Prevalence of Diagnosed Diabetes Among Employed US Adults by Demographic Characteristics and Occupation, 36 States, 2014 to 2018

Prevalence and Mitigation of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Among the Corporate Workforce in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Cardiovascular disease (CVDs) is the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Corporate workplaces have been identified as important environmental factors that can increase the risk and severity of CVDs. Evidence indicates that the risk and severity of CVDs can be effectively reduced by mitigating modifiable behavioural and intermediate risk factors. Although the prevalence of CVDs and their associated risk factors is increasing in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), most published data from the region are hospital-based and may not be true estimates. This study investigated the prevalence and distribution of CVD risk factors among the corporate workforce in SSA and the effects of workplace wellness programmes (WWP) on these risk factors. Accordingly, a systematic search was performed using Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus and Science Direct for articles published between January 2010 and March 2024. A total of 105 studies (n = 76,027) across nine countries met the eligibility criteria and were analysed. The pooled prevalence of the risk factors was unhealthy diet (80%), high salt intake (32%), stress (58%), poor sleep (59%), physical inactivity (PI, 59%), alcohol consumption (29%), harmful alcohol consumption (26%), tobacco smoking (7%), khat chewing (6%), overweight (36%), obesity (23%), central obesity (44%), high blood pressure (29%), high total cholesterol (33%), high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) (41%), low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) (45%), hypertriglyceridaemia (17%), dysglycaemia (9%), and metabolic syndrome (MS; 45%). The highest prevalence of unhealthy diet and PI was recorded in East Africa and Central Africa, respectively, whereas West Africa had the highest prevalence of high body mass index (BMI). Ethiopia had the highest prevalence of unhealthy diets, whereas Nigeria had the highest prevalence of stress and poor sleep. The healthcare sector had the highest cluster of risk factors and the highest prevalence of unhealthy diets. Only 5.7% of the studies implemented WWP, which had significant mitigating effects on most risk factors. This study concluded that the prevalence of most modifiable CVD risk factors is high among the corporate workforce in SSA, which is higher than that in the general population in most cases, and a well-designed WWP can significantly mitigate these risk factors.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of implementing polygenic risk score in a workplace cardiovascular disease prevention program

Background

Polygenic risk score for coronary artery disease (CAD-PRS) improves precision in assessing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and is cost-effective in preventing cardiovascular diseases in a health system and may be cost-effective in other settings and prevention programs such as workplace cardiovascular prevention programs. Workplaces provide a conducitve environment for cardiovascular prevention interventions, but the cost-effectiveness of CAD-PRS in a workplace setting remains unknown. This study examined the cost-effectiveness of integrating CAD-PRS in a workplace cardiovascular disease prevention program compared to the standard cardiovascular workplace program without CAD-PRS and no-workplace prevention program.

Methods

We developed a cohort simulation model to project health benefits (quality-adjusted life years gained) and costs over a period of 5 years in a cohort of employees with a mean age of 50 years. The model health states reflected the risk of disease (coronary artery disease and ischemic stroke) and statin prevention therapy side effects (diabetes, hemorrhagic stroke, and myopathy). We considered medical and lost productivity costs. Data were obtained from the literature, and the analysis was performed from a self-insured employer perspective with future costs and quality-adjusted life years discounted at 3% annually. Uncertainty in model parameter inputs was assessed using deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. Three programs were compared: (1) a workplace cardiovascular program that integrated CAD-PRS with the pooled cohort equation-a standard of care for assessing the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CardioriskSCORE); (2) a workplace cardiovascular prevention program without CAD-PRS (Standard-WHP); and (3) no-workplace health program (No-WHP). The main outcomes were total costs (US $2019), incremental costs, incremental quality-adjusted life years, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio.

Results

CardioriskSCORE lowered employer costs ($53 and $575) and improved employee quality-adjusted life years (0.001 and 0.005) per employee screened compared to Standard-WHP and No-WHP, respectively. The effectiveness of statin prevention therapy, employees' baseline cardiovascular risk, the proportion of employees that enrolled in the program, and statin adherence had the largest effect size on the incremental net monetary benefit. However, despite the variation in parameter input values, base case results remained robust.

Conclusion

Polygenic testing in a workplace cardiovascular prevention program improves employees' quality of life and simultaneously lowers health costs and productivity monetary loss for employers.

Risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in catholic priests compared with general public

AIMS

Although Catholic priests have a life of discipline with many responsibilities, there has been little research on the health effects of their lifestyle. Analysis of disease prevalence in priests will help elucidate the influence of religious life and occupational characteristics on the occurrence of diabetes. This retrospective study was performed to examine the differences in the prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes between Catholic priests and the general population.

METHODS

The study population comprised 1845 Catholic priests aged 31-80 years who visited the health promotion centers of three university hospitals in Korea between 2010 and 2019. Controls consisted of 1801 adult non-clerics aged 31-80 years who underwent health checkups at the screening center during the same period. Logistic regression analysis was performed to compare the differences in the rates of diabetes and prediabetes between the priest and control groups.

RESULT

Priests were younger and had lower rates of smoking, drinking alcohol, and hypertension compared with the control group. However, metabolic markers, such as BMI, waist circumference, body fat mass, insulin, HbA1c, and lipid profiles, were significantly higher in the priest group than the control group (all p < 0.05). After adjusting for covariates, the priest group had a significantly higher likelihood of having diabetes (OR = 1.651, 95% CI 1.146-2.379) or prediabetes (OR = 3.270, 95% CI 2.471-4.327) compared with the controls.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed that Catholic priests have higher risks of diabetes and prediabetes compared with the general population, and these risks increase with age. Further large-scale prospective studies are required to confirm these relationships.

Smoking causes the disorder of glucose metabolism under different levels of blood pressure in male occupational population

Smoking is an important modifiable factor in the risk of type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes and hypertension overlap in the population. The present study investigated effects of smoking on glucose metabolism under different blood pressure (BP) levels in occupational population. A smoking survey among occupational groups was conducted in 2018. The general linear model was used to analyze the differences of glucose metabolism indexes and BP indexes influenced by different smoking intensity (never 0, mild <10, moderate <20, heavy ≥20 pack‐years). Odds ratios of developing diabetes and β‐cell deficiency were analyzed by using logistic regression model. BP was further taken into account in the relationship between smoking and glucose metabolism. As a result, 1730 male workers aged 21 to 60 years were included in the analysis finally. Compared to never smokers, heavy smokers had significantly increased fasting plasma glucose. Moderate and above smokers had significantly increased glycosylated hemoglobin, decreased fasting plasma insulin and β‐cell function, after adjustment for covariates. Further, smoking intensity was found to have a dose‐dependent relationship with impaired β‐cell function and diabetes. In conclusion, smoking has a positive dose‐dependent relationship with β‐cell deficiency and diabetes. Male smoking workers, especially the moderate or higher smoking, with high‐normal and high BP levels are at high risk of abnormal glucose metabolism.