PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

R E Frisch

Publications and source records attributed to R E Frisch.

69 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Height and weight at menarche and a hypothesis of critical body weights and adolescent events.

Height and weight at menarche were found for each subject in three longitudinal growth studies. Early and late maturing girls have menarche at the same mean weight, but late maturers are taller at menarche. Two other major events of adolescence, initiation of the weight growth spurt and maximum rate of weight gain, also occur at an invariant mean weight. The hypothesis is proposed that a critical body weight may trigger each of these adolescent events. Such an interaction would explain the secular trend to an earlier menarche.

Adolescent↗

Lower lifetime occurrence of breast cancer and cancers of the reproductive system among former college athletes.

The prevalence (lifetime occurrence) rate of cancers of the reproductive system (uterus, ovary, cervix, and vagina) and breast was determined for 5,398 living college alumnae, 2,622 of whom were former college athletes and 2,776 nonathletes, from data on medical and reproductive history, athletic training, and diet. The former athletes had a significantly lower risk of cancer of the breast and reproductive system than did the nonathletes. The relative risk (RR), nonathletes/athletes, for cancers of the reproductive system was 2.53, 95% confidence limits (CL) (1.17, 5.47). The RR for breast cancer was 1.86, 95% CL (1.00, 3.47). The analysis controlled for potential confounding factors, including age, family history of cancer, age at menarche, number of pregnancies, use of oral contraceptives, use of estrogen in the menopausal period, smoking, and leanness. Of the college athletes, 82.4% had been on precollege teams compared with 24.9% of the college nonathletes. We conclude that long-term athletic training lowers the risk of breast cancer and cancers of the reproductive system. The lowered risk may be related to changes in estrogen metabolism associated with increased leanness.

Adult↗

Smoking and cysts of the ovary.

Endocrinologic and epidemiologic data indicate that cigarette smoking is antiestrogenic. We found that cigarette smoking is significantly associated with the occurrence of cysts of the ovary among 5,398 college alumnae ranging in age from 21 to 80 years. Data on ovarian cysts were obtained in response to the question: "Did you ever have ovarian cysts? If yes, age occurred and treatment." The prevalence (lifetime occurrence) of cysts of the ovary in the entire sample is 10.2%. Never smokers had a lower lifetime occurrence of ovarian cysts in every age decade than did former smokers or current smokers. The age-adjusted odds ratio (OR) for ever smokers compared to never smokers is 1.5 with 95% CL (1.2, 1.8), P less than .001. For former smokers compared to never smokers, the OR is 1.5, 95% CL (1.2, 1.9); for current vs. never smokers, the OR is 1.4, 95% CL (1.1, 1.8). Smoking was also associated with the earlier occurrence of cysts of the ovary. The 2,622 former college athletes in the sample were at significantly lower risk of ovarian cysts than were the 2,776 nonathletes; OR = 0.8, 95% CL (0.6, 0.9). Young women need to be made aware of the possible adverse effect of cigarette smoking on the ovary.

Adult↗