Alcohol and difficulty conceiving in the SUN cohort: A nested case-control study

The role of alcohol on fertility remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the association between alcohol and specific alcoholic beverages consumption and the risk of difficulty getting pregnant. We used a case-control study nested within the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) cohort, a prospective, dynamic and multipurpose cohort of 21,705 Spanish university graduates, followed biennially with mailed questionnaires. We identified 686 case-control pairs, matched for age and time in the cohort. Cases were women reporting difficulty getting pregnant. Controls did not consult due to difficulty conceiving and had at least one child during follow-up. After adjustment for potential confounders, we found no association between self-reported difficulty getting pregnant and the number of alcoholic beverages consumed per week, (Odds Ratio [OR] > 5 drinks/week vs. none = 1.04, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 0.72-1.51). No association between types of alcoholic beverage and difficulty conceiving (OR > 5 drinks of wine/week vs. none = 1.16, 95% CI = 0.72-1.88; OR > 5 drinks of beer/week vs. none = 1.06, 95% CI = 0.82-1.37; OR > 5 drinks of spirits/week vs. none = 1.24, 95% CI = 0.84-1.64) was observed. In conclusion, we found no association between alcohol intake and risk of consulting a physician due to difficulty conceiving. More studies are needed to clearly elucidate the effects of alcohol intake on women's fertility. In the meantime, recommendations about alcohol intake to couples trying to conceive have to be given cautiously

High-fat diet fuels prostate cancer progression by rewiring the metabolome and amplifying the MYC program

Systemic metabolic alterations associated with increased consumption of saturated fat and obesity are linked with increased risk of prostate cancer progression and mortality, but the molecular underpinnings of this association are poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate in a murine prostate cancer model, that high-fat diet (HFD) enhances the MYC transcriptional program through metabolic alterations that favour histone H4K20 hypomethylation at the promoter regions of MYC regulated genes, leading to increased cellular proliferation and tumour burden. Saturated fat intake (SFI) is also associated with an enhanced MYC transcriptional signature in prostate cancer patients. The SFI-induced MYC signature independently predicts prostate cancer progression and death. Finally, switching from a high-fat to a low-fat diet, attenuates the MYC transcriptional program in mice. Our findings suggest that in primary prostate cancer, dietary SFI contributes to tumour progression by mimicking MYC over expression, setting the stage for therapeutic approaches involving changes to the diet

Sugar-sweetened beverage intake in relation to semen quality and reproductive hormone levels in young men

Izrada aplikacija korištenjem tehnika aspektno orijentiranog programiranja. Primjena jezika i alata prilagođenih tehnikama aspektno orijentiranog programiranja (AspectJ, AspectC++, Spring itd.)

Menstrual Cycle Regularity and Length Across the Reproductive Lifespan and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

Importance: Menstrual cycle characteristics may be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, existing studies are limited, and few have explored the mediating role of established CVD risk factors. Objective: To explore the associations of menstrual cycle characteristics across the reproductive lifespan with the risk of CVD and to what extent these associations were mediated by hypercholesterolemia, chronic hypertension, and type 2 diabetes. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study prospectively followed Nurses' Health Study II participants between 1993 and 2017 who reported menstrual cycle regularity and length for ages 14 to 17 years and 18 to 22 years at enrollment in 1989 and updated current cycle characteristics in 1993 (at ages 29 to 46 years). Data analysis was performed from October 1, 2019, to January 1, 2022. Exposures: Menstrual cycle regularity and length across the reproductive lifespan. Main Outcomes and Measures: Incident CVD events of interest, including fatal and nonfatal coronary heart disease (CHD; myocardial infarction [MI] or coronary revascularization) and stroke. Results: A total of 80 630 Nurses' Health Study II participants were included in the analysis, with a mean (SD) age of 37.7 (4.6) years and body mass index of 25.1 (5.6) at baseline. Over 24 years of prospective follow-up, 1816 women developed their first CVD event. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models showed that, compared with women reporting very regular cycles at the same ages, women who had irregular cycles or no periods at ages 14 to 17, 18 to 22, or 29 to 46 years had hazard ratios for CVD of 1.15 (95% CI, 0.99-1.34), 1.36 (95% CI, 1.06-1.75), and 1.40 (95% CI, 1.14-1.71), respectively. Similarly, compared with women reporting a cycle length of 26 to 31 days, women reporting a cycle length 40 days or more or a cycle too irregular to estimate from ages 18 to 22 or 29 to 46 years had hazard ratios for CVD of 1.44 (95% CI, 1.13-1.84) and 1.30 (95% CI, 1.09-1.57), respectively. Mediation analyses showed that subsequent development of hypercholesteremia, chronic hypertension, and type 2 diabetes only explained 5.4% to 13.5% of the observed associations. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study, both irregular and long menstrual cycles were associated with increased rates of CVD, which persisted even after accounting for subsequently established CVD risk factors.Open access journalThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

Alcohol and difficulty conceiving in the SUN cohort: A nested case-control study

The role of alcohol on fertility remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the association between alcohol and specific alcoholic beverages consumption and the risk of difficulty getting pregnant. We used a case-control study nested within the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) cohort, a prospective, dynamic and multipurpose cohort of 21,705 Spanish university graduates, followed biennially with mailed questionnaires. We identified 686 case-control pairs, matched for age and time in the cohort. Cases were women reporting difficulty getting pregnant. Controls did not consult due to difficulty conceiving and had at least one child during follow-up. After adjustment for potential confounders, we found no association between self-reported difficulty getting pregnant and the number of alcoholic beverages consumed per week, (Odds Ratio [OR] > 5 drinks/week vs. none = 1.04, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 0.72-1.51). No association between types of alcoholic beverage and difficulty conceiving (OR > 5 drinks of wine/week vs. none = 1.16, 95% CI = 0.72-1.88; OR > 5 drinks of beer/week vs. none = 1.06, 95% CI = 0.82-1.37; OR > 5 drinks of spirits/week vs. none = 1.24, 95% CI = 0.84-1.64) was observed. In conclusion, we found no association between alcohol intake and risk of consulting a physician due to difficulty conceiving. More studies are needed to clearly elucidate the effects of alcohol intake on women's fertility. In the meantime, recommendations about alcohol intake to couples trying to conceive have to be given cautiously

Association of birth by cesarean delivery with obesity and type 2 diabetes among adult women

Importance Cesarean delivery is associated with an increased risk of childhood obesity in offspring. However, whether this increased risk also includes obesity-associated conditions remains unclear. Objective To evaluate the association of birth by cesarean delivery with offspring’s risks of obesity and type 2 diabetes in adulthood. Design, Setting, and Participants This prospective cohort study compared the incidence of obesity and type 2 diabetes between birth by cesarean delivery and vaginal delivery among 33 226 women participating in the Nurses’ Health Study II who were born between 1946 and 1964, with follow-up through the end of the 2013-2015 follow-up cycle. Participants’ mothers provided information on mode of delivery and pregnancy characteristics. Participants provided information every 2 years on weight and diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. Relative risks of obesity and type 2 diabetes were estimated using log-binomial and proportional hazards regression accounting for maternal body mass index and other confounding factors. Statistical analysis was performed from June 2017 to December 2019. Exposure Birth by cesarean delivery compared with birth by vaginal delivery. Main Outcomes and Measures Risk of obesity and incidence of type 2 diabetes. Results At baseline, the participants’ mean (SD) age was 33.8 (4.6) years (range, 24.0-44.0 years). A total of 1089 of the 33 226 participants (3.3%) were born by cesarean delivery. After 1 913 978 person-years of follow-up, 12 156 (36.6%) women were obese and 2014 (6.1%) had received a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. Women born by cesarean delivery were more likely to be classified as obese and to have received a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes during follow-up. The multivariable-adjusted relative risk of obesity among women born by cesarean vs vaginal delivery was 1.11 (95% CI, 1.03-1.19). The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio for type 2 diabetes among women born by cesarean vs vaginal delivery was 1.46 (95% CI, 1.18-1.81); this association remained significant after additional adjustment for participant’s own body mass index (relative risk, 1.34 [95% CI, 1.08-1.67]). These associations persisted when analyses were restricted to women at low risk of cesarean delivery based on maternal characteristics. Conclusions and Relevance This study suggests that women born by cesarean delivery may have a higher risk than women born by vaginal delivery of being obese and developing type 2 diabetes during adult life

Paternal preconception folate intake in relation to gestational age at delivery and birthweight of newborns conceived through assisted reproduction

Research question Studies in rodents have shown that paternal folate intake prior to conception is associated with pregnancy and offspring outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess whether those associations might apply to humans as well. Design Between 2007 and 2017, the study prospectively analysed data from 108 couples participating in a preconception cohort of couples undergoing fertility treatment using their own gametes, whose treatment resulted in 113 pregnancies during the course of the study. Paternal and maternal preconception folate intake was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Linear mixed models were used to assess whether paternal preconception folate intake was associated with gestational age at delivery and gestational age-specific birthweight, while accounting for correlated data and potential confounders. Results In a multivariable-adjusted model, a 400 μg/day increase in preconception paternal folate intake was associated with a 2.6-day longer gestation (95% confidence interval 0.8–4.3) after adjusting for potential confounders, including maternal folate intake. Similar associations were found for folate from food and supplements. Maternal folate intake was not associated with gestational age at delivery. Neither paternal nor maternal folate intake was associated with gestational-age-specific birthweight. Conclusions Higher paternal preconception folate intake was associated with slightly longer gestation among live births achieved through assisted reproduction. The results suggest that preconception exposures of the father may have an impact on the health of his offspring, and therefore that preconception care should shift from a woman-centric to a couple-based approach