Previous studies have shown that substance misuse in adolescence is associated with increased risks of hospitalizations for mental and physical disorders, convictions for crimes, poverty, and premature death from age 21 to 50. The present study examined 180 adolescent boys and girls who sought treatment for substance misuse in Sweden. The adolescents and their parents were assessed independently when the adolescents first contacted the clinic to diagnose mental disorders and collect information on maltreatment and antisocial behavior. Official criminal files were obtained. Five years later, 147 of the ex-clients again completed similar assessments. The objectives were (1) to document the prevalence of alcohol use disorders (AUD) and drug use disorders (DUD) in early adulthood; and (2) to identify family and individual factors measured in adolescence that predicted these disorders, after taking account of AUD and DUD in adolescence and treatment. Results showed that AUD, DUD, and AUDÂ +Â DUD present in mid-adolescence were in most cases also present in early adulthood. Prediction models detected no positive effect of treatment in limiting persistence of these disorders. Thus, treatment-as-usual provided by the only psychiatric service for adolescents with substance misuse in a large urban center in Sweden failed to prevent the persistence of substance misuse. Despite extensive clinical assessments of the ex-clients and their parents, few factors assessed in mid-adolescence were associated with substance misuse disorders 5Â years later. It may be that family and individual factors in early life promote the mental disorders that precede adolescent substance misuse.
To investigate attrition of subjects in a longitudinal study of caries.
A radiographic study of caries and caries-associated factors was carried out in subjects, initially aged 14 years, and followed-up for six years. Attrition of subjects occurred at the last stage of the study.
A nationwide survey of subjects living in fishing, rural farming, and urban communities in Iceland.
A sub-sample of the nationwide random sample comprising 150 subjects was investigated using bitewing radiographs and a structured questionnaire to determine caries-risk factors. Subjects were re-examined at 16 years and 20 years using the same methods.
Mean caries increment from 14-16 years was 3.0 lesions (1.5 lesions/subject/year) but reduced to 2.6 lesions (0.7 lesions/subject/ year) by 20y. The proportion of subjects found to be caries-free at 14 years, 16 years and 20 years, was 29%, 17% and 10%, respectively. "Dropouts" from this study occurred mostly after 16 years. Analysis of subjects dropping out showed that they were least likely to be from the rural farming community but most likely from the fishing community. Those dropping out attended their dentist less frequently, had a higher consumption of carbonated drinks and a higher prevalence and incidence of caries by 16 years.
Subjects with high-risk behaviours, or residents in a fishing community were more likely to drop out of the study. Recognised advantages of conducting longitudinal studies of caries may, therefore, be lost.
A six-year prospective study of 3775 individuals, first examined in 1978, using an original mathematical program of myocardial infarction risk prognosis, is reported. The program is based on an integral assessment of 19 risk factors, each having 4 degrees of severity. The subjects were allocated to one of 3 groups, depending on the prognostic risk score. In the low coronary risk group (2068 people), there was 1 (0.048%) myocardial infarction over 6 years. There were 12 (0.76%) infarctions in the medium risk group (1569 people), and 62 (44.92%) infarctions in the high risk group (138 people). Therefore, the program is capable of identifying a limited (about 4%) population that is going to develop 80% of all myocardial infarctions within the next 5 or 6 years.
Changes in the incidence of myocardial infarction, and associated mortality and lethality rates are reviewed over a 8-year period in an Novosibirsk district. Data on late postinfarction outcomes, obtained in a WHO-sponsored study, "Acute myocardial infarction register", are also presented. The incidence, mortality and lethality rates are showing a stabilization trend at present; in late outcomes, the greatest mortality and lethality rates fall to the first postinfarction year.
The data on the studies using WHO programs "Register of Acute Myocardial Infarction", "Register of Brain Apoplexy", "MONICA" in one of the districts of Novosibirsk have been pooled and analyzed. The studies have established objective trends in the incidence, mortality, lethality of myocardial infarction and brain apoplexy in the population aged 25-64 for 10 years.
AIM: To reveal trends in incidence rates of acute cardiovascular diseases (ACD) in a large industrial city of the West Siberia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Studies on WHO programs "Acute Myocardial Infarction Register" and "MONICA" have been performed in three districts of Novosibirsk. The diagnostic categories were detected without difference. The observation covered stable population of 500,000 residents aged 25-64 years. Trends in the myocardial infarction (MI) mortality, morbidity and lethality were analysed for 1977-1996. RESULTS: The above trends were stable except for 1986 when MI mortality, morbidity and lethality decreased and 1988 and 1994 when they went up. The reduction was due to 7-year prevention program while the rise was consequent to discontinuation of the preventive measures. Major risk factors of ischemic heart disease, according to screenings conducted in 1984, 1988 and 1994 remained at about the same level. Social stress closely correlates with a rise in MI morbidity and mortality. The latter in 1994 grew owing to higher rates of MI mortality and morbidity among the oldest men and females of different age groups. CONCLUSION: Urgent intensification of prophylactic measures is needed both at the populational level and the level of high risk strategy.
The aim of this study is to describe the 21 year trends in myocardial infarction among middle-aged inhabitants in the city of Turku, in southwestern Finland. Since 1972 the coronary register in Turku has monitored acute coronary events leading to hospital admission or death, first according to the methods of the World Health Organization Heart Attack Register Study, and since 1982 according to the methods of the WHO MONICA. From 1972 to 1992 we registered 7374 events of suspected myocardial infarction, of which 6045 events occurring in inhabitants of Turku aged 35-64 years, fulfilled the criteria for myocardial infarction. Within 28 days, 2266 coronary events proved fatal. During the 21-year period, the incidence of definite myocardial infarction fell by 55% in men and by 62% in women, and coronary mortality fell by 66 and 81%, respectively. From 1972 to 1982, total mortality and coronary mortality decreased in parallel. Later on, the decrease in total mortality levelled off, even though coronary mortality fell still steeper, because mortality from external causes of death increased. The favourable long-term trends reflect favourable changes in total cholesterol and blood pressure in the middle-aged population, and the improvement in the treatment of myocardial infarction. Further efforts are needed to enhance this trend, but also to reduce total mortality among middle-aged people.
Notes
Comment In: Eur Heart J. 1996 Oct;17(10):1455-68909894
