Total Mortality In Women Research Articles

The role of hormone replacement therapy in the risk for breast cancer and total mortality in women with a family history of breast cancer.

The risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) are of considerable interest and importance, especially in terms of whether they differ among subsets of women. To determine whether HRT is associated with increased risks for breast cancer and total mortality in women with a family history of breast cancer. Prospective cohort study. Population-based sample of midwestern post-menopausal women enrolled in an observational study of risk factors for cancer. Random sample of 41,837 female Iowa residents 55 to 69 years of age. Incidence rates of and relative risks for breast cancer (n = 1085) and total mortality (n = 2035) through 8 years of follow-up were calculated by using data from the State Health Registry of Iowa and the National Death Index. A family history of breast cancer was reported by 12.2% of the cohort at risk. Among women with a family history of breast cancer, those who currently used HRT and had done so for at least 5 years developed breast cancer at an age-adjusted annual rate of 61 cases per 10,000 person-years (95% CI, 28 to 94 cases); this rate was not statistically significantly higher than the rate in women who had never used HRT (46 cases per 10,000 person-years [CI, 36 to 55 cases]). Among women with a family history, those who used HRT had a significantly lower risk for total mortality than did women who had never used HRT (relative risk, 0.67 [CI, 0.51 to 0.89]), including total cancer-related mortality (relative risk, 0.75 [CI, 0.50 to 1.12]). The age-adjusted annual mortality rate for women using HRT for at least 5 years was 46 deaths per 10,000 person-years (CI, 19 to 74 deaths); this is roughly half the rate seen in women who had never used HRT (80 deaths per 10,000 person-years [CI, 69 to 92 deaths]). These data suggest that HRT use in women with a family history of breast cancer is not associated with a significantly increased incidence of breast cancer but is associated with a significantly reduced total mortality rate.

Marijuana use and mortality.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of marijuana use to mortality. The study population comprised 65171 Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program enrollees, aged 15 through 49 years, who completed questionnaires about smoking habits, including marijuana use, between 1979 and 1985. Mortality follow-up was conducted through 1991. Compared with nonuse or experimentation (lifetime use six or fewer times), current marijuana use was not associated with a significantly increased risk of non-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) mortality in men (relative risk [RR] = 1.12, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.89, 1.39) or of total mortality in women (RR = 1.09, 95% CI = 0.80, 1.48). Current marijuana use was associated with increased risk of AIDS mortality in men (RR = 1.90, 95% CI = 1.33, 2.73), an association that probably was not causal but most likely represented uncontrolled confounding by male homosexual behavior. This interpretation was supported by the lack of association of marijuana use with AIDS mortality in men from a Kaiser Permanente AIDS database. Relative risks for ever use of marijuana were similar. Marijuana use in a prepaid health care-based study cohort had little effect on non-AIDS mortality in men and on total mortality in women.

High mortality from cardiovascular disease and analysis of risk factors in Indian and Melanesian Fijians.

In recent years, developing populations such as the Pacific island nation of Fiji, have seen decreases in infectious diseases and increasing frequency of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), diabetes and cancer. However, cohort studies of mortality in these populations are scarce. Here we report 11-year all-cause and cause-specific mortality rates and risk factors for total, CVD and coronary heart disease (CHD) for indigenous Melanesian and Asian Indian people of Fiji. Following a baseline risk factor survey in 1980, mortality surveillance continue until 1991 in a representative cohort of 1325 Melanesians and 1221 Indians from urban and rural areas of Fiji. Date and cause of death were recorded and total, CVD and CHD mortality rates calculated. Baseline predictors of mortality were assessed using Cox regression. Total mortality rates in Melanesians were 15.9 and 9.2/1000 person-years, and in Indians were 13.5 and 6.8/1000 person-years, in men and women respectively. Death due to CHD was more common in men than women, and in Indian than Melanesian men, although total CVD deaths were more common in Melanesian men. Deaths due to CHD were more common in the urban than the rural area. After adjusting for other risk factors Indian ethnicity was associated with a significantly reduced risk of total and CVD mortality in men, and total mortality in women. Age and systolic blood pressure were consistently and independently associated with mortality from all causes, as well as CVD and CHD (except in Indian women). In men associations were also identified for total cholesterol with CVD and CHD mortality in Melanesians, and 2-hour plasma glucose with total and CVD mortality in Indians. In women, 2-hour glucose was important for total, CVD and CHD mortality in both ethnic groups as was smoking in Indians. Obesity had inconsistent associations with mortality. Cardiovascular disease is now responsible for a large proportion of total mortality in both Indian and Melanesian Fijians. The major risk factors identified in Fijians are similar to those observed in developed populations.

Association of Hormone Replacement Therapy With Hemostatic and Other Cardiovascular Risk Factors

The risk of cardiovascular diseases in women is small until menopause but increases considerably afterwards. When all age groups are considered, cardiovascular diseases are responsible for approximately half of the total mortality in women. It has been suggested that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women could be useful in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, but its effects are insufficiently known. We performed a cross-sectional study on the associations of menopause and HRT with cardiovascular risk factors, in particular with hemostatic factors, on female participants of the FINRISK Hemostasis Study. The participants, aged 45 to 64 years, were recruited from the Finnish population register by random sampling from three geographically defined areas. The participation rate of women was 83.2%. Of the 1202 women included in the study, 29.2% were current users of HRT. Differences in cardiovascular risk factors by menopausal status and by HRT use were examined after adjustment for age, study area, current smoking, body mass index, self-reported diabetes, and years of education. Postmenopausal women not using exogenous sex hormones had on average a total cholesterol level 0.5 mmol/L (8.9%) higher and an LDL cholesterol level 0.4 mmol/L (11.4%) higher than premenopausal women. Women reporting irregular menstruation (presumably due to perimenopause) had higher adjusted plasma fibrinogen, factor VII coagulant activity, and factor VII antigen than women with regular menstruation or no menstrual periods.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Are low cholesterol values associated with excess mortality?

The relation between cholesterol concentration and mortality was studied prospectively over 17 years in 630 New Zealand Maoris aged 25-74. The dead or alive state of each person was determined in 1981. The causes of death were divided into three categories: cancer, cardiovascular disease, and "other." Using univariate and both linear and non-linear multivariate methods of analysis for survivorship data, significant inverse relations with serum cholesterol were found for total mortality in women, for mortality from cancer in men and women, and for other causes of mortality in both men and women. The inverse and non-linear association with total mortality in women remained significant when deaths in the first five years of follow up were excluded. This suggests that the association was not explained by undetected illness causing low cholesterol concentrations at the time of initial examination.

Ischaemic heart disease, stroke and total mortality in women--results from a prospective population study in Gothenburg, Sweden.

The aims of this study were to determine the prognosis for women with different symptoms and signs indicating ischaemic heart disease and to relate entry characteristics to events of ischaemic heart disease and stroke, and to overall mortality during a 12-year follow-up period. A prospective cohort study was started as a cross-sectional investigation in 1968-69 (1462 participants aged 38-60, participation rate 90.1%). The same sample was re-studied in 1980-81 (1154 participants, participation rate 78.9% of those studied in 1968-69). In addition, a clinical series comprising all women of similar age in Gothenburg with myocardial infarction during the years 1968-70 (47 women) was followed up for 12 years. The 12-year overall mortality rate for women with initial myocardial infarction in the clinical series was 45%. The 12-year overall mortality rates for women who at the time of the initial study either were considered to have angina pectoris or showed electrocardiographic changes indicating ischaemic heart disease at rest or at work were 10%, 17% and 10% respectively (expected figures 7%, 12% and 10%). Twenty-three women (1.6%) developed myocardial infarction during the follow-up period (8 fatal, 15 non-fatal). New symptoms of angina pectoris were recorded in 56 women (4.0%), new electrocardiographic changes indicating ischaemic heart disease in 73 women (6.0%), and new signs of stroke in 13 women (0.9%). Altogether 75 women (5.1%) died during the follow-up period. These five end-points were taken into consideration. Women with previously untreated arterial hypertension were offered control visits during the follow-up period and were prescribed antihypertensive drugs when clinically indicated. In this group of women, hypertension was not a predictor for any of the end-points. No other systematic intervention was carried out. Increased abdominal adiposity, increased serum triglycerides and low peak expiratory flow were independent predictors of at least three of the end-points studied: myocardial infarction, stroke and death. Increased abdominal adiposity was also an independent predictor of angina pectoris. Initial diabetes was an independent predictor of both myocardial infarction and of death. Low energy intake predicted myocardial infarction and electrocardiographic changes indicating ischaemic heart disease. High serum gastrin levels predicted myocardial infarction. Low education and high degree of mental disorder were independent predictors of angina pectoris. Physical inactivity at leisure and physical inactivity at work were independent predictors of stroke and of death, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)