Socioeconomic position and cardiovascular risk factors among people with screen-detected Type 2 DM: Six-year follow-up of the ADDITION-Denmark trial

AimsTo examine whether socioeconomic position (SEP) was associated with change in cardiovascular risk factors and meeting treatment targets for cardiovascular risk factors among individuals with screen-detected Type 2 DM at six-year follow-up.MethodsThe study population was 1533 people with Type 2 DM identified from at stepwise diabetes screening programme in general practice during 2001–2006 in the ADDITION-Denmark study. The ADDITION-study was performed as a randomised trial but the two randomisation groups were analysed as one cohort in this study. Cardiovascular risk factors were measured at baseline and repeated at follow-up (mean: 5.9 [1.4] years). Information on SEP, redeemed antihypertensive and lipid-lowering treatment were obtained from Danish registers. Multivariate analyses were performed to estimate change in cardiovascular risk factors and difference in meeting treatment targets.ResultsThe change in HbA_1c, cholesterol, blood pressure and BMI were virtually the same across educational level, income level, occupational status or cohabiting status. Overall, the ability to meet treatment targets for HbA_1c, cholesterol and blood pressure was not modified by SEP-group. A higher proportion of people with lower educational level or lower income level in the intensive care redeemed anti-hypertensive treatment compared to people with higher educational or income levels.ConclusionScreen-detection and early treatment onset did not introduce socioeconomic inequality in metabolic control in people with screen-detected Type 2 DM at six-year follow-up.     

Biomarkers for heart failure: small molecules with high clinical relevance

Heart failure (HF) is a rising epidemic due to the ageing population and progress in all areas of medicine. Thus, research efforts are made to ensure a timely diagnosis, to improve prognosis and treatment of the disease and to facilitate risk prediction at the population level. Because of their noninvasive determination with mostly high sensitivity and accuracy, circulating blood biomarkers are becoming increasingly important for daily clinical practice. Natriuretic peptides, especially B‐type natriuretic peptide (BNP), N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide (Nt‐proBNP) and midregional pro‐atrial natriuretic peptide (MR‐proANP) and cardiac troponins are established blood biomarkers in HF diagnosis and prognosis of HF‐related outcomes. Inflammatory molecules as C‐reactive protein (CRP) may have added value in anti‐inflammatory therapy guidance. Next‐generation biomarkers including soluble source of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2), growth differentiation factor‐15 (GDF‐15), galectin‐3 (Gal‐3) and diverse microribonucleic acids (miRNAs) may have additional benefit in assessment of cardiac remodeling or differentiation of HF subtypes. Multimarker approaches containing different combinations of established and novel biomarkers might improve HF risk prediction at the population level once they are used on top of clinical variables.     

Self-report of sexually transmitted infections from 1994 to 2010 by adults living in France

BackgroundSince 1994, French population-based knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practices surveys have enabled researchers to estimate trends in sexual behavioural indicators.MethodsWe estimated trends and prevalence of self-reported sexually transmitted infections during the previous 5 years among 16,095 sexually active adults aged 18–54 through five cross-sectional telephone surveys between 1994 and 2010. We then studied the factors associated with participants’ most recent sexually transmitted infections other than genital candidiasis.ResultsOverall, 2.5% (95% confidence interval: 2.2%–2.9%) of women reported sexually transmitted infections within the previous 5 years, increases being continuously reported between 1998 and 2010. In contrast, men reported lower prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (1.4%; 95% confidence interval: 1.1%–1.7%), which remained stable over time. General practitioners and gynaecologists managed most sexually transmitted infections. Men notified their stable partners about infection less often than women (66% vs. 84%). Self-reported sexually transmitted infections were associated with younger age, multiple sexual partnerships and fear of sexually transmitted infections in both genders, with exclusively homosexual practices in men, and with a high educational level and recent HIV testing in women.ConclusionSelf-reported sexually transmitted infections clearly reflect risky sexual behaviours. The lower prevalence of self-reported sexually transmitted infections among men than among women may reflect less access to screening activities for sexually transmitted infections in men.     

Evidence of inappropriate cardiovascular risk assessment in middle-age women based on recommended cut-points for waist circumference

Background and aimsDiverse waist circumference thresholds for assessment of metabolic and cardiovascular risk in Caucasians are recommended by different health professional organizations. We aimed to determine optimal sex-specific thresholds for anthropometric measures showing the strongest association with cardiovascular risk factors in a cohort of middle-aged Germans.Methods and resultsStatistical analyses are based on data from 426 mothers and 267 fathers of participants of the Ulm Birth Cohort Study undergoing a clinical follow-up examination in 2008 (median age 41 years) using logistic regression analyses. The prevalence of many cardiometabolic risk factors was significantly higher in men than in women; hypertension: 45%/17% (p < 0.0001), apolipoprotein ratio B/A1 > 0.72: 35%/9% (<0.0001), hyperglycemia: 11%/14% (p = 0.3), which is in contrast to the predicted cardiovascular risk of 52%/70% and 24%/36% based on thresholds for waist circumference proposed by International Diabetes Federation and American Heart Association, respectively. We determined optimal thresholds for waist circumference between 90 and 95 cm for men and women. Using a threshold of 92 cm the prevalence of abdominal obesity was 59% in men and 24% in women, which was in agreement with the higher prevalence of overweight and obesity in men than in women (Body Mass Index (BMI) > 25: 64%/35%). The prediction of cardiometabolic risk factors by waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio did not outperform the prediction by BMI. In contrast to BMI, waist circumference was correlated with body height independent of sex.ConclusionCurrently proposed thresholds for waist circumference spuriously overestimate the cardiovascular risk in women, but not in men in a German population.     

Verletzungsprävention innerhalb eines internationalen Sportverbandes – Eine Prozessbeschreibung am Beispiel des alpinen Skirennsports

Since 2006 structured and evidence based research on injury prevention is conducted under the guidance and support of the International Ski Federation (FIS) within the Injury Surveillance System (ISS). The outcome of this work is used directly by the FIS for the implementation of concrete injury prevention measures through regimentation modification on the one hand. On the other hand the outcome of the FIS ISS Network is a series of journal publications for the scientific community. The current paper describes the scientific process within the FIS ISS Network on the basis of the work which has already been published and explains recently implemented prevention measures in the area of equipment.     

High‐frequency p16INK4A promoter methylation is associated with histone methyltransferase SETDB1 expression in sporadic cutaneous melanoma

Epigenetic mechanisms participate in melanoma development and progression. The effect of histone modifications and their catalysing enzymes over euchromatic promoter DNA methylation in melanoma remains unclear. This study investigated the potential association of p16^INK4A promoter methylation with histone methyltransferase SETDB1 expression in Greek patients with sporadic melanoma and their correlation with clinicopathological characteristics. Promoter methylation was detected by methylation‐specific PCR in 100 peripheral blood samples and 58 melanoma tissues from the same patients. Cell proliferation (Ki‐67 index), p16^INK4A and SETDB1 expression were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. High‐frequency promoter methylation (25.86%) was observed in tissue samples and correlated with increased cell proliferation (P = 0.0514). p16^INK4A promoter methylation was higher in vertical growth‐phase (60%) melanomas than in radial (40%, P = 0.063) and those displaying epidermal involvement (P = 0.046). Importantly, p16^INK4A methylation correlated with increased melanoma thickness according to Breslow index (P = 0.0495) and marginally with increased Clark level (I/II vs III/IV/V, P = 0.070). Low (1–30%) p16^INK4A expression was detected at the majority (19 of 54) of melanoma cases (35.19%), being marginally correlated with tumor lymphocytic infiltration (P = 0.078). SETDB1 nuclear immunoreactivity was observed in 47 of 57 (82.46%) cases, whereas 27 of 57 (47.37%) showed cytoplasmic immunoexpression. Cytoplasmic SETDB1 expression correlated with higher frequency of p16^INK4A methylation and p16^INK4A expression (P = 0.033, P = 0.011, respectively). Increased nuclear SETDB1 levels were associated with higher mitotic count (0–5/mm² vs >5/mm², P = 0.0869), advanced Clark level (III‐V, P = 0.0380), epidermal involvement (P = 0.0331) and the non‐chronic sun exposure‐associated melanoma type (P = 0.0664). Our data demonstrate for the first time the association of histone methyltransferase SETDB1 with frequent methylation of the euchromatic p16^INK4A promoter and several prognostic parameters in melanomas.