1,721,300 research outputs found
DIET AND THYROID-CANCER - A POOLED ANALYSIS OF 4 EUROPEAN CASE-CONTROL STUDIES
No full textThe relationship between frequencies of consumption of selected indicator foods and the risk of thyroid cancer was investigated in a pooled analysis of 4 case-control studies conducted in 3 areas of northern Italy and the Swiss Canton of Vaud, on a total of 385 histologically confirmed cases of thyroid cancer and 798 controls in hospital for acute, non-neoplastic, non-hormone-related disease. Cases tended to consume significantly more frequently a number of starchy foods: the odds ratio (OR) for the highest vs. lowest tertile was 1.8 for pasta or rice, 2.1 for bread, 1.6 for pastry and 2.0 for potatoes. ORs also tended to be above unity for several types of meat and significantly so for chicken and poultry, cooked ham, salami and sausages. Raw ham and fish were significantly protective (OR = 0.7 in the highest tertile for both). Significant direct associations were observed with cheese (OR = 1.4 for the highest tertile), butter (OR = 2.1) and oils other than olive (OR = 1.6). The risk estimates were below unity for most types of vegetables and fruits, and the inverse trends were significant for carrots (OR = 0.6 for the highest tertile), green salad (OR = 0.6) and citrus fruits (OR = 0.7). No association was observed with alcohol intake. These results were consistent and reproducible across various study centers
MEDICAL HISTORY AND THE RISK OF NON-HODGKIN LYMPHOMAS
No full textThe relationship between selected aspects of medical history and the risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHLs) was investigated using data from a hospital-based case-control study conducted in northern Italy on 177 cases of NHL and 561 controls in hospital for acute conditions, other than nonneoplastic or immunological. Among six viral diseases considered, only herpes zoster (shingles) had a relative risk (RR) significantly above unity [RR = 2.7; 95% confidence intervals (Cl), 1.5 to 4.7]. The association, however, was restricted to subjects whose diagnosis of herpes zoster dated back to less than 10 years, suggesting that this slow-acting virus could be reactivated by the early development of NHL. Six of eight bacterial diseases considered showed RR above unity, and the estimate was significant for scarlet fever (RR = 1.9; 95% Cl, 1.1 to 3.5) and pyelonephritis (RR = 5.3; 95% Cl, 1.8 to 16.2). These associations were not restricted to the few years before lymphoma diagnosis. When various classes of infectious or inflammatory diseases were grouped together, no association was evident for viral infections (RR = 0.8; 95% Cl, 0.6 to 1.2), acute bacterial diseases (RR = 1.0; 95% Cl, 0.7 to 1.5), or allergic conditions (RR = 1.0; 95% Cl, 0.6 to 2.1). The risk estimates were nonsignificantly above unity for chronic bacterial diseases (RR = 1.2; 95% Cl, 0.7 to 1.2) and autoimmune conditions (RR = 1.4; 95% Cl, 0.9 to 2.2), and significantly elevated for chronic inflammatory disease (RR = 1.9; 95% Cl, 1.2 to 3.0). Thus, this study confirms that subjects with NHL tend to report a general pattern of elevated frequency of selected chronic infectious and inflammatory diseases
TRENDS IN PEPTIC-ULCER MORTALITY IN ITALY, 1955-1985
No full textStudy objective-The aim was to analyse trends in mortality from peptic ulcer in Italy between 1955 and 1985, disentangling the role of age, cohort of birth, and period of death. Design-This was a descriptive epidemiological survey. Death certification numbers from peptic ulcer and estimates of the resident population were obtained from official sources. From these data, age specific and age standardised mortality rates from peptic ulcer were computed. A log-linear age, period, and cohort model with arbitrary constraints on the parameters was applied to the matrices of age specific rates between 25 and 74 years of age. Setting-This was a national survey. Main results-For males, overall peptic ulcer mortality was constant or moderately upwards (from 9.0 to 9.4/100 000, on the basis of World Standard Population) from 1955 to the mid-1970s, but declined considerably afterwards to 3.7/100 000 in 1985. Truncated (35-64 years) rates were slightly more favourable, even in earlier calendar periods, but a substantial drop was observed only from the late 1970s onwards. In 1985 the standardised rate was 3.3/100 000 compared to 18.3 in 1955-1959. For females, the time pattern was similar, although the extent of the decline was smaller in absolute terms (from 1.6 to 1.2/100 000, all ages; from 2.3 to 0.7, truncated). Age specific rates showed an earlier decline in the young, while the fall started only after the mid-1970s in older age groups. On the basis of a log-linear age, period, and cohort model, the Italian generations born in the first decade of this century had the highest risk of dying from peptic ulcer, with a substantial decline for each subsequent cohort. Period trends were stable between 1955 and the mid-1970s, but declined appreciably afterwards. Conclusions-In Italy the peak rate of peptic ulcer mortality was observed in the early 1970s, with a delay of around two decades in comparison with northern Europe and the USA. This can be related to the later process of industrialisation in Italy, with the consequent changes in lifestyle habits, and to a later pattern of rise and decline of cigarette smoking. A likely explanation of the falls in mortality on a period of death basis over the last decade is the introduction of new drugs (histamine-2 receptor antagonists) for the treatment of peptic ulcer, with a reduction of complications of the disease and related mortality. This decline in mortality from peptic ulcer corresponds to the avoidance of over 1500 deaths per year in the whole of Italy
CALCIUM, DAIRY-PRODUCTS, AND THE RISK OF HIP FRACTURE IN WOMEN IN NORTHERN ITALY
No full textWe report the relation between hip fracture and intake of calcium and dairy products in postmenopausal women age 45 years or over. We conducted a case-control study in northern Italy. We interviewed a total of 241 cases of hip fracture and 719 controls in hospital for acute, nonneoplastic, nontraumatic, nondigestive, non-hormone-related diseases during their hospital stay. We derived odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI), according to intake of calcium, milk, and cheese from multiple logistic regression equations, including terms for age, education, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol drinking, and estrogen replacement therapy. Cutoff points for extreme quintiles of calcium intake were 443 and 1,026 mg per day. Compared with the lowest quintile of calcium intake, the multivariate ORs were 1.2 (95% CI = 0.7-2.0), 1.1 (95% CI = 0.6-1.7), 1.1 (95% CI = 0.6-1.7), and 1.2 (95% CI = 0.8-2.0) for subsequent quintiles of intake. Similarly, there was no appreciable association with milk (compared with less than 7 drinks per week, ORs were 1.2 and 1.0, respectively, for 7 and more than 7 drinks per week) or cheese intake (compared with less than 4 portions per week, ORs were 1.2 for 4-6 portions and 1.0 for more than 6 portions per week). OR estimates for calcium intake (tertiles) were consistent across strata of age, education, smoking status, and alcohol drinking. Thus, within the range of variation of intake of the main sources of calcium in this population, there was little association between hip fractures in women and intake of calcium, milk, and cheese
Menstrual and reproductive factors and biliary tract cancers
No full textThe relationship between the risk of biliary tract cancers and menstrual and reproductive factors has been studied in a case-control study conducted in Milan, northern Italy, between January 1984 and February 1993 on 31 incident, histologically confirmed cases and 377 controls in hospital for acute, non-neoplastic, non-gynaecological, non-hormone-related conditions, Odds ratios (ORs) together with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and the significance of the linear trends in risk were estimated by unconditional multiple logistic regression, after adjustment for age and cholelithiasis, Menopause was associated with a decreased risk of biliary tract cancers (OR 0.2), while late menopause and the use of hormone replacement therapy tended to increase the risk (ORs 1.8 and 2.2 respectively). Age at menarche and regular menstrual cycles were not associated, A trend in risk was found with parity, while total abortions and age at first and last birth were not related, Thus, the protective effect of early menopause and the apparent association of multiple full-term pregnancies suggest a role of female hormones in the aetiology of biliary tract cancers
EDUCATION AND CANCER RISK
No full textBackground. Socioeconomic factors have been associated, to a variable degree, with risk of serious cancers. Methods. The relationship between education and cancer risk was analyzed using data from a series of case-control studies conducted in northern Italy between 1983 and 1990, including 119 histologically confirmed cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx, 294 of the esophagus, 564 of the stomach, 673 of the colon, 406 of the rectum, 258 of the liver, 41 of the gallbladder, 303 of the pancreas, 149 of the larynx, 2860 of the breast, 692 of the cervix, 567 of the corpus uteri, 742 of the ovary, 107 of the prostate, 365 of the bladder, 147 of the kidney, and 120 of the thyroid, 72 Hodgkin diseases, 173 non-Hodgkin lymphomas, 117 myelomas, and a total of 6147 control subjects admitted to the same network of hospitals for acute, non-neoplastic conditions. Results. Nine types of cancer were inversely related to education. Those were oral cavity and pharynx, with a relative risk (RR) of 0.3 for the highest versus the lowest level; esophagus, RR = 0.6; stomach. RR = 0.5; liver, RR = 0.7; gallbladder, RR = 0.5; larynx, RR = 0.3; cervix, RR = 0.7; endometrium, RR = 0.5; and non-Hodgkin lymphomas, RR 0.6. Five cancer sites were directly related to education: colon, RR = 1.3; pancreas, RR = 1.3; breast, RR = 1.5; kidney, RR = 1.3; and thyroid, RR = 1.5. No consistent gradient in risk with education was observed for the six other neoplasms considered, including rectum, prostate, bladder, Hodgkin disease, and multiple myeloma. The patterns of risk for education were consistent in men and women for most cancer sites except colon, for which the direct relationship was stronger in mates. Conclusions. This study confirms the existence of and quantifies a number of strong socioeconomic correlates of cancer risk and indicates a few points open to additional investigation, such as the different pattern of risk for rectal and colon cancer, the strong negative gradient for endometrial cancer, and the absence of any clear association with education for cancers of the ovary, prostate, urinary tract, lymphomas, and myeloma
COFFEE INTAKE AND RISK OF HIP FRACTURE IN WOMEN IN NORTHERN ITALY
No full textBackground. Information on a possible relation between coffee, caffeine, and other methylxanthine-containing beverages and hip fracture is relatively scanty and controversial. We present here the results of a case-control study conducted in northern Italy. Methods. A total of 279 cases of hip fracture and 1,061 controls in hospital for acute, nonneoplastic nontraumatic, non-hormone-related diseases were interviewed during their hospital stay. Odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) according to consumption of coffee and other methylxanthine-containing beverages were derived from multiple logistic regression equations including terms for age, education, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol drinking, calcium intake, menopausal status, and estrogen replacement therapy. Results. Compared with nondrinkers, the OR was 1.2 (95% CI, 0.8 to 1.7) for coffee drinkers. No association emerged with number of cups/day (OR = 1.2 for 1 cup/ day, 1.0 for 2, 1.4 for 3 and 4, and 1.2 for 5 or more cups/day) or with duration of coffee intake (OR = 1.0 for less than 30 years and OR = 1.1 for more than 30 years). Similarly, no statistically significant association was observed with decaffeinated coffee (OR = 1.3), tea (OR = 1.3), or cola intake (OR = 0.6). OR for coffee drinking were computed across strata of age, menopausal status, education, smoking status, total alcohol drinking, and calcium intake. Conclusions. The present study found no association between hip fractures among women and consumption of regular or decaffeinated coffee, tea, and cola. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc
DETERMINANTS OF BODY-MASS INDEX - A STUDY FROM NORTHERN ITALY
No full textOverweight and obesity are associated with increased mortality and morbidity, and human weight is influenced by multiple factors, both genetically and environmentally determined. We investigated the influence of some socioeconomic, behavioral, dietary and reproductive factors on body mass index (BMI). Data were obtained from a comparison group of a case-control study of gastrointestinal cancers from the four largest teaching and general hospitals in Milan, northern Italy. The subjects were 1,188 men and 832 women admitted between January 1985 and June 1992 to the hospitals under study for diseases other than malignant or digestive and not known or suspected to be related to alcohol or tobacco. The following were measured: BMI (Quetelet's index, weight, kg/height, m(2)) and the corresponding standard errors (s.e.) in strata of selected variables, linear regression coefficients (P) and correlation coefficients between BMI and each variable. Mean BMI increased with age until 35-44 years in men and 45-54 years in women. In both sexes BMI was inversely associated with education and social class. Smokers tended to be leaner than non-smokers, but no consistent trend was observed with increasing numbers of cigarettes. Alcohol drinkers had mean BMI similar to non-drinkers, except heavy drinking women who were lighter. BMI was not significantly associated with coffee, decaffeinated coffee, tea, bread, vegetable and fruit consumption. No relation was observed between total estimated caloric intake and BMI. In women BMI was directly associated with marriage and number of children, and inversely with oral contraceptive use. It was concluded that socioeconomic, behavioral and reproductive factors influence BMI in this Italian population, particularly in women. Reported diet appeared to have little influence
Food and nutrient intake and risk of cataract
No full textThe relationship between cataract extraction and diet was considered in a case-control study conducted in northern Italy. A total of 207 Patients who had cataract extraction and 706 control subjects in a hospital for acute, nonneoplastic, nonoculistic, nondigestive tract diseases were interviewed during their hospital stay. Odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs), according to the intake of alcohol, coffee, tea, and cola, and frequency of intake of 34 food items and 8 micronutrients were derived from multiple logistic regression equations, including terms for age, sex, education, smoking status, body mass index, diabetes, and total calorie intake. Alcohol, coffee, decaffeinated coffee, tea, and cola intakes were not associated with cataract extraction. Among food items, reduced ORs for cataract extraction (highest tertile of intake compared to the lowest), with a significant inverse trend in risk, were found for intake of meat (OR 0.6, 95% CI 0.4 to 0.9), cheese (OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.5 to 1.0), cruciferae (OR 0.5, 95% CI 0.3 to 0.8), spinach (OR 0.6, 95% CI 0.4 to 0.9), tomatoes (OR 0.5, 95% CI 0.4 to 0.8), peppers (OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.4 to 1.1), citrus fruit (OR 0.5, 95% CI 0.2 to 1.3), and melon (OR 0.5, 95% CI 0.4 to 0.8). A significant increase in risk was found for the highest intake of butter (OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.2 to 6.4), total fat (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.2 to 2.8), and salt (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.4 to 4.0) compared to the lowest, and for consumption of oil other than olive oil (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.2). Among micronutrients, lower ORs for cataract extraction (highest quintile of intake compared to the lowest) were found for intake of calcium (OR 0.5, 95% CI 0.3 to 0.8), folic acid (OR 0.4, 95% CI 0.2 to 0.7), and vitamin E (OR 0.5, 95% CI 0.3 to 1.0), while estimated intakes of methionine, retinol, beta-carotene, and vitamins A, C, and D were not associated. Thus, this study indicates that diet plays a considerable role in the risk of cataract extraction in this Italian population, with a protective action played by some vegetables, fruit, calcium, folic acid, and vitamin E, and an increased risk associated with elevated salt and fat intake
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