Biomedical subjects

A Aromaa

Publications and source records attributed to A Aromaa.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Is the report of widespread body pain associated with long-term increased mortality? Data from the Mini-Finland Health Survey.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether an observation in a UK study, that persons with chronic widespread pain are at long-term increased risk of cancer mortality, can be replicated in a different setting. METHODS: Subjects were participants aged >or=30 yrs in the Mini-Finland Health Survey conducted between 1979 and 1980. Information collected included prevalent pains at different joints throughout the body, demographic, anthropometric, lifestyle and occupational factors. During follow-up, until 1994, information on vital status and cause of death was obtained. RESULTS: 7182 persons participated (89.8%). The prevalence of widespread body pain (pain at four or more sites) was 20% in females and 12% in males, and during follow-up there were a total of 1647 deaths. The risk of death was not elevated amongst those with widespread pain [relative risk (RR): 0.86; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.74-1.00], and in particular, those with widespread pain were at a slightly lower risk of several disease-specific causes of death and cancer death (RR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.46-0.91). CONCLUSIONS: This study of multiple pains has not confirmed a previous observation of an association between the reporting of widespread pain and subsequent increased risk of cancer death. Differences in the definitions used or, more probably, the population studied, in particular, a larger rural population with more multiple pains related to physical activity may account for the differences.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Baseline psychosocial predictors of survival in localised breast cancer.

Despite the large number of studies on the impact of psychosocial factors on breast cancer progression, there is no certainty about the contributing factors or processes involved. We investigated the relative impacts of socioeconomic, psychological, and psychosocial factors on survival in breast cancer. A consecutive sample of 102 patients (participation 82%) under 72 years of age with locoregional breast cancer completed validated questionnaires on coping with cancer, emotional expression (anger), perceived available support, noncancer life stresses, and quality of life 3-4 months after diagnosis. Survival times were measured from the date of diagnosis to the date of relapse and further to the date of death or date of last follow-up. Cumulative Cox regression analyses were carried out. After controlling for biological prognostic factors, age, and baseline treatment, longer survival was predicted by a long education and a minimising-related coping, while shorter survival was predicted by emotional defensiveness (antiemotionality), behavioural-escape coping, and a high level of perceived support. A shorter event-free time was also predicted by unemployment and depressive symptoms. Cancer survival is affected by a complex combination of psychosocial factors, among which minimising predicts a favourable prognosis and anger nonexpression and escape behaviour an unfavourable prognosis. Higher socioeconomic status is associated with longer survival. High scores in well-being scales may reflect emotional nonexpression.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2006

IgA antibodies in persisting Helicobacter pylori infection in Finnish adults.

Most individuals infected with Helicobacter pylori have elevated levels of specific IgG antibodies, but only in about two-thirds of cases does the IgA titre exceed the cut-off level. The aim of this study was to determine whether H. pylori-infected subjects with elevated IgG levels would subsequently produce IgA antibodies, and whether elevated IgA levels increased during infection. Paired sera were available from 336 adults who took part in a large population-based health survey in 1977-1980 and a follow-up study on asthma and atopic diseases in 1997-1998 (series A). Data on paired sera from 224 adults who participated in a population-based health survey in Vammala, Finland in 1973 and who gave a follow-up blood sample in 1994 (series B) were also re-analysed. H. pylori IgG and IgA levels were determined with commercially available (series A) and in-house (series B) enzyme immunoassays. Twenty-one (35%) of the 60 subjects who initially had elevated levels of IgG antibodies only were found to be IgA-positive at follow-up. In those subjects whose baseline and follow-up samples were IgG- and IgA-positive, the median IgA levels increased by 48% and 22% in series A and B (p < 0.0001 and p 0.0241), respectively, whereas the median IgG levels did not change significantly in either series. During H. pylori infection, an increase in specific IgA was reflected by the increase in the number of responders and by the rise in titres.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Postural balance in a random sample of 7,979 subjects aged 30 years and over.

BACKGROUND: Reliable normative data for force platform measurements of postural balance have not been available. METHODS: Data on postural balance were collected from a representative nationwide sample of a Finnish population aged >or=30 years (n = 7,979). As part of a comprehensive health survey (Health 2000), postural balance was measured with the help of a force platform system in four test conditions: normal standing with eyes open and closed (both for 30 s), semi-tandem (20 s) and tandem stand with eyes open (20 s). In addition, balance abilities were also evaluated by a non-instrumented field test. RESULTS: The main findings of this study indicated that the differences in balance between subjects belonging to different age categories were apparent already among young and middle-aged subjects. This is true, however, only for the more accurate force platform measurements, as the field test showed a clear ceiling effect up to 60 years of age. At higher ages both methods indicated a further, accelerating decline in balance function. In most cases, males tended to have more pronounced sway, as indicated by the speed and amplitude aspects of the movement of the center of pressure during the force platform registrations and these differences were larger in the older age groups. In contrast, in the field test a larger proportion of males were able to achieve the highest category (10 s in tandem stand) and the proportion of subjects unable to stand for a minimum of 10 s feet side by side was larger among females than males. These observations may partly be due to differences in the participation/acceptable performance in the different tests. In addition, the field test and force platform measurements may partially reflect different aspects of balance abilities. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study provide normative values for force platform balance tests at an age of 30 years and above. Deterioration in balance function clearly starts at relatively young ages and further accelerates from at about 60 years upwards. Due to systematic differences between males and females, separate normative values for both sexes are needed. Due to marked ceiling effects the field test can only be recommended for older individuals, aged >/=60. On the other hand, force platform registrations in the more demanding tests (semi-tandem and tandem stands) suffer from floor effects in the oldest age groups.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Food consumption and the incidence of type II diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE: The consumption of different foods was studied for their ability to predict type II diabetes mellitus. DESIGN: The study design was a cohort study, based on the Finnish Mobile Clinic Health Examination Survey. SETTING: A total of 30 communities from different parts of Finland. SUBJECTS: A total of 4304 men and women, 40-69 y of age and free of diabetes at baseline in 1967-1972 and followed up for incidence of diabetes medication during 23 y (383 incident cases). RESULTS: Higher intakes of green vegetables, fruit and berries, oil and margarine, and poultry were found to predict a reduced risk of type II diabetes. The relative risks of developing type II diabetes between the extreme quartiles of the intakes were 0.69 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.50-0.93; P for trend (P) = 0.02) for green vegetables, 0.69 (CI = 0.51-0.92; P = 0.03) for fruit and berries, 0.71 (CI = 0.52-0.98; P = 0.01) for margarine and oil, and 0.71 (CI = 0.54-0.94; P = 0.01) for poultry. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that prevention of type II diabetes might be aided by consumption of certain foods that are rich in nutrients with hypothesized health benefits.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Normal serum pepsinogen I levels in adults: a population-based study with special reference to Helicobacter pylori infection and parietal cell antibodies.

OBJECTIVE: Low serum pepsinogen I (PG I) values are common in subjects with advanced corpus atrophy with or without parietal cell antibodies (PCA). Elevated values are usual during Helicobacter pylori infection. MATERIAL AND METHODS: PG I levels were determined in two randomly selected cross-sectional adult population samples using the Gastroset PGI test kits. The sera (408 in 1973 and 504 in 1994), tested earlier for H. pylori infection and now for PCA, represented subjects living in Vammala, Finland. RESULTS: In the PCA-negative population, the mean (+/-SD) PG I level was significantly higher in men than in women among both H. pylori-negative (88.13+/-34.16 microg/l versus 72.43+/-29.31 microg/l; p<0.0001) and H. pylori-positive (110.50+/-50.59 microg/l, versus 97.74+/-44.82 microg/l, p<0.0001) subjects; the difference between all H. pylori-positive and -negative subjects was also significant (p<0.001). In the 10-year age groups, age had no impact on the mean PG I levels in H. pylori-negative subjects (p=0.860). In the PCA-positive population, the 10 H. pylori-positive subjects had higher mean PG I levels (112.96+/-53.62 microg/l) than the 13 H. pylori-negative subjects (32.57+/-27.59 microg/l; p=0.002); the latter mean was also significantly lower than that of the PCA- and H. pylori-negative subjects (80.08+/-32.69 microg/l; p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Men had higher normal PG I values than women, but there was no significant variation by age. H. pylori infection was associated with elevated PG I levels and a small decrease with increasing age. Non-infected PCA-positive subjects showed the lowest mean PG I level.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Smoking history and serum cotinine and thiocyanate concentrations as determinants of rheumatoid factor in non-rheumatoid subjects.

OBJECTIVES: Smoking is associated with false-positive rheumatoid factor (RF). We explored the dose-response relationship of this association, using smoking history and serum cotinine and thiocyanate concentrations as measures of tobacco exposure. METHODS: A total of 6947 men and women aged 30 yr or over and free of clinical arthritis were included in the Mini-Finland Health Survey carried out between 1978 and 1980. Detailed histories of smoking and RF (sensitized sheep cell agglutination test) were obtained in the basic examination. In 2000, serum cotinine and thiocyanate were determined from serum samples collected at baseline and stored at -20 degrees C. A cut-off point of 100 microg/l was used for serum cotinine and 10 micromol/l for thiocyanate to indicate active smoking. RESULTS: There was a close association between smoking and strongly positive RF. After adjustment for age, sex, coffee consumption and region, the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals in brackets) in current smokers and in those who had quit smoking were 3.94 (2.04-7.61) and 2.71 (1.33-5.53), respectively, compared with those who had never smoked. Among current smokers, the intensity, duration or tertiles of pack-years of smoking were not related to RF. No relationship between serum cotinine or thiocyanate and RF positivity was observed within the subgroups of current smokers and those who had quit. Among those who reported that they had never smoked but who nevertheless had serum cotinine levels at least 100 microg/l, the adjusted odds ratio of strongly positive RF was 4.48 (1.48-13.50) compared with people who had never smoked and whose serum cotinine levels were less than 100 microg/l. CONCLUSIONS: The results are not in line with the hypothesis of a dose-response relationship between smoking exposure and RF positivity.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

The IL1A genotype is associated with nasal polyposis in asthmatic adults.

BACKGROUND: Nasal polyposis (NP) is a chronic inflammatory disease often found coexisting with asthma. As this disorder tends to cluster in families, a genetic predisposition has been suggested. Interleukin-1 (IL-1) has been proposed to play a role in the pathogenesis of NP. METHODS: We analysed the single G-to-T base exchange polymorphism in exon 5 at +4845 of the gene encoding IL-1alpha (IL1A) and the C-to-T base exchange polymorphism at -511 of the gene encoding IL-1beta (IL1B) in a population-based sample of adult asthma patients (n = 245). The data were assessed for correlation with data on history of NP and other phenotype-related characteristics. RESULTS: The prevalence of NP in our study group was 14.3%. The distribution of the IL1A genotype differed significantly between asthmatics with and without NP (P = 0.005). The risk of NP was markedly increased in allele G homozygous subjects (OR = 2.73; 95%CI = 1.40-5.32). In the case of IL1B we found no significant associations. Asthmatics with NP had more symptoms than others, but lung function and blood eosinophil counts were similar. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates an association of IL1A with NP inasthmatic patients and addresses the role of IL-1alpha as an inflammatory modulator in the pathogenesis of this disease.

Asthma↗

PubMed2003

Interleukin-10 gene promoter region polymorphism is associated with eosinophil count and circulating immunoglobulin E in adult asthma.

BACKGROUND: IL-10 has several functional effects relevant to asthma. It can modulate IgE production and induce apoptosis in eosinophils. Polymorphisms of IL-10 gene have been shown to affect IL-10 production. OBJECTIVE: To establish whether IL-10 polymorphisms are associated with asthma and phenotype-related characteristics. METHODS: The frequency of three single base exchange polymorphisms (at positions - 1082, - 819 and - 592) and corresponding haplotypes of the IL-10 gene were analysed in 245 adult asthmatic subjects and 405 controls using PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). The data were assessed for correlations with the eosinophil count, serum IgE and lung function. RESULTS: The IL-10 haplotype frequencies were similar in asthmatics and controls. Eosinophil count median was 2.0- to 3.2-fold higher among asthmatics with rare ATA/ATA genotype than in asthmatics with other genotypes. No such difference was seen in the control group. When analysed by IL-10 haplotype carrier state and gender, male asthmatics with ATA haplotype had 2.8-fold higher serum IgE than those without ATA. A converse association was found in male controls with ATA haplotype, who had 1.9-fold lower serum IgE than their ATA-negative counterparts. The high IL-10-producing GCC haplotype was associated with impaired lung function in smoking male controls while in asthmatics no clear effect on lung function was found with any of the haplotypes studied. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the eosinophil counts and serum IgE are differently regulated by IL-10 genotype in asthmatic and in normal subjects. However, IL-10 polymorphism is not related to susceptibility in asthma.

Aged↗

PubMed2003

Osteoarthritis of finger joints in Finns aged 30 or over: prevalence, determinants, and association with mortality.

BACKGROUND: Prevalence and risk factors of osteoarthritis (OA) in finger joints have been amply explored in previous studies. However, no study has focused on finger joint OA as a predictor of mortality. OBJECTIVE: To investigate finger joint OA for its associations with alleged risk factors and with life expectancy in an extensive health survey. METHODS: From 1978 to 1980 a representative population sample of 8000 Finns aged 30 years or over was invited to participate in a comprehensive health examination; 90% accepted. Hand radiographs were taken from 3595 subjects. By the end of 1994, 897 of these had died. RESULTS: The prevalence of OA of Kellgren's grade 2 to 4 in any finger joint and in at least two symmetrical pairs of distal interphalangeal joints (DIPs) was 44.8% and 16.0%, respectively. Age and body mass index were significant determinants for OA both in any finger joint and in symmetrical DIP OA. The history of physical workload in women showed a positive association with OA in any finger joint. Smoking in men seemed to protect against symmetrical DIP OA. As adjusted for the determinants above, symmetrical DIP OA predicted mortality in women (relative risk (RR), 1.23; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.01 to 1.51), but not in men (RR 0.89; 95% CI 0.68 to 1.16). In men, however, OA in any finger joint significantly predicted cardiovascular deaths (RR 1.42; 95% CI 1.05 to 1.92). CONCLUSION: OA in any finger joint and symmetrical DIP OA have different risk factor profiles and predict mortality in different patterns between men and women.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Oral health indicators poorly predict coronary heart disease deaths.

Several earlier studies have suggested that development of coronary heart disease (CHD) is causally related to oral infections. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between oral health indicators and CHD deaths. Out of a nationally representative sample, 6527 men and women aged 30-69 years participated in the health examination with a dental check. Detailed oral health data included caries, periodontal and dental plaque status, presence of remaining teeth, and various types of dentures. Over a mean 12-year follow-up, persons dying of CHD were older and more often smoked, had hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, and only a basic education compared with other persons. In univariate analyses, several oral health indicators were associated with CHD deaths. Adjustment for the established CHD risk factors reduced all these associations to statistical non-significance. The associations between oral health indicators and CHD are mostly explained by confounding factors, particularly those relating to health behavior.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Increase of allergen-specific immunoglobulin E antibodies from 1973 to 1994 in a Finnish population and a possible relationship to Helicobacter pylori infections.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of atopic diseases--hayfever, asthma and eczema--has increased over the past decades. The increase may be associated with decreased rates of infections such as measles, hepatitis A, tuberculosis, toxoplasmosis, and, as recently suggested, Helicobacter pylori gastritis. OBJECTIVE: Since the increase of atopy has been mainly based on clinical studies, we wanted to study the prevalence of allergen-specific Immunoglobulin (Ig)E antibodies in two cross-sectional, adult population-based serum samples two decades apart. Since the sera had been tested for H. pylori antibodies, we also had a chance to look for a possible relationship between these two findings. METHODS: We determined the prevalence rate of allergen-specific serum IgE antibodies against birch and timothy pollen, and cat and dog epithelium allergens by the radioallergosorbent test in a 15-54-years-old Finnish population using 326 sera collected in 1973 and 319 sera collected in 1994 from randomly selected subjects. RESULTS: From 1973 to 1994 allergen-specific IgE prevalence rates and IgE antibody levels rose. In 1994, the prevalence rate of positive findings in 15-24-year-old population had increased from 11 to 38% (3.5-fold increase, P = 0.0001, OR 5.12, CI 95% 2.32-11.3). In older 10-year age groups similar trends did not reach significance, but the overall change was significant with all three cut-off levels of allergen-specific IgE analysed. The percentage of IgE-positive persons rose mainly in the subgroup with no H. pylori antibodies. In 1994 21% of the H. pylori-negative subjects had IgE antibodies compared with 5% of the H. pylori-positive subjects (in 1973 11% in both subgroups). CONCLUSIONS: IgE-based evidence for an increase in IgE-mediated allergy was uncovered. The increase occurred mainly in the subgroup with no antibodies to H. pylori, which support the hypothesis that H. pylori could be one of the microbes counteracting atopy.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Enterovirus, mycoplasma and other infections as predictors for myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVES: To study antibodies against five infectious agents for their prediction of major coronary events in men with and without evidence of coronary heart disease at baseline. DESIGN: A case-control study nested within a prospective population study. SUBJECTS: The study cases included 441 men 45-64 years old with nonfatal myocardial infarction or coronary death within a mean follow-up time of 10 years. A total of 165 men had already signs of heart disease at baseline, whilst 276 were apparently healthy at the beginning of the study. Two controls for each case were matched for age, heart disease status and place of residence. Antibodies against enterovirus, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia pneumoniae, cytomegalovirus and adenovirus were determined. RESULTS: Men without reported baseline heart disease, but not those with heart disease, showing the highest quartile of antibodies to enterovirus and mycoplasma or increased levels of immune complex-bound antibodies to chlamydia had a significantly higher risk of coronary events than men with lower level of antibodies. The increased risk demonstrated in men with high levels of antibodies to enterovirus and mycoplasma remained significant after adjustment for other antibodies, acute-phase reactant and conventional risk factors. Serological evidence of infection by multiple agents was also significantly associated with coronary events. CONCLUSIONS: Serological evidence for several infectious agents is associated with the risk of coronary heart disease, but only in men without baseline history of heart disease.

Acute-Phase Reaction↗

PubMed2002

Evidence that cagA(+) Helicobacter pylori strains are disappearing more rapidly than cagA(-) strains.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori colonisation in populations in developed country has been declining, as shown by community based serological surveys of adults in Vammala, Finland in 1973 and 1994. In this study, we determined whether the proportion of subjects colonised by cagA(+) or cagA(-) H pylori strains has changed as the overall prevalence of H pylori(+) has declined. METHODS: We examined 911 sera from Vammala's study for antibodies to the CagA antigen of H pylori using a truncated CagA protein as the antigen in an ELISA and we examined the trend in acquisition and carriage of cagA(+) strains. RESULTS: As expected, the prevalence of carriage of both cagA(+) and cagA(-) strains fell between 1973 and 1994 (p<0.001). However, the prevalence of cagA(+) strains among those <45 years declined (34% to 8%) significantly (p<0.001) more than for cagA(-) strains (12% to 6%). Of 221 subjects with paired serum samples, 12 (5.4%) changed H pylori status; the estimated seroconversion and reversion rates were 0.4% and 0.13% per year, respectively. Except for the few individuals who changed serostatus, absolute antibody levels to H pylori antigens, including CagA, changed little over the 21 year period. CONCLUSIONS: The decline in CagA seroprevalence predominantly reflects declining acquisition of cag(+) strains in younger subjects. In addition, these data confirm that H pylori acquisition chiefly occurs during childhood but continues to occur during adulthood, albeit at low rates, in developed countries.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Hyperhomocystinemia: a risk factor or a consequence of coronary heart disease?

BACKGROUND: Mild hyperhomocystinemia has been suggested as an indicator of an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. OBJECTIVE: To examine whether serum homocysteine concentration is a predictor of coronary heart disease (CHD) events. METHODS: A case-control study, nested in a population-based cohort study was used. During a follow-up of 13 years, 166 major coronary events (death from CHD or nonfatal myocardial infarction) occurred in men with evidence of heart disease at baseline and 272 events in men without a history of heart disease. Two controls per case were selected by individual matching. RESULTS: Among men with known heart disease at baseline, the relative risk (95% confidence interval) of CHD events adjusted for age, smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, serum cholesterol level, body mass index, and alcohol consumption was 2.23 (95% confidence interval, 1.03-4.85) in the highest serum homocysteine quintile compared with the lowest quintile. Among the men free of heart disease at baseline, the corresponding relative risk was 0.90 (95% confidence interval, 0.51-1.60). CONCLUSIONS: This prospective study does not support the hypothesis that a high concentration of serum homocysteine is a risk factor for coronary events in a population free of heart disease. However, it does suggest that mild hyperhomocystinemia predicts secondary coronary events in men with heart disease, possibly as a consequence of atherosclerotic changes.

Case-Control Studies↗

PubMed2001

A prospective seroepidemiological study of human herpesvirus-8 infection and the risk of multiple myeloma.

Presence of the Human Herpesvirus 8 (HHV8) genome has been reported in the bone marrow of multiple myeloma (MM) patients. So far, serological studies of HHV8 and MM have been inconsistent but have not included prospective epidemiological studies. We evaluated whether HHV8 infection is associated with increased risk for MM in a prospective population-based study of 39 000 Finnish subjects who donated serum samples in the period 1968-72. Serum samples from 47 subjects who developed MM during a 23-year follow-up and 224 age, area of residence and sex-matched subjects who remained healthy over a similar follow-up period were evaluated for HHV8 antibodies at enrollment, as assayed both with an immunofluorescence assay (IFA) for lytic and latent HHV8 antigens and by Western blot (WB) with three recombinant HHV8 proteins (ORFs 65, 73 and K8.1A). HHV8 seropositivity for at least one HHV8 protein on WB was found in 7% of the Finnish population and was not associated with the risk of developing MM (Relative Risk (RR) = 0.89, Confidence Interval (CI): 0.25-3.25). HHV8 seropositivity for lytic and latent antigens in the IFA was found in 16% and 0.4% of the Finnish population and tended to associate with risk of MM (RR = 2.02, CI: 0.94-4.33 and RR = 10.00, CI: 0.91-110.29, respectively). In conclusion, no statistically significant evidence for an association between HHV8 infection and the risk of future MM was found.

Antigens, Viral↗

PubMed2001

Validity of the prostate specific antigen test for prostate cancer screening: followup study with a bank of 21,000 sera in Finland.

PURPOSE: We investigate the validity of prostate specific antigen (PSA) as a screening test for prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A registry of serum samples drawn from 1968 to 1976 from 21,387 men was linked to the Finnish Cancer Registry. During followup from 1968 to 1991, 104 prostate cancers were identified. A matched case control design with incidence density sampling and nested in the serum sample bank was applied, and PSA was assessed. RESULTS: The estimated sensitivity of the test was 44% and specificity 94% at a cutoff of 4.0 microg./l. in the total material. The sensitivity had improved to 86% in patients diagnosed in 5 years after the sample drawing. The test had a better sensitivity (93%) and specificity (96%) in men younger than 65 years at the time of the sample drawing compared to those older. The sensitivity further improved to 100% with a cutoff of 2.5 microg./l. CONCLUSIONS: PSA is a valid screening test for prostate cancer, which compares favorably with mammography for breast cancer. However, until an effect on mortality has been shown, routine screening cannot be recommended.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Prospective study on milk products, calcium and cancers of the colon and rectum.

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between consumption of milk and milk products, calcium, lactose and vitamin D and occurrence of colorectal cancers. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SUBJECTS: A total of 9959 men and women aged 15 y or older without history of cancer at baseline. During a 24 y follow-up, 72 new cancers of the large bowel (38 in the colon and 34 in the rectum) were detected. RESULTS: Consumption of milk and total milk products was suggested to be inversely related to colon cancer incidence, whereas no similar association was seen for rectal cancer. The relative risk between the highest and lowest quartiles of intake adjusted for potential confounding factors was 0.46 (95% confidence interval 0.14-1.46, P for trend 0.09) for milk and 0.37 (95% CI=0.12-1.39, P for trend 0.06) for total milk products. Lactose intake showed a similar inverse relationship with colon cancer: the relative risk was 0.31 (95% CI=0.08-1.15, P for trend 0.03). Intake of vitamin D or total dietary calcium was not significantly related to colorectal cancer risk, whereas calcium provided by fermented milk products was associated with increased colorectal cancer incidence; in the highest quartile the multivariate adjusted relative risk for colorectal cancer was 2.07 (95% CI=1.00-4.28). CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that individuals showing high consumption of milk have a potentially reduced risk of colon cancer; however, the association does not appear to be due to intake of calcium, vitamin D, or to specific effects of fermented milk. SPONSORSHIP: This study was supported by a grant from the Swedish Cancer Foundation.

Adolescent↗