Personal past history and mortality in the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study for Evaluation of Cancer (JACC).

ABSTRACT

To determine the influence of personal medical history on mortality from cancer and other chronic diseases, participants in the JACC study were questionned and followed up. Consistent across the sexes, risk of deaths of all causes was increased with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, apoplexy, liver diseases, surgical operations, and blood transfusions. All cancers were similarly related to a history of diabetes and liver diseases, surgery and transfusions. In addition, risk of liver cancer was elevated with diabetes, liver disease, cholecystectomy, renal disease, surgical operations and blood transfusions. Apoplexy was related to a past history of blood transfusion and diabetes, the latter also predisposing to ischemic heart disease. Links with infectious disease were also elucidated. Clearly, a past medical history can exert a strong influence on chronic disease development.