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Biomedical subjects

D E Grobbee

Publications and source records attributed to D E Grobbee.

At least 415 records · Page 23Linked to original sources

Cardiovascular risk and all-cause mortality; a 12 year follow-up study in The Netherlands.

To assess the contribution of cardiovascular risk indicators to all-cause mortality, we used data from a follow-up study conducted in the Netherlands since 1975. Of 6,057 participants aged 20 years or over at the start of the study, 9.5% died during the 9 to 12 year follow-up period. Risk indicators independently related to all-cause mortality were age and diabetes mellitus in both sexes; pulse rate, smoking habits, antihypertensive drug use and a history of myocardial infarction most clearly in men; and body mass index and systolic blood pressure in women. A larger body mass index was associated with a gradual decrease in mortality probability. The risk of death for women in the highest quartile of body mass index (> 26.4 kg/m2) relative to those in the lowest quartile (< 21.9 kg/m2) was 0.56 (95% confidence limits 0.36 and 0.87). Serum cholesterol level showed no association with overall mortality. Risk functions were calculated to predict an individual's probability of dying within 11.5 years as a function of the level of cardiovascular risk indicators. Our findings suggest that the major cardiovascular risk indicators, apart from affecting cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, also influence all-cause mortality. Consequently, favourable changes in these characteristics might lead to an increase in life expectancy. The maximum individual benefit to be expected from these changes may be estimated using the risk functions derived from our data.

Adult↗

High blood pressure and the incidence of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus: findings in a 11.5 year follow-up study in The Netherlands.

To examine the contribution of cardiovascular risk factors to the development of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, a prospective follow-up study was performed of a cohort, initially examined in a population survey on cardiovascular risk factors. The survey was conducted from 1975 to 1978 in the Netherlands among 5700 men and women aged 20 to 65. In 1988 a questionnaire on the prevalence of chronic diseases, including diabetes mellitus, was sent to all living participants of the initial survey. The general practitioners of the persons who indicated to have diabetes mellitus were asked to confirm the diagnosis. Diabetes mellitus was defined as current use of oral hypoglycemic drugs or insulin. After exclusion of the prevalent cases at the initial survey, 65 incident confirmed cases remained. All others responding to the questionnaire served as controls. The incidence of diabetes mellitus was associated with body mass index, use of diuretics, systolic and diastolic blood pressure. After adjustment for age and body mass index systolic and diastolic blood pressure were still associated with the incidence of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus in men; relative risks 1.28 (95% confidence interval 1.06-1.54) and 1.40 (95% CI 1.06-1.85) per 10 mmHg respectively. For women, only the relative risk associated with the use of diuretics remained statistically significant (2.26, 95% CI 1.04-4.90). This probably reflects the risk of (treated) hypertension: adjusted for blood pressure, the relative risk lost statistical significance. These findings suggest that elevated blood pressure is a risk for the development of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). This supports the view that NIDDM and hypertension may have a similar origin.

Adult↗

Carotid intima-media wall thickness in elderly women with and without atherosclerosis of the abdominal aorta.

In the present study the association was evaluated between non-invasively assessed atherosclerosis of the abdominal aorta and ultrasonographically measured intima-media wall thickness of the common carotid arteries in a population-based study of 41 elderly women. Atherosclerosis of the abdominal aorta was assessed in 1985 using a lateral X-ray of the lumbar spine, on which the presence of calcified deposits was determined. The carotid arteries were ultrasonographically evaluated in 1990 for presence of atherosclerotic plaques and intima-media wall thickness of the distal common carotid was measured off line using dedicated software. The age-adjusted mean intima-media wall thickness of the right common carotid artery was significantly higher in subjects with calcified deposits in the aorta (n = 16) compared with those without deposits (n = 25) with a mean difference of 0.15 mm (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.03, 0.26). For the left side similar results were observed. Mean common carotid intima-media wall thickness, ((left+right)/2), differed significantly across groups with a mean difference of 0.11 mm (95% CI 0.01, 021). Additional adjustment for differences across groups in body mass index, serum cholesterol, hypertension and smoking did not change the magnitude of the observed association: mean difference of 0.12 mm (95% CI -0.01, 0.25). The findings of the present study provide evidence that among subjects with atherosclerotic plaques in the abdominal aorta, the intima-media wall thickness of the distal common carotid arteries is increased.

Aged↗

Polymorphism of the angiotensin I converting enzyme gene is apparently not related to high blood pressure: Dutch Hypertension and Offspring Study.

OBJECTIVE: Studies in genetically hypertensive rats and their normotensive Wistar-Kyoto control rats have revealed a linkage of a chromosomal region containing the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene with blood pressure. This led to the hypothesis that ACE is a possible candidate gene for primary hypertension in humans. We defined the genotypes and allele frequencies of an insertion-deletion (I/D) polymorphism in parental couples who both had either high or low blood pressure and in their offspring. SUBJECTS: Parents (n = 111) and offspring (n = 75) with defined blood pressure status from the Dutch Hypertension and Offspring Study. METHODS: Genomic DNA was amplified by polymerase chain reaction using primers flanking the polymorphic region in intron 16 of the ACE gene. Alleles were detected on agarose gels stained with ethidium bromide. RESULTS: Allele frequencies for the D-allele were similar in parents with high (0.66) and low blood pressure (0.59) and in their offspring (0.67 and 0.69, respectively). A similar lack of difference was found with respect to the complementary I-allele. CONCLUSIONS: In the present rather large sample we failed to find a significant association between I/D polymorphism of the ACE gene and blood pressure status in subjects with high or low blood pressure and in their offspring.

Adult↗

The importance of thyroid microsomal antibodies in the development of elevated serum TSH in middle-aged women: associations with serum lipids.

OBJECTIVE: We assessed the relative risk of both serum TSH and antithyroid antibody concentrations with regard to progression of thyroid failure and studied the lipid profiles of individuals with elevated TSH levels. DESIGN, PATIENTS AND MEASUREMENTS: In a randomly selected group of 427 women aged 40-60 (mean 55) years volunteering in an epidemiological survey in Zoetermeer, TSH and thyroid microsomal antibodies (TMA) were determined. Ten years after the initial survey only TSH was measured and the lipid profiles of the individuals with elevated serum TSH levels were studied and compared with a reference group. RESULTS: During follow-up, four of 427 women were treated with thyroxine. Seventeen of 423 women initially had elevated serum concentrations of TSH (> 4.2 mU/l), 11 of whom were TMA positive. In the group of 406 women with initially a normal TSH, nine out of 37 (24%) TMA-positive women developed elevated serum levels of TSH over 10 years. In contrast only 10 of 369 (3%) TMA-negative women had elevated serum TSH levels 10 years after the initial survey (P < 0.001). Altogether, at the end of the observation period, 40% of TMA-positive subjects had elevated serum TSH concentrations, compared to 3% in the TMA-negative group (P < 0.01). TSH levels in the upper part of the normal range also appeared to have a predictive value: if those both with TSH levels between 2.0 and 4.2 and with a positive TMA status were contrasted with those without antibodies and low TSH, the crude relative risk was 71.5 (31.0-164.3), whereas the crude relative risk of presence versus absence of TMA was only 36.3 (18.8-70.3). Women with elevated TSH levels did not show changes in serum concentrations of total cholesterol (7.4 +/- 1.1 mmol/l), apo-A, (4.7 +/- 1.0 mmol/l) and apo-B (3.1 +/- 0.7 mmol/l) lipoproteins, compared with control individuals (7.2 +/- 1.3, 4.7 +/- 0.8 and 3.0 +/- 0.7 mmol/l, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The determination of serum TMA in middle-aged women can identify an important group of women at risk of developing an elevated serum TSH. TMA measurement is of potential use in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. An elevated serum TSH, however, in our study-group does not seem to be accompanied by an abnormal lipid profile, as reported by others.

Adult↗

The predictive value of uterine artery flow velocity waveforms in miscarriage in older women.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether uterine artery blood flow velocity measurements can predict miscarriage in older women. DESIGN: Prospective study. SUBJECTS: Three hundred and ninety-three women aged 35 years and older in the first trimester of pregnancy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Miscarriage, genetic abortion, pulsatility index (PI), maternal age, gestational age at intake. RESULTS: Twenty women miscarried; 10 pregnancies were terminated because of chromosomal anomalies. Maternal age and gestational age at intake were significantly associated with miscarriage rate (P = 0.01 and P = 0.001, respectively). Uterine artery PI values declined significantly during the first trimester (P = 0.001). However, no association was found between uterine artery PI values and miscarriage rate. PI, maternal age and gestational age at intake were not essentially different between women who miscarried before or after chorionic villus sampling. No association was found between PI, maternal age, and gestational age at intake and genetic abortion rate. CONCLUSIONS: Uterine artery blood flow velocity waveforms, as expressed by the pulsatility index, bear no relation to miscarriage.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗

Isolated systolic hypertension and vessel wall thickness of the carotid artery. The Rotterdam Elderly Study.

We studied the association between isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) and generalized atherosclerosis as indicated by intima-media wall thickness (IMT) of the distal common carotid artery. The Rotterdam Elderly Study is a single-center study of a cohort of 11,854 elderly persons > or = 55 years old. Baseline measurements included ultrasonic evaluation of plaques and vessel wall thickness of both carotid arteries and extensive measurements of cardiovascular risk factors. Mean IMT and lumen diameter of subjects with ISH (systolic pressure > or = 160 mm Hg and diastolic pressure < 90 mm Hg) among the first 1,000 participants (n = 33) and 66 age- and sex-matched control subjects were compared. None of the subjects were using antihypertensive drug treatment, and all were free of cardiovascular disease. Mean IMT of the right common carotid artery was significantly higher in those with ISH than in normotensive subjects, with a mean difference of 0.07 mm (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.01, 0.14). Results for the left carotid artery were similar (mean difference, 0.06 mm; 95% CI, -0.01, 0.13). The end-diastolic mean lumen diameter was significantly larger in subjects with ISH than in control subjects for both right and left sides, with a mean difference of 0.70 mm (95% CI, 0.38, 1.01) and 0.48 mm (95% CI, 0.17, 0.80), respectively. Adjustment for differences in body mass index, serum lipids, smoking, and fibrinogen did not materially change the findings. Furthermore, atherosclerotic plaques were more frequently observed among those with ISH compared with control subjects, with a mean difference of 12% (95% CI, -1, 25).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗

Hemodynamic characteristics of the early phase of primary hypertension. The Dutch Hypertension and Offspring Study.

BACKGROUND: The hemodynamic characteristics of the early phase of primary hypertension are subject to debate. In particular, it remains unclear whether an increased vascular peripheral resistance or a raised cardiac output is involved as the primary hemodynamic alteration in hypertension. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied hemodynamic characteristics and oxygen consumption in relation to 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure measurements in three groups of normotensive children with a different familial predisposition for hypertension. Selection of participants was based on parental blood pressure levels. Mean 24-hour blood pressure was higher in the offspring of two hypertensive parents compared with the offspring of two normotensive parents; there was a difference of 4.7 mm Hg (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.8-7.6) for systolic blood pressure and a difference of 4.8 mm Hg (CI, 2.3-7.3) for diastolic blood pressure. The 24-hour blood pressure pattern was consistently at a higher level for both systolic and diastolic blood pressures in the offspring of two hypertensive parents compared with the offspring of two normotensive parents. The smallest differences in blood pressure were seen at night, and the largest differences in blood pressure between the groups of offspring were seen during periods of physical activity. Echocardiographic examination combined with registration of oxygen consumption did not show a difference in cardiac index and arteriovenous oxygen difference between the study groups. However, differences in cardiac dimensions were apparent, with an increased left ventricular mass index (8.7 g/m2; CI, 2.4-15.0) in the offspring of two hypertensive parents. CONCLUSIONS: These findings do not support the existence of a hyperkinetic circulatory phase but may indicate the presence of an increased left ventricular mass in early primary hypertension.

Adolescent↗

Cigarette smoking and the development and progression of aortic atherosclerosis. A 9-year population-based follow-up study in women.

BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoking has been recognized as an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease in men and women. Whether the increased risk results from an atherogenic effect of smoking is still debated. We examined the relation between cigarette smoking and atherosclerotic changes in the abdominal aorta. METHODS AND RESULTS: The association between cigarette smoking and atherosclerotic changes in the abdominal aorta was examined in a population-based cohort of 758 women, initially aged 45 to 64 years. All women were examined radiographically for calcified deposits in the abdominal aorta, which have been shown to represent intimal atherosclerosis. After 9 years of follow-up, atherosclerotic changes, indicating development or progression of plaques, could be demonstrated in 37% of women. A direct association was found between atherosclerotic change and number of cigarettes smoked per day. Compared with women who had never smoked, the relative risks of those who smoked 1 to 9, 10 to 19, and 20 or more cigarettes per day were 1.4 (95% confidence interval, 1.0 to 2.0), 2.0 (1.6 to 2.5), and 2.3 (1.8 to 3.0), respectively, after adjustment for age and other cardiovascular risk factors. Associations of atherosclerotic change with inhaling habit and duration of smoking were borderline significant after number of cigarettes smoked per day was taken into account. Among former smokers, the risk decreased with increasing duration of stopping but a significant excess risk was still observed after 5 to 10 years since quitting (relative risk, 1.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.1 to 2.2). CONCLUSIONS: These follow-up data support the evidence for an effect of cigarette smoking on atherosclerosis. The findings suggest that the rate of atherosclerotic change may be reduced by cessation of smoking, but a residual effect appears to be present for at least 10 years.

Aorta, Abdominal↗

Alterations in calcium metabolism in young people at risk for primary hypertension. The Dutch Hypertension and Offspring Study.

Several disturbances in calcium metabolism have been reported in primary hypertensive subjects. It is, however, not clear whether these alterations predate the development of hypertension or occur as a consequence of high blood pressure. We studied indexes of calcium metabolism in three groups of normotensive children with different familial predispositions for hypertension, based on parental blood pressure levels, with two, one, or no hypertensive parents. Plasma intact parathyroid hormone [1-84] was higher in the offspring of hypertensive parents compared with offspring of normotensive parents (difference, 0.58 pmol/L; standard error of the difference [SED], 0.24; p = 0.02). Mean serum calcium levels were slightly reduced in the offspring of two hypertensive parents (-0.019 mmol/L, SED = 0.013, p = 0.17). Plasma magnesium and phosphate levels were lower in the offspring of hypertensive parents (-0.032 mmol/L [SED = 0.016, p = 0.05] and -0.045 mmol/L [SED = 0.024, p = 0.05], respectively). Mean 1.25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 levels were similar among the groups. No differences in dietary intake of calcium, phosphate, or fiber were found. Urinary calcium excretion per 24 hours and the ratio of 24-hour urinary calcium excretion to daily calcium intake were somewhat higher in the offspring of hypertensive parents. Renal fractional excretion of calcium was similar in the offspring of two hypertensive parents, and renal fractional excretion of phosphate was lower in the offspring of two hypertensive parents compared with offspring of two normotensive parents (-1.50%, SED = 0.74, p = 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

Predicting hypertension in childhood: value of blood pressure measurement and family history.

An elevated casual blood pressure (BP) in children and a positive family history for hypertension are risk indicators for adult hypertension. The risk of future hypertension is higher when BP levels in children or their parents are higher. Using multiple BP readings in children and their parents, groups of children can be discriminated with contrasting risks as a basis for studying the early phase of primary hypertension. Yet, as a means of detecting groups of children eligible for intervention, family history and BP level lack sensitivity for adequate selection. Before screening for future hypertension may be initiated successfully in prepubertal children, more should be known about the determinants and etiology of future BP rise.

Blood Pressure↗

A community-based study of dementia: the Rotterdam Elderly Study.

The Rotterdam Elderly Study is designed as a community-based prospective follow-up study. The study population consists of almost 12,000 individuals aged 55 years and over who are living in an urban area in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The objective of the study is to investigate the prevalence, incidence and determinants of neurogeriatric disorders, cardiovascular diseases, locomotor diseases and ophthalmologic diseases. In this paper we give a general outline of the Rotterdam Elderly Study, and a detailed description of the case finding and diagnostic procedures for the study of dementia. The risk factors for dementia that are assessed in the study are summarized.

Aged↗

Cardiovascular determinants of carotid artery disease. The Rotterdam Elderly Study.

The objective of the present study was to assess the prevalence of moderate and severe stenosis of the right carotid artery in the elderly and its associations with smoking, blood pressure, serum lipid levels, and hemostatic factors. The Rotterdam Elderly Study is a recently started single-center prospective follow-up study of a cohort of 11,854 elderly people aged 55 years or more. In 1990, 954 participants of the Rotterdam Elderly Study underwent ultrasonic duplex examination of the right internal carotid artery. A reduction of the lumen diameter of 16-49% was found in 29 people (3.0%). Severe stenosis (50% or more) was observed in 13 people (1.4%). With differences in age, sex, and body mass index taken into account, subjects with moderate-to-severe carotid artery disease had, compared with participants without stenosis, lower mean high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (mean difference, 0.10 mmol/l; 95% confidence interval, 0, 0.20) and higher mean fibrinogen levels (difference, 0.24 g/l; 0.04, 0.45). Among them were more people with hypertension (mean difference, 16%) and more current smokers (mean difference, 13%). Factor VIIc and factor VIIIc activity was higher in subjects with carotid artery disease, without, however, reaching statistical significance (mean difference, 0.06 IU/ml [-0.01, 0.12] and 0.21 IU/ml [-0.05, 0.47], respectively). Our data suggest that hypertension, smoking, and reduced serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, combined with unfavorable increases in hemostatic factors, may be related to carotid artery disease in the elderly.

Aged↗

The risk of spina bifida aperta after first-trimester exposure to valproate in a prenatal cohort.

Use of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of congenital malformations. Spina bifida aperta has been linked specifically to valproic acid (VPA) (estimated risk, 1 to 2%). The actual risk, the exclusive association of VPA with spina bifida and not anencephaly, and the precise causative relation remain matters of discussion. A prospective cohort study of pregnant women with epilepsy receiving AEDs and referred for prenatal diagnosis before week 22 of gestation was conducted, with follow-up to 3 months after birth. Pregnancies (291 singleton and 6 twin) in 261 women were evaluated. The prevalence of anomalies after exposure to any AED was 6.9%. For fetuses exposed to VPA, the prevalence was 9.4%, including six cases of spina bifida, two of which were in monozygotic twins (giving a prevalence rate of 6.3%, or 5.4%, if twins counted as one). Spina bifida was associated with a significantly higher average daily dose of VPA as compared with pregnancies with normal outcome (1.640 +/- 136 mg/d vs 941 +/- 48 mg/d, p = 0.0001). No relation was observed between the occurrence of spina bifida and type of maternal seizure or epilepsy, family history of epilepsy or neural-tube defects, or medical history. From these results we suggest that when the use of VPA during pregnancy cannot be avoided, the teratogenic risk might be diminished by reduction of the daily dose.

Adult↗

Renal hemodynamics and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in normotensive subjects with hypertensive and normotensive parents.

BACKGROUND AND METHODS: The kidney is important in blood-pressure regulation, but its role in the development of essential hypertension is still subject to debate. We compared renal hemodynamics, measured in terms of the clearance of para-aminohippuric acid and inulin, and the characteristics of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in three groups of normotensive subjects at different degrees of risk for hypertension: 41 subjects with two normotensive parents, 52 with one normotensive and one hypertensive parent, and 61 with two hypertensive parents. The subjects ranged in age from 7 to 32 years. RESULTS: The mean renal blood flow was lower in the subjects with two hypertensive parents than in those with two normotensive parents (mean difference [+/- SE], 198 +/- 61 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 of body-surface area; P = 0.002). Moreover, both the filtration fraction and renal vascular resistance were higher in the subjects with two hypertensive parents (filtration fraction: mean difference, 3.0 +/- 1.1 percentage points; P = 0.006; renal vascular resistance: mean difference, 2.7 +/- 0.8 mm Hg per deciliter per minute per 1.73 m2; P = 0.006). The subjects with two hypertensive parents had lower plasma concentrations of renin (mean difference, 3.3 +/- 1.6 mU per liter; P = 0.03) and aldosterone (mean difference, 111 +/- 36 pmol per liter; P = 0.003) than those with two normotensive parents. The differences could not be explained by the small differences in blood pressure between the groups. The values in the subjects with one hypertensive and one normotensive parent fell between those for the other two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Renal vasoconstriction is increased and renin and aldosterone secretion is decreased in young persons at risk for hypertension. These findings support the hypothesis that alterations in renal hemodynamics occur at an early stage in the development of familial hypertension.

Adolescent↗