Non-drinking Women Research Articles

Smoking and alcohol consumption influence the risk of cardiovascular diseases in Korean adults with elevated blood pressure

Background and aimsCardiovascular disease (CVD) and hypertension are the main causes of global death. We aimed to investigate the independent and combined effects of smoking and alcohol consumption on CVD risk among Koreans with elevated blood pressure (BP). Methods and resultsAdults aged 20–65 years with elevated BP and without pre-existing CVDs were selected from the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort version 2.0. We followed up 59,391 men and 35,253 women between 2009 and 2015. The association of CVD incidence with smoking pack-years and alcohol consumption was investigated using the multivariate Cox proportional hazard model. Among women, smokers (10.1–20.0 pack-years) and alcohol drinkers (≥30.0 g/day) had higher CVD risks (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.15, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.06–1.25, HR = 1.06, 95% CI 1.00–1.12, respectively) compared to each referent group. However, men who smoked exhibited an increased CVD risk only with pack-years >20.0 (HR = 1.09, 1.03–1.14 and HR = 1.18, 1.11–1.26 for smokers with 20.1–30.0 and ≥ 30.1 pack-years, respectively) compared to nonsmokers. In the combined groups of those smoking and consuming alcohol, only nonsmoking men consuming alcohol 1.0–29.9 g/day had a lower CVD risk than did nonsmoking, nondrinking men (HR = 0.90, 0.83–0.97). Women smoking 1.0-10.0 pack-years and consuming alcohol ≥30.0 g/day had a higher CVD risk (HR = 1.25, 1.11–1.41) than nonsmoking and nondrinking women. ConclusionSmoking and alcohol consumption, independently and jointly, were associated with CVD risk in men and women. Women had a greater CVD risk than did men among Korean adults with elevated BP.

Association between hypertension and oral cancer prognosis in non-smoking and non-drinking women

To explore the association between hypertension and prognosis of oral cancer patients in non-smoking and non-drinking women. From September 2010 to February 2019, 362 non-smoking and non-drinking female patients with pathologically confirmed oral cancer were recruited and followed up in the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University. The patients were divided into hypertension group and non-hypertensive group, and the Kaplan-Meier method was performed to calculate the cumulative survival rate. The survival curve was tested by the log-rank method for differences between the two groups. Cox proportional regression model was utilized to explore the prognostic factors. 1∶1 propensity score matching was applied in order to verify the above findings. Stratified analysis was used to explore the prognosis of oral cancer treated by different method and fish intake between two groups respectively. The Cox proportional hazards model showed that the risk of death of hypertension patients was 1.976 times than nonhypertensive patients(95%CI 1.003-3.890), the risk of death for patients with lymph node metastasis was 2.938 times than patients without metastasis(95%CI 1.318-6.551), the risk of death for patients underwent surgery combined with adjuvant therapy was 0.454 times than surgery alone(95%CI 0.236-0.875). After propensity score matching, the Cox proportional hazard model showed that the risk of death for patients with hypertension was 2.987 times than non-hypertensive patients(95%CI 1.050-8.497). The result of stratified analysis showed that the risk of death for non-hypertensive patients with surgery combined with adjuvant therapy was 0.233 times than patients with surgery alone(95%CI 0.085-0.643) and the risk of death in patients with hypertension who consumed fish ≥3 times/week was 0.020 times higher than that in women with oral cancer who consumed fish<3 times/week(95%CI 0.001-0.392). Hypertension is an independent prognostic factor for oral cancer in non-smoking and non-drinking women. Non-hypertensive patients underwent surgery combined with adjuvant therapy can reduce the risk of death and the increase of fish intake can improve the prognosis of hypertensive female oral cancer patients.

The Effect of Alcohol on Telomere Length: A Systematic Review of Epidemiological Evidence and a Pilot Study during Pregnancy.

Several studies—albeit with still inconclusive and limited findings—began to focus on the effect of drinking alcohol on telomere length (TL). Here, we present results from a systematic review of these epidemiological studies to investigate the potential association between alcohol consumption, alcohol-related disorders, and TL. The analysis of fourteen studies—selected from PubMed, Medline, and Web of Science databases—showed that people with alcohol-related disorders exhibited shorter TL, but also that alcohol consumption per se did not appear to affect TL in the absence of alcohol abuse or dependence. Our work also revealed a lack of studies in the periconceptional period, raising the need for evaluating this potential relationship during pregnancy. To fill this gap, we conducted a pilot study using data and samples form the Mamma & Bambino cohort. We compared five non-smoking but drinking women with ten non-smoking and non-drinking women, matched for maternal age, gestational age at recruitment, pregestational body mass index, and fetal sex. Interestingly, we detected a significant difference when analyzing relative TL of leukocyte DNA of cord blood samples from newborns. In particular, newborns from drinking women exhibited shorter relative TL than those born from non-drinking women (p = 0.024). Although these findings appeared promising, further research should be encouraged to test any dose–response relationship, to adjust for the effect of other exposures, and to understand the molecular mechanisms involved.

Association between alcohol intake and measures of incident CKD: An analysis of nationwide health screening data.

To evaluate the association between alcohol intake and incident chronic kidney disease measures as well as the sex differences in this association, we analyzed health screening data of 14,190,878 adults who underwent health screening ≥3 times and had glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2 and normal proteinuria at baseline. eGFR was calculated with the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation. Proteinuria was defined as ≥1+ dipstick proteinuria and low eGFR as <60 mL/min/1.73 m2. The risk of incident proteinuria and low eGFR was analyzed with an extended Cox model with alcohol intake level as a time-varying determinant and the annual change of eGFR with generalized linear model. A J-shape association of alcohol intake with the incident proteinuria was observed in men (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.961, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.953–0.970 in men drinking alcohol <10 g/day; aHR 1.139, 95% CI, 1.123–1.154 in men drinking alcohol ≥40 g/day, compared with non-drinking men), and a positive association was seen in women (aHR, 1.034, 95% CI, 1.023–1.044 in women drinking alcohol <10 g/day; aHR, 1.094, 95% CI, 1.034–1.158 in women drinking alcohol ≥40 g/day, compared with non-drinking women). In both sexes, an inverse association of alcohol intake with the annual eGFR decline and incident low eGFR was observed. This study observed a beneficial effect of moderate alcohol intake on incident proteinuria in men and a protective effect of alcohol intake of any amount on the annual eGFR decline and incident low eGFR in both sexes. The long-term implications of these observations need to be elucidated with future studies.

Population Risk of Ischemic Heart Disease Depending on the Volume of Alcohol Consumption by the Population (ЭССЕ-РФ Study in the Kemerovo Region)

to assess relationship between the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and associated population risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD) alcohol consumption in the Siberian region (Kemerovo Region). This work was carried out within the framework of a multicenter epidemiological study "Epidemiology of CardioVascular Diseases in the regions of the Russian Federation" (ЭССЕ-РФ in the Kemerovo region) in 2013. In the final form, the sample size was 1628 individuals aged 25-64 years. We analyzed data on frequency, volume, and type of consumed alcoholic beverages, as well as on the presence of a number of risk factors of cardiovascular diseases and IHD. Alcohol consumption was estimated by the original method, volume of alcohol consumed in a year was categorized as absent (non-drinkers), moderate, medium, and strong. The calculation of the population risk of IHD was carried out according to the author's methodology, taking into account the prevalence of risk factors and their contribution to the development of IHD. Prevalence of several risk factors among non-drinkers was significantly different (p&lt;0.05) compared with drinkers with varying degrees of alcohol consumption. In men, there were differences in low physical activity, hypertriglyceridemia, excess weight, education, in women - in anxiety, low physical activity, hypertriglyceridemia, educational qualifications, smoking. In nondrinking men, the additional risk of IHD associated with risk factors was slightly reduced (-1.1 %). In groups of moderate, moderate, and strong alcohol consumption, risk of IHD was higher than the population risk by 2.2 %, 0.7 % and 6.5 %, respectively. In non-drinking women high burden of risk factors accounted for additional risk of IHD (4.5 %). In women with moderate and medium alcohol consumption the risk of IHD was 2.5 and 1.9 %, respectively, lower compared with population risk. Abuse of alcohol in women caused significant increase in the burden of risk factors and, accordingly, was associated with high additional risk of IHD (18.7 %). Predominantly linear in men and J-shaped in women relationship between prevalence of risk factors and volume of alcohol consumption accounted for analogous tendencies in population IHD risk. Specific for men is close to linear dependence of additional IHD risk on population IHD risk with insignificant variability in non-drinkers, moderate and medial consumers, and with significant growth in alcohol abusers. Women have a J-shaped relationship: in extreme categories (non-drinkiers and alcohol abusers), the risk of IHD is higher than the population risk, while in the middle categories (moderate and medial consumers) it is lower than the population risk.

Alcohol and ideal cardiovascular health: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

BackgroundAlcohol consumption is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD), with moderate drinkers having decreased CVD risk compared to non‐ and heavy drinkers. However, whether alcohol consumption is associated with ideal cardiovascular health (CVH), assessed by the American Heart Association's (AHA) Life's Simple 7 (LS7) metrics, and whether associations differ by sex, is uncertain.HypothesisHeavy alcohol consumption is associated with worse CVH.MethodsWe explored associations between alcohol consumption and CVH in a multi‐ethnic population including 6506 participants free of CVD, aged 45 to 84 years. Each LS7 metric was scored 0 to 2 points. Total score was categorized as inadequate (0‐8), average (9‐10) and optimal (11‐14). Participants were classified as never, former or current drinkers. Current drinkers were categorized as <1 (light), 1 to 2 (moderate) and >2 (heavy) drinks/day. Multinomial logistic regression models assessed associations between alcohol and CVH, adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, income, and health insurance.ResultsMean (SD) age was 62 (10) years, 53% were women. Compared to never drinkers, those with >2 drinks/day were less likely to have average [0.61 (0.43‐0.87)] and optimal CVH [0.29 (0.17‐0.49)]. Binge drinking was also associated with unfavorable CVH. Overall, there was no independent association for light or moderate drinking with CVH. However, women with 1 to 2 drinks/day were more likely to have optimal CVH [1.85 (1.19‐2.88)] compared to non‐drinking women, which was not seen in men.ConclusionHeavy alcohol consumption was associated with unfavorable CVH. Although light or moderate drinking may be associated with a more favorable CVH in women, overall, the association was not strong.

Development and validation of a quantitative choline food frequency questionnaire for use with drinking and non-drinking pregnant women in Cape Town, South Africa

BackgroundAlthough animal and human studies have demonstrated interactions between dietary choline and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, dietary choline deficiency in pregnancy is common in the US and worldwide. We sought to develop and validate a quantitative food frequency questionnaire (QFFQ) to estimate usual daily choline intake in pregnant mothers.MethodsA panel of nutrition experts developed a Choline-QFFQ food item list, including sources with high choline content and the most commonly consumed choline-containing foods in the target population. A data base for choline content of each item was compiled. For reliability and validity testing in a prospective longitudinal cohort, 123 heavy drinking Cape Coloured pregnant women and 83 abstaining/light-drinking controls were recruited at their first antenatal clinic visit. At 3 prenatal study visits, each gravida was interviewed about alcohol, smoking, and drug use, and administered a 24-hour recall interview and the Choline-QFFQ.ResultsAcross all visits and assessments, > 78% of heavy drinkers and controls reported choline intake below the Dietary Reference Intakes adequate intake level (450 mg/day). Women reported a decrease in choline intake over time on the QFFQ. Reliability of the QFFQ across visits was good-to-acceptable for 2 of 4 group-level tests and 4 of 5 individual-level tests for both drinkers and controls. When compared with 24-hr recall data, validity of the QFFQ was good-to-acceptable for 3 of 4 individual-level tests and 3 of 5 group-level tests. For controls, validity was good-to-acceptable for all 4 individual-level tests and all 5 group-level tests.ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this is the first quantitative choline food frequency screening questionnaire to be developed and validated for use with both heavy and non-drinking pregnant women and the first to be used in the Cape Coloured community in South Africa. Given the high prevalence of inadequate choline intake and the growing evidence that maternal choline supplementation can mitigate some of the adverse effects of prenatal alcohol exposure, this tool may be useful for both research and future clinical outreach programs.

Alcohol consumption in adolescence is associated with a lower risk of multiple sclerosis in a Danish cohort

Background and objective: Due to the possible existence of a vulnerable period of multiple sclerosis (MS) susceptibility in adolescence and because Danish teenagers have a high alcohol consumption, we investigated the association between alcohol consumption at ages 15–19 and the risk of developing MS. Methods: A total of 1717 patients with MS and 4685 healthy blood donors filled in a comprehensive environmental and lifestyle questionnaire. Data were analysed by logistic regression models and adjusted for selected confounders. Results: We found an inverse association between alcohol consumption in adolescence and risk of developing MS in both women (p < 0.001) and men (p = 0.012). Women with low alcohol consumption had an odds ratio (OR) of 0.56 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.47–0.66) compared with non-drinking women. The ORs were similar for women with moderate (OR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.38–0.62) and high consumption (OR = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.38–0.84). Men with low alcohol consumption had an OR of 0.69 (95% CI: 0.53–0.89) compared with non-drinking men but no decreased risk was found for men with moderate and high consumption. Conclusion: Alcohol consumption in adolescence was associated with lower risk of developing MS among both sexes.

The association between alcohol consumption and risk of hip fracture differs by age and gender in Cohort of Norway: a NOREPOS study.

We aimed to examine alcohol consumption and risk of hip fracture according to age and gender in the population-based Cohort of Norway (1994-2003). Socio-demographics, lifestyle, and health were self-reported and weight and height were measured in 70,568 men and 71,357 women ≥ 30years. Information on subsequent hip fractures was retrieved from hospitals' electronic patient registries during 1994-2013. Frequency of alcohol consumption was categorized: never/seldom, moderate (≤ 2-3 times/week), or frequent (≥ 4 times/week), and amount as number of glasses per week: 0, 1-6, 7-13, 14-27, and 28+. Type of alcohol (wine vs. beer/hard liquor) was also examined. Cox's proportional hazards regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) stratified on gender and baseline age < 60 and ≥ 60years. During median 15-year follow-up, 1558 men and 2511 women suffered a hip fracture. Using moderate drinkers as reference, men < 60years drinking frequently had multivariable adjusted HR = 1.73 (CI 1.02-2.96) for hip fracture and more than 2.5 times higher risk if they consumed 14+ glasses compared to 1-6 glasses per week. In other groups of age and gender, no statistically significant increased risk was found in those consuming the highest levels of alcohol. Compared to women with moderate or frequent alcohol use, never/seldom-drinking women had the highest fracture risk. In women, use of wine was associated with lower fracture risk than other types of alcohol. Risk of hip fracture was highest in men < 60years with the highest frequency and amount of alcohol consumption and in non-drinking women.

A case-control study: association between oral hygiene and oral cancer in non-smoking and non-drinking women

Objective: To evaluate the influence of oral hygiene on risk of oral cancer in non-smoking and non-drinking women. Methods: From September 2010 to February 2016, 242 non-smoking and non-drinking female patients with pathologically confirmed oral cancer were recruited in a hospital of Fuzhou, and another 856 non-smoking and non-drinking healthy women from health examination center in the same hospital were selected as control group. Five oral hygiene related variables including the frequency of teeth brushing, number of teeth lost, poor prosthesis, regular dental visits and recurrent dental ulceration were used to develop oral hygiene index model. Unconditional logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was used to evaluate the predictability of the oral hygiene index model. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between oral hygiene index and the incidence of oral cancer. Results: Teeth brushing <2 twice daily, teeth lost ≥5, poor prosthesis, no regular dental visits, recurrent dental ulceration were risk factors for the incidence of oral cancer in non-smoking and non-drinking women, the corresponding OR (95%CI) were 1.50 (1.08-2.09), 1.81 (1.15-2.85), 1.51 (1.03-2.23), 1.73 (1.15-2.59), 7.30 (4.00-13.30), respectively. The AUROC of the oral hygiene index model was 0.705 9, indicating a high predictability. Multivariate logistic regression showed that the oral hygiene index was associated with risk of oral cancer. The higher the score, the higher risk was observed. The corresponding OR (95%CI) of oral hygiene index scores (score 1, score 2, score 3, score 4-5) were 2.51 (0.84-7.53), 4.68 (1.59-13.71), 6.47 (2.18-19.25), 15.29 (5.08-45.99), respectively. Conclusion: Oral hygiene could influence the incidence of oral cancer in non-smoking and non-drinking women, and oral hygiene index has a certain significance in assessing the combined effects of oral hygiene.

Gender difference in the association between aminotransferase levels and hypertension in a Chinese elderly population.

Few epidemiological studies have examined the association between serum aminotransferase levels and hypertension, and have yielded inconsistent results.A cross-sectional study was performed in a Chinese rural elderly population. A total of 2174 participants with normal range of aminotransferase levels and without excessive drinking were included in the present study. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were measured on fasting morning serum samples using the Kinetic method. Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mm Hg and/or receiving treatment for hypertension. Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate the association between gender-specific aminotransferase levels and hypertension.Increased serum ALT but not AST level was positively associated with hypertension. After adjusting for potential confounding variables, the association of hypertension and ALT level was only significant in women: for each 1 IU/L elevation of ALT level, the adjusted odds ratio (OR), and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) of hypertension was 1.04 (1.01, 1.07); the ORs of hypertension increased across tertiles of ALT, and the ORs (95% CIs) were 1.00, 1.17 (0.85, 1.60), and 1.63 (1.15, 2.31 (P value for trend = .021). Furthermore, the association was only significant in central obesity women or nondrinking women.ALT level was significantly associated with hypertension only in women in a Chinese rural elderly population. Further studies are warranted to explore the possible gender-related association and to extend them to different populations.

Dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate is associated with cardiovascular reactivity to stress in women

Cardiovascular stress reactivity is a predictor of atherosclerosis and cardiac events. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) protects against cardiovascular diseases, but results among previous studies have been inconsistent. We investigated the association between dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-s) and cardiovascular stress reactivity in Japanese women and men. Among 979 healthy Japanese subjects (641 women and 338 men), serum levels of DHEA-s, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), heart rate, heart rate variability, and peripheral blood flow were measured under rest and two types of task. Mean differences in measured variables during tasks and a post-task period were calculated as changes in stress reactivity. Variables of stress reactivity were adjusted for multiple potential confounding factors. In women, DHEA-s levels showed positive associations with changes in SBP and DBP (standardized beta=0.12, p=0.020; 0.17, 0.002, respectively). Stratification by menopausal status and other lifestyle factors (e.g., smoking status, alcohol consumption) were conducted. Significant positive associations remained in pre-menopausal (standardized beta=0.13, p=0.037; 0.18, 0.005), non-smoking (0.12, 0.010; 0.18, <0.001), and non-drinking women (0.14, 0.021; 0.21, 0.001), and women without a medical history (0.15, 0.020; 0.20, 0.001). In men, there was no significant association between DHEA-s levels and changes in stress reactivity. DHEA-s levels were positively associated with high blood-pressure reactivity to stress in women, and being menopausal, smoking, and alcohol consumption modified this association.

Dose and Timing of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Maternal Nutritional Supplements: Developmental Effects on 6-Month-Old Infants.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are more common in disadvantaged populations. Environmental factors, like suboptimal nutrition, may potentiate the developmental effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. To evaluate the impact of micronutrients, including choline, on reduction of effects of exposure, we examined timing and dose of alcohol and effects of nutritional supplementation at two OMNI-Net sites in Western Ukraine that included high and low risk individuals. Alcohol-using and nondrinking women were randomized to one of three multivitamin/mineral supplement groups: none, multivitamins/minerals (MVM), and multivitamin/minerals plus choline. Children (N = 367) were tested at 6 months with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (2nd ED) yielding standard scores for Mental Development Index (MDI), Psychomotor Development Index (PDI) and Behavior. Generalized linear modeling was used: (1) for factorial analysis of effects of alcohol group, multivitamin/minerals, and choline supplementation; and (2) to examine the relationship between amount and timing of alcohol (ounces of absolute alcohol/day [ozAA/day] peri-conception and on average in the second trimester) and MVM supplementation on developmental outcomes while controlling sex, social class, and smoking. MDI was significantly impacted by peri-conceptual alcohol dose (X2(1), p < .001) with more alcohol associated with lower scores and males more negatively affected than females (X2(1), p < .002). Micronutrient supplementation had a protective effect; those receiving supplements performed better ([Formula: see text], p < .005). The PDI motor scores did not differ by group but were affected by peri-conceptual alcohol dose (X2(1), p < .04). Multivitamin/mineral supplementation can reduce the negative impact of alcohol use during pregnancy on specific developmental outcomes.

OI0304 Histopathologic analysis of oral squamous cell carcinoma in nondrinking and nonsmoking women

OI0304 Histopathologic analysis of oral squamous cell carcinoma in nondrinking and nonsmoking women

Alcohol as a Modifiable Lifestyle Factor Affecting Multiple Sclerosis Risk

Alcohol consumption may be a modifiable lifestyle factor that affects the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). Results of previous studies have been inconsistent. To investigate the possible association of alcohol consumption with the risk of developing MS and to relate the influence of alcohol to the effect of smoking. This report is based on 2 case-control studies: Epidemiological Investigation of Multiple Sclerosis (EIMS) included 745 cases and 1761 controls recruited from April 2005 to June 2011, and Genes and Environment in Multiple Sclerosis (GEMS) recruited 5874 cases and 5246 controls between November 2009 and November 2011. All cases fulfilled the McDonald criteria. Both EIMS and GEMS are population-based studies of the Swedish population aged 16 to 70 years. In EIMS, incident cases of MS were recruited via 40 study centers, including all university hospitals in Sweden. In GEMS, prevalent cases were identified from the Swedish national MS registry. In both studies, controls were randomly selected from the national population register, matched by age, sex, and residential area at the time of disease onset. Multiple sclerosis status. There was a dose-dependent inverse association between alcohol consumption and risk of developing MS that was statistically significant in both sexes. In EIMS, women who reported high alcohol consumption had an odds ratio (OR) of 0.6 (95% CI, 0.4-1.0) of developing MS compared with nondrinking women, whereas men with high alcohol consumption had an OR of 0.5 (95% CI, 0.2-1.0) compared with nondrinking men. The OR for the comparison in GEMS was 0.7 (95% CI, 0.6-0.9) for women and 0.7 (95% CI, 0.2-0.9) for men. In both studies, the detrimental effect of smoking was more pronounced among nondrinkers. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE; Alcohol consumption exhibits a dose-dependent inverse association with MS. Furthermore, alcohol consumption is associated with attenuation of the effect of smoking. Our findings may have relevance for clinical practice because they give no support for advising patients with MS to completely refrain from alcohol.

A randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind study of aprepitant in nondrinking women younger than 70 years receiving moderately emetogenic chemotherapy

Background:We evaluated the efficacy of aprepitant plus granisetron and an increased dose of dexamethasone in selected patients undergoing moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (MEC).Methods:Nondrinking women <70 years undergoing MEC were randomly assigned to aprepitant (day 1, 125 mg; days 2 and 3, 80 mg) or placebo. Dexamethasone on days 1–3 was 12, 4, and 4 mg with aprepitant and 20, 8, and 8 mg with placebo. The primary end point was complete response (CR; no emesis or rescue therapy) during 120 h of the first cycle. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of overall CR.Results:Of the 94 patients enrolled, 91 were assessable. Most received carboplatin-based chemotherapy. In the aprepitant (n=45) and placebo (n=46) groups, the overall, acute (day 1), and delayed (days 2–5) CR rates were 62% and 52%, 98% and 96%, and 62% and 52%, respectively. Although not statistically significant, the overall CR rate was 10% higher in the aprepitant group. Both regimens were well tolerated. On multivariate analysis, advanced ovarian cancer (OR, 0.26 (0.10–0.72)) was independently associated with a lower CR.Conclusion:Even with an increased dose of dexamethasone, aprepitant seemed more effective than placebo in these selected patients undergoing MEC; however, delayed phase management remains a significant problem.

Combined impact of lifestyle-related factors on total and cause-specific mortality among Chinese women: prospective cohort study.

Although cigarette smoking, excessive alcohol drinking, obesity, and several other well-studied unhealthy lifestyle-related factors each have been linked to the risk of multiple chronic diseases and premature death, little is known about the combined impact on mortality outcomes, in particular among Chinese and other non-Western populations. The objective of this study was to quantify the overall impact of lifestyle-related factors beyond that of active cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption on all-cause and cause-specific mortality in Chinese women. We used data from the Shanghai Women's Health Study, an ongoing population-based prospective cohort study in China. Participants included 71,243 women aged 40 to 70 years enrolled during 1996-2000 who never smoked or drank alcohol regularly. A healthy lifestyle score was created on the basis of five lifestyle-related factors shown to be independently associated with mortality outcomes (normal weight, lower waist-hip ratio, daily exercise, never exposed to spouse's smoking, higher daily fruit and vegetable intake). The score ranged from zero (least healthy) to five (most healthy) points. During an average follow-up of 9 years, 2,860 deaths occurred, including 775 from cardiovascular disease (CVD) and 1,351 from cancer. Adjusted hazard ratios for mortality decreased progressively with an increasing number of healthy lifestyle factors. Compared to women with a score of zero, hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for women with four to five factors were 0.57 (0.44-0.74) for total mortality, 0.29 (0.16-0.54) for CVD mortality, and 0.76 (0.54-1.06) for cancer mortality. The inverse association between the healthy lifestyle score and mortality was seen consistently regardless of chronic disease status at baseline. The population attributable risks for not having 4-5 healthy lifestyle factors were 33% for total deaths, 59% for CVD deaths, and 19% for cancer deaths. In this first study, to our knowledge, to quantify the combined impact of lifestyle-related factors on mortality outcomes in Chinese women, a healthier lifestyle pattern-including being of normal weight, lower central adiposity, participation in physical activity, nonexposure to spousal smoking, and higher fruit and vegetable intake-was associated with reductions in total and cause-specific mortality among lifetime nonsmoking and nondrinking women, supporting the importance of overall lifestyle modification in disease prevention. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary.

Alcohol Consumption and Risk of Incident Atrial Fibrillation in Women

Previous studies suggest that consuming moderate to high amounts of alcohol on a regular basis might increase the risk of developing atrial fibrillation in men but not in women. However, these studies were not powered to investigate the association of alcohol consumption and atrial fibrillation among women. To prospectively assess the association between regular alcohol consumption and incident atrial fibrillation among women. Participants were 34 715 initially healthy women participating in the Women's Health Study, a completed randomized controlled trial conducted in the United States. Participants were older than 45 years and free of atrial fibrillation at baseline and underwent prospective follow-up from 1993 to October 31, 2006. Alcohol consumption was assessed via questionnaires at baseline and at 48 months of follow-up and was grouped into 4 categories (0, > 0 and < 1, > or = 1 and < 2, and > or = 2 drinks per day). Atrial fibrillation was self-reported on the yearly questionnaires and subsequently confirmed by electrocardiogram and medical record review. Time to first episode of atrial fibrillation. Over a median follow-up of 12.4 years, 653 cases of incident atrial fibrillation were confirmed. Age-adjusted incidences among women consuming 0 (n = 15,370), more than 0 and less than 1 (n = 15,758), 1 or more and less than 2 (n = 2228), and 2 or more (n = 1359) drinks per day were 1.59, 1.55, 1.27, and 2.25 events/1000 person-years of follow-up. Thus, compared with nondrinking women, women consuming 2 or more drinks per day had an absolute risk increase of 0.66 events/1000 person-years. The corresponding multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for incident atrial fibrillation were 1, 1.05 (95% CI, 0.88-1.25), 0.84 (95% CI, 0.58-1.22), and 1.60 (95% CI, 1.13-2.25), respectively. The increased hazard in the small group of women consuming 2 or more drinks per day persisted when alcohol intake was updated at 48 months (HR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.05-2.11) or when women were censored at their first cardiovascular event (HR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.18-2.39). Among healthy middle-aged women, consumption of up to 2 alcoholic beverages per day was not associated with an increased risk of incident atrial fibrillation. Heavier consumption of 2 or more drinks per day, however, was associated with a small but statistically significant increased risk of atrial fibrillation.

Women's Perceptions of Flirtatious Nonverbal Behavior: The Effects of Alcohol Consumption and Physical Attractiveness

Alcohol consumption's influence on perceptions of social behavior increases the chances of misunderstandings and negative consequences in sexual and flirtatious interactions, but previous alcohol studies have not specifically focused on women's perceptions of men's flirtatious nonverbal behavior. Using a field-administered questionnaire, this study examined drinking (N = 120) and nondrinking (N = 134) women's perceptions of three types of immediate contact enacted by an attractive or unattractive flirtatious man. Results were consistent with alcohol's social lubrication effect in that drinking women expected a higher degree of immediacy than did nondrinking women. Consistent with nonverbal expectancy violations theory, perceptions of men who engaged in unexpected behavior were influenced by the man's physical attractiveness and violation immediacy.

Cigarette smoking and breast cancer risk among non-drinking women

Cigarette smoking and breast cancer risk among non-drinking women