European journal of epidemiology
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Vegan or vegetarian diets have been suggested to reduce type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk. However, not much is known on whether variation in the degree of having a plant-based versus animal-based diet may be beneficial for prevention of T2D. We aimed to investigate whether level of adherence to a diet high in plant-based foods and low in animal-based foods is associated with insulin resistance, prediabetes, and T2D. ⋯ In conclusion, a more plant-based and less animal-based diet may lower risk of insulin resistance, prediabetes and T2D. These findings strengthen recent dietary recommendations to adopt a more plant-based diet. Clinical Trial Registry number and website NTR6831, http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=6831 .
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Role and importance of vitamin D deficiency in long-term prognosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) still remains undetermined. We tested the hypothesis that among individuals with COPD, those with low concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D have a poorer prognosis compared to those with normal concentrations. We studied 35,153 individuals from the general population aged 20-100 years with 25-hydroxyvitamin D measurements and spirometry, the Copenhagen City Heart Study [median follow-up 21 years (range 13 days-36 years)] and the Copenhagen General Population Study [7.1 years (3 days-13 years)]. ⋯ Low concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D were associated with an increased risk of death in individuals with COPD. No clear pattern of association could be observed for cause of death; however, there may be an increased risk of respiratory, cancer, and other mortality. It is likely that low concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D is a marker of poor health in COPD.
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Big Data and precision medicine, two major contemporary challenges for epidemiology, are critically examined from two different angles. In Part 1 Big Data collected for research purposes (Big research Data) and Big Data used for research although collected for other primary purposes (Big secondary Data) are discussed in the light of the fundamental common requirement of data validity, prevailing over "bigness". Precision medicine is treated developing the key point that high relative risks are as a rule required to make a variable or combination of variables suitable for prediction of disease occurrence, outcome or response to treatment; the commercial proliferation of allegedly predictive tests of unknown or poor validity is commented. Part 2 proposes a "wise epidemiology" approach to: (a) choosing in a context imprinted by Big Data and precision medicine-epidemiological research projects actually relevant to population health, (b) training epidemiologists,
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Meta Analysis
New cancer cases in France in 2015 attributable to infectious agents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
To provide an assessment of the burden of cancer in France in 2015 attributable to infectious agents. A systematic literature review in French representative cancer cases series was undertaken of the prevalence of infectious agents with the major associated cancer types. PubMed was searched for original studies published up to September 2016; random-effects meta-analyses were performed. ⋯ Infectious agents caused a non-negligible number of new cancer cases in France in 2015. Most of these cancers were preventable. The expansion of vaccination (i.e., for hepatitis B virus and HPV) and screen-and-treat programs (for HPV and hepatitis C virus, and possibly for H. pylori) could greatly reduce this cancer burden.
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Meta-analyses have suggested no association between milk intake and mortality. Since only few studies have been conducted, we investigated the association between the lactase persistent genetic variant LCT-13910 C/T (rs4988235), a proxy for long-term low and high intake of milk, and mortality. We used two Danish population-based studies with self-reported intake of milk and genotyping for LCT-13910 C/T. ⋯ Per T-allele, milk intake increased with 0.58 (0.50-0.68) glasses/week. Genetically, we found no associations between the lactase persistent LCT-13910 C/T genotype and all-cause or cause-specific mortality; per T-allele OR (95% CI) for all-cause mortality was 1.02 (0.97-1.06). Our study did not provide strong evidence of observational or genetic associations between milk intake and all-cause or cause-specific mortality.