Temporal Trends in Acute Coronary Syndrome Mortality in Serbia in 2005-2019: An Age-Period-Cohort Analysis Using Data from the Serbian Acute Coronary Syndrome Registry (RAACS).

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases ranked first in terms of the number of deaths in Serbia in 2019, with 52,663 deaths. One fifth of those were from ischemic heart disease (IHD), and half of IHD deaths were from acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We present the ACS mortality time trend in Serbia during a 15-year period using the latest available data, excluding the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: The data on patients who died of ACS in the period from 2005 to 2019 were obtained from the National Statistics Office and processed at the Department of Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases of the Institute of Public Health of Serbia. Number of deaths, crude mortality rates (CR) and age-standardized mortality rates (ASR-E) for the European population were analyzed. Using joinpoint analysis, the time trend in terms of annual percentage change (APC) was analyzed for the female and male population aged 0 to 85+. Age-period-cohort modeling was used to estimate age, cohort and period effects in ACS mortality between 2005 and 2019 for age groups in the range 20 to 90. RESULTS: From 2005 to 2019 there were 90,572 deaths from ACS: 54,202 in men (59.8%), 36,370 in women (40.2%). Over the last 15 years, the number of deaths significantly declined: 46.7% in men, 49.5% in women. The annual percentage change was significant: -4.4% in men, -5.8% in women. Expressed in terms of APC, for the full period, the highest significant decrease in deaths was seen in women aged 65-69, -8.5%, followed by -7.6% for women aged 50-54 and 70-74. In men, the highest decreases were recorded in the age group 50-54, -6.7%, and the age group 55-59, -5.7%. In all districts there was significant decline in deaths in terms of APC for the full period in both genders, except in Zlatibor, Kolubara and Morava, where increases were recorded. In addition, in Bor and Toplica almost no change was observed over the full period for both genders. CONCLUSIONS: In the last 15 years, mortality from ACS in Serbia declined in both genders. The reasons are found in better diagnostic and treatment through an organized network for management of ACS patients. However, there are districts where this decline was small and insignificant or was offset in recent years by an increase in deaths. In addition, there is space for improvement in the still-high mortality rates through primary prevention, which at the moment is not organized.

Trends in nationwide incidence of pediatric type 1 diabetes in Montenegro during the last 30 years.

Significant and unexplained variations in type 1 diabetes (T1D) incidence through the years were observed all around the world. The update on this disorder's incidence is crucial for adequate healthcare resource planning and monitoring of the disease. The aim of this study was to give an update on the current incidence of pediatric T1D in Montenegro and to analyze incidence changes over time and how the exposure to different factors might have affected it. This retrospective cohort study included a total of 582 patients younger than 15 years who were newly diagnosed with T1D during the past 30 years. The average age at diagnosis was 8.4 ± 3.91 years. The mean annual incidence of T1D in the Montenegro population during the whole study period of 30 years was 15.2/100,000 person-years. Slightly higher incidence rates were observed in male compared to female individuals, and the incidence increased with age, with the highest incidence in the 10-14 age group. If the model is observed as one without jointpoints, the annual percentage change (APC) for the total population is 3.1 (1.8-4.4); for male individuals, 3.8 (2.1-5.5); and for female individuals, 2.1 (0.6-3.5). In 2020, the first year of the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, in comparison to 2019, the incidence rate increased from 19.7/100,000 to 21.5/100,000, with the highest increase in the age group of 5-9 years. This is the first nationwide report on a 30-year period of T1D incidence trend in Montenegro. It suggests that T1D incidence among Montenegrin children is rising again and that there is a short-term influence of COVID-19 on new-onset T1D.

Trends in nationwide incidence of pediatric type 1 diabetes in Montenegro during the last 30 years

Significant and unexplained variations in type 1 diabetes (T1D) incidence through the years were observed all around the world. The update on this disorder’s incidence is crucial for adequate healthcare resource planning and monitoring of the disease. The aim of this study was to give an update on the current incidence of pediatric T1D in Montenegro and to analyze incidence changes over time and how the exposure to different factors might have affected it. This retrospective cohort study included a total of 582 patients younger than 15 years who were newly diagnosed with T1D during the past 30 years. The average age at diagnosis was 8.4 ± 3.91 years. The mean annual incidence of T1D in the Montenegro population during the whole study period of 30 years was 15.2/100,000 person-years. Slightly higher incidence rates were observed in male compared to female individuals, and the incidence increased with age, with the highest incidence in the 10–14 age group. If the model is observed as one without jointpoints, the annual percentage change (APC) for the total population is 3.1 (1.8–4.4);for male individuals, 3.8 (2.1–5.5);and for female individuals, 2.1 (0.6–3.5). In 2020, the first year of the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, in comparison to 2019, the incidence rate increased from 19.7/100,000 to 21.5/100,000, with the highest increase in the age group of 5–9 years. This is the first nationwide report on a 30-year period of T1D incidence trend in Montenegro. It suggests that T1D incidence among Montenegrin children is rising again and that there is a short-term influence of COVID-19 on new-onset T1D.

Autoimmune and immunoserological markers of COVID-19 pneumonia: Can they help in the assessment of disease severity.

Background: Immune dysregulation and associated inefficient anti-viral immunity during Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) can cause tissue and organ damage which shares many similarities with pathogenetic processes in systemic autoimmune diseases. In this study, we investigate wide range autoimmune and immunoserological markers in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Methods: Study included 51 patients with confirmed Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 infection and hospitalized due to COVID-19 pneumonia. Wide spectrum autoantibodies associated with different autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases were analyzed and correlated with clinical and laboratory features and pneumonia severity. Results: Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) positivity was found in 19.6%, anti-cardiolipin IgG antibodies (aCL IgG) in 15.7%, and anti-cardiolipin IgM antibodies (aCL IgM) in 7.8% of patients. Positive atypical x anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (xANCA) were detected in 10.0% (all negative for Proteinase 3 and Myeloperoxidase) and rheumatoid factor was found in 8.2% of patients. None of tested autoantibodies were associated with disease or pneumonia severity, except for aCL IgG being significantly associated with higher pneumonia severity index (p = 0.036). Patients with reduced total serum IgG were more likely to require non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIMV) (p < 0.0001). Serum concentrations of IgG (p = 0.003) and IgA (p = 0.032) were significantly lower in this group of patients. Higher total serum IgA (p = 0.009) was associated with mortality, with no difference in serum IgG (p = 0.115) or IgM (p = 0.175). Lethal outcome was associated with lower complement C4 (p = 0.013), while there was no difference in complement C3 concentration (p = 0.135). Conclusion: Increased autoimmune responses are present in moderate and severe COVID-19. Severe pneumonia is associated with the presence of aCL IgG, suggesting their role in disease pathogenesis. Evaluation of serum immunoglobulins and complement concentration could help assess the risk of non-invasive mechanical ventilation NIMV and poor outcome.