PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Kim Overvad

Publications and source records attributed to Kim Overvad.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed2004

Dietary fat and risk of coronary heart disease: possible effect modification by gender and age.

In a 16-year follow-up study (ending in 1998) of 3,686 Danish men and women aged 30-71 years at recruitment, the association between energy intake from dietary fat and the risk of coronary heart disease was evaluated while assessing the possible modifying role of gender and age. In the models used, total energy and protein intake were fixed. Differences in intake of energy from fat thus reflected complementary differences in intake of energy from carbohydrates. A 5% higher level of energy from saturated fat intake was associated with a 36% greater risk of coronary heart disease among women (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.36, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.98, 1.88). No overall association between saturated fat and coronary heart disease was found among men. However, age-dependent analyses showed that saturated fat was positively associated with coronary heart disease among the younger men (HR = 1.29, 95% CI: 0.87, 1.91) and the younger women (HR = 2.68, 95% CI: 1.40, 5.12) but not among the older men (HR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.70, 1.28) and the older women (HR = 1.22, 95% CI: 0.86, 1.71). Polyunsaturated fat was inversely associated with coronary heart disease among women and men, although not significantly. In conclusion, the present study suggests that coronary heart disease risk relates to both the quantity and the quality of dietary fats.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Glutathione S-transferase T1 null-genotype is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer.

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are involved in detoxification of carcinogens, e.g., from tobacco smoke. Therefore, polymorphisms in the GST genes have been considered as potential modifiers of individual cancer risk. In a population-based case-cohort study where cases and the subcohort sample were matched on duration of smoking, we investigated the occurrence of lung cancer and histological subtypes of lung cancer in relation to deletion polymorphism in both GSTM1 and GSTT1, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in GSTP1 (Ile105Val and Ala114Val) and a 3 base pair deletion polymorphism in GSTM3. We further investigated the effects of the GST polymorphisms on lung cancer risk within subgroups of subjects defined by gender and age. The results showed a 2.4-fold (CI = 1.31-4.41) increased risk of lung cancer in GSTT1 null-genotype carriers but no significant effects of the polymorphisms in GSTM1, GSTM3, GSTP1-105 or GSTP1-114. The association was strongest in lower age groups, with a 9.6-fold increase in risk for subjects with the GSTT1 null-genotype in the 50-55 years age interval (CI = 3.03-30.59). Positive associations were found for GSTT1 within all major histological subtypes. Squamous cell carcinoma was the histological type most strongly associated with the GSTT1 genotype, with a 5.0-fold (CI = 2.26-11.18) increase in risk for subjects carrying the GSTT1 null-genotype. The effects of the GSTT1 null-genotype seemed stronger in the presence of the GSTM1 null-genotype or the GSTP1-105 variant allele. These results suggest that the GSTT1 null-genotype is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer, especially in younger individuals.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Hormone replacement therapy in relation to breast carcinoma incidence rate ratios: a prospective Danish cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The goal of the current study was to investigate the relation between hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and breast carcinoma in a prospective study cohort. Particular attention was paid to the type of HRT used and to the association of HRT type with estrogen receptor status and tumor histology. METHODS: Between 1993 and 1997, a total of 29,875 women were enrolled in the Danish Cancer Society's prospective "Diet, Cancer and Health" study. Among 23,618 women who were assumed to be postmenopausal and for whom information on HRT use was available, we identified 423 cases of breast carcinoma over a median follow-up period of 4.8 years. Statistical analyses were based on the Cox proportional hazards model, with age serving as the time parameter. RESULTS: The breast carcinoma incidence rate ratio (IRR) was 2.22 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.80-2.75) for users of HRT at baseline compared with women who never received HRT. Among HRT users (relative to nonusers), the IRR for estrogen receptor-positive tumors (2.38; 95% CI, 1.84-3.06) was greater than the IRR for estrogen receptor-negative tumors (1.56; 95% CI, 1.00-2.43). HRT use at baseline also was analyzed in relation to the incidence of lobular carcinoma and the incidence of ductal carcinoma; the adjusted IRR associated with HRT use was 3.53 (95% CI, 1.94-6.41) for lobular carcinoma and 2.10 (95% CI, 1.64-2.70) for ductal carcinoma. The likelihood of developing estrogen receptor-positive breast carcinoma was found to depend significantly on the type of HRT regimen used (P = 0.03), with women receiving continuous therapy having the greatest probability of developing estrogen receptor-positive disease. CONCLUSIONS: An increased breast carcinoma IRR was found to be associated with current HRT use. In addition, relative to other types of HRT regimens, continuous estrogen + progestin regimens were found to be associated with an increased risk of breast carcinoma, and particularly estrogen receptor-positive breast carcinoma.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed2004

Two regions in chromosome 19q13.2-3 are associated with risk of lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the most common fatal cancer among Danish men, and the incidence rate is increasing among women. In a case-cohort study, we have investigated the occurrence of lung cancer in relation to a high-risk haplotype, previously identified for breast cancer among post-menopausal women, and in relation to the closely linked polymorphisms XPD Asp312Asn and Lys751Gln. Among 54220 members of a Danish prospective cohort study aged 50-64 at entry, 265 lung cancer cases were identified and a sub-cohort comprising 272 individuals was used for comparison. Among women in the 50-55 year age interval, homozygous carriers of the high-risk haplotype were at increased risk of lung cancer (RR=7.02, 95% CI=1.88-26.18). In the 56-60 year and 61-70 year age intervals, no associations were observed. Among men, no statistically significant associations were found in any age interval. Female homozygous carriers of the variant allele of XPD Lys751Gln were at significantly increased risk of lung cancer in the two younger age-intervals (50-55 years: RR=5.60, 95% CI=1.18-26.45, 56-60 years: RR=10.60, 95% CI=1.50-75.64). Among men, carriers of the variant allele of XPD Lys751Gln had a non-significantly increased risk of lung cancer in the youngest age interval (RR=6.38, 95% CI=0.74-54.90). When the polymorphisms in XPD Asp312Asn and Lys751Gln were mutually adjusted, XPD Asp312Asn was not associated with increased risk of cancer. We found no interaction between genotypes and duration of smoking. In conclusion, two regions of chromosome 19q13.2-3 seem to be associated with risk of lung cancer.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Fruits and vegetables and lung cancer: Findings from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition.

Intake of fruits and vegetables is thought to protect against the development of lung cancer. However, some recent cohort and case-control studies have shown no protective effect. We have assessed the relation between fruit and vegetable intake and lung cancer incidence in the large prospective investigation on diet and cancer, the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). We studied data from 478,021 individuals that took part in the EPIC study, who were recruited from 10 European countries and who completed a dietary questionnaire during 1992-1998. Follow-up was to December 1998 or 1999, but for some centres with active follow-up to June 2002. During follow-up, 1,074 participants were reported to have developed lung cancer, of whom 860 were eligible for our analysis. We used the Cox proportional hazard model to determine the effect of fruit and vegetable intake on the incidence of lung cancer. We paid particular attention to adjustment for smoking. Relative risk estimates were obtained using fruit and vegetable intake categorised by sex-specific, cohort-wide quintiles. After adjustment for age, smoking, height, weight and gender, there was a significant inverse association between fruit consumption and lung cancer risk: the hazard ratio for the highest quintile of consumption relative to the lowest being 0.60 (95% Confidence Interval 0.46-0.78), p for trend 0.0099. The association was strongest in the Northern Europe centres, and among current smokers at baseline, and was strengthened when the 293 lung cancers diagnosed in the first 2 years of follow-up were excluded from the analysis. There was no association between vegetable consumption or vegetable subtypes and lung cancer risk. The findings from this analysis can be regarded as re-enforcing recommendations with regard to enhanced fruit consumption for populations. However, the effect is likely to be small compared to smoking cessation.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Fruits and vegetables and prostate cancer: no association among 1104 cases in a prospective study of 130544 men in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC).

We examined the association between self-reported consumption of fruits and vegetables and prostate cancer risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Data on food consumption and complete follow-up for cancer incidence were available for 130544 men in 7 countries recruited into EPIC between 1993 and 1999. After an average of 4.8 years of follow-up, there were 1104 incident cases of prostate cancer. The associations of consumption of total fruits, total vegetables, cruciferous vegetables and combined total fruits and vegetables with prostate cancer risk were examined using Cox regression, stratified for recruitment center and adjusted for height, weight and energy intake. There was a wide range in consumption of fruits and vegetables: mean intakes (g/day) in the bottom and top fifths of the distribution, as estimated from 24-hr recalls in a subsample of participants, were 53.2 and 410.7 for fruits, 97.1 and 242.1 for vegetables and 169.0 and 633.7 for fruits and vegetables combined. No significant associations between fruit and vegetable consumption and prostate cancer risk were observed. Relative risks (95% confidence intervals) in the top fifth of the distribution of consumption, compared to the bottom fifth, were 1.06 (0.84-1.34) for total fruits, 1.00 (0.81-1.22) for total vegetables and 1.00 (0.79-1.26) for total fruits and vegetables combined; intake of cruciferous vegetables was not associated with risk. These results suggest that total consumption of fruits and vegetables is not associated with the risk for prostate cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Does insufficient adjustment for smoking explain the preventive effects of fruit and vegetables on lung cancer?

Recent reports have raised the question, whether the previously observed protective effects of high intake of fruit and vegetables on the risk of lung cancer were due to insufficient adjustment for smoking leading to residual confounding. Association of intake of fruit and vegetables on lung cancer risk was examined, using the Danish prospective cohort study, "Diet, Cancer and Health". Participants completed a food-frequency and lifestyle questionnaire, and age-standardized incidence rates and rate ratios were estimated for quartiles of dietary exposure. In 1993-2001, 247 out of the 54158 participants were diagnosed with lung cancer. The incidence rate of lung cancer was highest in the lowest quartile of intake of plant food (fruit, vegetables, legumes and potatoes) and the age-standardized rate ratio of lung cancer decreased significantly with increasing intake of plant food to 0.35 (95% CI, 0.27-0.45) but after control for smoking it was attenuated to 0.65 (95% CI, 0.45-0.93). The incidence rate differences of current smokers with high (> or = 400 g per day) and low (< 400 g per day) daily intake of plant food were independent of smoking intensity; assuming a true biological protective effect, 80-90 lung cancer cases per 100000 current smokers could be prevented in our cohort if all smokers had a high intake of plant food. The observed inverse association between high intakes of plant food seems chiefly to be a real protective effect, and not solely due to residual confounding.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

No association between base excision repair gene polymorphisms and risk of lung cancer.

In a nested case-cohort study, we have investigated the occurrence of lung cancer in relation to polymorphisms in base excision repair genes XRCC1 and OGG1. Among 54,220 members of a Danish prospective cohort study, aged 50-65 years at entry, 265 lung cancer cases were identified and a subcohort comprising 272 individuals was used for comparison. No associations were found between the polymorphisms OGG1 Ser326Cys, XRCC1 Arg280His, and XRCCI Arg399Gln and risk of lung cancer. This is the first study of polymorphisms in base excision repair genes in relation to lung cancer among Danes.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Body fat and fat-free mass and all-cause mortality.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the association between BMI and all-cause mortality could be disentangled into opposite effects of body fat and fat-free mass (FFM). RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: All-cause mortality was studied in the Danish follow-up study "Diet, Cancer and Health" with 27,178 men and 29,875 women 50 to 64 years old recruited from 1993 to 1997. By the end of year 2001, the median follow-up was 5.8 years, and 1851 had died. Body composition was assessed by bioelectrical impedance. Cox regression models were used to estimate the relationships among body fat mass index (body fat mass divided by height squared), FFM index (FFM divided by height squared), and mortality. All analyses were adjusted for smoking habits. RESULTS: Men and women showed similar associations. J-shaped associations were found between body fat mass index and mortality adjusted for FFM and smoking. The mortality rate ratios in the upper part of body fat mass were 1.12 per kg/m2 (95% confidence interval: 1.07, 1.18) in men and 1.06 per kg/m2 (95% confidence interval: 1.02, 1.10) in women. Reversed J-shaped associations were found between FFM index and mortality with a tendency to level off for high values of FFM. DISCUSSION: Our findings suggest that BMI represents joint but opposite associations of body fat and FFM with mortality. Both high body fat and low FFM are independent predictors of all-cause mortality.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed2004

Plasma levels of six carotenoids in nine European countries: report from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC).

BACKGROUND: In addition to their possible direct biological effects, plasma carotenoids can be used as biochemical markers of fruit and vegetable consumption for identifying diet-disease associations in epidemiological studies. Few studies have compared levels of these carotenoids between countries in Europe. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to assess the variability of plasma carotenoid levels within the cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). METHODS: Plasma levels of six carotenoids--alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin--were measured cross-sectionally in 3043 study subjects from 16 regions in nine European countries. We investigated the relative influence of gender, season, age, body mass index (BMI), alcohol intake and smoking status on plasma levels of the carotenoids. RESULTS: Mean plasma level of the sum of the six carotenoids varied twofold between regions (1.35 micromol l(-1) for men in Malmö, Sweden vs. 2.79 micromol l(-1) for men in Ragusa/Naples, Italy; 1.61 micromol l(-1) for women in The Netherlands vs. 3.52 micromol l(-1) in Ragusa/Naples, Italy). Mean levels of individual carotenoids varied up to fourfold (alpha-carotene: 0.06 micromol l(-1) for men in Murcia, Spain vs. 0.25 micromol l(-1) for vegetarian men living in the UK). In multivariate regression analyses, region was the most important predictor of total plasma carotenoid level (partial R(2)=27.3%), followed by BMI (partial R(2)=5.2%), gender (partial R(2)=2.7%) and smoking status (partial R(2)=2.8%). Females had higher total carotenoid levels than males across Europe. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma levels of carotenoids vary substantially between 16 different regions in Italy, Greece, Spain, France, Germany, the UK, Sweden, Denmark and The Netherlands. Compared with region of residence, the other demographic and lifestyle factors and laboratory measurements have limited predictive value for plasma carotenoid levels in Europe.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed2004

Lifetime alcohol consumption and postmenopausal breast cancer rate in Denmark: a prospective cohort study.

Alcohol intake may be one of the few modifiable risk factors for breast cancer. In a prospective cohort of 29,875 women with 423 cases of breast cancer during 1993-2000, we examined the relationship between postmenopausal breast cancer incidence rate and alcohol consumption in different life periods. When alcohol intake during four age ranges, twenties, thirties, forties and fifties was evaluated, only the intake in the fifties increased the risk of breast cancer [rate ratio (RR)=1.12 (95% CI: 1.05-1.19)] per 10 g/d increase in alcohol intake. After adjustment for intake at study entry, this association was no longer present [RR=1.01 (95% CI: 0.91-1.13)]. The cumulative lifetime alcohol intake, adjusted for recent intake, showed no association with postmenopausal breast cancer risk. Recent alcohol intake, adjusted for the alcohol intake in the other life time periods, showed a significant association of RR=1.09 (95% CI: 1.00-1.18) per 10 g/d. There was no indication of a higher risk among women with early drinking start, nor did women who started to drink before their first birth have a higher risk than women who started to drink later in life. Our results suggest that baseline intake of alcohol is a more important determinant of postmenopausal breast cancer risk than earlier lifetime exposure.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Intake of whole grains and vegetables determines the plasma enterolactone concentration of Danish women.

The mammalian lignan enterolactone (ENL), which is produced from dietary plant-lignan precursors by the intestinal microflora, may protect against breast cancer and other hormone-dependent cancers. This cross-sectional study examined which variables related to diet and lifestyle were associated with high plasma concentrations of ENL in Danish postmenopausal women. Plasma ENL was measured by time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay in 857 Danish women aged 50-64 y who participated in a prospective cohort study. Diet was assessed using a semiquantitative FFQ, and background information on lifestyle was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Multiple analyses of covariance were completed in two steps. The median plasma ENL concentration was 27 nmol/L (range 0-455 nmol/L). In covariance analyses, positive associations were found between consumption of cereals, vegetables, and beverages and plasma ENL concentration. When analyzing subgroups of these food groups, the associations were confined to whole-grain products, cabbage, leafy vegetables, and coffee. For fat and the nondietary variables, negative associations between BMI, smoking, and frequency of bowel movements and plasma ENL concentration were observed. These data show that foods high in ENL precursors are associated with high concentrations of ENL. Furthermore, smoking, frequent bowel movements, and consumption of fat seems to have a negative affect on the ENL concentration. In conclusion, whole grains and vegetables are the most important dietary providers of plant lignans for the concentration of ENL in Danish postmenopausal women, and if ENL is found to protect against cancer or heart disease, the intake of whole grains and vegetables should be increased.

4-Butyrolactone↗
PubMed2004

Drinking pattern and mortality in middle-aged men and women.

AIMS: To address the prospective association between alcohol drinking pattern and all-cause mortality. DESIGN: Population-based cohort study conducted between 1993 and 2003. SETTING: Denmark. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 26 909 men and 29 626 women aged 55-65 years. MEASUREMENTS: We obtained risk estimates for all-cause mortality for different levels of quantity and frequency of alcohol intake adjusted for life-style factors, including diet. FINDINGS: During follow-up, 1528 men and 915 women died. For the same average consumption of alcohol, a non-frequent intake implied a higher risk of death than a frequent one. CONCLUSIONS: Drinking pattern and not just the total amount of alcohol consumed is important for the association between alcohol intake and mortality. These results suggest that future public guidelines concerning sensible alcohol drinking should include messages about drinking pattern together with quantity of alcohol.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Serum insulin-like growth factors, insulin-like growth factor binding proteins, and breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown a positive association between serum insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I and breast cancer risk in premenopausal but not postmenopausal women. IGF-II and estrogen receptor (ER) status has never been investigated. We examined the association between IGF-I, IGF-II, IGF binding protein (IGFBP)-2, IGFBP-3, and IGFBP-3 protease activity and breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women, taking ER status of the breast cancer into consideration. METHODS: We conducted this case-cohort study within a Danish follow-up study based on 24,697 postmenopausal women. We identified 411 cases with breast cancer and a matched control group including 397 cohort members. We estimated breast cancer risk using Cox regression analysis with adjustment for known breast cancer risk factors. RESULTS: We observed no association for IGF-I but a positive association between levels of IGFBP-3 and breast cancer risk. Per 500 units higher levels of IGFBP-3, an incidence rate ratio [IRR; 95% confidence interval (95% CI)] of 1.14 (1.00-1.30) was estimated. For ER-positive breast cancer, the IRR (95% CI) was 1.18 (1.05-1.33). IGFBP-3 protease activity was not associated with breast cancer risk. Per 275 units higher levels of IGF-II, an IRR (95% CI) of 1.35 (1.10-1.66) was observed for ER-positive tumors, whereas IGFBP-2 was not associated with breast cancer risk. Adjustment for potential confounders did not change the risk estimate. There was no association between IGF-I, IGF-II, IGFBP-2, or IGFBP-3 and risk of ER-negative breast cancer. CONCLUSION: Serum IGFBP-3 and IGF-II levels were positively associated with ER-positive breast cancer risk. This may suggest an important relationship among IGFs, IGFBPs, the ER system, and breast cancer development in postmenopausal women.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed2004

Plasma enterolactone and breast cancer incidence by estrogen receptor status.

The phytoestrogen enterolactone has been hypothesized to prevent breast cancer. Because one of the biological effects of enterolactone is probably estrogenic, it is possible that the preventive effect on breast cancer differs with the estrogen receptor (ER) alpha status of the tumor. The objective of this study was to investigate whether high plasma levels of enterolactone are associated with breast cancer risk and whether the ERalpha status of the tumor influences this relation. The cohort study Diet, Cancer and Health included 29,785 women, ages 50 to 64 years, between 1993 and 1997. Information about diet and life-style factors was obtained by questionnaire, and blood was drawn from each participant. We matched 381 postmenopausal breast cancer cases to 381 controls and analyzed the concentration of enterolactone in plasma with a time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay. Associations between plasma concentrations of enterolactone and breast cancer were analyzed by logistic regression. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) for all breast cancer was 0.93 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.86-1.01] per 20 nmol/L higher plasma concentration of enterolactone. For ERalpha-positive cancers (n=273) only a weak association was seen (IRR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.88-1.06), whereas for ERalpha-negative cancers (n = 80; IRR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.53-0.94) a protective effect was seen per 20 nmol/L higher plasma enterolactone. In accordance with earlier research, we found a tendency toward a lower risk for breast cancer with higher concentrations of enterolactone, which was restricted almost entirely to ERalpha-negative breast cancer.

4-Butyrolactone↗