Premature infants may have higher risk of heart disease

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Academic Journal
Main Category: Pregnancy / Obstetrics
Also Included In: Heart Disease
Article Date: 14 Aug 2013 - 8:00 PDT Current ratings for:
Premature infants may have higher risk of heart disease

Babies who are born prematurely experience differences in how their heart forms and works as an adult, compared with babies who are born at full-term. According to a study published in the journal Circulation, this leads to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease later in life.

Researchers from the University of Oxford in England studied 102 premature infants from birth, alongside 132 infants who were born at full-term with no complications.

Of the premature infants, 14% were born at less than 28 weeks, 58% were born between 28 and 31 weeks, and 31% were born between 32 and 36 weeks.

All infants were born in the 1980s and tracked until they were between 23 and 28 years of age.

As well as standard heart health evaluations, which included measurements of blood pressure and cholesterol, the researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques in order to measure the participants' hearts and blood vessels.

They used computer programs to create models of the hearts, enabling them to investigate their structure and see how much blood was being pumped around the body.

Results of the analysis revealed that the right ventricle - the part of the heart that receives deoxygenated blood from the right atrium and pumps it to the lungs - was significantly different in the adults who were premature babies, compared with the hearts of adults who were born at full-term.

The premature babies had hearts that were smaller, heavier and had thicker walls with reduced pumping activity.

Additionally, the scientists found that the earlier the former premature babies were born, the bigger the impact was on the size and function of the right ventricle.

Professor Paul Leeson, a cardiologist at the Cardiovascular Clinical Research Facility of the University of Oxford, says that around 10% of today's adults are born prematurely and appear to be at higher risk of cardiovascular problems in adulthood.

He says:

"We wanted to understand why this occurs so that we can identify the small group of patients born premature who may need advice from their healthcare provider about this cardiovascular risk.

The changes we have found in the right ventricle are quite distinct and intriguing."

The scientists say that in older adults, changes in the structure of the right ventricle may lead to increased risk of heart failure and cardiovascular death.

But they add that there was no evidence of such problems in the young people who participated in the study.

The study authors conclude that further analysis is needed to enhance understanding of the structure of the hearts in premature babies, and how their risk of cardiovascular can increase in adulthood.

"We are trying to dig deeper into what's different about the hearts of those born preterm," says Adam Lewandowski, first author of the study.

"The potential scientific explanations for why their hearts are different are fascinating and our study adds to the growing understanding of how premature birth shapes future heart health."

Written by Honor Whiteman

Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today Visit our pregnancy / obstetrics section for the latest news on this subject.

Right ventricular systolic dysfunction in young adults born preterm doi: 10.1161/ CIRCULATIONAHA.113.002583, published in the journal Circulation, 12 August 2013.

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Stroke declines dramatically, still higher in Mexican Americans

Main Category: Stroke
Article Date: 14 Aug 2013 - 0:00 PDT Current ratings for:
Stroke declines dramatically, still higher in Mexican Americans

A new study reports that the incidence of ischemic stroke - the most common type of stroke, caused by a clot in the blood vessels of the brain - among non-Hispanic Whites and Mexican Americans over age 60 has declined over the past decade. Most concerning, however, is that the increased relative burden of stroke comparing Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic Whites has not changed at all in the last decade. Overall, Mexican Americans suffer much more, 34%, from this disease than non-Hispanic Whites. Findings are published in Annals of Neurology, a journal of the American Neurological Association and Child Neurology Society.

Hispanic/Latinos are now the largest minority group in the U.S. at 17% of the population, which is projected to increase to more than 30% by 2050, according to estimates from the January 2013 U.S. Census. Previous research found that Mexican Americans had higher stroke rates than non-Hispanic Whites and as this population ages it raises concern for the impact on public health. In fact, experts estimate that the cost of stroke for the first half of this century in the U.S. could amount to more than $1.5 trillion dollars.

"In minority groups stroke occurs at much younger ages, often resulting in greater disability and significantly higher costs," explains lead author, Dr. Lewis B. Morgenstern from the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor. "With stroke causing such a personal, family and economic burden in minorities, our study focuses on Mexican Americans - one of the largest and fastest growing segments of the U.S. population."

For the present study, researchers conducted a population-based study of stroke trends in subjects 45 years of age and older living in Corpus Christi, Texas, between January 2000 and December 2010. Two-thirds of this community were Mexican American and the remainder primarily non-Hispanic White, with 87% born in the U.S., 11% in Mexico, and 1% who did not know their country of birth. Those born in Mexico have lived in the U.S. an average of 52 years.

Results show ischemic stroke occurred in 2,604 Mexican Americans and 2,042 non-Hispanic Whites, representing a 36% decline for the study period. Analysis found that the decline was limited to those 60 years of age and over and was evident in both ethnic populations. The disparity between Mexican American and non-Hispanic White stroke rates in those 45-74 years of age remained.

"The dramatic decline in stroke rates during the last decade is encouraging," concludes Dr. Morgenstern. "However, the ongoing disparity among younger patients emphasizes the need for further interventions to prevent stroke, particularly among young Mexican Americans."

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our stroke section for the latest news on this subject.

Persistent Ischemic Stroke Incidence Disparities in Mexican Americans

Annals of Neurology; Published online: August 13, 2013 (DOI:10.1002/ana.23972).

Lewis B. Morgenstern, Melinda A. Smith, Brisa N. Sanchez, Devin L. Brown, Darin B. Zahuranec, Nelda Garcia, Kevin A. Kerber, Lesli E. Skolarus, William J Meurer James F Burke, Eric E. Adelman, Jonggyu Baek and Lynda D. Lisabeth.

Wiley

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Adolescent kidney transplant recipients appear to be at higher risk of transplant failure

Main Category: Transplants / Organ Donations
Article Date: 29 Jul 2013 - 13:00 PDT Current ratings for:
Adolescent kidney transplant recipients appear to be at higher risk of transplant failure

Patients who received their first kidney transplant at ages 14 to 16 years appear to be at increased risk for transplant failure, with black adolescents having a disproportionately higher risk of graft failure, according to a report published by JAMA Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication.

Existing medical literature does not adequately describe the risks of graft failure among kidney transplant recipients by age. Organ losses by adolescents are partly due to physiologic or immunologic changes with age but psychological and sociological factors play a role, especially when they affect medication adherence, according to the study background.

Kenneth A. Andreoni, M.D., of the University of Florida, Gainesville, and colleagues analyzed 168,809 first kidney-only transplants from October 1987 through October 2010. Age at transplant was the primary factor studied.

"Adolescent recipients aged 14 to 16 years had the highest risk of any age group of graft loss ... starting at one year after transplant, and amplifying at three, five and 10 years after transplant," according to the study results. "Black adolescents are at a disproportionate risk of graft failure at these time points compared with nonblack adolescents."

In the study, researchers also note that donor type (deceased vs. living) and insurance type (government vs. private) also had an impact along with a kidney transplant recipient's age.

"Among 14-year-old recipients, the risk of death was 175 percent greater in the deceased donor-government insurance group vs. the living donor-private insurance group (hazard ratio, 0.92 vs. 0.34), whereas patient survival rates in the living donor-government insurance and deceased donor-private insurance groups were nearly identical (hazard ratio, 0.61 vs. 0.54)," the study results indicate.

Researchers suggest that comprehensive programs are needed for adolescent transplant recipients.

"The realization that this age group is at an increased risk of graft loss as they are becoming young adults should prompt providers to give specialized care and attention to these adolescents in the transition from pediatric to adult-focused care. Implementing a structured health care transition preparation program from pediatric to adult-centered care in transplant centers may improve outcomes," the study concludes.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our transplants / organ donations section for the latest news on this subject.

JAMA Intern Med. Published online July 29, 2013. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.8495.

The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) is supported by a Health Resources and Services Administration contract. The Ohio State University Comprehensive Transplant Center supported expenses for statistical evaluation of data. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.

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The taller the woman, the higher her cancer risk

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Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 28 Jul 2013 - 1:00 PDT Current ratings for:
The taller the woman, the higher her cancer risk

The ability to reach items on high shelves and easily see through a crowd may no longer have the same appeal for some women. A study recently published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention finds a link between postmenopausal women's height and cancers.

According to the study, the taller a woman's stature is, the higher her risk of cancer at a number of different sites, including breast, colon, endometrium, kidney, ovary, rectum and thyroid. Additionally, taller women have a greater risk of developing multiple myeloma and melanoma.

All of these associations did not change after adjusting for known influencers of these cancers, such as age, weight, education, smoking habits, alcohol intake and hormone therapy. The researchers say that height even had more influence over cancer risk than a common measure of obesity, body mass index (BMI).

Researchers studied 144,701 women aged 50 to 79 who participated in the Women's Health Initiative from 1993 to 1998. After a follow-up 12 years later, in total, 20,928 cancers were identified within the group.

Results showed that for every 10-centimeter increase in height (3.94 inches), there was a 13% increase in likelihood of developing cancer.

Specifically:

An increase in risk of 13-17% for breast, ovary, endometrium and colon cancers, as well as for melanoma, andAn increase in risk of 23-29% for kidney, rectum, thyroid and blood cancers.

There were 19 cancers studied in total, none of which displayed a negative association with height.

Geoffrey Kabat - senior epidemiologist in the department of epidemiology and population health at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University, New York, NY - says:

"We were surprised at the number of cancer sites that were positively associated with height. In this data set, more cancers are associated with height than were associated with body mass index.

Ultimately, cancer is a result of processes having to do with growth, so it makes sense that hormones or other growth factors that influence height may also influence cancer risk."

Various studies in the past have looked at personal characteristics in relation to cancers. For example, a recent study linked height and BMI to ovarian cancer. An interesting note made by the current researchers is that both height and BMI have been increasing by about 1 cm each decade in high-income countries, potentially increasing the risk for cancer in the process.

Few previous studies have adjusted for other known influencers of cancer when researching the effect of height.

Dr. Geoffrey Kabat makes the obvious point that, unlike other risk factors such as diet and lifestyle, height is not something we can change. He adds, however:

"Although it is not a modifiable risk factor, the association of height with a number of cancer sites suggests that exposures in early life, including nutrition, play a role in influencing a person's risk of cancer."

While the researchers found an association between cancer and height, the medical evidence shows it is a complex disease that cannot be linked purely to one factor.

Written by Marie Ellis

Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today Visit our cancer / oncology section for the latest news on this subject.

"Adult stature and risk of cancer at different anatomic sites in a cohort of postmenopausal women,” Geoffrey C. Kabat, et al., Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-13-0305. Abstract/summary; early online release.

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'The taller the woman, the higher her cancer risk'

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View the original article here

The taller the woman, the higher her cancer risk

Featured Article
Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 28 Jul 2013 - 1:00 PDT Current ratings for:
The taller the woman, the higher her cancer risk

The ability to reach items on high shelves and easily see through a crowd may no longer have the same appeal for some women. A study recently published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention finds a link between postmenopausal women's height and cancers.

According to the study, the taller a woman's stature is, the higher her risk of cancer at a number of different sites, including breast, colon, endometrium, kidney, ovary, rectum and thyroid. Additionally, taller women have a greater risk of developing multiple myeloma and melanoma.

All of these associations did not change after adjusting for known influencers of these cancers, such as age, weight, education, smoking habits, alcohol intake and hormone therapy. The researchers say that height even had more influence over cancer risk than a common measure of obesity, body mass index (BMI).

Researchers studied 144,701 women aged 50 to 79 who participated in the Women's Health Initiative from 1993 to 1998. After a follow-up 12 years later, in total, 20,928 cancers were identified within the group.

Results showed that for every 10-centimeter increase in height (3.94 inches), there was a 13% increase in likelihood of developing cancer.

Specifically:

An increase in risk of 13-17% for breast, ovary, endometrium and colon cancers, as well as for melanoma, andAn increase in risk of 23-29% for kidney, rectum, thyroid and blood cancers.

There were 19 cancers studied in total, none of which displayed a negative association with height.

Geoffrey Kabat - senior epidemiologist in the department of epidemiology and population health at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University, New York, NY - says:

"We were surprised at the number of cancer sites that were positively associated with height. In this data set, more cancers are associated with height than were associated with body mass index.

Ultimately, cancer is a result of processes having to do with growth, so it makes sense that hormones or other growth factors that influence height may also influence cancer risk."

Various studies in the past have looked at personal characteristics in relation to cancers. For example, a recent study linked height and BMI to ovarian cancer. An interesting note made by the current researchers is that both height and BMI have been increasing by about 1 cm each decade in high-income countries, potentially increasing the risk for cancer in the process.

Few previous studies have adjusted for other known influencers of cancer when researching the effect of height.

Dr. Geoffrey Kabat makes the obvious point that, unlike other risk factors such as diet and lifestyle, height is not something we can change. He adds, however:

"Although it is not a modifiable risk factor, the association of height with a number of cancer sites suggests that exposures in early life, including nutrition, play a role in influencing a person's risk of cancer."

While the researchers found an association between cancer and height, the medical evidence shows it is a complex disease that cannot be linked purely to one factor.

Written by Marie Ellis

Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today Visit our cancer / oncology section for the latest news on this subject.

"Adult stature and risk of cancer at different anatomic sites in a cohort of postmenopausal women,” Geoffrey C. Kabat, et al., Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-13-0305. Abstract/summary; early online release.

Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

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Ellis, Marie. "The taller the woman, the higher her cancer risk." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 28 Jul. 2013. Web.
29 Jul. 2013. APA

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.

'The taller the woman, the higher her cancer risk'

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam). We reserve the right to amend opinions where we deem necessary.

Contact Our News Editors

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Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.

View the original article here