Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques

ABI
: ankle–brachial index
ACCORD
: Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes
ADVANCE
: Action in Diabetes and Vascular Disease: Preterax and Diamicron Modified Release Controlled Evaluation
AGREE
: Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation
AHA
: American Heart Association
apoA1
: apolipoprotein A1
apoB
: apolipoprotein B
CABG
: coronary artery bypass graft surgery
CARDS
: Collaborative AtoRvastatin Diabetes Study
CCNAP
: Council on Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professions
CHARISMA
: Clopidogrel for High Athero-thrombotic Risk and Ischemic Stabilisation, Management, and Avoidance
CHD
: coronary heart disease
CKD
: chronic kidney disease
COMMIT
: Clopidogrel and Metoprolol in Myocardial Infarction Trial
CRP
: C-reactive protein
CURE
: Clopidogrel in Unstable Angina to Prevent Recurrent Events
CVD
: cardiovascular disease
DALYs
: disability-adjusted life years
DBP
: diastolic blood pressure
DCCT
: Diabetes Control and Complications Trial
ED
: erectile dysfunction
eGFR
: estimated glomerular filtration rate
EHN
: European Heart Network
EPIC
: European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition
EUROASPIRE
: European Action on Secondary and Primary Prevention through Intervention to Reduce Events
GFR
: glomerular filtration rate
GOSPEL
: Global Secondary Prevention Strategies to Limit Event Recurrence After MI
GRADE
: Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation
HbA1c
: glycated haemoglobin
HDL
: high-density lipoprotein
HF-ACTION
: Heart Failure and A Controlled Trial Investigating Outcomes of Exercise TraiNing
HOT
: Hypertension Optimal Treatment Study
HPS
: Heart Protection Study
HR
: hazard ratio
hsCRP
: high-sensitivity C-reactive protein
HYVET
: Hypertension in the Very Elderly Trial
ICD
: International Classification of Diseases
IMT
: intima-media thickness
INVEST
: International Verapamil SR/Trandolapril
JTF
: Joint Task Force
LDL
: low-density lipoprotein
Lp(a)
: lipoprotein(a)
LpPLA2
: lipoprotein-associated phospholipase 2
LVH
: left ventricular hypertrophy
MATCH
: Management of Atherothrombosis with Clopidogrel in High-risk Patients with Recent Transient Ischaemic Attack or Ischaemic Stroke
MDRD
: Modification of Diet in Renal Disease
MET
: metabolic equivalent
MONICA
: Multinational MONItoring of trends and determinants in CArdiovascular disease
NICE
: National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence
NRT
: nicotine replacement therapy
NSTEMI
: non-ST elevation myocardial infarction
ONTARGET
: Ongoing Telmisartan Alone and in combination with Ramipril Global Endpoint Trial
OSA
: obstructive sleep apnoea
PAD
: peripheral artery disease
PCI
: percutaneous coronary intervention
PROactive
: Prospective Pioglitazone Clinical Trial in Macrovascular Events
PWV
: pulse wave velocity
QOF
: Quality and Outcomes Framework
RCT
: randomized clinical trial
RR
: relative risk
SBP
: systolic blood pressure
SCORE
: Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation Project
SEARCH
: Study of the Effectiveness of Additional Reductions in Cholesterol and
SHEP
: Systolic Hypertension in the Elderly Program
STEMI
: ST-elevation myocardial infarction
SU.FOL.OM3
: SUpplementation with FOlate, vitamin B6 and B12 and/or OMega-3 fatty acids
Syst-Eur
: Systolic Hypertension in Europe
TNT
: Treating to New Targets
UKPDS
: United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study
VADT
: Veterans Affairs Diabetes Trial
VALUE
: Valsartan Antihypertensive Long-term Use
VITATOPS
: VITAmins TO Prevent Stroke
VLDL
: very low-density lipoprotein
WHO
: World Health Organization

### 1.1 Introduction

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a chronic disorder developing insidiously throughout life and usually progressing to an advanced stage by the time symptoms occur. It remains the major cause of premature death in Europe, even though CVD mortality has …

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European Guidelines on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Clinical Practice (Version 2012)

ABI
: ankle–brachial (blood pressure) index
ABPM
: ambulatory blood pressure monitoring
ACCORD
: Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes
ACE-I
: angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor
ACS
: acute coronary syndromes
ADVANCE
: Action in Diabetes and Vascular disease: PreterAx

2016 European Guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice

Physical distancing, face masks, and eye protection to prevent person-to-person transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Authors/Task Force Members: Massimo F. Piepoli* (Chairperson) (Italy), Arno W. Hoes* (Co-Chairperson) (The Netherlands), Stefan Agewall (Norway)1, Christian Albus (Germany)9, Carlos Brotons (Spain)10, Alberico L. Catapano (Italy)3, Marie-Therese Cooney (Ireland)1, Ugo Corrà (Italy)1, Bernard Cosyns (Belgium)1, Christi Deaton (UK)1, Ian Graham (Ireland)1, Michael Stephen Hall (UK)7, F. D. Richard Hobbs (UK)10, Maja-Lisa Løchen (Norway)1, Herbert Löllgen (Germany)8, Pedro Marques-Vidal (Switzerland)1, Joep Perk (Sweden)1, Eva Prescott (Denmark)1, Josep Redon (Spain)5, Dimitrios J. Richter (Greece)1, Naveed Sattar (UK)2, Yvo Smulders (The Netherlands)1, Monica Tiberi (Italy)1, H. Bart van der Worp (The Netherlands)6, Ineke van Dis (The Netherlands)4, W. M. Monique Verschuren (The Netherlands)1

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Economic Cost of Chronic Disease in Canada 1995-2003

Goal To ascertain outcomes of surveillance mammography (SM) following treatment of early stage unilateral primary breast cancer (PBC) in a population based case series. Methods Random samples from all 12,279 women having breast surgery within 4 months after diagnosis of PBC, between July 1991and December 1993 in Ontario, were drawn from a database created by deterministic linkage of PBC files from the Ontario Cancer Registry (OCR) with episodes of breast surgery extracted from the hospital Discharge Abstract Database (DAD), and mammography from the Ontario physician billings database (OHIP). Among women having ≥1 episode(s) of breast surgery subsequent (SBS) to the date of diagnosis up to December 2000, a sample of 1,200/5,064 (23.7%) was drawn, and among women with no SBS, a sample of 400/7,215 (5.5%). Among these two samples, operative, pathology, and mammography reports were abstracted from original charts. Treatments were abstracted and categorized. Women with complete data for Stages 1 and 2 unilateral PBC were included. From the subsequent surgery sample, 609/1,200 (50.8%) were excluded because of simultaneous or sequential bilateral breast cancers or mastectomies within 6 months, missing stage information, Stage 3 or 4 PBC, or missing primary charts. From the no subsequent surgery sample, 90/400 (22.5%) were excluded by the same criteria. Episodes of bilateral 2-view X-ray mammography, beginning ≥6 months after the diagnosis of unilateral PBC, and if multiple, at least 11 months apart, and not prompted by a clinical concern or symptom, were classified as SM. We confirmed episodes of cancer recurrence within the ipsilateral conserved breast (CRICB) and metachronous contralateral primary breast cancer (CPBC) ≥6 months after the diagnosis of the unilateral PBC from original operative and pathology reports. We used Cox models to describe the association of exposure to ≥1 episode(s) of SM with the risk of death from breast cancer among the study population, and separately among women experiencing CRICB or CPBC. Results Eligible women comprising 591/1,200 and 310/400 produced a combined case series of 901/1,600 (56.3%). Women with ≥1 episode(s) of SM numbered 721/901 (80.0%). We confirmed 84 CRICB events among 584 women initially treated by lumpectomy (14.4%), and 49 CPBC events among all 901 women in the study population (5.4%). Among women having ≥1 episode(s), the 25th percentile of observed follow up was 1,631 days, the 50th, 4,287 days, and the 75th 5,011 days. Among women without any SM, the 25th percentile of observed follow-up was 440 days, the 50th, 891 days, and the 75th, 1,849 days. Hazard ratio (HR) for death due to breast cancer associated with ≥1 episode of SM was 0.28 (95% CI 0.22–0.37), adjusted for age, stage, type of surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy, and tamoxifen. Among 84/584 women with CRICB, unadjusted HR = 0.36 (95%CI 0.13, 1.00) and among 49/901 women with CPBC, unadjusted HR = 0.86 (0.20–3.77). Conclusion SM was associated with a significant reduction in the hazard for breast cancer death. Among women who experienced CRICB, the reduction was of borderline significance, and the reduction was not significant among women who experienced CPBC.

Outcomes of surveillance mammography after treatment of primary breast cancer: a population-based case series.

We report attack rates and contact-related predictors among community contacts of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) cases from the 2003 Toronto-area outbreak. Community contact data was extracted from public health records for single, well-defined exposures to a SARS case. In total, 8662 community-acquired exposures resulted in 61 probable cases; a crude attack rate of 0·70% [95% confidence interval (CI) 0·54–0·90]. Persons aged 55–69 years were at higher risk of acquiring SARS (1·14%) than those either younger (0·60%) or older (0·70%). In multivariable analysis exposures for at least 30 min at a distance of ⩽1 m increased the likelihood of becoming a SARS case 20·4-fold (95% CI 11·8–35·1). Risk related to duration of illness in the source case at time of exposure was greatest for illness duration of 7–10 days (rate ratio 3·4, 95% CI 1·9–6·1). Longer and closer proximity exposures incurred the highest rate of disease. Separate measures of time and distance from source cases should be added to minimum datasets for the assessment of interventions for SARS and other emerging diseases.

Duration and distance of exposure are important predictors of transmission among community contacts of Ontario SARS cases.

Objective To examine the effect of changes in job control on health behaviors, psychological distress and health status. Methods Using a path analysis model, we examined the effects of change in job control over a 4-year period on levels of physical activity, smoking, and psychological distress; and on self-rated health over an additional 2 years, among a representative sample of 2221 Canadians. Results Over the 4-year period, 280 respondents reported decreases in job control, and 256 reported increases in job control. Health at baseline was not associated with the likelihood of changes in job control. We found a graded relationship between change in job control and levels of physical activity and psychological distress over a 4-year period; and levels of self-rated health over a 6-year period, with positive change in job control associated in higher levels of physical activity and self-rated health and lower levels of distress. Conclusions The results of this study suggest that both level of job control and changes in job control have direct and indirect effects on health status over time. Future research should focus on developing precise measures of work exposures, and examine differences between changes in job control due to only changes in perceptions and changes due to work redesign.

Do changes in job control predict differences in health status? Results from a longitudinal national survey of Canadians.

Diagnosis of influenza in older adults may be complicated by atypical presentations or when patients present with complications of an underlying illness We aimed to identify clinical characteristics and epidemiological factors associated with influenza among community-dwelling adults aged ≥60 years presenting to emergency departments We identified patients with influenza-compatible chief complaints presenting to emergency departments of six acute care hospitals in Ontario, Canada during the 2011/12 and 2012/13 influenza seasons Clinical characteristics, medical history and demographics were collected by patient interview, chart review and by contacting vaccine providers Nasopharyngeal swabs were tested for influenza using polymerase chain reaction We modeled predictors of influenza using multivariable logistic regression models that compared individuals with and without influenza Of 1318 participants, 151 (11 %) had influenza (98 A/H3N2, 12 A/H1N1, 4 A [not sub-typed], 37 B) In the multivariable model, clinical symptoms associated with influenza were cough (OR 64, 95 % CI 32, 130), feverishness and/or triage temperature ≥372 °C (OR 30, 95 % CI 20, 47), 2–5 days from symptom onset to the emergency department visit (OR 22, 95 % CI 15, 32), and wheezing (OR 21, 95 % CI 13, 33) The effect of cough on influenza increased with older age Epidemiological factors associated with increased odds for influenza included weeks when ≥10 % influenza tests from provincial laboratories were positive (OR 51, 95 % CI 12, 217) and exposure to a person with influenza-like illness (OR 19, 95 % CI 13, 28) Among participants with influenza, only 47 (31 %) met the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for influenza-like illness (temperature ≥378 °C and cough and/or sore throat) As in younger adults, cough and feverishness are the two symptoms most predictive of influenza in the elderly Current influenza-like illness definitions did not adequately capture influenza in older adults

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Susan J. Bondy

Papers

Economic Cost of Chronic Disease in Canada 1995-2003

Outcomes of surveillance mammography after treatment of primary breast cancer: a population-based case series.

Duration and distance of exposure are important predictors of transmission among community contacts of Ontario SARS cases.

Do changes in job control predict differences in health status? Results from a longitudinal national survey of Canadians.

Predictors of influenza among older adults in the emergency department