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R Tresserras

Publications and source records attributed to R Tresserras.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

[Smoking cessation program using nicotine patch among physicians and pharmacists of Catalonia: results after 3-12 months].

Smoking abstinence rates of a group of 300 physicians and pharmacists of Catalonia (Spain) who participated in an open non-controlled follow-up design study with nicotine patch, are presented. Were eligible all the individuals who regularly smoke more than 15 cigarettes/day and get Fagerström Test score of 5 or more. Those who smoke more than 20 cig/day were offered a 3-month 24-hour transdermal nicotine treatment (30-20-10 schedule) and those smoking between 15 and 20 cig/day, received the 20-20-10 schedule. A follow up of participants was carried out at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. After one year, 12 participants (4%) were dropped out. The overall abstinence rates at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months were respectively 55.9% (IC95%: 50.2-61.6), 42.7% (IC95%: 37.0-48.4), 35.4% (IC95% 29.9-40.9), 33.7% (IC95%: 28.2-39.2). Among predictive cessation variables, only those who had mad 1 to 3 previous attempts and those with only "cold turkey" (or slow reduction) quit experience, obtained statistically better results at 3 months. These results seem to be as good as or even better than those obtained in other similar studies with nicotine patch.

Administration, Cutaneous↗
PubMed1995

How could changes in diet explain changes in coronary heart disease mortality in Spain? The Spanish paradox.

We review and compare trends in coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke mortality in Spain from 1966 to 1990 and changes in food consumption at national and regional levels. Since 1976, a decrease in cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in males and females has been observed, and standardized CHD mortality rates have fallen. Stroke mortality decreased during the same period. Trends in food consumption show increases in intakes of meat, dairy products, fish, and fruit, but decreases in consumption of olive oil, sugar, and all foods rich in carbohydrates. Although fat and saturated fat intakes increased, these changes were not accompanied by an increase in CHD mortality rates. This paradoxical situation can be explained by expanded access to clinical care, increased consumption of fruit and fish, improved control of hypertension, and a reduction in cigarette smoking. Diet appears to have an important role in this paradox, but it may not be as critical as other factors. Nevertheless, we suggest dietary guidelines for prevention of CHD in Spain.

Cerebrovascular Disorders↗
PubMed1993

[Analysis of the geographic distribution of the incidence of diabetes mellitus type I in Catalonia].

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the geographic distribution of the incidence of diabetes mellitus type I (DMI) in Catalonia from 1987-1990. METHODS: The base of the study is the Catalonian registry of incidence of DMI in the period from 1987-1990. The definition criteria were: diagnostic criteria of diabetes (WHO norms 1985), age of diagnosis under 30 years, residence in Catalonia in the period of diagnosis and exclusion of other types of diabetes. The population at risk was estimated according to the general census of the population of 1986. The total incidence of Catalonia was calculated by provinces and counties according to the Poisson distribution. RESULTS: The incidence of DMI observed in Catalonia was of 11.5/100,000 inhabitants per year (CI 95%, 10.6-12.4) in the age group from 0-14 years and 10.7/100,000 inhabitants per year (CI 95% 10.1-11.3) in the age group from 0-29 years. The exhaustivity in the detection of the cases was of 90.3%. No differences were found in interprovincial incidence in the 0-14 age group: Barcelona 11.6 (10.6-12.7), Girona 10.2 (7.2-13.4), Lleida 11.7 (7.7-15.8), Tarragona 10.5 (7.6-13.5). In the 15-29 age group a lower incidence was observed in Tarragona. The incidence by counties varied between 2.9 and 15.0/100,000 inhabitants per year with those of greatest incidence being observed in the Vallés Oriental (15.0/100,000 inhabitants/years), Alt Penedés (14.5/100,000 inhabitants/year), Segrià (15.0/100,000 inhabitants/year) and the Priorat (13.7/100,000 inhabitants/year). CONCLUSIONS: No differences were found in the incidence of diabetes mellitus type I in the four Catalonian provinces. Distribution by counties was more heterogeneous without defining zones with a much higher incidence to that observed in the whole of Catalonia.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Mortality in hypertensive patients in Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona (Spain).

A retrospective cohort study was carried out on 729 hypertensive patients (male and female 40 years and older) in Hospitalet de Llobregat (Barcelona, Spain) to assess possible differences between the mortality of this group of hypertensives and the general population of the same area matched by age and sex. Patient mortality was assessed during a six year period, resulting in a mean follow-up of 2.6 years at the end of the study. The results reflect an increased risk of dying among hypertensives compared with the general population, with standardised mortality ratio by age and sex of 1.88 (95% confidence interval 1.21-2.44). Cardiovascular mortality was significantly higher for males, while noncardiovascular mortality was significantly higher for females. The study also shows that the presence of smoking habit, diabetes or hyperglycaemia, uncontrolled hypertension and age > or = 60 years can increase the risk of dying among hypertensive patients. Although a higher level of BP control is achieved in hypertension hospital clinics than in the primary health care system, the study shows that hypertensives have an excess of mortality than expected considering their own general population by age and sex.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Cardiovascular mortality trends in Spain and Catalonia. Comparisons with Europe.

Cardiovascular mortality trends in Spain during the last 15 years have been reviewed and compared with those observed in other European countries. Future coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality trends in Catalonia have been estimated, and its expected evolution with intervention programmes on the prevalence of hypercholesterolaemia is discussed. The main conclusions are: (a) a reduction in stroke and no changes in CHD mortality in Spain and Catalonia has been observed during recent years; (b) this evolution was similar to that observed in other European countries; (c) Spain, like other Mediterranean countries, shows a peculiar cardiovascular mortality pattern with predominance of stroke over CHD; (d) no spectacular changes in CHD mortality trends during the next few years can be expected in Catalonia, but reductions in the prevalence of hypercholesterolaemia may contribute to modify the stable CHD mortality trends.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[The cost of arterial hypertension in Spain].

BACKGROUND: High blood pressure has a high incidence and produces a high morbidity and mortality due to associated diseases: cerebrovascular disease, ischemic cardiopathy, and cardiac failure. The socioeconomic impact of high blood pressure in Spain was estimated during 1985 in primary, hospitalary and pharmaceutical health care, to provide a framework for decision making and to determine strategies for reducing the costs of this entity. METHODS: The methodology of analysis of the cost of the disease was followed with the aim of quantifying the socioeconomic consequences of an entity, disease or risk factor with prevalence being the focus of the study. RESULTS: The socioeconomic impact estimated was situated between 95,000 and 124,000 millions of pesetas according to the different hypothesis adopted in the analysis of sensitivity. The direct health care costs represented between 2.6 and 3.9% of the global health care costs for Spain in 1985. Health care funding consumed by high blood pressure in primary health care was higher (between 4.5 and 6.7%) than hospital attendance (between 1.0 and 1.5%) and pharmaceutical care (between 2.3 and 3.5%), with respect to the total costs of each category. CONCLUSIONS: The reduction of the costs related with high blood pressure in Spain must be obtained from improvement of efficacy of interventions carried out in health care education and primary health care. The economic evaluation of the primary and secondary prevention programs may aid in determining more cost-effective strategies.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Incidence of type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus in Catalonia, Spain. The Catalan Epidemiology Diabetes Study Group.

The incidence of Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus was prospectively evaluated in Catalonia, Spain in patients up to 30 years of age during the period 1987-1990. The population at risk (0-29 years) consisted of 2,690,394 inhabitants (total population of Catalonia 5,978,638). All the cases were independently identified from four sources: endocrinologists, sales of blood glucose monitors and insulin pen injectors, diabetes societies and diabetic summer camps. The degree of ascertainment was 90.1%. The overall observed incidence rate was 10.7 per 100,000 per year, being 11.5 per 100,000 per year in the 0-14 age group. The incidence in males (12.0 per 100,000 per year) was higher than in females (9.3 per 100,000 per year), with a male/female ratio of 1.36/l. The sex differences were only present in cases over 14 years of age. Age specific incidence rates per 100,000 per year were 4.4 (confidence interval 95%: 3.2-5.7) in the age group 0-4, 9.9 (8.5-11.4) in 5-9, 17.5 (15.7-19.4) in 10-14, 11.4 (9.9-13.0) in 15-19, 11.3 (9.7-13.0) in 20-24 and 8.5 (7.2-9.9) in 25-29. There was a seasonal onset pattern, with the highest incidence in winter (December-February). We conclude that the incidence of Type 1 diabetes observed in Catalonia during the period 1987-1990 is higher than that recently reported in other Mediterranean countries. This study offers the first standardized data on Type 1 diabetes incidence in Catalonia, including cases up to 30 years, and contributes to the knowledge of the epidemiology of diabetes in South Europe.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Infant mortality, per capita income, and adult illiteracy: an ecological approach.

The ecological association of infant mortality rate (IM) with per capita income (PI) and prevalence of adult illiteracy (AI) has been studied using countries as the unit of analysis. A negative association between IM and PI in 1960 and 1982 has been observed (sample correlation coefficient [r] = -.625 and r = -.729, respectively; P less than .05). A correlation between IM and AI has been found for both men and women (r = .827 and r = .855, respectively; P less than .05). The ecological relative risks were 7.43 for men and 5.82 for women (95% confidence intervals: 5.16-10.71 and 4.36-7.75, respectively). The association of IM and PI shows a slight but not significant improvement between 1960 and 1982. AI can be considered a good predictor of IM in countries.

Bias↗
PubMed1990

[Prevalence of arterial hypertension at the Llobregat Hospital. Evolution of the control rate between 1981 and 1987].

To assess the current prevalence of hypertension (HT) in l'Hospitalet de Llobregat and the evolution of the rate of diagnosis, treatment and control between 1981 and 1987, we carried out a cross sectional study in a census sample of 801 individuals above 19 years old, chosen at random after age and sex stratification. The prevalence of HT, as defined by the WHO classical criteria, was 19.8 +/- 2.7%, and 17% for borderline HT. 122 of the 159 detected hypertensives (76.7%) were known hypertensives, 96 (60.6%) received antihypertensive therapy and 58 (36.4%) had their blood pressure values under control [systolic blood pressure (SBP) less than 160 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) less than 95 mmHg]. If individuals with DBP between 90 and 94 mmHg were included as hypertensives, the number of the latter increased to 206 (25.8%). 144 of these (69.9%) were known hypertensives, 97 (47%) were receiving antihypertensive therapy and 51 (24.7%) had their BP values under control (SBP less than 160 mmHg and DBP less than 90 mmHg). The general practitioner had diagnosed HT in 59% of known hypertensives, and was treating the disease on a regular basis in 61%. This value in higher than that found in 1981 (44%, p less than 0.05). In the comparative analysis with the previous study carried out in this town, a significant increase in the rate of detection (47% in 1981 and 76% in 1987, p less than 0.01) and control of HT (7.5% and 36.4%, respectively; p less than 0.01) were found.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Detection, treatment and control of hypertension in Spain.

Attitudes and practices with regard to hypertension were the subject of a survey conducted in 1987 among 2,500 Spanish general practitioners. Their responses showed almost complete use of diagnostic criteria adhering to WHO recommendations and guidelines, the wide prescription of diuretics as first-step medication and beta-blockers as the drug of choice in second-step treatment, and a non-compliance rate of 25% attributed to inadequate information and bureaucracy, similar to other countries.

Antihypertensive Agents↗
PubMed1990

Ecological association between hypertension and stroke in Catalonia (Spain): development and use of an ecological regression model.

The objectives of this paper were to study the association between the prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension (PUHT) and stroke mortality at the ecological level, in nine geographical areas of Catalonia (Spain); to develop an ecological regression model and to assess its ability to predict crude stroke mortality rate (CMR) from the PUHT. The regression equation obtained for the population older than 25 yrs was CSMR x 10(3) = 0.67035 + 4.94752 PUTH x 10(-2). The ecological risk ratio was 8.38 and the ecological attributable proportion 71.1%. The CSMR estimation obtained by applying the model in a concrete case was close to that observed. The results support an ecological association between the studied variables. The ecological model can be useful in the assessment of observed changes in health problems and risk factor levels in the community. It could also be used in the evaluation of intervention programmes.

Cerebrovascular Disorders↗