ABSTRACT
This article examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on potential years of life lost (PYLL) in Romania's counties in 2020 and 2021. PYLL highlights the burden of premature deaths in a community and is a useful tool for prioritizing community health issues. The study compares the PYLL variation between different counties, identifying disparities in premature mortality rates and highlighting areas that require specific public health interventions. The results indicate that COVID-19 has had a significant impact on potential years of life lost across the country. For the year 2020, the total number of deaths from confirmed COVID-19 cases was 19,455, of which 14,152 premature deaths caused 193,489 PYLL, with a crude rate of 1053.28 PYLL per 100,000 inhabitants. In 2021, there were 39,966 deaths from confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 28,777 premature deaths, 386,061 PYLL, and a crude rate of 2116.63 PYLL per 100,000 population. This study reveals significant variations only in some counties, based on BYLL rates, and in the two years analyzed. The proportion of premature deaths (<80 years) varied by county and gender. PYLL's analysis by gender shows that men experienced a higher number of premature deaths than women in most counties, and this trend persisted in both years. The results are presented in the form of thematic maps, highlighting standardized PYLL rates for both genders in each county, facilitating a visual understanding of regional disparities. The identified variations can serve as a basis for developing and implementing more effective public health policies, based on the specifics of each county.
ABSTRACT
It is important to assess the physical and nutritional status of the body using a bioelectrical impedance analyzer (BIA) in patients with cachexia; however, the correlation between cachexia and nutritional evaluations remains unclear. The objective of this study is to follow the effects of diet therapy in patients with cachexia/sarcopenia, using parameters measured by BIA, clinical parameters, and other nutrition-related assessments in patients with osteoporosis. This study aims to clarify the correlation between BIA-measured parameters, clinical parameters, and other nutrition-related assessments. Methods: Measurements of body composition, a clinical assessment of the sarcopenia/cachexia, and nutritional goal setting/a nutrition care process were performed. Results: The number of subjects was 200, of which 15 people (7.5%) were diagnosed with sarcopenia/cachexia. Univariate analyses showed that participants with a high body-fat mass tend to develop sarcopenic obesity (p = 0.029), those who lost a significant and progressive amount of muscle mass tend to develop sarcopenia (p = 0.001), as well as those with malnutrition (p < 0.001). The regression study shows not only the correlation but also the cause of the correlation, as is the case with obesity. As obesity increases, so does the sarcopenic index (this can explain sarcopenic obesity), and as fat mass decreases it leads to muscle mass loss, increasing the risk of cachexia with age. Conclusions: There was an improvement, but statistically insignificant, in cachexia and the nutritional objectives (p > 0.05); at the same time, correlations were established between the independent parameters (sex, age) and malnutrition parameters (hemoglobin and amylase) with the parameters of the research.
