| 1. |
- Jansson, Jan-Håkan, et al.
(författare)
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Snus (Swedish smokeless tobacco) use and risk of stroke: pooled analyses of incidence and survival
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Internal Medicine. - : Wiley. - 1365-2796 .- 0954-6820. ; 276:1, s. 87-95
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background. Snus is a moist smokeless tobacco product with high nicotine content. Its use has a short-term effect on the cardiovascular system, but the relationship between snus use and stroke is unclear. Objective. The aim of this study was to assess the associations between use of snus and incidence of and survival after stroke, both overall and according to subtypes. Methods. Pooled analyses of eight Swedish prospective cohort studies were conducted, including 130 485 men who never smoked. We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of incidence and death after diagnosis using Cox proportional hazard regression models and case fatality and survival using logistic regression and Kaplan-Meier methods, respectively. Results. No associations were observed between the use of snus and the risk of overall stroke (HR 1.04, 95% CI 0.92-1.17) or of any of the stroke subtypes. The odds ratio (OR) of 28-day case fatality was 1.42 (95% CI 0.99-2.04) amongst users of snus who had experienced a stroke, and the HR of death during the follow-up period was 1.32 (95% CI 1.08-1.61). Conclusion. Use of snus was not associated with the risk of stroke. Hence, nicotine is unlikely to contribute importantly to the pathophysiology of stroke. However, case fatality was increased in snus users, compared with nonusers, but further studies are needed to determine any possible causal mechanisms.
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| 2. |
- Byhamre, Marja Lisa, 1981-
(författare)
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Snus use and mortality : associations, potential mechanisms, and socioeconomic aspects
- 2022
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Snus is a smokeless tobacco product made of a moist powder of ground tobacco. It is used mainly in the Nordic countries, although increasingly popular internationally. The Swedish snus tradition dates back to the seventeenth century, and it is now used daily by about 23% of the male and 6% of the female population. Snus contains high levels of nicotine as well as carcinogenic substances and microorganisms that could potentially cause adverse health effects. The physiological effects of snus use include acutely raised blood pressure and heart rate, and increased cardiac oxygen demand, while the psychological response results in alertness and anxiety reduction. The high nicotine content causes rapid onset of addiction. Previous research on snus use and health is largely inconclusive, but indicates increased risks of all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality. This thesis aimed to further investigate the health effects of snus use, with a focus on mortality, potential underlying mechanisms, and the impact of socioeconomic factors. Four original papers form the base of this thesis. The first study was performed on a pooled dataset of eight Swedish cohorts (The Swedish Collaboration on Health Effects of Snus use), including over 169 000 men. We found an increased risk of all-cause (HR 1.28, 95% CI 1.20; 1.35), cardiovascular, and other cause mortality, and indications of raised cancer mortality. The second study was set within an interventional program in northern Sweden (Västerbotten Intervention Programme) and included 46 000 men and women. It showed increased mortality overall (estimates similar to first study), from cardiovascular diseases, and external causes (e.g., accidents and suicide) that remained after controlling for socioeconomic status. We found these associations in groups of varying socioeconomic background (e.g., both basic education and high-income groups), suggesting that increased mortality risks among snus users are not restricted to certain socioeconomic groups. Studies three and four investigated potential underlying mechanisms that might contribute to increased mortality among snus users, including established cardiometabolic risk factors in study three (the metabolic syndrome and its components: obesity, hypertension, type 2-diabetes and abnormal blood lipids) and more novel risk factors in study four (low-grade inflammation, low vitamin D-concentrations, and altered iii testosterone levels). The analytical samples were drawn from a long- term follow-up study of around 900 16-year-olds in a municipality in northern Sweden (Northern Sweden Cohort, study three) and more than 6 000 participants in another population-based cohort (the Northern Sweden MONICA study, study four). We found no associations between snus use and established cardiometabolic risk factors, but there was evidence of lower concentrations of inflammatory and vitamin D-status biomarkers in both men and women, and higher testosterone concentrations in men who were currently using snus. We conclude that snus use is associated with increased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, and to death by other causes, that may be restricted to external causes. Cancer mortality may also be increased among snus users. The associations cannot be fully explained by differences in socioeconomic status among snus users and non-users. Established cardiometabolic risk factors do not seem to be the main mechanisms behind these associations. Lower inflammatory biomarker levels among snus users may serve as a protective factor, while lower vitamin D-concentrations and increased testosterone levels may be part of an underlying mechanism linking snus use to increased mortality. Future research should focus on the health consequences of snus use among women, on other possible links between snus use and death, and on mortality in different cancers among users of snus. The health consequences of dual use of snus and cigarettes should also be assessed.
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| 3. |
- Byhamre, Marja Lisa, et al.
(författare)
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Swedish snus use is associated with mortality : a pooled analysis of eight prospective studies
- 2020
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Ingår i: International Journal of Epidemiology. - : Oxford University Press. - 0300-5771 .- 1464-3685. ; 49:6, s. 2041-2050
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The health consequences of the use of Swedish snus, including its relationship with mortality, have not been fully established. We investigated the relationship between snus use and all-cause and cause-specific mortality (death due to cardiovascular diseases, cancer diseases and all other reasons, respectively) in a nationwide collaborative pooling project.METHODS: We followed 169 103 never-smoking men from eight Swedish cohort studies, recruited in 1978-2010. Shared frailty models with random effects at the study level were used in order to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of mortality associated with snus use.RESULTS: Exclusive current snus users had an increased risk of all-cause mortality (aHR 1.28, 95% CI 1.20-1.35), cardiovascular mortality (aHR 1.27, 95% CI 1.15-1.41) and other cause mortality (aHR 1.37, 95% CI 1.24-1.52) compared with never-users of tobacco. The risk of cancer mortality was also increased (aHR 1.12, 95% CI 1.00-1.26). These mortality risks increased with duration of snus use, but not with weekly amount.CONCLUSIONS: Snus use among men is associated with increased all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, with death from other causes and possibly with increased cancer mortality.
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| 4. |
- Eriksson, Maria A., 1965-, et al.
(författare)
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Leptin levels are not affected by enalapril treatment after an uncomplicated myocardial infarction, but associate strongly with changes in fibrinolytic variables in men
- 2020
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Clinical and Laboratory Investigation. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0036-5513 .- 1502-7686. ; 80:4, s. 303-308
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Leptin, an adipocyte-derived hormone, is involved in the regulation of body weight and is associated with obesity-related complications, notably cardiovascular disease (CVD). A putative link between obesity and CVD could be induction of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) synthesis by leptin. In this study, we hypothesized that the beneficial effect of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE(i)) enalapril on PAI-1 levels is mediated by effects on leptin levels. The association between leptin and components of the fibrinolytic system was evaluated in a non-prespecified post hoc analysis of a placebo-controlled randomized, double-blind trial where the effect of the ACE(i) enalapril on fibrinolysis was tested. A total of 46 men and 37 women were randomized to treatment with enalapril or placebo after (median 12 months) an uncomplicated myocardial infarction. At baseline, the participants were stable and had no signs of congestive heart failure. Leptin and fibrinolytic variables (mass concentrations of PAI-1, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and tPA-PAI complex) were measured at baseline, and after 10 days, 6 months and 12 months. Enalapril treatment did not change leptin levels, which increased significantly during 1 year of follow-up (p = .007). Changes in leptin levels were strongly associated with changes of tPA mass (p = .001), tPA-PAI complex (p = .003) and of PAI-1 (p = .006) in men, but not in women. Leptin levels are not influenced by treatment with an ACE(i). In contrast, leptin associates strongly with changes in fibrinolytic variables notably with a sex difference, which could be of importance for obesity-related CVD.
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| 5. |
- Eriksson, Marie, et al.
(författare)
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Comparison of blood pressure measurements between an automated oscillometric device and a Hawksley random-zero sphygmomanometer in the northern Sweden MONICA study.
- 2012
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Ingår i: Blood Pressure Monitoring. - 1359-5237 .- 1473-5725. ; 17:4, s. 164-170
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The Hawksley random-zero sphygmomanometer (random-zero) has been used widely in epidemiological observation studies. This study compares blood pressure measurements using the random-zero with measurements using an automated oscillometric device and suggests a correction of the automated oscillometric measurements to enable comparisons of blood pressure levels over time.METHODS: The northern Sweden MONICA population survey 2009 included 1729 participants, 853 men and 876 women, 25-74 years old. Blood pressure was measured using both random-zero and an automated oscillometric device in all participants. The Omron M7 digital blood pressure monitor was used for automated oscillometric measurements. A linear mixed model was used to derive a formula to adjust the automated oscillometric readings.RESULTS: Automated oscillometric measurements of systolic blood pressure were generally lower than random-zero measurements in women [oscillometric mean 122.1 mmHg (95% confidence interval: 121.0-123.2) versus random-zero mean 124.4 mmHg (123.5-125.5)], whereas automated oscillometric measurements of systolic blood pressure were generally higher than random-zero measurements in men [oscillometric 131.1 mmHg (130.0-132.2) versus random-zero 129.0 mmHg (127.9-130.1)]. For diastolic blood pressure, automated oscillometric measurements were higher in both women [oscillometric 79.9 mmHg (79.2-80.5) versus random-zero 76.7 mmHg (76.0-77.4)] and men [oscillometric 83.1 mmHg (82.4-83.8) vs. random-zero 81.2 mmHg (80.6-81.9)]. The difference also varied with age and order of measurement. Adjustment of the automated oscillometric measurements using mixed model regression coefficients produced estimates of blood pressure that were close to the random-zero measurements.CONCLUSION: Blood pressure measurements using an automated oscillometric device differ from those with random-zero, but the oscillometric measurements can be adjusted, on the basis of sex, age and measurement order, to be similar to the random-zero measurements.
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| 6. |
- Eriksson, Marie, et al.
(författare)
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Greater decreases in cholesterol levels among individuals with high cardiovascular risk than among the general population : the northern Sweden MONICA study 1994 to 2014
- 2016
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Ingår i: European Heart Journal. - : Oxford University Press. - 0195-668X .- 1522-9645. ; 37:25, s. 1985-1992
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AIM: Decreasing cholesterol levels in Western populations is the main reason for decreasing mortality due to coronary heart disease. Our aim was to analyze trends in cholesterol levels in the population during a period of 20 years in relation to previous cardiovascular disease (CVD), other cardiovascular risk factors, and socioeconomic status.METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 4546 women and 4349 men aged 25-74 years participated in five population-based surveys in the Northern Sweden MONICA Study between 1994 and 2014 (participation rate 76.8-62.5%). Total cholesterol levels decreased from 6.2 mmol/L (95% confidence interval, CI, 6.1-6.2) in 1994 to 5.5 mmol/L (CI 5.4-5.5) in 2014. The decrease was more pronounced in elderly vs. younger participants (1.0 vs. 0.5 mmol/L). In 2014, participants with previous CVD, diabetes, or hypertension had lower cholesterol levels than the general population, whereas their levels were higher or similar to the general population in 1994. The use of lipid-lowering drugs increased markedly and was used by 14.3% in 2014. Previously described differences in cholesterol levels between participants with obesity and normal weight, and between those with and without university education, diminished, or vanished over time.CONCLUSION: Cholesterol levels decreased by 0.7 mmol/L over 20 years with no sign of abating. The improvement occurred in all age and gender groups but more prominently among those at high risk of ischaemic heart disease.
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| 7. |
- Eriksson, Marie, et al.
(författare)
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Large improvements in major cardiovascular risk factors in the population of northern Sweden : the MONICA study 1986–2009
- 2011
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Ingår i: Journal of Internal Medicine. - : Wiley. - 0954-6820 .- 1365-2796. ; 269:2, s. 219-231
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives. The incidence of cardiovascular disease has declined rapidly in Sweden since the 1980s. We explored changes in major cardiovascular risk factors in northern Sweden between 1986 and 2009.Design. Since 1986, six population surveys have been carried out in northern Sweden using procedures of the World Health Organization MONICA project. The population age range was 25–64 years in 1986 and 1990, and 25–74 years from 1994. Trends were analysed using generalized linear models.Results. A total of 10 586 subjects were included in the surveys. Blood pressure decreased by 4.9/3.9 mmHg in women and 1.8/1.5 mmHg in men aged 25–64 years between 1986 and 2009. In men and women aged 65–74 years, the decrease was 12.6/6.1 mmHg between 1994 and 2009. From 1994, the use of blood pressure‐lowering drugs increased, particularly among the older subgroup. The prevalence of smoking halved between 1986 and 2009; 11% of women and 9% of men were smokers in 2009. Cholesterol levels decreased by 0.9 mmol L−1 in the younger age group (25–64 years), and the use of lipid‐lowering agents increased from 1994. Among subjects aged 25–64 years, one in five was obese in 2009, which was twice as many as in 1986, and body mass index (BMI) increased by 1.5 kg m−2, corresponding to an increase in weight of 4 kg. There was no further increase in BMI from 2004. The prevalence of diabetes did not change between 1986 and 2009. The proportion that received a university education increased markedly in all age groups, especially in women, during the study period.Conclusions. Significant improvements were observed in major cardiovascular risk factors in northern Sweden between 1986 and 2009.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Hansson, Jenny, et al.
(författare)
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Use of snus and acute myocardial infarction: pooled analysis of eight prospective observational studies
- 2012
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Ingår i: European Journal of Epidemiology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1573-7284 .- 0393-2990. ; 27:10, s. 771-779
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The use of snus (also referred to as Scandinavian or Swedish moist smokeless tobacco), which is common in Sweden and increasing elsewhere, is receiving increasing attention since considered a tobacco smoke "potential reduction exposure product". Snus delivers a high dose of nicotine with possible hemodynamic effects, but its impact on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality is uncertain. The aim of this study was to investigate whether snus use is associated with risk of and survival after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Data from eight prospective cohort studies set in Sweden was pooled and reanalysed. The relative risk of first time AMI and 28-day case-fatality was calculated for 130,361 men who never smoked. During 2,262,333 person-years of follow-up, 3,390 incident events of AMI were identified. Current snus use was not associated with risk of AMI (pooled multivariable hazard ratio 1.04, 95 % confidence interval 0.93 to 1.17). The short-term case fatality rate appeared increased in snus users (odds ratio 1.28, 95 % confidence interval 0.99 to 1.68). This study does not support any association between use of snus and development of AMI. Hence, toxic components other than nicotine appear implicated in the pathophysiology of smoking related ischemic heart disease. Case fatality after AMI is seemingly increased among snus users, but this relationship may be due to confounding by socioeconomic or life style factors.
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| 10. |
- Hergens, Maria-Pia, et al.
(författare)
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Use of Scandinavian Moist Smokeless Tobacco (Snus) and the Risk of Atrial Fibrillation
- 2014
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Ingår i: Epidemiology. - 1044-3983 .- 1531-5487. ; 25:6, s. 872-876
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Snus is a smokeless tobacco product, widely used among Swedish men and increasingly so elsewhere. There is debate as to whether snus is an acceptable "harm-reduction" tobacco product. Since snus use delivers a dose of nicotine equivalent to cigarettes, and has been implicated in cardiac arrhythmia because of associations with sudden cardiovascular death, a relation with atrial fibrillation is plausible and important to investigate.METHODS:: To assess the relation between use of snus and risk of atrial fibrillation, we carried out a pooled analysis of 7 prospective Swedish cohort studies. In total, 274,882 men, recruited between 1978 and 2004, were followed via the National Patient Register for atrial fibrillation. Primary analyses were restricted to 127,907 never-smokers. Relative risks were estimated using Cox proportional hazard regression.RESULTS:: The prevalence of snus use was 25% among never-smokers. During follow-up, 3,069 cases of atrial fibrillation were identified. The pooled relative risk of atrial fibrillation was 1.07 (95% confidence interval = 0.97-1.19) in current snus users, compared with nonusers.CONCLUSION:: Findings from this large national pooling project indicate that snus use is unlikely to confer any important increase in risk of atrial fibrillation.
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