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Coffee Consumption (coffee + consumption)

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Medical Sciences	100%

Selected Abstracts

Coffee consumption and risk of colorectal cancer in a population-based prospective cohort of Japanese men and women

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 6 2007
Kyung-Jae Lee
Abstract We prospectively examined the association between coffee consumption and the risk of developing colorectal cancer in a large population-based cohort study (the JPHC Study) of Japanese men and women. Data were analyzed from a population-based cohort of 96,162 subjects (46,023 men and 50,139 women). A total of 1,163 incident colorectal cancers were identified during the follow-up period, including 763 cases of colon cancer and 400 of rectal cancer. We observed a significant inverse association between coffee consumption and the risk of developing invasive colon cancer among women. Compared with those who almost never consumed coffee, women who regularly consumed 3 or more cups of coffee per day had a RR of 0.44 (95% CI = 0.19,1.04; p for trend = 0.04) after adjustment for potential confounding factors. However, no significant association was found for rectal cancer in women. In men, no significant decrease was observed in any colorectal cancer site. Further, additional analyses on the association of green tea consumption with colorectal cancer risk found no significant association in men or women. These findings suggest that coffee consumption may lower the risk of colon cancer among Japanese women. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Coffee consumption and breast cancer risk among BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 1 2006
André Nkondjock
Abstract Although there are several plausible biologic mechanisms whereby coffee consumption might influence the risk of breast cancer, epidemiologic evidence is limited. We assessed the association between coffee consumption and breast cancer risk among high-risk women who carry BRCA mutations. We performed a matched case-control analysis on 1,690 women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation from 40 centers in 4 countries. Average lifetime coffee consumption was estimated via a self-administered questionnaire. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using conditional logistic regression. After adjustment for potential confounders, the ORs for breast cancer in BRCA carriers who habitually drank 0, 1,3, 4,5 and 6 or more cups of coffee were 1.00, 0.90 (95% CI 0.72,1.12), 0.75 (95% CI 0.47,1.19) and 0.31 (95% CI 0.13,0.71; p -trend = 0.02). The effect was limited to the consumption of caffeinated coffee. These results suggest that among women with BRCA gene mutation, coffee consumption is unlikely to be harmful and that high levels of consumption may in fact be related to reduced breast cancer risk. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Coffee consumption and the risk of primary liver cancer: Pooled analysis of two prospective studies in Japan

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 1 2005
Taichi Shimazu
Abstract Although case-control studies suggested that coffee consumption is associated with a decreased risk of liver cancer, no prospective cohort study has been carried out. To examine the association between coffee consumption and the risk of liver cancer, we conducted a pooled analysis of data available from 2 cohort studies in Japan. A self-administered questionnaire about the frequency of coffee consumption and other health habits was distributed to 22,404 subjects (10,588 men and 11,816 women) in Cohort 1 and 38,703 subjects (18,869 men and 19,834 women) in Cohort 2, aged 40 years or more, with no previous history of cancer. We identified 70 and 47 cases of liver cancer among the subjects in Cohort 1 (9 years of follow-up with 170,640 person-years) and Cohort 2 (7 years of follow-up with 284,948 person-years), respectively. We used Cox proportional hazards regression analysis to estimate the relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of liver cancer incidence. After adjustment for potential confounders, the pooled RR (95% CI) of drinking coffee never, occasionally and 1 or more cups/day were 1.00 (Reference), 0.71 (0.46,1.09) and 0.58 (0.36,0.96), respectively (p for trend = 0.024). In the subgroup of subjects with a history of liver disease, we found a significant inverse association between coffee consumption and the risk of liver cancer. Our findings support the hypothesis that coffee consumption decreases the risk of liver cancer. Further studies to investigate the role of coffee in prevention of liver cancer among the high-risk population are needed. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Coffee consumption and risk of rheumatoid arthritis

ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM, Issue 11 2003
Elizabeth W. Karlson
Objective Recent reports have suggested an association between consumption of coffee or decaffeinated coffee and the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), although data are sparse and somewhat inconsistent. Furthermore, existing studies measured dietary exposures and potential confounders only at baseline and did not consider possible changes in diet or lifestyle over the followup period. We studied whether coffee, decaffeinated coffee, total coffee, tea, or overall caffeine consumption was associated with the risk of RA, using the Nurses' Health Study, a longitudinal cohort study of 121,701 women. Methods Information on beverage consumption was assessed with a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) that was completed every 4 years, from baseline in 1980 through 1998. Among the 83,124 women who completed the FFQ at baseline, the diagnosis of incident RA (between 1980 and 2000) was confirmed in 480 women by a connective tissue disease screening questionnaire and medical record review for American College of Rheumatology criteria. Relationships between intake of various beverages and the risk of RA were assessed in age-adjusted models and in multivariate Cox proportional hazards models including the cumulative average intake of each beverage during the followup period, adjusted for numerous potential confounders. In addition, for direct comparisons with prior reports, multivariate analyses were repeated using only baseline beverage information. Results We did not find a significant association between decaffeinated coffee consumption of ,4 cups/day (compared with no decaffeinated coffee consumption) and subsequent risk of incident RA, in either an adjusted multivariate model (relative risk [RR] 1.1, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.5,2.2) or a multivariate model using only baseline reports of decaffeinated coffee consumption (RR 1.0, 95% CI 0.6,1.7). Similarly, there was no relationship between cumulative caffeinated coffee consumption and RA risk (RR 1.1, 95% CI 0.8,1.6 for ,4 cups per day versus none) or between tea consumption and RA risk (RR 1.1, 95% CI 0.7,1.8 for >3 cups/day versus none). Total coffee and total caffeine consumption were also not associated with the risk of RA. Conclusion In this large, prospective study, we find little evidence of an association between coffee, decaffeinated coffee, or tea consumption and the risk of RA among women. [source]

Coffee consumption during pregnancy and the risk of hyperkinetic disorder and ADHD: a prospective cohort study

ACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 1 2009
Karen Markussen Linnet
Abstract Aim: Based on hypotheses from experimental studies, we studied the association between intrauterine exposure to coffee and the risk of clinically verified hyperkinetic disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methods: A cohort study with prospectively collected data from the Aarhus Birth Cohort, Denmark. We included 24 068 singletons delivered between 1990 and 1998. Linkage was performed with three Danish longitudinal registers: The Danish Psychiatric Central Register, The Integrated Database for Labour Market Research and The Danish Civil Registration System. We identified 88 children with hyperkinetic disorder and ADHD. Information about coffee consumption during pregnancy was obtained at 16 weeks of gestation from self-administrated questionnaires. Potential confounding factors were evaluated using Cox regression analyses. Results: We found that intrauterine exposure to 10 or more cups of coffee per day was associated with a threefold increased risk of hyperkinetic disorder and ADHD. After adjustments for a number of confounding factors, the risk decreased and became statistically insignificant (RR 2.3, 95% CI 0.9,5.9). Conclusion: Prenatal exposure to high levels of coffee did not significantly increase the risk of clinically verified hyperkinetic disorder and ADHD in childhood. [source]

The genetics of tea and coffee drinking and preference for source of caffeine in a large community sample of Australian twins

ADDICTION, Issue 10 2005
Michelle Luciano
ABSTRACT Aims To investigate the genetic and environmental influences on tea consumption and their commonalities with coffee consumption; and to further examine the genetic and environmental aetiology of preference for tea/coffee. Design A classical twin design was used in which the similarity of identical and non-identical twins is compared, enabling estimates of genetic, common environmental and unique environmental influence on the trait. Setting and participants An Australian population-based sample of 1796 identical (i.e. monozygotic) and 2013 non-identical (i.e. dizygotic) twin pairs aged 16,87 years was studied, roughly three-fifths of whom were female. The sample represented approximately 70% of those approached for study participation. Measurements As part of a Health and Lifestyle Questionnaire, respondents were asked how many cups of each tea and coffee they consumed per day. Additional measures of ,total tea and coffee consumption' and ,preference for coffee' were calculated. Findings Age was positively associated with tea consumption but negatively associated with coffee preference; women consumed more beverages than men, but showed a lower preference for coffee. An inverse relation between tea and coffee consumption,larger in females (,0.41) than males (,0.34),was supported. This association was mediated entirely by the unique environment in males, and by both the unique environment (68.3%) and genes (31.7%) in females. Tea and coffee drinking were shown to have similar heritabilities (0.46) in males, but tea consumption was influenced by common environmental factors whereas coffee consumption was not. Coffee preference was shown to be influenced by genes (0.42) and the unique environment (0.58). Conclusions As the patterns of genetic and environmental variation were shown to differ for tea and coffee consumption it may be more informative to retain them as separate measures of caffeine intake in future studies of stimulant use and taste perception. [source]

Joint effects of coffee consumption and serum gamma-glutamyltransferase on the risk of liver cancer,

HEPATOLOGY, Issue 1 2008
Gang Hu
Only three Japanese prospective studies have suggested an inverse association between coffee drinking and liver cancer risk. No prospective studies on the association between serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and liver cancer risk have been reported. We aimed to determine the single and joint associations of coffee consumption and serum GGT with the risk of primary liver cancer. Study cohorts included 60,323 Finnish participants who were 25-74 years of age and free of any cancer at baseline. During a median follow-up period of 19.3 years (interquartile range: 9.3-29.2 years), 128 participants were diagnosed with an incident liver cancer. The multivariable-adjusted (age, sex, alcohol consumption, education, smoking, diabetes and chronic liver disease at baseline and during follow-up, and body mass index) hazards ratios of liver cancer in participants who drank 0-1, 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, and ,8 cups of coffee daily were 1.00, 0.66, 0.44, 0.38, and 0.32 (P for trend = 0.003), respectively. Further adjustment for serum GGT in subgroup analysis affected the results only slightly. The multivariable-adjusted and coffee-adjusted hazard ratio of liver cancer for the highest versus the lowest quartile of serum GGT was 3.13 (95% confidence interval = 1.22-8.07). The multivariable-adjusted inverse association between coffee consumption and liver cancer risk persisted when stratified by baseline factors: age more/less than 50 years, current smoker/never smoked/ever smoked, alcohol drinker/never drinker, obese/nonobese, and the highest/lowest three quartiles of serum GGT. A combination of very low coffee consumption and high level of serum GGT was associated with nearly nine-fold increased risk. Conclusion: Coffee drinking has an inverse and graded association with the risk of liver cancer. High serum GGT is associated with an increased risk of liver cancer. (HEPATOLOGY 2008.) [source]

Coffee drinking and hepatocellular carcinoma risk: A meta-analysis,

HEPATOLOGY, Issue 2 2007
Francesca Bravi
Several studies suggest an inverse relation between coffee drinking and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We conducted a meta-analysis of published studies on HCC that included quantitative information on coffee consumption. Ten studies were retrieved (2,260 HCC cases), including 6 case,control studies from southern Europe and Japan (1551 cases) and 4 cohort studies from Japan (709 cases). The summary relative risk (RR) for coffee drinkers versus non-drinkers was 0.54 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.38-0.76) for case,control studies and 0.64 (95% CI 0.56-0.74) for cohort studies. The overall RR was 0.59 (95% CI 0.49-0.72), with significant heterogeneity between studies. The overall summary RR for low or moderate coffee drinkers was 0.70 (95% CI 0.57-0.85), and that for high drinkers was 0.45 (95% CI 0.38-0.53). The summary RR for an increase of 1 cup of coffee per day was 0.77 (95% CI 0.72-0.83) from case,control studies, 0.75 (95% CI 0.65-0.85) from cohort studies, and 0.77 (95% CI 0.72-0.82) overall. The consistency of an inverse relation between coffee drinking and HCC across study design and geographic areas weighs against a major role of bias or confounding. Coffee drinking has also been related to reduced risk of other liver diseases, thus suggesting a continuum of the favorable effect of coffee on liver function. However, subjects with liver conditions may selectively reduce their coffee consumption. Conclusion: The present analysis provides evidence that the inverse relation between coffee and HCC is real, though inference on causality remains open to discussion. (HEPATOLOGY 2007.) [source]

Coffee, tea, caffeine and risk of breast cancer: A 22-year follow-up

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 9 2008
Davaasambuu Ganmaa
Abstract The relation between consumption of coffee, tea and caffeine and risk of breast cancer remains unsettled. We examined data from a large, long-term cohort study to evaluate whether high intake of coffee and caffeine is associated with increased risk of breast cancer. This was a prospective cohort study with 85,987 female participants in the Nurses' Health Study. Consumption of coffee, tea and caffeine consumption was assessed in 1980, 1984, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998 and the follow-up continued through 2002. We documented 5,272 cases of invasive breast cancer during 1,715,230 person-years. The multivariate relative risks (RRs) of breast cancer across categories of caffeinated coffee consumption were: 1.0 for <1cup/month (reference category), 1.01 (95% confidence interval: 0.92,1.12) for 1 month to 4.9 week, 0.92 (0.84,1.01) for 5 week to 1.9 days, 0.93 (0.85,1.02) for 2,3.9 days, 0.92 (0.82,1.03) for ,4 cups per day (p for trend = 0.14). Intakes of tea and decaffeinated coffee were also not significantly associated with risk of breast cancer. RRs (95% CI) for increasing quintiles of caffeine intake were 1.00, 0.98 (0.90,1.07), 0.92 (0.84,1.00), 0.94 (0.87,1.03) and 0.93 (0.85,1.01) (p for trend = 0.06). A significant inverse association of caffeine intake with breast cancers was observed among postmenopausal women; for the highest quintile of intake compared to the lowest RR 0.88 (95% CI = 0.79,0.97, p for trend = 0.03). We observed no substantial association between caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee and tea consumption and risk of breast cancer in the overall cohort. However, our results suggested a weak inverse association between caffeine-containing beverages and risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Coffee consumption and risk of colorectal cancer in a population-based prospective cohort of Japanese men and women

Coffee consumption and breast cancer risk among BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers

Coffee consumption and the risk of primary liver cancer: Pooled analysis of two prospective studies in Japan

Association of boiled and filtered coffee with incidence of first nonfatal myocardial infarction: the SHEEP and the VHEEP study

JOURNAL OF INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 6 2003
N. Hammar
Abstract., Hammar N, Andersson T, Alfredsson L, Reuterwall C, Nilsson T, Hallqvist J, Knutsson A, Ahlbom A (Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Stockholm Center of Public Health, Stockholm, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Västernorrland County Council, Sundsvall, Division of Social Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Norrland University Hospital, Umeå, Sweden) Association of boiled and filtered coffee with incidence of first nonfatal myocardial infarction: the SHEEP and the VHEEP study. J Intern Med 2003; 253: 653,659. Objectives., To evaluate the influence of consumption of filtered and boiled coffee, on the incidence of first nonfatal myocardial infarction. Design., Population-based case,control study. Setting and subjects., The study base consisted of the population 45,65/70 years-old in two Swedish counties, Stockholm and Västernorrland, 1992/93,94. In all, 1943 cases of first nonfatal myocardial infarction were identified. For each case one control was selected from the study base concurrently with disease incidence by matching the sex, age and place of residence of the case. Information about coffee consumption and other factors was obtained by mailed questionnaire and a medical examination. The participation rate was 85% amongst cases and 74% amongst controls. Results., Men with a reported consumption of 7,9 dL filtered coffee per day showed an increased incidence of first myocardial infarction compared with consumers of 3 dL day,1 or less (RR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.03,1.70). A consumption of at least 10 dL day,1 was associated with an RR of 1.93 (95% CI: 1.42,2.63) for filtered and 2.20 (95% CI: 1.17,4.15) for boiled coffee. Amongst women, no clear association was seen between consumption of filtered coffee and myocardial infarction but consumption of boiled coffee tended to be related to an increased incidence. Comparing subjects drinking boiled coffee with those drinking filtered coffee and adjusting for the amount consumed gave an increased incidence for boiled coffee amongst both men (RR: 1.41; 95% CI: 1.07,1.80) and women (RR: 1.63; 95% CI: 1.04,2.56). Conclusions., Consumption of boiled coffee appears to increase the incidence of first nonfatal myocardial infarction. This increased incidence is consistent with randomized trials showing an adverse impact of boiled coffee on blood lipids. [source]

Coffee and Cigarette Consumption and Perceived Effects in Recovering Alcoholics Participating in Alcoholics Anonymous in Nashville, Tennessee

ALCOHOLISM, Issue 10 2008
Michael S. Reich
Background:, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) members represent an important and relatively understudied population for improving our understanding of alcohol dependence recovery as over 1 million Americans participate in the program. Further insight into coffee and cigarette use by these individuals is necessary given AA members' apparent widespread consumption and the recognized health consequences and psychopharmacological actions of these substances. Methods:, Volunteers were sought from all open-AA meetings in Nashville, TN during the summer of 2007 to complete a questionnaire (n = 289, completion rate = 94.1%) including timeline followback for coffee, cigarette, and alcohol consumption; the Alcoholics Anonymous Affiliation Scale; coffee consumption and effects questions; the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND); and the Smoking Effects Questionnaire. Results:, Mean (±SD) age of onset of alcohol consumption was 15.4 ± 4.2 years and mean lifetime alcohol consumption was 1026.0 ± 772.8 kg ethanol. Median declared alcohol abstinence was 2.1 years (range: 0 days to 41.1 years) and median lifetime AA attendance was 1000.0 meetings (range: 4 to 44,209 meetings); average AA affiliation score was 7.6 ± 1.5. Most (88.5%) individuals consumed coffee and approximately 33% of coffee consumers drank more than 4 cups per day (M = 3.9 ± 3.9). The most common self-reported reasons for coffee consumption and coffee-associated behavioral changes were related to stimulatory effects. More than half (56.9%) of individuals in AA smoked cigarettes. Of those who smoked, 78.7% consumed at least half a pack of cigarettes per day (M = 21.8 ± 12.3). Smokers' FTND scores were 5.8 ± 2.4; over 60% of smokers were highly or very highly dependent. Reduced negative affect was the most important subjective effect of smoking. Conclusions:, A greater proportion of AA participants drink coffee and smoke cigarettes in larger per capita amounts than observed in general U.S. populations. The effects of these products as described by AA participants suggest significant stimulation and negative affect reduction. Fundamental knowledge of the quantitative and qualitative aspects of coffee and cigarette consumption among AA members will enable future research to discern their impact on alcohol abstinence and recovery. [source]

Review article: possible beneficial effects of coffee on liver disease and function

ALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 1 2007
I. S. H. CADDEN
Summary Background Coffee is consumed by 50 percent of Americans every day. After oil, coffee is the second most valuable commodity in the world. In recent years a number of studies have suggested potential health risks associated with coffee consumption; however, the results are controversial. Whilst coffee has been reported to increase cardiovascular risk factors, other investigators have demonstrated its protective effects on diseases ranging from type 2 diabetes to Parkinson's disease. A number of investigators have focused their attention on the relationship between the consumption of coffee and liver disease. Aim, To examine the published literature to date in an attempt to establish the presence of an hepatoprotective effect of coffee. Methods, Using PubMed, we identified published studies and review articles relating to the effect of coffee consumption on diseases of the liver. Conclusion, A number of studies have reported the beneficial effects of coffee on abnormal liver biochemistry, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. At the present time the mechanism of this effect remains unclear as does the ,,dose'' required to achieve these benefits. [source]

The effect of unfiltered coffee on potential biomarkers for colonic cancer risk in healthy volunteers: a randomized trial

ALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 9 2000
Grubben
Background: Epidemiologic studies suggest that coffee use might protect against colorectal cancer. Inconsistencies as to the effect of coffee use and colorectal cancer between epidemiologic studies might be related to the type of coffee brew. Objective: We studied the effect of unfiltered coffee consumption on putative biomarkers for colonic cancer risk. Design: A total of 64 healthy volunteers (31 men and 33 women), with a mean age of 43 ± 11 years were randomly assigned to two groups in a crossover design, with two intervention periods of 2 weeks separated by a washout period of 8 weeks. Treatments were 1 L of cafetière (French press) coffee daily or no coffee. At the end of each intervention period, fasting blood samples, colorectal biopsies and 48 h faeces were collected. Results: No effect of coffee on colorectal cell proliferation, assayed by estimating the Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen labelling index, was seen. Additionally, no effects were seen on the concentrations of faecal soluble bile acids and colorectal mucosal glutathione S-transferase activity. However, unfiltered coffee significantly increased the glutathione content in the colorectal mucosa by 8% and in plasma by 15%. Other aminothiols in plasma also increased on coffee. Conclusion: Unfiltered coffee does not influence the colorectal mucosal proliferation rate, but might increase the detoxification capacity and anti-mutagenic properties in the colorectal mucosa through an increase in glutathione concentration. Whether this effect indeed contributes to a lower colon cancer risk remains to be established. [source]

Coffee consumption and risk of rheumatoid arthritis

Are dietary influences on the risk of prostate cancer mediated through the insulin-like growth factor system?

BJU INTERNATIONAL, Issue 9 2001
L.A. Mucci
Objectives,To investigate whether dietary factors that appear to affect the risk of prostate cancer may be similarly associated with serum levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). Patients and methods,In the context of a case-control study, 112 men were admitted to three teaching hospitals in Athens, Greece, for disorders other than cancer. Sociodemographic data and detailed histories of smoking, alcohol and coffee consumption were recorded. A validated food-frequency questionnaire was administered by an interviewer and serological measurements of IGF-1 and its binding protein-3 conducted. Results,IGF-1 declined significantly by almost 25% among men aged >75 years and there was a small reduction in IGF-1 levels with increased alcohol intake, with a mean (95% confidence interval, CI) change of ,1.6 (, 2.2 to ,0.9)% for an increment of one drink per day. There was no evidence for an effect of either smoking or coffee consumption on IGF-1 level. Among foods, the consumption of cooked tomatoes was substantially and significantly inversely associated with IGF-1 levels, with a mean (95% CI) change of ,31.5 (, 49.1 to ,7.9)% for an increment of one serving per day. Conclusions,The strongest known dietary risk factor for prostate cancer (lycopene deficit, as reflected in a reduced intake of cooked tomatoes) and an important endocrine factor in the aetiology of this disease (IGF-1) seem to be related in a way that suggests that at least one, and perhaps more, exogenous factors in the development of prostate cancer may be mediated through the IGF-1 system. [source]

Plasma homocysteine and folate levels in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis

BRITISH JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 6 2006
M. Malerba
Summary Background, Hyperhomocysteinaemia is a well-known risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Patients with severe chronic plaque psoriasis have a higher risk of death due to arterial and/or venous thrombosis. Objectives, To investigate the relationship among plasma homocysteine and folate levels and severity of chronic plaque psoriasis in a selected cohort of patients with psoriasis without known risk factors for acquired hyperhomocysteinaemia. Methods, We performed a case,control study in 40 patients with chronic plaque psoriasis and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Cases and controls were selected excluding individuals with conditions or diseases associated with acquired hyperhomocysteinaemia, and were also asked to stop alcohol and coffee consumption for 1 week before blood sampling. The plasma levels of homocysteine and folic acid were measured and were correlated with the severity of psoriasis (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index, PASI). Results, Patients with psoriasis had plasma homocysteine levels higher than controls (mean ± SD 16·0 ± 5·6 vs. 10·4 ± 4·7 ,mol L,1; P < 0·001). Conversely, folic acid levels were lower in patients with psoriasis compared with controls (mean ± SD 3·6 ± 1·7 vs. 6·5 ± 1·7 nmol L,1; P < 0·001). Plasma homocysteine levels in patients with psoriasis correlated directly with disease severity (PASI) and inversely with folic acid levels. Plasma folic acid levels were inversely correlated with the PASI. No abnormalities of plasma vitamin B6 and B12 were found. Conclusions, Patients with psoriasis may have a tendency to hyperhomocysteinaemia, which may predispose to higher cardiovascular risk. Dietary modification of this risk factor appears relevant to the global management of patients with moderate to severe psoriasis. [source]

Insulin resistance and cancer: Epidemiological evidence

CANCER SCIENCE, Issue 5 2010
Shoichiro Tsugane
Over the last 60 years, Japanese people have experienced a rapid and drastic change in lifestyle, including diet. Suspicions have been raised that so-called ,Westernization', characterized by a high-calorie diet and physical inactivity, is associated with increasing trends in the incidence of cancer of the colon, liver, pancreas, prostate, and breast, as well as type 2 diabetes. Epidemiological evidence from our prospective study, the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective (JPHC) study, and systematic literature reviews generally support the idea that factors related to diabetes or insulin resistance are associated with an increased risk of colon (mostly in men), liver, and pancreatic cancers. These cancers are inversely associated with physical activity and coffee consumption, which are known to decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes. The suggested mechanism of these effects is that insulin resistance and the resulting chronic hyperinsulinemia and increase in bioavailable insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) stimulate tumor growth. In contrast, associations with diabetes are less clear for cancer of the colon in women, and breast and prostate, which are known to be related to sex hormones. The effect of insulin resistance or body fat on sex-hormone production and bioavailability may modify their carcinogenic effect differently from cancers of the colon in men, and liver and pancreas. In conclusion, there is substantial evidence to show that cancers of the colon, liver, and pancreas are associated with insulin resistance, and that these cancers can be prevented by increasing physical activity, and possibly coffee consumption. (Cancer Sci 2010; 101: 1073,1079) [source]