14 (95% confidence interval, CI: 0.98-1.33), or of 28-day case-fatality OR = 1.06 (95% CI: 0.92-1.20), or of 1-year case-fatality OR = 0.95 (95% CI: 0.84-1.07). In the 1-year case-fatality, including only 28-day survivors, a significant decrease was found OR = 0.81 (95% CI: 0.67-0.97). Men had a significantly lower 7-day case-fatality than women; OR = 0.73 (95% CI: 0.52-0.99), but the difference attenuated in subsequent analyses and did not remain statistically significant. CONCLUSION: During the period 1977-1992, the 1-year case-fatality decreased in stroke patients who survived the initial 28 days, whereas no changes were observed in 7-day, 28-day and 1-year case-fatality.

Adult↗