Trends and projections in the incidence of oesophageal cancer in the Netherlands: An age-period-cohort analysis from 1989 to 2041

In Western populations, the incidence of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has been declining, whereas the incidence of oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) has been increasing. Our study examines temporal trends in the incidence of oesophageal cancer in the Netherlands between 1989 and 2016, in addition to predicting future trends through 2041. Data from the Netherlands Cancer Registry and Statistics Netherlands were collected to obtain incidence trends of OSCC and OAC for the period 1989 to 2016. Age‐period‐cohort (APC) modelling was used to estimate the contribution of age, calendar period and birth cohort on the observed incidence trends. To predict the future numbers of new cases of both OSCC and OAC from 2017 to 2041, log‐linear APC models were fitted to the trends of 1989 to 2016. The age‐standardised incidence rates of OSCC have decreased slightly for men and increased slightly for women. In contrast, a marked increase in the incidence of OAC was observed, ranging from 2.8 per 100 000 persons in 1989 to 10.1 in 2016. This increase in OAC incidence was more prominent in men, and it will result in an increased risk of OAC for successive generations. Future projections indicate that the incidence of OAC will further increase to 13.1 per 100 000 persons in 2037 to 2041, meaning that there will be 13 259 cases of OAC in 2037 to 2041, as compared to 9386 diagnoses in 2017 to 2021. The changing epidemiologic trends in oesophageal cancer in the Netherlands should be reflected in the development of prevention, early detection and treatment strategies.

What's new?

The incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) is on the rise in Western countries. Better understanding of this trend could facilitate critical improvements in OAC prevention, early detection, and treatment strategies. Here, the authors investigated trends in OAC incidence from 1989 to 2016 for successive birth cohorts in the Netherlands. OAC incidence was found to have increased significantly since 1989, with risk rising most noticeably in men. Analyses through 2037‐2041 predict continued growth in OAC cases. The findings highlight the importance of promoting measures to prevent esophageal cancer, particularly those aimed at controlling modifiable risk factors, such as obesity and smoking.

Research in Action-Students' Perspectives on the Integration of Research Activities in Undergraduate Biomedical Curricula

We describe and evaluate our practice-based learning approach for research in undergraduate students studying Biomedical Sciences at Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands. First-year students who started their study between 2015 and 2018 actively participated in data collection and measurements, including anthropometry, electrocardiogram findings, genetic variants, and lifestyle habits. All data were entered into one anonymous database, which was used by students to analyze their research questions. In 2019, 44 of the 87 students (50%) valued active measurements better than questionnaires. Most students (strongly) agreed that they have learned about data collection and were inspired to learn more about biomedical research.

High prevalence of impaired awareness of hypoglycemia and severe hypoglycemia among people with insulin-treated type 2 diabetes: The Dutch Diabetes Pearl Cohort

OBJECTIVE

People with type 2 diabetes on insulin are at risk for hypoglycemia. Recurrent hypoglycemia can cause impaired awareness of hypoglycemia (IAH), and increase the risk for severe hypoglycemia. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and determinants of self-reported IAH and severe hypoglycemia in a Dutch nationwide cohort of people with insulin-treated type 2 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Observational study of The Dutch Diabetes Pearl, a cohort of people with type 2 diabetes treated in primary, secondary and tertiary diabetes care centers. The presence of IAH and the occurrence of severe hypoglycemia in the past year, defined as an event requiring external help to recover, were assessed using the validated Dutch version of the Clarke questionnaire. In addition, clinical variables were collected including age, diabetes duration, hemoglobin A1c, ethnicity and education.

RESULTS

2350 people with type 2 diabetes on insulin were included: 59.1% men, mean age 61.1±10.4 years, mean diabetes duration 14.8±9.2 years and 79.5% on basal-bolus therapy. A total of 229 patients (9.7%) were classified as having IAH and 742 patients (31.6%) reported severe hypoglycemia. Increased odds for IAH were found with complex insulin regimens and lower odds with having a partner and body mass index ≥30 kg/m². Severe hypoglycemia was associated with complex insulin regimens, non-Caucasian ethnicity and use of psychoactive drugs, and inversely with metformin use.

CONCLUSIONS

In this nationwide cohort, almost one out of ten people with type 2 diabetes on insulin had IAH and >30% had a history of severe hypoglycemia in the past year.

[The relationship between lifestyle and cancer; topic of conversation in the consultation room?]

OBJECTIVE

This survey explores the degree of consensus amongst healthcare professionals for the support of cancer patients' lifestyle management, based on three questions posed to them: a) what do they know about the relation between lifestyle and cancer?; b) do they consider lifestyle support for cancer patients part of their professional role?; c) does their own lifestyle influence the lifestyle management consultations they may have with cancer patients? Design Survey study.

METHOD

A digital questionnaire with questions concerning lifestyle and cancer was sent to 1550 healthcare professionals in and around Nijmegen. The questionnaire was filled out by 562 healthcare professionals (36% response rate), of whom 404 (72%) were involved in cancer patient care. This cohort of responders consisted of 170 medical specialists, 62 general practitioners, and 172 nurses and allied health professionals.

RESULTS

Healthcare professionals acknowledge the influence of lifestyle on the development of cancer. Almost all healthcare professionals (98%) agree on the positive effects of a healthy lifestyle on the well-being of cancer patients. Approximately two-thirds of all responders believe that lifestyle support should 'usually' or 'always' form part of cancer care; about fifty percent report to implement this in clinical practice. Healthcare professionals require evidence-based knowledge concerning the relationship between lifestyle and cancer, patient information materials, and additional consultation time to support lifestyle management involving cancer patients. The healthcare professionals' own lifestyle appears to have an influence: in those responders who do not adhere to a healthy lifestyle themselves, lifestyle was also covered less in consultations.

CONCLUSION

This explorative survey shows that lifestyle support of cancer patients is deemed an important topic amongst healthcare professionals.

[Patients on the move: validated methods to quantify physical activity]

Physical activity is an important component in the maintenance and improvement of general health; physical inactivity is, however, an increasing problem in the Netherlands. Requests for advice on physical activity are increasing within the healthcare. Assessment of an individual's physical activity pattern is required to provide tailored advice. There are a number of methods for measuring physical activity; these are divided into subjective and objective methods. Subjective measures include physical activity questionnaires and diaries. Objective measures include indirect calorimetry, measurement with doubly labelled water, heart-rate monitoring and the use of an accelerometer or pedometer. The choice of method depends predominantly on the aim of the measurement, and the availability of personnel, time and financial resources. In clinical practice a validated questionnaire is usually the preferred method, but when measuring effects this should be combined with an objective measurement instrument.

Entering a new era of body indices: the feasibility of a body shape index and body roundness index to identify cardiovascular health status

Background

The Body Mass Index (BMI) and Waist Circumference (WC) are well-used anthropometric predictors for cardiovascular diseases (CVD), but their validity is regularly questioned. Recently, A Body Shape Index (ABSI) and Body Roundness Index (BRI) were introduced as alternative anthropometric indices that may better reflect health status.

Objective

This study assessed the capacity of ABSI and BRI in identifying cardiovascular diseases and cardiovascular disease risk factors and determined whether they are superior to BMI and WC.

Design and Methods

4627 Participants (54±12 years) of the Nijmegen Exercise Study completed an online questionnaire concerning CVD health status (defined as history of CVD or CVD risk factors) and anthropometric characteristics. Quintiles of ABSI, BRI, BMI, and WC were used regarding CVD prevalence. Odds ratios (OR), adjusted for age, sex, and smoking, were calculated per anthropometric index.

Results

1332 participants (27.7%) reported presence of CVD or CVD risk factors. The prevalence of CVD increased across quintiles for BMI, ABSI, BRI, and WC. Comparing the lowest with the highest quintile, adjusted OR (95% CI) for CVD were significantly different for BRI 3.2 (1.4–7.2), BMI 2.4 (1.9–3.1), and WC 3.0 (1.6–5.6). The adjusted OR (95% CI) for CVD risk factors was for BRI 2.5 (2.0–3.3), BMI 3.3 (1.6–6.8), and WC 2.0 (1.6–2.5). No association was observed for ABSI in both groups.

Conclusions

BRI, BMI, and WC are able to determine CVD presence, while ABSI is not capable. Nevertheless, the capacity of BRI as a novel body index to identify CVD was not superior compared to established anthropometric indices like BMI and WC.

Associations between thyroid function and mortality: the influence of age

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of age on the association between thyroid function and mortality.

DESIGN

The Nijmegen Biomedical Study is a population-based study, comprising 5816 randomly selected adults of all age groups without previously known thyroid disease.

METHODS

TSH, free thyroxine (FT4) and peroxidase antibodies were measured in 2002-2003. The number of deaths were established in 2012 (median follow-up time 9.4 years).

RESULTS

Subclinical thyrotoxicosis was associated with mortality in subjects aged <65 years (hazard ratio (HR) 2.5, 95% CI 1.1-5.7), but not in subjects aged >65 years. As for thyroid function within the normal range: in the 493 participants aged 80 years or older, an FT4 level in the high-normal range (18.5-22 pmol/l) was associated with a higher mortality in comparison with FT4 levels in the middle range (11.5-15.0 pmol/l): HR 1.7 (95% CI 1.0-2.9). In these elderly, TSH levels within the high-normal range (3.0-4.0 mIU/l) were also associated with a higher mortality in comparison with TSH levels within the middle range (1.0-2.0 mIU/l): HR 1.8 (95% CI 1.0-3.1).

CONCLUSIONS

The relationship between thyroid function and mortality differs according to age. This finding might (partially) explain the discrepant results of previous studies examining the relationship between thyroid function and mortality in different age groups.

Genome-wide meta-analysis identifies 11 new loci for anthropometric traits and provides insights into genetic architecture

Approaches exploiting trait distribution extremes may be used to identify loci associated with common traits, but it is unknown whether these loci are generalizable to the broader population. In a genome-wide search for loci associated with the upper versus the lower 5th percentiles of body mass index, height and waist-to-hip ratio, as well as clinical classes of obesity, including up to 263,407 individuals of European ancestry, we identified 4 new loci (IGFBP4, H6PD, RSRC1 and PPP2R2A) influencing height detected in the distribution tails and 7 new loci (HNF4G, RPTOR, GNAT2, MRPS33P4, ADCY9, HS6ST3 and ZZZ3) for clinical classes of obesity. Further, we find a large overlap in genetic structure and the distribution of variants between traits based on extremes and the general population and little etiological heterogeneity between obesity subgroups.

Is there a relationship between fatigue perception and the serum levels of thyrotropin and free thyroxine in euthyroid subjects?

BACKGROUND

Thyrotoxicosis and hypothyroidism are associated with fatigue. Here we studied euthyroid subjects to determine if there was a relationship between serum thyrotropin (TSH), free thyroxine (FT(4)) and thyroperoxidase antibodies and fatigue.

METHODS

A total of 5897 participants of the Nijmegen Biomedical Study received a questionnaire and serum TSH (normal range 0.4-4.0 mIU/L) and FT(4) (normal range 8-22 pmol/L) were measured. Fatigue was evaluated by the RAND-36 and the shortened fatigue questionnaire (SFQ).

RESULTS

Euthyroid subjects with a serum TSH level of 0.4-1.0 mIU/L had a lower RAND-36 vitality score (65.2 vs. 66.8; regression coefficient (RC) -1.6 [95% confidence interval (CI) -2.6 to -0.5]; p=0.005) and a higher SFQ score (11.7 vs. 11.0; RC 0.6 [CI 0.2-1.0]; p=0.004) than those with a TSH of 1.0-2.0 mIU/L. Those with a serum FT(4) of 18.5-22 pmol/L reported fatigue more often (52.5% vs. 33.3%; relative risk (RR) 1.4 [CI 1.0-1.9]; p=0.03), had a lower RAND-36 vitality score (61.7 vs. 66.6; RC -4.4 [CI -8.1 to -0.6]; p=0.02) and a higher SFQ score (13.2 vs. 11.0; RC 1.9 [CI 0.4-3.3]; p=0.01) than subjects with a FT(4) level of 11.5-15 pmol/L. In comparison to euthyroid subjects without known thyroid disease, euthyroid subjects with previously known thyroid disease reported fatigue more often (52.3% vs. 34.0%; RR 1.3 [CI 1.0-1.5]; p=0.025), had a lower RAND-36 vitality score (61.4 vs. 66.3; RC -2.9 [CI -5.3 to -0.6]; p=0.015) and a higher SFQ score (13.7 vs. 11.1; RC 1.4 [CI 0.5-2.3]; p=0.002).

CONCLUSION

In euthyroid individuals without a history of thyroid disease, there is a modest relationship between thyroid function and fatigue with subjects having an apparently higher production of T(4) experiencing more fatigue. Subjects with a history of thyroid disease, but with normal TSH and FT(4) concentrations, experience more fatigue than the general population. The reasons for this are unclear, but subtle abnormalities in the dynamics of thyroid hormone secretion should be considered.

Pattern of follow-up care and early relapse detection in breast cancer patients

Routine breast cancer follow-up aims at detecting second primary breast cancers and loco regional recurrences preclinically. We studied breast cancer follow-up practice and mode of relapse detection during the first 5 years of follow-up to determine the efficiency of the follow-up schedule. The Netherlands Cancer Registry provided data of 6,509 women, operated for invasive non-metastatic breast cancer in 2003-2004. In a random sample including 144 patients, adherence to follow-up guideline recommendations was studied. Mode of relapse detection was studied in 124 patients with a second primary breast cancer and 160 patients with a loco regional recurrence. On average 13 visits were performed during the first 5 years of the follow-up, whereas nine were recommended. With one, two and three medical disciplines involved, the number of visits was 9, 14 and 18, respectively. Seventy-five percent (93/124) of patients with a second primary breast cancer, 42 % (31/74) of patients with a loco regional recurrence after breast conserving surgery and 28 % (24/86) of patients with a loco regional recurrence after mastectomy had no symptoms at detection. To detect one loco regional recurrence or second primary breast cancer preclinically, 1,349 physical examinations versus 262 mammography and/or MRI tests were performed. Follow-up provided by only one discipline may decrease the number of unnecessary follow-up visits. Breast imaging plays a major and physical examination a minor role in the early detection of second primary breast cancers and loco regional recurrences. The yield of physical examination to detect relapses early is low and should therefore be minimised.

Hepcidin and hemoglobin content parameters in the diagnosis of iron deficiency in rheumatoid arthritis patients with anemia

OBJECTIVE

To explore the utility of the novel iron indices hepcidin, reticulocyte hemoglobin content (Ret-Hgb), and erythrocyte (red blood cell) hemoglobin content (RBC-Hgb) for detection of iron deficiency in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with anemia and active inflammation and to compare these indices with conventional parameters of iron deficiency.

METHODS

Blood samples from 106 outpatients with RA were analyzed in a cross-sectional exploratory study. Forty patients were classified as having either iron deficiency anemia (IDA), anemia of chronic disease (ACD), their combination (IDA/ACD), or "other anemia" based on biochemical parameters for inflammation and iron deficiency. The ability of serum and urine hepcidin, Ret-Hgb, and RBC-Hgb measurement to discriminate among these states was evaluated.

RESULTS

Hepcidin content in serum from patients in the IDA group as well as that from patients in the combined IDA/ACD group differed significantly from that in serum from patients in the ACD group. This difference was also observed with hepcidin in urine, Ret-Hgb, and RBC-Hgb, although with less significance. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for serum hepcidin was 0.88 for the comparison of IDA/ACD patients with ACD patients and 0.92 for the comparison of the combined IDA group and IDA/ACD group to all other patients with anemia. Hepcidin at <2.4 nmoles/liter had a sensitivity of 89% and a specificity of 88% to distinguish IDA/ACD from ACD. Both Ret-Hgb and RBC-Hgb measurements also allowed differentiation between these latter groups, with a sensitivity of 67% and 89%, respectively, and a specificity of 100% and 75%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Serum hepcidin and, to a lesser extent, urine hepcidin, Ret-Hgb, and RBC-Hgb, are potential useful indicators for detecting iron deficiency in RA patients with anemia and active inflammation.

[Aftercare in oncology--greater role for the general practitioner]

Patients who undergo curative treatment for cancer continue to be medically monitored for a number of years. Scheduled aftercare, mainly aimed at early detection of locoregional cancer recurrences, distant metastases and secondary primary tumours, takes place chiefly in the second line, but is expected to shift to the first line. Figures from the Nijmegen Continuous Morbidity Registration show that an average (Dutch) general practitioner, caring for about 2500 patients, has in his practice 90 patients who have or have had cancer. This number will increase due to the increasing prevalence of cancer. In addition, extra consultations for each cancer patient will increase the demand for GP care.

Association of variants at UMOD with chronic kidney disease and kidney stones-role of age and comorbid diseases

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a worldwide public health problem that is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. To search for sequence variants that associate with CKD, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) that included a total of 3,203 Icelandic cases and 38,782 controls. We observed an association between CKD and a variant with 80% population frequency, rs4293393-T, positioned next to the UMOD gene (GeneID: 7369) on chromosome 16p12 (OR = 1.25, P = 4.1×10⁻¹⁰). This gene encodes uromodulin (Tamm-Horsfall protein), the most abundant protein in mammalian urine. The variant also associates significantly with serum creatinine concentration (SCr) in Icelandic subjects (N = 24,635, P = 1.3×10⁻²³) but not in a smaller set of healthy Dutch controls (N = 1,819, P = 0.39). Our findings validate the association between the UMOD variant and both CKD and SCr recently discovered in a large GWAS. In the Icelandic dataset, we demonstrate that the effect on SCr increases substantially with both age (P = 3.0×10⁻¹⁷) and number of comorbid diseases (P = 0.008). The association with CKD is also stronger in the older age groups. These results suggest that the UMOD variant may influence the adaptation of the kidney to age-related risk factors of kidney disease such as hypertension and diabetes. The variant also associates with serum urea (P = 1.0×10⁻⁶), uric acid (P = 0.0064), and suggestively with gout. In contrast to CKD, the UMOD variant confers protection against kidney stones when studied in 3,617 Icelandic and Dutch kidney stone cases and 43,201 controls (OR = 0.88, P = 5.7×10⁻⁵).

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common condition that is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality and has been recognized as a major public health problem worldwide. Common causes of CKD include hypertension, diabetes, and inflammatory disorders. Previous studies have shown a significant genetic contribution to kidney disease and a recent genome-wide association study yielded a variant in the UMOD gene that affects the risk of CKD. Here, we replicate the association between UMOD and CKD in an independent analysis. We also demonstrate for the first time an interaction between the UMOD variant and age that suggests that this variant may adversely affect the aging kidney and its adaptation to age-related risk factors of kidney disease, such as hypertension and diabetes. Furthermore, we show that the UMOD variant that affects risk of CKD also provides protection against kidney stone disease.

Sequence variants at the TERT-CLPTM1L locus associate with many cancer types

The common sequence variants that have recently been associated with cancer risk are particular to a single cancer type or at most two. Following up on our genome-wide scan of basal cell carcinoma, we found that rs401681[C] on chromosome 5p15.33 satisfied our threshold for genome-wide significance (OR = 1.25, P = 3.7 x 10(-12)). We tested rs401681 for association with 16 additional cancer types in over 30,000 cancer cases and 45,000 controls and found association with lung cancer (OR = 1.15, P = 7.2 x 10(-8)) and urinary bladder, prostate and cervix cancer (ORs = 1.07-1.31, all P < 4 x 10(-4)). However, rs401681[C] seems to confer protection against cutaneous melanoma (OR = 0.88, P = 8.0 x 10(-4)). Notably, most of these cancer types have a strong environmental component to their risk. Investigation of the region led us to rs2736098[A], which showed stronger association with some cancer types. However, neither variant could fully account for the association of the other. rs2736098 corresponds to A305A in the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) protein and rs401681 is in an intron of the CLPTM1L gene.

Effect of routine follow-up after treatment for laryngeal cancer on life expectancy and mortality

BACKGROUND

Routine follow-up is offered to all patients with laryngeal cancer who are treated with curative intent. Although time and resources are devoted to surveillance, the effect of asymptomatic recurrence detection is not well understood. For this study, the authors evaluated the effect that routine follow-up may have on life expectancy and disease-specific mortality rate for patients with laryngeal cancer.

METHODS

Using a Markov model, a cohort simulation was performed on 4 hypothetical age groups of patients with laryngeal cancer. Three different follow-up strategies were compared-the current schedule, no follow-up, and the perfect follow-up-in which all recurrences were detected asymptomatically. Sensitivity analyses were performed to study the impact of variations in the transition rates on life expectancy.

RESULTS

Compared with no follow-up, the current schedule showed a gain in life expectancy with a range from 0.3 years to 1.5 years that decreased with advancing age. Abolishing the current follow-up schedule raised the disease-specific mortality rate; the increase ranged from 2.8% to 5.9%. Variations of +/-25% in the transition rates produced only a modest effect on life expectancy.

CONCLUSIONS

A small reduction in life expectancy was observed when follow-up was withheld from the majority of patients. Disease-specific mortality rates rose when no follow-up was provided. These rates probably were overestimated. A simplified version of the current follow-up protocol may be implemented.

Thyroid Function and Prevalence of Anti-Thyroperoxidase Antibodies in a Population with Borderline Sufficient Iodine Intake: Influences of Age and Sex

Background: We present a large European population-based study of thyroid function, performed in a population with longstanding borderline sufficient iodine intake.

Methods: The Nijmegen Biomedical Study is a population-based survey conducted in the eastern part of The Netherlands. Randomly selected inhabitants received a postal questionnaire on lifestyle and medical history, which was filled out by 9371 individuals (41.7%). We measured serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4), and anti-thyroperoxidase antibodies (TPOAbs) in 6434 responders. A reference population of 5167 individuals was selected by excluding those at risk for thyroid disease.

Results: Overt thyrotoxicosis was found in 0.4% of the total population and subclinical thyrotoxicosis in 0.8%. Overt hypothyroidism was found in 0.4% and subclinical hypothyroidism in 4.0%. In individuals older than 60 years, mean FT4 concentrations increased with age. Mean TSH decreased with age, from 1.46 mIU/L at 18–24 years to 1.07 mIU/L after 85 years. The mean TSH in the total population did not differ from the mean TSH in the reference population; the exclusion of those at risk for thyroid disease, however, lowered the upper limit of the TSH reference interval considerably. In the total population, 8.6% of males and 18.5% of females had positive TPOAbs. The presence of TPOAbs was associated with abnormally high and low TSH concentrations.

Conclusion: In inhabitants of the eastern part of The Netherlands, serum TSH gradually decreases with age, whereas after age 60, serum FT4 increases, possibly because of the development of thyroid autonomy after longstanding borderline sufficient iodine intake.

Two prospective studies found that elevated 2-hr glucose predicted male mortality independent of fasting glucose and HbA1c

OBJECTIVE

To quantify the relative contribution of elevated 2-hr glucose, fasting glucose (FPG), and HbA1c to all-cause mortality.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING

A joint analysis of two prospective studies with baseline glycemia measurements.

RESULTS

The multivariate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) corresponding to a one standard deviation increase in HbA1c were 1.14 (95% CI 1.03-1.25), 1.08 (0.98-1.19) for FPG and 1.15 (1.05-1.27) for 2-hr glucose, respectively. Entering the 2-hr glucose to the model based on the FPG and HbA1c significantly improved the prediction of mortality, whereas neither FPG, nor HbA1c added significant information once 2-hr glucose was in the models. In subjects with FPG <7.0 mmol/L and HbA1c < or = 6.5%, the HR was 1.35 (1.03-1.78) in men with 2-hr glucose > or = 7.8 mmol/L compared with men with 2-hr glucose <7.8 mmol/L.

CONCLUSION

Elevated 2-hr glucose was a predictor of mortality independent of the levels of fasting glucose and HbA1c.

Cardiovascular events in type 2 diabetes: comparison with nondiabetic individuals without and with prior cardiovascular disease. 10-year follow-up of the Hoorn Study

AIMS

We questioned whether prior cardiovascular disease has the same impact on risk of cardiovascular events as type 2 diabetes, and whether this differed between men and women.

METHODS AND RESULTS

To address these issues we compared the 10-year risk of cardiovascular events among 208 Caucasian individuals with diabetes to that of 2253 Caucasian individuals without diabetes, in a population-based cohort study. Gender significantly modified the association between type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular events (p=0.01). The hazard ratio of cardiovascular events associated with the presence of diabetes was higher in women (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.2 to 2.7) than in men (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.3; 0.9 to 2). As compared to men without diabetes but with prior cardiovascular disease, risk of cardiovascular events was significantly lower in men with diabetes but without prior cardiovascular disease (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.5; 0.3 to 0.9). In contrast, this risk was equal in women with diabetes but without prior cardiovascular disease and women without diabetes but with prior cardiovascular disease (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.0; 0.6 to 1.7; P for interaction between gender and diabetes=0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Women with diabetes but without prior cardiovascular disease have a risk of cardiovascular events that is similar to that of women without diabetes but with prior cardiovascular disease, whereas in men the presence of prior cardiovascular disease conferred a higher risk. These data emphasise the necessity of aggressive treatment of cardiovascular risk factors in women with type 2 diabetes.

Moderate alcohol consumption is associated with lower risk for incident diabetes and mortality: the Hoorn Study

In the present study we examined the association between baseline alcohol consumption and 10-year mortality in subjects with normal and abnormal glucose levels (diabetes, impaired fasting glucose (IFG) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT)). Furthermore, we assessed the 6-year cumulative incidence of diabetes in categories of alcohol consumption. In the Hoorn Study, which started in 1989, alcohol intake was assessed by questionnaire in 2393 subjects who were subsequently categorised into four groups of alcohol consumption (non-drinkers, up to 10 g per day, 10-30 and >or=30 g per day). Glucose tolerance status by oral glucose tolerance test was classified according to the WHO-1999 diagnostic criteria. Subjects who drank up to 10 g per day of alcohol had the lowest mortality risk. The age- and sex-adjusted mortality risks for non-drinkers were 1.55 (1.04-2.32) for subjects with normal glucose levels and 1.72 (1.05-2.82) for subjects with abnormal glucose levels. The risk of diabetes was also lowest for subjects who consumed up to 10 g per day: 8.0 versus 12.9% for non-drinkers (P<0.05). Higher alcohol intakes were associated with increasing risks for mortality and diabetes. Adjustment for classical cardiovascular risk factors and other lifestyle variables did not materially affect the estimates. In conclusion, moderate alcohol consumption was associated with a lower risk for mortality and diabetes.