Height and body-mass index trajectories of school-aged children and adolescents from 1985 to 2019 in 200 countries and territories: a pooled analysis of 2181 population-based studies with 65 million participants

Summary Background Comparable global data on health and nutrition of school-aged children and adolescents are scarce. We aimed to estimate age trajectories and time trends in mean height and mean body-mass index (BMI), which measures weight gain beyond what is expected from height gain, for school-aged children and adolescents. Methods For this pooled analysis, we used a database of cardiometabolic risk factors collated by the Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factor Collaboration. We applied a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends from 1985 to 2019 in mean height and mean BMI in 1-year age groups for ages 5–19 years. The model allowed for non-linear changes over time in mean height and mean BMI and for non-linear changes with age of children and adolescents, including periods of rapid growth during adolescence. Findings We pooled data from 2181 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight in 65 million participants in 200 countries and territories. In 2019, we estimated a difference of 20 cm or higher in mean height of 19-year-old adolescents between countries with the tallest populations (the Netherlands, Montenegro, Estonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina for boys; and the Netherlands, Montenegro, Denmark, and Iceland for girls) and those with the shortest populations (Timor-Leste, Laos, Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea for boys; and Guatemala, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Timor-Leste for girls). In the same year, the difference between the highest mean BMI (in Pacific island countries, Kuwait, Bahrain, The Bahamas, Chile, the USA, and New Zealand for both boys and girls and in South Africa for girls) and lowest mean BMI (in India, Bangladesh, Timor-Leste, Ethiopia, and Chad for boys and girls; and in Japan and Romania for girls) was approximately 9–10 kg/m2. In some countries, children aged 5 years started with healthier height or BMI than the global median and, in some cases, as healthy as the best performing countries, but they became progressively less healthy compared with their comparators as they grew older by not growing as tall (eg, boys in Austria and Barbados, and girls in Belgium and Puerto Rico) or gaining too much weight for their height (eg, girls and boys in Kuwait, Bahrain, Fiji, Jamaica, and Mexico; and girls in South Africa and New Zealand). In other countries, growing children overtook the height of their comparators (eg, Latvia, Czech Republic, Morocco, and Iran) or curbed their weight gain (eg, Italy, France, and Croatia) in late childhood and adolescence. When changes in both height and BMI were considered, girls in South Korea, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and some central Asian countries (eg, Armenia and Azerbaijan), and boys in central and western Europe (eg, Portugal, Denmark, Poland, and Montenegro) had the healthiest changes in anthropometric status over the past 3·5 decades because, compared with children and adolescents in other countries, they had a much larger gain in height than they did in BMI. The unhealthiest changes—gaining too little height, too much weight for their height compared with children in other countries, or both—occurred in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, New Zealand, and the USA for boys and girls; in Malaysia and some Pacific island nations for boys; and in Mexico for girls. Interpretation The height and BMI trajectories over age and time of school-aged children and adolescents are highly variable across countries, which indicates heterogeneous nutritional quality and lifelong health advantages and risks

Environmental noise and cardiovascular disease in adults: Research in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe and Newly Independent States

The adverse effects of noise on health have been intensely explored in the previous fifty years. However, the scope of research conducted in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), South-East Europe (SEE) and Newly Independent States (NIS) is not well-known. The aim of this review is to present studies on cardiovascular effects of environmental noise in adults published since 1965 and to point out the most important issues that need to be addressed in the future. More than 100 papers on noise and health and about 20 papers on cardiovascular effects of environmental noise in adults were identified by literature search. The authors reviewed scientific international and local journals, conference proceedings and local reports published in national languages. The major endpoints were high blood pressure, ischemic heart disease, and myocardial infarction. The target populations were adults. Experimental and exposure assessment studies, field, empirical studies, social surveys and epidemiological studies are presented. The major sources of environmental noise were road and air traffic. The results were presented in tables and the most relevant articles were briefly discussed. The importance of this review is that it refers to some countries that no longer exist in the same political and governmental systems. The fact that this review includes publications that are not mentioned in any other previous systematic reviews maybe considered its strength. Strategies for future noise-related research on national and global level are proposed.JRC.I.1-Chemical Assessment and Testin

Noise annoyance from different sources in young adults

The aim of the study is to evaluate the adverse effects of community noise on health and the response to noise exposure in residential areas of Bratislava. The study quantifies the exposure to different environmental noise sources as well as the social noise exposure in the sample of university students. The validated methodology according to ICBEN and the Ohrkan study was used. The measurement of ambient noise levels was done using hand-held sound level analyzer. There were 837 university students (256 males), average age 23.09 ± 2.23, enrolled into the study so far; 267 in the housing facility exposed to road traffic noise (LAeq = 67.6 dB) and 570 in the control one (LAeq = 53.4 dB). From the total sample 79.2% students reported the use of personal music players (PMP) in the last week in the average time of 293 minutes. There was a significant difference between the duration and frequency of listening to PMP between the exposed and the control group. There was not significant difference between the duration of time spent at activities with high noise exposure. The results of the study showed the importance of road traffic noise and the social noise for health as well and the need for a preventive action

Noise annoyance from different sources in young adults

The aim of the study is to evaluate the adverse effects of community noise on health and the response to noise exposure in residential areas of Bratislava. The study quantifies the exposure to different environmental noise sources as well as the social noise exposure in the sample of university students. The validated methodology according to ICBEN and the Ohrkan study was used. The measurement of ambient noise levels was done using hand-held sound level analyzer. There were 837 university students (256 males), average age 23.09 ± 2.23, enrolled into the study so far; 267 in the housing facility exposed to road traffic noise (LAeq = 67.6 dB) and 570 in the control one (LAeq = 53.4 dB). From the total sample 79.2% students reported the use of personal music players (PMP) in the last week in the average time of 293 minutes. There was a significant difference between the duration and frequency of listening to PMP between the exposed and the control group. There was not significant difference between the duration of time spent at activities with high noise exposure. The results of the study showed the importance of road traffic noise and the social noise for health as well and the need for a preventive action

Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke in Relation to Behavioral, Emotional, Social and Health Indicators of Slovak School Children

Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure has been shown in general as a major environmental risk factor and deserves attention in vulnerable population groups. The aim of the project is to analyze the relationships among the ETS and behavior and health in 6−15-year-old children in Slovakia. The status of physical and mental health of children in relation to exposure to tobacco smoke was examined in a representative group of 1478 school children. The methods used, included anonymous questionnaires filled in by parents, Columbia Impairment Scale (CIS), Behavior Problem Index (BPI) and anthropometry. The prevalence of ETS exposure is the highest in the capital (27%) and southern cities. A significant association was found between ETS and age, socio-economic status, incompleteness of the family, level of mother’s education and a higher prevalence of respiratory diseases (26.7%). The relationships of ETS with emotional (CIS scores ≥ 16) and behavioral functions (BPI score ≥ 14) were significant in children exposed to mother’s or father’s smoking at home. In the multivariate analysis these associations were not significant; the factors such as income and completeness of the family were dominant. The results showed mostly the predominant impact of social factors on the physical and mental health status of Slovak school children

More than 2% of circulating tumor plasma cells defines plasma cell leukemia-like multiple myeloma

[Purpose]: Primary plasma cell leukemia (PCL) is the most aggressive monoclonal gammopathy. It was formerly characterized by $20$ 5%. We hypothesized that primary PCL is not a separate clinical entity, but rather that it represents ultra-high-risk multiple myeloma (MM) characterized by elevated CTC levels. [Methods]: We assessed the levels of CTCs by multiparameter flow cytometry in 395 patients with newly diagnosed transplant-ineligible MM to establish a cutoff for CTCs that identifies the patients with ultra-high-risk PCL-like MM. We tested the cutoff on 185 transplant-eligible patients with MM and further validated on an independent cohort of 280 transplant-ineligible patients treated in the GEM-CLARIDEX trial. The largest published real-world cohort of patients with primary PCL was used for comparison of survival. Finally, we challenged the current 5% threshold for primary PCL diagnosis. [Results]: Newly diagnosed transplant-ineligible patients with MM with 2%-20% CTCs had significantly shorter progression-free survival (3.1 v 15.6 months; P , .001) and overall survival (14.6 v 33.6 months; P 5 .023) than patients with , 2%. The 2% cutoff proved to be applicable also in transplant-eligible patients with MM and was successfully validated on an independent cohort of patients from the GEM-CLARIDEX trial. Most importantly, patients with 2%-20% CTCs had comparable dismal outcomes with primary PCL. Moreover, after revealing a low mean difference between flow cytometric and morphologic evaluation of CTCs, we showed that patients with 2%-5% CTCs have similar outcomes as those with 5%-20% CTCs. [Conclusions]: Our study uncovers that $ 2% CTCs is a biomarker of hidden primary PCL and supports the assessment of CTCs by flow cytometry during the diagnostic workup of MM.Supported by the European Regional Development Fund—New Directions of Biomedical Research in the Ostrava Region (No. CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/18_069/0010060), by the National Institute for Cancer Research (Program EXCELES, ID Project No. LX22NPO5102)—Funded by the European Union—Next Generation EU and by the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic (AZV—NU21-03-00076), Institutional Support by MH CZ—DRO—FNOs/2019, MH CZ—DRO—FNOs/2020, Student's grant system SGS12/PrF/2022, SGS10/LF/2022 University of Ostrava and by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic through the e-INFRA CZ (ID:90140). The work was also supported by Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red—Área de Oncología—del Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBERONC; CB16/12/00369); Instituto de Salud Carlos III/Subdirección General de Investigación Sanitaria (FIS No. PI20/00048, PI21/01816); the Cancer Research UK (C355/A26819), FCAECC and AIRC under the Accelerator Award Program (EDITOR); the European Research Council (ERC) 2015 Starting Grant (MYELOMANEXT/680200)

More than 2% of circulating tumor plasma cells defines plasma cell leukemia-like multiple myeloma

PURPOSEPrimary plasma cell leukemia (PCL) is the most aggressive monoclonal gammopathy. It was formerly characterized by >= 20% circulating plasma cells (CTCs) until 2021, when this threshold was decreased to >= 5%. We hypothesized that primary PCL is not a separate clinical entity, but rather that it represents ultra-high-risk multiple myeloma (MM) characterized by elevated CTC levels.METHODSWe assessed the levels of CTCs by multiparameter flow cytometry in 395 patients with newly diagnosed transplant-ineligible MM to establish a cutoff for CTCs that identifies the patients with ultra-high-risk PCL-like MM. We tested the cutoff on 185 transplant-eligible patients with MM and further validated on an independent cohort of 280 transplant-ineligible patients treated in the GEM-CLARIDEX trial. The largest published real-world cohort of patients with primary PCL was used for comparison of survival. Finally, we challenged the current 5% threshold for primary PCL diagnosis.RESULTSNewly diagnosed transplant-ineligible patients with MM with 2%-20% CTCs had significantly shorter progression-free survival (3.1 v 15.6 months; P = 2% CTCs is a biomarker of hidden primary PCL and supports the assessment of CTCs by flow cytometry during the diagnostic workup of MM