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S Rohrmann

Publications and source records attributed to S Rohrmann.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Association between markers of the metabolic syndrome and lower urinary tract symptoms in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III).

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association of components of the metabolic syndrome with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), which often result from prostate enlargement and heightened tone of prostate and bladder smooth muscle. DESIGN: Third National Health and Examination Survey (NHANES III), from which LUTS cases and controls were selected. SUBJECTS: A total of 2372 men aged 60+ y who participated in NHANES III. LUTS cases were men with at least three of these four symptoms: nocturia, incomplete bladder emptying, weak stream, and hesitancy, and who never had noncancer prostate surgery. Controls were men without any of the symptoms and who never had noncancer prostate surgery. MEASUREMENTS: As part of NHANES III, an oral glucose tolerance test was carried out, glycosylated hemoglobin, HDL and LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides were measured, and history of diabetes mellitus and hypertension were assessed. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) after applying sampling weights. RESULTS: History of diabetes (OR 1.67; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.72-3.86) and hypertension (OR 1.76; 95% CI 1.20-2.59) appeared to be positively associated with LUTS. The odds of LUTS increased with increasing glycosylated hemoglobin (P-trend = 0.005). No statistically significant associations between fasting or 2-h glucose or fasting insulin and LUTS were observed. However, men classified as having three or more components of the metabolic syndrome had an increased odds of LUTS (OR = 1.80; 95% CI 1.11-2.94). CONCLUSION: These findings support the role for metabolic perturbations in the etiology of LUTS.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Validation of a short questionnaire to qualitatively assess the intake of total fat, saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and cholesterol.

BACKGROUND: To validate a self-administered 20-item short questionnaire (SQ) for classifying individuals according to their intake of total fat, saturated (SFA), monounsaturated (MUFA), and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), as well as cholesterol. METHODS: The SQ was sent to a randomly selected subsample of 300 participants of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) in Heidelberg. The SQ was sent back by 244 participants (52.5% women, 47.5% men). Intake of total fat, SFA, MUFA, PUFA, and cholesterol was calculated from a 148-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The intake was compared with the scores computed from the SQ. RESULTS: Spearman's correlation coefficient between the intake estimated from the FFQ and the score from the SQ ranged from r = 0.29 (PUFA) to r = 0.56 (cholesterol). When the participants were assigned to quartiles of intake according to both methods 29-42% were classified into the same quartile, 1-7% of the participants were grossly misclassified. CONCLUSIONS: The SQ demonstrated a good validity with respect to SFA and cholesterol and an acceptable validity with respect to total fat and MUFA, while the results are less good for PUFA. The SQ can be used to classify persons according to their intake into categories of intake.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Time trends in cigarette smoking in two German cohorts--results from EPIC Germany.

Smoking prevention is less advanced in Germany compared with other European and North American countries, and fewer data exist, especially on the consumption habits at the individual level over time. EPIC Germany, which is part of a European multicentre study on diet and cancer, collected data on individual smoking behaviour and allows for consideration of the changing consumption pattern for both centres and different age groups. Within EPIC 25 546 and 27 548 participants, respectively, were recruited in Heidelberg and Potsdam. Data on smoking habits were collected by means of a computer-guided interview during the baseline examination between 1994 and 1998. For each birth cohort smoking prevalence and mean number of cigarettes smoked per day at different ages were calculated. Additionally, the prevalence of non-filter cigarette smoking was computed. Smoking prevalence in the 1990s was still higher among men (Heidelberg 16.3-32.3%; Potsdam 18.2-29.3%) than among women (Heidelberg 12.8-32.0%; Potsdam 10.4-27.8%). However, the percentage of women smokers was still increasing. Filter cigarettes comprised a growing percentage of the cigarettes smoked, but especially among men differences between both German cohorts can still be seen: depending on age, 10.0-12.7% of men in the Heidelberg cohort smoked non-filter cigarettes, but only 1.1-2.3% in the Potsdam cohort. The quantity smoked was higher in the Heidelberg than in the Potsdam cohort with respect to the mean number of cigarettes smoked per day as well as the pack-years of smoking. In conclusion, smoking habits in the Potsdam and the Heidelberg cohorts did not strongly differ by smoking prevalence. However, they did differ according to the quantity and quality of smoking. These differences, as well as the changes over the last 40 years may contribute to a changing pattern of diseases in different groups of the German population.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Cooking of meat and fish in Europe--results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC).

OBJECTIVES: There is epidemiologic evidence that the consumption of fried, grilled or barbecued meat and fish that are well-done or browned may be associated with an increased cancer risk. These high-temperature cooking methods are thought to be surrogates for mutagens and carcinogens produced in meat and fish, eg heterocyclic amines or polycyclic hydrocarbons. Since data on food cooking methods are scarce, the aim of this study was to describe the variation in meat and fish cooking methods in different parts of Europe. DESIGN: Using a standardized 24 h recall from a sub-sample of the EPIC cohort (35 644 persons, 35-75 y old), mean daily intake of meat and fish prepared by different cooking methods and the relative contribution of the cooking methods to the overall cooking of meat and fish was calculated. RESULTS: Whereas frying was more often noted in northern Europe, roasting and stir frying were more often used in the south. Concerning high-temperature cooking methods, their frequency of application varies between 15% in the EPIC cohort of North-Italy and 49% in the cohort of The Netherlands. Average consumption of fried, grilled and barbecued meat and fish ranges from a low of 12 g/day in the centres in southern Spain to a high of 91 g/day in northern Spain. CONCLUSION: High variation in both the kind of meat/fish consumed as well as its cooking methods is observed within EPIC. In order to use this variation for the evaluation of the impact of cooking methods on cancer risk, a questionnaire on meat and fish cooking methods is being developed and could be applied in the whole EPIC cohort.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

[The healthy migrant effect: role of selection and late entry bias].

BACKGROUND: First-generation immigrants frequently have a lower mortality than the host population, in spite of a low socio-economic status. This is usually explained by (self-) selection into migration. If this were the case, the immigrants' mortality risk would increase with time under observation. A persistently low mortality could be due to a late entry bias: if migrants are enrolled in a study years after immigration, sick or socio-economically unsuccessful individuals may already have returned to their countries of origin. Mortality risk would then be inversely associated with length of stay in the host country before enrollment. METHODS: We assessed the mortality risk of immigrants from Mediterranean countries to Germany in the German Socio-economic Panel, in relation to time under observation (1-15 years) and length of stay in Germany before enrollment (0-34 years), using the Cox regression. RESULTS: In 1984-98, 2624 immigrants aged 16-83 years accrued 21,858 person years; 59 died. The hazard ratio, adjusted for age, sex and marital status, for each additional year under observation was 0.93 (95 % CI: 0.87-0.99); and for each additional 10 years in Germany before enrollment 0.49 (95 % CI: 0.27-0.89) in the age group >/= 50 years. CONCLUSIONS: We found no evidence for a mortality increase with time under observation, suggesting that the healthy migrant effect is not primarily due to (self-)selection. The initial mortality advantage could be due to international differences in mortality patterns. A late entry bias does contribute to the persisting mortality advantage of older immigrants.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

[Public opinion on active euthanasia. The results of a pilot project].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Despite eager public interest there have been few significant studies about the views of the German population on active euthanasia. It was our purpose to investigate, before undertaking a representative enquiry about this controversial and ethically sensitive topic, to what extent public opinion and the underlying norms, values and preferences can be adequately obtained by standardized data collection. COHORT AND METHODS: An interdisciplinary project group established a standardized written form of enquiry for measuring public opinion about active euthanasia. The test was performed on an anonymized convenience [corrected] sample of 110 persons living in North Germany. The questionnaires consisted of ten hypothetical cases, 11 potentially relevant viewpoints on likely decisions and eight frequently expressed arguments used in the debate for and against euthanasia. RESULTS: The reply rate to the questionnaire was 89% (n = 98; 37 men and 59 women, average age 39.5 [21-81] years). Agreement with active euthanasia in the various case examples ranged, according to context, from 85 to 93%. Active euthanasia was accepted by a clear majority, if preconditions of a voluntary decision by a mentally sound person and incurable, terminal disease (cancer) are cumulatively fulfilled. Otherwise it was rejected by most respondents. To a clear majority, active euthanasia implied both the chance that suffering would be shortened, but also the danger of misuse. Among the persons questioned those with professional experience of euthanasia were clearly more sceptical about active euthanasia than those without such experience. CONCLUSIONS: The standardized written questionnaire made it possible to obtain a differentiated picture of public opinion on active euthanasia. However, these data represent only a moment in the dynamic process of a norm being established within a society and must on no account be used as legitimizing active euthanasia by plebiscite.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Endocrine responses after d-fenfluramine and ipsapirone challenge: further support for Cloninger's tridimensional model of personality.

The tridemensional model of personality introduced by Cloninger relates aspects of novelty seeking to the dopaminergic, harm avoidance (HA) to the serotonergic, and reward dependence to the noradrenergic neurotransmitter system. Using a neuroendocrine challenge paradigm, this study investigates whether subjects characterized by blunted cortisol (CORT) responses after ipsapirone (IPS) relate to different subfactors of HA from those characterized by blunted prolactin (PRL) responses after treatment with d-fenfluramine (D-FEN). Moreover, subjects blunted in both responses should differ in scale values of subfactors of HA from those with only one or no blunted reactions. In the first part of the experiment, 16 healthy male volunteers were treated with 15 mg D-FEN. The second part of the study (about 1 year later) consists of a challenge with the partial 5-hydroxytryptamine-1a (5-HT(1a)) agonist IPS (10 mg) in the same subjects. The results indicate that blunted PRL responses are accompanied by high values in HA, while the main effect of IPS responsivity did not relate significantly to this dimension. With respect to the subscales of HA, subjects blunted in both responses (PRL-/C-) exhibit significantly higher levels in fatigability and asthenia when compared to all other groups (PRL-/C+, PRL+/C-,PRL+/C+). The data demonstrate that combined challenge tests may shed more light on the biological basis of personality and that HA and most clearly fatigability and asthenia relate to the 5-HT system.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Changing psychobiological stress reactions by manipulating cognitive processes.

This study aimed at manipulating psychobiological reactions to public speaking stress by means of verbal comments during the anticipation period. Sixty male students were instructed to give a public talk in 10 min. Twenty subjects each were randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions: During anticipation of the speech the experimenter remained silent in the control condition, gave feedback that the subject was physiologically aroused and nervous in the second (arousing manipulation), or that he was physiologically calm and relaxed in the third condition (reassuring manipulation). Within the three stress conditions heart rate, systolic blood pressure, cortisol, and electrodermal responses were highest in the condition with reassuring manipulation and lowest in the condition without manipulation. Emotional stress reactions were highest in the condition with arousing manipulation and lowest in the condition with reassuring manipulation. Compared to the group without manipulation clear intraindividual discrepancies between emotional and somatic stress reactions could be observed in the group with reassuring manipulation (emotional < somatic arousal) and the group with arousing manipulation (emotional > somatic arousal). The two groups were significantly different in their discrepancy scores. It was concluded that the arousing manipulation seemed to have induced a sensitive, the reassuring manipulation a defensive coping style.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Psychobiological differences between the aggression and psychoticism dimension.

Since blunted prolactin (PRL) and partly blunted cortisol responses have been reported for subjects with aggressive impulsive disorders as well as with psychopathy, it seemed worthwhile to try to separate the two types of aggression by their biological response. Since, furthermore, cortisol responses are more readily elicited by 5-HT1a challenges and prolactin responses by d-Fenfluramine or uptake inhibitors, these two types of drugs were used to answer the question if these hormone responses are suitable to differentiate between the two types of aggression. Two studies were conducted, one using 15 mg of d-Fenfluramine (d-Fen) in a double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over design in 40 males, the other using 10 mg of Ipsapirone (Ips) and placebo comparing 20 healthy males in each group. In each study subjects were divided according to above and below median aggression and psychoticism scores measured by questionnaire scales and combined into four groups defined by high and low aggression (Ag+/-) and psychoticism (P+/-) scores respectively. Analyses of covariance based an the two personality factors and the drug revealed for d-Fen cortisol nonresponse in P+ as opposed to P- and a blunted PRL response in Ag+ as opposed to Ag-. With Ips the cortisol response was positively related to Ag and not to P, while P+ showed a blunted PRL response not observed in Ag+. Joyfulness and well-being were also differentially affected by d-Fen in high and low P scorers, but not correlated to respective hormone responses. Different hypothalamic mechanism for eliciting the two hormone responses and differences in pre- and postsynaptic receptor sensitivities in the two personality dimensions are inferred from these findings.

Adult↗