Interdisciplinary Approaches to Assessing the Health of People Living in Environmentally Adverse Conditions.

BACKGROUND: The health status of the population of different ages was examined. Since children are very vulnerable to environmental factors, our goal was to examine their health status and compare them with those of the older population. Also one of the important tasks of our study was the installation of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks for children and adults of different sexes. METHODS: During our research, we calculated the air pollution index, investigated the incidence statistics of the population, and calculated the lifetime average daily dose (LADD). We investigated the content of sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen oxide, ammonium and hydrogen carbonates and compared it with safe level of exposure. RESULTS: In Aktobe, the Republic of Kazakhstan the external environment is polluted with boron and chromium, and in Aktau - with organic hydrocarbons. High morbidity rates in adolescents were found for endocrine disorders, digestive system diseases, and musculoskeletal system disorders. Estimating the prevalence and incidence of newly diagnosed diseases among women in Aktau showed that the overall incidence rate, as well as the incidence of respiratory and skin diseases, declines with age. The incidence of the genitourinary system and the number of nervous disorders increase, and the number of neoplasms increases in men population. A study of carcinogenic risks showed that children with Aktau, especially boys, have the greatest risk of cancer. CONCLUSION: The conducted research shows that environmental factors have a big impact on the health of the population.

New Circumpapillary Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness and Bruch's Membrane Opening-Minimum Rim Width Assessment in Nonglaucomatous Eyes with Large Discs.

PURPOSE: To compare the new spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) algorithm for measuring circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness centered on Bruch's membrane opening (BMO), RNFLBMO1, with the conventional circumpapillary RNFL thickness measurement centered on the optic disc (RNFLDI), and assess the BMO-minimum rim width (BMO-MRW) in nonglaucomatous eyes with large discs. METHODS: This prospective, cross-sectional, observational study included a total of 91 eyes of 91 patients having nonglaucomatous eyes with large discs (Group 1) and 50 eyes of 50 healthy subjects (Group 2). The optic nerve head (ONH) parameters obtained by confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (CSLO), peripapillary RNFL thickness, BMO area, and BMO-MRW were imaged with SD-OCT. RESULTS: The mean disc size was 3.06 ± 0.42 mm2 (range, 2.61-4.68) in Group 1 and 1.95 ± 0.23 mm2 (range, 1.6-2.43) in Group 2 (p=0.0001). The mean BMO area was 2.9 ± 0.58 mm2 (range, 1.26-4.62) in Group 1 and 2.05 ± 0.31 mm2 (range, 1.51-2.82) in Group 2 (p=0.0001). The difference between RNFLDI and RNFLBMO1 measurements in Group 1 was stronger than in Group 2 because it was significant in all sectors in large discs. The mean global BMO-MRW thickness was significantly thinner in large discs; it was 252.95 ± 42.16 µ (range, 170-420) in Group 1 and 326.06 ± 73.39 µ (range, 210-440) in Group 2 (p=0.0001). There was a positive correlation between BMO-MRW thickness measurements and RNFL thickness parameters, both with RNFLDI and RNFLBMO1, in global and all optic nerve sectors except temporal quadrants with r = 0.257-0.431 (p ≤ 0.001-0.01) in Group 1. But in control group, Group 2, there was a weak correlation or no correlation between BMO-MRW thickness measurements and RNFL thickness parameters with r = -0.256-0.328 (p=0.797-0.02). CONCLUSION: The new circumpapillary RNFL scanning algorithm centered on BMO is better to assess the RNFL thickness and BMO-MRW in large discs for the early diagnosis of glaucoma.

Morbidity, Disability and Death Rates of The Population Due to Malignant Neoplasms in Uralsk City in The Republic of Kazakhstan

Objective: The dynamics of morbidity, disability and death rates due to malignant neoplasms in the population in Uralsk city of the Republic of Kazakhstan were studied for 2011-2015, with a focus on age and sex, as well as tumor location. Methods: Statistics for total morbidity, primary disability and mortality from cancer in the adult population of the city of Uralsk for 2011-2015 were calculated per 100 thousand. Estimation of morbidity was based on data from form - №12 «Report on the number of diseases registered in patients living in the area of health care organizations and patient population under medical observation". Evaluation of primary disability was based on form №7 «The distribution of newly recognized disabled by disease class, age, sex and disability groups" for 2011-2015 in Ural city and analysis of cancer was carried out using annual form 7 "Report on the sick, and diseases of malignant neoplasms". Result: The most common localizations of cancer were the trachea, bronchi, lungs, stomach and mammary glands. High death rates were noted for patients with cancer of the trachea, bronchi, lung, as compared to stomach and esophagus. Conclusion: The results of our investigation and data in the literature indicate that regional characteristics influence the impact of risk factors associated with cancer. An unfavorable environmental background contributes to ill health of urban populations, contributing to development of cancer. Moreover behavioral risk factors are very important, such as smoking, alcohol drinking, and an unhealthy diet. All these factors require urgent adoption of a package of measures for prevention, early detection and timely treatment. Detailed study of cancer is necessary to develop national programs and activities for prevention and control.