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In Germany, a trend for decreasing mortality probabilities has been observed in the last 50 years, yielding an increasing life expectancy. The German Actuarial Association DAV offers a standard method for modeling this longevity trend in calculations concerning life insurance by using the life table DAV 2004R. In this note it is investigated, whether or to which extent the longevity function of the DAV 2004R can be used for calculating the expected total number of deaths in Germany.

To describe the number of deaths related to systemic sclerosis (SSc) having renal failure, the changing trend in ASMR, and causes of death using a multi-cause method. Annual death toll and ASMR data from 1999 to 2020 were obtained from the death database of the US CDC. All death certificates in the M34 (SSc) and N17-19 (renal failure) categories of the ICD-10 were selected as potential or related causes of death. The epidemiology was described, and number of deaths and ASMR trends were analyzed. NCI-Joinpoint Analysis was used to test the changing trends in different years. For 22 years, 39,496 and 5,163 deaths were related to SSc and SSc having renal failure, respectively. There were 1,139 males (22.1%) with SSc having renal failure and 4,024 females (77.9%) with 1:3.5 male-to-female ratio. The number of female deaths and the ASMR were higher than those of male deaths, and decreased. Most deaths occurred approximately > 75 years. The number of deaths in different age groups showed a downward trend. Acute renal function was dominant in patients with SSc. Although the mortality rate of SSc having renal failure was relatively low and decreasing, timely diagnosis and treatment are required to reduce the mortality rate.

Current data and trends in morbidity and mortality for the sub-Saharan Region as presented in this new edition reflect the heavy toll that HIV/AIDS has had on health indicators, leading to either a stalling or reversal of the gains made, not just for communicable disorders, but for cancers, as well as mental and neurological disorders.

Control for confounders in observational studies was generally handled through stratification and standardization until the 1960s. Standardization typically reweights the stratum-specific rates so that exposure categories become comparable. With the development first of loglinear models, soon also of nonlinear regression techniques (logistic regression, failure time regression) that the emerging computers could handle, regression modelling became the preferred approach, just as was already the case with multiple regression analysis for continuous outcomes. Since the mid 1990s it has become increasingly obvious that weighting methods are still often useful, sometimes even necessary. On this background we aim at describing the emergence of the modelling approach and the refinement of the weighting approach for confounder control.

Background/Objectives: Non-thyroidal illness syndrome (NTIS) also known as low FT3 syndrome is characterized by altered thyroid hormone levels during severe illness, is common in end-stage renal disease, and reflects metabolic and inflammatory stress. This study evaluated the thyroid hormone profiles of patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis, assessing relationships between NTIS severity and dialysis adequacy while accounting for mineral and bone metabolism markers, anemia status, duration of dialysis therapy, and their association with the number of deaths during follow-up. Methods: This prospective bi-center study included adults receiving maintenance hemodialysis for at least 3 months. Patients treated for thyroid disease or taking medications affecting the hypothalamus–pituitary–thyroid axis were excluded. Thyroid-stimulating hormone, free triiodothyronine (fT3), and free thyroxine (fT4) levels were measured, and dialysis adequacy was assessed using spKt/V. Patients were classified as euthyroid or having NTIS (stratified by severity), and associations between clinical characteristics and the number of deceased patients during a 6-month observation period were analyzed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to determine prognostic cut-off values for thyroid hormones. Results: Among 74 patients, 50% had NTIS and exhibited significantly lower dialysis adequacy than euthyroid individuals (median spKt/V 1.0 vs. 1.1; p = 0.03), with spKt/V declining as NTIS severity increased (stages I–III, p = 0.008). NTIS severity correlated with age and pulmonary comorbidities, while mineral and bone metabolism markers were comparable between the groups. During the 6-month follow-up, 23% of the patients died, exhibiting significantly lower fT3 and fT4 levels than survivors. ROC analysis identified clinically relevant fT3 and fT4 cut-off values that were associated with the number of deaths. Conclusions: NTIS in hemodialysis patients correlates with reduced dialysis adequacy and appears to be a prognostic factor for risk of death. NTIS severity correlated with declining spKt/V, potentially reflecting disease burden, and thyroid hormone assessment may provide prognostic information.

The study aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the financial condition and mortality in Polish voivodeships. To achieve this objective, the relationship between the number of deaths before and during the pandemic and the financial condition of the provinces in Poland was studied. The study covered the years 2017–2020, for which a one-way ANOVA was used to verify whether there was a relationship between the level of a province’s financial condition and the number of deaths. The results of the study are surprising and show that before the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a higher number of deaths in provinces that were better off financially, but the relationship was not statistically significant. In contrast, during the pandemic, a statistically significant strong negative correlation between these values was proven, which, in practice, shows that regions with better financial conditions had a higher number of deaths during COVID-19.

In Germany, a trend for decreasing mortality probabilities has been observed in the last 50 years, yielding an increasing life expectancy. The German Actuarial Association DAV offers a standard method for modeling this longevity trend in calculations concerning life insurance by using the life table DAV 2004R. In this note it is investigated, whether or to which extent the longevity function of the DAV 2004R can be used for calculating the expected total number of deaths in Germany.

Background Some literature reports an association between air temperature and mortality in certain diseases. However, the relationships between air temperature parameters and all causes of death have not been thoroughly explored in Japan. Objective This study examined the relationships between the number of deaths from the 10 leading causes and air temperature parameters in Hokkaido (the northernmost region) and Okinawa (the southernmost region) prefectures in Japan. Methods We collected monthly data on the number of deaths from the 10 leading causes and air temperature parameters in Hokkaido and Okinawa prefectures from January 2008 to December 2022 using information from official sources. Annual population data for each prefecture were also obtained. The relationships between the number of deaths and air temperature parameters were assessed through an ecological study. Results The mean air temperature was 9.59 ± 9.23 °C in Hokkaido and 23.46 ± 4.37 °C in Okinawa, with all temperature parameters significantly lower in Hokkaido than in Okinawa. The number of deaths from the 10 leading causes, excluding aspiration pneumonia, was significantly higher in Hokkaido for both sexes compared to Okinawa. In Hokkaido, deaths due to heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, pneumonia, accidents, and renal failure showed a significant correlation with all air temperature parameters for both sexes. In Okinawa, heart disease and cerebrovascular disease deaths were correlated with all air temperature parameters for both sexes. Conclusions The relationships between the number of deaths from the 10 leading causes and air temperature parameters differed between Hokkaido and Okinawa prefectures in Japan.

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are by far the major cause of death in lower-middle, upper-middle, and high-income countries; by 2015, they will also be the leading cause of death in low-income countries.

To assess survival patterns and predictors of mortality among patients admitted with COVID-19 to treatment centers in the Oromia region of Ethiopia from April 1 to August 31, 2021. A prospective cohort study design was employed, taking a sample of 854 patients selected from eight treatment centers in the region. The follow-up duration was the time interval from admission to the treatment center until the final disposition of patients at discharge (death, recovery, or failed to recover). Data were collected by computer tablet with an interviewer-administered questionnaire and checklist designed using CSPro 7.5 and exported to Stata 13 for analysis. Descriptive analysis was used to explore the characteristics of patients. The mortality rate was estimated by number of deaths per 1,000 person-days of observation. The survival duration was estimated by medians with IQR. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to compare the survival experiences of patients. To identify the predictors of time to death after hospitalization, a Cox proportional-hazard model was used. The magnitude of association was estimated using HRs with 95% CIs, and statistical significance was set at <0.05. The mortality rate among hospitalized patients was 9.9 per 1,000 person-days of observation and the median survival time after admission was 9 (IQR 9-10) days. Higher hazard of death was observed among patients who drank alcohol (AHR 2.0, 95% CI 1.2-3.3), required anticoagulants (AHR 10, 95% CI 1.2-91.5), glucocorticoids (AHR 1.7, 95% CI 1.1-2.8), and oxygen (AHR 4.7, 95% CI 1.1-22.0), those with acute respiratory distress syndrome (AHR 2.9, 95% CI 1.7-5.1), and critical patients admitted to intensive care units (AHR 3.4, 95% CI 2.0-5.9). The hazard of death is significantly predicted by alcohol use, requiring anticoagulants, glucocorticoids, or oxygen medication, acute respiratory distress syndrome complication, and being critical when admitted to intensive care units.