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A Tverdal

Publications and source records attributed to A Tverdal.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

[Height, weight and body mass index of men and women aged 40-42 years].

All men and women aged 40-42 years in Norway (except in Oslo, the capital city) were invited to tuberculosis and cardiovascular screenings during the period 1963-95. Height and weight were measured. Men who attended the last screening in 1991-95 were on average 3.0 cm taller than the generation who attended the first screening (1963-75). Women who were measured in 1991-95 were 2.7 cm taller. Mean weight increased 5.6 kg for men and 1.3 kg for women, while body mass index (BMI) increased 0.9 kg/m2 for men and decreased 0.3 kg/m2 for women. BMI has increased steadily in men, but in women a U-shaped time trend was found with a somewhat lower level for the last time period. The proportion with BMI above 30 kg/m2 has doubled among men and is now 9.1%, while in women the proportion has become slightly lower in the last period, and is now 8.4%. The mean BMI was highest in ex-smokers and lowest in current smokers, with persons who had never smoked in the middle. The difference between ex-smokers and current smokers was 0.9 kg/m2 in men and 0.7 kg/m2 in women.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Cardiovascular risk factors in Norwegian women using oral contraceptives: results from a cardiovascular health screening 1985-88.

We analyzed data from 4,905 women aged 20-39 and 14,803 aged 40-49 who attended a health survey in Norway 1985-88, to study cardiovascular risk factors in users of oral contraceptives, all types and specifically by formulation. In age group 20-39, users of low-dose estrogen/ progestin regimens were younger, had lower body mass index (BMI), less often reported coronary heart disease in relatives, and less often used saturated fat on bread than did non-users. In age group 40-49, smoking was more prevalent in users of low-dose estrogen/progestin than in non-users. In both age groups the mean ratio of total/HDL cholesterol, the mean level of non-fasting triglycerides, and the mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures were higher in oral contraceptive users than in non-users. Among the users, a more favorable pattern was found in women using progestin-only oral contraceptives, as blood pressure levels were equal to those of non-users and total cholesterol and triglycerides were both 0.1-0.2 mmol/l below the non-users, in both age groups. However, users of low-dose estrogen formulations containing desogestrel 0.15 mg, norethisterone (norethindrone) 0.5 mg or lynestrenol 2.5 mg had the highest levels of HDL, even higher than the non-users. A pattern of higher triglycerides and higher ratio of total/ HDL cholesterol was found in smokers, compared with non-smokers, among users of any type of contraceptives, and in non-users.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Deaths from active tuberculosis: can we rely on notification and mortality figures?

SETTING: Notification rates and mortality are the main indicators in the epidemiology of tuberculosis. While errors in case notification are known to be considerable, the quality of the data on deaths is largely unknown. OBJECTIVE: To validate the quality of data on deaths from active tuberculosis. DESIGN: We compared deaths from active tuberculosis in Statistics Norway with the National Tuberculosis Register (NTR) and cases found by autopsy in two Norwegian counties in 1977-1989. We also assessed the diagnostic classification and inclusion criteria for tuberculosis. RESULTS: 110 patients were entered into the study. We excluded 30 of 106 patients in Statistics Norway, primarily because of inactive tuberculosis (16) or minimal lesions (7). We found an additional 20 patients in the NTR and 14 more from autopsy reports. These missing cases were registered in Statistics Norway with a different diagnosis (28), inactive tuberculosis (4) or not found (2). Nineteen of them were diagnosed with tuberculosis by autopsy and five by cultures reported after death. We altered the diagnostic classification of underlying cause in 14% and found tuberculosis to be the underlying cause in 65 patients. CONCLUSION: The mortality rate from active tuberculosis in Statistics Norway was fairly correct, but one-third were under-reported and one-third over-reported. The mortality rate includes only half of all the deaths from active tuberculosis. All the cases in which active tuberculosis is mentioned on the death certificate are a clearer indication of tuberculosis deaths.

Autopsy↗
PubMed1996

The X-ray contrast medium iodixanol detects increased colonic permeability equally well as 51Cr-labeled ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid in experimental colitis of rats.

BACKGROUND: Non-ionic, water-soluble radiographic contrast media have been suggested as intestinal permeability probes. We studied the permeability of the isosmolar contrast medium iodixanol and 51Cr-labeled ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) from the non-perforated colon after induction of colonic inflammation. METHODS: Colonic inflammation and ulcerations were induced by luminal colonic instillation of trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid, dissolved in 40% ethanol. Controls received saline. Fourteen days later iodixanol, 320 mg I/ml, and 51Cr-EDTA were given as an enema. Urine was collected for the subsequent 6 h and subjected to high-performance liquid chromatography and gamma activity counting. RESULTS: Urinary recovery of iodixanol and 51Cr-EDTA increased gradually with severity of the colonic inflammation. The correlation between iodixanol and 51Cr-EDTA recovery was strong (corr.coeff = 0.97). CONCLUSIONS: Iodixanol shows as good properties as 51Cr-EDTA when used as intestinal permeability probe in the inflamed and ulcerated rat colon. Use of the radiopaque properties of iodixanol enable intestinal probe exposure registration by film or fluoroscopy.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Total plasma homocysteine and cardiovascular risk profile. The Hordaland Homocysteine Study.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the relations between established cardiovascular risk factors and total homocysteine (tHcy) in plasma. DESIGN: Health examination survey by the Norwegian Health Screening Service in 1992 and 1993. SETTING: General community, Hordaland County of Western Norway. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 7591 men and 8585 women, 40 to 67 years of age, with no history of hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, or cerebrovascular disease were included. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Plasma tHcy level. RESULTS: The level of plasma tHcy was higher in men than in women and increased with age. In subjects 40 to 42 years old, geometric means were 10.8 mumol/L for 5918 men and 9.1 mumol/L for 6348 women. At age 65 to 67 years, the corresponding tHcy values were 12.3 mumol/L (1386 men) and 11.0 mumol/L (1932 women). Plasma tHcy level increased markedly with the daily number of cigarettes smoked in all age groups. Its relation to smoking was particularly strong in women. The combined effect of age, sex, and smoking was striking. Heavy-smoking men aged 65 to 67 years had a mean tHcy level 4.8 mumol/L higher than never-smoking women aged 40 to 42 years. Plasma tHcy level also was positively related to total cholesterol level, blood pressure, and heart rate and inversely related to physical activity. The relations were not substantially changed by multivariate adjustment, including intake of vitamin supplements, fruits, and vegetables. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated plasma tHcy level was associated with major components of the cardiovascular risk profile, ie, male sex, old age, smoking, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol level, and lack of exercise. These findings should influence future studies on the etiology and pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[Tuberculosis trends in Norway--has the decline stopped?].

The aim of the study was to present the trend as regards tuberculosis in Norway since 1950, on the basis of data on incidence and mortality in the total population and infection rate among pupils leaving primary school. The decline in incidence continued until the late 1980s. While the decline was 11% per year during the period 1950-74, it has been slower in recent years. In 1990-92 the incidence level was somewhat higher than in 1989, but figures for 1993-94 indicate a new decline. Mortality declined more slowly after the mid-1970s; a similar trend is found for prevalence of infection among pupils. The incidence is among the lowest in Europe. The proportion of cases among immigrants increased gradually from 4% in 1977 to 40% in 1993. Among the Norwegian-born population the incidence rate of infectious pulmonary tuberculosis has shown a steady decline, also during the last decades. Norwegian-born cases are mainly elderly persons infected many decades ago. New infection is probably rare, and the proportion of infected persons is gradually declining.

Disease Notification↗
PubMed1995

Risk factors for hip fracture in a high incidence area: a case-control study from Oslo, Norway.

The aim of this population-based matched case-control study was to evaluate the effect of risk factors for hip fracture in Oslo, Norway, which has some of the highest incidence rates ever reported. The study population comprised all non-institutionalized persons 50 years or older living in the catchment area of two Oslo hospitals, and cases were 246 patients admitted for hip fracture during a 1-year period. The controls were randomly selected from the study population, matched 1:1 for age and sex. Hip fracture was associated with lean body stature, smoking, low grip strength and decreased levels of physical activity, and inversely with length of education. In addition, hip fracture was inversely related to indicators of total food intake (number of meals per day, frequency of dinners, and slices of bread per day). A relation between hip fracture and low vitamin D intake was also suggested, whereas no association with dietary calcium intake was found. Finally, increased risk of fracture was seen in persons reporting two or more hospital admissions in the previous 2 years, and in those reporting weight reduction due to poor appetite during the previous year. In conclusion, the risk factor pattern for hip fracture was much the same in the elderly population of Oslo as previously described in other populations with a lower incidence of fracture. This study also indicates a relation between hip fracture and low food intake.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Height and body mass index in Oslo, Norway, compared to other regions of Europe: do they explain differences in the incidence of hip fracture? European Vertebral Osteoporosis Study Group.

Lean body stature and tallness have both been identified as risk factors for hip fracture. In this study, height and weight data from a multinational multicenter study were used to compare Oslo, which has some of the highest incidence rates of hip fracture ever reported, to other regions of Europe, with respect to height and body mass index. More than 17,000 subjects in six age strata (50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75+ years) from 36 centers in 19 European countries were enrolled in the European Vertebral Osteoporosis Study (EVOS), which included standardized height and weight measurements. We found that men in Oslo were 4.3 cm taller than men in western Europe, 5.0 cm taller than men in eastern Europe, and 8.6 cm taller than men in southern Europe. Oslo women were also taller, by 2.2 cm compared to women in western Europe, 2.7 cm compared to women in eastern Europe, and 5.2 cm compared to women in southern Europe. In all age groups, except women aged 55-59 years, mean body mass index (BMI) was lowest in Oslo. Nearly twice as many had a BMI less than 22.0 kg/m2 in Oslo compared to the other regions combined (11.1% vs. 6.6% in men and 19.2% vs. 9.9% in women). This study indicates that the people of Oslo are taller and leaner than people in other regions of Europe. This may in part explain the higher incidence of hip fracture in the population of Oslo.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Body mass index and cardiovascular mortality at different levels of blood pressure: a prospective study of Norwegian men and women.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The study investigated the joint effect of body mass index and systolic blood pressure on cardiovascular and total mortality. DESIGN: This was a prospective cohort study. The main outcome measures were age adjusted mortality and relative risks estimated from survival models. SETTING: The population of the city of Bergen, Norway. PARTICIPANTS: Subjects were 21,145 men and 30,330 women aged 30-79 years at the time of examination in 1963. MAIN RESULTS: Both cause specific and all cause mortality increased with systolic blood pressure within each category of body mass index. Stroke mortality was not significantly associated with body mass index when adjusted for systolic blood pressure in either age group of men or women. Coronary heart disease mortality increased on average 30% per 5 kg/m2 increase in body mass index in men and women aged 30-59 years at baseline. Adjusted for systolic blood pressure, the relative risks were reduced to 1.20 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.12, 1.29) in men and 1.10 (95% CI 1.03, 1.18) in women. They were similar at each level of systolic blood pressure. For coronary heart disease mortality in men and women aged 60-79 years at measurement a negative interaction between body mass index and systolic blood pressure was suggested in the first five years. Excluding the first five years, adjusted relative risks per 5 kg/m2, were 1.05 (95% CI 0.96, 1.15) in men and 1.11 (95% CI 1.04, 1.17) in women in the older age group. There was an upturn in cardiovascular mortality at low levels of body mass index in both age groups of women, but not in men. CONCLUSIONS: Hypertension is an important risk factor for cardiovascular and all cause mortality even in the obese. Body mass index is generally a weak predictor of cardiovascular mortality in this population. It is a stronger risk factor of coronary death in men when measured at a younger age. Thin people with hypertension are not at particularly high risk of death from coronary heart disease compared with their obese counterparts, except possibly in the first few years after measurement in the elderly. Being underweight is associated with increased risk of death from all cardiovascular causes in women, but not in men.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

The relationship of coffee consumption to various self-reported cardiovascular events in middle-aged Norwegian men and women.

The association between number of cups of coffee consumed per day and self-reported heart infarction, angina pectoris, or symptoms of angina pectoris was studied in 11635 men and 11785 women, aged 40-54 years, who attended two cardiovascular screenings. Questionnaire information on heart infarction has previously been found to be reliable. Altogether 240, 201 and 241 men reported heart infarction, angina pectoris (without heart infarction) and symptoms of angina pectoris, respectively, at the last, but not at the first screening. The corresponding figures for women were 35, 102 and 395. Univariate analysis showed a positive association between number of cups of coffee and self-reported heart infarction. The same applies to self-reported angina pectoris. After adjustment for major coronary risk factors, the associations became weaker. The relative risks of self-reported heart infarction between users of nine or more cups and users of less than one cup were 1.7 (95% CI: 1.0, 3.0) and 1.5 (0.3, 7.5) in men and women, respectively. The relative risks were smaller than those found in a previous study relating coffee consumption to coronary heart disease mortality. For self-reported angina pectoris the corresponding relative risks were 1.4 (0.8, 2.7) for men and 2.7 (1.1, 6.7) for women. The study is suggestive of a modest relationship between coffee consumption and self-reported occurrence of both heart infarction and angina pectoris.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Increased intestinal permeability for the isosmolar contrast medium iodixanol during small-bowel ischaemia in rats.

BACKGROUND: Intestinal ischaemia may be difficult to recognize in the early stages. Increased urinary recovery of water-soluble contrast medium during and intestinal follow-through has been suggested as a sign of bowel ischaemia. METHODS: Urinary excretion of the isosmolar water-soluble X-ray contrast medium iodixanol was measured after instillation via an orogastric tube in 56 rats with occlusion of the mesenteric blood vessels. RESULTS: Mesenteric venous occlusion caused only minor histologic alterations of the mucosa. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and X-ray fluorescence analysis measured urinary iodixanol concentrations 10 and 13 times higher than in the groups with mesenteric arterial occlusion than in controls (p < 0.001), and 3 and 4 times higher than in the group with venous occlusion (p < or = 0.05). Correlation between HPLC and X-ray fluorescence measurements of contrast medium in urine was strong (r = 0.98). CONCLUSION: Measuring urinary contrast medium levels during intestinal follow-through may aid in distinguishing bowel ischaemia following mesenteric arterial occlusion from mesenteric venous occlusion and from the normal bowel.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Body height, body mass index, and fatal hip fractures: 16 years' follow-up of 674,000 Norwegian women and men.

We studied the relations between body height, body mass index (BMI), and fatal hip fractures prospectively in a large, representative population. During the years 1963-1975, a nationwide compulsory mass x-ray examination including standardized height and weight measurements took place in Norway covering all persons age 15 years and older. In the study presented here, we selected women (N = 357,807) and men (N = 316,041) age 50-89 years at screening. We matched the file to the national death register containing causes of death throughout 1991; we defined cases as persons with hip fracture mentioned on their death certificates. During an average follow-up of 16.4 years, we identified a total of 6,087 fatal hip fractures in the study population. There was a distinct inverse relation between BMI and fatal hip fracture, with an age-adjusted relative risk (RR) in the three highest vs the low quartile of 0.68 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.63-0.72] in women and 0.57 (95% CI = 0.52-0.62) in men. The risk of fatal hip fractures increased slightly with increasing body height [RR = 1.10 (95% CI = 1.04-1.16) in women and RR = 1.08 (95% CI = 1.01-1.16) in men per 10-cm increase in body height]. This study indicates that low BMI is an important risk factor for fatal hip fractures and that body height has a weak, positive association.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Low blood pressure and mortality in the elderly: a 6-year follow-up of 18,022 Norwegian men and women age 65 years and older.

Several studies have shown that low blood pressure in individuals age 65 years and older is related to increased overall mortality. We hypothesize that this association is secondary to serious underlying illness, which has caused blood pressure reduction and, subsequently, has increased the risk of dying. Our study population was comprised of individuals age 20 years and older in the county of Nord Trøndelag in Norway, who were studied in a general health survey between 1984 and 1986. We had measurements of blood pressure, blood glucose, weight, height, and other information for 9,732 women and 8,290 men age 65 years or older. During approximately 6 years of follow-up, 2,122 women and 2,578 men died. For both genders, low systolic pressure was not associated with increased mortality, and the mortality curve did not display a J-shaped relation, after adjustment for age, marital status, body mass index, blood glucose, self-assessed health, use of antihypertensive medication, and history of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. For diastolic pressure, however, women in the lowest category (< 75 mmHg) had an adjusted mortality rate ratio of 1.21 (95% confidence limits = 1.05, 1.39), compared with reference women (80-87 mmHg). Among men, the analogous mortality rate ratio was 1.16 (95% confidence limits = 1.02, 1.31). To reduce further the potential confounding between diastolic pressure and underlying illness, we excluded users of antihypertensive medication as well as the 2 first years of follow-up. After these procedures, the J-shaped mortality curve was not present among women, and it was substantially reduced among men. Thus, the results for both men and women indicated that the age-adjusted J-shaped relation between diastolic blood pressure and mortality was confounded with indicators of ill health, and that the often-found association between low diastolic blood pressure and increased mortality is indirect, possibly caused by serious underlying disease.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

[Is blood pressure treatment as effective in a population setting as in controlled studies?].

Baseline (1974-76) and repeat (1977-81) cardiovascular screenings of 21,314 men aged 35-49 years brought to light 840 men who had started treatment between screenings. These were compared with men who had remained untreated. The effects of treatment on blood pressure were small, and normal target blood pressures rare. At pretreatment blood pressure up to systolic 184 mm Hg, and in most risk strata, both total mortality and cardiovascular mortality were higher among the men on treatment. This study shows an adverse effect of treatment in a population setting, particularly at low pretreatment blood pressure, and if blood pressure increases upon treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Mortality from stroke, coronary heart disease and all causes related to blood pressure and length of follow-up.

Measurements of blood pressure in 52,064 men and women in the city of Bergen, Norway, who were 30 to 89 years in 1963, have been related to mortality occurring in different intervals of the follow-up period from 1963 throughout 1983. Blood pressure measurements obtained on one occasion were highly predictive of both coronary heart disease, stroke and all-cause mortality several years after measurements. The relative risk of stroke mortality associated with blood pressure varied little in the first ten to fifteen years, but the predictive power was clearly lower in the last five years of follow-up. The relative risk of death from coronary heart disease was stable in the whole period of follow-up. The risk curves relating coronary heart disease mortality to diastolic blood pressure in men and women aged 60-79 years at screening had the same shape in the first five years as in the rest of the follow-up. No J-shaped association was seen in either time interval.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Is blood pressure treatment as effective in a population setting as in controlled trials? Results from a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of treatment in situations in which general practitioners and patients use medication according to their own judgement, and where selection, compliance and follow-up varies. This prospective population study differs from the efficacy of treatment studied in randomized trials. DESIGN: Baseline (1974-1976) and repeat (1977-1981) cardiovascular screenings of all males aged 35-49 years in three counties in Norway, with mortality follow-up from the second screening until 1990. SETTING: A nationwide ambulatory screening service reporting community results and referring high-risk subjects to their local general practitioners. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 21,314 males (86%) attended both screenings, of whom 840 took blood pressure medication at the second screening. Males with cardiovascular disease, diabetes or blood pressure treatment at baseline were excluded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Changes in coronary risk factors, mortality from all causes, coronary heart disease and non-cardiovascular causes. RESULTS: The effect of treatment on blood pressure was small, and the attainment of reasonable target blood pressures was rare. The cholesterol level decreased and the level of triglycerides increased more in the treatment group than in the untreated group. Blood pressure treatment was associated with increased mortality in most risk strata, and at pretreatment systolic blood pressures up to 184 mmHg. A particularly high mortality rate was found when blood pressure increased despite treatment and at low pretreatment blood pressures. According to Cox proportional hazards analyses controlling for pretreatment blood pressure, cholesterol, age, smoking and body mass index, the relative risk of coronary heart disease death in the treatment group was 1.8 (95% confidence interval 1.3-2.6). CONCLUSION: The benefit experienced from the trials turned into an adverse effect of treatment in the population setting, particularly at low pretreatment blood pressure, and when blood pressure increased during treatment.

Adult↗