SummaryBackgroundAlcohol is an important determinant of the high and fluctuating adult mortality rates in Russia, but cause-specific detail is lacking. Our case–control study investigated the effects of alcohol consumption on male and female cause-specific mortality.MethodsIn three Russian industrial cities with typical 1990s mortality patterns (Tomsk, Barnaul, Biysk), the addresses of 60 416 residents who had died at ages 15–74 years in 1990–2001 were visited in 2001–05. Family members were present for 50 066 decedents; for 48 557 (97%), the family gave proxy information on the decedents' past alcohol use and on potentially confounding factors. Cases (n=43 082) were those certified as dying from causes we judged beforehand might be substantially affected by alcohol or tobacco; controls were the other 5475 decedents. Case versus control relative risks (RRs; calculated as odds ratios by confounder-adjusted logistic regression) were calculated in ever-drinkers, defining the reference category by two criteria: usual weekly consumption always less than 0·5 half-litre bottles of vodka (or equivalent in total alcohol content) and maximum consumption of spirits in 1 day always less than 0·5 half-litre bottles. Other ever-drinkers were classified by usual weekly consumption into three categories: less than one, one to less than three, and three or more (mean 5·4 [SD 1·4]) bottles of vodka or equivalent.FindingsIn men, the three causes accounting for the most alcohol-associated deaths were accidents and violence (RR 5·94, 95% CI 5·35–6·59, in the highest consumption category), alcohol poisoning (21·68, 17·94–26·20), and acute ischaemic heart disease other than myocardial infarction (3·04, 2·73–3·39), which includes some misclassified alcohol poisoning. There were significant excesses of upper aerodigestive tract cancer (3·48, 2·84–4·27) and liver cancer (2·11, 1·64–2·70). Another five disease groups had RRs of more than 3·00 in the highest alcohol category: tuberculosis (4·14, 3·44–4·98), pneumonia (3·29, 2·83–3·83), liver disease (6·21, 5·16–7·47), pancreatic disease (6·69, 4·98–9·00), and ill-specified conditions (7·74, 6·48–9·25). Although drinking was less common in women, the RRs associated with it were generally more extreme. After correction for reporting errors, alcohol-associated excesses accounted for 52% of all study deaths at ages 15–54 years (men 8182 [59%] of 13968, women 1565 [33%] of 4751) and 18% of those at 55–74 years (men 3944 [22%] of 17 536, women 1493 [12%] of 12 302). Allowance for under-representation of extreme drinkers would further increase alcohol-associated proportions. Large fluctuations in mortality from these ten strongly alcohol-associated causes were the main determinants of recent fluctuations in overall mortality in the study region and in Russia as a whole.InterpretationAlcohol-attributable mortality varies by year; in several recent years, alcohol was a cause of more than half of all Russian deaths at ages 15–54 years. Alcohol accounts for most of the large fluctuations in Russian mo...

In the frame of Multicenter observational study ECVD-RF (Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Diseases and their Risk Factors in Regions of Russian Federation) by the unique protocol the investigation of representative selections of adult population at the age of 25-64 y.o. of 11 regions RF (n=18305, including males, n=6919 and females n=11386): Volgograd, Vologda, Voronezh, Ivanovo, Kemerovo, Orenburg, Samara, Tomsk, Tyumen, Saint-Petersburg and Northern Osetia-Alania. The prevalence of the following risk factors (RF) of cardiovascular diseases is evaluated: high blood pressure — 33,8%, obesity — 29,7%, high total cholesterol — 57,6%, high glucose level or diabetes — 4,6%, smoking (tobacco consumption) — 25,7%, insufficient (low) level of physical activity — 38,8%, excessive salt consumption — 49,9% and insufficient vegetables and fruits consumption — 41,9%. Gender differences and an increase with the age of the parameters mentioned are described.The absence of a epidemiologic monitoring system at the Federal level leads to an impossibility of clear conclusions on the RF dynamics in Russian population. While comparing the ECVD-RF study with previous epidemiological studies we can just cautiously suppose the existence in 21st age of negative dynamics of one RF (obesity, dyslipidemia) and positive dynamics of the others (smoking).

SummaryBackgroundRussian adults have extraordinarily high rates of premature death. Retrospective enquiries to the families of about 50 000 deceased Russians had found excess vodka use among those dying from external causes (accident, suicide, violence) and eight particular disease groupings. We now seek prospective evidence of these associations.MethodsIn three Russian cities (Barnaul, Byisk, and Tomsk), we interviewed 200 000 adults during 1999–2008 (with 12 000 re-interviewed some years later) and followed them until 2010 for cause-specific mortality. In 151 000 with no previous disease and some follow-up at ages 35–74 years, Poisson regression (adjusted for age at risk, amount smoked, education, and city) was used to calculate the relative risks associating vodka consumption with mortality. We have combined these relative risks with age-specific death rates to get 20-year absolute risks.FindingsAmong 57 361 male smokers with no previous disease, the estimated 20-year risks of death at ages 35–54 years were 16% (95% CI 15–17) for those who reported consuming less than a bottle of vodka per week at baseline, 20% (18–22) for those consuming 1–2·9 bottles per week, and 35% (31–39) for those consuming three or more bottles per week; trend p<0·0001. The corresponding risks of death at ages 55–74 years were 50% (48–52) for those who reported consuming less than a bottle of vodka per week at baseline, 54% (51–57) for those consuming 1–2·9 bottles per week, and 64% (59–69) for those consuming three or more bottles per week; trend p<0·0001. In both age ranges most of the excess mortality in heavier drinkers was from external causes or the eight disease groupings strongly associated with alcohol in the retrospective enquiries. Self-reported drinking fluctuated; of the men who reported drinking three or more bottles of vodka per week who were reinterviewed a few years later, about half (185 of 321) then reported drinking less than one bottle per week. Such fluctuations must have substantially attenuated the apparent hazards of heavy drinking in this study, yet self-reported vodka use at baseline still strongly predicted risk. Among male non-smokers and among females, self-reported heavy drinking was uncommon, but seemed to involve similar absolute excess risks.InterpretationThis large prospective study strongly reinforces other evidence that vodka is a major cause of the high risk of premature death in Russian adults.FundingUK Medical Research Council, British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, European Union, WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Aim. To study prevalence of arterial hypertension (AH), mean values of systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP), awareness of patients about their disease, medication consumption (MC) and efficacy of treatment in several regions of Russia.Material and methods. Representative selections were made in 9 regions of Russia: men (n=5563), women (n=9737) of 25–64 y.o., studied in 2012–2013 with the response 80%. Systematic stratified multilevel random selection was formed with localilty criteria (Kisch method). The Questionnaire on the presence of AH included: awareness of the patient about his disease, drug intake. BP measurement was performed on the right arm by automatic tonometer Omron in sitting position after 5 minutes resting. The mean value of two measurements was used. BP defined as SBP ≥140 mmHg, DBP ≥90 mmHg, or if the patient had taken antihypertensive therapy. Efficacy of treatment — the part of patients (in %) who reached target BP. Control group — part of patients (in %) with BP <140/90 mmHg. Statistic data calculation was done with computer-based statistic software — SAS with standardising by age stratification of Europe.Results. Mean SBP and DBP were 130,7±0,1 mmHg and 81,6±0,1 mmHg respectively. Prevalence of AH — 44%, higher in men (p<0,001). Prevalence of AH was higher in rural area citizens in men — 51,8% vs 47,5% (р<0,02) and in women — 42,9% vs 40,2% (р<0,05). Awareness was 67,5% in men, 78,9% in women. Medications were taken by 60,9% of women and 39,5% of men. Effectively treated were 53,5% of women and 41,4% of men. With the age the part of effectively treated decreases (p<0,0005). BP is under control only in 1/3 of women and 14,4% of men.Conclusion. The role of AH as one of the main modifiable risk factors of cardiovascular diseases is proved, however it is depressing that the percent of controlled AH is low. BP control is the main task of outpatient surveillance at every local outpatient department, where now less than a half of those affected are being observed.

Adverse cardiac remodeling leads to impaired ventricular function and heart failure, remaining a major cause of mortality and morbidity in patients with acute myocardial infarction. It have been shown that, even if all the recommended therapies for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction are performed, one third of patients undergoes progressive cardiac remodeling that represents morphological basis for following heart failure. The need to extend our knowledge about factors leading to different clinical scenarios of myocardial infarction and following complications has resulted in a research of immuno-inflammatory pathways and molecular activities as the basis for post-infarction remodeling. Recently, macrophages (cells of the innate immune system) have become a subject of scientific interest under both normal and pathological conditions. Macrophages, besides their role in host protection and tissue homeostasis, play an important role in pathophysiological processes induced by myocardial infarction. In this article we summarize data about the function of monocytes and macrophages plasticity in myocardial infarction and outline potential role of these cells as effective targets to control processes of inflammation, cardiac remodeling and healing following acute coronary event.