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A Reunanen

Publications and source records attributed to A Reunanen.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

Serum antioxidants and risk of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether serum levels of alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene and retinol were associated with risk of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: The study design was a nested case-control study within a longitudinal population study. Serum levels of antioxidants were determined in 106 incident cases with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus detected on follow-up and 201 controls matched for sex, age and study region. RESULTS: The incident cases had lower serum alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene levels than controls. The relative risk between the highest and lowest tertiles of serum alpha-tocopherol was 0.61 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.32-1.15), between the highest and lowest tertiles of serum beta-carotene 0.45 (CI 0.22-0.92). Although the relative risk of highest compared with lowest tertile of serum alpha-tocopherol was not statistically significant the inverse trend through the tertiles was (P < 0.05). The decreasing risk of diabetes was particularly evident in the elderly, women, nonsmokers and the obese. However, adjustment for serum cholesterol, obesity, smoking and hypertension abolished the associations. The adjusted relative risks in relation to serum alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene (between highest and lowest tertiles) were 1.25 (CI 0.54-2.90) and 0.94 (CI 0.38-2.32), respectively. No associations were observed relating to serum retinol. CONCLUSIONS: High levels of alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene were found to be associated with decreased risk of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, but the association disappeared after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

Effect of heliotherapy on the cost of psoriasis.

A 2-year trial was conducted to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of heliotherapy for psoriasis. The course and cost of psoriasis of 46 Finnish patients were first closely monitored for 1 year, then the patients received a 4-week supervised heliotherapy treatment in the Canary Islands, Spain, after which they continued to be followed for another year. Heliotherapy dramatically reduced the severity of psoriasis and also seemed to have favourable long-term effects on psoriasis. The mean direct cost of the 4-week heliotherapy for one patient was FIM12,289 (1 Pound = FIM7.0 in 1989). The cost of flights and half-board in Spain formed nearly 60% (FIM7033) of the total cost. In the year preceding heliotherapy, the mean direct annual cost of antipsoriasis therapy was FIM7335 and in the year after FIM5700, a reduction of 22% in annual costs; this change was not statistically significant because there were large variations in costs among patients. The costs of heliotherapy exceeded manyfold the mean monthly cost of conventional psoriasis therapy. There were no overall savings using heliotherapy in those patients suffering mainly from moderately severe psoriasis. Heliotherapy saved costs only in those patients with severe psoriasis that required expensive medication or ward treatment. Although heliotherapy cannot be regarded as an economical treatment for the average patients with psoriasis, it clears psoriasis effectively and is preferred by patients. Thus, heliotherapy constitutes an alternative for patients suffering severe psoriasis.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Variants of renin-angiotensin system genes and echocardiographic left ventricular mass.

AIMS: Variants of renin-angiotensin system genes are shown to be associated with cardiovascular pathology. The association between renin-angiotensin system genes and left ventricular mass was investigated in a population-based case-control study. METHODS AND RESULTS: The association between echocardiographic left ventricular mass and both insertion/deletion polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene and the methionine-threonine variant at position 235 of the angiotensinogen gene was studied in a random cohort of 430 hypertensive and 426 control subjects. No differences in the adjusted left ventricular mass values between the different genotypes were seen among either the hypertensive or the control subjects, whether men or women, or in the subgroups of normotensive or physically active subjects. Gene variation had no statistically significant synergistic effect on left ventricular mass values. In control women, the deletion allele of the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene was associated with an increased risk of left ventricular hypertrophy. However, this finding was based on a small number of women with left ventricular hypertrophy and should be interpreted with caution. CONCLUSION: Variations in renin-angiotensin system genes had no major effect on left ventricular mass in this middle-aged population-based cohort of hypertensives and control subjects.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Serum androgen-anabolic hormones and the risk of rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: It has been hypothesised, mainly on the basis of indirect evidence, that low serum concentrations of androgen-anabolic hormones would play a causal part in the aetiology of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: A case-control study was nested with a Finnish cohort of 19,072 adults who had neither arthritis nor a history of it at the baseline examination during 1973-1977. Pre-illness serum specimens for the assay of testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) were available from 116 cases who had developed RA by late 1989. Three controls per each incident case were individually matched for sex, age, and municipality. RESULTS: The mean testosterone concentration was 1.4 nmol/l in those 84 women who developed RA and 1.4 nmol/l in their controls; the corresponding figures for DHEAS were 5.2 mumol/l and 5.5 mumol/l, respectively. Mean testosterone concentration in the 32 male cases was 26.1 nmol/l and 26.4 nmol/l in their controls; the corresponding figures for DHEAS were 11.2 mumol/l and 10.1 mumol/l, respectively. Analysis by subgroups (rheumatoid factor positive and negative disease, pre-menopausal and postmenopausal women) and by hormone distributions showed no differences. CONCLUSION: The findings are not in line with the contention that low concentrations of testosterone and DHEAS play a part in the aetiology of RA.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Hyperinsulinemia and carotid atherosclerosis in hypertensive and control subjects.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the relationships between carotid atherosclerosis measured as intima-media thickness (IMT) and different measures of insulin in a population-based case-control study of men and women. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Carotid ultrasonographic measurements and 2-h oral glucose tolerance tests were performed in a random sample of 513 hypertensive subjects, aged 40-59 years, and in 518 age- and sex-matched control subjects. The associations between IMT and the different measures of insulin were analyzed through multiple regression and by insulin quintiles. The independent effect of insulin was estimated after concurrent adjustment for age, obesity, LDL cholesterol, and systolic blood pressure. RESULTS: The most powerful correlates with IMT were LDL cholesterol, age, systolic blood pressure, pack-years of smoking, and of the different insulin parameters, 2-h post-load insulin. In stepwise regression analysis, the independent predictors of the mean IMT were LDL cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, pack-years of smoking, and age (P < 0.0001) after adjustment for the independent predictors. In analysis of variance, no positive association of insulin parameters with IMT was found between the 2-h insulin quintiles after adjustment for the independent variables. The exclusion of diabetic subjects did not change the results. CONCLUSIONS: The present study of a population-based sample of men and women found inconsistent associations between different insulin measures and IMT after adjustment for the independent variables.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Effect of hypertension, diabetes and other cardiovascular risk factors on kidney size in middle-aged adults.

The aim of the study was to investigate in a population-based series (1031 subjects, age range 40-60 years) whether the renal size of hypertensive subjects differs from that of control subjects and whether the difference might be due to hypertension itself or risk factors associated with hypertension. The renal measurements were performed by abdominal ultrasound. The genders were analyzed separately. Hypertensive men had slightly larger kidneys than controls (70.1+/-8.9 cm2 vs. 67.9+/-8.7 cm2, p <0.008). The difference was, however, mediated mainly through the body mass index (BMI), whereas hypertension, blood pressure or hypertensive medication did not affect renal size. High serum concentrations of uric acid and creatinine were associated with smaller kidney size (p <0.001 and p <0.05, respectively). Alcohol users had slightly larger kidneys than abstainers, but the difference was not significant. Renal size increased with pack years of smoking. Diabetics had 4.8% larger kidneys (p <0.039), but no difference was observed between the subjects with impaired glucose tolerance and those with normal test results. In multivariate analysis, the most significant factors associated with enlarged kidney size were the fasting blood glucose concentration (p < or = 0.0001), smoking (p < or = 0.0001) and atherosclerotic lesions in carotid arteries (p <0.002). The kidneys were also slightly larger in hypertensive women than in control subjects, but the difference was only of borderline significance (p <0.08). Women on hormone replacement therapy had smaller kidneys than other women (p <0.05), but there was no difference in renal measures between premenopausal and postmenopausal women. In multivariate analysis, the most significant factors contributing to large kidney size were blood glucose concentration (p <0.0001) and smoking (p <0.05), while age and serum creatinine concentration were associated with smaller kidney size (p <0.0001 and p <0.0001). We conclude that renal size is related to sex and the subject's height and weight. Smoking, abnormal glucose tolerance, blood uric acid, creatinine, carotid atherosclerosis and hormone replacement therapy in women were also significant factors for renal size. Hypertensive subjects had larger kidneys than controls, mainly because of their more frequent obesity and abnormal glucose test.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Incidence trends in childhood onset IDDM in four countries around the Baltic sea during 1983-1992.

We present secular trends of childhood onset insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) in Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania during the period of 1983-1992. Incidence data were obtained from the national IDDM registries. The average age-standardized incidence per 100,000/year was 35.0 in Finland, followed by 10.2 in Estonia, 7.1 in Lithuania and 6.5 in Latvia. A male excess in incidence was recorded in Finland (1.15) and Latvia (1.01). In all countries, the highest age-specific risk of IDDM was observed in the 11-13 year age range. The large difference in incidence between Finland and other Baltic countries was see even in 1-2 year-old children. During the 10-year study period overall changes in incidence of IDDM were relatively small in these four countries. The incidence increased in Finland and Lithuania on average by 1% and 1.4% per year, respectively. A statistically significant increase was recorded only in 0-4 year old children in Finland, at 5.6% per year. In Estonia, an 8.3% increase in this age group, however, was not statistically significant. The different trends in the age-group specific incidence rates were confirmed in Finland. In conclusion, from 1983 to 1992 the incidence of childhood onset IDDM was increasingly in Finland and Lithuania, while in Latvia and Estonia it was stable. There are still great differences in IDDM incidence between the countries around the Baltic Sea.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Serum immunoglobulins and the risk of rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with several autoantibodies that can precede the clinical disease. The immunoglobulin concentrations in serum samples before illness were studied to learn more about the immunological process before RA. METHODS: A case-control study was nested within a Finnish cohort of 19,072 adults who had neither arthritis nor a history of it at the baseline examination during 1973-1977. By late 1989, 124 had developed RA, of which 89 were positive for rheumatoid factor (RF). Three controls per each incident case were individually matched for sex, age, and municipality. The concentrations of IgG, IgA, and IgM were measured from stored serum samples. RESULTS: Serum IgG before illness was found to be directly proportional to the risk of RF positive RA, and a non-linear association was present between serum IgA and the risk of RF positive RA. These associations were constant between men and women and other subgroups of the study population and not confounded by serum orosomucoid concentration, level of education, smoking, alcohol intake or body mass index. As adjusted for these factors, the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of RF positive RA in the lowest, mid, and highest tertiles of IgG distribution were 1.00, 1.55 (0.81, 2.97), and 2.22 (1.16, 4.26), and in the tertiles of IgA 1.00, 2.23 (1.14, 4.36), and 1.78 (0.89, 3.57), respectively. The associations persisted throughout the entire observation period but were most distinct when the period to the onset of clinical RA was > or = 10 years. IgM carried no predictive significance. None of the serum immunoglobulins predicted the development of RF negative RA. CONCLUSIONS: Increased IgG levels may reflect some, at present unknown process in the early events leading to the development of RA, typically occurring > or = 10 years before the onset of clinical disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

QT interval as a cardiac risk factor in a middle aged population.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the value of QT interval as a cardiac risk factor in middle aged people. METHODS: The association between QT interval and cardiac risk factors and mortality in a middle aged Finnish population of 5598 men and 5119 women was evaluated over a 23 year follow up. To adjust the QT interval confidently for heart rate, a nomogram was constructed from the baseline electrocardiograms separately for men and women. RESULTS: Nomogram-corrected QT interval (QTNc) prolongation was associated with elevated blood pressure and signs of cardiovascular disease; QTNc shortening was associated with smoking. Over 10% prolongation of QTNc predicted death in men with heart disease: adjusted relative risk (RR) was 2.17 (95% confidence interval 0.67-7.45) for sudden death; 2.12 (1.25-3.59) for total cardiovascular mortality; and 1.92 (1.23-3.00) for all cause mortality. In healthy men the increase in RR was not significant: sudden death, 1.48 (0.67-3.25); total cardiovascular mortality, 1.25 (0.92-1.70); all cause mortality, 1.21 (0.96-1.53). However, healthy men with long QTNc in the lowest heart rate quartile exhibited an RR of 2.75 (1.00-7.40) for sudden death. Over 10% shortened QTNc predicted cardiovascular death in men with heart disease who smoked; RR 3.72 (1.45-9.54). Non-smoking men with short QTNc had low mortality risks irrespective of possible signs of cardiovascular disease. The trends in mortality risks were similar but weaker for women. CONCLUSIONS: In a middle aged population, prolonged QT interval predicts cardiac mortality in men with signs of cardiovascular disease. In women and healthy men this risk is weak and may reflect subclinical heart disease. A shortened QT interval predicts death in men with heart disease who smoke.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Socioeconomic variations in hysterectomy: evidence from a linkage study of the Finnish hospital discharge register and population census.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To explore variations in rates for hysterectomy in relation to social class, education, and family income. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of the 1988 Finnish hospital discharge register linked individually to the 1987 population census. SETTING: Finland. PARTICIPANTS: All women living in Finland aged 35 and over were the denominator population. The numerators were the 8663 women who underwent hysterectomy in 1988. MAIN RESULTS: The overall rate for hysterectomy was 63.5/10,000 women aged 35 and over. There was a marked positive correlation between disposable family income and hysterectomy rates even after age, hospital catchment area, education, and occupational status were adjusted for. However, no linear trend for overall hysterectomy rates was observed in relation to social class or education. Procedures due to myomas, accounting for 48% of all hysterectomies, were more frequent among women of high socioeconomic status according to all socioeconomic indicators. Larger proportions of hysterectomies for myoma were also performed in patients in private hospitals and in pay beds in public hospitals than in women in worse off groups. CONCLUSIONS: Unlike the findings in earlier studies from other countries, there was a positive correlation between income and hysterectomy rates as a result of the high numbers of hysterectomies performed to treat myoma in the well off women. The findings are discussed in terms of socioeconomic differences in the use of private gynaecological services, and factors, such as parity and use of hormonal replacement therapy, that affect the growth of myomas.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

The unchanging incidence of hospitalization for diabetic nephropathy in a population-based cohort of IDDM patients in Finland.

OBJECTIVE: Finland has the highest documented incidence of childhood IDDM in the world, but the incidence of diabetic nephropathy in Finland is unknown. The aim of the present study was to determine the incidence of hospitalization for diabetic nephropathy in a population-based cohort of Finnish IDDM patients and to analyze the prognostic effect of sex, age at diagnosis, and calendar year of diagnosis of IDDM. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We included all Finnish patients who had onset of IDDM before age 18 years, were diagnosed between January 1965 and December 1979 (n = 5,149), and were traced for hospitalizations between January 1970 and the end of December 1989 in the Hospital Discharge Register, using the unique personal identification code given to all Finnish citizens. The development of diabetic nephropathy was defined as the first hospitalization with a diagnosis of nephropathy (International Classification of Diseases-8th Revision [ICD-8] 250.04, or 9th Revision [ICD-9] 2503B/2503X). RESULTS: Among the 5,149 patients included, we identified 446 cases of diabetic nephropathy. The incidence of hospitalization for diabetic nephropathy was very low during the first 8 years of diabetes duration, and after that increased to a maximum of 1.6-2.0% per year. Female subjects developed nephropathy slightly earlier than male subjects, but the cumulative risk was independent of sex. Patients diagnosed at ages 5-14 years had the highest risk of hospitalization for diabetic nephropathy. We observed no effect of calendar year of diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: We found a 20% cumulative incidence of hospitalization for diabetic nephropathy during a total 24 years of IDDM duration. This finding is compatible with the cumulative incidence of hospitalization for diabetic nephropathy found in other European populations. The incidence of hospitalization for diabetic nephropathy did not decrease during the 20-year observation period.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Flavonoid intake and coronary mortality in Finland: a cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To study the association between dietary intake of flavonoids and subsequent coronary mortality. DESIGN: A cohort study based on data collected at the Finnish mobile clinic health examination survey from 1967-72 and followed up until 1992. SETTINGS: 30 communities from different parts of Finland. SUBJECTS: 5133 Finnish men and women aged 30-69 years and free from heart disease at baseline. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Dietary intake of flavonoids, total mortality, and coronary mortality. RESULTS: In women a significant inverse gradient was observed between dietary intake of flavonoids and total and coronary mortality. The relative risks between highest and lowest quarters of flavonoid intake adjusted for age, smoking, serum cholesterol concentration, blood pressure, and body mass index were 0.69 (95% confidence interval 0.53 to 0.90) and 0.54 (0.33 to 0.87) for total and coronary mortality, respectively. The corresponding values for men were 0.76 (0.63 to 0.93) and 0.78 (0.56 to 1.08), respectively. Adjustment for intake of antioxidant vitamins and fatty acids weakened the associations for women; the relative risks for coronary heart disease were 0.73 (0.41 to 1.32) and 0.67 (0.44 to 1.00) in women and men, respectively. Intakes of onions and apples, the main dietary sources of flavonoids, presented similar associations. The relative risks for coronary mortality between highest and lowest quarters of apple intake were 0.57 (0.36 to 0.91) and 0.81 (0.61 to 1.09) for women and men, respectively. The corresponding values for onions were 0.50 (0.30 to 0.82) and 0.74 (0.53 to 1.02), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that people with very low intakes of flavonoids have higher risks of coronary disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Seasonality in the clinical onset of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in Finnish children. Childhood Diabetes in Finland (DiMe) Study Group.

Seasonal patterns in the incidence of insulin-dependent diabetes based on 2,062 cases diagnosed at age 14 years or under in Finland are described for the years 1987-1992. Seasonal patterns were estimated presenting the data as short Fourier series up to three harmonics together with a possible linear trend. This method allows an arbitrary shape for the seasonal effect. Likelihood ratio tests and Akaike's information criterion were used to determine the number of harmonics necessary to model the seasonal pattern and to test differences among age- and sex-specific subgroups in the population. Seasonal patterns in incidence were compared between sexes and between the three 5-year age groups with each controlling for the other's effect. A significant seasonal pattern in the incidence of insulin-dependent diabetes was found for the sexes combined and for two age groups (0-9 and 10-14 years). A statistically significant seasonal pattern could be confirmed for males, but not for females. During a calendar year, one cycle with a decreased incidence of insulin-dependent diabetes in June was found among younger boys. Among older boys, there were two distinct cycles with a decreased incidence, the first in June and the second during November-December. The most visible seasonal pattern was a lower number of cases diagnosed in June, while during the rest of the year the incidence remained relatively stable and high. The average annual incidence was 35.6 per 100,000 persons without any upward peaks.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Influence of morbidity and health care structure on hospitalization among adult diabetic patients.

The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of outpatient care, overall hospital bed provision and the prevalence of diabetes on the hospital use by adult diabetic patients. Population based data were collected in Finland from a 3-year period. Hospital admissions, inpatient days, and mean length of stay due to diabetes were derived from the Hospital Discharge Register. Estimates of diabetes prevalence were derived from the Central Drug Register. Primary outpatient site, annual number of physician visits, and age at onset among diabetic patients were assessed by questionnaire. The unit of analysis was hospital district (n = 21) and all analyses refer to the 15-64 years age group. Linear regression models were used to explain discharge rates and inpatient days in the district. Large variations between hospital districts were observed in diabetes prevalence, discharge rates due to diabetes, and mean length of stay among diabetic patients. Prevalence of diabetes and overall supply of hospital beds in the district were not related to hospital use. Univariate analyses showed that the larger the proportion of diabetic patients primarily using a private practitioner, the lower the hospital use. In districts where early onset of diabetes was more common, the average number of inpatient days was significantly lower than in other districts. In stepwise regression analyses, early onset of diabetes was the only variable that entered the models. In the full model, 24.6% of the variance in inpatient days and 16.1% of the variance in discharge rates were explained. In conclusion, factors related to health care structure, provision of hospital beds or morbidity explain little of the regional variation in hospital use. The observed variations in hospital use probably depend mainly on local treatment policies and differences in clinical decision-making.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Sex difference in the regulation of plasma high density lipoprotein cholesterol by genetic and environmental factors.

Association between high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentration and restriction fragment length polymorphisms at the cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) gene locus was studied in a random population-based cohort of 526 Caucasian subjects (259 men, mean age 50.9 years, and 267 women, mean age 51.8 years). HDL cholesterol concentration was adjusted for age, body mass index, alcohol consumption, smoking and plasma triglyceride and low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. In females, the HDL cholesterol levels were associated with TaqIB polymorphism (1.46 mmol/l in the B1B1 genotype, 1.56 mmol/l in B1B2 and 1.72 mmol/l in B2B2, P = 0.0001 for the trend). In contrast, this was not observed in men (1.24, 1.20, 1.27 mmol/l, NS). The association was seen even in women who were current smokers (1.41, 1.56, 1.75 mmol/l, n = 72, P = 0.007), but not in male smokers (1.26, 1.19, 1.14 mmol/l, n = 102, NS). In male non-smokers the association was weak (1.22, 1.20, 1.32 mmol/l, n = 157, P = 0.05). In postmenopausal women not receiving hormone replacement therapy (n = 108), the association continued to be present, although weaker (1.50, 1.58, 1.70 mmol/l, P = 0.06). CETP activity (n = 101) tended to be lower in subjects with the B2B2 genotype. In conclusion, a clear-cut sex difference was observed in the genotype effect on plasma HDL cholesterol levels. The slight attenuation of the gene dosage effect after menopause suggests that the gender difference may be, at least in part, due to sex hormones. A genetic subgroup (men with the B2B2 genotype) particularly susceptible to the HDL cholesterol decreasing effect of smoking could be demonstrated.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Recent trends in the consumption of lipid-lowering drugs in Finland.

The consumption of lipid-lowering drugs in Finland and in other Nordic countries increased almost steadily in 1988-1993. The exceptions were the year 1992 in Finland and 1993 in Iceland, when consumption was lower than in the previous year. In both cases the temporary decline in consumption was associated with a reduction in reimbursement for the costs of lipid-lowering drugs. In 1993, the consumption level was 2.7 defined daily doses/1000 inhabitants/day in Finland and ranged from 2.3 to 4.0 in other Nordic countries. According to the Finnish nationwide prescription register, 0.5% of men and 0.6% of women purchased lipid-lowering drugs in the period from January to September, 1994. The rate of use was highest among people of middle age. In the early 1990s, statins took the lead in the consumption of lipid-lowering drugs, accounting for 70% of prescriptions in 1993; the percentages of fibrates, resins, and nicotinic acid derivatives declined in the same period. In 1994 the prevalence of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) according to strictly predetermined criteria was 0.8 per 1000 among Finns, and the proportion of FH patients among all users of lipid-lowering drugs was 11%. The use of lipid-lowering drugs is not particularly high in Finland and seems to be reasonably targeted.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Serum cholesterol and risk of rheumatoid arthritis in a cohort of 52 800 men and women.

Recent epidemiological studies have suggested that joint risk factors occur for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and coronary heart disease. We studied serum cholesterol concentration for its association with the incidence or RA in 28 362 men and 24 444 women free from arthritis at baseline. During a mean follow-up of 21 yr, 161 men and 351 women developed RA. Of these incident cases, 119 men and 229 women were rheumatoid factor (RF) positive. The serum cholesterol concentration was directly proportional to the risk of RF-positive RA among women and RF-negative RA among men; the age-adjusted relative risks (95% confidence intervals) per S.D. (1.4 mM/l) of the cholesterol distribution were 1.20 (1.05-1.38) and 1.56 (1.15-2.10), respectively. No association was observed, however, for RF-negative RA among women or RF-positive RA among men. The results suggest that a still unknown factor closely associated with serum cholesterol may be involved in the aetiology of RA, but complex interactions with sex and RF status seem to occur.

Adolescent↗