Family History Of Chronic Disease Research Articles

Matrix metalloproteinase-2 promoter variability in psoriasis

The expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 was observed to be significantly upregulated in psoriasis. The aim of this study was to associate the DNA polymorphic variants in MMP-2 promoter gene with psoriasis and/or with psoriasis phenotypes related to psoriasis and comorbid heredity. In the total of 582 Czech Caucasian individuals (386 patients with psoriasis and 196 controls of similar age and sex distribution without personal or family history of chronic disease of the skin), four MMP-2 promoter polymorphisms (-1575G/A, -1306C/T, -790T/G and -735C/T) were detected by PCR methods. A significant association of GG genotype of -790 MMP-2 polymorphism with psoriasis was observed (Pcorr = 0.04). Although no significant case-control differences in frequency of associated GG(-1575)CC(-1306)TT(-790) MMP-2 promoter genotype were observed, the genotype was found to be significantly less frequent in patients with family history of psoriasis (close as well as distant), family history of diabetes and personal history of allergy (2/11 vs. 55/32, odds ratio (OR) for GGCCTT 0.11, 95% confidential interval 0.02-0.50, Pcorr = 0.01). The significant difference between psoriatic patients with positive anamnestic data on diabetes, psoriasis and allergy compared with psoriatic patients that have only positive family history of diabetes was also observed (2/11 vs. 38/31, P = 0.009, Pcorr = 0.04; OR 0.15, 95% CI = 0.03-0.72 for psoriatic patients with GGCCTT genotype and family history of psoriasis, diabetes and personal history of allergy). To conclude, the associated GGCCTT genotype in the promoter of MMP-2 gene was less frequent in patients with positive family history of psoriasis, diabetes and personal history of allergy compared with psoriatic patients without them (2/11 vs. 68/57, P = 0.007, Pcorr = 0.04; OR = 0.15, 95% CI = 0.03-0.72 for psoriatic patients with family history of psoriasis and diabetes and with allergy). Based on our results, we suggest that the MMP-2 located in the psoriasis susceptibility region on 16q (psoriasis susceptibility 8, PSORS8) should be considered as a gene modulator of psoriasis in specific subgroups of patients. In the future, similar genetic characteristics could contribute to the data assembly of genetic predisposition to psoriasis and could lead to therapy improvement based on time-proved individual pharmacogenetic aspects detected in psoriasis patients.

Clustering of cancer among families of cases with Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL), Multiple Myeloma (MM), Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL), Soft Tissue Sarcoma (STS) and control subjects

BackgroundA positive family history of chronic diseases including cancer can be used as an index of genetic and shared environmental influences. The tumours studied have several putative risk factors in common including occupational exposure to certain pesticides and a positive family history of cancer.MethodsWe conducted population-based studies of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), Multiple Myeloma (MM), non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL), and Soft Tissue Sarcoma (STS) among male incident case and control subjects in six Canadian provinces. The postal questionnaire was used to collect personal demographic data, a medical history, a lifetime occupational history, smoking pattern, and the information on family history of cancer. The family history of cancer was restricted to first degree relatives and included relationship to the index subjects and the types of tumours diagnosed among relatives. The information was collected on 1528 cases (HL (n = 316), MM (n = 342), NHL (n = 513), STS (n = 357)) and 1506 age ± 2 years and province of residence matched control subjects. Conditional logistic regression analyses adjusted for the matching variables were conducted.ResultsWe found that most families were cancer free, and a minority included two or more affected relatives. HL [(ORadj (95% CI) 1.79 (1.33, 2.42)], MM (1.38(1.07, 1.78)), NHL (1.43 (1.15, 1.77)), and STS cases (1.30(1.00, 1.68)) had higher incidence of cancer if any first degree relative was affected with cancer compared to control families. Constructing mutually exclusive categories combining "family history of cancer" (yes, no) and "pesticide exposure ≥10 hours per year" (yes, no) indicated that a positive family history was important for HL (2.25(1.61, 3.15)), and for the combination of the two exposures increased risk for MM (1.69(1.14,2.51)). Also, a positive family history of cancer both with (1.72 (1.21, 2.45)) and without pesticide exposure (1.43(1.12, 1.83)) increased risk of NHL.ConclusionHL, MM, NHL, and STS cases had higher incidence of cancer if any first degree relative affected with cancer compared to control families. A positive family history of cancer and/or shared environmental exposure to agricultural chemicals play an important role in the development of cancer.

Rationale, methods and first results of the Iranian national programme for prevention of chronic diseases from childhood: caspian study

The CASPIAN Study aims to implement a school-based surveillance system for prevention of noncommunicable diseases from childhood in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The baseline survey was conducted from November 2003 to May 2004 in 23 provinces among 21,111 school students aged 6-18 years and their parents. The data collected included: birth weight and current anthropometric measurements; dietary and exercise habits; family history of chronic diseases; and knowledge about prevention. Fasting blood sugar and lipid profile were assessed in a subsample of 4811 students.

Association of Weight Status of Affluent Adolescents with the Family History of Chronic Diseases, Age, Gender, Birth Weight and Socio-Economic Status.

Obesity is increasing among affluent people of the developing world, however underweight may still be present and both the problems needs to be assessed and addressed simultaneously. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of underweight and overweight in the affluent urban adolescents of Karachi and study its association with family disease history and other factors. Data (socio demographic information, height & weight) was collected from 868 girls and 818 boys aged 10-15 years, studying in secondary section of the selected private schools known to have a high proportion of children from the affluent group. According to CDC standards 63% children had their BMI’s within normal ranges, 17% were underweight, 11.5 % were OW and 8% were Obese (BMI for age >95th percentile). Family disease history of chronic disease was associated with higher prevalence of obesity. Prevalence of both under and overweight among affluent adolescents needs to be addressed even among affluent children.

Independent associations of body-size adjusted fat mass and fat-free mass with the metabolic syndrome in Chinese

Background: Excess fat leads to adverse health outcomes. Most previous studies investigating body fatness using BMI or fat percentage, which contain both fat mass and fat-free mass, were not able to differentiate the exposure.Aim: The present study assessed the independent association of fat and fat-free mass with metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Chinese.Subjects and methods: A population-based study of 1144 subjects aged 50–70 from urban and rural areas of Shanghai in 2005–2006 was employed. Body composition was measured with DEXA. Fat mass index (FMI) and fat-free mass index (FFMI) were calculated. MetS was defined using the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) criteria without waist circumference for its high correlation with body composition.Results: Both FMI and FFMI were significantly related with higher odds of MetS (OR 3.97, 95% CI 2.58–6.09 for FMI; OR 2.67, 95% CI 1.70–4.18 for FFMI, the highest quartile vs the lowest group) after adjusting for age, residence, sex, smoking, drinking, physical activity, medication, family history of chronic diseases, and fat-free mass (for FMI) or fat mass (for FFMI).Conclusion: Both FMI and FFMI are independently associated with increased MetS risks. Proper expression of body composition is essential in assessing body composition and disease risk association.

Family history of chronic disease and participation in healthy behaviours

This article presents an investigation into whether individuals incorporate information on their family genetic (health) endowment into decision making regarding participation in behaviours related to the production of health capital. Competing theoretical perspectives exist as to how genetic endowment should affect participation in health-related behaviours. There is also a growing consensus that the availability of genetic information holds important consequences for the individual in terms of investment in human capital, the pricing and availability of health insurance, and labour market opportunity. Therefore, the question of how individuals use the greater availability of genetic data is important. Our empirical results indicate that poor genetic endowment tends to be associated with a lower probability of participation in cigarette smoking, but also a lower probability of participation in regular exercise.

Distributions of C-Reactive Protein and its Association With Metabolic Syndrome in Middle-Aged and Older Chinese People

We evaluated the distributions of C-reactive protein (CRP) and its association with metabolic syndrome (MetS) in middle-aged and older Chinese people. Several studies have suggested that CRP is a risk factor of MetS. However, it remains unclear how CRP levels are distributed and whether they are associated with MetS in Chinese people. We conducted a population-based cross-sectional survey in 2005 in Beijing and Shanghai, with a total of 1,458 men and 1,831 women age 50 to 70 years. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the updated National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria for Asian Americans. The median CRP level was 0.68 mg/l among the study population. The CRP levels were significantly higher among participants from Beijing or from urban areas than those in participants from Shanghai or from rural areas (p < 0.01). No gender difference in CRP levels was observed. The prevalence of MetS progressively increased with elevated CRP levels (p < 0.0001 for trend). In the highest quartile of CRP levels (>1.50 mg/l), the risk for MetS was substantially higher (odds ratio 5.97; 95% confidence interval 4.75 to 7.51) compared with that in the lowest quartile of CRP levels (< or =0.33 mg/l) after adjustment for age, gender, geographic location, lifestyle factors, educational attainment, and family history of chronic diseases. This association was observed in both obese and nonobese participants. The overall plasma level of CRP is low but highly associated with the MetS among the middle-aged and elderly Chinese population. Prospective studies are needed to investigate the role of CRP in the development of MetS and related chronic diseases among Chinese people.

Obesity and its association with diets and sedentary life style among school children in Seoul, Korea: Compliance with Dietary References Intakes for Koreans food guides

This study compared obese children's food group intakes with the new Dietary References Intakes for Koreans (KDRIs) food guides for 5th-6th grade school children. This study also determined the extent of sedentary life styles related with obesity in this area of children. This is a cross-sectional study of 799 school children. The dietitian sent a survey form describing the project and a questionnaire to the subject's family. The questionnaire included child demographics, family history of chronic diseases, the daily servings of five food groups, such as grains, meat and beans, dairy products, fruits, and vegetables. The daily or weekly hours of physical activity, television viewing, and computer usage were also surveyed. Obesity index (%) of the subjects was calculated, and children with an obesity index (%) equal to or greater than 20 were classified as the obese. Among the 799 participants, 50.7% were female. The percentages of the normal and the obese were 691 (86.5%) and 108 (13.5%) respectively. Obese children reported eating less vegetables (p<0.05), more high sugar snacks (p<0.05), and high fat snacks (p<0.05) than normal children. No significant differences in food servings of grains, meats and beans, and fruits, and dairy products between the normal and the obese were shown. Obese children reported fewer hours of physical activities (p<0.05) and more hours of computer usage (p<0.05) than normal children. Girls showed less likelihood of being obese (odds ratio, 0.575, CI (0.38, 0.87), p<0.05). More hours of physical activity significantly decreased the likelihood of being obese (odds ratio, 0.572, CI (0.35, 0.92), p<0.05). Family history of obesity almost doubled the likelihood of obesity in children (odds ratio, 2.653, CI (1.660, 4.241), p<0.05). In conclusion, frequent snacking, inadequate vegetable consumption, and sedentary lifestyle increased significantly the likelihood of obesity in children, which suggest that obesity intervention in this age group should focuse more on those variables.

Engaging high-risk populations in community-level fitness promotion: ROCK! Richmond.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether ROCK! Richmond, a healthy nutrition and physical activity promotion initiative of the Richmond (Virginia) City Department of Public Health was effectively recruiting the high-risk individuals for whom this lifestyle change intervention was intended. The effectiveness of recruitment, participant demographic and health status characteristics were compared with those of respondents to a random sample survey conducted 18 months earlier. Relatively high-risk residents were recruited. ROCK! Richmond participants were disproportionately African American and female, had significantly higher body mass indices (BMIs), and were more likely to report a family history of chronic disease. However, their employment, education, and income levels were higher than those of the citywide sample. Certain high-risk segments of the population were successfully reached and involved in community fitness activities. Different recruitment methods may need to be used to recruit more from among the lowest socioeconomic strata.

Achieving utility with family history: Colorectal cancer risk

Family history of chronic disease is rapidly becoming a research tool for targeting participants at increased risk. Its current usefulness in clinical practice remains unknown. This paper details the possible utility and complications in using family history in a primary care setting, using colorectal cancer risk as the health issue. Where available, we cite data to support the issues that could arise. Where there are no studies, we invite further research. The potential of family history as a health improvement tool is still under review.

Self-rated Health, Mortality, and Chronic Diseases in Elderly Men

The value of self-rated health in predicting mortality and the incidence of chronic diseases was studied in a cohort of 783 elderly Dutch men in the Zutphen Study. In 1985, 48% of the men felt "healthy," while 12% felt "moderately healthy" or "not healthy." As of 1990, 23% of the 783 men had died. Survival analysis showed that self-rated health was highly predictive of subsequent 5-year mortality from all causes (p < 0.001). When adjusted for the presence of major chronic diseases, age, medication use, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, serum cholesterol, education, marital status, and family history of chronic diseases, the relative risk for "moderately healthy" or "not healthy" men compared with "healthy" men was 2.7 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.8-4.3). Analysis of cause-specific mortality revealed that self-rated health was associated with cardiovascular mortality (crude relative risk (RR) = 2.7), but this finding resulted mainly from confounding by baseline prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (adjusted RR = 1.9, 95% CI 0.9-3.8). However, self-rated health was an independent risk factor for cancer mortality (adjusted RR = 4.2, 95% CI 1.9-9.4) and mortality due to other causes (adjusted RR = 3.0, 95% CI 1.2-7.8). Self-rated health did not independently predict the incidence of chronic diseases. This suggests that self-rated health especially affects fatality from chronic diseases rather than their onset, and this issue should be pursued further.

Timolol Maleate Associated With Phalangeal Swelling

We report a case in which timolol maleate may have been the cause of phalangeal swelling. Report of a Case. —A 61-year-old white woman has been followed up by our glaucoma service because of advanced, primary open angle glaucoma. Her history included anterior poliomyelitis during childhood, with slight right hemihypertrophy as a sequela. There was no significant family history of chronic diseases. On February 2, 1989, her best corrected visual acuity was 20/25 OD and 20/20 OS with a refractive error of +2.50 +0.75 × 5 and +0.50 +1.00 × 168 for the right and left eye, respectively. Results of applanation tonometry were 21 mm Hg OD and 23 mm Hg OS, with 0.5% betaxolol hydrochloride and 0.1% dipivefrin hydrochloride every 12 hours in both eyes. Results of slitlamp biomicroscopy were within normal limits. Results of a dilated funduscopic evaluation revealed a 0.95 cup-disc ratio of the right optic nerve