Epidemiology of musculoskeletal disorders among iranian adults: results from a non-communicable disease cohort study

Abstract Background Persistent pain and reduced mobility and dexterity are the typical characteristics of Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). We aimed to determine the prevalence of back and joint pain, back, and joint stiffness, arthritis, and osteoporosis among adults and their distribution according to sociodemographic characteristics and comorbidities. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted on 9,520 participants aged 35–65 years from baseline data of the Ravansar Non-Communicable Disease (RaNCD) cohort study, in the west of Iran. MSDs were evaluated by the RaNCD cohort study physician using a standard questionnaire. Binary logistic regression was used to determine associations and reported by odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results The MSDs in women were significantly more than in men (59.06% vs. 40.94%, P < 0.001). Skeletal muscle mass (SMM) was significantly lower in subjects with MSDs, and waist circumference (WC) and visceral fat area (VFA) were higher than in the non-MSDs (P < 0.001). MSDs were significantly more common in urban men and women (OR = 1.33; 95% CI: 1.14–1.50 and OR = 1.59; 95% CI: 1.39–1.82, respectively). Obesity increased the odds of MSDs in women (OR = 1.57; 95% CI: 1.33–1.84), whereas there was no association between BMI and MSDs in men. Men with high socioeconomic status (SES) had lower odds of MSDs than men with weak SES (OR = 0.77; 95% CI: 0.64–0.92). Conclusion The MSDs were more prevalent among older people, women, obese people and urban dwellers. Lifestyle modification, especially weight loss may be helpful in reducing and controlling MSDs

COVID-19 pandemic and burden of non-communicable diseases: An ecological study on data of 185 countries

Background: The interaction between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and non-communicable diseases may increase the global burden of disease. We assessed the association of COVID-19 with ageing and non-communicable diseases. Methods: We extracted data regarding non-communicable disease, particularly cardiovascular disease, deaths, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and healthy life expectancy (HALE) from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2017. We obtained data of confirmed COVID-19 cases, deaths, and tests from the Our World in Data database as of May 28, 2020. Potential confounders of pandemic outcomes analyzed include institutional lockdown delay, hemispheric geographical location, and number of tourists. We compared all countries according to GBD classification and World Bank income level. We assessed the correlation between independent variables associated with COVID-19 caseload and mortality using Spearman\u27s rank correlation and adjusted mixed model analysis. Findings: High-income had the highest, and the Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Oceania region had the least cases per million population (3050.60 vs. 63.86). Sub-saharan region has reported the lowest number of COVID-19 mortality (1.9). Median delay to lockdown initiation varied from one day following the first case in Latin America and Caribbean region, to 34 days in Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Oceania. Globally, non-communicable disease DALYs were correlated with COVID-19 cases (r = 0.32, p\u3c0.001) and deaths (r = 0.37, p\u3c0.001). HALE correlated with COVID-19 cases (r = 0.63, p\u3c0.001) and deaths (r = 0.61, p\u3c0.001). HALE was independently associated with COVID-19 case rate and the number of tourists was associated with COVID-19 mortality in the adjusted model. Interpretation: Preventive measures against COVID-19 should protect the public from the dual burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases, particularly in the elderly. In addition to active COVID-19 surveillance, policymakers should utilize this evidence as a guide for prevention and coordination of health services. This model is timely, as many countries have begun to reduce social isolation

Correlations between COVID-19 and burden of dementia: An ecological study and review of literature

Introduction: Current evidence on the association between COVID-19 and dementia is sparse. This study aims to investigate the associations between COVID-19 caseload and the burden of dementia. Methods: We gathered data regarding burden of dementia (disability-adjusted life years [DALYs] per 100,000), life expectancy, and healthy life expectancy (HALE) from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2017 study. We obtained COVID-19 data from Our World in Data database. We analyzed the association of COVID-19 cases and deaths with the burden of dementia using Spearman\u27s rank correlation coefficient. Results: Globally, we found significant positive (p \u3c.001) correlations between life expectancy (r = 0.60), HALE (r = 0.58), and dementia DALYs (r = 0.46) with COVID-19 caseloads. Likewise, we found similar correlations between life expectancy (r = 0.60), HALE (r = 0.58) and dementia DALYs (r = 0.54) with COVID-19 mortality. Conclusion: Health policymakers should clarify a targeted model of disease surveillance in order to reduce the dual burden of dementia and COVID-19