| 1. |
- Burney, P., et al.
(författare)
-
A case-control study of the relation between plasma selenium and asthma in European populations : a GAL2EN project
- 2008
-
Ingår i: Allergy. European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. - : Wiley. - 0105-4538 .- 1398-9995. ; 63:7, s. 865-871
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: There is evidence that selenium levels are relatively low in Europe and may be falling. Low levels of selenium or low activity of some of the enzymes dependent on selenium have been associated with asthma. METHODS: The GA(2)LEN network has organized a multicentre case-control study in Europe to assess the relation of plasma selenium to asthma. The network compared 569 cases in 14 European centres with a diagnosis of asthma and reporting asthma symptoms in the last 12 months with 576 controls from the same centres with no diagnosis of asthma and no asthmatic symptoms in the last 12 months. RESULTS: All cases and controls were selected from the same population defined by age and place of residence. Mean plasma selenium concentrations among the controls ranged from 116.3 microg/l in Palermo to 67.7 microg/l in Vienna and 56.1 microg/l among the children in Oslo. Random effects meta-analysis of the results from the centres showed no overall association between asthma and plasma selenium [odds ratio (OR)/10 microg/l increase in plasma selenium: 1.04; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.89-1.21] though there was a significantly protective effect in Lodz (OR: 0.48; 95% CI: 0.29-0.78) and a marginally significant adverse effect in Amsterdam (OR: 1.68; 95% CI: 0.98-2.90) and Ghent (OR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.03-1.77). CONCLUSION: This study does not support a role for selenium in protection against asthma, but effect modification and confounding cannot be ruled out.
|
|
| 2. |
|
|
| 3. |
- Bousquet, J, et al.
(författare)
-
GA2LEN (Global Allergy and Asthma European Network) addresses the allergy and asthma 'epidemic'.
- 2009
-
Ingår i: Allergy. - : Wiley. - 1398-9995 .- 0105-4538. ; 64:7, s. 969-77
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Allergic diseases represent a major health problem in Europe. They are increasing in prevalence, severity and costs. The Global Allergy and Asthma European Network (GA(2)LEN), a Sixth EU Framework Program for Research and Technological Development (FP6) Network of Excellence, was created in 2005 as a vehicle to ensure excellence in research bringing together research and clinical institutions to combat fragmentation in the European research area and to tackle allergy in its globality. The Global Allergy and Asthma European Network has benefited greatly from the voluntary efforts of researchers who are strongly committed to this model of pan-European collaboration. The network was organized in order to increase networking for scientific projects in allergy and asthma around Europe and to make GA(2)LEN the world leader in the field. Besides these activities, research has also been carried out and the first papers are being published. Achievements of the Global Allergy and Asthma European Network can be grouped as follows: (i) those for a durable infrastructure built up during the project phase, (ii) those which are project-related and based on these novel infrastructures, and (iii) the development and implementation of guidelines. The major achievements of GA(2)LEN are reported in this paper.
|
|
| 4. |
- Christodoulou, C., et al.
(författare)
-
Seasonality of violent suicides in the Athens greater area
- 2009
-
Ingår i: Journal of Suicide and Life-threatening Behaviour. - : Wiley. - 0363-0234 .- 1943-278X. ; 39:3, s. 321-331
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of the study was to ascertain suicide seasonality in the Greek population and to associate this seasonal variation with age, sex, and suicide method. Studying seasonality can be of help in establishing a public health policy, related with suicide prevention. This is an epidemiologic study based on forensic evidence. We studied the deaths caused by self-injury (trauma), namely deaths by violent suicide (not self-poisoning). Statistically significant suicide seasonality was established with a peak in May. This seasonal variation is attributed mainly to males. As for the method, suicide by hanging peaks in June and by shooting in April. It was also observed that seasonality for individuals above the age of 45 peaks in early May.
|
|
| 5. |
|
|
| 6. |
|
|
| 7. |
|
|
| 8. |
- Papadopoulos, FC, et al.
(författare)
-
Prevalence and correlates of depression in late life : a population based study from a rural Greek town
- 2005
-
Ingår i: International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. - : Wiley. - 0885-6230 .- 1099-1166. ; 20:4, s. 350-357
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundDepression in late life is common and has serious consequences on function, medical co-morbidity, quality of life, and use of medical services.ObjectiveTo estimate the age- and gender-specific prevalence of depression among people over 60 years of age, and to examine correlates of depression, in particular the relationship between depression and cognitive impairment.MethodFrom a total of 965 inhabitants, aged over 60 years, in Velestino, a rural town in central Greece, 608 were accessible and constituted the target population. During a five-month period in 2000, a trained health visitor interviewed all study participants. The interview covered socio-demographic characteristics, medical history, and administration of the 15-question Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) and the Mini Mental Scale Examination instrument (MMSE).ResultsThe prevalence of mild or more severe depression (GDS≥7) was 27%, while the prevalence of moderate to severe depression (GDS≥11) was 12%. Increasing age, female gender, lower education, and being currently unmarried were associated with higher risk of depression in univariate regression models, but these associations disappeared after controlling for cognitive function, except for the association with marital status. Cognitive impairment was strongly associated with increased risk for depression. The co-morbid presence of digestive, neurological and heart conditions was also associated with increased risk for depression, while cancer was not.ConclusionIn a rural Greek area, the prevalence of depression in late life is high. Depression was more common among unmarried individuals, those with significant cognitive impairment, and in association with specific medical conditions.
|
|
| 9. |
- Papazoglou, D., et al.
(författare)
-
The Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase (FAAH) Pro129Thr Polymorphism is not Associated with Severe Obesity in Greek Subjects
- 2008
-
Ingår i: Hormone and Metabolic Research. - : Georg Thieme Verlag KG. - 1439-4286 .- 0018-5043. ; 40:12, s. 907-910
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Fatty amid acid hydrolase (FAAH) has been implicated at both protein and gene level with obesity. An association between Pro129Thr variant of the FAAH gene and obesity has been described, but various studies have yielded conflicting results. Our aim was to determine whether this polymorphism is related to severe obesity and whether it confers a risk for variability of quantitative metabolic traits in a cohort of Greek obese Subjects. Two groups of severely obese Subjects (BMI >40 kg/m(2)) were studied: a group of 158 metabolically healthy and a group of 145 obese subjects with metabolic syndrome, which were compared to a Control group consisting of 121 lean individuals. We did not find any association between the Pro129Thr polymorphism with severe obesity in both subgroups of obese subjects, between these two subgroups (p = 0.11) or on basic anthropometric characteristics in the three groups. Statistically significant differences were found for glucose and HDL in metabolically healthy Subjects and HDL in the control group. The borderline significant p-values were not significant after correction for multiple testing. We were unable to find robust evidence of an association of the Pro 129Thr variant with severe obesity, and any related quantitative traits among the obese Greek Subjects examined.
|
|
| 10. |
|
|
