Neural Tube Defect (NTD) cluster in Washington State
Neural tube defects (NTDs) are serious birth defects of the brain (anencephaly and encephalocele) or spinal cord (spina bifida). They are important birth defects to monitor because they can be
MUSINGS, REVELATIONS, REVIEWS
On Mortality, Survival, Life Expectancy and Related or Unrelated Epidemiological Topics
Mortality of Severely Mentally Ill Outpatients in Texas, 2006-2008
An extensive body of research has documented that people with serious mental illness are at increased risk of mortality in comparison to the general population. This has been found to
SER 2013: A review
The Society for Epidemiologic Research, or SER, held its annual meeting in Boston, MA this past June 18-21, 2013. The meeting was well-attended by Epidemiologists from the United States, Canada, and beyond, and
Spirometry
According to Merriam-Webster’s medical dictionary, Spirometry is the measurement by means of a spirometer of the air entering and leaving the lungs. The same dictionary defines a spirometer as an
Body mass index
Body mass index We recently commented on obesity trends in the US. As we noted there, the CDC provides an online calculator that allows input of weight (in pounds or
Deaths from Traumatic Brain Injury, 1999 to 2010
This week’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)[1] highlighted new mortality rates for children due to Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), as shown in the figure below. The figure shows age-specific
Obesity trends in the United States
Obesity is generally defined as a body mass index greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2. As the units suggest, BMI is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by the
Commercial fishing: A risky business
Anyone who’s ever watched Deadliest Catch on Discovery Channel knows that commercial fishing is dangerous work. But exactly how dangerous is it? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, private
Mortality Research & Consulting’s contribution to the MLB mortality literature
In a previous post we reviewed the literature on the mortality of Major League Baseball players. We have also recently contributed two papers to the peer reviewed literature on this