Public Health and Participation Directorate, Health and Health Care Services Council, Asturias, Spain, 17 Andalusian School of Public Health, Granada, Spain, 18 Public Health Department of Gipuzkoa, Basque Regional Health Department

Abstract Background: The effect of the macronutrient composition of the usual diet on long term weight maintenance remains controversial

Relative Risk (RR) of Total Incident Cancer and of Site-Specific Cancer by Educational Attainment in Men.

<p>Abbreviations: RR, relative risk; CI, confidence interval; BMI, body mass index (calculated as weight kilograms divided by height in meters squared).</p>a<p>p for trend across education groups.</p>b<p>Age-adjusted Incidence rates are per 100,000 person-years by 5 year age intervals.</p>c<p>Multivariate models included the following covariates: age (yrs); race (White, Black, Hispanic and Asian, Pacific Islanders and Native Americans, combined); smoking (Never, Quit < = 1 pack per day, Quit>1 pack per day, Currently smoking < = 1 pack per day, Currently Smoking>1 pack per day); alcohol consumptions g/day (0; 0.1−<5, 5−<15, 15<30, 30+); energy (Kcal/day);BMI (<25, 25−<30, 30−<35, 35+); Physical activity (Frequency of at least 20 minutes that caused increases in breathing or heart rate, or worked up a sweat: Never/Rarely, 1–3 time per month, 1–2 times per week, 3–4 times per week, 5+ times per week, Unknown), married (yes/no); family history of cancer (yes/no).</p>d<p>Smoking related cancers include sites: head neck, esophageal, lung, pancreas, bladder.</p>e<p>For the sites of colon and prostate (local and advanced) models were adjusted for screening behavior.</p

Dietary patterns as identified by factor analysis and colorectal cancer among middle-aged Americans

Background: Although diet has long been suspected as an etiological factor for colorectal cancer, studies of single foods and nutrients have provided inconsistent results. Objective: We used factor analysis methods to study associations between dietary patterns and colorectal cancer in middle-aged Americans. Design: Diet was assessed among 293 615 men and 198 767 women in the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study. Principal components factor analysis identified 3 primary dietary patterns: a fruit and vegetables, a diet foods, and a red meat and potatoes pattern. State cancer registries identified 2151 incident cases of colorectal cancer in men and 959 in women between 1995 and 2000. Results: Men with high scores on the fruit and vegetable pattern were at decreased risk [relative risk (RR) for quintile (Q) 5 versus Q1: 0.8 1; 95% CI: 0.70, 0.93; P for trend = 0.004]. Both men and women had a similar risk reduction with high scores on the diet food factor: men (RR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.72, 0.94; P for trend = 0.001) and women (RR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.71, 1.07; P for trend = 0.06). High scores on the red meat factor were associated with increased risk: men (RR: 1.17; 95% CI: 1.02,1.35; P for trend = 0.14) and women (RR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.20, 1.83; P for trend = 0.0002). Conclusions: These results suggest that dietary patterns characterized by a low frequency of meat and potato consumption and frequent consumption of fruit and vegetables and fat-reduced foods are consistent with a decreased risk of colorectal cancer

Baseline Characteristics According to Educational Attainment in Men and Women.

a<p>BMI, body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared).</p>b<p>Reported screening 3 years prior to baseline for colon, breast (women only), ovarian (women only) or prostate (men only) cancers.</p>c<p>Among parous women.</p

Mediterranean dietary pattern and prediction of all-cause mortality in a US population - Results from the NIH-AARP diet and health study

Background: The Mediterranean diet has been suggested to play a beneficial role for health and longevity. However, to our knowledge, no prospective US study has investigated the Mediterranean dietary pattern in relation to mortality. Methods: Study participants included 214 284 men and 166 012 women in the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-AARP ( formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons) Diet and Health Study. During follow-up for all-cause mortality (1995-2005), 27 799 deaths were documented. In the first 5 years of follow-up, 5985 cancer deaths and 3451 cardiovascular disease (CVD) deaths were reported. We used a 9-point score to assess conformity with the Mediterranean dietary pattern ( components included vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, whole grains, fish, monounsaturated fat saturated fat ratio, alcohol, and meat). We calculated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using age- and multivariate-adjusted Cox models. Results: The Mediterranean diet was associated with reduced all-cause and cause-specific mortality. In men, the multivariate HRs comparing high to low conformity for all-cause, CVD, and cancer mortality were 0.79 ( 95% CI, 0.76-0.83), 0.78 ( 95% CI, 0.69-0.87), and 0.83 ( 95% CI, 0.76-0.91), respectively. In women, an inverse association was seen with high conformity with this pattern: decreased risks that ranged from 12% for cancer mortality to 20% for all-cause mortality (P=.04 and P <.001, respectively, for the trend). When we restricted our analyses to never smokers, associations were virtually unchanged. Conclusion: These results provide strong evidence for a beneficial effect of higher conformity with the Mediterranean dietary pattern on risk of death from all causes, including deaths due to CVD and cancer, in a US population