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Morten Grønbaek

Publications and source records attributed to Morten Grønbaek.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

[A prospective study of drinking habits and coronary heart disease in middle-aged Danish men and women - secondary publication].

Individuals with a moderate alcohol intake are at lower risk of heart disease than abstainers. In this study, we examined whether the frequency of alcohol intake plays a role in this association. Among men, we observed a low risk of coronary heart disease among frequent drinkers that was independent of the total weekly intake. Among women, we observed a low risk of coronary heart disease that was independent of the drinking frequency. These sex differences in the association of alcohol with coronary heart disease deserve more research.

English Abstract↗
PubMed2006

Fibrinogen and albumin levels and risk of atrial fibrillation in men and women (the Copenhagen City Heart Study).

Cross-sectional and limited prospective evidence has suggested that inflammatory markers may predict for the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). In a prospective cohort study, we studied the risk of incident AF among 8,870 women and men free of cardiovascular disease enrolled in the Copenhagen City Heart Study. We measured plasma fibrinogen and serum albumin levels at a study visit from 1991 to 1994. We identified 286 subsequent cases of AF during a mean of 7.5 years of follow-up by a validated nationwide registry of all hospitalizations. The fibrinogen levels at baseline were associated with a higher risk of AF, with a multivariate-adjusted hazard ratio for the highest versus lowest quartiles of 1.98 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.94 to 4.17) among men and 2.14 (95% CI 1.15 to 3.96) among women. The albumin levels were inversely associated with the risk of AF among women (hazard ratio 0.47, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.77) but not among men (hazard ratio 1.01, 95% CI 0.56 to 1.84). Additional adjustment for cases of coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, and stroke that occurred during follow-up did not attenuate these associations. In conclusion, higher levels of fibrinogen and lower levels of albumin were prospectively associated with a higher risk of AF, even accounting for their relation with the risk of cardiovascular disease. These findings support the hypothesis that inflammation contributes to the etiology of AF.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Prospective study of alcohol drinking patterns and coronary heart disease in women and men.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between alcohol drinking patterns and risk of coronary heart disease in women and men. DESIGN: Population based cohort study. SETTING: Denmark, 1993-2002. PARTICIPANTS: 28 448 women and 25 052 men aged 50-65 years, who were free of cardiovascular disease at entry to the study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence of coronary heart disease occurring during a median follow-up period of 5.7 years. RESULTS: 749 and 1283 coronary heart disease events occurred among women and men. Women who drank alcohol on at least one day a week had a lower risk of coronary heart disease than women who drank alcohol on less than one day a week. Little difference was found, however, between drinking frequency: one day a week (hazard ratio 0.64, 95% confidence interval 0.51 to 0.81), 2-4 days a week (0.63, 0.52 to 0.77), five or six days a week (0.79, 0.61 to 1.03), and seven days a week (0.65, 0.51 to 0.84). For men an inverse association was found between drinking frequency and risk of coronary heart disease across the entire range of drinking frequencies. The lowest risk was observed among men who drank daily (0.59, 0.48 to 0.71) compared with men who drank alcohol on less than one day a week. CONCLUSIONS: Among women alcohol intake may be the primary determinant of the inverse association between drinking alcohol and risk of coronary heart disease whereas among men, drinking frequency, not alcohol intake, seems more important.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

[Self-reported stress and risk of breast cancer--a secondary publication].

A possible association between stress and risk of breast cancer has been assessed in different study designs with conflicting results. We prospectively followed 6,689 women from the Copenhagen City Heart Study for 18 years for a first-time diagnosis of primary breast cancer. The women were asked about stress intensity and frequency at baseline in 1981-83. Women reporting high levels of stress were at lower risk of breast cancer (hazard ratio = 0.60; 95% CI: 0.37-0.97) than women reporting low levels of stress. This association was most pronounced among women who received hormone therapy.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Food buying habits of people who buy wine or beer: cross sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether people who buy wine buy healthier food items than those who buy beer. DESIGN: Cross sectional study. SETTING: Supermarkets in Denmark. Data Information on number, type of item, and total charge from 3.5 million transactions over a period of six months. RESULTS: Wine buyers bought more olives, fruit and vegetables, poultry, cooking oil, and low fat cheese, milk, and meat than beer buyers. Beer buyers bought more ready cooked dishes, sugar, cold cuts, chips, pork, butter or margarine, sausages, lamb, and soft drinks than wine buyers. CONCLUSIONS: Wine buyers made more purchases of healthy food items than people who buy beer.

Beer↗
PubMed2006

Stress and breast cancer: a systematic update on the current knowledge.

A vast body of research has been carried out to examine the relationship between psychological stress and the risk of breast cancer. Previous reviews on this issue have mainly focused on stressful life events and have included both prospective and retrospective studies. The results from these reviews have revealed conflicting data. We evaluate whether stressful life events, work-related stress, or perceived global stress are differentially associated with breast cancer incidence and breast cancer relapse in prospective studies. Systematic and explicit methods were used to identify, select, and critically appraise relevant studies. The substantial variability in the manner in which stress was conceptualized and measured did not allow for the calculation of a quantitative summary estimate for the association between stress and breast cancer. Despite the heterogeneity in the results obtained, it is concluded that stress does not seem to increase the risk of breast cancer incidence. Whether stress affects the progression of breast cancer is still unclear. Studies with more thorough adjustment for confounding factors and larger studies on stress and breast cancer relapse are required to address this issue.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed2006

Prospective associations between sedentary lifestyle and BMI in midlife.

OBJECTIVE: A strong positive cross-sectional relationship between BMI and a sedentary lifestyle has been consistently observed in numerous studies. However, it has been questioned whether high BMI is a determinant or a consequence of a sedentary lifestyle. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Using data from four follow-ups of the University of North Carolina Alumni Heart Study, we examined the prospective associations between BMI and sedentary lifestyle in a cohort of 4595 middle-aged men and women who had responded to questionnaires at the ages of 41 (standard deviation 2.3), 44 (2.3), 46 (2.0), and 54 (2.0). RESULTS: BMI was consistently related to increased risk of becoming sedentary in both men and women. The odds ratios of becoming sedentary as predicted by BMI were 1.04 (95% confidence limits, 1.00, 1.07) per 1 kg/m(2) from ages 41 to 44, 1.10 (1.07, 1.14) from ages 44 to 46, and 1.12 (1.08, 1.17) from ages 46 to 54. Controlling for concurrent changes in BMI marginally attenuated the effects. Sedentary lifestyle did not predict changes in BMI, except when concurrent changes in physical activity were taken into account (p < 0.001). The findings were not confounded by preceding changes in BMI or physical activity, age, smoking habits, or sex. DISCUSSION: Our findings suggest that a high BMI is a determinant of a sedentary lifestyle but did not provide unambiguous evidence for an effect of sedentary lifestyle on weight gain.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Maternal smoking predicts the risk of spontaneous abortion.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined smoking prior to pregnancy and the occurrence of spontaneous abortion, as most studies have addressed the risk of spontaneous abortion in relation to smoking during pregnancy. However, results are not entirely consistent. The aim of the present study was to assess the risk of spontaneous abortion considering smoking prior to pregnancy. METHODS: We performed a nested case-control study using prospective data from a population-based cohort comprising 11,088 women aged 20-29 years. From this cohort, women who experienced either a spontaneous abortion (n=343) or who gave birth (n=1,578) during follow-up were selected. Associations between self-reported smoking at enrollment and subsequent spontaneous abortion were analyzed by means of multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: The risk of spontaneous abortion in relation to pre-pregnancy smoking showed a clear dose-response effect. The adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for spontaneous abortion among current smokers prior to conception was 1.20 (1.04-1.39) per every extra five cigarettes smoked per day. The increased risk was only present for current smokers. The duration of smoking prior to pregnancy was not a significant predictor for subsequent spontaneous abortion. CONCLUSIONS: The amount of daily smoking prior to pregnancy seems to be associated with an increased risk of spontaneous abortion, whereas the duration of smoking does not seem to be related to an increased risk of spontaneous abortion.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗
PubMed2006

The role of smoking and alcohol intake in the development of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions among high-risk HPV-positive women.

BACKGROUND: Infection with human papillomavirus is considered a necessary factor in developing high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions of the cervix. However, most human papillomavirus positive women do not develop high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions and other factors may be important for this transition. The objective of the present study was to examine if smoking and alcohol intake are associated with the risk of developing high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions in women positive for high-risk human papillomavirus types. METHODS: We used baseline information on exposures on 548 high-risk human papillomavirus positive women with normal cytology, comparing 94 women who developed high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions with 454 women who remained cytologically normal. Logistic regression was applied for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Compared with never smokers, the odds ratio for high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions among current smokers was 1.99 (95% CI: 1.21-3.28). Among current smokers, number of cigarettes, years of smoking, and early age at smoking initiation were associated with increased risk. However, when modeled simultaneously, it seemed that smoking duration and age at smoking initiation were more associated with risk of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions than amount of smoking. Alcohol intake was not associated with risk of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions among these women. CONCLUSION: Smoking is associated with an increased risk of developing high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions in women who are infected with oncogenic human papillomavirus.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Whole grains, bran, and germ in relation to homocysteine and markers of glycemic control, lipids, and inflammation 1.

BACKGROUND: Intake of whole grains is inversely associated with risk of diabetes and ischemic heart disease in observational studies. The lower risk associated with high whole-grain intakes may be mediated through improvements in glycemic control, lipid profiles, or reduced inflammation. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to examine whether the intake of whole grains, bran, and germ is related to homocysteine, plasma markers of glycemic control (fasting insulin, hemoglobin A1c, C-peptide, and leptin), lipids (total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, HDL cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol), and inflammation (C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, and interleukin 6). DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study of the relations of whole grains, bran, and germ intakes with homocysteine and markers of glycemic control, lipids, and inflammation in 938 healthy men and women. RESULTS: Whole-grain intake was inversely associated with homocysteine and markers of glycemic control. Compared with participants in the bottom quintile of whole-grain intake, participants in the highest quintile had 17%, 14%, 14%, and 11% lower concentrations of homocysteine (P < 0.01), insulin (P = 0.12), C-peptide (P = 0.03), and leptin (P = 0.03), respectively. Inverse associations were also observed with total cholesterol (P = 0.02), HDL cholesterol (P = 0.05), and LDL cholesterol (P = 0.10). Whole-grain intake was not associated with the markers of inflammation. Whole-grain intake was most strongly inversely associated with markers of glycemic control in this population. CONCLUSION: The results suggest a lower risk of diabetes and heart disease in persons who consume diets high in whole grains.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Perceived stress and risk of ischemic heart disease: causation or bias?

BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether the commonly recognized link between stress and cardiovascular disease is causal or the result of reporting bias. The objective of this study was to address the association between perceived stress and first incidence of ischemic heart disease and to evaluate the suggested reporting bias by addressing subdiagnoses of ischemic heart disease separately. METHODS: The 11,839 men and women who participated in the Copenhagen City Heart Study were at baseline (1981-1983) asked about their stress level. The participants were followed in nationwide registries until the year 2000, and fewer than 0.1% were lost to follow-up. During follow-up, 2316 individuals were diagnosed with ischemic heart disease. RESULTS: High levels of stress were associated with slightly higher risk of incident ischemic heart disease in both women (hazard ratio = 1.23; 95% confidence interval = 1.01-1.51) and men (1.25; 1.00-1.56). When subdiagnoses of ischemic heart disease were analyzed separately, high stress was associated with markedly higher incidence of angina pectoris for women (1.83; 1.15-2.91) and for men (2.14; 1.32-3.47). There was no association with myocardial infarction for women (0.80; 0.56-1.15) or for men (1.09; 0.79-1.52). All associations attenuated with prolonged follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: It remains uncertain whether perceived stress affects subdiagnoses of ischemic heart disease differently or whether the strong association with angina pectoris was spuriously created by a tendency for stressed individuals to report more cardiovascular symptoms. Future studies on this issue should address subdiagnoses of ischemic heart disease separately and should carefully consider the impact of reporting bias and prolonged follow-up.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Factors influencing the relation between alcohol and cardiovascular disease.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Light-to-moderate alcohol intake is known to have cardioprotective properties in some subsets of the population. This review focuses on factors that modify the relation between alcohol and cardiovascular disease. RECENT FINDINGS: Several large American studies have shown that the J-shaped relation is influenced by age and coronary heart disease risk-factor status since only middle-aged and elderly and those already at risk of developing coronary heart disease seem protected by drinking alcohol. It has also been suggested that only those who have a steady - in contrast to a binge - intake of alcohol have benefits with regard to cardiovascular disease. Prospective studies from the UK, Sweden and Denmark have further suggested that wine drinkers have a lower mortality than beer and spirits drinkers. SUMMARY: The J-shaped relation between alcohol intake and cardiovascular disease seems to be influenced by age, gender, drinking pattern and type of alcohol.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2006

Influence of pretreatment coping strategies on the outcome of outpatient treatment of Danish alcohol abusers.

An important issue regarding treatment for alcohol abuse is the high rate of relapse following treatment. In the research on treatment of alcohol abuse, the concept of coping has been proposed as a relevant factor in the relationship between relapse crises and treatment outcome. The present study investigated the role of pretreatment coping strategies in outcome of outpatient treatment for alcohol abuse. The pretreatment coping strategies of 136 clients receiving outpatient treatment for alcohol abuse were examined as a predictor of drinking pattern after treatment. The pretreatment coping strategies were assessed by the COPE questionnaire. Drinking pattern after treatment was assessed at follow-up one year after treatment was entered. Results indicated that some pretreatment coping strategies are identifiable as adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies, respectively, regarding successful treatment for alcohol abuse. Restraint coping was found predictive of a positive drinking pattern at follow-up while the use of alcohol to cope was found predictive of a negative drinking pattern. Furthermore, the results showed tendencies towards the possibility that some coping strategies co-operated differently with types of treatment methods.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2006

Population-based study of the impact of childcare attendance on hospitalizations for acute respiratory infections.

OBJECTIVES: It is well known that children attending childcare have a higher risk of acute respiratory infections compared with children in home care; however, knowledge is sparse regarding how the excess risk of acute respiratory infection varies with age, time since enrollment, and other factors. METHODS: A national register-based study of 138,821 inpatient admissions to hospital for acute respiratory infection during 3,982,925 person-years of follow-up in Danish children aged 0 to 5 years. Data on child and family characteristics, childcare attendance, and hospitalizations were obtained from Danish registries. The outcome of the study was inpatient admissions to hospital for acute respiratory infection. Incidence rate ratios were estimated using Poisson regression. RESULTS: In children < 1 year of age, the first 6 months of enrollment in the first childcare facility were associated with a 69% higher incidence of hospitalizations for acute respiratory infection compared with children in home care. Similar figures for children aged 1, 2, and > or = 3 years were 47%, 41%, and 8%, respectively. The incidence decreased after the first 6 months, and after > or = 1 year in childcare the incidence was comparable with that of children in home care. Similar patterns were seen after second enrollment. For 0- to 2-year-old children living in households with no additional children < 5 years, the excess incidence during the first 6 months of enrollment was 100% compared with 25% and 9% for children living with 1 and > or = 2 additional children, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The increased risk of acute respiratory infection was most pronounced among 0- to 2-year-old children living with no other children during the first 6 months of enrollment. Our findings may suggest that it would be optimal to postpone enrollment into childcare until after 1 year of age.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2005

Cancer incidence among Danish brewery workers.

Since the foundation of the Danish Brewery Workers' Union (BWU) in 1898, an integrated issue in the labour contract between the BWU and the employers implied that the breweries provided 6 bottles of beer to each brewery worker per day. The objective of our study is to investigate if this presumably high daily consumption of beer is associated with increased risk of cancer, particularly cancer of colon and rectum. The cohort has previously been followed until 1972, but with our study we add further 27 years of follow-up. The cohort comprises all male members of BWU employed for 6 months or longer in a brewery between 1939 and 1963. From the original cohort of 14,313 workers, it was possible to identify 13,051 brewery workers (91.2%). The identified brewery workers were linked to the Danish Cancer Registry for any cancer diagnoses during 1943-1999. The incidence rate of all Danish men was applied to calculate the expected number of cancers, standardised incidence ratios for age and time trend (O/E) were computed. A total of 3,928 cases of cancer were observed compared to 2,835.8 expected (O/E, 1.39; 95%-CI, 1.34-1.43). Significantly elevated risk of cancers was seen for cancer sites such as the buccal cavity, the digestive organs, the respiratory system and the urinary system. Members of the cohort were at a slightly but highly significant increased risk of both colon cancer (O/E, 1.26; 1.11-1.42) and rectum cancer (O/E, 1.31; 1.14-1.49). Our study shows that a high beer consumption is related to increased risk of several specific cancers, which supports that the relationship is of a causal nature.

Beer↗
PubMed2005

Vital exhaustion and risk for cancer: a prospective cohort study on the association between depressive feelings, fatigue, and risk of cancer.

BACKGROUND: Vital exhaustion, defined as feelings of depression and fatigue, has previously been investigated mainly as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The authors investigated the association between depressive feelings and fatigue as covered by the concept of vital exhaustion and the risk for cancer. METHODS: The sample consisted of 8527 persons aged 21-94 who had been examined in 1991-1994 within the Copenhagen City Heart Study. For the analysis, the sample was divided into quartiles on the basis of vital exhaustion scores. Cancer cases were ascertained by linkage to the Danish Cancer Registry. The mean length of follow-up was 8.6 years. Regression analyses for etiology-based groups of cancer sites were conducted on the basis of the Cox proportional hazards model, with adjustment for a number of confounding variables. RESULTS: Cancer was diagnosed in 976 persons (12%) during follow-up. In comparison to those with the lowest scores, persons with the highest vital exhaustion scores had a significantly decreased risk for developing cancer at all sites (hazard ratio [HR], 0.80; 95% confidence interval [CI}, 0.66-0.96), smoking-related cancers (HR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.46-0.90), and virus and immune-related cancers (HR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.26-0.99). No significant change in risk was found for cancers related to alcohol consumption or hormones. CONCLUSIONS: The results did not support the hypothesis that symptoms of fatigue and depression, as ascertained in the vital exhaustion index, increased the risk for cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Alcohol consumption and risk of atrial fibrillation in men and women: the Copenhagen City Heart Study.

BACKGROUND: The relationship of the full range of alcohol consumption with risk of incident atrial fibrillation has been inconsistent in previous, mainly case-control studies. METHODS AND RESULTS: In a prospective cohort study, we studied the association between self-reported alcohol use and incident atrial fibrillation among 16,415 women and men enrolled in the Copenhagen City Heart Study. We ascertained use of beer, wine, and spirits individually at up to 3 study visits with a structured questionnaire. We identified cases of atrial fibrillation by routine study ECGs and a validated nationwide registry of all hospitalizations. A total of 1071 cases occurred during follow-up. Among both women and men, alcohol consumption throughout the moderate range was not associated with risk of atrial fibrillation. However, consumption of 35 or more drinks per week among men was associated with a hazard ratio of 1.45 (95% CI 1.02 to 2.04); few women consumed this amount of alcohol. Approximately 5% of cases of atrial fibrillation among men were attributable to heavy alcohol use. Further adjustment for blood pressure and incident coronary heart disease and congestive heart failure did not attenuate the association (hazard ratio 1.63; 95% CI 1.15 to 2.31). CONCLUSIONS: Heavy alcohol consumption is associated with a higher risk of atrial fibrillation, at least among men. This relationship does not appear to be related to the adverse effects of heavy drinking on coronary heart disease or blood pressure.

Alcohol Drinking↗