La incapacidad temporal: un instrumento para la vigilancia de la salud de los trabajadores / Sick leave. A tool for monitoring worker's health

Entendemos la vigilancia de la salud como la recogida, el análisis y la interpretación sistemáticas de datos de salud de los trabajadores con la finalidad de proteger la salud y prevenir la enfermedad. Esta vigilancia, que puede ser individual o colectiva, se limita habitualmente a los exámenes de salud más o menos orientados a los riesgos laborales. Otros instrumentos de la vigilancia, como los cuestionarios o el análisis de la incapacidad laboral por contingencias comunes son, en la práctica, poco utilizados. Este trabajo pretende ser un ejemplo de cómo el análisis de los episodios de incapacidad temporal por contingencias comunes puede ser un buen instrumento en la vigilancia individual y colectiva de la salud de los trabajadores (AU)

[Prevalence and factors associated to the presence of fatty liver in apparently healthy adult men]. / Prevalencia y factores asociados a la presencia de esteatosis hepática en varones adultos aparentemente sanos.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol intake in one of the factors associated with fatty liver, although its contribution as well as other factors have not been completely established. Therefore the aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and associated factors for fatty liver diagnosed by ultrasonography. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: 1,801 presumably healthy male workers (age range 18-60 years). A complete physical and laboratory investigations, including HBsAg and anti-HCV antibodies, a detailed interview on alcohol intake, and an abdominal ultrasound examination were performed in all cases. Diagnosis of fatty liver was based on defined ultrasonographic criteria. RESULTS: Eighty eight cases were excluded because of the HBsAg or anti-HCV positivity or incomplete ultrasonography. Among the remaining 1,713 cases, 236 (13.8%; 12.2-15.4) had fatty liver. Logistic regression analysis disclosed age (RR: 1.04; CI 95%; 1.03-1.05), ethanol intake > 40 g/d (2.19; 1.81-2.65), gamma-glutamyl-transferase > 40 U/l (3.51; 2.95-4.18), body mass index > 30 (3.87; 3.22-4.66) and glycemia > 120 mg/dl (2.69; 1.85-3.90) as the risk factors for fatty liver. Fatty liver was present in 8.8% of cases who did not have obesity, diabetes or hypercholesterolemia. When the subjects with obesity, hyperglycemia or hypercholesterolemia were excluded, regression analysis confirmed age, ethanol intake and gamma-glutamyl-transferase as independent factors associated with fatty liver. CONCLUSIONS: Age, alcohol intake, obesity, and increased serum levels of glucose, cholesterol and gammaglutamyl transferase are the main factors associated with fatty liver in presumably healthy adult men.