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Biomedical subjects

M Koskenvuo

Publications and source records attributed to M Koskenvuo.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Cognitive function in middle-aged snorers and controls: role of excessive daytime somnolence and sleep-related hypoxic events.

Association of snoring and cognitive function was studied in 46 habitually snoring men ages 41-52 years, and 60 occasionally or never-snoring control male subjects of the same age group. Sleep recordings with monitoring of apneas and hypopneas were made with the static-charge sensitive bed method. Blood oxygen saturation was measured with an oximeter and the snoring sounds were recorded with a microphone after clinical and neuropsychological assessment. A questionnaire with items on excessive daytime somnolence (EDS), sleep, and snoring quality was also used. EDS (as measured by items on the questionnaire) associated with tests requiring concentration, memory retention, and verbal and spatial skills in the habitual snorers group. The number of oxygen desaturation episodes exceeding 4% associated with defective delayed Recall of Logical Stories of the Wechsler Memory Scale and with spatial orientation (Clock test) in the habitual snorers' group even after adjusting for age and obesity.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Snoring as a risk factor for ischaemic heart disease and stroke in men.

The association of snoring with ischaemic heart disease and stroke was studied prospectively in 4388 men aged 40-69. The men were asked, in a questionnaire sent to them, whether they snored habitually, frequently, occasionally, or never. Hospital records and death certificates were checked for the next three years to establish how many of the men developed ischaemic heart disease or stroke: the numbers were 149 and 42, respectively. Three categories of snoring were used for analysis: habitual and frequent snorers (n = 1294), occasional snorers (n = 2614), and non-snorers (n = 480). The age adjusted relative risk of ischaemic heart disease between habitual plus frequent snorers and non-snorers was 1.91 (p less than 0.01) and for ischaemic heart disease or stroke, or both, 2.38 (p less than 0.001). There were no cases of stroke among the non-snorers. Adjustment for age, body mass index, history of hypertension, smoking, and alcohol use did not significantly decrease the relative risks, which were 1.71 (p greater than 0.05) for ischaemic heart disease and 2.08 (p less than 0.01) for ischaemic heart disease and stroke combined. At the beginning of follow up in 1981, 462 men reported a history of angina pectoris or myocardial infarction. For them the relative risk of ischaemic heart disease between habitual plus frequent snorers and non-snorers was 1.30 (NS); for men without previous ischaemic heart disease 2.72 (p less than 0.05). Snoring seems to be a potential determinant of risk of ischaemic heart disease and stroke.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Design and sampling considerations, response rates, and representativeness in a Finnish Twin Family Study.

Kinships composed of twin parents, their spouses and children, offer a robust and flexible sampling design for research in genetic epidemiology. Families-of-twins designs circumvent some of the sampling problems that arise when independent data sets are combined, and these designs provide unique evaluations of maternal influences, assortative mating and X-linkage. Unfortunately, empirical studies of families of twin parents have been limited by relatively small samples and by the self-selection biases intrinsic in ascertainment of families from volunteer twin registries. A large and representative cohort of monozygotic and dizygotic twin parents, drawn from a population-based twin registry, provides the optimal sampling frame for twin-family research. This paper reviews the sampling considerations underlying the initial family study based on the Finnish Twin Cohort and evaluates the representativeness of the sampled twins. Spouses and adult children (over 18 years) of 236 pairs of twins, about equally divided by gender and zygosity, were evaluated by a postal questionnaire. Individual response rates exceeded 86% and in 464 of the 472 nuclear families (98.3%), at last one member of the twin's family completed the questionnaire. The sampled twins, selected for fecundity to maximize statistical power of the obtained data, were broadly representative of non-selected twins drawn from the Cohort, with whom they were matched on age, gender, and zygosity. Such results suggest that the Finnish Cohort has excellent potential for extended twin-family research designs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Cardiovascular reflexes in monozygotic twins discordant for exposure to organic solvents.

Eighteen pairs of monozygotic twins discordant for long-term occupational exposure to organic solvents were examined for disturbances of cardiovascular reflexes. All of the subjects were asymptomatic, and considered themselves healthy. No significant differences were observed between the exposed and the nonexposed twins. The finding suggests that occupational solvent exposure at these particular levels is unlikely to cause disturbances of the autonomic nervous function.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Ophthalmic disease in twins: a nationwide record linkage study of hospital discharges and free medications for 16,067 twin pairs.

Record linkage of the Finnish Twin Cohort Study with the Hospital Discharge Registry and with the Registry of Rights to Free Medication kept by the Social Insurance Institution gave following numbers of twin pairs with an ophthalmic disease (one or both members of the pair had the disease) in each disease category: 98 with glaucoma simplex (5 concordant pairs), 38 with capsular glaucoma (no concordant pairs), 58 with iritis (no concordant pairs) and 149 with strabismus (2 concordant pairs). The number of concordant pairs in each disease category was small, except for glaucoma simplex in which concordant pairs could be broken down by zygosity. The ratio of observed to expected (based on association by chance) was 6.96 for MZ and 1.74 for DZ pairs. This result suggests that genetic factors play some role in the variability of prevalence of simple glaucoma. Main etiologic factors are still to be found in the environment. Data on occurrence of other diseases of ophthalmologic importance is presented.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Genetic influences on use and abuse of alcohol: a study of 5638 adult Finnish twin brothers.

To evaluate genetic influences on the use and abuse of alcohol, we compared questionnaire measures of the frequency, quantity, and density of social drinking, and the frequency of alcohol-induced passouts self-reported by 879 monozygotic (MZ) and 1940 dizygotic (DZ) pairs of twin brothers, aged 24-49 yr. The measures of frequency, quantity, and density (heavy drinking once or more a month) significantly intercorrelate, and the self-reported alcohol consumption by this sample is satisfactorily stable and consistent with nationwide sales figures. None of the drinking measures was associated with twin type (zygosity), and only density correlated with age. Similarity of drinking habits among twin brothers was evaluated as a function of their genetic resemblance and age, the frequency of their social contact with one another, and the interactions of these terms. The effects were estimated from hierarchical linear regressions of a double-entry data matrix from which each twin's drinking was predicted from that of his twin brother, and that pair's age, zygosity, cohabitation status, and frequency of social contact. Significant genetic variance was found for each of the drinking measures with heritability estimates ranging from 0.36 to 0.40. Co-twins in more frequent social contact with one another reported greater similarity in their use of alcohol, but heritable variance remained after the effects of age and social contact were removed from both mean levels and co-twin resemblance. Reported frequency of passouts yielded significant, but equivalent, correlations in both MZ and DZ twins and no evidence of genetic influence.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Periodic breathing and hypoxia in snorers and controls: validation of snoring history and association with blood pressure and obesity.

Fifty-two men (aged 41-50 years) of whom 25 reported habitual and 27 of occasional or never snoring were examined clinically. Whole-night sleep recordings of body and breathing movements, snoring and blood oxygen saturation were made. Hypoxic events exceeding 4% from the baseline were counted. Ninety-three percent of those classified snorers by the recordings were habitual or occasional snorers, but 50% of those similarly classified non-snorers had reported habitual or occasional snoring. Four habitual snorers had abnormal breathing indices and polysomnography established obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in one. Thus, self-reported habitual snoring is a reliable OSAS-screening method. Estimated prevalence of OSAS based on this study is 0.4-1.4%. In multivariate regression analysis, the hypoxic events were explained by obesity and apneic events. The diastolic blood pressure level was best explained by obesity, but not hypoxic or apneic events or snoring history.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Primary open-angle glaucoma in 2 monozygotic twin pairs.

Two monozygotic twin pairs with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) derived from the Finnish Twin Cohort Study were studied. The first female twin pair was concordant, and the second female pair was discordant for primary open-angle glaucoma. The nondiseased member of this second pair showed preglaucomatous signs in the form of ocular hypertension. The clinical study of the patients included a careful ophthalmologic examination, retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) photography and optic disc stereophotography. Visual fields were tested with an automated perimeter (Octopus 2000). The small number of twin pairs in the present study does not permit quantitative analysis of heritability, but it is obvious that whenever a clinical diagnosis of primary open-angle glaucoma in a monozygotic twin is made, the co-twin should be carefully examined.

Aged↗
PubMed1987

Multiple sclerosis in a nationwide series of twins.

A nation wide Finnish Twin Cohort was linked with sickness insurance and hospital discharge registers on the basis of the unique identification number assigned to each Finnish citizen. The study series consisted of 4,063 monozygotic (MZ) and 9,001 dizygotic (DZ) same-sexed twin pairs born before 1958 and alive in 1981. Altogether, 22 subjects representing 11 MZ pairs and 10 DZ pairs showed clinically definite multiple sclerosis (MS). In one MZ pair both members had the disease. The frequency of MS among DZ twins corresponded to the figure in the Finnish population, but the prevalence was higher in MZ twins than in DZ twins.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Mortality after bereavement: a prospective study of 95,647 widowed persons.

The mortality of 95,647 persons, widowed during 1972-76 and identified by linking the Finnish Population Register and cause-of-death files, was followed up to the end of 1976. A total of 7,635 deaths during 225,251 person-years of experience were observed. Cause-specific standardized mortality ratios by time after bereavement were computed. The highest relative mortality risk was found immediately after bereavement. For all natural causes, mortality during the first week was over two-fold compared to expected rates. The relative risk was larger for ischemic heart disease (RR = 2.3 for men, and RR = 3.5 for women), an effect found in all age groups. Among men under age 65, excess mortality from IHD was also observed during later years of widowhood. For violent causes, exclusive of accidents simultaneously affecting both spouses, mortality was over two-fold during the first month. Mortality from suicides was greater than expected during the first years of widowhood. While the greatest excess mortality after bereavement seems to be due principally to the acute effects of becoming widowed, there also seems to be some excess mortality in younger persons widowed for a longer time.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1987

Cardiovascular stress and sleep.

This review summarizes briefly the present knowledge on sleep-related factors in ischaemic heart disease. A marked circadian rhythm in the frequency of onset of acute myocardial infarction has been found, but the exact mechanism is not known. The circadian variation is possibly explained by several mechanisms. The best documented is sleep apnoea syndrome, which seems to be a risk factor for ischaemic heart disease and stroke. Stressful REM-sleep seems to be potentially arrhythmogenic in patients with decreased cardiopulmonary function. The role of coronary spasm, increased thrombocyte aggregation and mental stress in sleep disorders is still poorly understood.

Cerebrovascular Disorders↗
PubMed1987

Social and genetic influences on drinking patterns of adult men: a study of 5638 Finnish twin brothers.

Hierarchical multiple regression analyses of questionnaire data reported by male twins in the Finnish Twin Cohort were used to evaluate genetic and social influences on use and abuse of alcohol. The similarity in drinking patterns of twin brothers is related to the frequency of their social interaction, and monozygotic co-twins are in more frequent social contact. But the stepwise multiple regressions show that the greater social interaction of identical twins cannot account for their greater similarity in drinking patterns. We conclude that genetic variance significantly contributes to population variance in the frequency, quantity, and density of social drinking.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Role of environment in the development of chronic bronchitis.

Based on data in the Finnish Twin Registry, which was obtained by postal questionnaire, the prevalence of chronic bronchitis among non-smoking farmers was 3.6% and among a corresponding group of non-farmers (reference subjects) 3.4%. The six-year incidences of chronic bronchitis for these 2 groups were 2.7% and 0.7%, respectively. The difference in incidence between these groups was significant (p less than 0.001). The fact that the incidence among farming subjects was three times the incidence among non-farming subjects indicates that chronic bronchitis is a work-related disease among farmers. This is analogous to previous findings that symptoms compatible with chronic bronchitis occur more often among grain elevator workers than among urban dwellers. The occurrence of chronic bronchitis among both farmers and grain elevator workers probably is associated with exposure to grain dusts.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Social factors and the gender difference in mortality.

The effect of social factors on the male/female difference in mortality in Finland was studied by comparing age-adjusted mortality of males and females by social class and marital status. 44,548 death certificates (years 1969-1971) and 1970 census data for 25-64-years olds were analysed. The gender difference was 2.8-fold: 5.3-fold for violent causes and 2.3-fold for natural causes. The greatest gender difference from violent causes was found in accidental poisonings (18.7-fold) and drownings (12.8-fold), and from natural causes in mental disorders (mainly alcoholism; 5.7-fold) and in ischemic heart disease (4.5-fold). The gender difference was most prominent in unskilled workers, divorced and widowed and less prominent in married and upper professionals. The great variation of gender difference of mortality by social class and marital status seems to indicate that mortality difference between males and females is associated to external factors rather than biological differences between men and women. This conclusion is also supported by the progressive increase of gender difference of mortality from 1.4 to 2.8 during the last 80 years in working-aged Finns.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Alcohol-related diseases associated with ischaemic heart disease: a three-year follow-up of middle-aged male hospital patients.

Mortality and morbidity from ischaemic heart disease (IHD) was studied in 5404 Finnish males aged 35-64 years who had been hospitalised for alcohol-related disease in 1972 without any admissions for IHD during that same period. By record-linkage, morbidity and mortality were followed up to the end of 1975. The mortality of patients with alcohol-related diseases was compared to 1120 patients with acute appendicitis by calculating indirectly age-standardised mortality ratios (SMR). The mortality and morbidity of 5963 patients with acute myocardial infarction or angina pectoris was also studied. The following SMRs for IHD mortality, non-fatal-IHD-hospitalisation and for mortality from all causes respectively, were found: acute myocardial infarction 11.6, 7.2 and 7.2; alcohol intoxication 6.0, 4.5 and 4.5; angina pectoris 5.2, 10.5 and 3.4; liver cirrhosis 2.2, 2.5 and 11.8; alcoholism 1.9, 1.9 and 3.6; pancreatitis 1.8, 1.2 and 4.4; alcohol psychosis 1.7, 2.5 and 4.2. IHD mortality and morbidity appeared to be more prevalent in patients hospitalised with alcohol intoxication than in patients with other alcohol-related diseases. This suggests that rapid drinking predisposes both to serious intoxication and to fatal disturbances of cardiac rhythm.

Adult↗