Increased stroke risk in Bell's palsy patients without steroid treatment.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To investigate the risk of stroke development following a diagnosis of Bell's palsy in a nationwide follow-up study. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Information on Bell's palsy and other factors relevant for stroke was obtained for 433218 eligible subjects without previous stroke who had ambulatory visit in 2004. Of those, 897 patients with Bell's palsy were identified. Over a median 2.9 years of follow-up, 4581 incident strokes were identified. We estimated hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals [CI] with Cox proportional hazard models adjusting for age, sex, co-morbidities, and important risk factors. Standardized incidence ratio of stroke amongst patients with Bell's palsy was analyzed. RESULTS: Compared with non-Bell's palsy patients, patients with Bell's palsy had a 2.02-times (95% CI, 1.42-2.86) higher risk of stroke. The adjusted HR of developing stroke for patients with Bell's palsy treated with and without systemic steroid were 1.67 (95% CI, 0.69-4) and 2.10 (95%, 1.40-3.07), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with Bell's palsy carry a higher risk of stroke than the general population. Our data suggest that these patients might benefit from a more intensive stroke prevention therapy and regular follow-up after initial diagnosis.

Menstrual and reproductive factors, and hormonal contraception use: associations with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in a pooled analysis of InterLymph case-control studies.

BACKGROUND: The two most common forms of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) exhibit different sex ratios: diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) occurs more frequently in men and follicular lymphoma (FL) more frequently in women. Looking among women alone, this pooled analysis explores the relationship between reproductive histories and these cancers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Self-reported reproductive histories from 4263 women with NHL and 5971 women without NHL were pooled across 18 case-control studies (1983-2005) from North America, Europe and Japan. Study-specific odd ratios (ORs) and confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using logistic regression and pooled using random-effects meta-analyses. RESULTS: Associations with reproductive factors were found for FL rather than NHL overall and DLBCL. In particular, the risk of FL decreased with increasing number of pregnancies (pooled OR(trend) = 0.88, 95% CI 0.81-0.96). FL was associated with hormonal contraception (pooled OR = 1.30, 95% CI 1.04-1.63), and risks were increased when use started after the age of 21, was used for <5 years or stopped for >20 years before diagnosis. DLBCL, on the other hand, was not associated with hormonal contraception (pooled OR = 0.87, 95% CI 0.65-1.16). CONCLUSIONS: Hormonal contraception is associated with an increased risk of FL but not of DLBCL or NHL overall.

Racial disparities in Hodgkin's lymphoma: a comprehensive population-based analysis.

BACKGROUND: Racial disparity has been investigated in a number of cancers; however, there remains a comparative paucity of data in Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We examined time-, age-, and gender-specific incidence, disease characteristics, and survival across and within races for adolescent/adult HL (age 10-79 years) diagnosed during 1992-2007 in the SEER 13 registries. RESULTS: A total of 15 662 HL cases were identified [11,211 non-Hispanic whites, 2067 Hispanics, 1662 blacks, and 722 Asian/Pacific Islanders (A/PI)]. Similar to whites, A/PIs had bimodal age-specific incidence, while blacks and Hispanics did not. Further, HL was significantly more common in Hispanics versus whites age>65 years (7.0/1×10(6) versus 4.5/1×10(6), respectively, P<0.01). By place of birth, US-born Hispanics and A/PIs age 20-39 years had higher incidence of HL versus their foreign-born counterparts (P<0.05), however, rates converged age>40 years. Interestingly, from 1992-1997 to 2003-2007, A/PI incidence rates increased >50% (P<0.001). Moreover, this increase was restricted to US-born A/PI. We also identified a number of disease-related differences based on race. Finally, 5-, 10-, and 15-year overall survival rates were inferior for blacks and Hispanics compared with whites (P<0.005 and P<0.001, respectively) and A/PI (P<0.018 and P<0.001, respectively). These differences persisted on multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Collectively, we identified multiple racial disparities, including survival, in adolescent/adult HL.

Body mass index, physical activity, and risk of renal cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between obesity and risk of renal cell carcinoma and to examine whether the association is modified by physical activity. SUBJECTS: A population-based case-control study of 406 patients with renal cell carcinoma and 2434 controls conducted in Iowa. METHODS: Information was collected on weight at the ages 20-29, 40-49, and 60-69 years, height, nonoccupational physical activity, diet, and other lifestyle factors. Renal cell carcinoma risk was estimated by odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusting for age, total energy intake, and other confounding factors. RESULTS: Height and total energy intake were not associated with risk in either sex. In men, neither physical activity nor level of obesity in any period of life was significantly associated with risk. In women, lower physical activity was associated with higher risk (OR=2.5; 95% CI=1.2-5.2 comparing exercise <1 time/month to >1 time/day). Compared with women in the lowest quartile for BMI, the risks of renal cell carcinoma for women in the highest 10% of BMI in their 20s, 40s, and 60s were 1.4 (CI=0.6-3.1), 1.9 (CI=0.9-4.2), and 2.3 (CI=0.9-6.0), respectively. When analyses were limited to self-respondent data, the corresponding ORs were 2.9 (CI=1.2-7.4), 3.2 (CI=1.3-7.5), and 2.1 (CI=0.7-6.4), respectively. There was little evidence that physical activity modifies the association of BMI with renal cell carcinoma. CONCLUSION: Nonoccupational physical activity was inversely associated and obesity was positively associated with risk of renal cell carcinoma among women. The risk appeared to be greater for women in the highest 10% of BMI in their 40s. Our finding of little evidence of an interaction between physical activity and BMI requires confirmation.

Predictors of prostate cancer screening among health fair participants.

OBJECTIVES: Most previous studies of predictors for participation in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening for prostate cancer have been conducted in purposive samples or clinical settings. This population-based study identified factors associated with documented PSA screening among health fair participants. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey of 2098 Nebraskan men aged 35 years and older who participated in a health fair in central and eastern Nebraska in 1993. METHODS: All participants were offered a PSA screening and a questionnaire to collect information on demographics, family medical history, lifestyle factors and self-perceived health status. Predictors of PSA screening were estimated by odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: Men were more likely to accept the PSA screening if they were older than 50 years of age (OR=3.1; 2.4-3.9), had a higher income (OR=1.5; 1.1-2.1), were currently employed (OR=1.4; 1.0-2.5), perceived their health status as good (OR=1.1; 0.8-1.5) or excellent (OR=1.4; 1.0-2.1), and believed that they themselves, rather than physicians, should be responsible for their health (OR=1.3; 1.0-1.7). Compared with men aged 50-59 years, the ORs of participation were 0.8 (0.6-1.1) for age 60-69 years and 0.7 (0.5-1.1) for age 70+ years. Decision making was not related to education, marital status or body mass index. Predictors of screening remained unchanged when analysis was limited to men aged 50 years and over, whereas only high income and non-smoking status predicted participation among men younger than 50 years of age. CONCLUSIONS: Age, income, employment status, perceived control of health and perceived heath status were related to participation in PSA screening for prostate cancer, particularly in men older than 50 years of age. Willingness to receive a PSA screening among men aged 50 years and over decreased with increasing age.