Years of Life Lost due to Diseases of the Digestive System in Poland in 2000-2014

U.S. Leading Causes of Death and Years of Potential Life Lost, 1981-2019: Implications for Surgical Research

INTRODUCTION

Examining burden of diseases could shed light on priorities of public health interventions and research funding. This study examined trends of the U.S. top leading causes of death from 1981 to 2019 using the total number of deaths, age-adjusted death rate, and years of potential life lost (YPLLs).

METHODS

Data were from the Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System. This study gathered total number of deaths, age-adjusted death rates per 100,000 people, and YPLLs under 70 y of age (YPLL-70) from 1981 to 2019 for the top 10 leading causes of death and human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) for each year. The 39 y from 1981 to 2019 were evenly divided into three study periods: 1981-1993, 1994-2006, and 2007-2019. The percent change of YPLL-70 over three time periods for the top ten leading causes of death and AIDS was calculated. Trends of age-adjusted death rates and YPLL-70 of the top five leading causes of death based on the 2018-2019 death data were also reported by graphing them against time from 1981 to 2019 to highlight major mortality causes. Age-adjusted death rates for the top five leading causes of deaths and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) annual funding level in 2019 were graphed together to illustrate funding discrepancy in injury research and prevention.

RESULTS

The total number of deaths caused by malignant neoplasms in 2019 was 244,994, followed by 183,442 deaths of heart diseases, 121,476 deaths of unintentional injuries, and 41,051 suicide deaths. Despite an initial -22.20% drop of YPPL-70 during 1981-1993, unintentional injuries experienced significant increases of 19.38% and 18.59% of YPLL-70 in 1994-2006 and 2007-2019, respectively. The age-adjusted death rate for unintentional injuries was 1182 per 100,000 people in 2019, and the NIH funding in the same year was $897 million. In comparison, the age-adjusted death rate for cancer, heart disease, and human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS was 786, 649, and 30 per 100,000 people while the NIH funding was $2,560, $2,394, and $3037 million, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Unintentional injuries, suicide, and homicide were consistently among the top leading causes of death and YPLL-70, so they should be prioritized in public health planning, research, and federal funding allocation. Injury and trauma research is severely underfunded by the U.S. premier funding agency.

Excess mortality in Poland during the first and second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020

Purpose

The aim of the study was to analyse excess deaths by major causes of death and associated changes in the mortality pattern of the Polish population in 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

The study used data on all deaths in Poland which occurred between 2010 and 2020 (N = 3,912,237). 10-year mortality trends for 2010-2019 were determined. An analysis of time trends has been carried out with joinpoint models and Joinpoint Regression Program. Based on the determined regression models, the number of deaths expected in 2020 and the number of excess deaths due to selected causes were calculated.

Results

The crude death rates of all-cause deaths increased from 2000 to 2019 at an average annual rate of 1% (p = 0.0007). The determined regression model revealed that the number of deaths in 2020 should have been 413,318 (95% CI: 411,252 to 415,385). In reality, 477,355 people died in Poland that year. The number of excess deaths was therefore 64,037 (15.5%). According to data from Statistics Poland the number of COVID-19-related deaths was 40,028, the number of non-COVID-19 deaths was 24,009. The largest percentage increase over the expected number of deaths was observed for suicide (12.5%), mental and behavioral disorders (7.2%) and diseases of circulatory system (5.9%). A lower than expected number of deaths was observed for malignant neoplasms (-3.2%) and transport accidents (-0.1%).

Conclusion

The difference between expected and observed non-COVID-19 deaths in 2020 indicates a need for further analysis of the causes of excess mortality.

Years of life lost due to alcohol-related mortality: A nationwide population study in Poland, 1999-2017

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to assess alcohol-related mortality and years of life lost (YLL) in Poland between 1999 and 2017.

METHODS

A database of 7,168,765 death certificates of Polish residents who died in 1999-2017 was reviewed. This number included 112,512 people who had died due to alcohol consumption. YLL was calculated with the use of the Standard Expected Years of Life Lost (SEYLL) measure; its value was related to the size of the study population and calculated per 100,000 people (SEYLLp). Time trends were determined by joinpoint regression analysis.

RESULTS

In 1999, the SEYLLp value was 653.99 years among males and 71.20 years among females; in 2017, these numbers rose to 1,263.76 and 293.10 years, respectively. Time trend analysis revealed that SEYLLp increased more quickly in females (by 8.69 % per year) than in males (by 3.68 %). The ratio of male to female SEYLLp values decreased from 9.18 to 4.31 over the study period.

CONCLUSIONS

In Poland, both males and females are experiencing adverse changes in the number of alcohol-induced YLLs. However, the disparity in YLLs between males and females is gradually decreasing, primarily due to the value increasing more quickly in females.

Years of life lost due to diseases of the digestive system in Poland according to socioeconomic factors: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

To analyse years of life lost (YLLs) due to digestive diseases in Poland according to: marital status, education, working status and place of residence.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study.

SETTING

The study was based on a dataset containing information from death certificates of Poles who died in 2002 and in 2011.

PARTICIPANTS

The analysis covered records with codes K00-K93 according to the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision.

OUTCOME MEASURES

YLL values were calculated using the Standard Expected Years of Life Lost measure. For each socioeconomic variable, the rate ratio (RR) was calculated as the quotient of YLLs in the less privileged group to the more privileged group.

RESULTS

Among the categories of marital status, the smallest YLL values (per 10 000) were recorded among singles (men: 100.63 years in 2002, 121.10 years in 2011; women: 26.99, 33.33, respectively), and the most among divorced men (657.87, 689.32) and widowed women (173.97, 169.46). YLL analysis according to education level revealed the lowest values in people with higher education (men: 54.20, 57.66; women: 17.31, 18.31) and the highest in people with lower than secondary education (men: 178.85, 198.32; women: 104.95, 125.76). Being economically active was associated with a smaller YLL score (men: 39.93, 59.51; women: 10.31, 14.96) than being inactive (men: 340.54, 219.93; women: 126.86, 96.80). Urban residents had higher YLL score (men: 159.46, 174.18, women: 73.03, 78.12) than rural ones (men: 126.83, 137.11, women: 57.32, 57.56).In both sexes, RR according to education level and place of residence increased, and those according to marital status and working status decreased with time.

CONCLUSIONS

Activities aimed at reducing health inequalities in terms of YLL due to digestive diseases should be primarily addressed to inhabitants with lower than secondary education, divorced and widowed people, urban residents and those who are economically inactive.