PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

L Kohlmeier

Publications and source records attributed to L Kohlmeier.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Pet birds as an independent risk factor for lung cancer: case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that exposure to pet birds increases risk of developing lung cancer. DESIGN: Case-control study. Computerised interviews were used to assess previous exposure to pets and other risk factors for lung cancer. SETTING: Three major hospitals treating respiratory disease in former West Berlin. SUBJECTS: All people newly diagnosed as having primary malignant neoplasm of the trachea, bronchi, or lung who were 65 or younger and control subjects matched for age and sex from the general population of former West Berlin. 279 cases and 635 controls qualified for the study; 239 cases and 429 controls participated. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Odds ratio of developing lung cancer according to whether or not pet birds were kept and the duration of keeping pet birds. RESULTS: In addition to the risk of lung cancer imposed by smoking, passive smoking, and occupational exposure to carcinogens, an increased relative risk of 2.14 (95% confidence interval 1.35 to 3.40) was found among people exposed to pet birds. The adjusted odds ratio for exposures longer than 10 years was 3.19 (1.48 to 8.21). CONCLUSIONS: Avian exposure seems to carry a risk of lung cancer. Until the pathogenesis is understood, long term exposure to pet birds in living areas should be avoided, especially among people at high risk of developing lung cancer.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Using follow-up data to avoid omitted variable bias: an application to cardiovascular epidemiology.

Omitted variable bias is discussed in the context of linear models. It is shown that the effect of omitted variables can be controlled in linear models for metric dependent variables by using data from follow-up studies. Two different models for analysing such data are proposed. In the first model the omitted variables are assumed to be uncorrelated with the explanatory variables in the model and to be constant over time. These assumptions lead to a special structure of the covariance matrix of the errors over time. Efficient estimation of the parameters in the linear model has to take this special covariance matrix of the errors into account by using appropriate generalized least squares or maximum likelihood methods. In the second model the omitted variables are assumed to be time constant. Additionally, they are allowed to be correlated with the explanatory variables, that is these variables are omitted confounders in the usual epidemiological sense. It is shown that even in this case the parameters of the linear model can be estimated consistently with ordinary least squares if a follow-up study is available. The differences between the parameter estimates under the first and the second model may be used to construct a Hausman test for misspecification. The models, the estimation methods and the Hausman test are illustrated by the example that explores the determinants of serum cholesterol in German adoloscents of both sexes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

The relationship between coffee consumption and lipid levels in young and older people in the Heidelberg-Michelstadt-Berlin study.

The relationship between coffee consumption and serum lipid levels was studied in a randomly selected sample of 395 young and 385 elderly adults in the Federal Republic of Germany. Analyses were done separately for men and women and for young and older people. After adjustment for body mass index, activity level, smoking, total energy intake, dietary fat, fish, milk, tea and alcohol consumption and oral contraceptive use a statistically significant increase in total serum- and LDL-cholesterol levels with increased coffee consumption was observed in the group of young men only. In this subgroup a difference of 0.11 mmol.l-1 serum cholesterol and of 0.10 mmol.l-1 LDL cholesterol for each additional cup of coffee consumed daily was calculated. This is one of the few studies that includes elderly people. No significant trend was seen between coffee consumption and serum- or LDL-cholesterol levels in the elderly.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Food patterns and health problems: central Europe.

Central Europe comprises a heterogeneous group of some 120 million persons from 11 countries which differ greatly in food availability and preferences. The region has undergone dramatic changes in food consumption patterns and in the patterns of nutritionally related diseases. The changes in the political situation in central Europe have provided a unique natural experiment which allows the study of the effects of different eating behaviors on health within a genetically homogeneous population and an analysis of the time frame in which effects can be seen at the national level. This is in particular the case for the FRG and the GDR. Epidemics of nutritionally related disease have arisen, including cardiovascular disease, cancers of the colon and breast and obesity. These occur at very different rates in neighboring countries. Furthermore, unknown factors, probably including food-hygienic factors and methods of storage and preparation, have resulted in drastic reductions in the rates of stomach cancers in all countries. These have only recently been detected, as no systematic nutritional surveillance systems are currently in effect in Europe. Due to the chronic nature of the diseases in question, we are noticing too little, too late. Food patterns provide a realistic and sensitive predictor of disease incidence. They are timely enough to detect changes before they are reflected in a diminished health status of the population or specific risk groups. Details on the patterns of intake and secular trends, as far as they are available for individual countries, reveal that eating behavior is quite labile and subject to dramatic changes within decades. The current information status does not allow a closer examination of specific population groups, such as the behavior of children or the elderly, the intakes of pregnant or breast-feeding women, or the eating behavior of men at high risk of heart disease. The foundations of a European nutrition surveillance system need to be laid, to make possible the timely detection of high-risk-related changes in food consumption, unfavorable trends and early signs of nutritionally related epidemics. The regular, standardized assessment of eating patterns will be an important building stone in such a system.

Europe↗
PubMed1991

[Nutrition-related diseases of adults].

According to a German play of words, man, in part, is, what he eats. Balanced nutrition is essential for health and well being; faulty nutrition may cause disease. World-wide, under-nutrition appears to be the most important nutritional problem and may exist in selected groups such as young women and geriatric patients, in Germany as well. Here, however, the most important diet related health problems result from overconsumption of energy or nutrients such as fat, cholesterol, salt and alcohol.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1990

Consequences of current lipid guidelines for the Federal Republic of Germany.

According to the results of the first nationally representative population study in the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) conducted in 1984-1986, a vast majority of the population have elevated cholesterol levels and undesirable low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. This problem increases with age in two dimensions, more individuals become hyperlipemic and those who were hyperlipemic develop more extreme pathologic values. Preliminary analyses suggest that the national profile in the FRG is worse than that of the USA. Based on the current recommendations of the national cholesterol education program of the USA, 23 million adults in the FRG should be receiving dietary advice for elevated lipid levels and 18 million persons should be in regular treatment programs. Consequently, implementation of such a national strategy and program would require the assembly and training of an adequate professional body of physicians and support staff in the diagnosis and treatment of hyperlipidemias.

Adult↗