Lipid measures for prediction of incident cardiovascular disease in diabetic and non-diabetic adults: results of the 8.6 years follow-up of a population based cohort study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Diabetes is a strong risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD).The relative role of various lipid measures in determining CVD risk in diabetic patients is still a subject of debate. We aimed to compare performance of different lipid measures as predictors of CVD using discrimination and fitting characteristics in individuals with and without diabetes mellitus from a Middle East Caucasian population.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study population consisted of 1021 diabetic (men = 413, women = 608) and 5310 non-diabetic (men = 2317, women = 2993) subjects, aged ≥ 30 years, free of CVD at baseline. The adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for CVD were calculated for a 1 standard deviation (SD) change in total cholesterol (TC), log-transformed triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), non-HDL-C, TC/HDL-C and log-transformed TG/HDL-C using Cox proportional regression analysis. Incident CVD was ascertained over a median of 8.6 years of follow-up.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 189 (men = 91, women = 98) and 263(men = 169, women = 94) CVD events occurred, in diabetic and non-diabetic population, respectively. The risk factor adjusted HRs to predict CVD, except for HDL-C, TG and TG/HDL-C, were significant for all lipid measures in diabetic males and were 1.39, 1.45, 1.36 and 1.16 for TC, LDL-C, non- HDL-C and TC/HDL-C respectively. In diabetic women, using multivariate analysis, only TC/HDL-C had significant risk [adjusted HR1.31(1.10-1.57)].Among non-diabetic men, all lipid measures, except for TG, were independent predictors for CVD however; a 1 SD increase in HDL-C significantly decreased the risk of CVD [adjusted HR 0.83(0.70-0.97)].In non-diabetic women, TC, LDL-C, non-HDL-C and TG were independent predictors.</p> <p>There was no difference in the discriminatory power of different lipid measures to predict incident CVD in the risk factor adjusted models, in either sex of diabetic and non-diabetic population.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our data according to important test performance characteristics provided evidence based support for WHO recommendation that along with other CVD risk factors serum TC vs. LDL-C, non-HDL-C and TC/HDL-C is a reasonable lipid measure to predict incident CVD among diabetic men. Importantly, HDL-C did not have a protective effect for incident CVD among diabetic population; given that the HDL-C had a protective effect only among non- diabetic men.</p

Lipid ratios and appropriate cut off values for prediction of diabetes: a cohort of Iranian men and women

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Dyslipidemia is a risk factor for incident type 2 diabetes; however, no study has specifically assessed the lipid ratios (i.e. total cholesterol (TC)/high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and triglyceride (TG)/HDL-C) as predictors of diabetes. We aimed to compare the independent association between the different lipid measures with incident diabetes over a median follow up of 6.4 years in Iranian men and women.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>The study population consisted of 5201 non diabetic (men = 2173, women = 3028) subjects, aged ≥20 years. The risk factor adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for diabetes were calculated for every 1 standard deviation (SD) change in TC, log-transformed TG, HDL-C, non-HDL-C, TC/HDL-C and log-transformed TG/HDL-C using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to define the points of the maximum sum of sensitivity and specificity (MAXss) of each lipid measure as a predictor of diabetes.</p> <p>Result</p> <p>We found 366 (146 men and 220 women) new diabetes cases during follow-up. The risk-factor-adjusted ORs for a 1 SD increase in TG, TC/HDL-C and TG/HDL-C were 1.23, 1.27 and 1.25 in men; the corresponding risks in females were 1.36, 1.14, 1.39 respectively (all p < 0.05, except TC/HDL-C in females which was marginally significant, p = 0.07). A 1 SD increase of HDL-C only in women decreased the risk of diabetes by 25% [0.75(0.64-0.89)]. In both genders, there was no difference in the discriminatory power of different lipid measures to predict incident diabetes in the risk factor adjusted models (ROC ≈ 82%). TG cutoff values of 1.98 and 1.66 mmol/l; TG/HDL-C cutoff values of 4.7 and 3.7, in men and women, respectively, TC/HDL-C cutoff value of 5.3 in both genders and HDL-C cutoff value of 1.18 mmol/l in women yielded the MAXss for defining the incidence of diabetes.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>TC/HDL-C and TG/HDL-C showed similar performance for diabetes prediction in men population however; among women TG/HDL-C highlighted higher risk than did TC/HDL-C, although there was no difference in discriminatory power. Importantly, HDL-C had a protective effect for incident diabetes only among women.</p

Effects of Imunit Insecticide on Biological Characteristics and Life Table Parameters of Spodoptera cilium (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Imunit is a mixture of alpha-cypermethrin + teflubenzuron, and has been launched for controlling caterpillars. In this study, the effects of Imunit at LC50 and LC30 were investigated on parental and offspring generation of S. cilium, according to age-stage, two-sex life table. The experiments were conducted by leaf dipping method at 25 C and 60 5% relative humidity, under a cycle of 16 h fluorescent light and 8 h darkness. LC30 and LC50 concentrations of Imunit increased the immature developmental time of S. cilium in the offspring generation, while the LC50 of Imunit significantly reduced the developmental time of adults. The adult pre-oviposition period and total pre-oviposition period considerably increased when offspring were treated with LC50 of Imunit. In offspring of S. cilium exposed to LC50 and LC30 concentrations of Imunit, the gross reproductive rate (GRR), net reproduction rate (R0), the intrinsic rate of population increase (r), and the finite rate of population increase (l) significantly reduced compared to the control. This study showed that the application of Imunit at LC50 could suppress the S. cilium population and can be used in the integrated management program of this pest

Biology and Population Dynamics of Mercetaspis halli (Green) on Almond and Peach Trees in Saman Region, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province

Introduction: Pest and disease problem with the extension of fruit orchards, becomes a serious and restricted factor for orchard growers. Most of the scale insect of cold region fruit trees in Iran belongto family Diaspididae. One of the most important pests in the fruit orchards of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province are scale insects. Hall scale, Mercetaspis halli (Green) (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) ), which is armoured scale, is known as a primarily pest of stone fruits. They are the most prevalent pests on trees mostly on Almond and Nectarine . In Iran, this pest is reported in the regions such as Khorasan, Marcazi, Semnan on Cherry, Almond and Apricot trees . Rajabi also reported the pest in Tehran, Esfahan, Yazd, Kermanshah, Fars and Kerman province on apricot, peach, cherry trees . Moghaddam in 2004 reported the pest distribution in Fars, Isfahan, Kerman, Sistan and Baluchestan on almond, peach and pistacia. Monthly abundance monitoring of M. halli, which was conducted by Berlinger et al in 1996 , indicated that adult population had three generations per year. From the ecological and biological aspects, no enough information is available in Iran about M. halli scale. Thus, the aim of this research was to investigate aspects of the biology and ecology and seasonal changes of M. halli on Almond and peach trees to clarify the effectiveness of nonchemical management strategy. Materials and Methods: A field study carried out by weekly sampling of different growth stages of M. halli (egg, nymph, male and female) on twigs in two the Almond and the Peach orchards in Saman restrict in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province. Different growth stages of armoured scales (egg, nymph, male and female) were counted and its population seasonal changes were studied. The population density was determined and compared on different twigs with different ages. The period for ovoviviparously and emergence of 1st and 2nd nymphal instars and matured insects were estimated. Based on Berlinger et al. (3), growth stages were collected and counted on branches especially in join sections of old and new branches and cracks of branches. The data were normalized by changing to ( ). Figure of population changes were drawn by Excel. Results and Discussion: Berlinger et al. (3) studied the biology of M. halli and found that this armoured scale is a primarily pest of stone fruits especially on Peaches and Nectarines. These researchers reported 3 generations per year for the pest. In California, M. halli has one full and one partial generation per year and overwinters as adult females. The results of the present study was exactly in accordance to the results of Berlinger et al. (3) in that M. halli scales settle in all parts of the tree, but are more abundant beneath buds of current growth, or in bark crevices of the main branches, either in the lower tree center or on the trunk. Berlinger et al. (3) studies, showed that infestation and feeding of M. halli weakens fruit trees and reduces their growth and functionality. Feeding by hall scale weakens plants and may reduce the yield. However, the most important and direct economic damage is caused by nymphs settling on the fruit. Females settle in all parts of the tree and male were rare and emerged only in summer. In this survey, winged adult males didn’t emergeMeanwhile, the important economical damage is observed by settled nymphs on the fruits. Damage due to feeding of this insect appears as red depressions (2mm diameter) in the skin or as red spots which develop after the death of the scales and expand as the fruit grows. This case reduces the fruit market price. Berlinger et al. (3) and Gill (6) also reported that this pest overwinters as mated adult females. According to their results more than 90 percent of overwintering females had velum, which is an indication of mated female materials. Conclusion: Infestation of the M. halli on the trees of Plum, Almond, Apricot and Peach in Saman region indicated that the pest is polyphagous and can damage to the different Rosaceae trees. Our results showed that this insect produced nymphs ovoviviparously. This stage lasted for a very long period. Since after the first generation being finished the next generations overlapped and in its population, all different growth stages were observed. This pest had two complete generations and the third incomplete generation in nymphal stages appeared when weather was getting cold. Males and females were seen simultaneously. Mated females overwintered on beneath buds or in bark crevices of the twigs and branches of host trees. Finally, all nymphs died. Thus only mated females overwintered on cracks of trunks and branches of Peach and Almond trees