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Knud Juel

Publications and source records attributed to Knud Juel.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

[Predictors of smoking cessation in a national representative random sample of Danish adults].

INTRODUCTION: Smoking is the largest modifiable risk factor for early death in Denmark, and reduction of the number of smokers is a high-priority health goal. The aim of this study was to investigate the importance of tobacco consumption and social position on smoking cessation in a representative sample of the Danish population. This had not previously been done in Denmark. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data were derived from the Danish Health and Morbidity Surveys of 1994 and 2000. The study population consisted of persons between 25 and 64 years of age who smoked in 1994 and who were re-interviewed in 2000. A total of 1,056 smokers participated, of whom 180 were no longer smoking in 2000. The data were analysed using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Smoking cessation was achieved more frequently by light smokers than by heavy smokers (OR 1.74; CI 1.24-2.43). The odds of smoking cessation increased with the number of years of education, for example smokers with at least 15 years of education were more likely to quit smoking than those with 10 or fewer years of education (OR 3.48; CI 2.07-5.87). CONCLUSION: As expected, the amount of tobacco consumption influenced smoking cessation, since consumption is associated with nicotine dependence, which makes quitting difficult. The significance of education on smoking cessation may reflect the degree of knowledge of harmful effects of smoking. Further, people with less education more often work in environments where smoking is accepted. Our results may be useful in future smoking cessation interventions.

Adult↗

Prevalence, incidence, diagnostic delay, and mortality in Turner syndrome.

AIM: Our aim was to study prevalence, incidence, age at diagnosis, and mortality in Turner syndrome (TS) in Denmark. METHODS: Using the Danish Cytogenetic Register, we identified all cases (n = 781) of TS alive in Denmark during 1970-2001. Sixty-nine deceased women with TS were identified in the Causes of Death Register. We divided the cohort into women having the karyotype 45,X, karyotypes including an isochromosome Xq, and all other karyotypes associated with TS. We describe the number of patients diagnosed in Denmark yearly, incidence rates, and the age at diagnosis. Standardized mortality ratios (SMR) were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 349 women had a 45,X karyotype, 86 had a karyotype including an isochromosome Xq (isoXq), and 346 had another TS karyotype. Mortality was increased in TS with an SMR of 2.86 (95% confidence interval, 2.18-3.55). SMR was increased for coronary diseases, congenital malformations, endocrine diseases, and other causes. The mortality was increased for all types of karyotypes in comparison with the general population but was highest among females with 45,X and isoXq. There was a steady increase in prevalence, but incidence was unchanged. Age at diagnosis was mainly distributed in three periods: less than 1 yr of age (14.9%), during adolescence (10-17 yr) (33.2%), and during adulthood (38.5%), with a median age at diagnosis of 15.1 yr, decreasing during the study period (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with TS and especially the karyotypes 45,X and isoXq have a higher mortality compared with the background population. TS was diagnosed with a considerable diagnostic delay. Prevalence is increasing, but incidence of TS was stable.

Adolescent↗

Time-trends in method-specific suicide rates compared with the availability of specific compounds. The Danish experience.

Restriction of means for suicide is an important part of suicide preventive strategies in different countries. All suicides in Denmark between 1970 and 2000 were examined with regard to method used for suicide. Overall suicide mortality and method-specific suicide mortality was compared with official information about availability of medical compounds (barbiturates, benzodiazepines, analgesics, antidepressants) and carbon monoxide in vehicle exhaust and household gas. Restrictions on the availability of carbon monoxide, barbiturates and dextropropoxyphen was associated with a decline in the number of suicides by self-poisoning with these compounds. Restricted access occurred concomittantly with a 55% decrease in suicide rate.

Cause of Death↗

The burden of selected diseases among older people in Denmark.

OBJECTIVE: The study evaluated the health impact of specific diseases. METHOD: Life tables and health survey data are combined to estimate expected lifetime with and without long-standing illness. We compared estimates based on observed rates of mortality and prevalence of illness with those based on hypothetical rates from which a specific disease has been eliminated. RESULTS: Life expectancy would increase by 4.0 years for 65-year-olds if circulatory diseases are eliminated, and the proportion of expected lifetime without long-standing, limiting illness would increase from 59.2% to 66.5% for men and from 52.2% to 55.6% for women. Elimination of musculoskeletal diseases would not change life expectancy but would increase the proportion of expected lifetime without long-standing illness. CONCLUSIONS: Because of comorbidity, more years of illness are to be expected if lethal diseases are to be eliminated. Elimination of nonfatal diseases would mainly transfer years with long-standing illness to years without illness.

Aged↗

The AIDS epidemic in the city of Copenhagen, Denmark: potential years of life lost and impact on life expectancy.

AIMS: This study seeks to describe the impact of AIDS on the city of Copenhagen by estimating potential years of life lost (PYLL) before the age of 65 years and to estimate the impact of AIDS deaths on life expectancy for males and females. METHODS: All AIDS cases reported to the national AIDS surveillance register for residents in the city of Copenhagen in the period 1983-98 were included. For comparative purposes data were obtained on six other causes of death: accidents, suicide, lung cancer, ischaemic heart disease, testicular cancer, and breast cancer. RESULTS: Overall, deaths from AIDS accounted for 8% of all PYLL in men and showed an increasing tendency from 1983 to 1991, when it became the leading cause of PYLL. AIDS had most impact in men in the age group 25-44 years and accounted for 29% of all PYLL in this group at the peak in 1993, decreasing significantly after the introduction of anti-retroviral treatments to 5% of PYLL in 1998. Other leading causes of PYLL, accidents and suicide, also showed a decreasing tendency over the years, but of a much smaller magnitude than AIDS. The impact of AIDS in women was more modest. In the entire study period suicide, accidents, and breast cancer were the leading causes of PYLL in women. It was shown that AIDS deaths at the top of the epidemic in 1991-95 were responsible for a loss of 0.76 years in life expectancy for men and 0.08 years for women. CONCLUSIONS: AIDS has had a considerable impact on potential years of life lost. A significant decline in AIDS deaths has been seen since 1995 with an effect on life expectancy for men in the city of Copenhagen.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Long term follow up study of survival associated with cleft lip and palate at birth.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the overall and cause specific mortality of people from birth to 55 years with cleft lip and palate. DESIGN: Long term follow up study. SETTING: Danish register of deaths. PARTICIPANTS: People born with cleft lip and palate between 1943 and 1987, followed to 1998. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Observed and expected numbers of deaths, summarised as overall and cause specific standardised mortality ratios. RESULTS: 5331 people with cleft lip and palate were followed for 170 421 person years. The expected number of deaths was 259, but 402 occurred, corresponding to a standardised mortality ratio of 1.4 (95% confidence interval 1.3 to 1.6) for males and 1.8 (1.5 to 2.1) for females. The increased risk of mortality was nearly constant for the three intervals at follow up: first year of life, 1-17 years, and 18-55 years. The participants had an increased risk of all major causes of death. CONCLUSIONS: People with cleft lip and palate have increased mortality up to age 55. Children born with cleft lip and palate and possibly other congenital malformations may benefit from specific preventive health measures into and throughout adulthood.

Adolescent↗

[Tobacco].

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Adolescent↗

Smoking expands expected lifetime with musculoskeletal disease regardless of educational level.

Lifetime with musculoskeletal disease were estimated for never smokers and smokers at three educational levels. Expected lifetime with musculoskeletal disease was 7.4 and 10.6 years for 30-year-old men and women, respectively. Regardless of educational level smokers could expect more years with the diseases than never smokers. Thus, the impact of smoking on the burden of musculoskeletal diseases is not confounded by educational level.

Adult↗

Impact of smoking on the social gradient in health expectancy in Denmark.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Health expectancy is arrived at by dividing life expectancy into average lifetime in different states of health. The purpose of the study was to estimate health expectancy among never smokers and smokers in groups at high, medium, and low educational levels in Denmark. DESIGN: Life tables for never smokers and smokers with a high, medium, and low educational level were constructed on the basis of Statistics Denmark registers and combined with data from the Danish Health Interview Survey 2000. Health expectancy was calculated by Sullivan's method. MAIN RESULTS: Life expectancy at age 30 differs on average by 8.5 years between never smokers and heavy smokers. Expected lifetime in self rated good health was 39.4 years for a never smoking man corresponding to 82.0% of the rest of his life. For male lifelong heavy smokers these figures were reduced to 27.3 years and 69.2%. The proportion of expected lifetime in self rated good health was 89.5% and 71.3% among male never smokers and lifelong heavy smokers with a high educational level, respectively; and the proportion among male never smokers and heavy smokers with a low educational level was 73.4% and 63.6%, respectively. Similar results were seen as regards expected lifetime without longstanding illness. For women the social gradient in health expectancy was intensified among smokers. CONCLUSIONS: Within each educational group smoking reduces expected lifetime in a healthy state. The social gradient in health expectancy cannot be explained by a reverse social gradient in smoking prevalence.

Adult↗

Asthma mortality in the Danish child population: risk factors and causes of asthma death.

Child death due to asthma is a rare and potentially preventable event. We investigated possible risk factors for death due to asthma in children and adolescents, as a step towards preventing or minimizing asthma death in this age group, and improving asthma management and care. We reviewed all 108 cases of asthma death in 1-19-year-olds in Denmark, 1973-1994. Copies of death certificates, hospital records, information from general practitioners, and autopsy records were obtained. The information was assessed with particular reference to: features and duration of asthma before death; severity of asthma; time and place of death; long-term and ongoing medical treatment; quality of medical care; circumstances of final illness; and medical treatment during the final episode of asthma. Age groups of 1-4 years, 5-14 years, and 15-19 years were analyzed separately and in aggregate. Death occurred predominantly in the 15-19-year age group. Generally, significantly more patients died in the summer. These patients were more atopic, had fewer asthma symptoms, and did not have regular asthma consultations. Nearly all patients had early-onset asthma. The 1-4-year age group was characterized by severe asthma. Major risk factors (all age groups) were: gradual deterioration during the last month; length of final attack (>3 hr); and delay in seeking medical help during the final attack. None of the children died during their first attack. Nonadherence was most frequent among the 15-19-year-olds. All asthmatic children and young adults should regularly receive medical care and assessment, even if they suffer only a few symptoms. This study underlines the need for ongoing education of the patient's family, the patient, and doctors on long-term management and management of acute attacks. Copies of clearly written individual plans for periods with increasing symptoms should be supplied to the patient/family and, where appropriate, to their general practitioners. The object of these measures is that the patient and parents/family learn to recognize the signs of deterioration and to act on them.

Administration, Inhalation↗

Smoking expands expected lifetime with musculoskeletal disease.

By indirect estimation of mortality from smoking and life table methods we estimated expected lifetime without musculoskeletal diseases among never smokers, ex-smokers, and smokers. We found that although life expectancy of a heavy smoker is 7 years shorter than that of a never smoker, heavy smokers can expect to live more than 2 years longer with musculoskeletal diseases than never smokers.

Comorbidity↗

Long-term mortality after poliomyelitis.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have described mortality and cause of death among persons with a history of polio. METHODS: We identified a group of patients diagnosed with poliomyelitis in Copenhagen between 1919 and 1954. We obtained information on vital status through May 1997 and on cause of death by linkage with the Danish Civil Registration System and the Danish Cause-of-Death Register. Overall and cause-specific standardized mortality ratios served as the measure of mortality risk relative to that of the general population. RESULTS: We observed 1295 deaths among 5977 polio patients compared with an expected 1141 deaths (standardized mortality ratio = 1.14; 95% confidence interval = 1.07-1.20). Excess mortality was restricted to polio patients with a history of severe paralysis of the extremities (1.69; 1.32-2.15) or patients who had been treated for respiratory failure during the epidemics (2.71; 2.18-3.37). Apart from polio patients with respiratory failure, long-term mortality did not appear to increase until 20 years after discharge. Contracting severe paralytic poliomyelitis at a young age seemed to increase long-term mortality. The most common causes of death were polio sequelae (standardized mortality ratio = 141; 95% confidence interval = 98-203), respiratory tract diseases (1.38; 1.13-1.69), breast cancer (1.40; 1.06-1.85), gastrointestinal diseases (1.44; 1.14-1.82) and suicide (1.53; 1.25-1.86). Except for polio sequelae, causes of death did not differ between paralytic and nonparalytic polio patients. CONCLUSIONS: Survivors of poliomyelitis, especially severely paralyzed polio patients, have an increased long-term mortality.

Adolescent↗

[Health life years lost due to smoking].

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to estimate health expectancy--that is, the average lifetime in good health--in never smokers, ex-smokers, and smokers in Denmark. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A method suggested by Peto and colleagues in 1992 for estimating smoking-attributable mortality rates was used to construct a life table for never smokers. This table and the relative risks of death for ex-smokers and smokers versus never smokers were used to estimate life tables for ex-smokers and smokers. Life tables and prevalence rates of health status were combined and health expectancy was calculated by Sullivan's method. RESULTS: The expected lifetime of a 20 year-old man who will never begin to smoke is 56.7 years, 48.7 of which are expected to be in self-rated good health. The corresponding figures for a man who smokes heavily are 49.5 years, 36.5 of which are in self-rated good health. A 20 year-old woman who will never begin to smoke can expect to live a further 60.9 years, with 46.4 years in self-rated good health; if she is a life-long heavy smoker, her expected lifetime is reduced to 53.8 years, 33.8 of which are in self-rated good health. Health expectancy based on long-standing illness is reduced for smokers when compared with never smokers. DISCUSSION: Smoking reduces the expected lifetime in good health and increases the expected lifetime in poor health.

Adult↗