Ramdas WD, Wolfs RC, Hofman A, de Jong PT, Vingerling JR, Jansonius NM.
Wolfs, Hofman, Vingerling, and Jansonius) and Ophthalmology (Drs Ramdas, Wolfs, and Vingerling), Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Department of Ophthalmogenetics, the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (Dr de Jong), and Department of Ophthalmology, Academic Medical Center (Dr de Jong), Amsterdam, and Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen (Dr Jansonius).
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether lifestyle-related risk factors, such as socioeconomic status, smoking, alcohol consumption, and obesity, are associated with open-angle glaucoma (OAG).
METHODS: Participants from the Rotterdam Study, a prospective population-based cohort study, were considered eligible if they participated at both baseline and follow-up and if they had no OAG at baseline. All participants underwent an identical ophthalmologic examination at all visits, including intraocular pressure measurements, optic nerve head assessment, and perimetry. Lifestyle-related factors were assessed by questionnaires by trained research assistants or measured during the examinations (body mass index and waist to hip ratio). Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was applied to calculate hazard ratios.
RESULTS: Of 3939 eligible participants, 108 (2.7%) developed OAG during 9.7 years’ mean follow-up. No statistically significant effect of socioeconomic status, smoking, or alcohol intake was found. In women, each unit increase in body mass index resulted in a 7% decrease in the risk of developing OAG (P = .04). There was a significant increasing effect of body mass index on intraocular pressure (P < .001) in women.
CONCLUSIONS: Obesity appears to be associated with a higher intraocular pressure and a lower risk of developing OAG. These associations were only present in women. Other lifestyle-related factors, such as socioeconomic status, smoking, and alcohol consumption, were not associated with OAG.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of lifestyle changes on the stability of blood lipid and lipoprotein levels from youth to adulthood.

DESIGN: Prospective cohort study.

SETTING: Australia.

PARTICIPANTS: Five hundred thirty-nine young adults who underwent measurement at baseline in 1985 when aged 9, 12, or 15 years and again at follow-up between 2004 and 2006.

MAIN EXPOSURES: Changes in adiposity, cardiorespiratory fitness, saturated fat intake, smoking, and socioeconomic position.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Child and adult blood lipid levels.

RESULTS: Using established cut points, we found that substantial proportions of individuals with high-risk blood lipid and lipoprotein levels at baseline no longer had high-risk levels at follow-up. Of the participants who had high-risk levels in youth, those with greater increases in adiposity or who commenced or continued smoking were more likely to maintain high-risk blood lipid and lipoprotein levels (P < .05). Participants who became high risk at follow-up had greater increases in adiposity, were less likely to improve their socioeconomic position, and tended to become less fit between surveys compared with those who maintained normal-risk levels (P ? .05). These effects tended to remain (P ? .10) after adjustment for all predictive lifestyle variables.

CONCLUSIONS: Unhealthy lifestyle changes that occur between youth and adulthood affect whether an individual maintains, loses, or develops high-risk blood lipid and lipoprotein levels in adulthood. Interventions that promote weight control in the first instance, but also physical activity, not smoking, and improved socioeconomic position in the transition from youth to adulthood, are likely to be of benefit in preventing adult dyslipidemia. ]]> http://thelongevityproject.com/factors-affecting-the-stability-of-blood-lipid-and-lipoprotein-levels-from-youth-to-adulthood-evidence-from-the-childhood-determinants-of-adult-health-study/feed/ 0 http://thelongevityproject.com/diet-lifestyle-and-risk-of-prostate-cancer/ http://thelongevityproject.com/diet-lifestyle-and-risk-of-prostate-cancer/#comments Tue, 03 Jul 2007 18:22:41 +0000 TLP http://thelongevityproject.com/diet-lifestyle-and-risk-of-prostate-cancer/ Prostate cancer has become a major public health problem worldwide. Yet, the etiology of prostate cancer remains largely unknown. Dietary factors, dietary supplements, and physical activity might be important in the prevention of the disease. In the majority of studies, it was observed that high consumption of meat and dairy products has been linked to a greater risk. In contrast, frequent consumption of fatty fish and tomato products has been associated with a reduced risk. It has been shown consistently that high levels of circulating insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) are associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. Dietary factors are also recognized as determinants of circulating IGF-1, thus changes in diet may influence IGF-1 concentrations in serum. Furthermore, increased intake of vitamin E and selenium (from supplements) has been shown in intervention studies to decrease the risk. Possibly, high level of physical activity is also associated with decreased risk of prostate cancer. The accumulated scientific evidence concerning the associations between diet, lifestyle, and risk of prostate cancer development suggests that there are some identified modifiable risk factors that it might be recommended to change in order to decrease the risk for this common cancer site.

Wolk A.

Division of Nutritional Epidemiology, the National Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Alicja.Wolk@imm.ki.se

Acta Oncol. 2005;44(3):277-81.Links