Medicine in the Popular Press: The Influence of the Media on Perceptions of Disease

In an age of increasing globalization and discussion of the possibility of global pandemics, increasing rates of reporting of these events may influence public perception of risk. The present studies investigate the impact of high levels of media reporting on the perceptions of disease. Undergraduate psychology and medical students were asked to rate the severity, future prevalence and disease status of both frequently reported diseases (e.g. avian flu) and infrequently reported diseases (e.g. yellow fever). Participants considered diseases that occur frequently in the media to be more serious, and have higher disease status than those that infrequently occur in the media, even when the low media frequency conditions were considered objectively ‘worse’ by a separate group of participants. Estimates of severity also positively correlated with popular print media frequency in both student populations. However, we also see that the concurrent presentation of objective information about the diseases can mitigate this effect. It is clear from these data that the media can bias our perceptions of disease

Factors associated with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations in older people in Europe: the EUREYE study.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: We aimed to describe serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) concentrations in older Europeans and to investigate associations between 25OHD and lifestyle factors, including dietary intake and supplement use. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Men and women aged ≥ 65 years were recruited from seven centres across north to south Europe. Serum 25OHD2 and 25OHD3 concentrations were measured by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in 4495 samples and total 25OHD (25OHD2 + 25OHD3) was adjusted for season of blood collection. RESULTS: The mean (25th, 75th quartile) of seasonally adjusted 25OHD was 46 (34, 65) nmol/L, with the highest concentration of 25OHD in Bergen [61 (49, 79) nmol/L], and the lowest in Paris [36 (24, 57) nmol/L)]. Vitamin D deficiency (25-50 nmol/L) and vitamin D insufficiency (50-75 nmol/L) were found in 41 and 33% of the population, respectively. In multivariable analysis controlled for confounders, seasonally adjusted 25OHD concentrations were significantly (p < 0.05) lower in smokers and participants with self-reported diabetes and higher with increasing dietary vitamin D, and supplement use with fish liver oil, omega-3, and vitamin D. Additionally, in further analysis excluding Bergen, 25OHD was associated with higher intakes of oily fish and increasing UVB exposure. We observed low concentrations of 25OHD in older people in Europe. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings of the higher 25OHD concentrations in supplement users (omega-3 fish oil, fish liver oil, vitamin D) add to current recommendations to reduce vitamin D deficiency. We were unable to fully assess the role of dietary vitamin D as we lacked information on vitamin D-fortified foods

Malignant Tumors of the Central Nervous System

Malignant tumors of the central nervous system in adults comprise a heterogeneous group of malignancies, the largest subgroups comprising astrocytomas, ependymomas, and oligodendrogliomas. Glioblastomas are the most common tumor type, and they have dismal prognosis. Due to differences in cell type of origin, as well as pathogenesis, it is plausible that their etiology also differs between tumor types. The etiology of malignant CNS tumors is largely unknown and no occupational risk factors have been definitively identified. High doses of ionizing radiation increase the risk, but in occupational settings the dose levels appear too small to result in discernible excesses. Several studies have assessed possible effect of extremely low frequency and radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, but the results are inconsistent. Increased brain tumor risk has been reported in agricultural workers, but no specific exposure has been linked to them. Pesticides have been analyzed in several studies without showing a clear increase in risk.acceptedVersionPeer reviewe

A gradient relationship between low birth weight and IQ: A meta-analysis

Abstract Multiple studies have reported that individuals with low birth weights (LBW, <2500 g) have a lower intelligence quotient (IQ) than those with normal birth weights (NBW, ≥2500 g). Based on 57 eligible individual studies including 12,137 participants, we performed a meta-analysis to estimate the association between low birth weight and individuals’ IQ scores (IQs). The pooled weight mean difference (WMD) in IQs between NBW and LBW individuals was 10 (95% CI 9.26–11.68). The WMD was stable regardless of age. No publication bias was detected. The mean IQs of the extremely low birth weight (ELBW, <1000 g), very low birth weight (VLBW, 1000–1499 g), moderately low birth weight (MLBW, 1500–2499 g) and NBW individuals were 91, 94, 99 and 104, respectively. Additionally, the WMD in IQs with NBW were 14, 10 and 7 for ELBW, VLBW, and MLBW individuals, respectively. Two studies permitted estimates of the influence of social determinants of health to the discrepancy in IQs, which was 13%. Since IQ is inherited and influenced by environmental factors, parental IQs and other factors contribute to residual confounding of the results. As the conclusion was based on population studies, it may not be applicable to a single individual