Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J W Gardner

Publications and source records attributed to J W Gardner.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Cancer incidence in Mormons and non-Mormons in Utah during 1967--75.

Data from the Utah Cancer Registry were used to compare cancer incidence in Mormons and non-Mormons in Utah for the period 1967--75. Church membership was identified for 97.8% of the 20,379 cases in Utah by a search of the central membership files of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (or Mormon Church). Sites associated with smoking (lung, larynx, pharynx, oral cavity, esophagus, and urinary bladder) showed an incidence in Mormons at about one-half that of non-Mormons. Rates of cancers of the breast, cervix, and ovary were low in Mormon women; the rate for cervical cancer was about one-half of that observed in non-Mormons. Cancers of the stomach, colon-rectum, and pancreas were about one-third lower in Mormons than in others who are not members of this religious group. Most of the differences seen in cancer incidence can be explained by Mormon teachings regarding sexual activity and alcohol and tobacco use, but some differences (e.g., colon and stomach) remain unexplained.

Christianity↗

Cancer risk factors: an analysis of Utah Mormons and non-Mormons.

In a comparison of Mormons and non-Mormons in Utah, more Mormon men and women married spouses of the same faith, were religiously active, were of Northern Europe ancestry, lived in rural areas, had fewer exposures to occupational hazards, were less likely to smoke cigarettes or drink coffee, tea, and alcohol, used fats in cooking, and were more often married that was the cohort of other religions. No differences existed in occupation, but Mormon men had completed more years of schooling. Mormon women were less likely to be college graduates, had fewer sexual partners, had more pregnancies, were older at first pregnancy, were less likely to use birth control pills, had fewer miscarriages and hysterectomies, examined their breasts more often, and had more breast X-rays. For women, there was only a small difference by religion for age at first intercourse and no difference for age at which they began using birth control pills. Religious activity was examined for Mormons, and in most instances inactive Mormons were more like the non-Mormon population in respect to the variables measured.

Adult↗

Cancer in Utah: risk by religion and place of residence.

We compared cancer incidence during 1967--75 between Mormons and non-Mormons living in urban and rural areas of Utah. The non-Mormon urban men had a 34% higher risk of cancer compared with their rural counterparts. Most of this increase in risk occurred in sites associated with tobacco and for cancers of the stomach, colon, and prostate gland. Urban Mormon males had no significant increase in risk. The urban female population was at higher risk than was the rural regardless of religion. The increase was not as striking as that observed in non-Mormon men (8 vs. 34%); cancers of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts and female genitalia contributed to the elevated risk. We concluded that personal habits such as smoking and drinking and reproductive factors were possible explanations for the previously observed urban-rural gradients in cancer risk.

Adolescent↗

Childhood leukemias associated with fallout from nuclear testing.

Continuing concern over the possible carcinogenic effects of low-level radiation prompted us to study the population of Utah because of its exposure to fallout from 26 nuclear tests between 1951 and 1958. Certain rural counties (high-fallout counties) received most of the fallout during that period. We reviewed all deaths from childhood (under 15 years of age) cancers occurring in the entire state between 1944 and 1975 and assigned them to a cohort of either high or low exposure, depending on whether 15 between 1951 and 1958. For reasons unknown, leukemia mortality among the low-exposure cohort in the high-fallout counties was about half that of the United States and the remainder of the state. Mortality increased by 2.44 times (95 per cent confidence, 1.18 to 5.02) to just slightly above that of the United States in the high-exposure cohort residing in the high-fallout counties, and was greatest in 10- to 14-year-old children. For other childhood cancers, no consistent pattern was found in relation to fallout exposure. The increase in leukemia deaths could be due to fallout or to some other unexplained factor.

Adolescent↗

Cardiovascular mortality in Mormons and non-Mormons in Utah, 1969--1971.

Cardiovascular mortality in the State of Utah is among the lowest in the United States. The religion of 72% of the state residents (Mormon) proscribes the use of tobacco and alcohol; a large number of Mormons adhere to this proscription. This study analyzed the 6108 cardiovascular disease deaths between 1969--1971 in Utah of members in the Mormon Church. For both sexes, Mormons had 35% less mortality than expected from US rates for ischemic heart disease, while non-Mormons were not significantly different from US whites. These results support the relationship between cigarette smoking and mortality from cardiovascular disease. Mormon men also had lower mortality from hypertensive heart disease and Mormon women from rheumatic heart disease than non-Mormons in Utah.

Aged↗

Low cancer incidence and mortality in Utah.

Utah cancer mortality for the years 1950-1969 and morbidity for the years 1966-1970 are reported. Utah had 18% fewer cases of cancer than expected based on the Third National Cancer Survey, and 24% fewer cancer deaths than expected based on national mortality data. Cancer sites associated with cigarette smoking and alcohol use accounted for nearly half of these differences. Several major sites not strongly associated with smoking showed lower incidence and mortality than expected. These included pancreas, colon, rectum, female breast, uterine cervix and ovary. A marked excess occurrence above expectation was observed for cancer of the lip. Some possible explanations of these findings are discussed, including some of the unique aspects of the Utah population.

Adolescent↗

The rising frequency of hysterectomy: its effect on uterine cancer rates.

The number of hysterectomies performed in the United States increased approximately 60% between 1965 and 1973, far in excess of population growth. This has altered the population at risk for uterine malignancies, and published incidence rates do not correct for this effect. Using US data, the authors developed correction factors to estimate the actual population at risk, and they applied them to uterine cancer rates. Correction for hysterectomy increased incidence and mortality rates for uterine cancer by 20-45% in any year and changes the time trend by as much as 30% from 1960 to 1973. This effect was greater for endometrial than cervical cancer, and future studies on uterine cancer occurrence should consider prevalence of hysterectomized women in the population.

Adult↗

Cancer incidence in Mormons and non-Mormons in Utah, 1966-1970.

Between 1950 and 1969 cancer mortality in white Utah residents was 22 per cent less than that in the entire United States population. The religion of 72 per cent of the State residents (Mormon) proscribes use of tobacco and alcohol. We therefore analyzed the 10,641 cases of cancer identified in Utah from 1966 to 1970 and compared the incidence found in Utah Mormons, in Utah non-Mormons, and in a national survey. Comparison of Utah Mormons with non-Mormons showed that Mormons had a lower incidence of all cancers associated with cigarette smoking (P less than 0.00001). Mormon females had a low incidence of cancer of the breast (P = 0.008), uterine cervix (P less than 0.00001), and ovary (P = 0.04); Mormon males had a lower incidence of stomach cancers (P = 0.003). These findings addevidence to the association between cigarette smoking and certain cancers, but leave unexplained the significant differences between Mormons and non-Mormons for incidence of cancer of the breast, cervix, prostate and nervous system.

Alcohol Drinking↗

Acute cold exposure and the metabolism of blood glucose, lactate and pyruvate, and plasma amino acids in the hind leg of the fed and fasted young ox.

1. Young steers were fed either 3-4 or 20 h before exposure to a thermoneutral or a moderately cold environment. Measurements were made of total oxygen consumption (total V 0-2), respiratory quotient (rq), blood packed cell volume (PCV), and hind-leg blood flow (leg Q) and oxygen uptake (leg VO-2). The arteriovenous differences in whole blood glucose, lactate and pyruvate, and individual amino acid and urea concentrations across the leg were also measured. Net exchange and fractional uptake of these metabolites by the leg were calculated from these results. 2. Cold exposure doubled total VO-2, significantly decreased RQ and significantly increased PCV. Leg Q and leg VO-2 increased 3- to 5-fold and 4- to 13-fold respectively in both feeding groups. Arterial blood glucose increased slightly but significantly in both 20 h- and 3 h-fed steers. There was a substantial increase in mean net leg uptake of glucose in both feeding groups. This was much greater in the 20 h-fed group because of the significant increase in fractional uptake occurring only in this group. Cold did not significantly affect arterial blood lactate or pyruvate levels, but the net leg output of lactate found in both feeding groups in thermoneutrality was increased in the 20 h-fed steers, and reversed to a net uptake in the 3 h-fed animals. Cold caused a small but significant decrease in the total plasma amino acid level in the 20 h-fed but not in the 3 h-fed group; individual amino acid levels or leg uptakes were not affected. 3. Feeding before the experiment caused a significant increase in RQ. Leg Q, leg uptake of glucose and leg output of lactate increased after feeding in the thermoneutral environment only. Arterial pyruvate increased significantly, but net leg output was not significantly affected by feeding. Arterial plasma concentration of several individual, but not of total amino acids, increased significantly in both environments, and the net output of many individual amino acids in the 20 h-fed steers was decreased or reversed to a net uptake in the 3 h-fed group in thermoneutrality only. 4. The results suggest that blood glucose could be a significant fuel for oxidation in shivering skeletal muscle in young steers, and that output of amino acids from skeletal muscle could not contribute significantly to this increased glucose supply by hepatic gluconeogenesis.

Acclimatization↗