1.
Circulating levels of vitamin D and colon and rectal cancer: the Physicians' Health Study and a meta-analysis of prospective studies.
Lee, JE, Li, H, Chan, AT, Hollis, BW, Lee, IM, Stampfer, MJ, Wu, K, Giovannucci, E, Ma, J
Cancer prevention research (Philadelphia, Pa.). 2011;(5):735-43
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Abstract
It remains unknown whether increased risk with low levels of vitamin D is present for colon and/or rectal cancer. To investigate the association between circulating vitamin D levels and colon and rectal cancer, we examined the associations between plasma levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D] and colon and rectal cancer in the Physicians' Health Study and then conducted a meta-analysis of eight prospective studies of circulating levels of 25(OH)D and colon and rectal cancers, including the Physicians' Health Study. Study-specific ORs and 95% CIs were pooled by using a random-effects model. A total of 1,822 colon and 868 rectal cancers were included in the meta-analysis. We observed a significant inverse association for colorectal cancer (OR = 0.66; 95% CI, 0.54-0.81), comparing top versus bottom quantiles of circulating 25(OH)D levels. The inverse association was stronger for rectal cancer (OR = 0.50 for top versus bottom quantiles; 95% CI, 0.28-0.88) than colon cancer (OR = 0.77; 95% CI, 0.56-1.07; P value for difference between colon and rectal cancer = 0.20). These data suggest an inverse association between circulating 25(OH)D levels and colorectal cancer, with a stronger association for rectal cancer.
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[A change of attitude in lipidology, achievement of target levels. What comes next?].
Márk, L, Dani, G, Kiss, Z, Katona, A
Orvosi hetilap. 2008;(37):1731-6
Abstract
One of the greatest challenges of cardiovascular prevention is to minimize the risk of cardiovascular events through the achievement of target lipid levels. Its importance is suggested by the comprehensive meta-analyses of large scale clinical trials and the therapeutic guidelines determining everyday clinical practice. The attainment of target levels is often emphasized, nevertheless, there is a gap between theory and practice. The authors compare the goal attainment rate based on Hungarian medical literature and their own data, and analyze the possibilities of further improvement. The CEL Program evaluated the achievement rate of target total cholesterol levels in more than 10 000 patients of general practitioners in 2004, 2005 and 2006, and the ratio increased from 12% to 30% within 3 years. According to the results of the Hungarian REALITY study the rate of patients achieving the target total cholesterol levels was 21% in 2004, and it increased to 27% during a 3-year period. To this very low improving rate also belongs the fact that in 2007, when only one fourth of patients were on target levels, 87% of general practitioners and 56% of specialists reconciled themselves to it and did not propose any modification in the therapy of patients not achieving the target levels. The surveys conducted at the department of internal medicine with cardiological profile of the county hospital in Gyula proved a considerable increase in the last 7 years in the administration of drugs improving the life expectancy of cardiovascular patients (aspirin, beta-blockers, ACE-inhibitors and statins) due to the widespread application of clinical guidelines and the special attention; nowadays the administration rate is above 90% in all four groups. Nevertheless, the rate of patients achieving the LDL-cholesterol goals was 37% in the high risk and 18% in the very high risk groups in December 2007 and January 2008. The fact that in the latter group only 21% of patients received combination therapy indicates that improving this ratio may be the next step. A greater emphasis should be placed on the achievement of target levels and regular revision of applied medical therapy, particularly in the high and very high risk patients as these groups can benefit the most from it.