Correlation of umbilical cord blood haematopoietic stem and progenitor cell levels with birth weight: implications for a prenatal influence on cancer risk

We examined the relation with birth weight and umbilical cord blood concentrations of haematopoietic stem and progenitor populations in 288 singleton infants. Across the whole range of birth weight, there was a positive relation between birth weight and CD34+CD38− cells, with each 500 g increase in birth weight being associated with a 15.5% higher (95% confidence interval: 1.6–31.3%) cell concentration. CD34+ and CD34+c-kit+ cells had J-shaped relations and CFU-GM cells had a U-shaped relation with birth weight. Among newborns with ⩾3000 g birth weights, concentrations of these cells increased with birth weight, while those below 3000 g had higher stem cell concentrations than the reference category of 3000–3499 g. Adjustment for cord blood plasma insulin-like growth factor-1 levels weakened the stem and progenitor cell–birth weight associations. The positive associations between birth weight and stem cell measurements for term newborns with a normal-to-high birth weight support the stem cell burden hypothesis of cancer risk

Is alcohol consumption a risk factor for prostate cancer? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Research on a possible causal association between alcohol consumption and risk of prostate cancer is inconclusive. Recent studies on associations between alcohol consumption and other health outcomes suggest these are influenced by drinker misclassification errors and other study quality characteristics. The influence of these factors on estimates of the relationship between alcohol consumption and prostate cancer has not been previously investigated. Methods: PubMed and Web of Science searches were made for case–control and cohort studies of alcohol consumption and prostate cancer morbidity and mortality (ICD–10: C61) up to December 2014. Studies were coded for drinker misclassification errors, quality of alcohol measures, extent of control for confounding and other study characteristics. Mixed models were used to estimate relative risk (RR) of morbidity or mortality from prostate cancer due to alcohol consumption with study level controls for selection bias and confounding. Results: A total of 340 studies were identified of which 27 satisfied inclusion criteria providing 126 estimates for different alcohol exposures. Adjusted RR estimates indicated a significantly increased risk of prostate cancer among low (RR = 1.08, P 1.3, <24 g per day). This relationship is stronger in the relatively few studies free of former drinker misclassification error. Given the high prevalence of prostate cancer in the developed world, the public health implications of these findings are significant. Prostate cancer may need to be incorporated into future estimates of the burden of disease alongside other cancers (e.g. breast, oesophagus, colon, liver) and be integrated into public health strategies for reducing alcohol related disease

Sleep positions and nocturnal body movements based on free-living accelerometer recordings: association with demographics, lifestyle, and insomnia symptoms

Eivind Schjelderup Skarpsno,1,2 Paul Jarle Mork,1 Tom Ivar Lund Nilsen,1 Andreas Holtermann3,4 1Department of Public Health and Nursing, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 2Liaison Committee between Central Norway Regional Health Authority and NTNU, Trondheim, Norway; 3National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, 4Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark Background: In order to establish normative values for body positions and movements during sleep, the objective of this study was to explore the distribution of sleep positions and extent of nocturnal body moments and the association with sex, age, body-mass index (BMI), smoking, alcohol consumption, and insomnia symptoms. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study comprised data on a working population (363 men and 301 women) who participated in the Danish Physical Activity Cohort with Objective Measurements (DPHACTO). Measures of body position and movements were obtained from actigraph accelerometers on the thigh, upper back, and upper arm. Linear regression was used to estimate adjusted mean differences in movements among categories of demographic and lifestyle characteristics. Results: During their time in bed, participants spent 54.1% (SD 18.1%) in the side position, 37.5% (SD 18.2%) in the back position, and 7.3% (SD 12.3%) in the front position. Increasing age and BMI were associated with increased time in the side position and a proportional reduction in time in the back position. There were on average 1.6 (SD 0.7) position shifts per hour. Compared to males, females had fewer position shifts (&ndash;0.37, 95% CI &ndash;0.48 to &ndash;0.24) and fewer arm, thigh, and upper-back movements. Participants aged 20&ndash;34 years had more arm, thigh, and upper-back movements compared to participants &ge;35 years. Obese participants had fewer shifts in body position (&ndash;0.15, 95% CI &ndash;0.27 to 0), but more arm, thigh, and upper-back movements compared to normal-weight participants. Smokers had fewer shifts in body position than nonsmokers (&ndash;0.27, 95% CI &ndash;0.4 to &ndash;0.13). Conclusion: The predominant sleep position in adults is on the side. This preference increases with age and BMI. The extent of nocturnal body movements is associated with sex, age, BMI, and smoking. Keywords: sleep, sleep positions, body movements, accelerometers, lifestyle&nbsp

Weight change and mortality: The Nord-Trondelag Health Study

Objectives. The prevalence of obesity is increasing. Overweight and obese people have increased mortality compared with normal weight people. We investigated the effect of weight change on mortality. Design. Prospective population study. Setting. We utilized data from two large population-based health studies conducted in 1984-86 and 1995-97 respectively. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate mortality rate ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) between people with a stable weight and people who lost or gained weight. Subjects. Totally 20 542 men and 23 712 women aged 20 years or more, without cardiovascular disease or diabetes at the first survey and without a history of cancer at the second survey were followed up on all-cause mortality for 5 years after the second survey. Results. We found no association between weight gain and mortality. People who lost weight had a higher total mortality rate compared with those who were weight stable [RR was 1.6 (95% CI: 1.4-1.8) in men and 1.7 (95% CI: 1.5-2.0) in women]. Similar associations were found for cardiovascular and noncardiovascular mortality. Additional analysis showed a linear increase in mortality rates across categories of weight loss for both men and women (P < 0.001). There was a statistically significant interaction between weight change and initial BMI, but only amongst men (P = 0.001). Conclusions. Weight loss, but not weight gain, was associated with increased mortality amongst men and women. Although underlying undiagnosed disease is the most plausible explanation for this finding, the similar associations found for total mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and noncardiovascular mortality makes the causal pathway somewhat enigmatic