Biomedical subjects

Niklas Hammar

Publications and source records attributed to Niklas Hammar.

24 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed2003

Alcohol consumption and the incidence of type 2 diabetes: a 20-year follow-up of the Finnish twin cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate alcohol consumption in relation to the incidence of type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The study population consisted of 22778 twins of the Finnish Twin Cohort. This cohort was compiled in 1975 and includes all same-sexed twins born in Finland before 1958. Information on alcohol, smoking, diet, physical activity, medical, and social conditions was obtained by questionnaires administered in 1975, 1981, and 1990. By record linkage to national registers of hospital discharge and prescribed medication, 580 incident cases of type 2 diabetes were identified during 20 years of follow-up. RESULTS: Moderate alcohol consumption (5-29.9 g/day in men and 5-19.9 g/day in women) tended to be associated with a reduced incidence of type 2 diabetes compared with low consumption (<5 g/day). The estimates were lower in overweight (BMI >or=25.0 kg/m(2)) subjects (relative risk 0.7, 95% CI 0.5-1.0 [men]; 0.6, 0.3-1.1 [women]). High alcohol consumption (>or=20 g/day) was associated with an increased incidence of type 2 diabetes in lean women (2.9, 1.1-7.5) but not in overweight women or in men. In women, binge drinking was associated with an increased incidence of type 2 diabetes (2.1, 1.0-4.4). Analyses of alcohol-discordant twin pairs supported a reduced risk in moderate consuming twins compared with their low-consuming cotwins (odds ratio 0.5, 95% CI 0.2-1.5). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggested that moderate alcohol consumption may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. On the other hand, binge drinking and high alcohol consumption may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes in women.

Alcohol Drinking↗

PubMed2003

Cancer incidence among 10,211 airline pilots: a Nordic study.

BACKGROUND: Commercial airline pilots are exposed to cosmic radiation and other potentially carcinogenic elements during work and leisure activities. HYPOTHESIS: Work-related factors affect cancer pattern of the pilots. METHODS: A cohort of 10,051 male and 160 female airline pilots from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden was followed for cancer incidence through the national cancer registries. There were 177,000 person-years at follow-up, 51,000 of them accumulated after 20 yr since the time of first employment. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were defined as ratios of observed over expected numbers of cases based on national cancer incidence rates. Dose-response analyses were done with Poisson regression method. RESULTS: Among male pilots, there were 466 cases of cancer diagnosed vs. 456 expected. The only significantly increased SIRs concerned skin cancer: melanoma 2.3 (95% CI 1.7-3.0), squamous cell cancer 2.1 (1.7-2.8), and basal cell carcinoma 2.5 (1.9-3.2). The relative risk of skin cancers increased with the time since first employment, the number of flight hours, and the estimated radiation dose. There was an increase in the relative risk of prostate cancer with increasing number of flight hours in long-distance aircraft (p trend 0.01). No increased incidence was found for acute myeloid leukemia or brain cancer which were of interest a priori based on earlier studies. CONCLUSIONS: This large study, based on reliable cancer incidence data, showed an increased incidence of skin cancer. It did not indicate a marked increase in cancer risk attributable to cosmic radiation although some influence of cosmic radiation on skin cancer cannot be entirely excluded.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Incidence of cancer among Nordic airline pilots over five decades: occupational cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the incidence of cancer among male airline pilots in the Nordic countries, with special reference to risk related to cosmic radiation. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study, with follow up of cancer incidence through the national cancer registries. SETTING: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. PARTICIPANTS: 10 032 male airline pilots, with an average follow up of 17 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Standardised incidence ratios, with expected numbers based on national cancer incidence rates; dose-response analysis using Poisson regression. RESULTS: 466 cases of cancer were diagnosed compared with 456 expected. The only significantly increased standardised incidence ratios were for skin cancer: melanoma 2.3 (95% confidence interval 1.7 to 3.0), non-melanoma 2.1 (1.7 to 2.8), basal cell carcinoma 2.5 (1.9 to 3.2). The relative risk of skin cancers increased with the estimated radiation dose. The relative risk of prostate cancer increased with increasing number of flight hours in long distance aircraft. CONCLUSIONS: This study does not indicate a marked increase in cancer risk attributable to cosmic radiation, although some influence of cosmic radiation on skin cancer cannot be entirely excluded. The suggestion of an association between number of long distance flights (possibly related to circadian hormonal disturbances) and prostate cancer needs to be confirmed.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Job strain and major risk factors for coronary heart disease among employed males and females in a Swedish study on work, lipids and fibrinogen.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship of job strain (high psychological job demands and low decision latitude) to hypertension, serum lipids, and plasmafibrinogen. METHODS: The study population consisted of employed persons between the ages of 15 and 64 years in the counties of Stockholm, Västernorrland, and Jämtland, Sweden. The data collection was carried out during 1992-1998. A total of 10,382 subjects participated in a medical examination and completed a questionnaire. RESULTS: No strong associations were found between job strain and plasma fibrinogen. The males reporting job strain had lower levels of total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol than the other males. Similar tendencies were found for the females. The females, but not the males, with job strain had an increased prevalence of hypertension when compared with the subjects with relaxed psychosocial work characteristics. In the subgroups of younger males and females an adverse association between job strain and the ratio between low-density and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was noted. CONCLUSIONS: The results do not support the hypothesis that job strain has an adverse impact on serum total cholesterol and plasma fibrinogen levels. They suggest that an increased risk of coronary heart disease in association with job strain, if causal, is mediated by other factors, possibly partly by hypertension and low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Cancer incidence in airline and military pilots in Sweden 1961-1996.

BACKGROUND: Aircraft pilots are exposed to several agents that may be associated with an increased risk of cancer. Previous studies regarding cancer incidence and mortality in aircraft pilots have not shown a consistent pattern. The aim of this study was to describe the cancer incidence in male Swedish airline and military pilots considering flight hours and aircraft type. HYPOTHESIS: Aircraft pilots have an increased risk of certain types of cancer. METHODS: Male aircraft pilots with the Swedish Scandinavian Airline System (SAS) (n = 1,490) and military pilots and navigators in the Swedish Air Force (n = 2,808) employed during 1957-1994 were studied regarding cancer incidence during 1961-1996 using the Swedish National Cancer Register. The cancer incidence was compared with that of the general male Swedish population. RESULTS: The standardized incidence ratio (SIR) for cancer overall was 1.00 (95% CI 0.80-1.22) for airline pilots, 0.97 (95% CI 0.83-1.10) for military pilots and 0.98 (95% CI 0.87-1.09) for all pilots. Airline pilots had an increased incidence of malignant melanoma of the skin (SIR 2.54) and military pilots of other skin cancer (SIR 2.10). For airline pilots with > 10,000 block hours or high-altitude long-distance duty results were similar concerning cancer overall and skin cancers. CONCLUSIONS: Swedish pilots had an overall cancer incidence similar to the male general population. An increased incidence of malignant melanoma in airline pilots and of other skin cancer in military pilots could be associated with exposure to UV radiation either at work or outside work.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Increased carotid intima-media thickness in men born in east Finland: a twin study of the effects of birthplace and migration to Sweden on subclinical atherosclerosis.

BACKGROUND: There is a clear east-west difference in coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality and incidence in Finland, people living in east Finland having higher CHD rate. A study of Finnish immigrants to Sweden has suggested that a long stay in Sweden would be associated with reduced CHD risk. AIM: To determine whether structural and functional markers of subclinical atherosclerosis differ between men originating from east and west Finland, and whether migration to Sweden influences subclinical atherosclerosis. METHOD: Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) with high-resolution ultrasound and a set of cardiovascular risk factors were measured in 76 middle-aged male twin pairs (55 pairs from east and 21 pairs from west Finland) discordant for migration to Sweden. RESULTS: Among men living in Finland, IMT was significantly higher in men originating from east Finland compared to those from west Finland (0.796 +/- 0.212 versus 0.704 +/- 0.123 mm, P = 0.02). A similar east-west difference was observed in men who had migrated to Sweden (0.766 +/- 0.220 versus 0.686 +/- 0.089 mm, P = 0.03). The east-west difference in IMT persisted after adjustment for the major traditional cardiovascular risk factors. No east-west difference was seen in FMD. Smoking, Framingham risk score and physical activity had a greater impact on IMT in men originating from east compared to west Finland. CONCLUSIONS: Men originating from east Finland, irrespective of their current residence, have a greater degree of subclinical atherosclerosis and they may be more susceptible to the impact of conventional cardiovascular risk factors than men originating from west Finland.

Carotid Arteries↗