*Adoption status: A risk factor or protective factor for children of divorced families

This study examined two competitive hypotheses: the double jeopardy hypothesis and the buffering effect hypothesis on whether parental divorce affects adopted children and non-adopted children similarly or differently. The double jeopardy hypothesis suggests that when adopted children experience their parents' divorce, they perform worse because they carry two risk factors, adoption status and parental divorce, while their non-adopted counterparts carry only the risk factor of their parents' divorce. The buffering effect hypothesis suggests that, being adopted children, their previous experiences of parental loss help them better deal with the later loss of their parents' divorce so their adoption status is a protective factor rather than a risk factor. ^ Secondary analyses of a nation-wide data set were executed using different statistical methods such as ANOVA and Chi-square on different outcome variables. The results indicated that there was no evidence supporting the double-jeopardy hypothesis. That is, adopted children from divorced families did not perform significantly worse than the non-adopted children from divorced families on any outcome variable. The results also indicated that there was only weak evidence supporting the buffering effect hypothesis. The general conclusion based on the results from most of the outcome variables suggest that adopted children from divorced families do not perform differently than the biological children from divorced families. ^

The relationship between dietary magnesium intake, stroke and its major risk factors, blood pressure and cholesterol, in the EPIC-Norfolk cohort

Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

The relationship between dietary magnesium intake, stroke and its major risk factors, blood pressure and cholesterol, in the EPIC-Norfolk cohort

Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

The relationship between dietary magnesium intake, stroke and its major risk factors, blood pressure and cholesterol, in the EPIC-Norfolk cohort

Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Importance of risk factor management in diabetic patients and reduction in Stage B heart failure

BACKGROUND: A number of studies have demonstrated the presence of a diabetic cardiomyopathy, increasing the risk of heart failure development in this population. Improvements in present-day risk factor control may have modified the risk of diabetes-associated cardiomyopathy.

AIM: We sought to determine the contemporary impact of diabetes mellitus (DM) on the prevalence of cardiomyopathy in at-risk patients with and without adjustment for risk factor control.

DESIGN: A cross-sectional study in a population at risk for heart failure.

METHODS: Those with diabetes were compared to those with other cardiovascular risk factors, unmatched, matched for age and gender and then matched for age, gender, body mass index, systolic blood pressure and low density lipoprotein cholesterol.

RESULTS: In total, 1399 patients enrolled in the St Vincent's Screening to Prevent Heart Failure (STOP-HF) cohort were included. About 543 participants had an established history of DM. In the whole sample, Stage B heart failure (asymptomatic cardiomyopathy) was not found more frequently among the diabetic cohort compared to those without diabetes [113 (20.8%) vs. 154 (18.0%), P = 0.22], even when matched for age and gender. When controlling for these risk factors and risk factor control Stage B was found to be more prevalent in those with diabetes [88 (22.2%)] compared to those without diabetes [65 (16.4%), P = 0.048].

CONCLUSION: In this cohort of patients with established risk factors for Stage B heart failure superior risk factor management among the diabetic population appears to dilute the independent diabetic insult to left ventricular structure and function, underlining the importance and benefit of effective risk factor control in this population on cardiovascular outcomes.

Periodontitis as a risk factor for systemic disease: Are microparticles the missing link?

International audience

Benefits of targeting each risk factor for cardiovascular death

Globally cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of death. In clinical practice we are able to advise an control several risk factors that might benefit our patients. But we know that trying to reach all goals we might chew more than we can swallow

Biomechanical constraints remain major risk factors for low back pain. Results from a prospective cohort study in French male employees

International audience

Associations between liking for fat, sweet or salt and obesity risk in French adults

International audience

Analysis of personality traits as a risk factor in crash related trauma.

Background: Due to increasing stress, individual personality traits are becoming a significant contributor to CRT (Crash Related Trauma). In the present study, we hypothesized that there will be no difference in personality characteristics of CRT patients and control subjects and there will be no association between trauma and personality characteristics of CRT patients. Method: A total of 119 cases and 112 controls of age >18 years were selected as per criteria decided. After obtaining ethical clearance, patients presenting to the emergency orthopedic unit were included in the study. After primary management all enrolled subjects were assessed by ICD 10 module screening questionnaire and analyzed for nine personality traits, subject to written informed consent. Results: Of all the cases enrolled 82.35% were males. Impulsive personality trait is found in 84.78% (39/46) cases. There were 46 motorcyclists out of 119 cases enrolled. Most of the personality traits showed a statistical significant association (p < 0.0003) with CRT. Conclusion: Majority of CRT victims attending orthopedic emergency unit at trauma center had impulsive and histrionic personality characteristics which accounted for 84.78% and 82.61% cases respectively. These traits showed a statistical significant association with CRT.

BLACK, MALE, AND HIGH-ACHIEVING: AN EXAMINATION OF A RISK FACTOR AND CULTURAL RESOURCES FOR BLACK MALE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

Black boys are confronted with unique educational circumstances. They are often misdiagnosed and misplaced into special education programs (Bush-Daniels, 2008; Patton, 1998; Terman et al., 1996). Additionally, they are less likely to be enrolled in gifted and talented programs, even if their former achievements reflect their aptitude to succeed (Black Alliance for Educational Options, n.d.; Moore & Flowers, 2012). Given these statistics, a considerable emphasis has been placed on the causes and the consequences of low/under achievement for this population. As a result, the experiences of Black males who are achieving have been greatly neglected. Moreover, little is known about the factors that facilitate academic achievement among high-achieving Black boys. In an effort to bring the heterogenic nature of schooling experiences for Black boys to light, the present study examined the influence risk and protective factors had on the academic experiences of high-achieving Black boys. Grounded in the risk and resilience framework and the Integrative Model for the Study of Minority Youth Development, this study explored whether the high-achieving Black high school boys in this sample (n =88) reported experiencing discrimination (i.e. academic-based) and how this academic-based discrimination related to their 1) academic performance (i.e. GPA), 2) perceptions of math ability, and 3) race-based academic self-concept. In addition to exploring how academic-based discrimination was linked to academic achievement, this study examined how cultural resources such as racial socialization messages and racial identity related to academic achievement. Specifically, cultural socialization, preparation for bias, egalitarianism, private regard and public regard were evaluated alongside the three academic outcomes under study. Finally, the study explored whether aspects of racial socialization or racial identity buffered the effects of discrimination on any of the outcomes. Interestingly, the race/ethnicity of the student mattered for how students perceived their math ability. The risk factor academic-based discrimination was linked to academic performance. Cultural resources cultural socialization, preparation for bias, and private regard were linked to various academic outcomes of interest. There was only one significant moderating effect: a high private regard buffered the relationship between academic-based discrimination and race-based academic self-concept. Limitations and implications of this study are discussed.

Abundance of Lutzomyia longipalpis in urban households as risk factor of transmission of visceral leishmaniasis

Urban occurrence of human and canine visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is linked to households with characteristics conducive to the presence of sand flies. This study proposes an ad hoc classification of households according to the environmental characteristics of receptivity to phlebotominae and an entomological study to validate the proposal. Here we describe the phlebotominae population found in intra- and peridomiciliary environments and analyse the spatiotemporal distribution of the VL vector Lutzomyia longipalpis of households receptive to VL. In the region, 153 households were classified into levels of receptivity to VL followed by entomological surveys in 40 of those properties. Kruskal-Wallis verified the relationship between the households’ classification and sand fly abundance and Kernel analysis evaluated L. longipalpis spatial distribution: of the 740 sand flies were captured, 91% were L. longipalpis; 82% were found peridomiciliary whilst the remaining 18% were found intradomiciliary. No statistically significant association was found between sandflies and households levels. L. longipalpis counts were concentrated in areas of high vulnerability and some specific households were responsible for the persistence of the infestation. L. longipalpis prevails over other sand fly species for urban VL transmission. The entomological study may help target the surveillance and vector control strategies to domiciles initiating and/or maintaining VL outbreaks.

Obesity Versus Osteoarthritis: Beyond The Mechanical Overload.

Obesity is currently considered a major public health problem in the world, already reaching epidemic characteristics, according to the World Health Organization. Excess weight is the major risk factor associated with various diseases, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia and osteometabolic diseases, including osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is the most prevalent rheumatic disease and the leading cause of physical disability and reduced quality of life of the population over 65 years. It mainly involves the joints that bear weight - knees and hips. However, along with the cases of obesity, its prevalence is increasing, and even in other joints, such as hands. Thus, it is assumed that the influence of obesity on the development of OA is beyond mechanical overload. The purpose of this review was to correlate the possible mechanisms underlying the genesis and development of these two diseases. Increased fat mass is directly proportional to excessive consumption of saturated fatty acids, responsible for systemic low-grade inflammation condition and insulin and leptin resistance. At high levels, leptin assumes inflammatory characteristics and acts in the articular cartilage, triggering the inflammatory process and changing homeostasis this tissue with consequent degeneration. We conclude that obesity is a risk factor for osteoarthritis and that physical activity and changes in diet composition can reverse the inflammatory and leptin resistance, reducing progression or preventing the onset of osteoarthritis.

Obesity And Asthma: Beyond T(h)2 Inflammation.

Obesity is a major risk factor for asthma. Likewise, obesity is known to increase disease severity in asthmatic subjects and also to impair the efficacy of first-line treatment medications for asthma, worsening asthma control in obese patients. This concept is in agreement with the current understanding that some asthma phenotypes are not accompanied by detectable inflammation, and may not be ameliorated by classical anti-inflammatory therapy. There are growing evidences suggesting that the obesity-related asthma phenotype does not necessarily involve the classical T(H)2-dependent inflammatory process. Hormones involved in glucose homeostasis and in the pathogeneses of obesity likely directly or indirectly link obesity and asthma through inflammatory and non-inflammatory pathways. Furthermore, the endocrine regulation of the airway-related pre-ganglionic nerves likely contributes to airway hyperreactivity (AHR) in obese states. In this review, we focused our efforts on understanding the mechanism underlying obesity-related asthma by exploring the T(H)2-independent mechanisms leading to this disease.

TCF7L2 Polymorphism rs7903146 Is Associated with Coronary Artery Disease Severity and Mortality

Background: TCF7L2 polymorphisms have been consistently associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus in different populations and type 2 diabetes mellitus is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, especially coronary artery disease. This study aimed to evaluate the association between TCF7L2 polymorphism rs7903146 and coronary artery disease in diabetic and non-diabetic subjects. Methods and Results: two populations were studied in order to assess severity of coronary artery disease and cardiovascular events incidence. Eight-hundred and eighty nine subjects who were referred for cardiac catheterization for coronary artery disease diagnosis were cross-sectionally evaluated for coronary lesions (atherosclerotic burden) and 559 subjects from the MASS-II Trial were prospectively followed-up for 5 years and assessed for major cardiovascular events incidence. As expected, rs7903146 T allele was associated with diabetes. Although diabetic patients had a higher prevalence of coronary lesions, no association between TCF7L2 genotype and coronary lesions was found in this subgroup. However, non-diabetic individuals carrying the T allele were associated with a significantly higher frequency of coronary lesions than non-diabetic non-carriers of the risk allele (adjusted OR = 2.32 95% CI 1.27-4.24, p = 0.006). Moreover, presence of multi-vessel coronary artery disease was also associated with the CT or TT genotypes in non-diabetics. Similarly, from the prospective sample analysis, non-diabetics carrying the CT/TT genotypes had significantly more composite cardiovascular end-points events than CC carriers (p = 0.049), mainly due to an increased incidence of death (p = 0.004). Conclusions: rs7903146 T allele is associated with diabetes and, in non-diabetic individuals, with a higher prevalence and severity of coronary artery disease and cardiovascular events. name of registry site (see list below), registration number, trial registration URL in brackets.