Progress against lung cancer, Denmark, 2008-2022.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There has been marked progress against lung cancer in Denmark. To gain further insight into the different aspects of the improvement, we examined the stage-specific incidence rates, stage-specific survival and mortality rates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used information from the Danish Lung Cancer Registry on date of diagnosis and clinical stage to calculate age-standardised incidence rates and patient survival by sex, period and stage. Information about age-standardised lung cancer-specific mortality rates by sex and period was extracted from The Danish Health Data Authority. RESULTS: Firstly, the decrease in incidence rates was due to a reduction in the rates of advanced stages. Secondly, there was a gradual increase in survival across all stages, and thirdly, the mortality rates gradually decreased over time. INTERPRETATION: The improvements in survival and mortality from lung cancer were due to decreasing incidence rates of advanced cancer and improvement in survival at all stages of the disease.

A population-based nationwide study on total colectomy for ulcerative colitis and risk of ten prevalent inflammatory or autoimmune diseases.

BACKGROUND: There is growing evidence to support a role of the gut microbiome in the development of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune disease (IAD). We used total colectomy (TC) for ulcerative colitis (UC) as a model for a significant disruption in gut microbiome to explore an association with subsequent risk of IAD. METHODS: We identified all patients with UC and no diagnosis of IAD prior to their UC diagnosis in Denmark from 1988 to 2015. Patients were followed from the date of UC to a diagnosis of IAD, death or end of follow-up, whichever occurred first. We used Cox regression to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) of IAD associated with TC, adjusting for age, sex, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and calendar year of UC diagnosis. RESULTS: 30,507 patients with UC (3,155 with TC and 27,352 without) were identified from the Danish National Patient Registry. During 43,266 person-years of follow-up, 2733 patients were diagnosed with an IAD. The risk of any IAD was higher for patients with TC compared to patients without (adjusted HR [aHR] 1.39 (95% CI: 1.24-1.57)). When the analyses were adjusted for exposure to antibiotics, immunomodulatory medicine and biologics (covering 2005-2018), the risk of IAD was still higher for patients with total colectomy (aHR = 1.41 (95% CI: 1.09;1.83)). Disease-specific analyses were weakened by a low number of outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of IAD was higher for patients who underwent TC for UC compared to patients who did not.KEY MESSAGESWhat is already known?o The gut microbiome plays an important role in host immune homeostasis, and changes in gut bacterial diversity and composition may change the individual's risk of inflammatory and autoimmune disease (IAD).What is new here?o Patients with ulcerative colitis who undergo total colectomy have a higher risk of being diagnosed with IAD, compared to patients with ulcerative colitis who do not undergo total colectomy.How can this study help patient care?o Future research can help uncover the mechanisms responsible for the higher risk of certain IADs after total colectomy. If the microbiome plays a role, modifying the gut microbiome could prove a viable therapeutic strategy to reduce the risk of developing IADs.

In this nationwide Danish cohort study of all Danish UC patients diagnosed in the period from 1988 to 2015, the risk of being diagnosed with inflammatory and autoimmune disease is higher for patients who underwent total colectomy compared to UC patients without total colectomy.

Diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer in Denmark during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: We examined the number of lung cancers diagnosed, the quality of care and the socio-economic and clinical characteristics among patients with lung cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to previous years. METHODS: We included all patients ≥ 18 years old diagnosed with lung cancer from 01 January 2018 to 31 August 2021 as registered in the Danish Lung Cancer Registry. Using a generalised linear model, we estimated prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of the associations between the pandemic and socioeconomic and clinical factors, and indicators of quality. RESULTS: We included 18,113 patients with lung cancer (82.0% non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)), which was similar to the preceding years, although a decline in NSCLC cases occurred during the first lockdown period in 2020. No difference in distribution of income or educational level was observed. No difference was observed in the quality of treatment - as measured by curative intent, proportion of patients resected or who died within 90 days of diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Using nationwide population-based data, our study reassuringly shows no adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis, socio-economic characteristics nor quality of treatment of lung cancer, as compared to the preceding years.

Cardiovascular diseases in elderly survivors of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a Danish population-based cohort study.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is an aggressive disease occurring primarily in elderly patients. Despite high curative rates with doxorubicin-containing treatment, some elderly patients receive less intensive treatments, mainly due to advanced age, comorbidities, and concerns of cardiotoxicity from doxorubicin-containing regimens. We analyzed 1009 patients aged 75 years or older and 10,090 age- and sex-matched comparisons. We aimed to evaluate long-term cardiovascular side effects in elderly patients treated with doxorubicin. Approximately, 64% of patients received doxorubicin-containing treatment. These patients had a persistently increased risk of new-onset heart failure with a hazard ratio of 1.5 and 1.7 when conditioning on survival without heart failure to 6 and 24 months, respectively. Moreover, we observed an increased risk of venous thromboembolism during the first six months following the lymphoma diagnosis. On the contrary, no difference in risk of developing ischemic heart disease or stroke following doxorubicin-containing treatment was observed.

Increased use of diagnostic CT imaging increases the detection of stage IA lung cancer: pathways and patient characteristics.

BACKGROUND: At Silkeborg Regional Hospital, Denmark, the number of stage IA lung cancer increased after implementation of increased use of CT investigations and a corresponding reduction in chest X-ray. The aim of the present study was to understand the changes in referral pathways, patient characteristics and imaging procedures behind the observed increase in early-stage lung cancer. METHODS: The referral and imaging pathways for all patients diagnosed with lung cancer in 2013-2018 were described based on manually curated information from the electronic health care systems and staging information from the Danish Lung Cancer Registry. We compared the clinical characteristics of patients diagnosed in 2013-2015 and in 2016-2018 after implementation of a change in the use of low dose CT scan (LDCT). For patients diagnosed in 2016-2018, stage IA lung cancer were compared to higher stages using univariable logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Five hundred and forty-seven patients were diagnosed with lung cancer in 2013-2018. Stage IA constituted 13.8% (34/247) in 2013-2015, and 28.3% (85/300) in 2016-2018. Stage IA patients in 2016-2018 were characterised by more comorbidity, fewer packyears and tended to be older than patients with higher stages. In 2016-2018, the largest proportion of stage IA patients (55%) came from within-hospital referrals. The majority of these lung cancers were detected due to imaging procedures with other indications than suspicion of lung cancer. The proportion of stage IA increased from 12% (12/99) to 36% (47/129) (p < 0.001) for hospital referrals and from 17% (22/129) to 23% (38/165) for GP referrals (p = 0.21). The imaging procedures contributing to the increase in stage IA was contrast enhanced CT (22%¸11/51), LDCT (35%; 18/51) and X-ray followed by LDCT (25%; 13/51). CONCLUSION: The increased access to LDCT for patients referred from general practice and the increased hospital requested CT activity resulted in an increase in the number of stage IA lung cancers. Incidental findings on imaging performed for diagnostic purposes unrelated to suspicion of lung cancer contributed a large proportion of the increase.

Regional and socio-economic variation in survival after glioblastoma in Denmark, 2013-2018.

INTRODUCTION: Glioblastoma is the most frequent primary brain tumour in adults. In Denmark, the treatment of glioblastoma is centralised to four neurosurgical and oncological departments located in four of the five Danish administrative regions. The aim of this study was to examine the regional and socioeconomic variation in survival after a diagnosis of glioblastoma in Denmark. METHODS: We included 1,731 patients with histologically confirmed glioblastoma from 2013 to 2018 registered in the Danish Neuro-oncology Registry. The data sources were the Danish National Registries. The exposure was region of residence at diagnosis and household income in the year before diagnosis. Follow-up was initiated at diagnosis and concluded at death or end-of-follow-up on 15 July 2019. Cox regression was used to examine overall mortality by exposure. RESULTS: With adjustment for age, sex, year of diagnosis and comorbidity, mortality rates of glioblastoma patients varied significantly between regions and were lowest in the Region of Southern Denmark and highest in the Capital Region (hazard ratio = 0.79; 95% confidence interval: 0.68-0.91, compared with the Capital Region). Further adjustment for surgical resection attenuated the regional differences in mortality. Income was not a predictor of survival. CONCLUSIONS: We found significant regional variation in survival after a diagnosis of glioblastoma. Differences in treatment patterns between regions may explain part of this mortality variation. Household income and education level did not explain the regional differences. FUNDING: none. TRIAL REGISTRATION: not relevant.

Association of Body Mass Index With All-Cause Mortality in Acutely Hospitalized Older Patients.

OBJECTIVES: The aim was to examine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and mortality in older hospitalized patients taking activities of daily living (ADLs) into account. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Nationwide population-based study of all patients aged ≥65 years admitted to Danish geriatric medical departments during 2005 to 2014 and included in the National Danish Geriatric Database. METHODS: Patients were followed until death, emigration, or study termination (December 31, 2015). Primary outcome was all-cause mortality. BMI and ADLs were routinely assessed on admission and linked at an individual level to the Danish national health registers. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to estimate crude survival according to each BMI subcategory and Cox regression to examine the association with mortality adjusting for age, comorbidity, polypharmacy, ADLs, marital status, prior hospitalizations, and admission year. RESULTS: In total, 74,589 patients (63% women) were included aged [mean (SD)] 82.5 (7.5) years with BMI [mean (SD)] of 23.9 (5.1) kg/m2. During follow-up 51,188 died. Follow-up time was 191,972 person-years. Unadjusted and adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for overall, 30-day, and 1-year mortality decreased significantly with increasing BMI. In women, the highest adjusted HR (95% confidence interval) for overall mortality was seen for underweight patients (BMI <16) 1.83 (1.72-1.95) and the lowest for obesity grade II patients (BMI = 35.0-39.9) 0.66 (0.60-0.73) when using normal weight (BMI = 18.5-24.9) as reference. In men, the HR for BMI <16 and BMI = 35.0-39.9 were 1.98 (1.76-2.23) and 0.56 (0.49-0.65), respectively. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: In hospitalized older patients, association between mortality and BMI did not show a U-shaped or J-shaped curve after adjustment of multiple confounders, including ADLs. Instead, mortality was highest in patients with low BMI and decreased with increasing BMI before leveling off in the obese range. Our study highlights the need for a debate and reassessment of what should be the ideal BMI in this vulnerable patient group.

Disparity in use of modern combination chemotherapy associated with facility type influences survival of 2655 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

AIM: Academic and high volume hospitals have better outcome for pancreatic cancer (PC) surgery, but there are no reports on oncological treatment. We aimed to determine the influence of facility types on overall survival (OS) after treatment with chemotherapy for inoperable PC. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 2,657 patients were treated in Denmark from 2012 to 2018 and registered in the Danish Pancreatic Cancer Database. Facilities were classified as either secondary oncological units or comprehensive, tertiary referral cancer centers. RESULTS: The average yearly number of patients seen at the four tertiary facilities was 71, and 31 at the four secondary facilities. Patients at secondary facilities were older, more frequently had severe comorbidity and lived in non-urban municipalities. As compared to combination chemotherapy, monotherapy with gemcitabine was used more often (59%) in secondary facilities than in tertiary (34%). The unadjusted median OS was 7.7 months at tertiary and 6.1 months at secondary facilities. The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 1.16 (confidence interval 1.07-1.27) demonstrated an excess risk of death for patients treated at secondary facilities, which disappeared when taking type of chemotherapy used into account. Hence, more use of combination chemotherapy was associated with the observed improved OS of patients treated at tertiary facilities. Declining HR's per year of first treatment indicated improved outcomes with time, however the difference among facility types remained significant. DISCUSSION: Equal access to modern combination chemotherapy at all facilities on a national level is essential to ensure equality in treatment results.

Activities of daily living at hospital admission and estimated survival time of older patients.

BACKGROUND: Predicting expected survival time in acutely hospitalised older patients is a clinical challenge. OBJECTIVE: To examine if activities of daily living (ADL) assessed by Barthel-Index-100 (Barthel-Index) at hospital admission adds useful information to clinicians on expected survival time in older patients. METHODS: A nationwide population-based cohort study was used. All patients aged ≥65 years in the National Danish Geriatric Database from 2005 to 2014 were followed up until death, emigration or study termination (31 December 2015). Individual data were linked to national health registers. Barthel-Index was categorised into five-point subcategories with a separate category of Barthel-Index = 0. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to assess crude survival proportions (95% CI) and Cox regression to examine association of Barthel-Index and mortality adjusting for age, Charlson comorbidity index, medication use, BMI, marital status, prior hospitalisations and admission year. RESULTS: In total, 74,589 patients (63% women) aged (mean (SD)) 82.5(7.5) years with Barthel-Index (median (IQR)) 54(29-77) were included. In patients with Barthel-Index = 100-96 crude survival was 0.96(0.95-0.97) after 90-days, 0.88(0.87-0.89) after 1-year, and 0.79(0.78-0.80) after 2-years. Corresponding survival in patients with Barthel-Index = 0 was 0.49(0.47-0.51), 0.35(0.34-0.37) and 0.26(0.24-0.27). Decreasing Barthel-Index was associated with increasing mortality in the multivariable analysis. In women with Barthel-Index = 0, the mortality risk (HR (95% CI)) was 14.74(11.33-19.18) after 90-days, 8.40(7.13-9.90) after 1-year and 6.22(5.47-7.07) after 2-years using Barthel-Index = 100-96 as reference. In men, the corresponding risks were 11.36(8.81-14.66), 6.22(5.29-7.31) and 5.22(4.56-5.98). CONCLUSIONS: ADL measured by Barthel-Index provides useful, easily accessible and independent information to clinicians on expected survival time in patients admitted to a geriatric department.

Contributing factors to the plasma albumin level at diagnosis of hematological malignancy.

OBJECTIVES: Many factors contribute to the plasma albumin (PA) level. We aimed to quantify different factors' relative contribution to the PA level when diagnosing hematological malignancy (HM). METHODS: The study was a population-based registry study including patients with HM in a Danish region. We applied multivariate linear regression analyses with C-reactive protein (CRP), WHO performance score (WHO-PS), age, sex, comorbidity, and HM type as exposures and the PA level on the day of the HM diagnosis (DX) as the outcome. The relative contribution of each exposure was determined as a percentage of the models' coefficient of determination (R2). RESULTS: In total, 2528 patients with HM had PA measured on DX. In the model comprising all exposures, CRP contributed with 65.8% to the R2 of 0.389 whereas 3 variables (CRP, WHO-PS, HM type) together contributed with 96.1%. When CRP was excluded from the model, R2 declined to 0.215 and the WHO-PS contributed with 96%. Other models, including separate analyses for each HM type, corroborated these results, except in myeloma patients where WHO-PS contributed with 61.1% to the R2 of 0.234. CONCLUSION: The inflammation biomarker CRP was the main predictor of the PA level on DX. The WHO-PS also contributed to the PA level on DX whereas the remaining factors (HM type, age, sex, and comorbidity) were of much less importance.

Regional and socio-economic variation in survival after a pancreatic cancer diagnosis in Denmark.

INTRODUCTION: Pancreatic cancer is among the most lethal malignancies with a five-year survival of about 5%, and the only curative treatment is surgical resection. Denmark consists of five governmental regions and has four surgical centres. Our aim was to explore the regional and socio-economic differences in overall survival following a pancreatic cancer diagnosis in Denmark. METHODS: We included a total of 5,244 pancreatic cancer patients (WHO International Classification of Diseases, tenth version C25) registered in the Danish Pancreatic Cancer Database during 2012-2017. The data sources used were the Danish Civil Registration System, the Danish National Patient Registry and the Danish national registers on education and income at Statistics Denmark. Cox regression analysis was used to examine all-cause mortality of pancreatic cancer patients by region of residence and socio-economic status. RESULTS: Compared to The Capital Region, there was an excess mortality in the Central Denmark Region and the North Denmark Region in both men and women, whereas no increased mortality was observed in the Region of Southern Denmark or in Region Zealand. Estimates were adjusted for age, year of diagnosis and comorbidity. Adjustment for surgical resection greatly attenuated the variation in survival between the regions. CONCLUSIONS: We found significant differences in overall survival across the five Danish regions following a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. The regional variation in survival was largely attributable to differences in the propensity to use surgical resection. FUNDING: none. TRIAL REGISTRATION: not relevant.

Regional and socioeconomic variation in survival of melanoma patients in Denmark.

INTRODUCTION: This article explores variation in survival and mortality of Danish melanoma patients from 2012 to 2017 in relation to their region of residence and socioeconomic status. METHODS: Data were extracted from The Danish Melanoma Database, a clinical register, based on reports from hospital departments and dermatologists, and designed for quality improvement. The analysis included covariates at the person and tumour level. A cohort analysis was implemented to quantify the variations and identify the underlying mechanisms behind regional and socioeconomic variations in mortality of melanoma patients. RESULTS: The mortality of melanoma patients varied between the five regions with mean hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) of 1.36 (1.07-1.74) in men and 1.44 (1.08-1.92) in women between the regions with highest and lowest mortality. Mortality was highest in the patients with the lowest income and shortest education. Regional variation in mortality was attributable to underlying variation in tumour stage and thickness, and it was not confounded by other covariates. CONCLUSIONS: The two regions with the lowest mortality (highest survival) had high absolute incidence rates of stage IA and thin melanomas, indicating a high level of diagnostic activity in these regions. There was no regional variation in the incidence of advanced melanoma. The optimal level of diagnostic investigation of skin lesions has yet to be established. FUNDING: none. TRIAL REGISTRATION: not relevant.

Barthel Index at hospital admission is associated with mortality in geriatric patients: a Danish nationwide population-based cohort study.

PURPOSE: The Barthel Index (BI)-100 is used to measure geriatric patients' activities of daily living (ADL). The aim of this study was to explore whether BI at hospital admission is associated with mortality. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In a nationwide population-based cohort study, patients aged ≥65 years admitted during 2005-2014 to Danish geriatric departments were assessed with BI at admission. Data were entered into the Danish National Database of Geriatrics and linked at the individual level to the Danish health registers (Civil Registration System, National Patient Register, and National Database of Reimbursed Prescriptions). The BI was categorized into four predefined standard subcategories according to the national Danish version of the statistical classification of diseases (BI =80-100 [independent ADL], BI =50-79 [moderate reduced ADL], BI =25-49 [low ADL], and BI =0-24 [very low ADL]). Patients were followed until death, emigration, or end of the study (December 31, 2015). Associations with mortality adjusted for age, admission year, marital status, body mass index, Charlson comorbidity index, polypharmacy, and hospitalizations during the preceding year were analyzed by multivariable Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: Totally, 74,603 patients were included. Women (63%) were older than men (mean [SD] age; 83 [7] vs 81 [7] years) and had higher BI (median [IQR]; 55 [30-77] vs 52 [26-77]). Median survival (years [95% CI]) was lowest in the subcategory "BI =0-24" in both women (1.3 [1.2-1.4]) and men (0.9 [0.8-0.9]). Adjusted mortalities (HR [95% CI]; reference BI =80-100) in women were 2.41 (2.31-2.51) for BI =0-24, 1.66 (1.60-1.73) for BI =25-49, and 1.34 (1.29-1.39) for BI =50-79 and in men were 2.07 (1.97-2.18) for BI =0-24, 1.58 (1.51-1.66) for BI =25-49, and 1.29 (1.23-1.35) for BI =50-79. CONCLUSION: BI at admission is strongly and independently associated with mortality in geriatric patients. BI has the potential to provide useful supplementary information for the planning of treatment and future care of older patients.

Treatment strategies and outcomes in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma among 1011 patients aged 75 years or older: A Danish population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Optimal treatment strategy for the oldest patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) remains controversial, as this group often is precluded from clinical trials, and population-based studies are limited. METHODS: All Danish DLBCL-patients ≥75 years diagnosed from 2003 to 2012 were identified, using the Danish National Lymphoma Registry (LYFO). Information regarding baseline characteristics, treatment, comorbidities and outcomes was retrieved from LYFO, the Danish National health registries and medical records. Patients were stratified by age (75-79; 80-84 and 85 + years), comorbidity score and treatment modality (standard treatment [R-CHOP/CHOP-like], less intensive regimens or palliative treatment). FINDINGS: A total of 1011 patients were included. Standard treatment was initiated in 64%, ranging from 83% among patients aged 75-79 years to 32% among patient aged 85 + years. With standard treatment, median overall survival (OS) estimates were 4·6, 2·6, and 1·9 years for the age groups 75-79, 80-84 and 85+ years. Among patient aged 75-79 and 80-84 years, OS was superior with standard treatment, although high comorbidity scores attenuated this association. Among patients aged 85+ years, survival was not influenced by treatment intensity. Patients ≥80 years had similar OS regardless of intended (R-)CHOP dosing, whereas patients of 75-79 years scheduled for full dose had higher OS. Standard treatment was not associated with increased hospitalisation. INTERPRETATION: Standard treatment is feasible with good outcomes in a large proportion of elderly DLBCL-patients. Planned dose reduction in patients aged ≥80 years had no negative impact on OS.

The Danish Cerebral Palsy Follow-up Program.

AIM OF DATABASE: The Danish Cerebral Palsy Follow-up Program is a combined follow-up program and national clinical quality database that aims to monitor and improve the quality of health care for children with cerebral palsy (CP). STUDY POPULATION: The database includes children with CP aged 0-15 years and children with symptoms of CP aged 0-5 years. MAIN VARIABLES: In the follow-up program, the children are offered examinations throughout their childhood by orthopedic surgeons, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and pediatricians. Examinations of gross and fine motor function, manual ability, muscle tone, passive range of motion, use of orthotics, and assistive devices are performed once a year; radiographic examination of the hips is planned based on the child's age and gross motor function; and the diagnosis is performed once before the age of 5 years. Six indicators were developed based on scientific literature and consensus in the steering committee, and their calculation is based on the following four main variables: radiographic examination of the hip, gross motor function, manual ability, and diagnosis. DESCRIPTIVE DATA: The 2014 annual report includes results of the quality indicators in three of five regions in Denmark comprising 432 children with CP, corresponding to a coverage of 82% of the expected population. CONCLUSION: The Danish Cerebral Palsy Follow-up Program is currently under development as a national clinical quality database in Denmark. The database holds potential for research in prevalence, clinical characteristics of the population, and the effects of prevention and treatment.

Cancer risk and mortality after kidney transplantation: a population-based study on differences between Danish centres using standard immunosuppression with and without glucocorticoids.

BACKGROUND: Kidney recipients receive immunosuppression to prevent graft rejection, and long-term outcomes such as post-transplant cancer and mortality may vary according to the different protocols of immunosuppression. METHODS: A national register-based historical cohort study was conducted to examine whether post-transplant cancer and all-cause mortality differed between Danish renal transplantation centres using standard immunosuppressive protocols including steroids (Centres 2, 3, 4) or a steroid-free protocol (Centre 1). The Danish Nephrology Registry, the Danish Civil Registration System, the Danish National Cancer Registry and the Danish National Patient Register were used. A historical cohort of 1450 kidney recipients transplanted in 1995-2005 was followed up with respect to post-transplant cancer and death until 31 December 2011. RESULTS: Compared with Center 1 the adjusted post-transplant cancer risk was 6-39% lower in Centre 3 [hazard ratio (HR) 0.94, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.67-1.32], in Centre 2 (HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.52-0.98) and in Centre 4 (HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.44-0.83). Compared with Center 1, the adjusted post-transplant mortality was 21-55% higher in Centre 4 (HR 1.21, 95% CI 0.91-1.61), in Centre 3 (HR 1.35, 95% CI 0.98-1.86) and in Centre 2 (HR 1.55, 95% CI 1.17-2.05). On average, post-transplant cancer was associated with a 4-fold increase in the risk of death (HR 4.25, 95% CI 3.36-5.38). CONCLUSIONS: There was a tendency of a higher post-transplant cancer occurrence, but lower all-cause mortality, in the Danish transplantation centre that adhered to a standard steroid-free immunosuppressive protocol.

Optimism and survival: does an optimistic outlook predict better survival at advanced ages? A twelve-year follow-up of Danish nonagenarians.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Studies examining predictors of survival among the oldest-old have primarily focused on objective measures, such as physical function and health status. Only a few studies have examined the effect of personality traits on survival, such as optimism. The aim of this study was to examine whether an optimistic outlook predicts survival among the oldest-old. METHODS: The Danish 1905 Cohort Survey is a nationwide, longitudinal survey comprising all individuals born in Denmark in 1905. At baseline in 1998, a total of 2,262 persons aged 92 or 93 agreed to participate in the intake survey. The baseline in-person interview consisted of a comprehensive questionnaire including physical functioning and health, and a question about whether the respondent had an optimistic, neutral or pessimistic outlook on his or her own future. RESULTS: During the follow-up period of 12 years (1998-2010) there were 2,239 deaths (99 %) in the 1905 Cohort Survey. Univariable analyses revealed that optimistic women and men were at lower risk of death compared to their neutral counterparts [HR 0.82, 95 % CI (0.73-0.93) and 0.81, 95 % CI (0.66-0.99), respectively]. When confounding factors such as baseline physical and cognitive functioning and disease were taken into account the association between optimism and survival weakened in both sexes, but the general pattern persisted. Optimistic women were still at lower risk of death compared to neutral women [HR 0.85, 95 % CI (0.74-0.97)]. The risk of death was also decreased for optimistic men compared to their neutral counterparts, but the effect was non-significant [HR 0.91, 95 % CI (0.73-1.13)]. CONCLUSION: An optimistic outlook appears to be a significant predictor of survival among the oldest-old women. It may also be a significant predictor for men but the sample size is small.

Centenarians--a useful model for healthy aging? A 29-year follow-up of hospitalizations among 40,000 Danes born in 1905.

Centenarians surpass the current human life expectancy with about 20-25 years. However, whether centenarians represent healthy aging still remains an open question. Previous studies have been hampered by a number of methodological shortcomings such as a cross-sectional design and lack of an appropriate control group. In a longitudinal population-based cohort, it was examined whether the centenarian phenotype may be a useful model for healthy aging. The study was based on a complete follow up of 39,945 individuals alive in the Danish 1905 birth cohort on January 1, 1977 identified through the Danish Civil Registration System (DCRS). Data from the Danish Demographic Database and The Danish National Patient Register (in existence since 1977) were used. The 1905 cohort was followed up from 1977 through 2004 with respect to hospitalizations and number of hospital days. Survival status was available until December 2006. Danish centenarians from the 1905 cohort were hospitalized substantially less than their shorter-lived contemporaries at the same point in time during the years 1977 through 2004. For example, at age 71-74, the proportion of nonhospitalized centenarians was 80.5% compared with 68.4% among individuals who died in their early 80s. This trend was evident in both sexes. As a result of their lower hospitalization rates and length of stay in hospital compared with their contemporaries, who died at younger ages, Danish centenarians represent healthy agers. Centenarians constitute a useful study population in the search for fixed traits associated with exceptional longevity, such as genotype.

Improving activities of daily living in danish centenarians--but only in women: a comparative study of two birth cohorts born in 1895 and 1905.

BACKGROUND: The number of centenarians has increased rapidly since the 1950s. In Denmark, 42% more of the 1905 birth cohort made it to 100 years of age compared to the 1895 cohort. We tested whether this increased survival proportion has resulted in an increased disability level in the more recent cohort of centenarians. METHODS: The Longitudinal Study of Danish Centenarians (LSDC) included all persons who reached the age of 100 years in the period from April 1, 1995 through May 31, 1996 (a total of 276 persons). In total, 207 persons participated in the survey (75%). The Danish 1905 Cohort Survey included all individuals born in Denmark in 1905. At baseline in 1998, a total of 2262 persons participated in the intake survey (63%). In total, 225 of 364 persons (62%) who reached their 100th birthday in the cohort participated in the most recent 2005 wave. Basic Activities of Daily Living (BADLs) and Physical Activities of Daily Living (PADLs) were assessed in both cohorts. RESULTS: The 1905 cohort displayed better self-reported ADLs than the 1895 cohort did. Stratified by gender, this apparent cohort advantage was due to women in the 1905 cohort performing significantly better than their female counterparts in the 1895 cohort. CONCLUSION: The increasing number of female centenarians does not entail increasing proportions of disabled individuals. In contrast, there is a lack of improvement in ADLs among male centenarians even though the number of male centenarians is stagnating.

Sex differential in mortality trends of old-aged Danes: a nation wide study of age, period and cohort effects.

OBJECTIVE: Over the last half century the mortality rates in Denmark for females above age 80 have declined dramatically whereas the decline for males have been modest, resulting in a change in sex-ratio for centenarians from 2 to 5. Here we investigate whether this mortality pattern is mainly explained by period effects, cohort effects or both. This can provide clues for where to search for causes behind the changes in sex differential in mortality seen in many Western countries during the last decades. METHODS: Age-period-cohort study of mortality for all Danish women and men aged 79-98 during the period 1949-2006. OUTCOME MEASURES: Relative risks for deaths and second order differences for exploration of the nonlinear variation. RESULTS: Both the overall trends in mortality differences and the fluctuations in mortality for both men and women were better explained by period effects than by cohort effects. The observed rates were better described by the age, period and cohort model than by other models. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that causes for both the overall increased difference in mortality and the short term fluctuations in mortality rates are primarily to be found in the period dimension. Cohort effects on the mortality of the oldest Danish women and men played a significant but minor role compared to period effects.