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Purpose: To study the known or suspected risk factors for sciatica: Tallness, overweight, smoking, leisure-time physical exercise, self-reported health and occupation, and how they predict hospitalizations due to sciatica. Only a few cohort studies have previously focused on the risk factors for sciatica.Methods: The 13,095 subjects, free from low back disorders at the baseline in 1973-1976 were followed up to the end of 2011 via the Care Register for Health Care. Along with an invitation to the health examination, a basic questionnaire concerning lifestyle factors was sent to participants. The outcome measure was incident sciatica leading to hospitalization.Results: Altogether 702 incident sciatica cases occurred. Among men, the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was 2.57 (95% CI 1.47-4.50) in metal or machine work, and 1.44 (1.06-1.95) in other industrial work, compared to that in white-collar occupations. Among women, the corresponding risk estimates were 1.81 (1.18-2.78) for nurses and related occupations, 1.56 (1.05-2.31) for sales workers, and 1.46 (1.03-2.08) for industrial workers. Among men, physical exercise during leisure predicted a decrease in the risk of sciatica (0.74; 0.55-1.00); this association was significantly pronounced in white-collar occupations (0.38; 0.18-0.88). Among women, the association between body mass index and the risk of sciatica was only modest, but varied greatly between different occupations.Conclusions: Physically demanding work is a strong risk factor for sciatica. Leisure-time physical activity seems to protect men against sciatica, while overweight is a risk factor among women. However, occupation substantially modifies these associations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) causes hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in humans, that is an endemic disease in Finland. We estimated the seroprevalence of PUUV in Finland and explored risk factors and disease associations by using unique survey data with health register linkage. A total of 2000 sera from a nationwide health survey from 2011, representative of the adult population, were screened for PUUV IgG by immunofluorescence assay. We performed statistical analysis adjusting for stratified cluster design and taking into account sampling weights. In total, 254 sera among 2000 tested were PUUV-IgG-positive resulting in a weighted seroprevalence of 12.5%, (95% CI 10.9–14.4), mirroring known age and regional variation in reported incidence. No associations between PUUV-seropositivity and chronic diseases including cardiovascular (including hypertension), pulmonary, kidney disease and cancer were observed. Smoking was significantly associated with seropositivity (adjusted OR 1.54; 95% CI 1.16–2.04). In addition, significant dose-response relations were found for the number of cigarettes smoked daily (OR 1.14; 95% CI 1.12–1.28). The results are important for disease burden assessment and guide intervention strategies, highlighting also the role of smoking prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Previous studies on individual foods and nutrients and Parkinson's disease (PD) risk have been inconsistent. Furthermore, only one study has examined the association between the quality of diet and PD. We investigated the prediction of food groups and diet quality on PD in the Finnish Mobile Clinic Survey (1966–72). The population comprised 4524 individuals, aged 40–79 years and free from PD at baseline. Data collection included health examinations, a questionnaire and a 1-year dietary history interview. A modified Alternate Healthy Eating Index was formed to assess diet quality. Statistical analyses were based on Cox's model. During a 41-year follow-up, eighty-five incident cases of PD occurred. No statistically significant associations were found between PD incidence and most of the food groups examined. A few exceptions were fruits and berries in men and milk in women, which showed positive associations. An inverse association between the intake of meat products and PD was found in women. The diet quality index did not predict PD, the adjusted relative risk between the highest and lowest quartiles being 1·83 (95 % CI 0·65, 5·18) in men and 0·97 (95 % CI 0·38, 2·48) in women. The present study suggests that since most of the single food groups or the quality of diet did not predict PD occurrence, the role of diet is apparently rather modest. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Introduction: Vertebral fractures predict mortality, but little is known about their associations with the causes of death. We studied vertebral fractures for prediction of cause-specific mortality.Material and Methods: A nationally representative sample of 3,210 men and 3,730 women participated Mini-Finland health survey in 1978-1980. Vertebral fractures at the Th1-Th12 levels were identified from chest radiographs at baseline. Cox's proportional hazard model was used to estimate the strength of association between vertebral fracture and mortality.Results: The relative risk (95% confidence interval) of death from natural causes was 1.49 (0.89-2.48) in men and 0.89 (0.60-1.31) in women with vertebral fractures (adjusted for age, body mass index, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, educational level, smoking, alcohol intake, physical activity and self-rated general health). Among women the adjusted relative risk of an injury death was 8.51 (3.48-20.77), whereas none of the men with vertebral fracture died due to an injury.Conclusion: The patterns of mortality predicted by fracture in the thoracic spine differ between men and women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Severe vertebral fractures strongly predicted subsequent hip fracture in this population-based study. Such high-risk patients should be provided with clinical evaluation and care for osteoporosis. Introduction: Vertebral fractures are commonly osteoporotic and known to predict hip fracture. The aim of this study was to evaluate associations between the severity of vertebral fractures and the risk of subsequent hip fracture. Methods: Chest radiographs were obtained of 7,095 Finnish men and women aged 30 years or over in the Mini-Finland Health Survey in 1978-1980. Record linkage to the National Hospital Discharge Register identified 182 subjects from the survey who had subsequently been hospitalized for primary treatment of hip fracture by the end of 1994. A nested case-control setting was adopted, where three controls individually matched for age, gender, and place of residence were drawn for 169 subjects with hip fracture from the same cohort. Baseline vertebral fractures were identified at levels T3 to T12, and their morphology was categorized to mild, moderate, or severe according to Genant's classification. Results: Severe vertebral fracture (>40% reduction in vertebral body height) strongly predicted hip fracture. After controlling for education, physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, and self-rated general health, the adjusted relative odds was 12.06 (95% confidence interval, 3.80-38.26). Mild to moderate fracture grades and the number of compressed vertebral bodies showed no prediction for hip fracture. Conclusions: The presence of a severe vertebral fracture in the thoracic spine strongly predicts subsequent hip fracture. Such high-risk patients should be clinically evaluated and provided with care for osteoporosis and measures to reduce the risk of falling as required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated changes in the prevalence of obesity among Finnish adults (aged ≥30 years) during a 20-year period. Data were derived from two cross-sectional nationally representative surveys ( n = 13 844) in 1978–1980 and 2000–2001. Weight and height were measured using a standardized protocol. Obesity was defined as body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg m−2. Cut-offs of BMI ≥ 35 kg m−2 and BMI ≥ 40 kg m−2 were also used. A 20-year difference in the prevalence of obesity was from 11.3% to 20.7% in men and from 17.9% to 24.1% in women. In 1978–1980, 1.1% of men and 3.8% of women had a BMI at least 35 kg m−2. The corresponding prevalence was 3.9% in men and 6.8% in women 20 years later. The educational gradient in obesity diminished in 20 years because of the most prominent increase among highly educated men. Yet, 25% of men and 28% of women with low education are obese. Obesity increased in all age and educational groups over the 20-year period. It was highest among women and individuals with the lowest education, but the increase was most striking among well-educated men. A comprehensive public health strategy targeting the whole population and especially those with low education is urgently needed to halt the obesity epidemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:To examine the prediction of coffee consumption on the incidence of Parkinson's disease.Subjects and methods:The study population comprised 6710 men and women, aged 50–79 years and free from Parkinson's disease at the baseline. At baseline, enquiries were made about coffee consumption in a self-administered questionnaire as the average number of cups per day. During a 22-year follow-up, 101 incident cases of Parkinson's disease occurred. Parkinson's disease cases were identified through a nationwide registry of patients receiving medication reimbursement, which is based on certificates from neurologist.Results:After adjustments for age, sex, marital status, education, community density, alcohol consumption, leisure-time physical activity, smoking, body mass index, hypertension and serum cholesterol, the relative risk for subjects drinking 10 or more cups of coffee per day compared with non-drinkers was 0.26 (95% confidence interval 0.07–0.99, P-value for trend=0.18). The association was stronger among overweight persons and among persons with lower serum cholesterol level (P-value for interaction=0.04 and 0.03, respectively).Conclusions:The results support the hypothesis that coffee consumption reduces the risk of Parkinson's disease, but protective effect of coffee may vary by exposure to other factors.European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2008) 62, 908–915; doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602788; published online 16 May 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The number of coeliac disease diagnoses has increased in the recent past and according to screening studies, the total prevalence of the disorder is around 1% . Aim To establish whether the increased number of coeliac disease cases reflects a true rise in disease frequency. Methods The total prevalence of coeliac disease was determined in two population-based samples representing the Finnish adult population in 1978–80 and 2000–01 and comprising 8000 and 8028 individuals, respectively. Both clinically–diagnosed coeliac disease patients and previously unrecognized cases identified by serum endomysial antibodies were taken into account. Results Only two (clinical prevalence of 0.03%) patients had been diagnosed on clinical grounds in 1978–80, in contrast to 32 (0.52%) in 2000–01. The prevalence of earlier unrecognized cases increased statistically significantly from 1.03% to 1.47% during the same period. This yields a total prevalence of coeliac disease of 1.05% in 1978–80 and 1.99% in 2000–01. Conclusions The total prevalence of coeliac disease seems to have doubled in Finland during the last two decades, and the increase cannot be attributed to the better detection rate. The environmental factors responsible for the increasing prevalence of the disorder are issues for further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fatty acid composition of the diet may be essential to the development of breast cancer. We studied the ability of several fatty acids of serum total lipids to predict breast cancer incidence in a case-control study nested within a longitudinal population study. The proportions of fatty acids in serum total lipids were determined from stored serum samples collected at baseline for 127 incident breast cancer cases and 242 matched controls. Women with a higher proportion of total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in serum had a reduced risk of breast cancer. The odds ratio (OR) between the highest and lowest tertiles of serum PUFA was 0.31 (95% confidence interval, CI = 0.12-0.77). This association was mainly due to n-6 PUFAs and especially to linoleic acid. The ORs were 0.35 (CI = 0.14-0.84) and 0.29 (CI = 0.12-0.73), respectively. Of the monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), higher trans-11-18:1 levels were related to an increased breast cancer risk (OR = 3.69, CI = 1.35-10.06). The association was stronger in postmenopausal than in premenopausal women. The present study suggests that higher serum proportions of the n-6 PUFA linoleic acid and lower proportions of the MUFA trans-11-18:1 fatty acid predict a reduced incidence of breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationships between consumption of total fat, major dietary fatty acids, cholesterol, consumption of meat and eggs, and the incidence of colorectal cancers were studied in a cohort based on the Finnish Mobile Clinic Health Examination Survey. Baseline (1967-1972) information on habitual food consumption over the preceding year was collected from 9959 men and women free of diagnosed cancer. A total of 109 new colorectal cancer cases were ascertained late 1999. High cholesterol intake was associated with increased risk for colorectal cancers. The relative risk between the highest and lowest quartiles of dietary cholesterol was 3.26 (95% confidence interval 1.54-6.88) after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, occupation, smoking, geographic region, energy intake and consumption of vegetables, fruits and cereals. Consumption of total fat and intake of saturated, monounsaturated, or polyunsaturated fatty acids were not significantly associated with colorectal cancer risk. Nonsignificant associations were found between consumption of meat and eggs and colorectal cancer risk. The results of the present study indicate that high cholesterol intake may increase colorectal cancer risk, but do not suggest the presence of significant effects of dietary fat intake on colorectal cancer incidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To study serum homocysteine concentration for its prediction of major coronary heart disease events amongst women.Design: A case-control study nested within a follow-up study. Subjects. A total of 74 and 75 major coronary events (coronary deaths or nonfatal myocardial infarction) which occurred in women with and without known heart disease, respectively, during a 13-year follow-up and two individually matched controls per case. Main outcome measure. Major coronary event.Results: Amongst women with baseline heart disease, the relative risk (95% CI) of such events, adjusted for age, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, serum cholesterol and body mass index, was 3.32 (1.05-10.5) in the highest homocysteine quintile compared with the lowest quintile. Amongst women free of heart disease at baseline, the corresponding relative risk value was 0.77 (0.24-2.45).Conclusions: This prospective study support the hypothesis that homocysteine is a risk factor for coronary events in women with heart disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low lignan status has been reported to be related to an elevated risk of breast cancer. Since lignan status is reduced by antibacterial medications, it is plausible to hypothesize that repeated use of antibiotics may also be a risk factor for breast cancer. History of treatment for urinary tract infection was studied for its prediction of breast cancer among 9461 Finnish women 19-89 years of age and initially cancer-free. During a follow-up in 1973-1991, a total of 157 breast cancer cases were diagnosed. Women reporting previous or present medication for urinary tract infection at baseline showed an elevated breast cancer risk in comparison with other women. The age-adjusted relative risk was 1.34 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.98-1.83). The association was concentrated to women under 50 years of age. The relative risk for these women was 1.74 (95% CI 1.13-2.68), whereas it was 0.97 (95% CI 0.59-1.58) for older women. The relative risk in the younger age-group was 1.47 (95% CI 0.73-2.97) during the first 10 years of follow-up, and 1.93 (95% CI 1.11-3.37) for follow-up times longer than 10 years. These data suggest that premenopausal women using long-term medication for urinary tract infections show a possible elevated risk of future breast cancer. The results are, however, still inconclusive and the hypothesis needs to be tested by other studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]