The relationship between weight gain during pregnancy and allopregnanolone levels: a longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVE: Large weight gain during pregnancy is a risk factor for complications for mother and fetus. Hunger and satiety are regulated in the hypothalamus, where the gamma-amino-butyric acid system (GABA) has an important role. Allopregnanolone, a progesterone metabolite, increases during pregnancy and is a potent GABA-A receptor modulating steroid. Allopregnanolone has been shown to induce overeating in rodents. The aim was to investigate whether there is a relationship between weight gain and allopregnanolone concentrations during pregnancy in humans. DESIGN: A longitudinal, cohort study. METHODS: Pregnant women (n = 56) were recruited in primary care in northern Sweden. Allopregnanolone concentrations in plasma were measured using radioimmunoassay and weight was measured in gestational weeks 12 and 35. RESULTS: Weight increase correlated significantly to allopregnanolone in late pregnancy increase (rs = 0.320; P = 0.016), indicating a positive relationship between weight increase and allopregnanolone increase. A positive relationship was also noted between allopregnanolone in the 35th gestational week and weight increase. Women who gained ≥11 kg during pregnancy showed higher allopregnanolone concentrations in week 35 and higher increase compared to women who increased <11 kg (P = 0.006 and P = 0.009 resp.). There was no difference in weight or allopregnanolone concentrations at the onset of pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: The results show a relationship between weight gain during pregnancy and increase in allopregnanolone concentrations.

Atrial fibrillation among patients under investigation for suspected obstructive sleep apnea.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Obstructive sleep apnea is common among patients with atrial fibrillation, but the prevalence and risk factors for atrial fibrillation among patients who are being investigated on suspicion of sleep apnea are not well known. The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of atrial fibrillation among patients investigated for suspected obstructive sleep apnea and to identify risk factors for atrial fibrillation among them. METHODS: The prevalence of atrial fibrillation was investigated among 201 patients referred for suspected obstructive sleep apnea. Patients without known atrial fibrillation were investigated with a standard 12-lead ECG at hospital and short intermittent handheld ECG recordings at home, during 14 days. RESULTS: Atrial fibrillation occurred in 13 of 201 subjects (6.5%), and in 12 of 61 men aged 60 years and older (20%). The prevalence of atrial fibrillation increased with sleep apnea severity (p = 0.038). All patients with atrial fibrillation were men and all had sleep apnea. Age 60 or older, the occurrence of central sleep apnea and diabetes mellitus were independent risk factors for atrial fibrillation after adjustments for body mass index, gender, sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease. CONCLUSIONS: Atrial fibrillation is common among subjects referred for sleep apnea investigation and the prevalence of atrial fibrillation increases with sleep apnea severity. Independent risk factors for atrial fibrillation among patients investigated for suspected obstructive sleep apnea include the occurrence of coexisting central sleep apnea, age 60 years or older and diabetes mellitus.

Swedish women's food habits during pregnancy up to six months post-partum: A longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVES: Diet influences the health of the foetus and the woman during pregnancy and later in life. It is therefore important to investigate pregnant women's food habits. The aim of this study was to describe women's food habits during pregnancy and up to six months post-partum. STUDY DESIGN: A Food Frequency Questionnaire (VIP-FFQ) was distributed to 163 pregnant women on five occasions during and after pregnancy. Data were analysed using Friedman's ANOVA and a Bonferroni post-hoc test. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Food habits in relation to the National Food Agency's (NFA) food index. RESULTS: The pregnant women's diets were inadequate according to the NFA food index. A tendency towards an even poorer diet after delivery was identified, something which was related to an increased intake of discretionary food, e.g. sweets, cakes, cookies, crisps, ice cream, and decreased intake of fruit and vegetable. The alcohol consumption was low throughout. CONCLUSIONS: The food habits during pregnancy were inadequate compared to recommendations and these habits became unhealthier after delivery. These suggest that dietary counselling needs to be more effective and continued into the lactating period. An increased focus should be given to healthy eating from the life course perspective, not just focus on effects on the foetus and pregnancy outcomes.

Vitamin D Status during Pregnancy: A Longitudinal Study in Swedish Women from Early Pregnancy to Seven Months Postpartum.

Low vitamin D levels during pregnancy may have negative consequences for the health of both the mother and child. Cross-sectional studies in childbearing women suggest that vitamin D levels are low during pregnancy, but few studies have followed the same women during pregnancy and postpartum. The aims of this study were to longitudinally assess vitamin D status during pregnancy and postpartum and identify the factors associated with vitamin D status in pregnant women in northern Sweden. Between September 2006 and March 2009, 184 women were consecutively recruited at five antenatal primary care clinics. Blood was sampled, and dietary intake was estimated using a food frequency questionnaire with 66 food items/food aggregates and questions on the intake of vitamin supplements at gestational weeks 12, 21, and 35, as well as at 12 and 29 weeks after birth. Plasma 25(OH) vitamin D levels were analyzed using liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry. At least one-third of the women had 25(OH) vitamin D levels <50 nmol/L on at least one sampling occasion. Plasma levels increased slightly over the gestation period and peaked in late pregnancy. The levels reverted to the baseline levels after birth. Multivariate analysis showed that gestational and postpartum week, season, dietary intake of vitamin D, and vitamin supplementation were significantly related to plasma levels. There was also an influence of season on the longitudinal concentration patterns. In conclusion, more than one-third of the women studied had low 25(OH) vitamin D levels, and gestational and postpartum week was related to 25(OH) vitamin D levels after adjustment for season and vitamin D intake.

[Identification of paroxysmal, transient arrhythmias: Intermittent registration more efficient than the 24-hour Holter monitoring]. / Identifiering av paroxysmala, kortvariga arytmier: - Intermittent registrering mer effektiv än 24-timmars Holter-EKG.

Many patients suffer from palpitations or dizziness/presyncope. These patients are often referred for Holter ECG (24 hour), although the sensitivity for detecting arrhythmias is low. A new method, short intermittent regular and symptomatic ECG registrations at home, might be a convenient and more sensitive alternative also suitable for primary health care. In this case report we present a patient who had contacted health care several times during a seven year period for paroxysmal palpitations. Routine examination with 24 hour Holter ECG and event recorder did not result in a diagnosis. Using intermittent handheld ECG registration at home, a paroxysmal supraventricular arrhythmia was diagnosed. Further investigation revealed that the patient had a concealed Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome.

Reported dietary intake in early pregnant compared to non-pregnant women - a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: A woman's nutritional status before conception and during pregnancy is important for maternal health and the health of the foetus. The aim of the study was to compare diet intake in early pregnant women with non-pregnant women. METHODS: Between September 2006 and March 2009, 226 women in early pregnancy were consecutively recruited at five antenatal clinics in Northern Sweden. Referent women (n = 211) were randomly selected from a current health screening project running in the same region (the Västerbotten Intervention Program; VIP). We collected diet data with a self-reported validated food frequency questionnaire with 66 food items/food aggregates, and information on portion size, alcohol consumption, and supplement intake. Data were analysed using descriptive, comparative statistics and multivariate partial least square modelling. RESULTS: Intake of folate and vitamin D from foods was generally low for both groups. Intake of folate and vitamin D supplements was generally high in the pregnant group and led to significantly higher total estimated intake of vitamin D and folate in the pregnant group. Iron intake from foods tended to be lower in pregnant women although iron supplement intake evened out the difference with respect to iron intake from foods only. Energy intake was slightly lower in pregnant women but not significant, a reflection of that they reported consuming significantly less of potatoes/rice/pasta, meat/fish, and vegetables (grams/day) than the women in the referent group. CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, women in early pregnancy reported less intake of vegetables, potatoes, meat, and alcohol than non-pregnant women. As they also had a low intake (below the Nordic Nutritional Recommendations) of folate, vitamin D, and iron from foods, some of these women and their unborn children are possibly at risk for adverse effects on the pregnancy and birth outcome.

Remote evaluation of video-otoscopy recordings in an unselected pediatric population with an otitis media scale.

BACKGROUND: A recently validated image-based grading scale for acute otitis media (OMGRADE) can be used to assess tympanic membrane (TM) status. The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of this scale for remote assessments of TM status using video-otoscopy recordings in an unselected pediatric population. METHOD: Children 2-16 years attending a South African primary health clinic were offered an ear examination by an otologist using otomicroscopy. An ear and hearing telehealth facilitator then made video-otoscopy recordings (9-33s) of the ears and uptakes were uploaded to a secure server for remote assessments in Sweden by an otologist and general practitioner at four- and eight-weeks post onsite assessment. TM appearance was judged according to the OMGRADE scale. Concordance between onsite otomicroscopy and asynchronous assessments of video-otoscopy recordings was calculated together with intra- and inter-rater agreements. RESULTS: One hundred and eighty ears were included. Concordance of TM classifications using the OMGRADE scale was found to be substantial (weighted kappa range 0.66-0.79). Intra- and inter-rater agreement (test-retest) was found to be substantial to almost perfect (weighted kappa range 0.85-0.88 and 0.69-0.72, respectively). CONCLUSION: The OMGRADE scale can be used to accurately assess the normal TM and secretory otitis media (SOM) remotely using video-otoscopy recordings in an unselected pediatric population.

Intermittent short ECG recording is more effective than 24-hour Holter ECG in detection of arrhythmias.

BACKGROUND: Many patients report symptoms of palpitations or dizziness/presyncope. These patients are often referred for 24-hour Holter ECG, although the sensitivity for detecting relevant arrhythmias is comparatively low. Intermittent short ECG recording over a longer time period might be a convenient and more sensitive alternative. The objective of this study is to compare the efficacy of 24-hour Holter ECG with intermittent short ECG recording over four weeks to detect relevant arrhythmias in patients with palpitations or dizziness/presyncope. DESIGN: prospective, observational, cross-sectional study. SETTING: Clinical Physiology, University Hospital. PATIENTS: 108 consecutive patients referred for ambiguous palpitations or dizziness/presyncope. INTERVENTIONS: All individuals underwent a 24-hour Holter ECG and additionally registered 30-second handheld ECG (Zenicor EKG® thumb) recordings at home, twice daily and when having cardiac symptoms, during 28 days. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Significant arrhythmias: atrial fibrillation (AF), paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT), atrioventricular (AV) block II-III, sinus arrest (SA), wide complex tachycardia (WCT). RESULTS: 95 patients, 42 men and 53 women with a mean age of 54.1 years, completed registrations. Analysis of Holter registrations showed atrial fibrillation (AF) in two patients and atrioventricular (AV) block II in one patient (= 3.2% relevant arrhythmias [95% CI 1.1-8.9]). Intermittent handheld ECG detected nine patients with AF, three with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) and one with AV-block-II (= 13.7% relevant arrhythmias [95% CI 8.2-22.0]). There was a significant difference between the two methods in favour of intermittent ECG with regard to the ability to detect relevant arrhythmias (P = 0.0094). With Holter ECG, no symptoms were registered during any of the detected arrhythmias. With intermittent ECG, symptoms were registered during half of the arrhythmia episodes. CONCLUSIONS: Intermittent short ECG recording during four weeks is more effective in detecting AF and PSVT in patients with ambiguous symptoms arousing suspicions of arrhythmia than 24-hour Holter ECG.

Screening for atrial fibrillation with baseline and intermittent ECG recording in an out-of-hospital population.

BACKGROUND: the objective of this study is to investigate the detection rate of undiagnosed atrial fibrillation (AF) with short intermittent ECG recordings during four weeks among out-of-hospital patients, having at least one additional risk factor (CHADS2) for stroke. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Eight family practice centres and two hospital-based out-patient clinics in Sweden. SUBJECTS: 989 out-of-hospital patients, without known AF, having one or more risk factors associated with stroke (CHADS2). INTERVENTIONS: All individuals were asked to perform 10-second handheld ECG recordings during 28 days, twice daily and when having palpitations. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Episodes of AF on handheld ECG recordings were defined as irregular supraventricular extrasystoles in series with a duration of 10 seconds. RESULTS: 928 patients completed registration. AF was found in 35 of 928 patients; 3.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.7-5.2). These 35 patients had a mean age of 70.7 years (SD ± 7.7; range 53-85) and a median CHADS2 of 2 (range 1-4). CONCLUSIONS: Intermittent handheld ECG recording over a four week period had a detection rate of 3.8% newly diagnosed AF, in a population of 928 out-of-hospital patients having at least one additional risk factor for stroke. Intermittent handheld ECG registration is a feasible method to detect AF in patients with an increased risk of stroke in whom oral anticoagulation (OAC) treatment is indicated.

Congenital dyserythropoietic anemia type III (CDA III) is caused by a mutation in kinesin family member, KIF23.

Haplotype analysis and targeted next-generation resequencing allowed us to identify a mutation in the KIF23 gene and to show its association with an autosomal dominant form of congenital dyserythropoietic anemia type III (CDA III). The region at 15q23 where CDA III was mapped in a large Swedish family was targeted by array-based sequence capture in a female diagnosed with CDA III and her healthy sister. Prioritization of all detected sequence changes revealed 10 variants unique for the CDA III patient. Among those variants, a novel mutation c.2747C>G (p.P916R) was found in KIF23, which encodes mitotic kinesin-like protein 1 (MKLP1). This variant segregates with CDA III in the Swedish and American families but was not found in 356 control individuals. RNA expression of the 2 known splice isoforms of KIF23 as well as a novel one lacking the exons 17 and 18 was detected in a broad range of human tissues. RNA interference-based knock-down and rescue experiments demonstrated that the p.P916R mutation causes cytokinesis failure in HeLa cells, consistent with appearance of large multinucleated erythroblasts in CDA III patients. We conclude that CDA III is caused by a mutation in KIF23/MKLP1, a conserved mitotic kinesin crucial for cytokinesis.

Women's experiences of dietary advice and dietary changes during pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: To describe women's experiences of dietary information and the change of dietary habits during pregnancy. DESIGN: A qualitative design was used. In 2007 we conducted six focus group interviews using open-ended questions. SETTINGS: five rural and city antenatal clinics in northern Sweden were included PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-three women in mid-pregnancy participated in groups of three to seven FINDINGS: Three domains were found 'Dietary information gain', 'Reactions to dietary information' and 'Dietary management'. The women had to discover dietary information by themselves, and only when health problems or symptoms occurred did they receive guidance from the midwife. Their reactions to the dietary information were 'being confused', 'feeling fear and guilt' and 'being monitored', summed up in 'being uncertain'. The diet was managed by 'checking food content', 'following bodily signals', 'using common sense', and 'making exceptions', summed up as 'being responsible but with a pinch of salt'. KEY CONCLUSIONS: The women expressed problems with dietary changes, but they could mostly manage them on their own. The pregnant women experienced that the midwives gave dietary information and advice first when problems arise. When struggling with diet, the women experienced confusion, and they had to seek information by themselves. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Sources of information about diet during pregnancy were experienced as inconsistent and contradictory. Midwives are important in motivation for healthy lifestyle during pregnancy and with sufficient dietary knowledge and counselling skills they can help pregnant women effect dietary changes by providing guidance and support in early pregnancy.

Development and validation of a new grading scale for otitis media.

BACKGROUND: Grading of acute otitis media (AOM) is important in clinical situations as well as in research. Current grading scales for AOM have used a 6 to 9 point scoring system primarily based on variation of redness and bulging of the tympanic membrane (TM). This study aimed to develop and validate a new scale for grading AOM. METHOD: The scale was developed in 3 stages based on 32 patients with images taken of the TM when a child attended healthcare centre with othalgia and at follow-up visits. Content validity was used as the method for the first 2 stages. An expert panel reviewed the scale and repeated the process on a revised scale. Reliability was tested with a different expert panel that used the final scale on a sample of TM images in a test-retest and inter-rater and intra-rater agreements were calculated. RESULTS: The scale was developed in 3 steps using expert committees. During the process the description of vascularization was judged to be of insufficient importance for our scale. Inter-rater agreement was moderate (κ = 0.52) and intra-rater agreement was good (κ = 0.66 to 0.89) in the test-retest of the final scale. CONCLUSIONS: The developed AOM image-based grading scale demonstrates substantial inter- and intra-rater reliability with potential use in clinical research and telemedicine applications. Furthermore, the parameter "redness of TM" is of less importance in our scale as compared with other available grading systems.

Patterns of tobacco use: a 10-year follow-up study of smoking and snus habits in a middle-aged Swedish population.

AIMS: To study longitudinal patterns of tobacco use over a 10-year period among middle-aged men and women in Vaösterbotten County, Northern Sweden. METHODS: The study is based on data from the 16,486 (8800 women and 7686 men) in the Vaösterbotten Intervention Programme (VIP) where people were invited to a health screening and counselling programme at 30, 40, 50 and 60 years of age. RESULTS: Smoking decreased from 22.3% to 15.6% among women and from 18.5% to 12.7% among men. Use of snus (Swedish moist snuff) increased from 3.1% to 6.0% among women and from 24.6% to 26.3% among men. The number of people who used both snus and cigarettes was stable: 0.5% to 0.8% from baseline to follow-up for women, and 4.1% to 3.3% for men. The number of tobacco-free adults increased from 75.2% to 79.2% for women and from 61.1% to 64.3% for men. Of those who became smoke-free during the 10-year follow-up period, 80% of the women and 66% of the men quit smoking without transitioning to snus use. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of middle-aged Swedish men and women in this cohort that quit smoking did so without becoming snus dependent. In spite of an increasing use of snus, overall there was a decline in the number of people using tobacco products.

Improvements in HbA1c remain after 5 years--a follow up of an educational intervention focusing on patients' personal understandings of type 2 diabetes.

This paper reports a 5-year follow-up from a study aimed at evaluating whether an intervention which focused on patients' personal understanding of their illness was more effective than conventional diabetes care with regard to metabolic control among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). The study was conducted within Swedish primary health care and included 102 patients (mean age 63 years). At clinic level they were randomised into control or intervention groups. The intervention directed at patients consisted of ten two-hour group sessions over 9 months, focusing on patients' own needs and questions. The mean HbA1c at baseline was 5.71% (S.D. 0.76) in the intervention group and 5.78% (S.D. 0.71) in the control group. At the 5-year follow-up, the mean HbA1c in the intervention group still was 5.71% (S.D. 0.85) while among the controls it had increased to 7.08% (S.D. 1.71). The adjusted difference was 1.37 (p<0.0001). Treatment upgrade, BMI, total cholesterol, HDL, LDL and triglycerides at baseline did not influence the difference in HbA1c. These findings indicate that group sessions in patients with DM2 focusing on patients' personal understanding of their illness are more effective than conventional diabetes care with regard to metabolic control.

Digital imaging and telemedicine as a tool for studying inflammatory conditions in the middle ear--evaluation of image quality and agreement between examiners.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate digital imaging of the tympanic membrane by telemedicine technology and study interpersonal agreement in assessing image quality. METHODS: In an open consecutive study, 64 children aged 2-16 years who attended three rural health care centres in Northern Sweden with otalgia were examined with video endoscopic photography of their tympanic membrane in a telemedical environment. One hundred and twenty-four images were stored in a central database and later assessed independently regarding image quality by an ENT specialist, a general practitioner and a registrar in general practice. The overall image quality was graded (0-2) regarding assessment of signs of tympanic membrane inflammation. All images were also assessed regarding 8 different components, four image-related components and four anatomically related components. RESULTS: Overall image quality was good, with 82.3% of acceptable or excellent quality. The position and thickness of the TM were found to be the most important factors of the images to be able to assess inflammatory disease. Image quality tended to be higher later in the study as a sign of improved skills of examiners. Interpersonal agreement between examiners was acceptable. Overall grade showed kappa 0.56, 0.49 and 0.66 respectively, and focus, light and existence of obscuring objects were the components with the highest agreement. CONCLUSIONS: The image quality of video endoscopy of the tympanic membrane was good overall. Interpersonal agreement in evaluating image quality was acceptable but not excellent. The use of digital imaging of good quality in clinical studies can offer an objective clinical evaluation of the TM in retrospect by independent reviewers using strict criteria.

Medical text-based consultations on the Internet: a 4-year study.

BACKGROUND: The Internet is increasingly used for health matters including Ask the doctor services. AIM: To describe users and usage pattern of text-based medical consultation with family physicians on the Internet. METHODS: Descriptive analysis of the first 4 years' use of a Swedish Ask the doctor service concerning number of inquiries, age and gender of inquirers. Time of day and week, types of medical inquiries, and use in relation to population density was analyzed during the last year of the study. RESULTS: We found a considerable number of users, with 38,217 inquiries submitted to the service. Three-fourths of the inquirers were women, thus exceeding the gender difference seen in regular health care. The typical user was a woman aged 21-60 years. The service was used any time day or night, 7 days a week. Almost half of the inquiries were submitted during evenings and nights. Most areas of medicine were represented in the inquiries, reflecting the fact that there was no control of what an inquiry should include. The use was widespread over the country but more frequent per capita in more densely populated areas as defined by postal code. CONCLUSION: In the study of a service for text-based consultations with family physicians on the Internet, we found a geographically widely distributed use, slowly but gradually increasing during a 4-year period. The use increased more rapidly among young and middle-aged women. Asynchronous text-based consultation is likely to expand in the near future.

Patient satisfaction with diabetes care.

AIM: The aim of this paper is to report the findings of a study that elucidated the experiences and reflections of people with type 2 diabetes about clinical encounters. BACKGROUND: Several patient satisfaction surveys have focused on privacy, cheerfulness and amenities rather than on how the care was delivered. A great deal of research has also focused on communication and various consultation styles, particularly within health promotion and diabetes care, but how these factors tie up with patient satisfaction has rarely been discussed. This study was performed in order to elucidate patients' perspectives about clinical encounters in diabetes care. METHOD: Interviews were carried out during 2001 with 44 patients with diabetes. The transcribed interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Five themes were connected to patient satisfaction and dissatisfaction, namely 'being in agreement vs. in disagreement about the goals'; 'autonomy and equality vs. feeling forced into adaptation and submission'; 'feeling worthy as a person vs. feeling worthless'; 'being attended to and feeling welcome vs. ignored'; and, lastly, 'feeling safe and confident vs. feeling unsafe and lacking confidence'. CONCLUSION: Despite efforts to individualize diabetes care and find ways to communicate with patients, many people have experiences of clinical encounters that they find dissatisfying. Experiences of dissatisfying encounters have elements that may threaten their perception of self and identity, while elements included in satisfying encounters are those characterizing patient-centred care.

Metabolic improvement after intervention focusing on personal understanding in type 2 diabetes.

UNLABELLED: The aim of this study was to evaluate, whether an educational intervention, focusing on patients' personal understanding of their illness, was more effective than care given according to national guidelines for diabetes care. METHODS: An intervention group (n = 44), with type 2 diabetes was compared with a control group (n = 60), with HbA1c as the primary outcome. The intervention included ten group sessions addressing themes related to the patients' personal understanding of their illness. The diabetes nurses involved were educated in theories about illness/wellness experiences and participated in group sessions where various caring strategies related to the patients' individual needs and understanding were reflected upon. RESULTS: At 1-year follow-up the intervention group showed lower HbA1c levels (mean difference 0.94%; P < 0.001), lower triglycerides (mean difference 0.52 mmol/l; P = 0.002) and higher high-density lipoprotein (mean difference 0.15 mmol/l; P = 0.029) and treatment satisfaction than did the control group. The differences remained when adjusting for age, gender, body mass index or changed treatment during the intervention period. Within the intervention group, BMI and treatment satisfaction were also improved. CONCLUSION: The intervention, which focused on patients' personal understanding of illness, was found to be effective in terms of metabolic control and treatment satisfaction.