Light-to-moderate alcohol consumption and risk of stroke among U.S. male physicians

BACKGROUND: Several studies have shown U- or J-shaped relations between alcohol consumption and the risk of stroke. We evaluated the effect of light-to-moderate alcohol intake on the risk of stroke, with separate analyses of ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke. METHODS: Our analyses were based on a prospective cohort study of 22,071 male physicians, 40 to 84 years old, who were participating in the Physicians' Health Study. At base line, the participants reported that they had no history of stroke, transient ischemic attack, or myocardial infarction and were free of cancer. Alcohol intake, reported by 21,870 participants at base line, ranged from none or almost none to two or more drinks per day. RESULTS: During an average of 12.2 years of follow-up, 679 strokes were reported. As compared with participants who had less than one drink per week, those who drank more had a reduced overall risk of stroke (relative risk, 0.79; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.66 to 0.94) and a reduced risk of ischemic stroke (relative risk, 0.77; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.63 to 0.94). There was no statistically significant association between alcohol consumption and hemorrhagic stroke. The overall relative risks of stroke for the men who had one drink per week, two to four drinks per week, five or six drinks per week, or one or more drinks per day were 0.78 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.59 to 1.04), 0.75 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.58 to 0.96), 0.83 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.62 to 1.11), and 0.80 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.64 to 0.99), respectively, in an analysis in which we controlled for major risk factors for stroke. CONCLUSIONS: Light-to-moderate alcohol consumption reduced the overall risk of stroke and the risk of ischemic stroke in men. The benefit is apparent with as little as one drink per week. Greater consumption, up to one drink per day, does not increase the observed benefit.     

Association between alcohol consumption and skin prick test reactivity to aeroallergens.

BACKGROUND: A few studies have indicated a positive association between consumption of alcohol and allergic sensitization in age and socioeconomically heterogeneous populations. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between consumption of alcohol and allergic sensitization in a young homogenous population of high social class (a group with a suspected high prevalence of sensitization). METHODS: A total of 1,668 students aged 18 to 35 years recruited from universities in Copenhagen, Denmark, underwent skin prick testing (SPT) in October or November 2002 and completed a questionnaire about respiratory disease and lifestyle habits, including alcohol consumption. SPT positivity was defined as a positive reaction (> or =3 mm) against at least 1 of 10 common inhalant allergens. RESULTS: Before and after adjustment for sex, age, smoking, atopic predisposition, and pet keeping, no significant association was found between alcohol consumption (including type of beverage) and SPT positivity. Increasing alcohol consumption was significantly negatively associated with asthma symptoms and hay fever symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol consumption does not favor SPT positivity, but cumulated effects were not addressed in the present study. Individuals with asthma or hay fever symptoms seem to reduce alcohol intake (a healthy drinkers' effect).     

Alcohol during pregnancy and atopic dermatitis in the offspring

BACKGROUND: There is evidence that antenatal factors play a role in the development of atopic dermatitis (AD). However, little is known about the effects of maternal lifestyle factors during pregnancy on the risk of AD in the offspring. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of alcohol consumption during pregnancy on the incidence of AD in the offspring. METHODS: A total of 24 341 mother-child pairs enrolled in the Danish National Birth Cohort were followed prospectively. Information about alcohol consumption was obtained by interview at 12 and 30 weeks of gestation. Information about symptoms, time of onset, and doctor's diagnosis of AD in the offspring was obtained by interview at 18 months of age. The effect of alcohol consumption during pregnancy on the incidence of AD was analysed by Cox regression allowing for different effects of alcohol before (early infancy) and after 2 months (60 days) of age. RESULTS: Alcohol during pregnancy was associated with a significant and dose-dependent increased risk of AD in early infancy. This effect was mainly seen in high-risk infants (two parents with allergic disease). Thus, the highest risk of AD in early infancy was seen in high-risk infants of mothers who consumed four or more drinks per week at 30 weeks of gestation (adjusted relative risk 4.2, 95% confidence interval 1.7-10.1). There was no effect of alcohol during pregnancy beyond early infancy. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that alcohol during pregnancy increases the risk of early-onset AD in predisposed infants.     

Factors related to allergic sensitization to aeroallergens in a cross-sectional study in adults: The Copenhagen Allergy Study

BACKGROUND: The factors underlying recent increases in the prevalence of respiratory allergy are largely unknown. OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between allergic sensitization and several lifestyle/environmental factors. METHODS: A cross-sectional population-based study of 15-69-year-olds in Copenhagen was carried out in 1990. The participation rate was 77.5% (1112/1435). Different lifestyle/environmental factors (explanatory variables) were defined based on questionnaire data. Dependent (outcome) variables were skin prick test (SPT) positivity or specific IgE positivity to common aeroallergens. Explanatory variables associated with outcome in univariate analysis (P < 0.25) were selected for multivariate analysis. Subsequently, a final model for each dependent variable was obtained by stepwise regression analysis (cut-off for entry/removal of variables: P < 0.1). RESULTS: Male sex, young age, low number of siblings, a positive family history of hay fever and never smoking, were independently associated with both SPT positivity and specific IgE positivity. Furthermore, SPT positivity was positively associated with alcohol consumption (dose-response relationship only), and negatively associated with previous keeping of a dog in the household. The association between alcohol consumption and SPT positivity was mainly due to the consumption of wine and remained after adjustment for educational level. Specific IgE positivity was furthermore associated with body mass index with no apparent dose-response relationship. CONCLUSION: Being male, young age, a positive family history of hayfever, low number of siblings and never smoking, were independently associated with allergic sensitization. In addition, the results indicated a possible relationship of alcohol consumption, body mass index and previous keeping of a dog in the household to allergic sensitization. There is a need for prospective studies of risk factors for respiratory allergy.     

Association of alcohol consumption with total serum immunoglobulin E levels and allergic sensitization in an adult population-based survey

BACKGROUND: Chronic alcoholism is associated with increased total serum IgE levels. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to investigate the relationship between alcohol intake and both total serum IgE levels and allergic sensitization in a general adult population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 720 subjects was randomly selected (stratified by age) from the population older than 18 years of A-Estrada (Spain) and invited to participate in the study. From 697 eligible subjects, 469 (67%, median age 54 years, range 18 to 92 years, 44% males, 75% of cases from a rural environment) agreed to participate. A battery of 13 skin prick tests to common aeroallergens was performed in all subjects. Cases with at least one positive test (n = 121, 26%) were considered to have allergic sensitization. The most frequent sensitisers were mites and pollens (24% and 10% of subjects, respectively). Total serum IgE was measured in 465 subjects (99%). Alcohol consumption was registered as the number of standard (approximately 10 g) drinking units habitually consumed per week. A total of 244 subjects (52%) were alcohol consumers (median intake, 14 units/week, range 1 to 147 units/week). Abstainers (n = 225, 48%) constituted the reference category. RESULTS: Alcohol consumption of more than 14 units/week was associated with an increase in serum IgE levels after adjusting for age, gender, allergic sensitization and smoking (P = 0.02). Alcohol consumption was not significantly associated with either overall allergic sensitization or mite sensitization after adjusting for age, gender and smoking. However, alcohol consumption of more than 14 units/week was associated with an increased prevalence of pollen sensitization (adjusted OR 3.15, 95% CI 1.19 to 8.34, P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Alcohol consumption above a certain threshold is associated with an increase in total serum IgE levels. Alcohol consumption may also be associated with an increased prevalence of pollen sensitization.     

Temporal trends of aeroallergen sensitization over twenty-five years

BACKGROUND: Little is known about time trends of allergic respiratory disease in adults, in particular in older adults. Furthermore, few trend studies have used objective measurements of IgE sensitization against inhalant allergens. OBJECTIVES: To investigate time trends of aeroallergen sensitization in adults over a 25-year period. METHODS: The study includes a total of 7820 persons, aged 30, 40, 50, and 60 years, who participated in three repeated cross-sectional studies of the general population of Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1976-1977, 1982-1984, and 1999-2001, respectively. Respiratory allergy was assessed by determination of specific IgE aeroallergen sensitization in stored serum samples. RESULTS: Over this 25-year period, a marked and statistically significant increase in the prevalence of aeroallergen sensitization had occurred. This increase was seen in all age-groups challenging the notion that the allergy epidemic only affects generations born 1960 onwards. For example, in 40-year-olds the prevalence (with 95% confidence intervals) of aeroallergen sensitization was 14.9% (12.7-17.1), 19.7% (17.1-22.3), and 27.6% (25.1-30.1) in 1976-1977, 1982-1984, and 1999-2001, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support that the allergy epidemic has spread to older adults resulting in a continuing increase in the overall prevalence of aeroallergen sensitization and an increase in the mean age of allergic patients.     

Moderate alcohol consumption and waiting time to pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Recent research indicates that even a moderate consumption of alcohol in women trying to become pregnant is associated with longer waiting time to pregnancy. The findings, though, are based upon few observations. METHODS: Self-reported data on alcohol intake and waiting time to pregnancy (0-2, 3-5, 6-12 and >12 months) was used for 39 612 pregnant women, recruited to the Danish National Birth Cohort within the first 24 weeks of pregnancy from 1997 to 2000. Main outcome measures were odds ratios (OR) for a prolonged waiting time to pregnancy according to alcohol intake. RESULTS: In nulliparous women neither moderate nor high alcohol intake was related with longer waiting time to pregnancy compared with a low intake. In parous women, a modest association was seen only among those with an intake of >14 drinks per week (subfecundity OR 1.3; 95% confidence interval 1.0-1.7). Women who reported no alcohol intake had a slightly longer waiting time (subfecundity OR 1.2; 95% confidence interval 1.1-1.3) than women with a moderate intake of alcohol. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings do not corroborate recent results suggesting a marked reduction in fecundity associated with a moderate intake of alcohol.     

Associations of ADH and ALDH2 gene variation with self report alcohol reactions, consumption and dependence: an integrated analysis

Alcohol dependence (AD) is a complex disorder with environmental and genetic origins. The role of two genetic variants in ALDH2 and ADH1B in AD risk has been extensively investigated. This study tested for associations between nine polymorphisms in ALDH2 and 41 in the seven ADH genes, and alcohol-related flushing, alcohol use and dependence symptom scores in 4597 Australian twins. The vast majority (4296) had consumed alcohol in the previous year, with 547 meeting DSM-IIIR criteria for AD. There were study-wide significant associations (P<2.3 x 10(-4)) between ADH1B-Arg48His (rs1229984) and flushing and consumption, but only nominally significant associations (P<0.01) with dependence. Individuals carrying the rs1229984 G-allele (48Arg) reported a lower prevalence of flushing after alcohol (P=8.2 x 10(-7)), consumed alcohol on more occasions (P=2.7 x 10(-6)), had a higher maximum number of alcoholic drinks in a single day (P=2.7 x 10(-6)) and a higher overall alcohol consumption (P=8.9 x 10(-8)) in the previous year than those with the less common A-allele (48His). After controlling for rs1229984, an independent association was observed between rs1042026 (ADH1B) and alcohol intake (P=4.7 x 10(-5)) and suggestive associations (P<0.001) between alcohol consumption phenotypes and rs1693482 (ADH1C), rs1230165 (ADH5) and rs3762894 (ADH4). ALDH2 variation was not associated with flushing or alcohol consumption, but was weakly associated with AD measures. These results bridge the gap between DNA sequence variation and alcohol-related behavior, confirming that the ADH1B-Arg48His polymorphism affects both alcohol-related flushing in Europeans and alcohol intake. The absence of study-wide significant effects on AD results from the low P-value required when testing multiple single nucleotide polymorphisms and phenotypes.     

Smoking: the main cause of high mortality rate among Russian population

Mortality rates in Russia are very high as compared to those in other developed countries, particularly among men. A series of hypotheses associating heavy drinking and social and economic stresses of the transition period with drastic increases in mortality rates in Russia in the mid-1990s have been generated. However, the hypotheses are under analytical study on an individual level. A case control study was carried out to investigate the association of mortality due to smoking, alcoholic consumption, and a variety of socioeconomic indices. A total of 13,079 individuals who died in 1990-1999 were identified during a populational survey of 90,147 families in four Russian cities: Barnaul, Tomsk, Tyumen, and Vladivostok. Data on lifestyle habits, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and some socioeconomic characteristics of the deceased were obtained from questionnaire surveys with proxy respondents (wives, husbands, etc.). Proportional mortality analyses were carried out. Controls were selected from those who died from non-smoking-related causes. A statistically significant association was established between smoking and the risk of death due to cancers of the lung, mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, stomach, and urinary bladder. There was also a dose-response relationship of the numbers of cigarettes smoked to the risk of cancers at these sites. Smokers were found to be at a statistically significantly increased risk for coronary heart disease and stroke. There was a close and statistically significant association between smoking and chronic obstructive lung diseases, respiratory tuberculosis, and other respiratory infections. There was also a close dose-response relationship of the number of cigarettes consumed per day to the risk of respiratory tuberculosis and obstructive lung disease.     

Genetic variation in alcohol dehydrogenase and the beneficial effect of moderate alcohol consumption on myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND: A polymorphism in the gene for alcohol dehydrogenase type 3 (ADH3) alters the rate of alcohol metabolism. We investigated the relation among the ADH3 polymorphism, the level of alcohol consumption, and the risk of myocardial infarction in a nested case-control study based on data from the prospective Physicians' Health Study. METHODS: We identified 396 patients with eligible newly diagnosed cases of myocardial infarction among men in the Physicians' Health Study. Of these patients, 374 were matched with 2 randomly selected control subjects each and the remaining 22 with 1 control each (total, 770 controls). The ADH3 genotype (gamma1gamma1, gamma1gamma2, or gamma2gamma2) was determined in all subjects. We examined the relations among the level of alcohol intake, the ADH3 genotype, and plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels in this study population and in a similar cohort of women. RESULTS: As compared with homozygosity for the allele associated with a fast rate of ethanol oxidation (gamma1), homozygosity for the allele associated with a slow rate of ethanol oxidation (gamma2) was associated with a reduced risk of myocardial infarction (relative risk, 0.65; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.43 to 0.99). Moderate alcohol consumption was associated with a decreased risk of myocardial infarction in all three genotype groups (gamma1gamma1, gamma1gamma2, and gamma2gamma2); however, the ADH3 genotype significantly modified this association (P=0.01 for the interaction). Among men who were homozygous for the gamma1 allele, those who consumed at least one drink per day had a relative risk of myocardial infarction of 0.62 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.34 to 1.13), as compared with the risk among men who consumed less than one drink per week. Men who consumed at least one drink per day and were homozygous for the gamma2 allele had the greatest reduction in risk (relative risk, 0.14; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.04 to 0.45). Such men also had the highest plasma HDL levels (P for interaction = 0.05). We confirmed the interaction among the ADH3 genotype, the level of alcohol consumption, and the HDL level in an independent study of postmenopausal women (P=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Moderate drinkers who are homozygous for the slow-oxidizing ADH3 allele have higher HDL levels and a substantially decreased risk of myocardial infarction.     

The Effectiveness of a Web-Based Personalized Feedback and Social Norms Alcohol Intervention on United Kingdom University Students: Randomized Controlled Trial

Background

Alcohol consumption in the student population continues to be cause for concern. Building on the established evidence base for traditional brief interventions, interventions using the Internet as a mode of delivery are being developed. Published evidence of replication of initial findings and ongoing development and modification of Web-based personalized feedback interventions for student alcohol use is relatively rare. The current paper reports on the replication of the initial Unitcheck feasibility trial.

Objective

To evaluate the effectiveness of Unitcheck, a Web-based intervention that provides instant personalized feedback on alcohol consumption. It was hypothesized that use of Unitcheck would be associated with a reduction in alcohol consumption.

Methods

A randomized control trial with two arms (control=assessment only; intervention=fully automated personalized feedback delivered using a Web-based intervention). The intervention was available week 1 through to week 15. Students at a UK university who were completing a university-wide annual student union electronic survey were invited to participate in the current study. Participants (n=1618) were stratified by sex, age group, year of study, self-reported alcohol consumption, then randomly assigned to one of the two arms, and invited to participate in the current trial. Participants were not blind to allocation. In total, n=1478 (n=723 intervention, n=755 control) participants accepted the invitation. Of these, 70% were female, the age ranged from 17-50 years old, and 88% were white/white British. Data were collected electronically via two websites: one for each treatment arm. Participants completed assessments at weeks 1, 16, and 34. Assessment included CAGE, a 7-day retrospective drinking diary, and drinks consumed per drinking occasion.

Results

The regression model predicted a monitoring effect, with participants who completed assessments reducing alcohol consumption over the final week. Further reductions were predicted for those allocated to receive the intervention, and additional reductions were predicted as the number of visits to the intervention website increased.

Conclusions

Unitcheck can reduce the amount of alcohol consumed, and the reduction can be sustained in the medium term (ie, 19 weeks after intervention was withdrawn). The findings suggest self-monitoring is an active ingredient to Web-based personalized feedback.     

An exploratory analysis of the competing effects of alcohol use and advanced hepatic fibrosis on serum HDL

While alcohol use has been shown to increase serum HDL, advanced liver disease associates with decreased serum HDL. The combined influence of alcohol consumption and liver fibrosis is poorly defined. In this study, we sought to investigate the competing effects of alcohol use and hepatic fibrosis on serum HDL and to determine if the presence of advanced hepatic fibrosis ablates the reported effect of alcohol consumption on serum HDL. We performed a cross-sectional, exploratory analysis examining the interaction between alcohol use and advanced hepatic fibrosis on serum HDL levels in 10,528 patients from the Partners Biobank. Hepatic fibrosis was assessed using the FIB-4 index. We excluded patients with baseline characteristics that affect serum HDL, independent of alcohol use or the presence or advanced hepatic fibrosis. We observed an incremental correlation between increasing HDL levels and amount of alcohol consumed (P?<?0.0001), plateauing in those individuals who drink 1–2 drinks per day, Contrastingly, we found a negative association between the presence of advanced hepatic fibrosis and lower HDL levels, independent of alcohol use (beta coefficient: -0.011075, SEM0.003091, P value: 0.0001). Finally, when comparing subjects with advanced hepatic fibrosis who do not use alcohol to those who do, we observed that alcohol use is associated with increased HDL levels (54.58 mg/dL vs 67.26 mg/dL, p?=?0.0009). This HDL-elevating effect of alcohol was more pronounced than that seen in patients without evidence of advanced hepatic fibrosis (60.88 mg/dL vs 67.93 mg/dL, p?<?0.0001). Our data suggest that the presence of advanced hepatic fibrosis does not blunt the HDL-elevating effect of alcohol use.

     

The relationship of alcohol consumption to total immunoglobulin E and the development of immunoglobulin E sensitization: the Copenhagen Allergy Study

BACKGROUND: Several studies in patient populations have reported a positive association between alcohol consumption and serum total IgE. Furthermore, we have previously reported a positive association between alcohol consumption and the prevalence of skin prick test (SPT positivity) to inhalant allergens in a population-based cross-sectional study. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship of alcohol consumption to levels of serum total IgE and the development of IgE sensitization to inhalant allergens. METHODS: In 1990, self-reported consumption of alcohol, serum total IgE, SPT positivity and specific IgE positivity to inhalant allergens were assessed in 1112 subjects, aged 15-69 years, participating in a population-based cross-sectional study in Copenhagen, Denmark. In 1998, they were invited to a follow-up and 734 were re-examined (participation rate 69.0%). Adjustment for potential confounders was performed by using multivariable regression analyses. RESULTS: In non-atopic (specific IgE negative) subjects there was a positive association between alcohol consumption and the concentration of total IgE (P = 0.001). During the follow-up period, 45 and 33 subjects developed SPT positivity and specific IgE positivity, respectively. There was no significant association between alcohol consumption and the development of SPT positivity or specific IgE positivity. However, the risk of developing SPT positivity tended to increase with increasing consumption of alcohol (P = 0.055). CONCLUSIONS: This epidemiological study confirms that alcohol consumption has an influence on levels of serum total IgE. A significant association between alcohol consumption and the development of IgE sensitization was not established. However, there seems to be a lack epidemiological data on this issue.     

Association of obesity and insulin resistance with asthma and aeroallergen sensitization

Background:  It has been hypothesized that obesity and insulin resistance may play a role in the development of asthma and allergy. The aim of the study was to examine the association of obesity and insulin resistance with asthma and aeroallergen sensitization.
Methods:  Cross-sectional population-based study of 3609 Danish men and women aged 30–60 years. Aeroallergen sensitization was defined as positive levels of specific IgE against a panel of inhalant allergens. Asthma was defined as self-reported physician diagnosed asthma. Allergic asthma was defined as the presence of both asthma and aeroallergen sensitization. The homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance was used to estimate the degree of insulin resistance. Body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, and waist circumference were used as measures of obesity. Data were analyzed by multiple logistic regression analyses.
Results:  Obesity was associated with increased risk of aeroallergen sensitization as well as allergic and nonallergic asthma. Insulin resistance was asssociated with aeroallergen sensitization and allergic asthma, but not nonallergic asthma. The associations of obesity with aeroallegen sensitization and allergic asthma became nonsignificant after adjustment for insulin resistance, whereas the association of obesity with nonallergic asthma was unaffected. No sex-differences were observed.
Conclusion:  Obesity may be related to an increased risk of aeroallergen sensitization and allergic asthma through mechanisms also involved in the development of insulin resistance.     

Effects of a brief motivational intervention with college student drinkers

This study consisted of a randomized controlled trial of a 1-session motivational intervention for college student binge drinkers. Sixty students who reported binge drinking 2 or more times in the past 30 days were randomly assigned to either a no-treatment control or a brief intervention group. The intervention provided students with feedback regarding personal consumption, perceived drinking norms, alcohol-related problems, situations associated with heavy drinking, and alcohol expectancies. At 6-week follow-up, the brief intervention group exhibited significant reductions on number of drinks consumed per week, number of times drinking alcohol in the past month, and frequency of binge drinking in the past month. Estimates of typical student drinking mediated these reductions. This study replicates earlier research on the efficacy of brief interventions with college students and extends previous work regarding potential mechanisms of change.     

Association of alcohol consumption with the risk of ocular trauma

This study was conducted to evaluate the influence of alcohol consumption on the risk of ocular trauma. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 1,024 patients who visited emergency department and received ophthalmologic examination from January 1 to December 31, 2009. The patients were divided into 2 groups: those with ocular trauma (n = 494) and those without (n = 530); the influence of alcohol consumption was compared between these 2 groups. In the ocular trauma group, the association of the causes and types of ocular trauma with alcohol consumption was evaluated. One of 530 patients of no trauma group and 117 (23.7%) of 494 patients of trauma group were related with alcohol intake, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Concerning the causes, physical assault was significantly more common in alcohol-associated injury (P < 0.001). Regarding the types of injury, orbital wall fracture and hyphema showed a significant association with alcohol consumption (P < 0.001). Older age and nighttime injury were significantly related to the increased risk of alcohol-associated ocular trauma (P = 0.018 and < 0.001, respectively). In conclusion, alcohol consumption significantly increases the risk of ocular trauma.     

Breastfeeding Might Have Protective Effects on Atopy in Children With the CD14C-159T CT/CC Genotype

Breastfeeding is widely recommended to reduce risk of sensitization, eczema and asthma. However, the role of breastfeeding in prevention of allergic diseases is uncertain. We aimed to investigate whether the relationship between breastfeeding and sensitization to aeroallergens is modified by cluster of differentiation 14 (CD14) genotype. This study included 1,828 school children aged 9-12. We administered a detailed questionnaire and genotyped the CD14C-159T polymorphism. Skin prick tests for 12 aeroallergens were performed. School children who had been breastfed were less likely sensitized to aeroallergens (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.712, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.555-0.914). There was no significant association between CD14C-159T genotype and atopy. Breastfeeding was associated with a decreased risk of atopic sensitization in children with CT/CC genotype (aOR 0.667, 95% CI: 0.463-0.960). Our data might identify the gene-environment interaction between the CD14C-159T polymorphism and breastfeeding in relation to aeroallergen sensitization.     

Sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened soft drinks in association to restrained, external and emotional eating

We studied sugar-sweetened soft drinks and light soft drinks in their associations to psychological constructs of eating behavior and demographic data for adults and children. Soft drink intakes were assessed by consumption of soft drinks in number of days the last week, and eating behavior was measured by the Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (DEBQ). The sample included 3265 men and women, and their 12-year old children, originating from Swedish national databases. Associations to younger age and lower education in adults were in particular apparent for sugar-sweetened soft drinks. Consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks was further associated to less restrained and more external eating in adults. In contrast, light soft drinks were associated with higher BMI, more restrained eating and also more emotional eating in adults. For the children these associations were generally weaker. Sugar-sweetened soft drinks are consumed by persons with a lower education, who furthermore are less prone to attempt to restrict their calorie intake, and by some of those who are sensitive to external stimuli of foods. Light soft drinks are rather chosen by the more heavy persons who try to restrict their energy intake perhaps in order to control the body weight, and more unexpectedly, by adults who eat for comfort. Being more sensitive to an external stimulus of food such as taste seems to imply proneness to consume sugar-sweetened soft drinks instead of the light versions. Light soft drinks may be perceived as an adequate substitute in the use of foods for comfort, meaning the sweet taste may be sufficient for this purpose.     

Alcohol consumption and the risk of self-reported perennial and seasonal allergic rhinitis in young adult women in a population-based cohort study

Background Alcohol consumption has been suggested to be associated with the development of allergic rhinitis (AR), but there is limited data on the topic.
Objectives The objective of this study was to investigate the association between alcohol consumption and the risk of developing AR among young women.
Methods Five thousand eight hundred and seventy Danish women aged 20–29 years participated in a prospective cohort study, and were free of seasonal and perennial AR at baseline (1991–1993). Alcohol consumption was assessed by a food frequency questionnaire. The main outcome measures were self-reported information on seasonal and perennial AR debuting during a mean follow-up period of 7.8 years.
Results During follow-up, 831 women developed seasonal AR and 523 women developed perennial AR, corresponding to 14% and 9%. Alcohol consumption was positively associated with the risk of developing perennial AR. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for perennial AR was 1.78 (95% CI, 1.13–2.80) among women drinking more than 14 drinks/week compared with women drinking <1 drink/week. There was no association between alcohol consumption and seasonal AR. Having one or two parents with asthma was, after adjustment, significantly associated with the risk of developing seasonal (OR, 2.01; 95% CI, 1.65–2.45) and perennial AR (OR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.70–2.74). Smoking was not associated with an increased risk of developing AR.
Conclusion In this population of young adult women, alcohol consumption was associated with an increased risk of developing perennial AR.     

Early skin sensitization to aeroallergens

Background Early detection of aeroallergen sensitization is important as a prognosis factor but may be more difficult in young children. Objective We sought to demonstrate that skin sensitization to aeroallergens was present in a selected group of 0–2‐year‐old children and that it was associated with environmental exposure and a family history of allergic disease. Methods Data on exposure and history were extracted from the files of 824 children seen in the asthma clinic and who were skin tested to a panel of aero‐ and food allergens. Results Forty percent of our children demonstrated atopy, 28% were sensitized to aeroallergens, the majority of which to house dust mite. Higher sensitization rates were found in children with large weals to histamine (P<0.001) and in those who slept with soft toys [odds ratio (OR) 1.45, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02–2.08]. With a definition of sensitization including the size of the weal to histamine, there was a negative association with a personal history of eczema only (OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.45–0.99). There was no gender‐dependent effect and no association with day‐care attendance. Conclusion This is one of the largest studies to evaluate skin testing in a selected population of young children. We found a high prevalence of sensitization to aeroallergens, which was associated with exposure to soft toys. Further follow‐up of this population will allow assessment of the predictive value of this sensitization.