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Objective Tuberculosis was a major cause of morbidity and manpower loss in the Armed Forces during World War II. Military control programmes commenced in the 1950s but were initially limited in scope by the many recruits who were already tuberculin positive on enlistment. The aim of our study was to examine whether veterans have an increased risk of tuberculosis compared with non-veterans. Methods Retrospective cohort study of 57 000 veterans born 1945–1985, and 173 000 people with no record of military service, resident in Scotland, matched for age, sex and area of residence, using Cox proportional hazard analysis to compare the risk of tuberculosis overall, by birth cohort, length of service and year of diagnosis and to examine comorbidities. Results Over mean 29 years follow-up, 69 (0.12%) veterans were recorded as having tuberculosis, compared with 267 (0.15%) non-veterans (unadjusted HR 0.90, 95% CIs 0.69 to 1.19, p=0.463). Only the 1945–1949 veterans9 birth cohort was at higher risk, unadjusted HR 1.54, 95% CIs 0.98 to 2.45, p=0.061, although the difference in risk did not achieve significance. Veterans born from 1950 were at significantly reduced risk of tuberculosis compared with non-veterans after adjusting for deprivation, HR 0.67, 95% CI 0.47 to 0.95, p=0.026. The most common comorbidities were smoking-related and alcohol-related disease. The risk of comorbid hepatitis B or C was very low, in both veterans and non-veterans. No length of service was associated with an increased risk of tuberculosis in comparison with non-veterans. Conclusions Scottish veterans born before 1950 are at moderately increased risk of tuberculosis compared with age, sex and geographically matched civilians with no record of service, although the difference is not statistically significant. Scottish veterans born from 1950 show a reduction in risk compared with civilians. Tuberculosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of respiratory disease in the older veteran.

Objectives: Television-based smoking cessation mass media campaigns (MMCs) aimed at preventing uptake of smoking and encourage cessation are an important mode of tobacco control. With vast coverage, they can target specific populations. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness and potential cost-effectiveness of anti-tobacco TV advertising MMCs in reducing smoking prevalence. Methods: A different dataset for the Scottish population (2003- 2009) was used to examine the reduction in the number of adult smokers due to MMCs. Time series regression with ARIMA error was used. The cost-effective of the MMC intervention in comparison to background quit attempts (do-nothing), was estimated by extrapolating number of quit attempts attributable to MMCs, to 4-week and 52-week sustained quits, calculating an incremental cost per 52-week sustained quitter. Markov modelling was employed for lifetime analysis, reporting the incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gains. Results: Each month, one increase in television viewer ratings (TVRs) led to 40 additional quit attempts in the Scottish population. Given an average of 243.5 TVRs per month, the MMCs led to an additional 116,885 quit attempts per annum compared to no TV. TV MMC resulted in an incremental 0.0065 quits per annum compared to no MMC, with an additional cost of £0.66 per smoker in the Scottish population. The incremental cost per 52-week quitter was £102. The lifetime model which incorporated the future cost of smoking related diseases to the NHS, resulted in a discounted cost saving of £319 per person (95% CI: -£974, -£31) and a gain of 0.016 QALYs (95% CI: 0.0017, 0.048). Conclusions: The 1 year outcomes show MMCs to be extremely cost-effective in comparison to a do- nothing, while the lifetime analysis determined MMC to be dominant strategy, demonstrate little uncertainty in both the cost and QALY outcomes over a wide range of cost-effectiveness thresholds.

Objective To assess the evidence for a reduced risk of acute coronary events following comprehensive smoke-free legislation. Methods Two independent systematic reviews were undertaken using PubMed, Embase and Science Direct with no date restrictions imposed. Meta-analysis was undertaken using a random effects model to obtain a pooled estimate of the relative risk. Linear regression was used to examine possible bias and meta-regression was used to investigate possible causes of heterogeneity. Main outcome measure Acute coronary events. Results The 17 eligible studies (10 from North America, 6 from Europe and 1 from Australasia) provided 35 estimates of effect size. Apart from five subgroup analyses, all of the published results suggested a reduction in the incidence of acute coronary events following the introduction of smoke-free legislation. Meta-analysis produced a pooled estimate of the relative risk of 0.90 (95% CI 0.86 to 0.94). There was significant heterogeneity (overall I2=95.1%, p Conclusions There is now a large body of evidence supporting a reduction in acute coronary events following the implementation of comprehensive smoke-free legislation, with the effect increasing over time from implementation. Countries that have not yet adopted smoke-free legislation should be encouraged to do so.

Active smoking is a recognized risk factor for stroke. We determined the evidence for an association with secondhand smoke exposure.A systematic review was undertaken according to PRISMA guidelines. Random effects meta-analysis provided a pooled estimate of risk, and heterogeneity quantified using I(2) values. Potential publication and study bias were assessed using a funnel plot and Egger's test. Meta-regression analyses were used to investigate sources of heterogeneity.The 20 eligible studies provided 35 estimates of risk derived from 885 307 participants, of whom 5894 (0.7%) suffered a stroke. The pooled estimate of risk was 1.25 (95% CI: 1.12-1.38) with no evidence of significant publication or small-study bias. There was moderate heterogeneity (I(2) = 54.2%, P0.001) but no study characteristics were statistically significant in the meta-regression analysis. There was a non-linear dose relationship. The relative risk increased from 1.16 (95% CI: 1.06-1.27) for exposure to 5 cigarettes/day to 1.56 (95% CI: 1.25-1.96) for exposure to 40 cigarettes/day.There is evidence of a strong, consistent and dose-dependent association between exposure to secondhand smoke and risk of stroke, suggestive of a causal relationship, with disproportionately high risk at low levels of exposure suggesting no safe lower limit of exposure.

To assess the evidence for a reduced risk of acute coronary events following comprehensive smoke-free legislation.Two independent systematic reviews were undertaken using PubMed, Embase and Science Direct with no date restrictions imposed. Meta-analysis was undertaken using a random effects model to obtain a pooled estimate of the relative risk. Linear regression was used to examine possible bias and meta-regression was used to investigate possible causes of heterogeneity.Acute coronary events.The 17 eligible studies (10 from North America, 6 from Europe and 1 from Australasia) provided 35 estimates of effect size. Apart from five subgroup analyses, all of the published results suggested a reduction in the incidence of acute coronary events following the introduction of smoke-free legislation. Meta-analysis produced a pooled estimate of the relative risk of 0.90 (95% CI 0.86 to 0.94). There was significant heterogeneity (overall I(2)=95.1%, p0.001) but there was no evidence of small study bias (p=0.714). On univariate random effects meta-regression analysis, studies with longer data collection following legislation produced greater estimates of risk reduction and remained significant after adjustment for other study characteristics (adjusted coefficient -0.005, 95% CI -0.007 to -0.002, multiplicity adjusted p=0.006).There is now a large body of evidence supporting a reduction in acute coronary events following the implementation of comprehensive smoke-free legislation, with the effect increasing over time from implementation. Countries that have not yet adopted smoke-free legislation should be encouraged to do so.

Background: There is widespread, unexplained variation in activity and outcome between general practices. Aim: To explore the relationship between practice size and participation in optional activities, including the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF). Design of study: Cross-sectional analyses of routinely available data on practice characteristics, QOF performance and optional activities including undergraduate teaching, postgraduate training, research, enhanced clinical data collection and service development. Setting: All 1031 general practices were located in mainland Scotland. Results: The most popular optional activity was undergraduate medical teaching, which involved 41% of all general practices. About a third of practices took part in postgraduate general practitioner training (29%), research (33%), enhanced clinical data collection through the Scottish Programme for Improving Clinical Effectiveness (31%) and the activities of the Scottish Primary Care Collaborative (33%). The most important driver of the number of activities undertaken by a practice is size with single handed, small and medium sized practices all undertaking a significantly lower number of activities than larger practices (P < 0.001). Deprivation had no overall effect, but was associated with lower rates of participation in postgraduate training. The average number of points achieved in the QOF ranged from 961 by the 18% of practices taking part in no optional activities, to 973 by 29% of practices taking part in one activity, 984 by 25% of practices taking part in two activities and 985 in 28% of practices taking part in three or more activities. Single handed practices in urban areas taking part in three or more additional activities had similar QOF point totals to larger practices taking part in three or more activities, and achieved 44 more QOF points than urban single-handed practices taking part in less than two additional activities. Conclusions: Practice size is strongly related to participation in optional activities. There is a small but significant relationship between the practice size and number of QOF points achieved by practices taking part in less than two additional activities. Participation in optional activities is a possible indicator of cultural and organisational factors within practices, which constrain the volume and quality of services, which they are able to provide.

Neuroticism is a personality trait of fundamental importance for psychological well-being and public health. It is strongly associated with major depressive disorder (MDD) and several other psychiatric conditions. Although neuroticism is heritable, attempts to identify the alleles involved in previous studies have been limited by relatively small sample sizes. Here we report a combined meta-analysis of genome-wide association study (GWAS) of neuroticism that includes 91 370 participants from the UK Biobank cohort, 6659 participants from the Generation Scotland: Scottish Family Health Study (GS:SFHS) and 8687 participants from a QIMR (Queensland Institute of Medical Research) Berghofer Medical Research Institute (QIMR) cohort. All participants were assessed using the same neuroticism instrument, the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised (EPQ-R-S) Short Form’s Neuroticism scale. We found a single-nucleotide polymorphism-based heritability estimate for neuroticism of ∼15% (s.e.=0.7%). Meta-analysis identified nine novel loci associated with neuroticism. The strongest evidence for association was at a locus on chromosome 8 (P=1.5 × 10−15) spanning 4 Mb and containing at least 36 genes. Other associated loci included interesting candidate genes on chromosome 1 (GRIK3 (glutamate receptor ionotropic kainate 3)), chromosome 4 (KLHL2 (Kelch-like protein 2)), chromosome 17 (CRHR1 (corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1) and MAPT (microtubule-associated protein Tau)) and on chromosome 18 (CELF4 (CUGBP elav-like family member 4)). We found no evidence for genetic differences in the common allelic architecture of neuroticism by sex. By comparing our findings with those of the Psychiatric Genetics Consortia, we identified a strong genetic correlation between neuroticism and MDD and a less strong but significant genetic correlation with schizophrenia, although not with bipolar disorder. Polygenic risk scores derived from the primary UK Biobank sample captured ∼1% of the variance in neuroticism in the GS:SFHS and QIMR samples, although most of the genome-wide significant alleles identified within a UK Biobank-only GWAS of neuroticism were not independently replicated within these cohorts. The identification of nine novel neuroticism-associated loci will drive forward future work on the neurobiology of neuroticism and related phenotypes.

Smoke-free legislation is associated with improved early-life outcomes; however its impact on perinatal survival is unclear. We linked individual-level data with death certificates for all registered singletons births in England (1995–2011). We used interrupted time series logistic regression analysis to study changes in key adverse perinatal events following the July 2007 national, comprehensive smoke-free legislation. We studied 52,163 stillbirths and 10,238,950 live-births. Smoke-free legislation was associated with an immediate 7.8% (95%CI 3.5–11.8; p

Background:\ud \ud There is a general perception that smoking protects against weight gain and this may influence commencement and continuation of smoking, especially among young women.\ud \ud Methods:\ud \ud A cross-sectional study was conducted using baseline data from UK Biobank. Logistic regression analyses were used to explore the association between smoking and obesity; defined as body mass index (BMI) >30kg/m2. Smoking was examined in terms of smoking status, amount smoked, duration of smoking and time since quitting and we adjusted for the potential confounding effects of age, sex, socioeconomic deprivation, physical activity, alcohol consumption, hypertension and diabetes.\ud \ud Results:\ud \ud The study comprised 499,504 adults aged 31 to 69 years. Overall, current smokers were less likely to be obese than never smokers (adjusted OR 0.83 95% CI 0.81-0.86). However, there was no significant association in the youngest sub-group (≤40 years). Former smokers were more likely to be obese than both current smokers (adjusted OR 1.33 95% CI 1.30-1.37) and never smokers (adjusted OR 1.14 95% CI 1.12-1.15). Among smokers, the risk of obesity increased with the amount smoked and former heavy smokers were more likely to be obese than former light smokers (adjusted OR 1.60, 95% 1.56-1.64, p\ud \ud Conclusion:\ud \ud Beliefs that smoking protects against obesity may be over-simplistic; especially among younger and heavier smokers. Quitting smoking may be associated with temporary weight gain. Therefore, smoking cessation interventions should include weight management support.

Objectives: In May 2008, the National Health Service (NHS) Lanarkshire (NHSL) implemented a unique telephone-based sickness absence management service entitled “EASY” (Early Access to Support for You). The EASY service supplements existing absence policies and enables telephone communication between the absentee, their line manager, and the EASY service from the first day of absence and referral to occupational health services at day ten. The aim of this study was to determine if the EASY service was effective between May 2008 and May 2012 in reducing sickness absence in NHSL compared to normal occupational healthcare in NHS Scotland and is, as such, a cost-saving intervention.\ud Methods: This study included time-series analysis of health board sickness absence data and analyses of the EASY service database (survival analyses and Cox’s proportional hazards model).\ud Results: The EASY service was effective in reducing sickness absence by 21% in NHSL, whereas the nonspecific tightening of the sickness absence policies across the rest of Scottish NHS health boards reduced sickness absence by approximately 9%. The richness of the EASY database gave detailed information on absentees by cause, duration, job family, and reporting compliance. The mean duration of musculoskeletal absences was significantly shorter in years 2, 3, and 4 compared to year 1. Those absentees contacted by phone on the first day of absence were more likely to return to work than those contacted on subsequent days. The EASY service improves economic efficiency; the value of the hours saved from the reduced sickness absence exceeds the cost of operating the service.\ud Conclusion: The study highlights the importance of an early telephone-based intervention for sickness absence management.

The housing choice literature is a vast area of housing research which has resulted in giant leaps forward in recent years in terms of its econometric modelling. This is due in large part to the significant increases now available in computing power allowing researchers to combine the latest advances in theory with empirical application. This paper brings together and critically reviews the housing choice literature and techniques that have been used to model the household's housing choice decision. The basic multinomial logit model is reviewed alongside the more recent advances in discrete choice modelling-the nested multinomial logit model and the heteroscedastic extreme value model. The various techniques are illustrated using data from the Australian census of 1986 and 1996 to model housing choice in Sydney. The results show that careful consideration must be given to the assumptions underlying any chosen modelling technique if one is not to draw misleading conclusions from the analysis.

Background Chronic pain has a strong association with major depressive disorder (MDD), but there is a relative paucity of studies on the association between chronic multisite pain and bipolar disorder (BD). Such studies are required to help elucidate the complex biological and psychological overlap between pain and mood disorders. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between chronic multisite pain and mood disorder across the unipolar-bipolar spectrum. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study of 149,611 UK Biobank participants. Self-reported depressive and bipolar features were used to categorise participants into MDD and BD groups and a non-mood disordered comparison group. Multinomial logistic regression was used to establish whether there was an association between extent of chronic pain (independent variable) and mood disorder category (dependent variable), using no pain as the referent category, and adjusting for a wide range of potential sociodemographic, lifestyle and comorbidity confounders. Results Multisite pain was significantly more prevalent in participants with BD and MDD, for example, 4–7 pain sites: BD 5.8%, MDD 4.5%, and comparison group 1.8% (p

Background and aims\ud A ban on multi-buy discounts of off-trade alcohol was introduced as part of the Alcohol Act in Scotland in October 2011. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of this legislation on alcohol sales, which provide the best indicator of population consumption.\ud \ud Design Setting and Participants\ud Interrupted time-series regression was used to assess the impact of the Alcohol Act on alcohol sales among off-trade retailers in Scotland. Models accounted for underlying seasonal and secular trends and were adjusted for disposable income, alcohol prices and substitution effects. Data for off-trade retailers in England and Wales combined (EW) provided a control group.\ud \ud Measurements\ud Weekly data on the volume of pure alcohol sold by off-trade retailers in Scotland and EW between January 2009 and September 2012.\ud \ud Findings\ud The introduction of the legislation was associated with a 2.6% (95% CI -5.3 to 0.2%, P = 0.07) decrease in off-trade alcohol sales in Scotland, but not in EW (-0.5%, -4.6 to 3.9%, P = 0.83). A statistically significant reduction was observed in Scotland when EW sales were adjusted for in the analysis (-1.7%, -3.1 to -0.3%, P = 0.02). The decline in Scotland was driven by reduced off-trade sales of wine (-4.0%, -5.4 to -2.6%, P < 0.001) and pre-mixed beverages (-8.5%, -12.7 to -4.1%, P < 0.001). There were no associated changes in other drink types in Scotland, or in sales of any drink type in EW.\ud \ud Conclusions\ud The introduction of the Alcohol Act in Scotland in 2011 was associated with a decrease in total off-trade alcohol sales in Scotland, largely driven by reduced off-trade wine sales.

This corrects the article Relationship between Smoking and Obesity: a Cross-Sectional Study of 499,504 Middle-Aged Adults in the UK General Population, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0123579

Objective Serving military personnel are more likely to drink heavily than civilians. The aim of our study was to examine whether veterans have an increased risk of alcoholic liver disease and alcohol-related death compared with non-veterans. Design Retrospective cohort study of 57 000 veterans resident in Scotland and 173 000 age, sex and area of residence-matched civilians, using Cox proportional hazard models to compare the risk of alcoholic liver disease and alcohol-related death overall, by sex, birth cohort, length of service and year of recruitment, adjusting for socioeconomic status. Results Over mean 29 years follow-up, 677 (1.20%) veterans developed alcoholic liver disease compared with 2175 (1.26%) non-veterans (adjusted HR=0.91, 95% CIs 0.84 to 0.99, p=0.035). Only the 1945–1949 veterans’ birth cohort was at higher risk, unadjusted HR=1.25, 95% CIs 1.07 to 1.47, p=0.004, although their difference in risk became non-significant after adjusting for socioeconomic status, p=0.052. The pattern was similar for alcohol-related death. Veterans were less likely than non-veterans to have comorbid hepatitis C. Older age at recruitment at a time of high operational activity in the early 1970s was associated with increased risk, but longer service was not. Conclusions Overall, veterans in Scotland had a significantly reduced risk of alcoholic liver disease or alcohol-related death compared with non-veterans, although the risk was higher in those born before 1950. Reasons for the changing pattern are likely to be complex and may reflect operational exposure, social attitudes to alcohol and the impact of recent military health promotion.

Background: Serving military personnel have been shown to be more likely to smoke, and to smoke more heavily, than civilians. Our aim was to examine whether veterans have an increased risk of smoking-related cancer compared with non-veterans. Methods: Retrospective cohort study of 57,000 veterans born 1945-1985, resident in Scotland, and 173,000 age, sex and area of residence matched non-veterans, using Cox proportional hazard models to compare risk of lung cancer and other smoking-related cancers overall, by sex and by birth cohort, adjusting for socioeconomic status. Results: Over mean 29 years follow-up, 445 (0.79%) veterans developed lung cancer compared with 1,106 (0.64%) non-veterans (adjusted hazard ratio 1.16, 95% confidence intervals 1.04-1.30, p = 0.008). Other smoking-related cancers occurred in 737 (1.31%) veterans compared with 1,883 (1.09%) non-veterans (adjusted hazard ratio 1.18, 95% confidence intervals 1.08-1.29, p < 0.001). Risk was significantly increased among veterans born 1950-1954 for lung cancer and 1945–1954 for other smoking-related cancers. Risk of lung cancer was decreased among veterans born 1960 onwards. Conclusion: Veterans living in Scotland born before 1955 were at increased risk of smoking-related cancer compared with non-veterans, but younger veterans were not. This may reflect changing patterns of smoking in military personnel as a consequence of health promotion policy, and a changing operational environment. Primary healthcare providers should be aware of the importance of providing smoking cessation support to veterans.

Introduction Scotland has one of the highest rates of alcohol-related harm in western and central Europe. In October 2011, the Scottish Government implemented a ban on multi-buy discounts of off-trade alcohol. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of this legislation on alcohol sales, which provide the best indicator of population consumption. Methods We obtained weekly data on the volume of pure alcohol sold off-trade in Scotland and England & Wales between …

Background Leukocyte telomere length is an indicator of biological aging and is associated with chronic inflammation and clinical cardiovascular (CVD) diseases. Many studies have related shorter telomere length to CVD risk such as using Framingham risk score. The ASSIGN score is the first to incorporate Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) as a CVD risk factor in Scotland. However, association between telomere attrition and ASSIGN score is unclear. Our …

Background Telomere length (TL) is an indicator of biological ageing. Few studies have reported the association between self-reported general health and TL. We examined the association between self-reported general health estimated by General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and TL attrition among adults. Methods We undertook a cross-sectional study of the association between GHQ-28 and …

BackgroundThe relative contribution of demographic, lifestyle and medication factors to the association between affective disorders and cardiometabolic diseases is poorly understood.AimsTo assess the relationship between cardiometabolic disease and features of depresion and bipolar disorder within a large population sample.MethodCross-sectional study of 145 991 UK Biobank participants: multivariate analyses of associations between features of depression or bipolar disorder and five cardiometabolic outcomes, adjusting for confounding factors.ResultsThere were significant associations between mood disorder features and ‘any cardiovascular disease’ (depression odds ratio (OR) = 1.15, 95% CI 1.12–1.19; bipolar OR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.14–1.43) and with hypertension (depression OR = 1.15, 95% CI 1.13–1.18; bipolar OR = 1.26, 95% CI 1.12–1.42). Individuals with features of mood disorder taking psychotropic medication were significantly more likely than controls not on psychotropics to report myocardial infarction (depression OR = 1.47, 95% CI 1.24–1.73; bipolar OR = 2.23, 95% CI 1.53–3.57) and stroke (depression OR = 2.46, 95% CI 2.10–2.80; bipolar OR = 2.31, 95% CI 1.39–3.85).ConclusionsAssociations between features of depression or bipolar disorder and cardiovascular disease outcomes were statistically independent of demographic, lifestyle and medication confounders. Psychotropic medication may also be a risk factor for cardiometabolic disease in individuals without a clear history of mood disorder.

OBJECTIVE To compare the relationship between adiposity and prevalent diabetes across ethnic groups in the UK Biobank cohort and to derive ethnic-specific obesity cutoffs that equate to those developed in white populations in terms of diabetes prevalence. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS UK Biobank recruited 502,682 U.K. residents aged 40–69 years. We used baseline data on the 490,288 participants from the four largest ethnic subgroups: 471,174 (96.1%) white, 9,631 (2.0%) South Asian, 7,949 (1.6%) black, and 1,534 (0.3%) Chinese. Regression models were developed for the association between anthropometric measures (BMI, waist circumference, percentage body fat, and waist-to-hip ratio) and prevalent diabetes, stratified by sex and adjusted for age, physical activity, socioeconomic status, and heart disease. RESULTS Nonwhite participants were two- to fourfold more likely to have diabetes. For the equivalent prevalence of diabetes at 30 kg/m2 in white participants, BMI equated to the following: South Asians, 22.0 kg/m2; black, 26.0 kg/m2; Chinese women, 24.0 kg/m2; and Chinese men, 26.0 kg/m2. Among women, a waist circumference of 88 cm in the white subgroup equated to the following: South Asians, 70 cm; black, 79 cm; and Chinese, 74 cm. Among men, a waist circumference of 102 cm equated to 79, 88, and 88 cm for South Asian, black, and Chinese participants, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Obesity should be defined at lower thresholds in nonwhite populations to ensure that interventions are targeted equitably based on equivalent diabetes prevalence. Furthermore, within the Asian population, a substantially lower obesity threshold should be applied to South Asian compared with Chinese groups.

Aims: The objective of this study was to analyse the outcomes of patients treated with high-bolus dose (HBD) tirofiban compared with abciximab at the time of primary PCI (PPCI) for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods and results: Data from two large UK tertiary centres, with differing protocols for glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor use during PPCI, were pooled. Propensity scores were calculated based on important covariates, and HBD tirofiban-treated patients were matched to abciximab-treated controls on a one-to-one basis. This resulted in 942 well matched pairs. Survival analysis demonstrated no significant difference in mortality between HBD tirofiban and abciximab either at 30 days (HBD tirofiban 3.7% vs. abciximab 3.2%; HR 1.01 [95% CI: 0.92-1.10], p=0.96) or at three years (HBD tirofiban 9.4% vs. abciximab 9.3%; HR 1.15 [95% CI: 0.79-1.67], p=0.45). Rates of stent thrombosis at 30 days were also similar (HBD tirofiban 12 [1.3%] vs. abciximab 8 [0.8%], p=0.50) but thrombocytopaenia was more common with abciximab (HBD tirofiban 3 [0.3%] vs. abciximab 17 [1.8%], p=0.001). Conclusions: In this observational study of adjunctive GP IIb/IIIa inhibitor treatment in PPCI, we found no difference in survival between HBD tirofiban-treated patients compared with propensity score-matched abciximab-treated controls up to three-year follow-up.

Few studies of veterans have examined cardiovascular disease as the primary outcome, other than in relation to specific conflicts or hazards. To assess the long-term risk and prognosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in United Kingdom veterans from a broad range of military backgrounds and experience, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of 57,000 veterans resident in Scotland and 173,000 civilians matched on age, sex, and area of residence. Cox proportional hazards models were used to compare the risks of fatal/nonfatal AMI overall, by sex, and by year of birth, adjusting for the potentially confounding effect of socioeconomic status, and to compare rates of case-fatality following AMI at 30-day, 1-year, and 5-year follow-up. Over a mean follow-up period of 29 years between 1981 and 2012, a total of 2,106 (3.8%) veterans experienced an AMI as compared with 5,261 (3.1%) nonveterans (hazard ratio = 1.22, 95% confidence interval: 1.16, 1.29; P < 0.001). There was an increased risk of AMI among veterans born in 1945-1959 but not among those born from 1960 onward. Case-fatality was lower among veterans at 30-day, 1-year, and 5-year follow-up. We conclude that health behaviors such as smoking may have increased the risk of AMI in older veterans but that younger veterans have benefited from in-service health promotion initiatives.

Objective: To determine whether low serum cortisol concentrations are associated with adverse prognosis in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Low serum cortisol concentrations have been associated with adverse prognosis in critical illness of diverse etiology. Design: Nested case-control study. Setting: Prospective cohort study of consecutive patients admitted with acute myocardial infarction to nine Scottish hospitals. Patients: A total of 100 patients who survived 30 days (controls) and 100 patients who died within 30 days (cases). Measurements and Main Results: Admission cortisol concentrations were lower in patients who died than those who survived (median, 1189 nmol/L vs. 1355 nmol/L; p < .001). A cortisol concentration in the bottom quartile (

This paper gives an account of an attempt to create a new area deprivation index for Scotland based mainly upon non-census indicators and calibrated at the spatial level of the postcode sector. This is the first such index to be produced in the UK. The paper explains why there is currently more interest in this type of index, describes how the index was constructed from identification of deprivation domains through selection of indicators to their standardisation, transformation and combination into a single measure. A multidimensional account of the resulting geographical pattern of deprivation is given. There then follows a discussion of various issues surrounding the index and areas for further development or improvement are identified.

This paper uses time series econometric techniques to model regional property rents in order to build a picture of the distinctiveness and commonality of the Scottish property sector. Data used comes from a series stretching from 1970‐1998 and allows Scotland’s market performance (in terms of rents) in each of the three main property sectors to be benchmarked against a selective comparison of other UK regions. In doing so, we pay particular attention to the statistical properties of the time series used, applying tests of data stationarity and cointegration to develop a reduced form model of rents comprising both demand and supply‐side variables. The paper develops a predictive approach to property rents based on the autoregressive moving average (ARMA) methodology. Initial within‐sample predictive power is reasonably high. The implications of our results for a better understanding of the Scottish property market, as well as the more general modelling, are sketched out.

This paper argues that charging for a merit good, such as water, raises important distributional concerns. More direct charging is likely to demonstrate a pronounced impact on poorer sections of society. Arguably, this carries potentially adverse allocative efficiency effects. Following Hochman and Rodgers' (1969) thesis that wealthier individuals may benefit from the redistribution of income to the poor; the regressive pricing of merit goods will engender external costs. We argue that this is likely in the context of domestic water provision in Scotland. On this basis we evaluate the comparative regressiveness of five alternative charging arrangements. Somewhat counter-intuitively, our simulation results reveal that a flat rate licence fee may be marginally the least regressive of the five arrangements.

Examines employment equity legislation, initially introduced in the UK during the 1970s, along with separate legislation covering sex, race, religion and disability, together with separate enforcement bodies, and separate geographical arrangements in Britain and in Northern Ireland. Notes the role of European Community Law which takes precedence over UK law and increasingly dictates legislation changes. Claims that the period since the 1970s has witnessed growing levels of unemployment, along with a focus on de‐regulation of labour markets. Most British empirical work focuses on explaining earnings differentials using the standard Mincer human capital model with comparative neglect of employment equality issues. The fundamental question is to what extent has employment equity legislation been successful in removing labour market discrimination against minority groups. Uses a cross‐section of data from the 1994 labour force survey to attempt to explain differences in employability across various groups and to analyse the degree of occupational segregation across these same groups which remain after nearly 20 years of experience of employment equity legislation. Reviews the legislation and then estimates first, logit equations to explain employability and second, ordered probit equations to explain occupational attainment, in each case decomposing the results in order to estimate the proportion of the differential which may be explained by “discrimination”.

BackgroundThe evidence is conflicting as to whether body mass index (BMI) is associated with mental health and, if so, to what extent it varies by sex and age. We studied mental health across the full spectrum of BMI among the general population, and conducted subgroup analyses by sex and age.MethodWe undertook a cross-sectional study of a representative sample of the Scottish adult population. The Scottish Health Survey provided data on mental health, measured by the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ), BMI, demographic and life-style information. Good mental health was defined as a GHQ score ResultsOf the 37 272 participants, 5739 (15.4%) had poor mental health. Overall, overweight participants had better mental health than the normal-weight group [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.93, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.87–0.99, p = 0.049], and individuals who were underweight, class II or class III obese had poorer mental health (class III obese group: adjusted OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.05–1.51, p = 0.013). There were significant interactions of BMI with sex (p = 0.013) and with age (p ConclusionsThe adverse associations between adiposity and mental health are specific to women. Underweight women and young women who are obese have poorer mental health. In contrast, middle-aged overweight men have better mental health.

Objectives UK Biobank is a landmark cohort of over 500,000 participants which will be used to investigate genetic and non-genetic risk factors for a wide range of adverse health outcomes. This is the first study to systematically assess the prevalence and validity of proposed criteria for probable mood disorders within the cohort (major depression and bipolar disorder).\ud \ud Methods This was a descriptive epidemiological study of 172,751 individuals assessed for a lifetime history of mood disorder in relation to a range of demographic, social, lifestyle, personality and health-related factors. The main outcomes were prevalence of a probable lifetime (single) episode of major depression, probable recurrent major depressive disorder (moderate), probable recurrent major depressive disorder (severe), probable bipolar disorder and no history of mood disorder (comparison group). Outcomes were compared on age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, educational attainment, functioning, self-reported health status, current depressive symptoms, neuroticism score, smoking status and alcohol use.\ud \ud Results Prevalence rates for probable single lifetime episode of major depression (6.4%), probable recurrent major depression (moderate) (12.2%), probable recurrent major depression (severe) (7.2%) and probable bipolar disorder (1.3%) were comparable to those found in other population studies. The proposed diagnostic criteria have promising validity, with a gradient in evidence from no mood disorder through major depression and probable bipolar disorder in terms of gender distribution, socioeconomic status, self-reported health rating, current depressive symptoms and smoking.\ud \ud Significance The validity of our proposed criteria for probable major depression and probable bipolar disorder within this cohort are supported by these cross-sectional analyses. Our findings are likely to prove useful as a framework for a wide range of future genetic and non-genetic studies.

BackgroundPrevious studies have reported a reduction in acute coronary events following smoke-free legislation. Evidence is lacking on whether stroke is also reduced. The aim was to determine whether the incidence of stroke, overall and by sub-type, fell following introduction of smoke-free legislation across Scotland on 26 March 2006.Methods and FindingsA negative binomial regression model was used to determine whether the introduction of smoke-free legislation resulted in a step and/or slope change in stroke incidence. The model was adjusted for age-group, sex, socioeconomic deprivation quintile, urban/rural residence and month. Interaction tests were also performed. Routine hospital administrative data and death certificates were used to identify all hospital admissions and pre-hospital deaths due to stroke (ICD10 codes I61, I63 and I64) in Scotland between 2000 and 2010 inclusive. Prior to the legislation, rates of all stroke, intracerebral haemorrhage and unspecified stroke were decreasing, whilst cerebral infarction was increasing at 0.97% per annum. Following the legislation, there was a dramatic fall in cerebral infarctions that persisted for around 20 months. No visible effect was observed for other types of stroke. The model confirmed an 8.90% (95% CI 4.85, 12.77, pConclusionsFollowing introduction of national, comprehensive smoke-free legislation there was a selective reduction in cerebral infarction that was not apparent in other types of stroke.

Background:\ud All-cause mortality in the population \ud \ud Methods:\ud Medline, EMBASE, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library and grey literature sources were searched until February 2012 for relevant studies. Summary statistics were combined in an age-stratified meta-analysis.\ud \ud Results:\ud Nine studies were included in the meta-analysis, representing 24,297 participants, 5,324 of whom died during follow-up. The pooled hazard ratio for low compared to high vitamin D demonstrated a significant inverse association (HR 1.19, 95% CI 1.12-1.27) between vitamin D levels and all-cause mortality after adjustment for available confounders. In an age-stratified meta-analysis, the hazard ratio for older participants was 1.25 (95% CI 1.14-1.36) and for younger participants 1.12 (95% CI 1.01-1.24).\ud \ud Conclusions:\ud Low vitamin D status is inversely associated with all-cause mortality but the risk is higher amongst older individuals and the relationship is prone to residual confounding. Further studies investigating the association between vitamin D deficiency and all-cause mortality in younger adults with adjustment for all important confounders (or using randomised trials of supplementation) are required to clarify this relationship.

Correction to: Molecular Psychiatry 21, 749–757; doi:10.1038/mp.2016.49 The GWAS of neuroticism conducted within the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) Berghofer Medical Research Institute cohort did not include covariates of age, sex, genotyping batch and 10 principal components. Adding these covariates does not substantially change the pattern of results within the meta-analysis, but P-values for the nine reported loci have changed slightly (please see revised Figure 2, Table 2A and Table 2B).

Introduction To characterise the detailed phenotypic and comorbid characteristics of participants with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the large population-based UK Biobank, thereby enabling future longitudinal analyses. Methods We undertook a cross-sectional study using baseline data from the unique UK Biobank resource (n=502 649). RA was based on self-report, and type of medication was used as a proxy measure of valid diagnosis. Participants with and without RA were compared in terms of sociodemographic, lifestyle and other disease-related risk factors. Logistic regression models were used to determine whether participants with RA were more likely to report comorbid conditions, and whether this varied by RA severity. The models were adjusted for potential confounders and lifestyle risk factors. Results At baseline, 5657 (1.13%) eligible UK Biobank participants reported RA of whom 2849 (0.57%) had medically treated RA (median duration=10 years). Prevalence was significantly higher among female, South Asian and socioeconomically deprived participants. Participants with RA were significantly more likely to report diabetes (covariate-adjusted OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.32, p

Objective To determine whether relationships with gestational age and birthweight centile vary between specific causes of special educational need (SEN). Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Scotland. Population A cohort of 407 503 schoolchildren. Methods Polytomous logistic regression was used to examine the risk of each cause of SEN across the spectrum of gestation at delivery and birthweight centile, adjusting for potential confounding factors. Main outcome measures Crude and adjusted odds ratios and confidence intervals. Results Of the 19 821 children with SEN, 557 (2.8%) had sensory impairments, 812 (4.1%) had physical or motor disabilities, 876 (4.4%) had language impairments, 2823 (14.2%) had social, emotional, or behavioural problems, 7018 (35.4%) had intellectual disabilities, 4404 (22.2%) had specific learning difficulties, and 1684 (8.5%) autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). Extreme preterm delivery (at 24–27 weeks of gestation) was a strong predictor of sensory (adjusted OR 23.64, 95% CI 12.03–46.45), physical or motor (adjusted OR 29.69, 95% CI 17.49–50.40), and intellectual (adjusted OR 11.67, 95% CI 8.46–16.10) impairments, with dose relationships across the range of gestation. Similarly, birthweight below the third centile was associated with sensory (adjusted OR 2.85, 95% CI 2.04–3.99), physical or motor (adjusted OR 2.47, 95% CI 1.82–3.37), and intellectual (adjusted OR 2.67, 95% CI 2.41–2.96) impairments. Together, gestation and birthweight centile accounted for 24.0% of SEN arising from sensory impairment, 34.3% arising from physical or motor disabilities, and 26.6% arising from intellectual disabilities. Obstetric factors were less strongly associated with specific learning difficulties and social or emotional problems, and there were no significant associations with ASD. Conclusions The association between gestation and birthweight centile and overall risk of SEN is largely driven by very strong associations with sensory, physical or motor impairments, and intellectual impairments.

Background The prevalence of obesity is rising in Scotland and globally. Overall, obesity is associated with increased morbidity, mortality and reduced health-related quality of life. Studies suggest that "healthy obesity" (obesity without metabolic comorbidity) may not be associated with morbidity or mortality. Its impact on health-related quality of life is unknown. Methods We extracted data from the Scottish Health Survey on self-reported health-related quality of life, body mass index (BMI), demographic information and comorbidity. SF-12 responses were converted into an overall health utility score. Linear regression analyses were used to explore the association between BMI and health utility, stratified by the presence or absence of metabolic comorbidity (diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia or cardiovascular disease), and adjusted for potential confounders (age, sex and deprivation quintile). Results Of the 5,608 individuals, 3,744 (66.8%) were either overweight or obese and 921 (16.4%) had metabolic comorbidity. There was an inverted U-shaped relationship whereby health utility was highest among overweight individuals and fell with increasing BMI. There was a significant interaction with metabolic comorbidity (p = 0.007). Individuals with metabolic comorbidty had lower utility scores and a steeper decline in utility with increasing BMI (morbidly obese, adjusted coefficient: -0.064, 95% CI -0.115, -0.012, p = 0.015 for metabolic comorbidity versus -0.042, 95% CI -0.067, -0.018, p = 0.001 for no metabolic comorbidity). Conclusions The adverse impact of obesity on health-related quality of life is greater among individuals with metabolic comorbidity. However, increased BMI is associated with reduced health-related quality of life even in the absence of metabolic comorbidity, casting doubt on the notion of "healthy obesity".

To assess short-term and medium-term outcomes following radial and femoral artery access for primary or rescue percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Retrospective cohort study.Scotland-wide.All 4534 patients undergoing primary or rescue PCI in Scotland between April 2000 and March 2009 using the Scottish Coronary Revascularisation Register.Primary or rescue PCI.Procedural success; peri-procedural complications; 30-day and 1-year mortality, myocardial infarction or stroke and long-term mortality.Use of the radial approach increased from no cases in 2000 to 924 (80.5%) in 2009 (p0.001). Patients in whom the radial approach was used were more likely to be male (p=0.041) and to have multiple comorbidities (p0.001), including hypertension (p0.001) and left ventricular dysfunction (p0.001). They were less likely to have renal impairment (p=0.017), multi-vessel coronary disease (p=0.001) and cardiogenic shock (p0.001). In multivariable analyses, use of radial artery access was associated with greater procedural success (adjusted OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.26 - 2.82, p=0.002) and a lower risk of any complications (adjusted OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.51 - 0.87, p=0.001) or access site bleeding complications (adjusted OR 0.21, 0.08 - 0.56, p=0.002), as well as a lower risk of myocardial infarction (adjusted OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.51-0.87, p=0.003) or death within 30 days (adjusted OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.04 - 0.52, p0.001). The differences in myocardial infarction and death remained significant up to 9 years of follow-up.Use of the radial artery for primary or rescue PCI is associated with improved clinical outcomes.

An analysis of pregnancy data for the whole of Scotland demonstrates a reduction in small-for-gestational-age births and preterm delivery since the introduction of legislation banning smoking in enclosed public spaces., Background Both active smoking and environmental tobacco smoke exposure are associated with pregnancy complications. In March 2006, Scotland implemented legislation prohibiting smoking in all wholly or partially enclosed public spaces. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of this legislation on preterm delivery and small for gestational age. Methods and Findings We conducted logistic regression analyses using national administrative pregnancy data covering the whole of Scotland. Of the two breakpoints tested, 1 January 2006 produced a better fit than the date when the legislation came into force (26 March 2006), suggesting an anticipatory effect. Among the 716,941 eligible women who conceived between August 1995 and February 2009 and subsequently delivered a live-born, singleton infant between 24 and 44 wk gestation, the prevalence of current smoking fell from 25.4% before legislation to 18.8% after legislation (p, Editors' Summary Background The risks of smoking during pregnancy, both on mother and fetus, are well established: women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to have a miscarriage. Smoking can cause placental problems, such as placental abruption, which can result in heavy bleeding during pregnancy, which is dangerous for both mother and baby. Other dangers of smoking during pregnancy include the baby being born too early (premature birth), the baby being below average weight (small for gestational age), birth defects, and infant death. Because of the serious damage to health caused by smoking, in 2005, under the auspices of the World Health Organization, countries adopted the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to protect present and future generations from the devastating health, social, environmental, and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke. Article 8 of the treaty obliges member states who have ratified the treaty—168 so far—to protect all people from exposure to tobacco smoke in indoor workplaces, public transport, and indoor public places. As a result, many countries around the world have banned smoking in public places. Why Was This Study Done? Scotland was the first country in the United Kingdom to ban smoking in public places, which was implemented as part of the Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Bill on 26 March 2006. Previous studies have shown that the introduction of the legislation led directly to a reduction in smoking and also a reduction in environmental tobacco smoke exposure in adults and children. Furthermore, the Scottish legislation has been accompanied by significant reductions in both cardiovascular and respiratory disease. Because of the known risks of smoking during pregnancy, the researchers wanted to investigate whether the change in policy on smoking in public places had positive benefits on the health of mothers and babies. They evaluated this by measuring the rates of preterm delivery and small for gestational age before and after the Scottish legislation went into effect. What Did the Researchers Do and Find? The researchers collected information on preterm delivery and small for gestational age in all single babies born live at 22–44 weeks gestation between 1 January 1996 and 31 December 2009 by using the Scottish Morbidity Record (SMR2), which collects relevant information on all women discharged from Scottish maternity hospitals, including maternal and infant characteristics and pregnancy complications. The researchers categorized preterm delivery into mild, moderate, and extreme depending on how much before 37 weeks the baby was born. They defined small for gestational age as the smallest 10% (below the 10th centile) for sex-specific birth weight at delivery, and very small for gestational age as the smallest 3% (below the 3rd centile), for all deliveries in Scotland over the study period. As some people may have stopped smoking in anticipation of the smoking ban, in their statistical model, the researchers included two possible breakpoints for the effect of the legislation—the actual date of implementation and 1 January 2006. The researchers found that of the 716,968 pregnancies (the number eligible for inclusion in the study), 99.9% of women had their smoking status recorded, and among these 23.9% were current smokers, 57.6% never smokers, and 8.7% former smokers. However, following implementation of the legislation the researchers noted that there was a significant reduction in current smokers to 18.8%. In their statistical model, the researchers found that following 1 January 2006, there was a significant drop in overall preterm deliveries, which remained after adjustment for potential confounding factors. Likewise, there was a significant decrease in the number of infants born small, and very small, for gestational age after 1 January 2006. Furthermore, the researchers found that these significant reductions occurred in both mothers who smoked and those who had never smoked. What Do These Findings Mean? These findings suggest that the introduction of national, comprehensive smoke-free legislation in Scotland was associated with significant reductions in preterm delivery and babies being born small for gestational age. These findings are plausible and add to the growing evidence of the wide-ranging health benefits of smoke-free legislation, and support the adoption of such legislation in other countries that have yet to implement smoking bans. Additional Information Please access these websites via the online version of this summary at http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001175. More information is available on the World Health Organization's Framework Convention for Tobacco Control More information on the Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Bill is available The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more information about the risks of smoking in pregnancy, as does the UK National Health Service's smokefree web page NHS Health Scotland has a website that summarises all the studies to date evaluating the Scottish smoke-free legislation

We sought to determine whether giving birth preterm is associated with raised maternal C-reactive protein (CRP) in later life and whether the association is specific to indicated or spontaneous delivery.This was a Scotland-wide retrospective cohort study of 1124 women who had a first pregnancy resulting in a singleton, liveborn infant delivered between 24-43 weeks' gestation. Linear regression analysis was used to examine the association between preterm delivery and subsequent CRP concentration.The difference in CRP between women who delivered term and preterm was nonsignificant on univariate analysis (beta coefficient 0.04, P = .18) but was statistically significant following adjustment for potential confounders (beta coefficient 0.05, P.05). On subgroup analysis the association was specific to women who had had indicated preterm delivery (unadjusted beta coefficient 0.09, P.01; adjusted beta coefficient 0.09, P.01).Women who undergo indicated preterm delivery are at increased risk of raised CRP in later life.

An increasing proportion of infants are born preterm, and their survival has improved. Therefore, their long-term sequelae are of increasing public health importance.We conducted a systematic review covering a 30 year period (1980-2009). A random effects meta-analysis provided a pooled estimate of the difference in IQ score between individuals born preterm and term. Small-study bias was examined using a funnel plot and Egger's test, and meta-regression was used to investigate possible causes of heterogeneity. Cumulative meta-analysis was used to determine if the magnitude of the association had changed over time.The 27 eligible studies covered 7044 individuals; 3504 (50%) delivered preterm and 3540 (50%) at term. They provided 37 estimates of difference in IQ. All demonstrated a reduced IQ among those delivered preterm and all but four reached statistical significance. Overall, IQ score was 11.94 (95% CI: 10.47-13.42, P0.001) points lower among children born preterm. There was moderate heterogeneity (overall I(2) 74.2%, P0.001), but no significant small-study bias (P = 0.524). The association between preterm delivery and IQ did not change significantly over time. There was a statistically significant, linear association across the gestational age range (adjusted coefficient: -0.91, 95% CI: -1.64, -0.17, P = 0.018).There is a strong and consistent body of evidence suggesting an association between preterm delivery and reduced IQ, with evidence of a dose-response relationship with gestational age.

A number of studies have demonstrated an association between preterm delivery and maternal risk of subsequent ischemic heart disease (IHD). The mechanism underlying this association is unknown, and it is also unknown whether the association is specific to either elective or spontaneous preterm delivery. Placental dysfunction (preeclampsia or intrauterine growth restriction) is an important risk factor for elective preterm delivery. Spontaneous preterm delivery has other causes and is frequently idiopathic. This retrospective study was designed to determine whether the risk for development of IHD after preterm delivery is specific for either elective or spontaneous delivery. Data for deliveries between 1969 and 2007 were obtained by linking 3 nationwide databases: Scottish Morbidity Record 2 (providing data on acute hospital admissions), Scottish Morbidity Record 1 (providing data on all pregnancies), and Scotland's Registrar General (providing data from all death certificates). Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine associations between premature delivery and IHD deaths and events (fatal and nonfatal IHD). The study population comprised 750,350 women who delivered a live, singleton infant after their first pregnancy. All women in the cohort were between 35 and 65 years of age at either the time of their first IHD event or at the end of follow-up. Multivariate Cox analysis showed independent associations between preterm delivery and IHD death (hazards ratio, 2.26; 95% confidence interval, 1.88–2.71) and total IHD events (hazards ratio, 1.58; 95% confidence interval, 1.47–1.71). Greater associations were found for elective versus spontaneous preterm delivery (P = 0.005). There was evidence of an age-related interaction: a trend was observed for increasing association between preterm births and IHD events with decreasing age at first IHD event. These findings demonstrate a stronger relationship between elective preterm delivery and IHD than spontaneous preterm delivery and IHD. The age trend suggests an underlying genetic predisposition to IHD and placental dysfunction in premature delivery.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that after the adoption of comprehensive smoke-free legislation, there is a reduction in respiratory symptoms among workers in bars. However, it is not known whether respiratory disease is also reduced among people who do not have occupational exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. The aim of our study was to determine whether the ban on smoking in public places in Scotland, which was initiated in March 2006, influenced the rate of hospital admissions for childhood asthma.\ud \ud METHODS: Routine hospital administrative data were used to identify all hospital admissions for asthma in Scotland from January 2000 through October 2009 among children younger than 15 years of age. A negative binomial regression model was fitted, with adjustment for age group, sex, quintile of socioeconomic status, urban or rural residence, month, and year. Tests for interactions were also performed.\ud \ud RESULTS: Before the legislation was implemented, admissions for asthma were increasing at a mean rate of 5.2% per year (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.9 to 6.6). After implementation of the legislation, there was a mean reduction in the rate of admissions of 18.2% per year relative to the rate on March 26, 2006 (95% CI, 14.7 to 21.8; PCONCLUSIONS: In Scotland, passage of smoke-free legislation in 2006 was associated with a subsequent reduction in the rate of respiratory disease in populations other than those with occupational exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. (Funded by NHS Health Scotland.)

Background— The elderly account for an increasing proportion of the population and have a high prevalence of coronary heart disease. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the most common method of revascularization in the elderly. We examined whether the risk of periprocedural complications after PCI was higher among elderly (age ≥75 years) patients and whether it has changed over time. Methods and Results— The Scottish Coronary Revascularization Register was used to undertake a retrospective cohort study on all 31 758 patients undergoing nonemergency PCI in Scotland between April 2000 and March 2007, inclusive. There was an increase in the number and percentage of PCIs undertaken in elderly patients, from 196 (8.7%) in 2000 to 752 (13.9%) in 2007. Compared with younger patients, the elderly were more likely to have multivessel disease, multiple comorbidity, and a history of myocardial infarction or coronary artery bypass grafting (χ 2 tests, all P 2 test P 2 test for trend, P 2 test for trend, P =0.142) or overall (χ 2 test for trend, P =0.083). Conclusions— Elderly patients have a higher risk of periprocedural complications and account for an increasing proportion of PCIs. Despite this, the risk of complications after PCI has not increased over time.

The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) of the new General Medical Services contract, for the first time, incentivises certain areas of general practice workload over others. The ability of practices to deliver high quality care may be related to the size of the practice itself.To explore the relationship between practice size and points attained in the QOF.Cross-sectional analyses of routinely available data.Urban general practice in mainland Scotland.QOF points and disease prevalence were obtained for all urban general practices in Scotland (n = 638) and linked to data on the practice, GP and patient population. The relationship between QOF point attainment, disease prevalence and practice size was examined using univariate statistical analyses.Smaller practices were more likely to be located in areas of socioeconomic deprivation; had patients with poorer health; and were less likely to participate in voluntary practice-based quality schemes. Overall, smaller practices received fewer QOF points compared to larger practices (P = 0.003), due to lower point attainment in the organisational domain (P = 0.002). There were no differences across practice size in the other domains of the QOF, including clinical care. Smaller practices reported higher levels of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and mental health conditions and lower levels of asthma, epilepsy and hypothyroidism. There was no difference in the reported prevalence of hypertension or coronary heart disease (CHD) across practices, in contrast to CHD mortality for patients aged under 70 years, where the mortality rate was 40% greater for single-handed practices compared with large practices.Although smaller practices obtained fewer points than larger practices under the QOF, this was due to lower scores in the organisational domain of the contract rather than to lower scores for clinical care. Single-handed practices, in common with larger practices serving more deprived populations, reported lower than expected CHD prevalence in their practice populations. Our results suggest that smaller practices continue to provide clinical care of comparable quality to larger practices but that they may need increased resources or support, particularly in the organisational domain, to address unmet need or more demanding QOF criteria.

ObjectiveBoth active smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) are associated with cardiovascular disease, but sidestream smoke contains higher levels of small particles and toxic gases than mainstream smoke. The relationship between the concentration of cotinine and a number of cardiovascular biomarkers among nonsmokers and active smokers was examined.MethodsA cross-sectional study using the Scottish Health Surveys conducted between 1998 and 2010 was undertaken. Inclusion was restricted to participants aged ≥16 years who had provided saliva and blood samples. Uni- and multivariate regression models were used to examine the relationships between the concentration of cotinine and C-reactive protein (CRP), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and fibrinogen concentrations, as well as total:HDL cholesterol ratios.ResultsOf the 10,018 eligible participants, 7,345 (73.3%) were confirmed to be nonsmokers (cotinine