In 2007-2008, ARCADIS has conducted a study on behalf of the Flemish government, with as main objectives a review and a critical analysis of the existing calculations of environmental health costs in Flanders. This study covers the effects on human health of air pollution due to particulates and...

Abstract: We performed a cross-sectional, "bottom-up" observational study of resource consumption and quality of life of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the United Kingdom. Three centers participated in the study. Patients received a questionnaire either by mail or during a clinic...

Microbial pathogens in food cause an estimated 6.5-33 million cases of human illness and up to 9,000 deaths in the United States each year. Over 40 different foodborne microbial pathogens, including fungi, viruses, parasites, and bacteria, are believed to cause human illnesses. For six bacterial...

Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune reaction that can cause acute neuro-muscular paralysis. Of an estimated 2,628 to 9,575 new U.S. cases with GBS annually, 526 to 3,830 are triggered by infection with Campylobacter, the most frequently isolated cause of foodborne diarrhea. Estimated...

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an important public health problem in European countries. AF is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, e.g. from heart failure and thromboembolic events. Little data have previously been presented regarding the costs of treatment in patients...

Introduction: Streptococcus pneumoniae (Sp.) is a leading cause of paediatric bacterial meningitis, pneumonia and acute otitis media, as is non-typable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) for acute otitis media. In 2008, a 7-valent conjugated pneumococcal vaccine (PCV7) was included in the New Zealand...

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic condition that affects quality of life (QOL), leads to disability and requires ongoing care inputs. Few studies have examined the impact of QOL, disability and demographic characteristics on treatment costs. Objective: To investigate the links...

The pesticide use in Kuttanad, India, an ecologically sensitive area often referred to as the rice bowl of Kerala is examined. Using primary data collected from pesticide applicators and farm labor, the study assesses short-term health costs associated with pesticide exposure. The study finds...

Obesity [body mass index (BMI) =30 kg/m2] is common in many parts of the world, especially in the established market economies, formerly socialist economies of Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as the Middle Eastern Crescent. Worldwide, as many as 250 million people may be...

Objective: The main objective of this study was to evaluate treatment patterns and to assess the relationship between diabetes mellitus-related vascular complications and the total medical/prescription drug costs in the elderly population using a large, national, self-insured employer database....