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Epidemiologic Literature (epidemiologic + literature)
Selected AbstractsMeasures of cognitive function in persons with varying degrees of sleep-disordered breathing: the Sleep Heart Health StudyJOURNAL OF SLEEP RESEARCH, Issue 3 2002Lori L. Boland Summary Epidemiologic literature suggests that persons with clinically diagnosed sleep apnoea frequently have impaired cognitive function, but whether milder degrees of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) are associated with cognitive dysfunction in the general population is largely unknown. Approximately 1700 subjects free of clinically diagnosed SDB underwent at-home polysomnography (PSG) as part of the Sleep Heart Health Study (SHHS) and completed three cognitive function tests within 1,2 years of their PSG: the Delayed Word Recall Test (DWR), the WAIS-R Digit Symbol Subtest (DSS), and the Word Fluency test (WF). A respiratory disturbance index (RDI) was calculated as the number of apnoeas and hypopnoeas per hour of sleep. After adjustment for age, education, occupation, field centre, diabetes, hypertension, body-mass index, use of CNS medications, and alcohol drinking status, there was no consistent association between the RDI and any of the three cognitive function measures. There was no evidence of a dose,response relation between the RDI and cognitive function scores and the adjusted mean scores by quartiles of RDI never differed from one another by more than 5% for any of the tests. In this sample of free-living individuals with mostly mild to moderate levels of SDB, the degree of SDB appeared to be unrelated to three measures of cognitive performance. [source] The non-Hodgkin lymphomas: A review of the epidemiologic literatureINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue S12 2007Dominik D. Alexander Abstract The non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) are a heterogeneous group of B-cell and T-cell neoplasms that arise primarily in the lymph nodes. NHL incidence rates in the US doubled between about 1970 and 1990, and stabilized during the 1990s. NHL accounts for ,3.4% of cancer deaths in the US. Although some of the observed patterns in NHL have been related to HIV/AIDS, these conditions cannot fully explain the magnitude of the changes; neither do changes in classification systems nor improved diagnostic capabilities. Studies of occupational and environmental exposures (e.g., pesticides, solvents) have produced no consistent pattern of significant positive associations. Inverse associations with ultraviolet radiation exposure and alcohol and fish intake, and positive associations with meat and saturated fat intake have been reported in several studies; additional studies are needed to confirm or refute these associations. Family history of NHL or other hematolymphoproliferative cancers and personal history of several autoimmune disorders are associated with increased risk of NHL, but are not likely to account for a large proportion of cases. HIV and other infectious agents, such as human herpesvirus 8 and Epstein,Barr, appear to be associated with differing types of NHL, such as some B-cell lymphomas. Future epidemiologic studies should evaluate associations by NHL type, enhance exposure information collected, and elucidate factors that may identify susceptible (or resistant) subpopulations because of genetic, immunologic or other characteristics. The extent to which the etiology of NHL types may differ is important to resolve in ongoing and future studies. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Multiple myeloma: A review of the epidemiologic literatureINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue S12 2007Dominik D. Alexander Abstract Multiple myeloma, a neoplasm of plasma cells, accounts for ,,15% of lymphatohematopoietic cancers (LHC) and 2% of all cancers in the US. Incidence rates increase with age, particularly after age 40, and are higher in men, particularly African American men. The etiology is unknown with no established lifestyle, occupational or environmental risk factors. Although several factors have been implicated as potentially etiologic, findings are inconsistent. We reviewed epidemiologic studies that evaluated lifestyle, dietary, occupational and environmental factors; immune function, family history and genetic factors; and the hypothesized precursor, monoclonal gammopathies of undetermined significance (MGUS). Because multiple myeloma is an uncommon disease, etiologic assessments can be difficult because of small numbers of cases in occupational cohort studies, and few subjects reporting exposure to specific agents in case,control studies. Elevated risks have been reported consistently among persons with a positive family history of LHC. A few studies have reported a relationship between obesity and multiple myeloma, and this may be a promising area of research. Factors underlying higher incidence rates of multiple myeloma in African Americans are not understood. The progression from MGUS to multiple myeloma has been reported in several studies; however, there are no established risk factors for MGUS. To improve our understanding of the causes of multiple myeloma, future research efforts should seek the causes of MGUS. More research is also needed on the genetic factors of multiple myeloma, given the strong familial clustering of the disease. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Anthropometry and Breast Cancer Risk in Nigerian WomenTHE BREAST JOURNAL, Issue 5 2006FWACS, Michael N. Okobia MBBS Abstract: The recent upsurge in global obesity and the recognition of the role of metabolic syndrome and other correlates of obesity in the etiology of breast cancer and other chronic diseases has created the impetus for renewed interest in the role of anthropometric measures in breast cancer risk. This case-control study was designed to evaluate the role of anthropometric variables in breast cancer susceptibility in an indigenous sub-Saharan African population drawn from midwestern and southeastern Nigeria, a population grossly underreported in the global epidemiologic literature. Study participants were 250 women with breast cancer who were receiving treatment in the surgical outpatient clinics and surgical wards of four university teaching hospitals located in midwestern and southeastern Nigeria, while the controls were 250 age-matched women without breast cancer or other malignant diseases being treated for other surgical diseases in the same institutions between September 2002 and April 2004. Waist:hip ratio (WHR) was associated with a significant 2.5-fold increased risk of premenopausal breast cancer (odds ratio [OR] = 2.56, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.48,4.41] and a 2-fold increased risk of postmenopausal breast cancer (OR = 2.00, 95% CI 1.04,2.53). Increasing height conferred a modestly nonsignificant increased risk of premenopausal breast cancer (OR = 1.59, 95% CI 0.98,2.58). The study showed that WHR is a significant predictor of breast cancer risk in Nigerian women and measures to sustain increased physical activity and ensure healthy dietary practices are recommended to reduce the burden of obesity in the population. [source] Epidemiologic critique of literature on post-transplant neoplasms in solid organ transplantationCLINICAL TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 5 2009Lee L. Lanza Abstract:, As survival of transplant recipients improves, long-term complications become more important. We reviewed epidemiologic literature on real-world risks of de novo neoplasia post-transplant. We searched the Medline/PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase databases for population-based studies on risk of neoplasia from 1998 to 2005. Selection criteria included: solid organ transplants, neoplastic outcomes, n > 500 subjects, age ,18 yr, and study design. Of 187 abstracts, 64 met criteria for study size, age range, topic, and design. We classified the articles by quality of reporting on components of cohort studies. Twelve of 64 studies reported cohort eligibility and exclusion criteria, defined time at risk, and ascertained incident neoplasms. Twenty-one studies reported prevalence of neoplasms for unspecified time periods, and only eight incidence studies reported person yr at risk. Three studies of all types of neoplasms in kidney recipients reported incidence ranging from 11.0 to 17.3 cases per 1000 person yr. Two studies of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders reported incidence of 0.4 to 2.5 cases per 1000 person yr in kidney recipients. More precise estimation of risks and rates, better description of study population, and more attention to confounding in comparisons of rates would make studies more meaningful. Reports should adhere to established guidelines for presenting methods and results in epidemiologic studies. [source] | ||||||||||