Association Between the "COVID-19 Occupational Vulnerability Index" and COVID-19 Severity and Sequelae Among Hospital Employees.

OBJECTIVES: In addition to personal and health related factors, healthcare workers have an increased risk due to their work. We assessed the association of the score of the Occupational Vulnerability Index with the risk of suffering a severe COVID-19 and sequelae. METHODS: Retrospective observational study carried out in healthcare workers. Among 119 employees infected, the COVID-19 Occupational Vulnerability Index (composed of 29 items regarding personal health, working conditions, and ability to comply with preventive measures) was calculated and correlated with COVID-19 severity/sequelae. RESULTS: Workers with higher scores (six to seven points) had a significantly increased risk of developing severe disease (OR = 9.73; 95% CI, 1.53 to 35.56) and clinical sequelae (OR = 5.22; 95% CI, 1.80 to 15.16) than those with lower scores (0 to 3). CONCLUSION: The "COVID-19 Occupational Vulnerability Index" may predict the risk of severe COVID-19 disease and clinical sequelae among healthcare workers.

[Prevalence of impaired fasting glucose in a working population of Spanish Mediterranean area: influence of sociodemographic variables and healthy habits]. / Prevalencia de glucemia basal alterada (GBA) en población laboral del área mediterránea española: Influencia de variables sociodemográficas y hábitos saludables.

INTRODUCTION: The impaired fasting glucose (IFG) is an intermediate clinical situation between normal glucose and type 2 diabetes, it is known that 25% of people with IFG progress to type 2 diabetes. METHODS: Descriptive study in 60,798 Spanish workers. The IFG was determined using the American Diabetes Association (ADA) criteria: 100-125 mg/dl and the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria: 110-125 mg/dl. The influence of sociodemographic variables (age, sex, social class, studies class) and healthy habits (tobacco, alcohol consumption, physical activity, feeding) were evaluated in the IFG prevalence. RESULTS: The IFG prevalence was 3.3% (1.8% in women and 4.5% in men) using the WHO criteria and 11.8% (7% in women and 15.4% in men) using the ADA criteria. The IFG is more common in men and increases with age. People with low socioeconomic status (social classes IV and V, blue collar and primary studies) and poor health habits (smokers, heavy alcohol consumption and low physical activity) have a higher prevalence. CONCLUSIONS: The sociodemographic variables and the healthy habits, except consumption of fruits and vegetables, influence the prevalence of IFG.

Riesgo cardiovascular en la población laboral: Impacto en aspectos preventivos / Cardiovascular risk in the working population: Impact on the preventive aspects

Parámetros de obesidad en la población laboral española y la relación con los parámetros de riesgo cardiovascular. Objetivo: Establecer relaciones entre la obesidad y los diferentes parámetros de riesgo cardiovascular que faciliten la implantación de estrategias preventivas en el ámbito laboral. Método: Estudio transversal realizado a 1,447 trabajadores de empresas del sector servicios (terciario) de España. Se parte de los valores de la FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) para la catalogación de sobrepeso/obesidad y se realiza el estudio bivariante con parámetros analíticos, de obesidad, estilo de vida, cálculo de la edad del corazón y riesgo cardiovascular-Framingham. Resultados: El sobrepeso muestra relaciones estadísticas significativas con riesgo incrementado de hipertensión arterial, glucemia basal y diabetes, incremento de grasa corporal, visceral y perímetro de cintura, menor masa muscular, índices elevados de lípidos, estilos de vida no saludables y coexistencia con patologías de riesgo cardiovascular. Los parámetros de edad del corazón, los años perdidos y Framingham son mayores en personas con sobrepeso. Conclusiones: La actuación preventiva desde las empresas parte de un conocimiento previo de la situación de riesgo cardiovascular de los trabajadores, facilitando una planificación más eficaz y menor coste de las acciones en promoción de la salud e intervención coordinadas con los especialistas involucrados en su control y seguimiento.

Obesity parameters in Spanish working population and its relation to cardiovascular risk parameters. Objective: Linking obesity and cardiovascular risk various parameters to facilitate the implementation of preventive strategies in the workplace. Method: Cross-sectional study of 1,447 workers in companies in the service sector (tertiary) of Spain. Values are part of FAO cataloging of overweight/obesity and bivariate study is performed with laboratory parameters, obesity, lifestyle, age calculation heart and Framingham-cardiovascular risk. Results: Overweight show significant statistical relationships with increased risk of blood pressure, fasting glucose and diabetes, increased body fat, waist circumference and visceral fat, decreased muscle mass, high levels of lipids, unhealthy life styles and coexistence with pathologies of cardiovascular risk. Parameters of heart age, lost years and Framingham are higher in overweight people. Conclusions: Preventive action from companies start with a prior knowledge of the situation of workers relative to cardiovascular risk, thus facilitating better planning and lower cost actions in health promotion and intervention, coordinated with specialists involved in control and monitoring.

[Sick leaves caused by psychiatric diseases in Spain during 2011]. / La incapacidad temporal en España por algunas enfermedades psiquiátricas. (Trastornos esquizofrénicos, trastorno bipolar y trastornos ansiosos, depresivos y adaptativos).

BACKGROUND: Psychiatric and mood disorders may hamper the efficiency of workers and cause absenteeism. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Revision of sick leaves related to schizophrenia, bipolar diseases, anxiety, depression and adaptive disorders that were granted in Spain in the period January- December 2011. The mean number of days off work for each disease and the costs per each labor day lost were calculated. RESULTS: The total number of labor days lost for schizophrenia, bipolar diseases and mood disorders were 72,831; 899,107 and 3,666,055 days, respectively. The mean duration of sick leaves for the same diagnoses were 84; 100 and 64 days/year respectively. The total indirect costs of sick leaves for psychiatric diseases during 2011 were € 100 million approximately, corresponding to 4% of costs for all diseases. CONCLUSIONS: The high costs of absenteeism derived from psychiatric diseases should prompt measures to promote a better adaptation to work environments of people suffering these ailments.

Protective effect of myo-inositol hexaphosphate (phytate) on bone mass loss in postmenopausal women.

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this paper was to evaluate the relationship between urinary concentrations of InsP6, bone mass loss and risk fracture in postmenopausal women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 157 postmenopausal women were included in the study: 70 had low (≤0.76 µM), 42 intermediate (0.76-1.42 µM) and 45 high (≥1.42 µM) urinary phytate concentrations. Densitometry values for neck were measured at enrollment and after 12 months (lumbar spine and femoral neck), and 10-year risk fracture was calculated using the tool FRAX(®). RESULTS: Individuals with low InsP6 levels had significantly greater bone mass loss in the lumbar spine (3.08 ± 0.65 % vs. 0.43 ± 0.55 %) than did those with high phytate levels. Moreover, a significantly greater percentage of women with low than with high InsP6 levels showed more than 2 % of bone mass loss in the lumbar spine (55.6 vs. 20.7 %). The 10-year fracture probability was also significantly higher in the low-phytate group compared to the high-phytate group, both in hip (0.37 ± 0.06 % vs 0.18 ± 0.04 %) and major osteoporotic fracture (2.45 ± 0.24 % vs 1.83 ± 0.11 %). DISCUSSION: It can be concluded that high urinary phytate concentrations are correlated with reduced bone mass loss in lumbar spine over 12 months and with reduced 10-year probability of hip and major osteoporotic fracture, indicating that increased phytate consumption can prevent development of osteoporosis.

[No traumatic labor accident risk in diabetic patient. View from the Spanish legislation]. / Diabetes, accidente de trabajo y daño laboral. Revisión desde la legislación española.

The Spanish legislation includes the concept of industrial accidents and industrial damage since 1900, although since then in our country some legislative changes have been made, reaching the current Occupational Risk Prevention Law (ORPL) of 1995 and the legislation emanating from it. This is a controversial concept, if we talk about nontraumatic labor injury that carries consequences in the workplace, civil, criminal and contentious administrative disputes, and economic gains. It differs from others in both in qualifying risk and their benefits; the concept also exists in the other European Union countries and in different Spanish-American countries. Therefore the objective of the paper is to discuss the concept of traumatic industrial accident and non-traumatic labor injury in Spain from the point of view of our law and to establish future benchmarks with professionals of other countries around us for enabling collaboration and joint improvement of the safety and about the health of workers.