Helse Nord-Trøndelag HF

The incidence and prevalence of sarcoidosis vary globally, with the highest estimates in Scandinavia. Since there are no recent data from Norway, we aimed to investigate the prevalence, incidence and mortality of sarcoidosis over three decades among participants in the population-based HUNT Study. The study population included participants in the first three surveys of the HUNT Study (HUNT1,1984-86; HUNT2,1995-97 and HUNT3, 2006-08). We identified 365 participants with sarcoidosis. Approximately 10 % of sarcoidosis patients were identified by x-ray screening in HUNT1, the remaining by linkage to hospital records. We randomly selected four age, sex and survey-matched participants without sarcoidosis for each of the 310 participants with incident sarcoidosis and followed these from diagnosis until death or end of follow-up in 2023. We used Cox regression to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) of death from all-causes. From 1984 to 2018, annual prevalence increased from 0.54 (95 % CI 0.41, 0.72) to 1.34 (95 % CI 1.08, 1.64) percent, while incidence rate increased from 12.1 (95 % CI 9.5, 14.7) to 18.7 (95 % CI 13.4, 24.0) per 100 000/year. The largest increase was seen in non-Lofgren syndrome (nLS). People with nLS had more than twice the mortality compared to people without sarcoidosis (HR 2.4; 95 % CI, 1.9, 3.1). There was no clear association between Lofgren syndrome and overall mortality. Sarcoidosis prevalence and incidence appeared to increase, particularly for nLS. Mechanisms leading to increased mortality in nLS needs to be further addressed.

The purpose of this report is to examine to what extent the COVID-19 pandemic affected pre-existing trends in mental health, with a focus on subgroup differences across age, gender and socioeconomic status.

Our analysis uses data from two survey periods (HUNT4: 2017–2019 and HUNT-COVID: 2021–2023) from the Trøndelag Health Study in Norway. We estimate overall and stratified (by age, sex and educational attainment) prevalence values for above-threshold (≥8) anxiety and depression scores using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. For each outcome, we compare prevalences between HUNT-4 and HUNT-Covid within each subgroup.

Above-threshold levels of anxiety were higher among women than men, while the opposite was true for depression. Symptoms generally decrease with age. Between HUNT4 and HUNT-COVID, for both women and men, anxiety symptoms decreased (except among women between 18–29 and 30–39) while depression symptoms increased (except for individuals over 80). Anxiety symptoms decreased across education levels between HUNT4 and HUNT-COVID while depression symptoms increased across education levels.

The findings illustrate the negative long-term effects of a shock such as a pandemic while also illustrating the potential positive effects of generous welfare benefits on inequalities in mental health.

Skeletal development starts during fetal life, and it is estimated that most bone formation occurs in the 3rd trimester. This study examined the association between birth characteristics and fractures of the wrist, humerus, hip, and spine, in young adults (19-54 years).

11.099 participants in the 3^rd survey of the HUNT Study (2006-2008) were linked with the Medical Birth Registry of Norway and hospital records. Fractures of the wrist, humerus, hip, and spine were identified using ICD9/10 codes between 1988 and 2021. Follow-up was from date of participation in HUNT until a first fracture, emigration, death, or end of study. Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) of fracture associated with birth characteristics (95% CI), adjusted for birth year, sex, maternal age, and maternal morbidity. In a secondary analysis, follow-up started in 1988.

During a median follow-up of 14.0 years (153,657 person-years), 290 fractures occurred. Mean age at first fracture was 41.4 years (SD 7.4). Overall, there were no clear associations between birth characteristics and fractures in these data. HR for fracture was 0.43 (0.15-1.24) for those with a birth weight < 2.5 kg (reference birth weight 3.5 - 3.9 kg); 1.04 (0.74 - 1.46) for those born small for gestational age (< 10th percentile, reference 10 - 90^th percentile); and 0.63 (0.33 - 1.23) for those born preterm (reference term births). The secondary analysis from 1988, including 539 fractures, gave similar results as the main analysis.

Birth weight, gestational age, or birth weight for gestational age was not associated with an increased risk of fractures of the wrist, humerus, hip, and spine in young adults.