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Using time-dependent Cox regression models, we examined associations of common antihypertensive medications with overall cancer survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS), with comprehensive adjustment for potential confounding factors. Participants were from the Shanghai Women's Health Study (1996–2000) and Shanghai Men's Health Study (2002–2006) in Shanghai, China. Included were 2,891 incident breast, colorectal, lung, and stomach cancer cases. Medication use was extracted from electronic medical records. With a median 3.4-year follow-up after diagnosis (interquartile range, 1.0–6.3), we found better outcomes among users of angiotensin II receptor blockers with colorectal cancer (OS: adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 0.62, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.44, 0.86; DSS: adjusted HR = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.43, 0.87) and stomach cancer (OS: adjusted HR = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.41, 0.94; DSS: adjusted HR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.41, 0.98) and among users of β-adrenergic receptor blockers with colorectal cancer (OS: adjusted HR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.35, 0.72; DSS: adjusted HR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.34, 0.73). Better survival was also found for calcium channel blockers (DSS: adjusted HR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.47, 0.97) and diuretics (OS: adjusted HR = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.45, 0.96; DSS: adjusted HR = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.38, 0.85) with stomach cancer. Our findings suggest angiotensin II receptor blockers, β-adrenergic receptor blockers, and calcium channel blockers might be associated with improved survival outcomes of gastrointestinal cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited information is available in Asian populations regarding the association of dietary intake and patterns with age-related functional impairments. Using data from 2 population-based cohort studies in China, the Shanghai Women's Health Study (1996–2015) and Shanghai Men's Health Study (2002–2015), we prospectively examined adherence to dietary guidelines, including the Chinese Food Pagoda, the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, and the Alternative Healthy Eating Index, as well as consumption of specific foods, for their associations with impairment in function, both physical (walking, hearing/vision) and mental (memory, decision-making). Included in the analyses were 30,484 participants who had been followed for an average of 14.4 years and were between the ages of 70 and 86 years at the functional status assessment. Higher dietary-recommendation adherence scores were associated with a lower likelihood of developing functional impairments. The odds ratios ranged from 0.61 (95% confidence interval: 0.54, 0.70) to 0.83 (95% confidence interval: 0.72, 0.95) when extreme quintiles were compared. Higher fish, poultry, vegetable, and fruit intake, moderate red meat intake, and low rice consumption were associated with a reduced probability of having physical or mental impairments. Our findings highlight the importance of a high-quality diet in maintaining functional status among the aged population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome increases rapidly worldwide, and its association with physical activity (PA) varies with race and lifestyles. Little is known about the association in rural China. The Nantong Metabolic Syndrome Study recruited 13,505 female and 6997 male participants in 2007 and 2008. Socio-demographic characteristics, and physiological and behavioural data were collected. Logistic regression model was applied to estimate associations of metabolic syndrome and its components with different PAs. The overall metabolic syndrome prevalence was 21.6% in current study. Increasing total PA or moderate-to-vigorous-intensity occupational PA was associated with decreasing 5%–60% risk of having metabolic syndrome and abnormal metabolic syndrome components in both genders. An association between leisure-time PA and blood pressure was found in men, but no associations between leisure-time PA and metabolic syndrome components were found in women. Commuting PA, such as walking and taking bus, by bicycle and walking only, was associated with decrease of 20%–45% risk of several abnormal metabolic syndrome components in women. This study provides information for future investigation into the nature of these associations so that recommendations can be developed to reduce the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components among rural population in China. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: The aim of this study was to estimate MS prevalence according to three criteria and its risk factors among men in rural China. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: The Nantong Metabolic Syndrome Study (NMSS) was conducted during 2007-2008 in Nantong, China. Participants: 6997 male participants aged 18-74 years. Measurements: In person interviews, blood glucose and lipid measurements were accomplished. Results: The prevalence of MS was 12.86%, 8.55% and 15.28% according to IDF, ATPIII and ATPIII-modified criteria, respectively. The IDF and ATP III-modified criteria agreed only moderately with ATP III criteria (ϰ= 0.56 and 0.68), whereas ATP III-modified and the IDF criteria agreed perfectly (ϰ= 0.90). Vigorous occupational physical activity was associated with a low prevalence of MS with Odds ratio (OR) of 0.58 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.45-0.74). Beer drinkers (alcohol ≤ 6.2 g/day) and rice wine drinkers (alcohol ≤ 9.0 g/day) had about 34% and 33% low risks of developing MS respectively, compared with non-drinkers. OR of MS was 1.95 (95% CI: 1.39-2.73) in men who had familial history of at least two diseases, including hypertension and diabetes, compared with men without familial history of those diseases. Conclusions: Our data suggested that MS is highly prevalent among men in rural China. Family history of diabetes and hypertension is a risk factor in MS development. Physical activity, rice wine and beer consumption are associated with a significantly lower risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Exposure to certain phenols is ubiquitous because of their use in many consumer and personal care products. However, predictors of exposure have not been well characterized in most populations. Objectives: We sought to identify predictors of exposure and to assess the reproducibility of phenol concentrations across serial spot urine samples among Chinese adults. Methods: We measured 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,5-dichlorophenol, butyl paraben, methyl paraben, propyl paraben, benzophenone-3, bisphenol A, and triclosan in urine collected during 1997–2006 from 50 participants of the Shanghai Women’s Health Study cohort and during 2002–2006 from 50 participants of the Shanghai Men’s Health Study cohort. We investigated predictors of concentrations using the Satterthwaite t-test, and assessed reproducibility among serial samples using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and Spearman correlation coefficients (SCCs). Results: Creatinine-corrected phenol concentrations were generally higher among women than men. Participants who had taken medicine within the previous 24 hr had higher concentrations of propyl paraben. Cigarette smoking was associated with lower concentrations of propyl and methyl parabens among men. Bottled water consumption was associated with higher bisphenol A, 2,4-dichlorophenol, and 2,5-dichlorophenol concentrations among women. Among men, reproducibility across serial samples was moderate for 2,4-dichlorophenol and 2,5-dichlorophenol (ICC = 0.54–0.60, SCC = 0.43–0.56), but lower for other analytes (ICC = 0.20–0.29). Reproducibility among women was low (ICC = 0.13–0.39), but increased when restricted to morning-only urine samples. Conclusions: Among these 100 Shanghai residents, urinary phenol concentrations varied by sex, smoking, and consumption of bottled water. Our results suggest that a single urine sample may be adequate for ranking exposure to the precursors of 2,4-dichlorophenol and 2,5-dichlorophenol among men and, under certain circumstances, among women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]