Risk for non-smoking-related cancer in atherosclerotic patients. (73/3722)

Some studies have suggested that the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and that of cancer have common features, and in addition to tobacco smoking, oxidative stress, diet, and sex hormones have been considered as common etiological factors. To investigate whether there is an association between atherosclerosis and cancer, we evaluated the cancer pattern of patients with atherosclerosis of the aorta and of peripheral and cerebral vessels. A total of 69,485 patients with atherosclerosis were identified through the Danish National Registry of Patients between 1977 and 1989, and the incidence of cancer in this group was calculated by linkage to the Danish Cancer Registry for the period 1977-1993. No consistent excesses over the expected figures were seen for cancer at any site unrelated to tobacco smoking in either the total cohort or in subgroups. Specifically, we found no association at the individual level between atherosclerosis and colorectal cancers or hormone-related cancers, except from a decreased standardized incidence ratio of 0.7 (95% confidence interval, 0.5-0.9) for endometrial cancer. The standardized incidence ratio for cancers of the brain and nervous system was 1.1 (95% confidence interval, 0.9-1.3) for all patients combined, whereas patients with atherosclerosis of precerebral or cerebral arteries had a slightly increased risk (40%) for cancers of the brain and nervous system. The excess was seen only during the initial 3 years after discharge from hospital, and the likely explanation was a missed diagnosis. The study does not support the view that patients with atherosclerotic diseases represent a high-risk group for prostate cancer and potential future targets for prostate cancer screening interventions.  (+info)

Breast cancer risk among women with psychiatric admission with affective or neurotic disorders: a nationwide cohort study in Denmark. (74/3722)

There is a considerable interest in the possible relationship between psychosocial factors and the onset of breast cancer. This cohort study was based upon two nationwide and population-based central registers: The Danish Psychiatric Central Register, which contains all cases of psychiatric admissions, and The Danish Cancer Registry, which contains all cases of cancer. The register-linkage was accomplished by using a personal identification number. The study population comprised all women admitted to psychiatric departments or psychiatric hospitals in Denmark between 1969 and 1993 with an affective or a neurotic disorder. Overall, 66,648 women comprising 199,910 admissions and 775,522 person-years were included. The incidence of breast cancer in the cohort was compared with the national breast cancer incidence rates adjusted for age and calendar time. In all, 1270 women with affective or neurotic disorders developed breast cancer subsequent to the first admission as compared with the 1242 women expected, standardized incidence ratio (SIR) = 1.02 (95% confidence interval 0.97-1.08). None of the hypothetical risk factors: type of diagnosis, age or calendar period at cohort entry, age at breast cancer, alcohol abuse, alcohol/drug abuse without further specification, total number of admissions, total length of admissions, or time from first admission showed a statistically significant effect on the relative risk of breast cancer. We found no support for the hypothesis that women admitted to a psychiatric department with an affective or a neurotic disorder subsequently have an increased risk of breast cancer.  (+info)

Genetic diversity of atypical Aeromonas salmonicida studied by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. (75/3722)

Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern analysis with XbaI restriction enzyme was used to study the genetic heterogeneity of 88 atypical Aeromonas salmonicida strains which were earlier or during this study characterized phenotypically, by ribotyping (ClaI/PstI) and by plasmid profile analysis. The strains of certain'ribotypes were also analysed by digestion with SpeI. The strains represented different geographic locations: Finland (72 strains), Iceland (5 strains), Norway (5 strains), Sweden (4 strains) and Denmark (2 strains), and they were from 17 fish species during 1981 97. Thirty-one PFGE genotypes found among these strains correlated well with the ribotypes, and in most cases PFGE pattern analysis subdivided ribotypes into several PFGE genotypes, and further within a PFGE genotype into subtypes. XbaI and SpeeI digests produced concordant results. In most cases, PFGE patterns of strains with the same ribotype shared many fragments, suggesting genetic relatedness. PFGE patterns of most Norwegian and Icelandic strains isolated during an approximately 10-year period had the same ribotype and their PFGE patterns shared most fragments, suggesting close genetic relatedness. Moreover, atypical strains of ribotypes B/B and H/H isolated from the same Finnish fish farms had closely related patterns suggesting genetic stability and persistence of these genotypes. Genotype 29 of Achromogenic strains was strongly associated with disease of Finnish arctic char and grayling. PFGE was shown to be a distinguishing method to study the genetic heterogeneity of atypical A. salmonicida. epidemiology of these infections.  (+info)

Stable stroke occurrence despite incidence reduction in an aging population: stroke trends in the danish monitoring trends and determinants in cardiovascular disease (MONICA) population. (76/3722)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: A stroke register was established at the Glostrup Population Studies in 1982 with the objective to monitor stroke occurrence in the population continuously during a 10-year period and contribute data to the WHO Monitoring Trends and Determinants in Cardiovascular Disease (MONICA) Project. The purpose of the current analysis was to estimate temporal trends in stroke occurrence. METHODS: All stroke events in the study population were ascertained and validated according to standardized criteria outlined by the WHO MONICA Project. The study population comprised all subjects > or = 25 years of age. Stroke was defined by the clinical presentation. A total of 5262 stroke events in >2 million person-years were analyzed. Age-adjusted rates for first-ever stroke and for all stroke events were calculated and temporal trends estimated by means of Poisson regression. RESULTS: The overall annual stroke attack rate per 100,000 person-years in the age range > or = 25 years was 272 in men and 226 in women. Age-adjusted stroke attack rates decreased among men by 3.9% per year and by 4.1% among women. Age-adjusted stroke incidence rates declined by 2.9% in men and by 3. 1% in women. The trends were statistically significant in both sexes. However, the proportion of elderly people in the study population increased during the time period of the study. Hence the numbers of stroke victims in the population remained largely unaltered. CONCLUSIONS: Decreasing age-adjusted stroke incidence rates point to a reduction of stroke risk during the time period of the study. Cardiovascular prevention, in particular improved hypertension control, is believed to have contributed to the incidence reduction. However, the burden of stroke on the healthcare system did not substantially diminish. The gain likely achieved from reduction of preventable risk factors was almost counterbalanced by population aging.  (+info)

Multiple prescriptions of antibiotics for children aged 0 to 5 years in relation to type of antibiotic. (77/3722)

The risk of receiving more than one prescription within an antibiotic course was examined for all children aged 0 to 5 years in a Danish county during 1997. We identified 29,307 prescriptions of systemic antibiotics for 16,245 children in a prescription database. Ten per cent of the prescriptions were followed by a new prescription within 10 days. In children who received two prescriptions (n = 3993), 19% redeemed the prescriptions within the same course. When the child was prescribed penicillin V, compared with broad-spectrum penicillin, the odds ratio of receiving a repeat prescription within 1-2 days was 2.9 (95% CI 2.5-3.4) and within 3-10 days 1.3 (95% CI 1.2-1.5).  (+info)

Natural variation in the human sex ratio. (78/3722)

Analysis of the effect of multiple birth, birth order, age of parents and the sexes of preceding siblings on the secondary sex ratio was performed for 815 891 children, born in Denmark, 1980-1993. The proportion of males was analysed as a function of multiple birth, birth order, age of parents and the sexes of preceding siblings, using contingency tables, chi(2) tests and logistic regression analysis. The secondary sex ratio decreased with increased number of children per plural birth and with paternal age, whereas no independent effect was observed for maternal age, birth order, the sex of the preceding child, or the combination of sexes of previously born children in the family.  (+info)

Mucinous cystadenocarcinoma in combination with hemangiosarcoma in the ovary. (79/3722)

The ovary is the sixth most frequent site of cancer in women in Denmark with an incidence of approximately 600 cases per year. Carcinomas predominate whereas sarcomas are rare. We describe a case of the combination mucinous cystadenocarcinoma and hemangiosarcoma in a 37-year old woman, who had a right-sited oophorectomy because of a cyst. Clinically there was no suspicion of malignancy. The macro- and microscopic findings are described as well as the immunohistochemical stainings performed to confirm the diagnosis. The case shows the importance of careful sampling at the macroscopic examination, especially from areas with a striking appearance.  (+info)

Shift work, social class, and ischaemic heart disease in middle aged and elderly men; a 22 year follow up in the Copenhagen Male Study. (80/3722)

OBJECTIVES: Shift work has been associated with an increased risk of ischaemic heart disease (IHD). Most published studies have had potential problems with confounding by social class. This study explores shift work as a risk factor for IHD after controlling for social class. METHODS: The Copenhagen male study is a prospective cohort study established in 1970-1 comprising 5249 men aged 40-59. Information obtained included working time, social class, and risk factors for IHD. A second baseline was obtained in 1985-6. The cohort was followed up for 22 years through hospital discharge registers for IHD, and cause of death was recovered from death certificates. RESULTS: One fifth of the cohort was shift working at entry with a significantly larger proportion of shift workers in lower social classes. Risk of IHD and all cause mortality over 22 years, adjusted for age only, for age and social class, and finally for age, social class, smoking, fitness, height, weight, and sleep disturbances, did not differ between shift and day workers. The relative risk of IHD, adjusted for age and social class was 1.0 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.9-1.2). Men being shift workers in both 1971 and 1985 had the same risk as ex-shift workers in an 8 years follow up from the 1985-6 baseline. CONCLUSIONS: The present study questions shift work as an independent risk factor for IHD. The results of the study emphasise the importance of controlling adequately for the interplay of shift work and social class.  (+info)