Biomedical subjects

S Friis

Publications and source records attributed to S Friis.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Cancer risk among users of neuroleptic medication: a population-based cohort study.

It has been suggested that neuroleptic medication may decrease cancer risk. We compared cancer risks in a population-based cohort study of 25,264 users (>or=2 prescriptions) of neuroleptic medications in the county of North Jutland, Denmark, during 1989-2002, with that of county residents who did not receive such prescriptions. Statistical analyses were based on age-standardisation and Poisson regression analysis, adjusting for age, calendar period, COPD, liver cirrhosis or alcoholism, use of NSAID, and, for breast cancer, additionally for use of hormone therapy, age at first birth, and number of children. Use of neuroleptic medications was associated with a decreased risk for rectal cancer in both women and men (adjusted IRRs of 0.61 (95% confidence interval, 0.41-0.91) and 0.82 (0.56-1.19), respectively) and for colon cancer in female users (0.78; 0.62-0.98). Some risk reduction was seen for prostate cancer (0.87; 0.69-1.08), but breast cancer risk was close to unity (0.93; 0.74-1.17). Overall, treatment with neuroleptic medications was not related to a reduced risk of cancer, but for cancers of the rectum, colon and prostate there were suggestive decreases in risk.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and risk of oral cancer: a cohort study.

Epidemiologic data regarding the chemopreventive potential of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) against oral cancer are sparse. We found a relative risk for oral cancer of 1.2 (95% CI, 1.0-1.6) among 169,589 Danish NSAID users (> or =2 prescriptions), with no apparent trends in subgroups. Our study provided no clear evidence that NSAIDs may protect against oral cancer.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Use of postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy and risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: a Danish population-based cohort study.

Use of postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been hypothesised to be associated with a reduced risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), but the epidemiologic evidence is conflicting. To examine the risk of NHL in HRT users aged 40 and older, we conducted a cohort study in the County of North Jutland, Denmark (population 0.5 million) using data from population-based health registries for the period 1989-2002. We computed age-standardised NHL incidence rates and used Cox regression analysis to compute the relative risk (RR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) of NHL among HRT users compared with non-users, adjusting for age and calendar period. The number of prescriptions redeemed (1, 2-4, 5-9, 10-19, or 20 or more prescriptions) was used as a proxy for duration of HRT. We identified 40 NHL cases among HRT users during 179 838 person-years of follow-up and 310 NHL cases among non-users during 1 247 302 person-years of follow-up. The age-standardised incidence rates of NHL were 25.7 per 100,000 among HRT users and 24.2 per 100,000 among non-users, yielding an adjusted RR of 0.99 (95% CI: 0.71-1.39). Our data did not support an association between HRT use and risk of NHL.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Statins and the risk of acute pancreatitis: a population-based case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Case reports have suggested that statins may cause acute pancreatitis. AIM: To examine if statins are associated with risk of acute pancreatitis. METHODS: We identified 2576 first-time admitted cases of acute pancreatitis from hospital discharge registers in three Danish counties, and 25 817 age- and gender-matched controls from the general population. Prescriptions for statins prior to admission with acute pancreatitis or index date among controls were retrieved from prescription databases. We used conditional logistic regression analysis to estimate odds ratios for acute pancreatitis among ever (ever before), current (0-90 days before), new (first prescription in 0-90 days before) and former (>90 days, but not 0-90 days before) users of statins. RESULTS: Adjusted odds ratios for acute pancreatitis among ever, current, new and former users of statins were 1.44 (95% confidence interval: 1.115-1.80), 1.26 (95% confidence interval: 0.96-1.64), 1.01 (95% confidence interval: 0.43-2.37) and 2.02 (95% confidence interval: 1.37-2.97), respectively. There was an indication of an inverse association between the number of filled prescriptions and risk of acute pancreatitis. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings speak against a strong causative effect of statins on the risk of acute pancreatitis, and may even indicate a mild protective effect.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed2006

Patient satisfaction and treatment environment: a 20-year follow-up study from an acute psychiatric ward.

The aim of this study was to examine to what extent the different subscales of the Ward Atmosphere Scale (WAS) are related to patient satisfaction on wards for psychotic patients. We wanted to examine if it was possible to replicate previous findings from cross-sectional studies and improve the understanding of which of the WAS subscales that should be considered the most important for patient satisfaction. From 1981 through 2000, the ward atmosphere, in an acute psychiatric ward, was evaluated 11 times with the Ward Atmosphere Scale (WAS). A total of 129 patients completed the WAS as well as a General Satisfaction Index (GSI) comprising three items. Z-scores were calculated to describe the fluctuations in the GSI and the WAS subscales. Four of the WAS subscales, Involvement, Practical orientation, Angry and aggressive behavior and Staff control, strongly co-varied with patient satisfaction. Unexpectedly, the Support and Order and organization subscales correlated only moderately with patient satisfaction. The remaining five WAS subscales (Spontaneous behavior, Autonomy, Personal problem orientation, Program clarity and Staff attitude to expressed feelings) were only weakly correlated with patient satisfaction. This study confirms that four of the six assumedly most important WAS subscales are strongly related to patient satisfaction on wards for psychotic patients. Changes in these WAS subscales seems to be paralleled by changes in patient satisfaction in the expected direction.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed2005

Measuring quality of life in first-episode psychosis.

Quality of life (QoL) measures are increasingly recognized as necessary parts of outcome assessments in psychosis. The present paper is a comprehensive study of patients with first-episode psychosis where QoL is measured by the commonly used Lehman Quality of Life Interview (L-QoLI). The aim is to examine if the L-QoLI maintain its original structure when used in a group of patients with first-episode psychosis, and to investigate what determines global subjective QoL with a specific emphasis on premorbid adjustment, duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) and clinical symptoms. The study indicates that the psychometric properties of the L-QoLI do not change significantly when used in first-episode samples. The patients report subjective and objective QoL in the fair to good range, with only a moderate association between the objective and subjective measures. Poor global satisfaction is predicted by being single, abusing drugs, being depressed, having a diagnosis of psychotic affective disorder, having poor premorbid social adjustment and DUP over 10 weeks. The study supports the notion that patients with first-episode psychosis construct QoL in the same way as other groups, and that longer durations of compromised function at this stage produces poor satisfaction with life rather than a downward readjustment of expectations.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2005

Hormone use for menopausal symptoms and risk of breast cancer. A Danish cohort study.

Numerous studies and meta-analyses have shown that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for menopausal symptoms increases the risk of developing breast cancer, estimated to be 2.3% for each year of use. The influence of different oestrogen-progestin regimens has still not been fully evaluated. Using longitudinal data from the population-based prescription database of the county of North Jutland, Denmark, and the Danish Cancer Registry, we examined the risk of developing breast cancer in relation to HRT in a cohort of 78,380 women aged 40-67 years from 1989 to 2002. A total of 1462 cases of breast cancer were identified during a mean follow-up of 10 years. Use of HRT did not increase the risk of breast cancer in women aged 40-49 years. Restricting the cohort to 48,812 women aged 50 years or more at entry, of whom 15 631 were HRT users, we found an increased risk associated with current use of HRT (relative risk 1.61, 95% confidence interval 1.38-1.88). The risk increased with increasing duration of use and decreased with time since last HRT prescription, reaching unity after 5 years. No material risk difference was observed among the various HRT-regimens. This population-based cohort study provides further confirmation that HRT increases the risk of developing breast cancer in women aged 50 years or more.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

A cohort study of antihypertensive treatments and risk of renal cell cancer.

We studied 335,682 county residents, of whom 113,298 had been prescribed antihypertensive treatment (AHT), in the period 1989-2002 in North Jutland County, Denmark to examine the relation between different AHTs and the risk of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). An internal comparison was performed among the different classes of AHT users with users of beta blockers as the reference, in order to address potential confounding and bias. The average follow-up was 10 years (range 0-13). Use of any AHT was associated with RCC (relative rate (RR)=1.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3-1.9) compared with nonusers in the general population. Specific classes of AHTs were nonsignificantly associated with RCC, but compared with users of beta blockers, the numbers observed were close to expectation. Analyses by duration of follow-up and number of prescriptions revealed no clear trends for any antihypertensive agent and after 5-years of follow-up, the RRs for all classes of AHT decreased. The elevated RRs for RCC among users of AHTs compared with the general population are unlikely to be causal, but rather reflect confounding due to failure to control for pre-existing hypertension, and protopathic bias, due to the presence of hypertension as an early sign of kidney disease.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Use of antibiotics and risk of breast cancer: a population-based case-control study.

We examined the use of antibiotics among 2728 women with a first diagnosis of breast cancer during 1994-2003, and 27 280 population controls in North Jutland County, Denmark, based on hospital discharge diagnoses, prescription use from 1989 to 2002, and population registry data. We found no increased relative risk of breast cancer associated with use compared with nonuse. The odds ratio for breast cancer associated with more than 10 prescriptions for antibiotics was 1.00 (95% CI 0.86 -1.15). Relative risks were similar for different classes of antibiotics. A subanalysis based on cases and controls younger than 70 years of age, with data on first birth and number of children, showed similar risk estimates even after adjustment for age at first birth and parity. In our study, use of antibiotics was not associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.

Aged↗

PubMed2005

Atypical cancer pattern in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Among 14,088 patients, with a primary diagnosis of Parkinson's disease during the period 1977-98 identified from the National Register of Patients, 1282 cancers were subsequently recorded in the Danish Cancer Registry, compared with 1464 expected, with a standardised incidence ratio (SIR) of 0.88 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.8-0.9). Significantly reduced risks were found for smoking-related cancers, for example, cancers of the lung (SIR, 0.38), larynx (0.47) and urinary bladder (0.52), although moderate reductions in risk were also seen for several nonsmoking-related cancers. In contrast, increased risks were seen for malignant melanoma (SIR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.4-2.6), nonmelanocytic skin cancer (1.25; 1.1-1.4) and breast cancer (1.24; 1.0-1.5). The observed cancer pattern supports the hypothesis that constituents of tobacco smoke inhibit or delay the development of Parkinson's disease, but a low smoking prevalence appears to be only part of the explanation for the decreased cancer incidence. The increased relative risks of melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancer are not likely to be artefactual, but further investigations of potential mechanisms are warranted.

Aged↗

PubMed2005

Population-based study of short- and long-term survival from colorectal cancer in Denmark, 1977-1999.

BACKGROUND: Survival rates for patients with colorectal cancer have been lower in Denmark than in other European countries. The aim of this study was to examine temporal trends in relative survival from colorectal cancer between 1977 and 1999. METHODS: All patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer between 1977 and 1999 were identified using the nationwide population-based Danish Cancer Registry. Patients were linked with the Danish Central Population Registry to obtain data on survival to December 2002, and to select ten population controls per patient. RESULTS: A total of 69 562 patients with colorectal cancer were identified, of whom 49.2 per cent were men. Six-month relative survival after diagnosis increased from 69.7 per cent in 1977-1982 to 77.7 per cent in 1995-1999. Five-year relative survival rates increased from 37.8 to 46.8 per cent respectively. Women had slightly higher 5-year relative survival than men throughout the study period. Rectal tumours were associated with better survival than colonic tumours until 2 years after diagnosis, after which tumour location had no impact on survival. CONCLUSION: Relative survival of patients with colorectal cancer has improved in Denmark between 1977 and 1999, most probably reflecting better management of the disease.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Reducing the duration of untreated first-episode psychosis -- effects on baseline social functioning and quality of life.

OBJECTIVE: Long duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) is associated with poorer outcome. The TIPS study demonstrated that DUP can be reduced through early detection (ED). As quality of life (QoL) is associated with DUP it is expected that reduction of DUP leads to better QoL. METHOD: Consecutive first-episode patients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of non-organic, non-affective psychosis were included, 281 patients gave informed consent and 263 completed a full evaluation of QoL. RESULTS: There were no differences in subjective QoL between ED and No-ED groups attributable to reduction in DUP. There were significant bivariate differences in frequency of family and social contacts in favor of the ED group, but multivariate analyses indicated that these differences were based on differences in sample characteristics. CONCLUSION: Deterioration in QoL may precede overt symptom formation. Focus on functional loss in ED educational campaigns may identify risk subjects earlier in the course of the disorder.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

COX-2-selective inhibitors and the risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in high-risk patients with previous gastrointestinal diseases: a population-based case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Clinical trials have suggested that cyclo-oxygenase-2-selective inhibitors are associated with a lower risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding than are non-selective, non-aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. This has not yet been confirmed in studies of patients with an increased susceptibility to upper gastrointestinal bleeding. AIM: To examine the risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in high-risk patients who filled prescriptions for cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitors or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. METHODS: A population-based case-control study was performed in the Danish county of North Jutland from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2002. From the County Hospital Discharge Registry and the Civil Registration System, we identified incident cases with upper gastrointestinal bleeding (n = 780) and randomly selected controls (n = 2906), respectively. All cases and controls had previous gastrointestinal diseases. Data on drug exposure were obtained from the countywide Prescription Database. RESULTS: Thirty-five cases (4.5%) filled prescriptions for cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitors within 30 days of the date of upper gastrointestinal bleeding, compared with 79 controls (2.7%). Adjusted odds ratios for upper gastrointestinal bleeding according to prescription for celecoxib, rofecoxib and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were 1.3 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.7-2.8], 2.1 (95% CI, 1.2-3.5) and 3.3 (95% CI, 2.4-4.4), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with increased susceptibility to gastrointestinal adverse events, a lower risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding was observed in users of cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitors compared with users of other non-aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Work environment and job satisfaction. A psychometric evaluation of the Working Environment Scale-10.

BACKGROUND: The working environment in mental health wards has been shown to have profound effects on the health and work stability of mental health workers. Despite an apparent need for regular measurement of work environment, development of short and reliable instruments for such measurements has been largely neglected. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Working Environment Scale-10 (WES-10). METHODS: During the period 1990 through 2000, a total of 640 staff members on 42 wards for psychotic patients completed the WES-10. To establish the number of subscales, a factor analysis was carried out. The internal consistency of the subscales was calculated as Cronbach's alpha. We also collected data concerning satisfaction with the ward, its patients and staff, and for how long the respondents had worked and expected to continue to work at the ward. RESULTS: We identified four subscales named: Self Realization, Workload, Conflict and Nervousness. The psychometric properties of the subscales proved to be acceptable. All the subscales were significantly correlated with at least one satisfaction item, and/or the time the staff expected to continue at the ward. Most notably, the Self Realization subscale was strongly correlated to general satisfaction with the ward, and to the time the staff expected to work on the ward in the future, while Conflict was strongly negatively correlated with liking for staff. CONCLUSION: The WES-10 appears to measure four clinically meaningful subscales. It seems well suited for use in further research and for evaluation of clinical milieus.

Health Personnel↗

PubMed2004

Does duration of untreated psychosis bias study samples of first-episode psychosis?

OBJECTIVE: While findings are contradictory, many studies report that long Duration of Untreated Psychosis (DUP) correlates with poorer outcome in first episode psychosis. In an outcome study of first-episode psychosis, we compared the patients who refused to participate in a follow-along with those who consented to estimate the importance of this factor in sample recruitment bias. Our questions were: (i) What is the percentage of refusers? (ii) Are there systematic differences between refusers and consenters on DUP and/or other admission variables? (iii) What is the risk of refusal for different values of DUP? METHOD: In an unselected group of consecutively admitted patients we compared follow-along refusers and consenters on the following admission variables: sex, age, diagnostic group, substance abuse, being in-patient, coming from an early detection site and DUP. We conducted a logistic regression analysis with refusal as the outcome variable. RESULTS: Ninety-three of 397 patients (23%) were refusers. In univariate analyses the only significant difference was found for DUP. The median DUP for consenters was 10 weeks and for refusers 32 weeks. DUP remained significant when all independent variables were controlled for. CONCLUSION: DUP was significantly related to risk for refusal. For tests of the impact of DUP on outcome, this may introduce a type II error bias.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Risk of cancer in a large cohort of nonaspirin NSAID users: a population-based study.

There is increasing evidence of an inverse association between use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and risk of colorectal cancer. However, data regarding other cancer sites are limited. Using data from the population-based North Jutland Prescription Database and the Danish Cancer Registry, we compared cancer incidence among 172 057 individuals prescribed nonaspirin NSAIDs with expected incidence (based on county-specific cancer rates) during a 9-year study period. A total of 6081 incident cancer cases were diagnosed among NSAID users vs 5722 expected (standardised incidence ratio (SIR) 1.1, 95% confidence interval (CI)1.0-1.1). The SIRs for colon and rectal cancer among persons who obtained 10 or more prescriptions were 0.7 (95% CI 0.6-0.9) and 0.6 (95% CI 0.4-0.9), respectively. Similarly, reduced risk estimates were found for stomach (SIR 0.7, 95% CI 0.4-1.1) and ovarian cancer (SIR 0.7, 95% CI 0.4-1.0). Standardised incidence ratios for other cancers among those with 10 or more prescriptions tended to be close to 1.0, except for lung, kidney, and prostate cancers with SIRs of 1.3 (95% CI 1.1-1.6), 1.4 (95% CI 0.9-2.1), and 1.6 (95% CI 1.3-2.0), respectively. We found protective associations of NSAIDs against colon, rectal, stomach, and ovarian cancer. Reasons for the increased risk for some cancer sites are not clear.

Aged↗

PubMed2003

Silicate antibodies in Danish women with silicone breast implants.

OBJECTIVES: To use a new immunological assay to evaluate silicate antibody levels in women with and without silicone breast implants (SBIs). METHODS: Women (n=186) were identified through Danish population-based registers and categorized into six groups defined by prior breast surgery (breast implantation/breast reduction/no breast surgery) and by the presence or absence of prior hospital diagnoses of soft-tissue rheumatism (muscular rheumatism, ICD-8 codes 717.90 and 717.99). The women underwent blood tests, a silicate antibody assay and a clinical examination. Severity of rheumatic symptoms/signs was scored from 1 (none) to 5 (severe). RESULTS: The level of silicate antibodies was not significantly different between the three groups with prior soft-tissue rheumatism (P > 0.5), with the lowest value among women with SBIs. Among women who had no prior diagnosis of soft-tissue rheumatism, silicate antibody levels were highest in women with SBIs (P < 0.01). No significant correlations were observed between silicate antibody levels and symptom severity scores. CONCLUSIONS: Silicate antibodies were not consistently associated with SBIs and were not correlated with rheumatic symptoms. The clinical relevance of these antibodies remains questionable.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

A population-based cohort study of the risk of colorectal and other cancers among users of low-dose aspirin.

Using data from the population-based Prescription Database of North Jutland County and the Danish Cancer Registry, we compared cancer incidence among 29 470 individuals prescribed low-dose aspirin at maximum doses of 150 mg with expected incidence based on county-specific cancer rates, during a 9-year study period. We observed 2381 cancer cases compared with 2187 expected, yielding a standardised incidence ratio (SIR) of 1.09 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.05-1.13). No apparent risk reductions were found for cancers of the colon (SIR, 0.9; 95% CI, 0.7-1.1) or rectum (SIR, 1.0; 95% CI, 0.8-1.2), or for other site-specific cancers. Increased SIRs were observed for kidney cancer (SIR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.1-1.7) and brain cancer (SIR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.3-2.2), although the excess in the latter was confined to the first year of follow-up. Stratification by number of prescriptions and duration of follow-up revealed no apparent trends. The SIR for colorectal cancer was close to unity (SIR, 0.9; 95% CI, 0.6-1.2) among persons with 10 or more prescriptions who were followed for at least 5 years. Our results do not support a major protective effect of low-dose aspirin on the development of colorectal or other cancers. The observed excesses of kidney and brain cancers are not likely to be causally related to the use of low-dose aspirin.

Aged↗