Study on the relationship between passive smoking and blood lipids, fibrinogen and viscosity among women who never smoke / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To determine whether blood lipids profile, fibrinogen and viscosity were associated with passive smoking (i. e. environmental tobacco smoke, ETS) in Chinese women who never smoke.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In Xi'an, China, a case-control study was carried out on 115 cases of coronary heart disease (CHD) defined by coronary arteriography (CAG) and 208 non-CHD controls confirmed by CAG and/or exercise electrocardiography. Data on exposure to ETS, defined as exposure from cigarettes smoking husband or co-workers or both for at least 5 years, was obtained through standardized interviews. Standard laboratory methods were used and the lipid measurements were under US CDC quality control programs.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the subjects defined by CAG, the levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), HDL2C, apolipoprotein (apo) A1 among passive smokers appeared lower than those in non-passive smokers,but the low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), apoB, apoB/A1, fibrinogen, plasma and whole blood viscosity were higher than that in non-passive smokers. There were positive associations of the numbers of coronary arteriosclerosis with the levels of blood lipids,fibrinogen and viscosity. In the non-CHD controls, 81 subjects were not exposed and 127 were exposed to ETS. The P values of t-test for the adjusted (for age, body mass index, present diseases history) means between two groups were listed below: 0.06 (total cholesterol), 0.30 (triglyceride), 0.004 (HDL-C), <0.001 (HDL2-C), < 0.001 (apoA1), 0.009 (apoB), <0.001 (apoB/apoA1), <0.001 (fibrinogen), <0.001 (plasma viscosity), <0.001 and 0.004 [two measures (5.75/s and 230/s) of whole blood viscosity]. The correlation coefficients between cumulative exposure of passive smoking and HDL-C,HDL2-C,apoA1, apoB, apoB/apoA1, fibrinogen, plasma viscosity, and two measures of whole blood viscosity were -0.25, -0.27, -0.30, 0.24, 0.31, 0.32, 0.43, 0.51 and 0.36 (all P<0.01), respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Passive smoking could affect blood lipid metabolism, fibrinogen and viscosity in the never smoking women which might contribute to the causation of coronary heart disease.</p>

Study on the application of the Chinese version of SF-36 scales and selection of interceptive cents for its grade range / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the possibility of measuring quality of life by Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey scale and to subdivide grade range of Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-From Health Survey (SF-36) total cents through a Quality of Life questionnaire among the elderly Chinese.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The quality of life of the 167 elderly Chinese in Suzhou was measured simultaneously by SF-36 and the Quality of Life questionnaire developed by Epidemiology Group of Geriatric Medicine Committee of China for the elderly. Validity and reliability were analyzed and subdivided the grade range of SF-36 total scores by Quality of Life questionnaire for the Chinese elderly.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Eight common factors from factorial analysis were in accordance with their theoretical structure, and the cumulative contribution rates of the Quality of Life questionnaire for the elderly and SF-36 were 74.244% and 72.081%. The split-half reliability of the Quality of Life questionnaire for the elderly was 0.6676. The split-half reliability of SF-36 was 0.9384. In SF-36, the Cronbach's alpha coefficient of internal consistency reliability ranged from 0.81 to 0.89, which was satisfactory for group comparison except 0.63 for the social functioning and 0.42 for mental health scale and 0.69 for vitality scale. The Quality of Life questionnaire for old people seemed to have good validity and reliability but the SF-36 was better. The cent of the furthest truncation between the good quality of life and the medium one in the SF-36 was 117 with a Kappa value of 0.58.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The SF-36 scale could be used for measuring and evaluating the quality of life for the Chinese elderly. The cent of the furthest truncation could provide reference to judge the level of the quality of life of the elderly.</p>

Application of "time series analysis" in the prediction of schistosomiasis prevalence in areas of "breaking dikes or opening sluice for waterstore" in Dongting Lake areas, China / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To provide the fittest model for forecasting schistosomiasis prevalence in Haokou village of "breaking dikes or opening sluice for waterstore" in Dongting Lake areas by comparing the results of Moving Average, Exponential Smoothing, Autoregressive Model and Autoregressive integrated moving average model (ARIMA model) from 1990 to 2002.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Error sum of square of four statistical methods was compared and the fittest model was chosen.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Error sum of square of predicted schistosomiasis prevalence rates in Haokou village from 1994 to 2002 were 39.40, 39.86, 26.63, 22.54 respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>ARIMA model seemed to be the fittest one in the prediction of schistosomiasis prevalence in Haokou village of "breaking dikes or opening sluice for waterstore" in Dongting Lake from 1990 to 2002.</p>

Meta-analysis on the relationship between tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking and p53 alteration in cases with esophageal carcinoma / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the relationship between tobacco smoking, drinking and p53 alteration in esophageal carcinoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Literature on the relationship between p53 alteration in esophageal carcinoma and tobacco smoking, drinking through Meta-analysis were reviewed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In 14 selected papers related to tobacco smoking, pooled odds ratio (OR) of tobacco smoking with P53 overexpression and p53 alteration were 1.99 (95% CI: 1.30- 3.06) and 1.64 (95% CI: 1.13 - 2.37), respectively (P < 0.05). Pooled OR of tobacco smoking with p53 mutation was 1.11 (95% CI: 0.47 - 2.76) (P > 0.05). In 11 selected papers on alcohol drinking, pooled OR of drinking with P53 overexpression, p53 mutation and p53 alteration were 1.30 (95% CI: 0.83 - 2.04), 1.13 (95% CI: 0.67 - 1.90) and 1.22 (95% CI: 0.87 - 1.72) respectively (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>There were significant relations between tobacco smoking and p53 alteration while there were no significant relations between alcohol drinking and p53 alteration.</p>

Study on mortality, incidence and risk factors of stroke in a cohort of elderly in Xi'an, China / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To prospectively study the relationship between risk factors and stroke incidence and mortality in the Chinese elderly.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>An analytic study in a cohort population of 1,268 male retired cadres in a military setting. A health-screening program was carried out for all cadres aged 55 years or older in Xi'an in February 1987. Baseline data on smoking, cholesterol, triglyceride, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), histories of hypertension, hyperlipidemia and coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, diabetes and family histories of cardiovascular disease were investigated. Main outcome measures were stroke incidence, stroke and all-cause mortality.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The cohort was followed up until June 30, 2001 and a total number of follow-up person-year was 15,546. During the follow-up period, there were 113 new stroke cases identified and the adjusted incidence was 727 per 100,000 person-year. Forty-five deaths were due to stroke and the adjusted mortality was 289 per 100,000 person-year. Using Cox model analysis, after adjustment on age, total cholesterol, triglyceride, smoking, drinking and physical exercise, we noticed that the systolic pressure, BMI, history of CHD and hyperlipidemia were independent risk factors for stroke incidence and morality.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The incidence and mortality of stroke in this cohort were lower than those in the same age group of general population. Monitoring and controlling body mass index and blood pressure level seemed to be important factors for the prevention of stroke in the elderly.</p>