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Biomedical subjects

L Papoz

Publications and source records attributed to L Papoz.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Differences between polyunsaturated fatty acid status of non-institutionalised elderly women and younger controls: a bioconversion defect can be suspected.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) status in non-institutionalised elderly women and to detect a possible essential fatty acid bioconversion defect. DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: The fatty acid composition of total plasma lipids, plasma triglycerides (TG), cholesterol esters (CE), phospholipids (PL), and erythrocytes was determined by capillary column gas-liquid chromatography in a sample of 200 non-institutionalised healthy elderly women over 75 years of age. The data were compared with those of a control group of 50 young female volunteers aged 20-48 y. RESULTS: In elderly women, the n-6 series precursor, linoleic acid (18:2 n-6), was lower in TG and CE (P = 0.029 and 0.014, respectively). In CE, this fatty acid was highly correlated with vegetable and vegetal fat intakes (P < 0.0001), suggesting a lower dietary supply than in controls. Higher percentages of 16:1 n-7 were found in all the plasma lipid fractions in elderly women, especially in CE (P < 0.0001). The ratios 20:4 n-6/20:3 n-6 and 22:6 n-3/20:5 n-3 were significantly lower in PL from elderly women (P < 0.005 and P < 0.002, respectively), raising the question of the efficiency of the terminal steps of 20:4 n-6 and 22:6 n-3 biosynthesis. Dietary investigations in elderly women indicated that a high dietary protein intake via meat probably contributed to the supply of 20:4 n-6 and thus maintained the status of this fatty acid, despite the suspected altered biosynthesis. CONCLUSION: The PUFA status in the elderly women group could be more fragile and dependent on exogenous supply of long-chain PUFAs than previously suspected.

Adult↗

Analysis of mortality in French diabetic patients from death certificates: a comparative study.

This study was implemented in France to determine the causes of death in diabetic patients, whether diabetes was mentioned or not on the death certificate, and to assess the underestimation of the prevalence of diabetes at death. Two stratified random samples of death certificates were selected in the national mortality data base. The first included certificates mentioning diabetes as a cause of death (cases). The second, included certificates with no mention of diabetes (controls). For each certificate, a record form was sent to the certifying physician to ascertain diabetes in the first group and to trace unrecorded diabetes in the second group. In case of diabetes, the characteristics of the patient and his disease were collected (age at onset, treatment, complications ...). We obtained complete data for 325 cases and 959 controls. Among cases, 1% of the subjects were not confirmed as diabetic, while almost 10% of the controls were identified as having diabetes. The corresponding ratio of the corrected prevalence at death to that provided by the French statistics was estimated to 4.0 in men and 3.1 in women. Particular features are that 2% of the total diabetic decedents died from acute metabolic complications (diabetic or hyperosmolar coma, acidoketosis, or acute hypoglycemia), and that 33% of the unreported diabetic decedents under 45 died from trauma or poisoning. These results show that in France, the death rates published in the statistics for diabetes dramatically underestimate the impact of diabetes. A high risk of death is linked to this disease, particularly in people aged under 45, a problem that health deciders should address.

Adult↗

Smoking and age-related macular degeneration. The POLA Study. Pathologies Oculaires Liées à l'Age.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the associations between age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) and smoking. METHODS: The POLA study is a population-based study taking place in the town of Sète, located on the French Mediterranean Sea border. The presence of early and late ARMD was assessed in 2196 participants on the basis of 50 degrees color fundus photographs using an international classification system. RESULTS: After adjustment for age and sex, current and former smokers showed an increased prevalence of late ARMD (odds ratio [OR] = 3.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.1-12.4; OR = 3.2, 95% CI = 1.3-7.7, respectively). An increased risk was present in participants who smoked more than 20 pack-years (OR = 3.0, 95% CI = 0.9-9.5 for 20-39 pack-years; OR = 5.2, 95% CI = 2.0-13.6 for 40 pack-years and more). In addition, the risk of late ARMD remained increased until 20 years after cessation of smoking (OR = 9.0, 95% CI = 3.0-27.0 for 1-9 years; OR = 4.0, 95% CI = 1.3-12.0 for 10-19 years; OR = 1.3, 95% CI = 0.4-4.3 for 20 years and more). Smoking was not significantly associated with early signs of ARMD. CONCLUSIONS: This study further confirms the adverse effect of tobacco on late ARMD. Former smokers seem to remain at high risk for ARMD.

Aged↗

Clinical classification of diabetes in tropical west Africa.

The objective of this work was to classify and describe the different types of diabetic patients detected in West Africa. In four health centres (three in Ivory Coast, one in Niger) 310 new cases were detected and followed up over 1 year. Classification was based on age at diagnosis, BMI, ketonuria, basal and stimulated C-peptide levels at inclusion, and response to antidiabetic therapy. In this population, males were predominant (sex ratio = 2.40), and random blood glucose levels very high at screening (mean +/- SE, 18.6 +/- 0.4 mmol/l). Only one case of fibrocalculous pancreatic diabetes and one possible case of diabetes mellitus related to malnutrition were detected. IDDM was diagnosed in 11.3% of the patients, half of them above 35 years. Leanness was observed in 59% of the patients with NIDDM. A dramatic decrease of fasting blood glucose was observed in all groups after 2 months of treatment, especially in NIDDM. As IDDM and non-obese NIDDM presented great similarities before treatment, even for C-peptide levels, a point score system is proposed to classify these two groups at baseline. In conclusion, it is confirmed that the form of diabetes previously defined as related to malnutrition is a very rare entity in black African populations. In contrast, African diabetes is characterised by the high proportion of NIDDM patients with low BMI, and reduced beta-cell function, rarely associated to ketonuria. This form of diabetes seems to be adequately controlled with oral hypoglycaemic drugs and/or diet in the year following diagnosis.

Adult↗

Hormonal status and NIDDM in the European and Melanesian populations of New Caledonia: a case-control study. The CALedonia DIAbetes Mellitus (CALDIA) Study Group.

OBJECTIVE: To assess ethnic differences in androgenic status related to non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) in male and female Melanesians and Europeans of New Caledonia. DESIGN: This is a case-control study nested in a prevalence study for diabetes mellitus in the multiracial population of New Caledonia. SUBJECTS: 186 male subjects were included in the survey (77 Melanesians and 16 Europeans in each case and control group). Each case and control group included 104 female Melanesian subjects (69 premenopausal and 35 postmenopausal). METHODS: Diabetic subjects were matched for age, gender, ethnic group and location, with healthy normoglycaemic subjects. Testosterone levels in men and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels in women (measured by radioimmunoassay, RIA) were compared between NIDDM and control subjects in relation to obesity, central adiposity and insulin levels. RESULTS: In both ethnic groups, NIDDM was associated with lower testosterone levels but there was a marked difference among Europeans. Testosterone was negatively associated with the body mass index (BMI) (r= -0.35, P <0.01) and fasting insulin (r= -0.37, P <0.001) in control Melanesians only. In Melanesian women, NIDDM was associated with lower SHBG levels in pre- and postmenopausal women (P <0.001). SHBG mean level was not associated with menopausal status. CONCLUSION: Our results confirm in a Pacific population that NIDDM is associated with low levels of testosterone in men and low levels in SHBG in women. In contrast to white populations, Melanesian women have a more androgenic profile, whatever their menopausal status.

Body Constitution↗

Nutritional status in adults in the pluri-ethnic population of New Caledonia. The CALDIA Study Group.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the nutritional status (body mass index (BMI) and waist-hip ratio (WHR)) of the population of New Caledonia in relation to ethnicity and urban-rural environment. DESIGN: Diabetes screening survey in two rural provinces of New Caledonia and in the suburbs of Noumea. SUBJECTS: 8875 subjects aged 30-59 y, Europeans, Melanesians and Polynesians. MEASUREMENTS: BMI, WHR. RESULTS: Obesity (BMI > or = 27 kg/m2 in men, 25 kg/m2 in women) was highly prevalent in all groups, but varied according to ethnicity: respectively, 43% and 52% in Europeans, 46% and 72% in Melanesians, 72% and 83% in Polynesians. In the urban area, mean WHR values, adjusted for age and BMI, were significantly higher than in rural areas, especially in Melanesians. CONCLUSION: Both ethnicity and urban-rural environment are linked to the amount and distribution of adiposity, which appeared worsened in the urban area in Europeans, and even more in Melanesians.

Adult↗

Association between plasma total testosterone and cardiovascular risk factors in healthy adult men: The Telecom Study.

The associations between androgens and cardiovascular risk factors in men are controversial. A nested case-control study was used to compare the levels of cardiovascular risk factors in two groups (n = 25 each) of healthy men contrasted by their plasma total testosterone (PTT) concentration, matched by age and ethnic origin. Compared to the men with normal PTT (mean +/- SEM, 19.8 +/- 0.7 nmol/L), the men with low PTT (10.1 +/- 0.3 nmol/L) had a significantly higher body mass index (P < 0.01), waist/hip ratio (P < 0.001), systolic blood pressure (P < 0.05), fasting and 2-h plasma glucose (P < 0.04 and P < 0.02 respectively), serum triglycerides (P < 0.001), total cholesterol (P < 0.04), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (P < 0.01), apolipoprotein B (P < 0.01), fasting and 2-h plasma insulin (both P < 0.0001), and lower values of serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol (P < 0.01) and apolipoprotein AI (P < 0.05). After adjustment for both body mass index and waist/hip ratio, fasting and 2-h plasma insulin and triglyceride levels remained significantly different between the two groups (P < 0.04, P < 0.001, and P < 0.03 respectively). Plasma sex hormone-binding globulin was markedly decreased in the low PTT group (P < 0.0001), whereas bioavailable testosterone was not significantly different. This case-control study provides further and stronger evidence of a negative association between PTT and plasma insulin in men, as suggested by cross-sectional studies. Because these are observational data, neither causality nor the direction of the associations among PTT, sex hormone-binding globulin, and insulin sensitivity can be determined. Intervention studies are needed to better assess the metabolic and cardiovascular benefits of androgen treatment that have been suggested by preliminary clinical trials.

Biological Availability↗

Prevalence of diabetes mellitus in New Caledonia: ethnic and urban-rural differences. CALDIA Study Group. CALedonia DIAbetes Mellitus Study.

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus was assessed in the multiracial population of New Caledonia in the South Pacific with the use of a two-step procedure. The first step included 9,390 subjects aged 30-59 years who were visited at home for screening with glucose strips. All subjects who had a fasting capillary blood glucose value > or = 110 mg/dl were invited to come to the health center for a more detailed examination. In non-fasting subjects, a capillary blood glucose value of 140 mg/dl was chosen as the cut-off point for further examination. A 2-hour glucose tolerance test was performed according to World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations on 424 positive screenees as well as in a sample of 517 negative screenees. In all, 219 previously known diabetic subjects were found; among subjects classified as positive at the first step, 277 were detected as new cases or diabetes. After correction to take into account false negative subjects, the age-adjusted prevalence rate of diabetes was estimated to be 8.9% overall; Polynesians (15.3%) were found to be more at risk than Melanesians or Europeans (8.4% in two other groups). A higher prevalence of diabetes was found in Melanesians who lived in the urban area compared with Melanesians who lived in villages. This finding confirms the deleterious effect of western life in this population subject to rapid modernization.

Adult↗

Clinical correlates of advanced retinopathy in type II diabetic patients: implications for screening. The CODIAB-INSERM-Zeneca Pharma Study Group.

The clinical correlates of advanced retinopathy were determined in a sample of 427 type II diabetic outpatients, aged 35 to 74 years, recruited in eight centers from all parts of France. The presence of retinopathy was assessed by fluorescein angiography with centralized interpretation. Advanced retinopathy (proliferative and/or macular edema) was independently linked with nephropathy, peripheral neuropathy, and insulin therapy. Prevalence of advanced retinopathy was 1.6% in the absence of signs of nephropathy and/or peripheral neuropathy, 10.4% in patients with mild signs, and 17.5% in patients with moderate to severe signs. Overall, 87% of the patients with advanced retinopathy had signs of nephropathy and/or peripheral neuropathy. In conclusion, patients showing signs of nephropathy and/or peripheral neuropathy should be sent in priority to an ophthalmologist. Prospective data are necessary to determine if screening is necessary in patients with no signs of nephropathy or peripheral neuropathy.

Adult↗

Case counting in epidemiology: limitations of methods based on multiple data sources.

BACKGROUND: The application of capture-recapture methods in epidemiology has been proposed as an alternative to field surveys. This methodology is important for the future of epidemiology and deserves a critical analysis. METHODS: This paper reviews conditions for applying the capture-recapture models to epidemiological data, taking into account practical considerations, in particular the problem of case definition. RESULTS: The underlying assumptions are particularly restrictive resulting in a theoretical limitation of their applicability. In spite of the statistical developments designed to overcome these difficulties, the practical conditions for using the existing lists are often not fulfilled (availability, confidentiality). The major restriction is on the quality of the data which are often far below the standards required in specific prevalence surveys and which may differ between lists. This may result in a dramatic lack of specificity. The definition of the virtual subgroup of patients missing in all lists as generated by the statistical procedure, is questionable particularly when counting living patients. Field studies would be necessary for validation. CONCLUSIONS: In some particular situations (e.g. deceased patients, rare diseases), this methodology may provide a useful approximation to the number of ill subjects events, but users should be aware of their poor specificity. It can also be useful to complement data from surveillance systems by careful cross-checking with independent sources of information. Currently, this method cannot, in any way, replace direct population prevalence or incidence surveys.

Epidemiologic Methods↗

Visual impairment in type 2 diabetic patients. A multicentre study in France. CODIAB-INSERM-ZENECA Pharma Study Group.

The prevalence and causes of visual impairment have been estimated in a sample of 423 Type 2 diabetic outpatients, aged 35 to 74 years, recruited in 8 centres from all parts of France. The presence of retinopathy was assessed by fluorescein angiography with centralized interpretation. The presence of cataract and glaucoma was also recorded. Prevalence of blindness was 1.2%. Moderate visual impairment affected 7% of the patients. The major cause of blindness was cataract, explaining 38% of the cases of blindness. Retinopathy was associated to blindness in 2 cases out of 26. More than half of the patients with proliferative retinopathy and the third of those who had macular edema had been treated by photocoagulation. According to the present patient material, retinopathy is a minor cause of visual impairment in Type 2 diabetic patients, cataract remaining the major cause. This reflects the introduction of photocoagulation into ophthalmologic practice.

Adult↗

Maternal effect and familial aggregation in NIDDM. The CODIAB Study. CODIAB-INSERM-ZENECA Study Group.

Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is known to have a strong genetic basis, but the mode of inheritance is still unknown. Recent studies have suggested that maternal inheritance is important; this complicates the transmission pattern of NIDDM. In our study, the familial aggregation of diabetes and the maternal effect were investigated through three generations. The CODIAB Study recruited 536 NIDDM patients between 35 and 74 years of age from 10 diabetes centers in France. Familial aggregation was confirmed: among 218 NIDDM patients, 66% had at least one diabetic relative. Mothers were implicated 2 times more frequently than fathers (P < 0.001). This maternal effect was confirmed because more diabetic cases were noted among maternal than paternal aunts and uncles (P < 0.02). When we considered the next generation, women had more diabetic offspring than men (P < 0.01). Other factors susceptible to modify the familial aggregation were considered. The maternal effect was not significantly related to the patients' ages (P > 0.2). The genetic component was more important when the diagnosis was made earlier, but the maternal effect was homogeneous (P > 0.3). In conclusion, we found a familial aggregation of diabetes that suggests a strong genetic component with a mode of inheritance that may be influenced by a maternal environment.

Adult↗

Limitations of the correlation coefficient in the validation of diet assessment methods. CODIAB-INSERM-ZENECA Pharma Study Group.

Dietary assessment methods usually are validated one against the other, using the correlation coefficient between the methods to assess agreement. The correlation coefficient, however, is only an indicator of relative agreement and depends on the range of intakes. As this dependence can lead to misinterpretation, we propose that the standard deviation of the difference between methods should be used as an indicator of absolute agreement and the standard deviation of their average as an indicator of the range of intakes. We illustrate this method in a validation study of a diet history against a 3-day diet record in 58 non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients. A re-analysis of studies from the literature validating food frequency questionnaires against diet records showed that the absolute agreement between methods is very consistent and that the differences in the correlation coefficients are mostly due to the selection of subjects.

Adult↗

Risk factors for early death in non-insulin dependent diabetes and men with known glucose tolerance status.

OBJECTIVE: To identify risk factors for all cause mortality according to glucose tolerance status. DESIGN: Cohort study with an average 15.6 years' follow up. SETTING: Paris, France. SUBJECTS: 7166 working men aged 44-55 in 1968-72 in the Paris prospective study cohort, with non-insulin dependent diabetes or known result of two hour 75 g oral glucose tolerance test. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Risk factors for death from all causes. RESULTS: 128 men were known to be diabetic, 180 had diabetes diagnosed, and 697 had impaired glucose tolerance diagnosed. Compared with normoglycaemic men the relative risks of death in these groups were 2.0 (95% confidence interval 1.4 to 3.0), 2.7 (2.0 to 3.6), and 1.6 (1.3 to 2.0) respectively. Obesity, smoking, high blood pressure, and high non-esterified fatty acid concentration were risk factors for death in all subjects and were unaffected by glucose tolerance. The risks for fasting and two hour insulin concentrations and mean corpuscular volume were two times higher in known diabetic men than in men not known to be diabetic. Central obesity was significant only in men not known to be diabetic (1.6 (1.4 to 1.9)). In known diabetic men a two hour glucose concentration higher than 11.1 mmol/l carried a relative risk of death of 3.8 (1.4 to 9.4). CONCLUSIONS: Diabetic men have similar risk factors for early mortality to other men but are at higher risk from hyperinsulinaemia, hyperglycaemia, and high mean corpuscular volume.

Adult↗

European study of the certification and coding of causes of death of six clinical case histories of diabetic patients. EURODIAB Subarea C Study Group.

This study was designed to investigate the large differences in diabetes mortality rates in Europe. In each of the participating countries (France, Germany, The Netherlands, Northern Ireland-UK, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Scotland-UK, Switzerland) a random sample of certifying physicians was asked to certify the causes of death of six case histories which described the deaths of diabetic patients; the responses from an average of 220 physicians per country were analysed. These registered causes were then coded nationally and the underlying cause was compared with that following a central recoding. Overall 28% of the physicians surveyed recorded diabetes on the death certificate as the underlying cause of death--France was 25% below this overall average and Germany 21% above. The national coding of diabetes as the underlying cause of death differed from the central recoding with a comparative undercoding of almost 40% in Romania, 30% in Northern Ireland and 25% in Switzerland; in contrast, there was an overcoding of diabetes by 80% in The Netherlands and 60% in the Republic of Ireland. After adjusting for central recoding, in part an adjustment for certification habits, the national coding from this simulation study was able to explain 35% of the variation in the diabetes mortality rates. With such differences in the coding of diabetes, the currently published mortality rates for diabetes are not directly comparable between European countries; some suggestions are made for the reduction of the intercountry differences in the collection and analysis of mortality data for diabetes.

Abstracting and Indexing↗