Vitamin D levels and the risk of prostate cancer and prostate cancer mortality.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D has a role in bone turnover and potentially bone-metastatic spread of prostate cancer (PCa). The aim of this observational study was to address the association between levels of serum vitamin D, diagnosis of PCa and subsequent mortality in men who underwent a biopsy of the prostate. METHODS: All men who underwent prostatic biopsy in the Danish PCa Registry (DaPCaR) and who had a serum vitamin D measurement during the period 2004 to 2010 (n = 4,065) were identified. Men were categorized by clinical cut-offs based on seasonally adjusted serum vitamin D levels in <25 (deficient), 25-50 (insufficient), 50-75 (sufficient) and >75 nmol/L (high) serum vitamin D. Logistic regression model for association between vitamin D and risk of PCa diagnosis and multivariate survival analyses were applied. RESULTS: No association between serum vitamin D and risk of PCa was found. Overall survival was lowest for serum vitamin D deficiency and a significantly higher PCa specific mortality (HR: 2.37, 95%CI: 1.45-3.90, p < .001) and other cause mortality (HR: 2.08, 95%CI: 1.33-3.24, p = .001) was found for PCa patients with serum vitamin D deficiency compared to serum vitamin D sufficiency. CONCLUSION: No association was found between serum vitamin D categories and risk of PCa in men who underwent biopsy of the prostate. Men with PCa and serum vitamin D deficiency had a higher overall and PCa specific mortality compared to men with a sufficient level of serum vitamin D.

Vitamin D levels and cancer incidence in 217,244 individuals from primary health care in Denmark.

Vitamin D has been linked to cancer development in both pre-clinical and epidemiological studies. Our study examines the association between serum levels of vitamin D and cancer incidence in the Capital Region of Denmark. Individuals who had vitamin D analyzed at The Copenhagen General Practitioners Laboratory between April 2004 and January 2010 were linked to Danish registries with end of follow-up date at Dec 31st 2014, excluding individuals with pre-existing cancer. Cox regression models adjusted for age in one-year intervals, sex, month of sampling, and Charlson Comorbidity Index were applied. The study population of 217,244 individuals had a median vitamin D level of 46 nmol/L (IQR 27-67 nmol/L). Non-melanoma skin cancer was the most frequent form of cancer, followed by breast-, lung-, and prostate cancers. No associations were found between increments of 10 nmol/L vitamin D and incidence of breast, colorectal, urinary, ovary or corpus uteri cancer. However, higher levels of vitamin D were associated with higher incidence of non-melanoma (HR 1.09 [1.09-1.1]) and melanoma skin cancer (HR 1.1 [1.08-1.13]) as well as prostate (HR 1.05 [1.03-1.07]) and hematological cancers (HR 1.03 [1.01-1.06]), but with lower incidence of lung cancer (HR 0.95 [0.93-0.97]). In our study, vitamin D levels are not associated with the incidence of several major cancer types, but higher levels are significantly associated with a higher incidence of skin, prostate, and hematological cancers as well as a lower incidence of lung cancer. These results do not support an overall protective effect against cancer by vitamin D.

Comorbidity and mortality after hip fracture in nineteen thousand six hundred and eighty two patients aged eighteen to sixty five years in Denmark from 1996 to 2012.

PURPOSE: This nationwide study assessed associations between comorbidity and mortality after hip fracture in young and middle-aged patients. METHODS: Data on 19,682 patients aged 18 to 65 years were extracted from Danish registries out of 154,047 patients who experienced a hip fracture between 1996 and 2012. Mortality and comorbidity were assessed using information on vital status, hospital admissions, and prescriptions. RESULTS: Of the 19,682 patients 17,722 (90.0%) were middle-aged (40-65 years) and 1960 (10.0%) were young (18-39 years). The 30-day mortality rates were 3.2% (n = 570) and 1.6% (n = 32), respectively. Indicators of multi-trauma (hazard ratio (HR), 3.5 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.6-7.8], n = 2056) and having diabetes (HR, 4.4 [1.2-11.3], n = 59) and heart disease (HR, 4.4[1.3-14.8], n = 57) increased 30-day mortality in the young patients, while having cancer (HR, 5.0 [4.2-5.9], n = 1958) increased 30-day mortality in the middle-aged patients. CONCLUSION: Heart disease and diabetes were associated with high mortality in the young patients while having cancer was associated with high mortality in the middle-aged patients.

Hyperkalemia is Associated with Increased 30-Day Mortality in Hip Fracture Patients.

Abnormal plasma concentrations of potassium in the form of hyper- and hypokalemia are frequent among hospitalized patients and have been linked to poor outcomes. In this study, we examined the prevalence of hypo- and hyperkalemia in patients admitted with a fractured hip as well as the association with 30-day mortality in these patients. A total of 7293 hip fracture patients (aged 60 years or above) with admission plasma potassium measurements were included. Data on comorbidity, medication, and death was retrieved from national registries. The association between plasma potassium and mortality was examined using Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for age, sex, and comorbidities. The prevalence of hypo- and hyperkalemia on admission was 19.8% and 6.6%, respectively. The 30-day mortality rates were increased for patients with hyperkalemia (21.0%, p < 0.0001) compared to normokalemic patients (9.5%), whereas hypokalemia was not significantly associated with mortality. After adjustment for age, sex, and individual comorbidities, hyperkalemia was still associated with increased risk of death 30 days after admission (HR = 1.93 [1.55-2.40], p < 0.0001). After the same adjustments, hypokalemia remained non-associated with increased risk of 30-day mortality (HR = 1.06 [0.87-1.29], p = 0.6). Hyperkalemia, but not hypokalemia, at admission is associated with increased 30-day mortality after a hip fracture.

Temporal trends in the use of antithrombotics at admission.

Background and purpose - Currently, no clear evidence exists on the pattern of use of antithrombotics at admission in hip fracture patients and how this has changed over time. We investigated temporal trends in-and factors associated with-the use of antithrombotics in patients admitted with a fractured hip. Patients and methods - This was a population-based cohort study including all patients aged 18 years or above who were admitted with a hip fracture in Denmark from 1996 to 2012. The Danish national registries were used to collect information on medication use, vital status, and comorbidity. Results - From 1996 to 2012, the proportion of patients using antithrombotics in general increased by a factor of 2.3 from 19% to 43% (p < 0.001). More specifically, the use of anticoagulants increased by a factor of 6.8 and the use of antiplatelets increased by a factor of 2.1. When we adjusted for possible confounders, the use of antithrombotics still increased for every calendar year (relative risk (RR) = 1.03, CI: 1.03-1.04; p < 0.001). Age, sex, and Charlson comorbidity index were all associated with the use of antithrombotics (all p < 0.001). Interpretation - The proportion of hip fracture patients using antithrombotics at admission has increased substantially in Denmark over the last 2 decades. This highlights the need for evidence-based guidelines on how to handle patients using antithrombotics to ensure safe surgery and to avoid surgical delay.

Preoperative factors associated with red blood cell transfusion in hip fracture patients.

INTRODUCTION: Red blood cell (RBC) transfusion is a frequently used treatment in patients admitted with a fractured hip, but the use remains an area of much debate. The aim of this study was to determine preoperative factors associated with the risk of receiving a red blood cell transfusion in hip fracture patients. METHOD: The study included 986 consecutive hip fracture patients (aged 60 years or above). The patients were identified from a database of all hip fracture patients admitted to Bispebjerg University Hospital. Data for the database are collected via chart review and data extraction from the hospitals laboratory system, public registries and from the Capital Region Blood Bank Database. RESULTS: Overall transfusion rate was 58.7 %. The univariate analyses showed that transfusion rate was higher among women (p = 0.004), older patients (p < 0.0001), patients with high ASA scores (p < 0.0001), patients with more severe fractures (p < 0.0001), patients with lower admission haemoglobin levels (p < 0.0001), patients not admitted from own home (p = 0.02) and patients taking aspirin (p = 0.007) or other platelet inhibitors (p = 0.01) on admission. In the multivariate analysis, increasing age, ASA ≥3, being admitted from own home, extracapsular fractures, decreasing admission haemoglobin and use of platelet inhibitors were all significantly associated with the risk of receiving a RBC transfusion. CONCLUSION: Several readily available preoperative factors in the form of age, residence, ASA, admission haemoglobin, medication and type of fracture were independently associated with the likelihood of receiving a red blood cell transfusion in patients admitted with a fractured hip.

Levels of plasma 25-hydroxy vitamin D and risk of developing type 2 diabetes in a large Danish primary health care population.

AIMS: Plasma levels of Vitamin D (25(OH)D) have been suggested as a predictor for developing type 2 diabetes. The purpose of this study was therefore to investigate if a measurement of plasma 25(OH)D could predict the development of type 2 diabetes in a cohort of 222,311 individuals from primary healthcare in Denmark. METHODS: The CopD-study database containing data from the Copenhagen General Practitioners Laboratory on blood tests conducted from April 2004 to January 2012 was used for identification of the study population. Incident type 2 diabetes was then defined as having at least two redeemed prescriptions of antidiabetics or at least two hospital contacts due to type 2 diabetes or one redeemed prescription and one hospital contact regarding type 2 diabetes. RESULTS: A total of 222,311 individuals were included in the study, of whom 7652 (3.4%) developed type 2 diabetes during the follow-up period of minimum one year. Individuals who developed type 2 diabetes had a significantly lower median 25(OH)D level than persons in the non-diabetes group. The hazard ratio for development of type 2 diabetes increased by 15% per 10 n mol/L decrease in 25(OH)D level. CONCLUSION: In this study of 222,311 persons from primary health care in Denmark, we found a clear inverse relationship between 25(OH)D and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Further studies should be conducted to clarify the mechanisms behind the relationship between 25(OH)D and type 2 diabetes and the effect of oral vitamin D supplementation on the development of type 2 diabetes.

Biased agonism and allosteric modulation of G protein-coupled receptor 183 - a 7TM receptor also known as Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene 2.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The GPCR Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene 2 (EBI2, also known as GPR183) is activated by oxysterols and plays a pivotal role in the regulation of B cell migration during immune responses. While the molecular basis of agonist binding has been addressed in several studies, the concept of biased agonism of the EBI2 receptor has not been explored. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: We investigated the effects of the EBI2 endogenous agonist 7α,25-dihydroxycholesterol (7α,25-OHC) on G protein-dependent and -independent pathways as well as sodium ion allosterism using site-directed mutagenesis and functional studies. Moreover, we generated a homology model of the EBI2 receptor to investigate the structural basis of the allosteric modulation by sodium. KEY RESULTS: Residue N114, located in the middle of transmembrane-III at position III:11/3.35, was found to function as an efficacy switch. Thus, substituting N114 with an alanine (N114A) completely abolished heterotrimeric G protein subunit Gi α activation by 7α,25-OHC even though the specific binding of [3 H]-7α,25-OHC increased. In contrast, the N114A mutant was still able to recruit ß-arrestin and even had an enhanced potency (18.7-fold) compared with EBI2 wild type. Sodium had a negative allosteric effect on oxysterol binding that was mediated via N114, verifying the key role of N114. This was further supported by molecular modelling of the ion binding site based on a EBI2 receptor homology model. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Collectively, our data point to N114 as a key residue for EBI2 signalling controlling the balance between G protein-dependent and -independent pathways and facilitating sodium binding.

Orthogeriatric Service Reduces Mortality in Patients With Hip Fracture.

INTRODUCTION: Orthogeriatric service has been shown to improve outcomes in patients with hip fracture. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of orthogeriatrics at Bispebjerg University Hospital, Denmark. The primary outcome is mortality inhospital and after 1, 3, and 12 months for patients with hip fracture. The secondary outcome is mortality for home dwellers and nursing home inhabitants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective clinical cohort study with an historic control group including all patients with hip fracture admitted from 2007 to 2011. Patients with hip fracture are registered in a local database, and data are retrieved retrospectively using the Danish Civil Registration Number. RESULTS: We included 993 patients in the intervention group and 989 patients in the control group. A univariate analysis showed only significantly decreased mortality inhospital 6.3% vs 3.1% (P = .009) after orthogeriatrics. However, when adjusting for age, gender, and American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) score in a multivariate analysis, including all patients with hip fracture, we find significantly reduced mortality inhospital (odds ratio [OR] 0.35), after 30 [OR 0.66] and 90 days [OR 0.72] and 1 year [OR 0.79]). When using a univariate analysis for home-dwelling patients, we found significantly reduced mortality inhospital (8.3-2.0%, P < .0001), after 30 days (12.2-6.8%, P = .004) and 90 days (20.5-13.0%, P = .002). One-year mortality was not significant. Patients from nursing homes had no significant decreasing mortality at any point of time in the univariate analysis. CONCLUSION: We have shown significant decreases for inhospital, 30 day, 90 day, and 1-year mortality after implementation of orthogeriatric service at Bispebjerg Hospital when adjusting for age, gender, and ASA score. Future trials should include frail patients with other fracture types who can benefit from orthogeriatrics.

Secondary hyperparathyroidism and mortality in hip fracture patients compared to a control group from general practice.

INTRODUCTION: Previously, little attention has been paid as to how disturbances in the parathyroid hormone (PTH)-calcium-vitamin D-axis, such as secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT), relate to mortality amongst hip fracture patients. This study aimed to (1) determine if SHPT is associated with mortality in this group of patients, (2) investigate the association between serum (s-) PTH, s-total calcium, s-25-hydroxyvitamin D (s-25(OH)D) and mortality and (3) determine the prevalence of SHPT amongst hip fracture patients and a control group. METHOD: The study included 562 hip fracture patients (HF) (age ≥ 70 years) admitted to a Danish university hospital. The hip fracture patients were prospectively enrolled in a dedicated hip fracture database. Each hip fracture patient was exactly matched according to age and sex with two controls randomly chosen from a control population of 21,778 subjects who had s-PTH, s-total calcium and s-25(OH)D measured at the Copenhagen General Practitioners Laboratory after referral from their general practitioner. The control group (Con) thus consisted of 1124 subjects. RESULTS: General 1-year mortality: Con-female 8.4%, Con-male 15.3%, HF-female 24.6%, HF-male 33.3%, p<0.0001 (log rank). SHPT AND RELATED 1-YEAR MORTALITY: Con-no SHPT 8.9%, Con-SHPT 16.8%, HF-no SHPT 22.7%, HF-SHPT 34.9%, p<0.0001 (log rank). The mortality rates were higher for controls with SHPT (OR 2.06, 95% CI: 1.32-3.23), hip fracture patients without SHPT (OR 3.00, 95% CI: 2.14-4.20) and hip fracture patients with SHPT (OR 5.46, 95% CI: 3.32-8.97) compared to the controls without SHPT. PREVALENCE OF SHPT: Con 16%, HF 20%, p=0.09 (Chi-square). CONCLUSIONS: Our study clearly shows that SHPT is significantly associated with mortality in both hip fracture patients and the control group. In the multivariate Cox regression analysis, s-PTH and s-total calcium were both significantly associated with mortality, whereas s-25(OH)D was not associated with mortality in this analysis. Our study furthermore indicates that SHPT is almost equally prevalent amongst the hip fracture patients and the control group.