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R J Hermus

Publications and source records attributed to R J Hermus.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Beta-carotene supplementation in smokers reduces the frequency of micronuclei in sputum.

beta-carotene has been hypothesised to reduce lung cancer risk. We studied the effect of 14 weeks of beta-carotene supplementation (20 mg d-1) on the frequency of micronuclei in sputum in 114 heavy smokers in a double-blind trial. Micronuclei reflect DNA damage in exfoliated cells and may thus provide a marker of early-stage carcinogenesis. Pre-treatment blood levels of cotinine, beta-carotene, retinol and vitamins C and E were similar in the placebo group (n = 61) and the treatment group (n = 53). Plasma beta-carotene levels increased 13-fold in the treatment group during intervention. Initial micronuclei counts (per 3,000 cells) were higher in the treatment group than in the placebo group (5.0 vs 4.0, P < 0.05). During intervention, the treatment group showed a 47% decrease, whereas the placebo group showed a non-significant decrease (16%). After adjustment for the initial levels, the treatment group had 27% lower micronuclei counts than the placebo group at the end of the trial (95% CI: 9-41%). These results indicate that beta-carotene may reduce lung cancer risk in man by preventing DNA damage in early-stage carcinogenesis.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Clustering of dietary variables and other lifestyle factors (Dutch Nutritional Surveillance System).

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The aim was to investigate whether dietary factors cluster in a favourable or unfavourable way and to characterise the groups identified by lifestyle and sociodemographic variables. DESIGN AND SETTING: This cross sectional study was based on data of the 1987-1988 Dutch national food consumption survey (DNFCS), obtained from a panel by a stratified probability sample of the non-institutionalised Dutch population. PARTICIPANTS: 3781 adults (1802 males and 1979 females) of the DNFCS, aged 19 to 85 years, were studied. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: To estimate dietary intake two day food records were used. Lifestyle factors were collected by structured questionnaire and sociodemographic variables were available from panel information. Cluster analysis was used to classify subjects into groups based on similarities in dietary variables. Subsequently, these groups were characterised by sociodemographic and lifestyle factors as well as by the consumption of food groups. Eight clusters were found. In comparison with the guidelines, the dietary quality in four clusters was poor. The cluster with the poorest dietary intake (high intake of fat, cholesterol, and alcohol; low intake of dietary fibre) showed on average a high consumption of animal products (except milk), fats and oils, snacks, and alcoholic beverages, and a low consumption of fruit, potatoes, vegetables, and sugar rich products. Smoking, body mass index, dietary regimen on own initiative, hours of sleep, gender, age, socioeconomic status, and day of the week were found to discriminate among the clusters. CONCLUSIONS: Cluster analysis resulted in substantial differences in mean nutrient intake and seems useful for dietary risk group identification. Undesirable lifestyle habits were interrelated in some clusters, but an exclusive lifestyle for health risk has not been found.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Combination of dietary factors in relation to breast-cancer occurrence.

Combinations of dietary factors were studied in relation to breast-cancer occurrence among 133 breast cancer cases and 289 population controls in The Netherlands. Dietary factors were classified according to their possible mechanism of action, i.e., relating either to the intestinal microflora (total fat, fiber, fermented milk products) or to the anti-oxidant hypothesis (beta-carotene, selenium and polyunsaturated fatty acids). From 6 interactions evaluated, the combination of high fiber intake and high intake of fermented milk products was the only one suggesting synergistic protection (age-and-fat-adjusted OR for interaction = 0.48, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.21 - 1.13). In order to estimate the extent to which the above dietary factors together might be related to breast cancer, subjects with a supposedly favorable dietary pattern (low fat intake, high fiber intake, high intake of fermented milk products; high intake of beta-carotene and selenium, low intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids) were compared with subjects with an unfavorable dietary pattern. This resulted in an age-adjusted odds ratio of 0.40 (95% CI = 0.14 - 1.15), which was largely attributable to the combination of low intake of fat and high intake of fermented milk products and fiber (age-adjusted OR = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.15 - 0.73). The other factors did not appreciably affect the odds ratio. These analyses show in a quantitative way that a dietary pattern which combines low intake of fat and high intake of fiber and fermented milk products might provide substantial protection against breast cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Diet and other life-style factors in high and low socio-economic groups (Dutch Nutrition Surveillance System).

Insight into the occurrence of and the association between certain socio-economic variables and life-style characteristics is necessary for preventive nutrition and health policy. The prevalence of and the interdependencies among these variables were examined in 1930 men and 2204 women aged 19 to 85 who participated in the Dutch National Food Consumption Survey 1987-1988. Dietary data were based on a two-day record. The associations among discrete variables were analysed using log-linear models. Analysis of covariance was used to explore the effects of the aggregate socio-economic status (SES) on dietary intake and anthropometry, whereas differences in food intake and SES were assessed by the non-parametric test of Kruskal and Wallis. In comparison to subjects with a high SES in people with a low SES a higher proportion of smokers (48 vs 32 per cent) was observed, a higher prevalence of obesity (39 vs 28 per cent), a higher percentage of heavy coffee drinkers (greater than six cups per day, 23 vs 17 per cent), and more subjects who skipped breakfast (19 vs 11 per cent). In the highest SES class more subjects used nutritional supplements (18 vs 11 per cent), more subjects followed a dietary rule (five vs two per cent), such as a vegetarian diet, and a higher proportion used more than three alcoholic drinks per day (19 vs 15 per cent). A higher SES was associated with a lower fat intake, but the differences (expressed as per cent of energy intake) were rather small and even absent among women when the contribution of alcohol to energy was not taken into account. In general, dietary intake among subjects in higher SES groups tended to be closer to dietary recommendations. The results indicate that a lower SES is accompanied by a higher prevalence of several indicators of an unhealthy life-style.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Dietary fiber, beta-carotene and breast cancer: results from a case-control study.

To study the association between dietary fiber, beta-carotene and breast cancer, the average daily intake of these dietary components was compared among 133 incident breast cancer cases and 238 population controls. Average daily intake of cereal products, fruit and vegetables was also studied. A statistically significant lower energy-adjusted intake of dietary fiber was observed in cases than in controls (mean +/- SD: 25.4 +/- 6.7 g vs. 27.7 +/- 7.4 g, 95% confidence interval (CI) of the age-adjusted difference = -3.8, -0.8). Intake of beta-carotene was similar for cases and controls. The multivariate adjusted odds ratio (OR) of breast cancer among women in the highest quartile of intake of cereal products, as compared to those in the lowest quartile, was 0.42 (95% CI = 0.19-0.92) and the trend was statistically significant (p = 0.03). The corresponding OR for intake of dietary fiber was 0.55 (95% CI = 0.26-1.17) but the trend was not significant. The OR for the highest quartile of intake of beta-carotene, fruit, vegetables, and all vegetable products combined was less than unity, but there was no significant inverse trend. These results suggest that a high intake of cereal products, especially those rich in fiber, may be inversely related to incidence of breast cancer.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1990

A large-scale prospective cohort study on diet and cancer in The Netherlands.

In 1986, a prospective cohort study on diet and cancer was started in The Netherlands. The cohort (n = 120, 852) of 55-69 year old men (48.2%) and women (51.8%) originates from 204 computerized municipal population registries. At baseline, participants completed a self-administered questionnaire on diet and potential confounding variables. In addition, about 67% of the participants provided toenail clippings. Cancer follow-up consists of record linkage to a pathology registry and to cancer registries. The initial interest is in stomach, colorectal, breast and lung tumors. A case-cohort approach is applied, in which detailed follow-up information of a random subcohort (n = 5000) provides an estimate of the person-time experience of the cohort. Exposure data of the subcohort will be combined with those of incident cases, yielding exposure-specific incidence rate ratios. The intraindividual variation in determinants is estimated by annually repeated measurements (n = 250) within the subcohort. The rationale, efficiency aspects and study characteristics are discussed.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Nutrition and aging: nutritional status of "apparently healthy" elderly (Dutch nutrition surveillance system).

In a nationwide survey the nutritional status was assessed of 539 apparently healthy, independently living elderly aged 65-79 years. Anthropometric data showed no energy deficits. The prevalence of anemia was 4 and 1% among men and women, respectively. Many elderly showed a low level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in plasma (less than 31 nmol/L: men 35%; women 43%), indicating a marginal status. Although the prevalence of low blood levels of folate, pyridoxal-5'-phosphate, and total carotenoids was higher among the elderly than among younger adults, clear (clinical) signs of nutritional deficiencies were not observed. Prevalence of obesity (13%), hypercholesterolemia (38%), and hypertension (63%) was found to be high, the percentages being higher for women than for men. Several indicators of the nutritional status appeared to differ among age groups. It is concluded that few differences can be considered as being due to physiological aging, which finding should be reflected in reference values for elderly people.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1990

Controlled vitamin C restriction and physical performance in volunteers.

A double-blind study on the effects of vitamin C restriction on physical performance was executed with 12 healthy men. During seven weeks of low vitamin C intake six subjects were on a daily diet of regular food products, providing 20% of the Dutch Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for vitamin C (Dutch RDA is 50 mg/day). Other vitamins were supplemented at twice the RDA level. After three weeks of low vitamin intake an additional vitamin C dose of 15 mg/day was provided, resulting in a total intake of 25 mg/day (50% of the Dutch RDA). Six control subjects consumed the same diet supplemented with twice the RDA for all vitamins. In the restriction group blood vitamin C levels decreased significantly (p less than 0.01). Vitamin C restriction had no harmful effects on health, aerobic power (VO2-max), and onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA). However, an increased heart rate at OBLA level was observed during the period of low vitamin C intake (p less than 0.05), possibly by interference with either catecholamine or carnitine metabolism. These results suggest that short-term marginal vitamin C deficiency does not affect physical performance in single bouts of intensive exercise.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Dietary fat and the risk of breast cancer.

Age-adjusted dietary fat intake of 133 incident Dutch breast cancer cases was significantly (p less than 0.01) higher than in 289 apparently healthy controls (mean and standard deviation: 102 +/- 36 g and 92 +/- 30 g, respectively). The age-adjusted relative odds of breast cancer showed a positive trend (p less than 0.05) with increasing fat intake. The multivariate adjusted relative odds was 3.5 (95% Cl = 1.6-7.6) for subjects in the highest quintile of fat intake (above 113 g) compared to those in the lowest quintile (below 65 g); this corresponds to a 30% increased risk per 10% of energy derived from fat. The association could not be attributed to energy intake, nor to the degree of saturation of the fat nor to any specific dietary source of fat.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Selenium in diet, blood, and toenails in relation to breast cancer: a case-control study.

The association between breast cancer and selenium, measured in the diet, plasma, erythrocytes, and toenails, was investigated in a case-control study in the Netherlands during 1985-1987. Dietary selenium intake was assessed by a structured dietary history technique among 133 breast cancer cases and 238 population controls. Absolute and energy-adjusted selenium intake and selenium concentrations in plasma, erythrocytes, and toenails were similar in cases and controls. The multivariate adjusted odds ratios of breast cancer for subjects in the lowest quartile compared with the highest quartile were 1.6 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.8-3.4) for dietary selenium, 2.0 (95% CI 0.9-4.4) for plasma selenium, 0.9 (95% CI 0.4-1.9) for erythrocyte selenium, and 1.1 (95% CI 0.6-2.1) for toenail selenium. No statistically significant trend was observed in the odds ratios for any of the four indicators of selenium. These results do not suggest a substantial association between selenium and breast cancer for both short- and long-term markers of selenium status.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Consumption of fermented milk products and breast cancer: a case-control study in The Netherlands.

In a case-control study in The Netherlands, we observed a significantly lower consumption of fermented milk products (predominantly yogurt and buttermilk) among 133 incident breast cancer cases as compared to 289 population controls (mean +/- SD among users only, 116 +/- 100 versus 157 +/- 144 g/day; P less than 0.01). The age-adjusted odds ratio of daily consumption of 1.5 glasses (greater than or equal to 225 g) of fermented milk versus none was 0.50 (95% confidence interval, 0.23-1.08). When fermented milk was entered as a continuous variable (per g) in either age-adjusted or multivariate analysis, the odds ratio expressed per 225 g was 0.63 (multivariate-adjusted 95% confidence interval, 0.41-0.96). After multivariate adjustment for intake of fat and other confounders, a statistically significant decrease in breast cancer risk was also observed for increasing intake of Gouda cheese. The multivariate-adjusted odds ratio expressed per 60 g of this fermented product was 0.56 (95% confidence interval, 0.33-0.95). For daily intake of milk, no statistically significant differences were observed between cases and controls. These results support the hypothesis that high consumption of fermented milk products may protect against breast cancer.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Nutrition and aging: dietary intake of "apparently healthy" elderly (Dutch Nutrition Surveillance System).

The dietary intake (assessed through dietary history) of 539 apparently healthy, independently living elderly aged 65-79 years, was evaluated in a nationwide random sample. Except for pyridoxine, the intake of vitamins, minerals, and water was adequate according to the Dutch recommended dietary allowances. Fat intake (40 energy%) as well as P/S ratio (0.41) was assessed as being unfavorable, whereas the intake of vitamin B6 was marginal. The prevalence of obesity was higher among the women, while food selection was healthier as reflected in the higher nutrient density than among the men. Food consumption of elderly men (26%) and women (33%) on a dietary regimen was more prudent and nutrient density higher than among the elderly not on a diet. Our results are in accordance with previous food consumption studies among elderly in The Netherlands, but differ substantially from dietary intake figures for American elderly. Although the intake of energy and nutrients was lower among elderly men than among younger men, we conclude that age per se is not an important determinant of dietary intake among Dutch apparently healthy elderly aged 65-79 years.

Aged↗