1999-2009 trends in prevalence, unawareness, treatment and control of hypertension in Geneva, Switzerland.

BACKGROUND: There are no time trends in prevalence, unawareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in Switzerland. The objective of this study was to analyze these trends and to determine the associated factors. METHODS/FINDINGS: Population-based study conducted in the Canton of Geneva, Switzerland, between 1999 and 2009. Blood pressure was measured thrice using a standard protocol. Hypertension was defined as mean systolic or diastolic blood pressure ≥140/90 mmHg or self-reported hypertension or anti-hypertensive medication. Unawareness, untreated and uncontrolled hypertension was determined by questionnaires/blood pressure measurements. Yearly age-standardized prevalences and adjusted associations for the 1999-2003 and 2004-2009 survey periods were reported. The 10-year survey included 9,215 participants aged 35 to 74 years. Hypertension remained stable (34.4%). Hypertension unawareness decreased from 35.9% to 17.7% (P<0.001). The decrease in hypertension unawareness was not paralleled by a concomitant absolute increase in hypertension treatment, which remained low (38.2%). A larger proportion of all hypertensive participants were aware but not treated in 2004-2009 (43.7%) compared to 1999-2003 (33.1%). Uncontrolled hypertension improved from 62.2% to 40.6% between 1999 and 2009 (P = 0.02). In 1999-2003 period, factors associated with hypertension unawareness were current smoking (OR = 1.27, 95%CI, 1.02-1.59), male gender (OR = 1.56, 1.27-1.92), hypercholesterolemia (OR = 1.31, 1.20-1.44), and older age (OR 65-74yrs vs 35-49yrs  = 1.56, 1.21-2.02). In 1999-2003 and 2004-2009, obesity and diabetes were negatively associated with hypertension unawareness, high education was associated with untreated hypertension (OR = 1.45, 1.12-1.88 and 1.42, 1.02-1.99, respectively), and male gender with uncontrolled hypertension (OR = 1.49, 1.03-2.17 and 1.65, 1.08-2.50, respectively). Sedentarity was associated with higher risk of hypertension and uncontrolled hypertension in 1999-2003. CONCLUSIONS: Hypertension prevalence remained stable since 1999 in the canton of Geneva. Although hypertension unawareness substantially decreased, more than half of hypertensive subjects still remained untreated or uncontrolled in 2004-2009. This study identified determinants that should guide interventions aimed at improving hypertension treatment and control.

City of Carter Lake, Independent Auditor's Reports, Basic Financial Statements and Supplementary Information, Schedule of Findings, June 30, 2004

City Audit Report

A half century retrospective study of homicide-suicide in Geneva--Switzerland: 1956-2005.

This study provides a retrospective review from the forensic files of the University Centre of Legal Medicine in Western Switzerland in Geneva, from January 1956 to December 2005. The studied homicide-suicide cases cover a period of half a century (50 years). As a rule, all police-ordered forensic examinations of violent death cases in the Canton of Geneva are conducted by the University Centre of Legal Medicine. All of the data necessary for an exhaustive retrospective study are thus readily available. During the period covered in this work, 228 homicides were perpetrated in Geneva. In 23 cases, the homicide was followed by the suicide of the aggressor. The 34 victims of these homicides (18 women, 1 man and 15 children) had either an intimate or filial relationship with the perpetrator. Most of the suicidal perpetrators were men that killed their spouses or intimate partners, with children as additional victims in some cases. Shooting was the most common means to kill, followed by stabbing. The majority of the victims and perpetrators were Swiss nationals. This retrospective study shows that in the last 50 years, homicide-suicide cases in the Canton of Geneva have been a rare and an episodic phenomena with a very variable frequency from 1 year to another.

City of Goose Lake, Capitalization Grants for Drinking Water, State Revolving Funds, Independent Auditor's Reports, Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards, Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs, Year Ended June 30, 2005

City Audit Report

City of Carter Lake, Independent Auditor's Reports, Basic Financial Statements and Supplementary Information, Schedule of Findings, June 30, 2005

City Audit Report

Optimizing a remotely sensed proxy for plankton biomass in Lake Kivu

Many regions of the world, including inland lakes, present with suboptimal conditions for the remotely sensed retrieval of optical signals, thus challenging the limits of available satellite data-processing tools, such as atmospheric correction models (ACM) and water constituent-retrieval (WCR) algorithms. Working in such regions, however, can improve our understanding of remote-sensing tools and their applicabil- ity in new contexts, in addition to potentially offering useful information about aquatic ecology. Here, we assess and compare 32 combinations of two ACMs, two WCRs, and three binary categories of data quality standards to optimize a remotely sensed proxy of plankton biomass in Lake Kivu. Each parameter set is compared against the available ground-truth match-ups using Spearman's right-tailed ρ. Focusing on the best sets from each ACM-WCR combination, their performances are discussed with regard to data distribution, sample size, spatial completeness, and seasonality. The results of this study may be of interest both for ecological studies on Lake Kivu and for epidemio- logical studies of disease, such as cholera, the dynamics of which has been associated with plankton biomass in other regions of the world.

City of Carter Lake, Independent Auditor's Reports, Basic Financial Statements and Supplementary Information, Schedule of Findings, June 30, 2006

City Audit Report

Reaudit report on the Lake Park Municipal Utilities for the period July 1, 2004 through June 30, 2005

Reaudit report on the Lake Park Municipal Utilities for the period July 1, 2004 through June 30, 2005

Lake Darling: A Snapshot of Success, 2006

Before improvements were made, a number of factors were hurting the water quality in Lake Darling and driving people toward other lakes.

GIS Mapping: Creating Solutions for Rock Creek Lake, 2004

Rock Creek Lake is at risk. The centerpiece of Rock Creek State Park in Jasper County, Rock Creek Lake offers visitors a range of recreational opportunities, including the second busiest campground in Iowa and great fishing. However, many different factors are threatening the lake. Action is being taken to improve the lake for today’s visitors and to preserve the lake for future generations. GIS mapping is helping to make those improvements possible.

Brushy Creek Lake: Improving Our Lake for the Future, 2006

While the quality of water in Brushy Creek Lake is currently adequate, a number of factors in the watershed (the surrounding area that drains into the lake) could put that water quality at risk. Sediment from the large watershed could fill in the lake and affect water clarity. Nutrients, like nitrogen and phosphorus, could cause algae blooms and other problems. Without preventative measures, potential manure and chemical spills could harm aquatic life in the lake. Using conservation farming practices and building structures like wetlands will work to maintain and even improve the lake’s water quality. Taking steps now to implement these critical practices will help prevent water quality problems, preserving water quality for future generations.

Restoring Our Pride in Badger Creek Lake, 2006

For years, Badger Creek Lake has been a source of pride for people living and farming nearby. Today, as the quality of water in the lake declines and new residents move to the area, the people of Badger Creek Lake need to maintain and renew that pride by improving their lake.

Cedar Lake Watershed Project, 2004

For years, Cedar Lake has been there for the Winterset community, providing drinking water, offering recreational opportunities, teaching students outdoors lessons and giving wildlife a home. With water quality a serious concern, it is now our turn to be there for the lake.

Audit report on the City of Wall Lake, Iowa for the year ended June 30, 2006.

Audit report on the City of Wall Lake, Iowa for the year ended June 30, 2006.