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AIM: The preventive effect of physical activity on risk of cancer in general remains controversial. This study aimed at assessment of the associations between leisure- time physical activity and incidence of cancer in the general population of adult men and women. METHODS: 13,216 women and 18,718 men aged 20-93 years selected from the general population participated in a health examination including a questionnaire with information on physical activity, smoking, alcohol intake, postmenopausal hormones, and socioeconomic status. Incident cases of cancers where recorded during a follow-up period of 14 years. The six most frequent cancer cases in both sexes were included in this analysis. RESULTS: A highly significant inverse association was seen between vigorous physical activity in leisure time and cancer of the ovary, adjusted rate ratio being 0.33 (95% CI 0.16-0.67; p = 0.001) for the most physical active women. In men there was a highly significant increase for non-melanoma skin cancer, with adjusted rate ratio of 1.72 (95% CI 1.23-2.40; p = 0.001), for the most active men and vigorous activity was associated with a non-significant lower risk of colon cancer, the adjusted rate ratio being 0.72 (95% CI 0.47-1.11; p = 0.06). CONCLUSION: Generally, there were no, or only weakly, inverse associations between physical activity in leisure time and incidence of cancer, except for cancer of the ovary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The associations between physical activity in leisure time with special focus on jogging and the level of mental stress and life dissatisfaction were studied in 12 028 randomly selected men and women aged 20–79 years. The associations were similar in men and women; thus, results are given for pooled data. The odds ratios (ORs) are presented as adjusted for sex, age, body mass index, smoking, alcohol consumption, education and income. With increasing physical activity in leisure time, there was a decrease in high level of stress, between sedentary persons and joggers, OR=0.30 (95% confidence interval (CI) from 0.16 to 0.56). With increasing physical activity there was also a decrease in life dissatisfaction, between sedentary persons and joggers, OR=0.30 (95% CI from 0.18 to 0.52). Although there was a dose–response effect between physical activity and psychosocial well-being the most pronounced difference with regard to the level of stress and dissatisfaction was seen between the group withlowand the group with moderate physical activity, e.g., 2–4 h of walking per week.In conclusion, we recommend that increased well-being should be a key argument in future campaigns for increased leisure-time physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nielsen NR, Schnohr P, Jensen G, Grønbæk M (National Institute of Public Health; and Bispebjerg Hospital; Copenhagen, Denmark). Is the relationship between type of alcohol and mortality influenced by socio-economic status? J Intern Med 2004; 255: 280–288. To assess the impact of socio-economic status on the relationship between type of alcohol and all-cause mortality. A prospective population study. The Copenhagen City Heart Study, Denmark. A total of 14 223 men and women participated in the first examination of The Copenhagen City Heart Study in 1976–1978. The participants were followed up until 18th of September 2001 during which 7208 persons died. The effect of beer, wine and spirits on mortality was stratified according to levels of education, income and cohabitation, and the association was examined after controlling for intake of the other types of alcohol, and for sex, smoking, physical activity and body mass index. Number and time of death from all causes. Consumers of wine were better educated and wealthier compared with beer and spirits drinkers. The association between type of beverage and mortality was noticed to differ according to socio-economic level, especially where the apparent protective effect of wine consumption tended to be strongest in the lower income and educational groups. This study finds the specific effects of beer, wine or spirits to moderately diverge in the socio-economic groups. Future studies addressing the association between the type of beverage and mortality may need to more thoroughly take socio-economic factors into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND:: Earlier observational studies of the relation between physical activity and obesity are inconsistent and ambiguous, showing a clear cross-sectional inverse relation, and a prospective association only when physical activity at the time of follow-up is included. OBJECTIVE:: To examine the long-term effect of leisure time physical activity (LTPA) on subsequent development of obesity and the effect of body weight on later physical inactivity in a population-based longitudinal setting taking into account the effects of historical changes on future changes as well as pertinent confounders. DESIGN:: The study included 3653 women and 2626 men aged 20-78?y selected at random within sex-age strata from the general population of Copenhagen. At two surveys, 5?y apart, LTPA, body mass index (BMI) (weight/height2, kg/m2), several possible confounders and modifying factors were assessed. Obesity (defined as BMI =30?kg/m2) and LTPA was assessed at the 3rd survey 10?y later. Odds ratios (with 95% confidence limits) for developing obesity between the last two surveys were estimated by logistic regression analysis, taking into account baseline and preceding changes in BMI and LTPA. A similar analysis of odds ratios for physical inactivity as outcome at the 3rd survey was conducted. RESULTS:: Compared to physical inactivity, the odds ratios of development of obesity among women with medium and high level of activity were 0.81 (0.53, 1.25) and 1.16 (0.73, 1.84), respectively, and among men, the odds ratios were 1.28 (0.71, 2.33) and 1.65 (0.91, 2.99), respectively. Compared to median BMI, the odds ratio of later physical inactivity among women with high BMI was 1.91 (1.39, 2.61), and among men the odds ratio was 1.50 (1.01, 2.22). The associations were not confounded or modified by age, pre-existing diseases, smoking, alcohol intake, educational level, occupational physical activity or by familial predisposition to obesity. CONCLUSION:: This study did not support that physical inactivity as reported in the freely living adult population in the long term is associated with the development of obesity, but the study indicates that obesity may lead to physical inactivity.International Journal of Obesity (2004) 28, 105-112. doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0802548 Published online 25 November 2003 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We have previously reported that men who look older than their contemporaries have a significantly higher risk for myocardial infarction. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether persons with pronounced aging signs such as graying of hair, baldness, or facial wrinkles are prone to a shorter life span compared to their contemporaries.Methods: In the Copenhagen City Heart Study comprising a random sample of 20,000 men and women, we also recorded, in addition to cardiovascular risk factors, data on signs of aging: extent of gray hair, baldness, facial wrinkles, and arcus senilis (corneal arcus). During 16 years of follow-up, 3,939 persons (1,656 women and 2,283 men) had died. The Cox regression model for proportional hazards, which included age as an explanatory variable, was used for descriptive analysis of the correlation between these aging signs and all-cause mortality.Results: We found no correlation between the mortality and the extent of graying of the hair, or baldness or facial wrinkles in either of the sexes, irrespective of age. A single exception was observed in a small subgroup of men with no gray hair. They had a slightly, but significantly, lower mortality than the rest [relative risk (RR) = .81, 95% confidence interval (CI) .67-.98; p < .05]. The presence of arcus senilis was significantly correlated with a shorter life span in women (RR = 1.25, 95% CI 1.08-1.46; p < .01). For men the same tendency was found, but the correlation was not statistically significant.Conclusion: We conclude that the degrees of graying of the hair, baldness, and facial wrinkles are not predictive of a shorter life span in men and women in the Copenhagen City Heart Study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:To estimate the excess deaths associated with weight loss in combination with leisure time physical activity among overweight or obese people.Design:Prospective cohort study.Subjects:In two consecutive examinations in 1976–1978 and 1981–1983, 11 135 people participated in the Copenhagen City Heart Study. Of these, 3078 overweight or obese participants lost weight or remained weight stable from 1976–1978 to 1981–1983, and were without pre-existing diagnosis of diabetes, stroke, ischaemic heart disease or cancer in 1981–1983. They were followed up until 2007 in the Danish Civil Registration System, with a <0.2% loss to follow-up only.Measurements:The following measurements were taken: body mass index (BMI) and physical activity in 1976–1978 and 1981–1983 and hazard ratio (HR) of mortality during 53 976 person-years of follow-up.Results:Of the initially overweight or obese subjects who either lost weight or remained weight stable, 2060 died. Overall, weight loss was associated with excess mortality when compared with weight stability. Weight loss was associated with a higher mortality among those who became physically inactive, compared with those who remained active while losing weight (men: HR 2.25, 95% confidence interval 1.31–3.84; women: 1.43, 1.07–1.91). However, losing weight while remaining physically active was still associated with excess mortality when compared with those who were weight stable and initially active (men: 1.72, 1.27–2.34; women: 1.57, 1.06–2.31). Among those who remained physically inactive, weight loss seemed associated with excess mortality when compared with weight loss among those who became active, although not statistically significant (men: 2.00, 0.94–4.29; women: 1.40, 0.82–2.39). Finally, weight loss among those who became physically active was not associated with excess mortality when compared with those who were weight stable and initially inactive (men: 1.12, 0.61–2.07; women: 1.19, 0.58–2.43).Conclusion:Weight loss among the overweight or obese seemed hazardous to survival. However, weight loss seemed less hazardous to survival among those who remained physically active or those who became active. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term effects of stress on changes in health behaviour and cardiac risk profile in men and women. Design. A prospective cohort study. Setting. The Copenhagen City Heart Study, Denmark. Subjects. The analyses were based on 7066 women and men from the second (1981–1983) and third (1991–1993) wave of the Copenhagen City Heart Study. All participants were asked questions on stress and health behaviour and they had their weight, height, blood pressure and level of blood lipids measured by trained personnel. Main outcome measures. Changes in health behaviour (smoking, physical activity, alcohol consumption, overweight) and cardiac risk profile (cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes). Results. Individuals with high levels of stress compared to those with low levels of stress were less likely to quit smoking (OR = 0.58; 95% CI: 0.41–0.83), more likely to become physically inactive (1.90; 1.41–2.55), less likely to stop drinking above the sensible drinking limits (0.43; 0.24–0.79), and stressed women were more likely to become overweight (1.55; 1.12–2.15) during follow-up. Men and women with high stress were more likely to use antihypertensive medication (1.94; 1.63–2.30), and stressed men were more than two times as likely to develop diabetes during follow-up (2.36; 1.22–4.59). Conclusion. This longitudinal study supports a causal relation between stress and cardiovascular diseases mediated through unfavourable changes in health behaviour and cardiac risk profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine whether physical activity (PA) is associated with changes in waist circumference (WC), and changes in WC given changes in body mass index (BMI). Longitudinal population-based study including 2026 men and 2782 women aged 21–81 years. Subjects were examined in 1991–1993 (baseline) and 2001–2003 (follow up), where height, weight and WC were measured. Information about overall PA in leisure-time (LTPA), walking, biking and sports activity was collected with self-administrated questionnaires at baseline. Outcomes were changes in WC and changes in WC given changes in BMI between baseline and follow up. The median increase in WC was 3.0 cm in men and 3.5 cm in women during follow-up, and with a considerable inter-individual variation. LTPA, walking and biking were not significantly associated with the outcomes. Inverse associations between sports activity and the outcomes were observed in both sexes, and these were significant in some analyses. Associations were not altered by adjustment for confounders or by exclusions of subjects with diseases and/or treatment by obesity-inducing medication. This study suggests that LTPA, walking and biking have no appreciable effects on changes in WC or changes in WC given changes in BMI, whereas sports activity may have small preventive effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents several abstracts on neurology. 'Detection of Haemorrhagic Transformation in Stroke by epi-T2W and T1W MR Imaging'; 'Association of Serum Antibodies to Myosin with Carotid Atherosclerosis'; 'combined Intra-Arterial and Intravenous rTPA Treatment for Acute Stroke.'

Presents summaries of the Astrup Competition in Scandinavia. Effects of apolipoprotein E Genotype; Treatment of hydrophobic membranes with cationic detergents; Regulation of the human complement system through a cluster of charged amino acids.

Background: Although the J-shaped relation between alcohol intake and mortality has been reproduced in many large cohort studies, the question of whether the effects of beer, wine, and spirits differ remains controversial.Objective: To examine the relation between intake of different types of alcohol and death from all causes, coronary heart disease, and cancer.Design: Pooled cohort studies in which intake of beer, wine, and spirits; smoking status; educational level; physical activity; and body mass index were assessed at baseline.Setting: Copenhagen, Denmark.Participants: 13 064 men and 11 459 women 20 to 98 years of age.Measurements: Number of deaths and time to death from all causes, coronary heart disease, and cancer during follow-up.Results: During 257 859 person-years of follow-up, 4833 participants died. J-shaped relations were found between total alcohol intake and mortality at various levels of wine intake. Compared with nondrinkers, light drinkers who avoided wine had a relative risk for death from all causes of 0.90 (95% CI, 0.82 to 0.99) and those who drank wine had a relative risk of 0.66 (CI, 0. 55 to 0.77). Heavy drinkers who avoided wine were at higher risk for death from all causes than were heavy drinkers who included wine in their alcohol intake. Wine drinkers had significantly lower mortality from both coronary heart disease and cancer than did non-wine drinkers (P = 0.007 and P = 0.004, respectively).Conclusion: Wine intake may have a beneficial effect on all-cause mortality that is additive to that of alcohol. This effect may be attributable to a reduction in death from both coronary heart disease and cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of a four-level questionnaire to assess leisure time physical activity ( PA) and its validation is reviewed in this paper. This questionnaire was first published in 1968 and has then been used by more than 600 000 subjects, especially in different population studies in the Nordic countries. A number of modifications to the questionnaire have been published. These are mostly minor changes, such as adding practical examples of activities to illustrate the levels of PA. Some authors have also added duration requirements that were not included for all levels of PA in the original version. The concurrent validity, with respect to aerobic capacity and movement analysis using objective measurements has been shown to be good, as has the predictive validity with respect to various risk factors for health conditions and for morbidity and mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Langsted A, Freiberg JJ, Tybjærg-Hansen A, Schnohr P, Jensen GB, Nordestgaard BG (Herlev Hospital, Herlev; University of Copenhagen; Bispebjerg Hospital; and Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark). Nonfasting cholesterol and triglycerides and association with risk of myocardial infarction and total mortality: the Copenhagen City Heart Study with 31 years of follow-up. J Intern Med 2011; : 65-75. We compared the ability of very high levels of nonfasting cholesterol and triglycerides to predict risk of myocardial infarction and total mortality. Prospective study from 1976 to 1978 until 2007. Danish general population. Randomly selected population of 7581 women and 6391 men, of whom 768 and 1151 developed myocardial infarction and 4398 and 4416 died, respectively. Participation rate was 72%, and follow-up was 100% complete. Less than 2% of participants were taking lipid-lowering therapy. Compared to women with cholesterol <5 mmol L, multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios for myocardial infarction ranged from 1.3 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.9-1.8] for a cholesterol level of 5.0-5.99 mmol L to 2.5 (95%CI: 1.6-4.0) for cholesterol ≥9 mmol L (trend: P < 0.0001). Compared with women with nonfasting triglycerides <1 mmol L, hazard ratios for myocardial infarction ranged from 1.5 (95%CI: 1.2-1.8) for triglycerides of 1.0-1.99 mmol L to 4.2 (95%CI: 2.5-7.2) for triglycerides ≥5 mmol L (p<0.0001). In men, corresponding hazard ratios ranged from 1.2 (95%CI: 1.0-1.5) to 5.3 (95%CI: 3.6-8.0) for cholesterol ( P < 0.0001) and from 1.3 (95%CI: 1.0-1.6) to 2.1 (95%CI: 1.5-2.8) for triglycerides ( P < 0.0001). Increasing cholesterol levels were not consistently associated with total mortality in women (trend: P = 0.39) or men ( P = 0.02). By contrast, compared with women with triglycerides <1 mmol L, multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios for total mortality ranged from 1.1 (95%CI: 1.0-1.2) for triglycerides of 1.0-1.99 mmol L to 2.0 (95%CI: 1.5-2.9) for triglycerides ≥5 mmol L (trend: P < 0.0001); corresponding hazard ratios in men ranged from 1.1 (95%CI: 1.0-1.2) to 1.5 (95%CI: 1.2-1.7) ( P < 0.0001). Stepwise increasing levels of nonfasting cholesterol and nonfasting triglycerides were similarly associated with stepwise increasing risk of myocardial infarction, with nonfasting triglycerides being the best predictor in women and nonfasting cholesterol the best predictor in men. Even more surprisingly, only increasing levels of nonfasting triglycerides were associated with total mortality, whereas increasing cholesterol levels were not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. We aim to assess the relationship between stress and risk of primary colorectal cancer in men and women. Design. A prospective cohort study Setting. The Copenhagen City Heart Study, Denmark Subjects. A total of 6488 women and 5426 men were included in the study. The participants were asked about intensity and frequency of stress at baseline in 1981–1983 and were followed until the end of 2000 in the Danish Cancer Registry. Less than 0.1% was lost to follow-up. Main outcome measures. First time incidence of primary colorectal cancer. Results. During follow-up 162 women and 166 men were diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Women with moderate and high stress intensity had a hazard ratio of 0.60 (95% CI: 0.37–0.98) and 0.52 (0.23–1.14) for colorectal cancer, respectively, compared to women with no stress. For colon cancer, a one-unit increase on a seven-point stress-score was associated with an 11% lower incidence of the disease (HR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.81–0.99) amongst women. There was no consistent evidence of an association between stress and colorectal cancer in men. Conclusion. Perceived stress was associated with lower risk of particularly colon cancer in women, whilst there was no clear relationship between stress and colorectal cancer in men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: We aim to assess the relationship between stress and risk of primary colorectal cancer in men and women. DESIGN: A prospective cohort study. SETTING: The Copenhagen City Heart Study, Denmark. SUBJECTS: A total of 6488 women and 5426 men were included in the study. The participants were asked about intensity and frequency of stress at baseline in 1981-1983 and were followed until the end of 2000 in the Danish Cancer Registry. Less than 0.1% was lost to follow-up. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: First time incidence of primary colorectal cancer. RESULTS: During follow-up 162 women and 166 men were diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Women with moderate and high stress intensity had a hazard ratio of 0.60 (95% CI: 0.37-0.98) and 0.52 (0.23-1.14) for colorectal cancer, respectively, compared to women with no stress. For colon cancer, a one-unit increase on a seven-point stress-score was associated with an 11% lower incidence of the disease (HR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.81-0.99) amongst women. There was no consistent evidence of an association between stress and colorectal cancer in men. CONCLUSION: Perceived stress was associated with lower risk of particularly colon cancer in women, whilst there was no clear relationship between stress and colorectal cancer in men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE: The social gradient in prostate cancer incidence observed in several studies may be a result of differential access to prostate cancer screening. We aim to assess if socioeconomic status, stress, and marital status are associated with prostate cancer risk in a population with free access to health care. METHODS: The 5,496 men who participated in the Copenhagen City Heart Study were asked about their income, educational level, stress level, and marital status during 1981-1983. These men were prospectively followed up in the Danish Cancer Registry until the end of 2002 and fewer than 0.1% were lost to follow-up. RESULTS: During follow-up, 157 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer. Neither high income (HR = 1.17, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.78-1.76) nor high education (HR = 1.22; 95% CI: 0.76-1.96) were associated with risk of prostate cancer. There were also no differences in prostate cancer risk according to stress (HR = 0.99; 95% CI: 0.90-1.09) or marital status. CONCLUSION: In a racially homogeneous population of Caucasians with free access to health care, we found no evidence of a relation between sociodemographic variables or stress and subsequent risk of prostate cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Information about the influence of regular physical activity on the course of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is scarce. A study was undertaken to examine the association between regular physical activity and both hospital admissions for COPD and all-cause and specific mortality in COPD subjects. Methods: From a population-based sample recruited in Copenhagen in 1981-3 and 1991-4, 2386 individuals with COPD (according to lung function tests) were identified and followed until 2000. Self-reported regular physical activity at baseline was classified into four categories (very low, low, moderate, and high). Dates and causes of hospital admissions and mortality were obtained from Danish registers. Adjusted associations between physical activity and hospital admissions for COPD and mortality were obtained using negative binomial and Cox regression models, respectively. Results: After adjustment for relevant confounders, subjects reporting low, moderate or high physical activity had a lower risk of hospital admission for COPD during the follow up period than those who reported very low physical activity (incidence rate ratio 0.72, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.53 to 0.97). Low, moderate and high levels of regular physical activity were associated with an adjusted lower risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio (HR) 0.76, 95% CI 0.65 to 0.90) and respiratory mortality (HR 0.70, 95% CI 0.48 to 1.02). No effect modification was found for sex, age group, COPD severity, or a background of ischaemic heart disease. Conclusions: Subjects with COPD who perform some level of regular physical activity have a lower risk of both COPD admissions and mortality. The recommendation that COPD patients be encouraged to maintain or increase their levels of regular physical activity should be considered in future COPD guidelines, since it is likely to result in a relevant public health benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in the blood can be used as a marker of recent alcohol intake. However, before using HDL-C as a predictor of alcoholism, the relation between alcohol intake and HDL-C in the entire range of consumption must be explored. Most studies model the relation between alcohol intake and HDL-C linearly, although a threshold effect is expected. The objective of this study was to evaluate the shape of the relation between intake of alcohol and HDL-C and to determine whether there are differential effects of beer, wine, and spirits on HDL-C and whether they remain after adjusting for total alcohol. METHOD: The relation between alcohol intake and HDL-C was investigated by means of generalized additive models using data from the Copenhagen City Heart Study. RESULTS: A nonlinear effect of alcohol improved the model fit significantly, and the nonlinearity of alcohol was highly significant in both men and women. The relation was concave: HDL-C was stable in men and women who drank more than approximately 35 and 20 drinks per week, respectively. We found a significant nonlinear term of wine on HDL-C in men after adjustment for total alcohol intake. CONCLUSIONS: There was a concave relation between alcohol intake and HDL-C, indicating a threshold effect of alcohol on HDL-C. The association between wine and HDL-C in men after adjusting for total alcohol intake may be due to residual lifestyle confounding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The M235T and T174M angiotensinogen mutations have been linked to increased risk for ischemic heart and cerebrovascular disease.Objective: To determine whether angiotensinogen mutations are associated with ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, and ischemic cerebrovascular disease.Design: Six case-control studies from the Copenhagen City Heart Study.Setting: Copenhagen, Denmark.Participants: Participants in the Copenhagen City Heart Study and patients from the same hospital with ischemic heart disease (n = 866 and n = 943, respectively), myocardial infarction (n = 519 and n = 493, respectively), or ischemic cerebrovascular disease (n = 489 and n = 434, respectively) and 7975 controls without these conditions.Measurements: Genotypes for the M235T and T174M angiotensinogen mutations were compared between controls and Copenhagen City Heart Study participants with ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, and cerebrovascular disease (studies 1a, 1b, and 1c) and patients from Copenhagen University Hospital with the same conditions (studies 2a, 2b, and 2c).Results: Relative allele frequencies of 235T and 174M in the general population were 0.41 and 0.12, respectively. Genotype was not associated with increased risk for ischemic heart or ischemic cerebrovascular disease in studies of either mutation alone or combined in women or men. Among compound heterozygotes (235MT /174TM ), women in case-control study 2a had decreased risk for ischemic heart disease in age-adjusted analysis; however, this decreased risk was not seen in multifactorial-adjusted or matched analyses, in men, or in case-control study 1a. Among double homozygotes (235TT /174MM ), women in case-control study 2b had increased risk for myocardial infarction in matched analysis; however, this increased risk was not seen in age- or multifactorial-adjusted analyses, in men, or in case-control study 1b. Among single homozygotes (235TT /174TT ), men in case-control study 2b had increased risk for myocardial infarction in multifactorial-adjusted and matched analyses. This risk was not present in age-adjusted analysis, in women, or in case-control study 1b. In addition, male single homozygotes had decreased risk for ischemic cerebrovascular disease in case-control study 2c in age- and multifactorial-adjusted analyses, but this finding was not seen in matched analysis, in women, or in case-control study 1c.Conclusions: In six large case-control studies, the M235T and T174M angiotensinogen mutations were not consistently associated with increased (or decreased) risk for ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, or ischemic cerebrovascular disease. Statistically significant associations may represent chance findings rather than real phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: to assess the relation between alcohol intake and mortality among seven cohorts of middle-aged and elderly Danes. Design: prospective population study with baseline assessment of alcohol- and tobacco consumption, educational level and body mass index, and a mean of 11.5 years follow-up of mortality. Subjects: 16 304 men and women aged 50 years or more. Main outcome measure: number and time of deaths from 1974 to 1995 as ascertained by the national central person register. Results: the effect of alcohol intake on mortality did not differ between middle-aged (50-64 years, mean = 56.6 years) and elderly subjects (>64 years old, mean = 69.9 years). There was a U-shaped risk function in both age groups, which persisted also when adjusting for age, sex, smoking habits, level of education and body mass index. Abstaining women had a relative risk of 1.29 (95% confidence limits 1.17-1.42) as compared with light drinkers (1-6 drinks per week), while the relative risk for abstaining men was 1.22 (95% confidence limits; 1.08 to 1.37) as compared with light drinkers. Heavy drinking women (>28 drinks per week) had a relative risk of 1.23 (95% confidence limits; 0.85 to 1.78) and heavy drinking men (more than 69 drinks per week) had a relative risk of 2.11 (95% confidence limits 1.66-2.69), both compared with light drinkers. Conclusion: among the middle-aged and elderly women and men, a light alcohol intake is associated with lower mortality than abstention or heavy drinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studies of time trends in smoking prevalence provide a better understanding of the determinants of smoking. The present study analyses changes over time in the prevalence of smoking and heavy smoking in relation to sex, age, and education. Methods: Data on smoking behaviour were collected by questionnaire in random samples of the general population in the area of Copenhagen. The database used included 71,842 measurements of smoking behaviour for 32,156 subjects aged 30 years or more, who had been examined at intervals between 1964 and 1994. In bi- and multivariate analyses the effects of sex, age, education, time period, and study group on the prevalence of smoking and of heavy smoking were assessed. Results: Smoking was least prevalent in women, in the oldest age group (more than 70 years), and among those with 8 years or more of school education. During the study period (from 1964/74 to 1990/94), the prevalence of smoking decreased from 72% to 54% in men and from 52% to 46% in women. In both men and women this decrease was smallest in the least educated (less than 8 years of school education). Heavy smoking was also least prevalent in women, in the oldest age group, and among the well educated. During the study period, the unadjusted prevalence of heavy smoking decreased from 52% to 38% in men, while it increased from 17% to 21% in women. The multivariate analysis showed that the time trend for heavy smoking only depended on sex, while educational attainment and age had no impact on the trend. Conclusion: During the last 30 years the prevalence of smoking has decreased in Denmark. The decrease has been smallest in women, and among the least educated, and the increasing trend in the prevalence of heavy smoking in women is a cause for concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a summary of the report titled 'Type of Alcohol Consumed and Mortality from all Causes, Coronary Heart Disease and Cancer,' published in 'Annals of Internal Medicine,' September 19, 2000 issue.