Epidemiology Commons^™

Changing Age Profile And Incidence Of Injecting Drug Use Initiation Among People In Australia Who Inject Drugs: Evidence From Two National Repeated Cross-Sectional Studies, Olivia Price, Lisa Maher, Amy Peacock, Farzaneh Zolala, Louisa Degenhardt, Paul Dietze, Sarah Larney, Seraina Agramunt, Samantha Colledge-Frisby, Bradley Mathers, Dan Lewer, Rachel Sutherland

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: The age of people who inject drugs appears to be increasing in some high-income countries. We aimed to explore trends in the age of people injecting and recently starting to inject drugs in Australia, and to model incidence of initiation over time. Methods: We obtained data from the Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS) and the Australian Needle Syringe Program Survey (ANSPS), which comprise annual cross-sectional surveys with people who inject drugs (2000–2019). Outcome measures were current age, age of initiation, and time since initiation (both surveys), and drug first injected (IDRS only). We estimated time trends in age using …

Opportunistic Measurement Of Sagittal Abdominal Diameter With Bone Densitometry Predicts Death And Cardiovascular Events, William D. Leslie, Fatima Zarzour, Lisa M. Lix, Neil Binkley, Joshua R. Lewis, John T. Schousboe

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Supine sagittal abdominal diameter (SAD), also known as abdominal height, has been proposed as a simple measure for assessing abdominal adiposity. We aimed to determine whether SAD from DXA performed for osteoporosis assessment predicts major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) using the population-based DXA registry for the Province of Manitoba, Canada. The study population comprised 72 974 individuals aged 40 yr and older with baseline DXA assessment between February 1999 and March 2018. Incident MACE (composite of all-cause mortality, acute myocardial infarction [MI], non-hemorrhagic stroke) was ascertained from linked healthcare databases. During mean 8.4 yr follow-up (611 862 person-years), 14 457 …

Mothers’ Characteristics And Children's Diarrhea Between 2010-2020 In Rwanda, Amans Ntakarutimana Dr., Patrick A. Tschida Dr.

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Mothers’ characteristics influence children’s health and development. We conducted a cross-sectional study to assess the influence of mothers’ education level, employment status, and exposure to domestic violence on diarrhea among children under 5 years old using secondary data from 2010, 2015, and 2020 Rwanda Demographic Health Surveys. We used stratified descriptive statistics, pairwise comparisons, and logistic regression designs to assess (a) the prevalence of mothers per education level, employment status, and exposure to domestic violence; (b) their variation over time; and (c) their influence on diarrhea among children under 5 years old between 2010 and 2020 in Rwanda. According to …

Critical Appraisal Of Multidrug Therapy In The Ambulatory Management Of Patients With Covid-19 And Hypoxemia Part I. Evidence Supporting The Strength Of Association, Eleftherios Gkioulekas, Peter A. Mccullough, Colleen Aldous

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

This critical appraisal is focused on three published case series of 119 COVID-19 patients with hypoxemia who were successfully treated in the United States, Zimbabwe, and Nigeria with similar off-label ivermectin-based multidrug treatments that may include ivermectin, nebulized nanosilver, doxycycline, zinc, Vitamins C, and Vitamin D, resulting in rapid recovery of oxygen levels. We used a simplified self-controlled case series method to investigate the association between treatment and the existence of hospitalization rate reduction. External controls of hospitalized patients were compared against the subgroup of patients with baseline room air SpO2 ≤ 90% to investigate the association between treatment and …

Critical Appraisal Of Multidrug Therapy In The Ambulatory Management Of Patients With Covid-19 And Hypoxemia. Part Ii: Causal Inference Using The Bradford Hill Criteria, Eleftherios Gkioulekas, Peter A. Mccullough, Colleen Aldous

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

We continue the critical appraisal of three published case series of 119 COVID-19 patients with hypoxemia, treated in the United States, Zimbabwe, and Nigeria with similar ivermectin-based multidrug treatments, to assess the available evidence supporting a causal relationship between treatment and reduction in hospitalizations and mortality. A narrative review was conducted to assess the Bradford Hill criteria for a causal association. We used a previously proposed refinement of the Bradford Hill criteria that reorganized them into three categories of direct, mechanistic, and parallel evidence. The efficacy of the two most aggressive ivermectin-based multidrug protocols is supported by the Bradford Hill …

Spatial And Seasonal Dynamics Of Mosquito Species In Harris County, Texas, Highlight Risk Of Arbovirus Introduction And Transmission, Morgan Jibowu, Maximea Vigilant, Andre Luis Costa-Da-Silva, Alisa Nelson, Heather T Essigmann, Eric L Brown, Sarah M Gunter

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Mosquito-borne diseases pose a significant public health threat, particularly in densely populated urban areas. Climate change, urbanization, and global connectivity have fueled the expansion of mosquitoes and their associated pathogens, increasing the disease burden. Harris County, Texas, is among the most vulnerable regions in the United States for mosquito-borne disease outbreaks, underscoring the critical need for localized insights into mosquito population dynamics to inform vector surveillance and control strategies. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the population dynamics of mosquito species in Harris County by exploring their species composition, spatial distribution, and seasonal patterns. Our findings reveal the extensive …

Racial And Ethnic Inequalities In Actual Vs Nearest Delivery Hospitals, Nansi S. Boghossian, Lucy T. Greenberg, Jeffrey S. Buzas, Joshua Radack, Molly Passarella, Jeannette Rogowski, George R. Saade, Ciaran S. Phibbs, Scott A. Lorch

Faculty Publications

IMPORTANCE Minoritized racial and ethnic groups, such as American Indian and Black individuals, often receive lower quality health care compared with White individuals. There is limited understanding of how these disparities extend to obstetric care, particularly when comparing the quality of care at the actual delivery hospital vs the nearest obstetric hospital based on the birthing individual’s residence. OBJECTIVE To examine inequality in care based on the actual delivery hospital and the closest delivery hospital to the birthing individual’s residential zip code centroid. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This population-based retrospective cohort study used data from 5 states (2008 to 2020 …

A Geospatial Analysis Of The Lung Cancer Burden In Philadelphia, Using Pennsylvania Cancer Registry Data From 2008-2017, Russell K. Mcintire, Katherine Senter, Christine S. Shusted, Rickisa Yearwood, Julie Barta, Scott W. Keith, Charnita Zeigler-Johnson

Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine Faculty Papers

(1) Background: Lung cancer is the deadliest and second most prevalent cancer in Pennsylvania (PA), and African American patients are disproportionately affected. Lung cancer morbidity and mortality in Philadelphia County are among the highest in PA. Geographic information systems (GIS) are useful to explore geospatial variations in the cancer burden and risk factors. Therefore, we used GIS to analyze the lung cancer burden in Philadelphia to assess which areas of the city have the highest morbidity and mortality, identify potential clusters, and determine which census tract-level characteristics were associated with higher tract-level cancer burden. (2) Methods: Using secondary data from …

Evaluating Medical Usage And Injury Prevalence At The 2024 College World Series, Roarick Schollmeyer, Jd Gregerson, Benjamin Stevens, Katie Weaver, Joseph Lippert

EMET Projects

Large-scale events such as the College World Series (CWS) pose unique challenges for medical services due to high crowd density, prolonged event durations, and variable environmental conditions. This study aimed to assess the medical usage rate (MUR) and injury prevalence at the 2024 CWS to inform future event planning and emergency medical preparedness. A retrospective analysis was conducted using patient encounter data collected between June 14 and June 24, 2024. Data sources included Union Medical event services, which documented on-site treatments and dispositions, and Omaha Fire Department EMS records detailing prehospital care. The MUR was calculated as the number of …

Precision Phenotyping For Curating Research Cohorts Of Patients With Unexplained Post-Acute Sequelae Of Covid-19, Alaleh Azhir, Jonas Hügel, Jiazi Tian, Jingya Cheng, Ingrid V Bassett, Douglas S Bell, Elmer V Bernstam, Maha R Farhat, Darren W Henderson, Emily S Lau, Michele Morris, Yevgeniy R Semenov, Virginia A Triant, Shyam Visweswaran, Zachary H Strasser, Jeffrey G Klann, Shawn N Murphy, Hossein Estiri

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Scalable identification of patients with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) is challenging due to a lack of reproducible precision phenotyping algorithms, which has led to suboptimal accuracy, demographic biases, and underestimation of the PASC.

METHODS: In a retrospective case-control study, we developed a precision phenotyping algorithm for identifying cohorts of patients with PASC. We used longitudinal electronic health records data from over 295,000 patients from 14 hospitals and 20 community health centers in Massachusetts. The algorithm employs an attention mechanism to simultaneously exclude sequelae that prior conditions can explain and include infection-associated chronic conditions. We performed independent chart reviews …

Understanding Hereditary Breast And Ovarian Cancer Syndrome In Black/African American Women: Implications For Equitable Outcomes And Interventions, Alexandria E. Fletcher

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black/African American women face significant health disparities in hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome (HBOC) due to systemic barriers to genetic counseling and testing, leading to poorer survival outcomes. Guided by the Social Determinants of Health (SDH) framework and Intersectionality Theory, this quantitative descriptive study examined disparities in access to genetic services, socioeconomic barriers, and healthcare biases. Data from the 2023 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) included 1,357 Black/African American and White women aged 25–65 with a family history of HBOC. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) dataset analyzed 15,684 Black/African American and 105,547 White women with breast cancer, …

Does Travel Time Matter?: Predictors Of Transportation Vulnerability And Access To Hiv Care Among People Living With Hiv In South Carolina, Sayward Elizabeth Harrison, Peiyin Hung, Katherine Green, Sarah J. Miller, Mariajosé Patron, Divya Ahuja, Sharon Weissman, Caroline Rudisill, Tammeka Evans

Faculty Publications

Background

People living with HIV (PLHIV) in the southern United States (US) are at high risk for poor outcomes across the HIV care continuum leading to low rates of viral suppression. Understanding structural barriers to care—including transportation vulnerability—is critical to improve HIV outcomes. This study investigated relationships between travel time to HIV care, transportation vulnerability, and HIV care disruptions to inform future transportation interventions for PLHIV residing in South Carolina and other southern US states.

Methods

A total of 160 PLHIV (N = 160) were recruited from a large immunology center in South Carolina. Participants reported on transportation experiences, transportation …

Patterns And Outcomes In Urotrauma: An Analysis Of Fatality Trends And Contributing Factors, Neharika Penmetcha, Aun Bangash, Kelsey Baker

Research Symposium

Background: Urotrauma, involving injuries to the kidneys, ureters, and bladder, represents a critical subset of trauma cases, significantly impacting patient morbidity and mortality. Renal and urogenital injuries account for 10–20% of abdominal trauma in adults and children. Understanding urotrauma's epidemiology is vital for improving care protocols and resource allocation. Despite its impact, data on injury mechanisms, intent, and care modalities specific to urotrauma remain limited. This study investigates patterns in injury mechanisms, intent, transport modalities, and facility transfer status to identify factors influencing patient outcomes and inform trauma care improvements.

Methods: A retrospective review analyzed 3,492 trauma cases, filtered for …

Heart Failure In Black Populations: Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, And Treatment Disparities, Kazi N. Islam, Rahib K. Islam, Ivan Nguyen, Yasmeen Magherahabed, Humza Pirzadah, M. Bazlur Rashid

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Heart failure (HF) remains a significant health challenge globally, placing a heavy burden on individuals, families, and healthcare systems. The prevalence of HF continues to rise, posing substantial public health concerns. This burden is particularly pronounced among the Black Population, who face higher prevalence, earlier onset, and greater severity of HF compared to other racial and ethnic groups. This review explores the multifaceted landscape of HF in Black individuals by examining epidemiological patterns, pathophysiological mechanisms, clinical presentations, treatment disparities, and clinical outcomes. Black individuals exhibit distinct pathophysiological characteristics, such as genetic variations contributing to heightened susceptibility and severity of HF. …

Outcomes Of Double Free Flap Reconstruction For Advanced Head And Neck Tumors In A Safety-Net Hospital Population, Yossef Alsabawi, John M. Gaddis, Angela D. Haskins, Jonathan Shum, David J. Hernandez

Research Symposium

Background: Double-free flap reconstruction has emerged as a viable option for addressing more complicated defects after oncologic resection. We aim to report the feasibility of this approach at a single-institutional safety net hospital.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed between November 2020 and October 2023 for adult patients who underwent multiple, simultaneous free tissue transfers for head and neck defects following tumor resection. This study occurs at Ben Taub Hospital, a safety net hospital in Houston, Texas. Data collected included demographics, risk factors, oncologic and operative details, complications, and functional and disease outcomes. Socioeconomic status was assessed …

Targets To Increase Hiv Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (Prep) Uptake Among Communities In Northeast Georgia, Kaley E. Parchinski, Molly Hirsh, Andrew Cheng, Nia Kalifa, Manvi Manyam

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: This study seeks to identify targets to increase HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake in Athens-Clarke County, GA, a non-urban area with high HIV burden and poor PrEP utilization.

Methods: A cross sectional survey of adults attending HIV outreach screenings in Athens, GA between November 2022 and March 2023 describes participant demographics and validated scales measuring PrEP knowledge, attitudes, stigma, descriptive norms, and intentions.

Results: Of 136 total participants, key demographic groups included Black (N=84, 61.8%), Latinx (N=10, 8.1%), LGBTQ+ (N=25, 18.4%), and persons who use injection drugs (N=19, 15%); overall, less than half of the PrEP knowledge items were …

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Uptake Among Black/African American Men Who Have Sex With Other Men In Midwestern, United States: A Systematic Review, Oluwafemi Adeagbo, Oluwaseun Abdulganiyu Badru, Prince Addo, Amber Hawkins, Monique J. Brown Ph.D., Mph, Xiaoming Li, Rima Afifi

Faculty Publications

Introduction: Black/African American men who have sex with other men (BMSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV, experience significant disparities in HIV incidence, and face significant barriers to accessing HIV treatment and care services, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Despite evidence of individual and structural barriers to PrEP use in the Midwest, no review has synthesized this finding to have a holistic view of PrEP uptake and barriers. This review examines patterns of, barriers to, and facilitators of PrEP uptake among BMSM in the Midwest, United States (US).

Methods: Five databases (CINAHL Plus, PUBMED, PsycINFO, SCOPUS, and Web of Science) were searched …

From Crisis To Action: Investigation, Research, And Response In The Rio Grande Valley Following The Anencephaly Cluster Of 1990-1991, Jonathan Hebert, Miguel Lopez, Padmanabhan Rengasamy

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

The 1990-1991 birth defect cluster of anencephaly in the Rio Grande Valley has had lasting effects on Texas public health and birth defect prevention nationwide. The purpose of this study is to clearly illuminate public health efforts to investigate, identify, and combat the rise of anencephaly and other neural tube defects (NTDs) in the Rio Grande Valley and other border counties following the 1990-1991 cluster, as well as to report the findings of each branch of environmental, infectious, and genetic investigation into the possible causes of the disaster. Information was gathered via a literature review and from other sources including …

From Past To Present: Tracing Africa’S Path To Universal Health Coverage, Evaline Chepchirchir Langat, Paul Russell Ward, Hailay Abrha Gesesew, Lillian Mwanri

Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health

At the 58th World Health Assembly in 2005, the international community charted a course for universal health coverage (UHC), aiming to ensure access to health care for all in need, of sufficient quality, and without causing financial hardship. At the time, barriers to accessing health care were overwhelming, particularly in low-and middle-income countries like Africa. Currently, 50 of Africa’s 54 countries are in various phases of UHC implementation. Some are developing national UHC agendas, while others have made significant progress but still face gaps in meeting UHC targets. This mini review comprehensively examines the literature to understand the temporal and …

Violence Against Healthcare Workers In Kenya: A Cross-Sectional Sub-Analysis Of The Global Vishwas Study, Reena Shah, Jasmit Shah, Rakhtan K. Qasba, Ruman K. Qasba, Annastacia Mbithi, Eric Njenga, Akshat Banga, Rahul Kashyap, Salim Surani

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

Background: Global concern exists for workplace violence against healthcare workers (HCWs), especially in low and middle-income nations. This violence includes physical, verbal, or sexual abuse and has a significant impact despite initiatives like Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines. We conducted a study in Kenya to address this issue.

Methods: We did a cross-sectional survey that collected responses during June 6th to August 9th, 2022, focused on healthcare professionals in Kenya within the global ViSHWaS study. Violence against healthcare professionals in multiple Kenyan counties was analysed, The study reached participants through social media, emails, and other channels using a …

Global Burden Of Major Chronic Liver Diseases In 2021, Gong Feng, Yusuf Yilmaz, Luca Valenti, Wai Kay Seto, Calvin Q. Pan, Nahum Méndez Sánchez, Feng Ye, Silvia Sookoian, Giovanni Targher, Christopher Opio

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background: This study utilised the Global Burden of Disease data (2010–2021) to analyse the rates and trends in point preva-lence, annual incidence and years lived with disability (YLDs) for major chronic liver diseases, such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C,metabolic dysfunction-associated liver disease, cirrhosis and other chronic liver diseases.

Methods: Age-standardised rates per 100,000 population for prevalence, annual incidence and YLDs were compared acrossregions and countries, as well as the socio-demographic index (SDI). Trends were expressed as percentage changes (PC) andestimates were reported with uncertainty intervals (UI).

Results: Globally, in 2021, the age-standardised rates per 100,000 population for the …

Knowledge Of Human Papillomavirus Vaccine As A Determinant Of Uptake Among Guardians Of Adolescent Girls: A Single Hospital Experience In Nairobi, Kenya, Irene Nzisa, Rose Kamenwa, James Orwa, Pauline Samia

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Abstract : Cervical cancer is one of the most common preventable cancers, causing significant morbidity and mortality in women, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Despite the availability of free HPV vaccination, the proportion of adolescent girls vaccinated against HPV remains low.

Methods: Our aim was to identify knowledge and factors influencing HPV vaccine uptake among parents of adolescent girls and to determine the proportion of adolescent girls vaccinated within three months after the provision of additional information on cervical cancer and HPV vaccine. We undertook a mixed methods study design, with an initial cross-sectional part followed by a prospective cohort study …

Dementia In A Resource-Constrained Sub-Saharan African Setting: A Comprehensive Retrospective Analysis Of Prevalence, Risk Factors, And Management At The Only Neuropsychiatric Facility In Northeastern Nigeria, Ibrahim Abdu Wakawa, Umar Baba Musami, Suleiman Hamidu Kwairanga, Placidus Nwankuba Ogualili, Mohammed Yusuf Mahmood, Muhammad Abba Fugu, Mohammed Mala Gimba, Muktar Mohammed Allamin, Zaharadeen Umar Abbas, Chinedu Momoh

Brain and Mind Institute

INTRODUCTION: Dementia prevalence is increasing in sub-Saharan Africa, poten-tially due to population growth and aging. Resource-constrained settings such asNortheastern Nigeria face challenges in dementia management.

METHODS: We assessed dementia burden and management at the Federal Neuropsy-chiatric Hospital Maiduguri, the only neuropsychiatric facility in Northeastern Nigeria.This retrospective analysis included patient records from 1999 to 2023 for individuals60 year of age and older with a dementia diagnosis.

RESULTS: Of the 1216 cases reported, Alzheimer’s disease (60.5%) was the mostcommon subtype, followed by vascular dementia (24.5%). Hypertension (41.6%) wasthe most frequent comorbidity. Memory loss was present in all cases, whereasbehavioral …

Representation And Outcomes Of Catheter Ablation For Treatment Of Atrial Fibrillation Among Patients With Obesity: A Systematic Review Of Randomized Control Trials, Danielle Dircks, Eh M. Khaing, James Aguto, Jmaylia Mimms, William Schleifer, Jason Payne, Arthur Easley, Faris Khan Md, John Windle, Shane Tsai, Daniel Anderson Md, Gleb Haynatzki, Niyada Naksuk

EMET Projects

Background: The prevalence and impact of obesity on outcomes of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have not been well studied.

Objective: To examine the proportion of participants with obesity enrolled in RCTs of AF ablation and outcomes of ablation when subgroup analysis of participants with obesity were available.

Methods: We systematically searched PubMed and EMBASE for AF ablation RCTs published between January 1, 2015 to May 31, 2022. When body mass index (BMI) data were available, normal distribution was assumed and a z score was used to estimate the proportion of obesity. Results categorized by BMI or …

Modifiable And Non-Modifiable Risk Factors For Dementia Among Non-Hispanic White And Black Populations Aged 50-64 In The United States, 2006-2016, Jingkai Wei, Matthew C. Lohman Ph.D., Monique J. Brown, James W. Hardin, Chih-Hsiang Yang, Anwar T. Nerchant, Daniela B. Friedman

Faculty Publications

Background and Objectives

Research Design and Methods

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Resilience, And Syringe Services Program Attendance Among Persons Who Inject Drugs In Northeast Georgia, Usa: A Mediation Analysis, Mohammad Rifat Haider, Samantha Clinton, Monique J. Brown, Nathan B. Hansen

Faculty Publications

Background: Syringe services programs (SSP) are evidence-based venues offering harm reduction services to persons who inject drugs (PWID), such as sterile syringes, STI/HIV testing, and linkage to care to decrease drug use-related morbidities and mortalities. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been linked with reduced resilience, while increased resilience can help PWID attend SSPs. This study examined the potential mediating role of resilience between ACEs and SSP attendance among PWID.

Methods: Data were collected from adult HIV-negative PWID in northeast Georgia, between February-December 2023 (N = 173). Data were collected on SSP attendance (Yes vs. No), resilience, and ACEs. Covariates included …

Geographic Disparities In Unpaid Caregiving, Emma Kathryn Boswell, Monique J. Brown Ph.D., Mph, Lorie Donelle Phd, Rn, Fcan, Nicholas Yell, Taryn Farrell, Peiyin Hung Ph.D., Elizabeth Crouch Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Purpose: An updated, nationally representative examination of rural–urban differences in the experiences, health, and well-being of caregivers is needed; previous research on this topic uses older data or has limited generalizability. This study examines rural–urban differences in the characteristics, experiences, and health of caregivers. Methods: The 2021–2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (n = 44,274 unpaid caregivers) was used, with rurality defined according to the 2013 National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Urban-Rural Classification Scheme. Chi-square tests compared rural–urban differences in these caregivers’ characteristics, including demographic factors, caregiving intensity (e.g., weekly hours spent caregiving, reason for caregiving, past-month ADL/IADL assistance), …

Supraclavicular Nodal Metastasis At Primary Staging Of Prostate Cancer Using 18f-Psma-1007 Pet/Ct, Samuel Gitau, Jasmit Shah, William Olwit, Saeed Samnakay, Manel Haj Mansour, Khalid Makhdomi

Brain and Mind Institute

Background: The most common sites of metastasis in prostate cancer are bone, pelvic and retroperitoneal lymph nodes, liver and lungs. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of supraclavicular nodal metastasis in newly diagnosed prostate cancer using 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT which has hitherto been understudied.

Methods: 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT examinations performed at our institution between June 2020 and June 2022 for primary staging of prostate cancer were reviewed to identify supraclavicular nodal metastasis from prostate cancer. Data variables included age, stage of disease, PSA level, Gleason score and ISUP/WHO grade group and how these compare with the presence of supraclavicular …

Molecular Profile Of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer In A Predominantly Black African Population In Kenya: A Single Institution Review, Sitna Mwanzi, Shahin Sayed, Swati Das, Jonathan Wawire, Jasmit Shah, Asim Jamal Shaikh

Haematology and Oncology, East Africa

Targeted therapies for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have significantly improved the outcomes for patients with oncogenic driver mutations. Testing for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations, anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangement, c-ros oncogene 1 (ROS1) rearrangement and programmed death ligand 1 (PDL 1) testing are now highly recommended for all patients with NSCLC. There are clear geographical differences in the rate of driver mutations with higher EGFR mutation rates in the Asian population in comparison to the Caucasian population. Little is known about the rate of oncogenic driver mutations in predominantly Black African populations like those living …

Global Burden Of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatosis Liver Disease, 2010 To2021, Gong Feng, Giovanni Targher, Christopher D. Byrne, Yusuf Yilmaz, Vincent Wai-Sun Wong, Cosmas Rinaldi Adithya Lesmana, Leon A. Adams, Jerome Boursier, George Papatheodoridis, Christopher Opio

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background & Aims :This study used the Global Burden of Disease data (2010–2021) to analyze the rates and trends of point prevalence, annual incidence, and years lived with disability (YLDs) for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in 204 countries.

Methods :Total numbers and age-standardized rates per 100,000 population for MASLD prevalence, annual incidence, and YLDs were compared across regions and countries by age, sex, and sociodemographic index (SDI). Smoothing spline models were used to evaluate the relationship between the burden of MASLD and SDI. Estimates were reported with uncertainty intervals (UI).

Results: Globally, in 2021, the age-standardized rates per …