Hynek Pikhart
University College London, Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty Member
Research Interests:
The Russian mortality crisis of the early 1990s attracted considerable attention, but information on possible covariates of mortality is lacking, and concerns have been raised about the validity of official mortality data. To help... more
The Russian mortality crisis of the early 1990s attracted considerable attention, but information on possible covariates of mortality is lacking, and concerns have been raised about the validity of official mortality data. To help elucidate the determinants of mortality, we examined whether indirect demographic techniques could be used to study mortality in countries such as the Russian Federation, where mortality data are inadequate, using input data independent from official vital statistics. A national sample of the population was interviewed (n = 1600, response rate = 67%). Participants who had ever been married (82% of the sample) were asked about the date of birth and vital status of their first spouse. Spousal mortality was then estimated indirectly for the 531 men and 710 women for whom valid data were available. The estimated risk of death between the ages of 35-69 years was 57% for male spouses and 17% for female spouses. Corresponding figures derived from national data fo...
Research Interests: Demography, Survival Analysis, Secondary Education, Mortality, Cardiovascular disease, and 20 moreSocial status, United Kingdom, Russia, Humans, Primary Education, Female, Male, Population Size, Russian Federation, University Education, Aged, Middle Aged, Questionnaires, Adult, Reproducibility of Results, AGE FACTOR, Cross sectional Study, Vital statistics, Proportional Hazards Models, and Socioeconomic Factors
Research Interests: Human Geography, Epidemiology, Eastern Europe, Occupational Health, Stress, and 23 morePublic Health, Comparative Study, Medicine, Czech Republic, Cross-Cultural Comparison, Humans, Europe, Work, Female, Male, Statistical Significance, Work Stress, Health Status, Middle Aged, EST, Questionnaires, Adult, Public health systems and services research, Effort-reward imbalance, Occupational Diseases, Cross Sectional Studies, Epidemiologic Studies, and Self Rated Health
Research Interests: Psychology, Eastern Europe, Cognition, Neuroepidemiology, Czech Republic, and 25 moreRussia, Humans, Verbal Fluency, Female, Alcohol Drinking, Male, Risk factors, Health Status, Aged, Middle Aged, Cognitive impairment, Random sampling, Cross Section, Public health systems and services research, Time Factors, Cognitive Function, Age Factors, Risk Factors, Birth Cohort, Cross sectional Study, Cross Sectional Studies, Neurosciences, General Population, Cognition disorders, and Cohort Studies
Research Interests: Demography, Epidemiology, Eastern Europe, Depression, Life course, and 21 morePublic Health, Poland, Social deprivation, Czech Republic, Russia, Social Inequality, Humans, Affective Disorders, Female, Male, Socioeconomic Status, Prevalence, Questionnaires, Affective, Educational Status, Disease Progression, Socio Economic Status, Depressive Symptoms, Cross Sectional Studies, Life Change Events, and Socioeconomic Factors
Research Interests: Sociology, Demography, Anthropology, Public Health, Employment, and 28 moreLogistic Regression, Czech Republic, Social Science & Medicine, Cross-Cultural Comparison, Uncertainty, Humans, Europe, Sex Education, Chronic Disease, Female, Male, Population based study, Risk factors, Meta Analysis, Health Status, Aged, Middle Aged, Cross Section, Public health systems and services research, Odds ratio, Health surveys, Risk Factors, Cross Sectional Studies, Self Rated Health, Social Science, Logistic Models, Marital Status, and Socioeconomic Factors
It is estimated that disease burden due to low fruit and vegetable consumption is higher in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the former Soviet Union (FSU) than any other parts of the world. However, no large scale studies have... more
It is estimated that disease burden due to low fruit and vegetable consumption is higher in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the former Soviet Union (FSU) than any other parts of the world. However, no large scale studies have investigated the association between fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake and mortality in these regions yet. The Health, Alcohol and Psychosocial Factors in Eastern Europe (HAPIEE) study is a prospective cohort study with participants recruited from the Czech Republic, Poland and Russia. Dietary data was collected using food frequency questionnaire. Mortality data was ascertained through linkage with death registers. Multivariable adjusted hazard ratios were calculated by Cox regression models. Among 19,333 disease-free participants at baseline, 1314 died over the mean follow-up of 7.1 years. After multivariable adjustment, we found statistically significant inverse association between cohort-specific quartiles of F&V intake and stroke mortality: the highest ...
Research Interests:
A healthy start to life is a major priority in efforts to reduce health inequalities across Europe, with important implications for the health of future generations. There is limited combined evidence on inequalities in health among... more
A healthy start to life is a major priority in efforts to reduce health inequalities across Europe, with important implications for the health of future generations. There is limited combined evidence on inequalities in health among newborns across a range of European countries. Prospective cohort data of 75 296 newborns from 12 European countries were used. Maternal education, preterm and small for gestational age births were determined at baseline along with covariate data. Regression models were estimated within each cohort and meta-analyses were conducted to compare and measure heterogeneity between cohorts. Mother's education was linked to an appreciable risk of preterm and small for gestational age (SGA) births across 12 European countries. The excess risk of preterm births associated with low maternal education was 1.48 (1.29 to 1.69) and 1.84 (0.99 to 2.69) in relative and absolute terms (Relative/Slope Index of Inequality, RII/SII) for all cohorts combined. Similar effe...
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Research Interests:
Health and inequalities in health among inhabitants of European cities are of major importance for European public health and there is great interest in how different health care systems in Europe perform in the reduction of health... more
Health and inequalities in health among inhabitants of European cities are of major importance for European public health and there is great interest in how different health care systems in Europe perform in the reduction of health inequalities. However, evidence on the spatial distribution of cause-specific mortality across neighbourhoods of European cities is scarce. This study presents maps of avoidable mortality in European cities and analyses differences in avoidable mortality between neighbourhoods with different levels of deprivation. We determined the level of mortality from 14 avoidable causes of death for each neighbourhood of 15 large cities in different European regions. To address the problems associated with Standardised Mortality Ratios for small areas we smooth them using the Bayesian model proposed by Besag, York and Mollié. Ecological regression analysis was used to assess the association between social deprivation and mortality. Mortality from avoidable causes of death is higher in deprived neighbourhoods and mortality rate ratios between areas with different levels of deprivation differ between gender and cities. In most cases rate ratios are lower among women. While Eastern and Southern European cities show higher levels of avoidable mortality, the association of mortality with social deprivation tends to be higher in Northern and lower in Southern Europe. There are marked differences in the level of avoidable mortality between neighbourhoods of European cities and the level of avoidable mortality is associated with social deprivation. There is no systematic difference in the magnitude of this association between European cities or regions. Spatial patterns of avoidable mortality across small city areas can point to possible local problems and specific strategies to reduce health inequality which is important for the development of urban areas and the well-being of their inhabitants.
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Research Interests: Psychology, Injury Prevention, Czech Republic, Birth Weight, Humans, and 21 moreFemale, Male, Infant, Mothers, Risk factors, Registries, Newborn Infant, Maternal Age, Infant Mortality, Public health systems and services research, Educational Status, Risk Factors, Parity, Gestational Age, Birth Certificates, Wounds and Injuries, Logistic Models, Predictive value of tests, Cohort Studies, Marital Status, and Socioeconomic Factors
Research Interests: Adolescent, Linear models, Czech Republic, Sweden, Birth Weight, and 16 morePregnancy, Humans, Child, Female, Male, Registries, Newborn Infant, Middle Aged, Adult, Paediatric, Public health systems and services research, Body Height, Preterm Delivery, Logistic Models, Pregnancy Outcome, and Socioeconomic Factors
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The primary objective of the SAVIAH, a multi-centre study funded by European Union, was to assess new methodology for study of small area health statistics and to implement it in epidemiological health statistics and geography. In Prague,... more
The primary objective of the SAVIAH, a multi-centre study funded by European Union, was to assess new methodology for study of small area health statistics and to implement it in epidemiological health statistics and geography. In Prague, the study has been conducted in two city districts with large variation in air pollution. Data at individual level (health symptoms and socio-economic circumstances of the family) were collected by questionnaires completed by parents of 3680 children aged 7-10 both resident and attending schools within the area (response rate 88%). Aggregated data for geographical areas were available from census and urban planning sources for 692 enumeration districts in the study area which were aggregated into 75 medium sized areas. Outdoor concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were monitored by passive samplers. All these data were integrated into a geographic information system (GIS). Spatial distribution of air pollution was estimated by kriging and multiple regression modelling. These models explained about 80% of the variation in air pollution measured by passive samplers. GIS was then used to assign to individuals an exposure based on place of residence and school in order to conduct individual based analyses. Association between NO2 and life-time prevalence of wheezing and/or whistling, and wheezing/whistling in the last 12 months was studied by logistic regression. For both outcomes, school levels of NO2 were positively related to symptoms but home levels of NO2 showed a negative association. Logistic regression at individual level gives similar results as ecological analysis and multilevel modelling. Hierarchical model yielded somewhat wider confidence limits. Adjustment for parental behavioural and socio-economic factors did not affect these estimates substantially. This study demonstrated the power of the GIS methodology in studying the effects of complex environmental factors on respiratory health of children.
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We report analysis of data on outdoor air pollution and respiratory symptoms in children collected in the Czech part of the international Small Area Variations in Air pollution and Health (SAVIAH) Project, a methodological study designed... more
We report analysis of data on outdoor air pollution and respiratory symptoms in children collected in the Czech part of the international Small Area Variations in Air pollution and Health (SAVIAH) Project, a methodological study designed to test the use of geographical information systems (GIS) in studies of environmental exposures and health at small area level. We collected the following data in two districts of Prague: (1) individual data on 3,680 children (response rate 88%) by questionnaires; (2) census-based socio-demographic data for small geographical units; (3) concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) measured by passive samplers in three 2-week surveys at 80 and 50 locations, respectively. We integrated all data into a geographical information system. Modeling of NO2 and SO2 allowed estimation of exposure to outdoor NO2 and SO2 at school and at home for each child. We examined the associations between air pollution and prevalence of wheezing or whistling in the chest in the last 12 months by logistic regression at individual level, weighted least squares regression at small area (ecological) level and multilevel modeling. The results varied by the level of analysis and method of exposure estimation. In multilevel analyses using individual data, odds ratios per 10 microg/m3 increase in concentrations were 1.16 (95% CI = 0.95-1.42) for NO2, and 1.08 (95% CI = 0.97-1.21) for SO2. While mapping of spatial distribution of NO2 and SO2 in the study area appeared valid, the interpolation from outdoor to personal exposures requires consideration.
Research Interests:
Air pollution has been linked to respiratory outcomes but controversy persists about its long-term effects. We used a novel technique to estimate the outdoor concentrations of sulphur dioxide (SO2) at small-area level to study the... more
Air pollution has been linked to respiratory outcomes but controversy persists about its long-term effects. We used a novel technique to estimate the outdoor concentrations of sulphur dioxide (SO2) at small-area level to study the long-term effects on respiratory symptoms and disease in children. As part of the international SAVIAH study, parents of 8,013 children aged 7-10 studied in Prague (Czech Republic) and Poznan (Poland) completed a questionnaire covering respiratory health, demographic and socio-economic factors and health behaviours (response rate 91%). This report is based on 6,959 children with complete data. Outdoor SO2 was measured by passive samplers at 80 sites in Poznan and 50 sites in Prague during 2-week campaigns. Concentrations of SO2 at each point (location) in the study areas were estimated from these data by modelling in a geographical information system. The mean of the estimated SO2 concentrations at children's homes and schools was used as an indicator of exposure to outdoor SO2. The prevalence of respiratory outcomes was similar in both cities. In the pooled data, 12% of children had experienced wheezing/whistling in the past 12 months; 28% had a lifetime prevalence of wheezing/whistling; 14% had a dry cough at night; and 3% had had asthma diagnosed by a doctor. The estimated mean exposure to outdoor SO2 was 80 (range 44-140) microg/m3 in Poznan and 84 (66-97) microg/m3 in Prague. After socio-economic characteristics and other covariates were controlled for, SO2 was associated with wheezing/whistling in the past 12 months (adjusted OR per 50 microg/m3 1.32, 95% CI 1.10-1.57), lifetime prevalence of wheezing/whistling (OR 1.13, 95% CI 0.99-1.30), and lifetime prevalence of asthma diagnosed by a doctor (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.01-1.92). The association with dry cough at night did not reach statistical significance. In these two Central European cities with relatively high levels of air pollution, small-area based indicators of long-term outdoor winter concentrations of SO2 were associated with wheezing/whistling and with asthma diagnosed by a doctor.
Research Interests: Health Behavior, Archives, Asthma, Air pollution, Poland, and 18 moreCzech Republic, Health behaviour, Humans, Child, Female, Male, Statistical Significance, Prevalence, School Children, Public health systems and services research, Passive sampler, Long Term Effect, Cough, Geographic Information System, Sulfur Dioxide, Respiratory Sounds, Air Pollutants, and Socioeconomic Factors
Research Interests: Demography, Epidemiology, Sex, Survival Analysis, Public Health, and 26 moreSecondary Education, Mortality, Cardiovascular disease, Social status, United Kingdom, Russia, Humans, Age, Primary Education, Female, Male, Population Size, Russian Federation, Socioeconomic Status, University Education, Aged, Middle Aged, Risk Factor, Questionnaires, Adult, Reproducibility of Results, AGE FACTOR, Cross sectional Study, Vital statistics, Proportional Hazards Models, and Socioeconomic Factors
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Research Interests: British medical history, Russia, Sweden, Humans, Elderly People, and 24 moreFemale, Male, Life Expectancy, Russian Federation, Health Status, Aged, Middle Aged, Survey data, Adult, Cross Section, Public health systems and services research, Survival Rate, BMJ, Life Table, Cross sectional Study, Cross Sectional Studies, Self Rated Health, Physical Function, Life Span, General Population, Age Groups, Life tables, Cohort Studies, and Disabled Persons
Research Interests: Psychology, Poland, Czech Republic, Russia, Lipids, and 21 moreCross-Cultural Comparison, Humans, Alcohol, Blood sampling, Male, Ethanol, Risk factors, LDL-cholesterol, Alcohol Consumption, Heart Disease, Middle Aged, Coronary heart disease, Binge drinking, Public health systems and services research, Risk Factors, Population Study, Cross sectional Study, Cross Sectional Studies, Epidemiologic Studies, Blood Lipids, and Neurosciences
Research Interests: Health, Risk assessment, Comparative Study, Logistic Regression, Down Syndrome, and 21 moreCzech Republic, California, Pregnancy, Humans, Public, Female, Male, Registries, Newborn Infant, Prevalence, Middle Aged, Parents, Questionnaires, Adult, Maternal Age, Public health systems and services research, Educational Status, Prenatal Diagnosis, Risk Assessment, Logistic Models, and Birth Defect
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There is debate about the value of measuring health-related quality of life (HRQL) in clinical trials in oncology because of evidence suggesting that HRQL does not influence clinical decisions. Analysis of HRQL in surgical trials,... more
There is debate about the value of measuring health-related quality of life (HRQL) in clinical trials in oncology because of evidence suggesting that HRQL does not influence clinical decisions. Analysis of HRQL in surgical trials, however, may inform decision making because it provides detailed assessment of the immediate detrimental short-term impact of surgery on HRQL that needs to be considered against the long-term survival benefits and functional outcomes of surgery. This study evaluated whether HRQL in randomized trials in surgical oncology contributes to clinical decision making. A systematic review identified randomized trials in surgical oncology with HRQL. Trials were evaluated independently by two reviewers and the value of HRQL in clinical decision making was categorized in three ways: whether trial investigators reported that HRQL influenced final treatment recommendations, whether trial investigators reported that HRQL would be useful for informed consent, and whether HRQL was assessed robustly according to predefined criteria. Thirty-three randomized trials with valid HRQL questionnaires were identified; 22 (67%) concluded that HRQL outcomes influenced treatment decisions or provided valuable data for informed consent, and seven of these trials had robust HRQL design. Another five trials had robust HRQL design but investigators reported that HRQL outcomes were not clinically important enough to influence treatment recommendations. In surgical trials in oncology, HRQL informed clinical decision making. It is recommended that HRQL be included in relevant surgical trials, and that information be used to inform clinicians and patients about the impact of surgery on short- and long-term HRQL.
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To estimate the annual incidence and prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), juvenile arthritis (JIA) and gout in a population based study in two regions of the Czech Republic with total population of 186,000 inhabitants. The study was... more
To estimate the annual incidence and prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), juvenile arthritis (JIA) and gout in a population based study in two regions of the Czech Republic with total population of 186,000 inhabitants. The study was conducted in the Town of Ceske Budejovice and district of Cheb in the Czech Republic (with a total population of 186,000 inhabitants) in the years 2002 and 2003. Incident cases were registered on condition that the definite diagnosis was confirmed according to existing classification criteria during the study period. Prevalence was studied on the basis of identification of established diagnosis from registers of patients of participating rheumatologists and other specialists. They were asked to report all living patients who had been diagnosed before 1st March 2002. Patients were only included in the study if their permanent address was in the selected study area. Overall, we found 48 incident and 947 prevalent cases of RA among adults (16+ years), 4 incident and 43 prevalent cases of JIA among children (less than 16 years old), and 64 incident and 425 prevalent cases of gout among adults (16+ years). The total annual incidence of RA was 31/100,000 in the adult population aged 16 years and more (95% CI 20 to 42/100,000). The prevalence of RA was 610/100,000 (95% CI 561 to 658/100,000) in the adult population. An annual incidence of gout in adults was 41/100,000 (95% CI 28 to 53/100,000). The prevalence of gout was 300/100,000 (95% CI 266 to 334/100,000). The annual incidence of JIA was 13/100,000 in children less than 16 years old (95%CI 1 to 20/100,000). The prevalence of JIA in children was 140/100,000 (95% CI 117 to 280/100,000). This study estimates the annual incidence and prevalence rates of RA, gout and JIA in the first population-based survey in the Czech Republic. The rates of RA and JIA compare well with figures reported from other countries; figures in gout seem to be lower than reported elsewhere.
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Research Interests: Demography, Epidemiology, Eastern Europe, Depression, Life course, and 21 morePublic Health, Poland, Social deprivation, Czech Republic, Russia, Social Inequality, Humans, Affective Disorders, Female, Male, Socioeconomic Status, Prevalence, Questionnaires, Affective, Educational Status, Disease Progression, Socio Economic Status, Depressive Symptoms, Cross Sectional Studies, Life Change Events, and Socioeconomic Factors
Research Interests: Eastern Europe, Obesity, Unemployment, Physical Activity, Comparative Study, and 27 moreCardiovascular disease, Social Class, Social status, Czech Republic, Germany, Humans, Hypertension, Smoking, Female, Male, Population based study, Regression Analysis, Crowding, Exercise, Risk factors, Socioeconomic Status, Aged, Prevalence, Middle Aged, Unemployment and Crime Rate, Regression Model, Public health systems and services research, Cardiovascular Risk Factor, Multilevel Analysis, Cardiovascular Diseases, Risk Factors, and Unemployment rate
Research Interests: Life Style, Causal Inference, Russia, Sweden, Self Efficacy, and 21 moreCross-Cultural Comparison, Humans, Female, Male, Registries, Logistic Regression Analysis, Perceived Control, Aged, Middle Aged, Questionnaires, Cross Section, Public health systems and services research, Odds ratio, Cross sectional Study, Formal Social Control, Health Effect, Cross Sectional Studies, Self Rated Health, Logistic Models, Socioeconomic Factors, and attitude to health
The international pattern of obesity is only partly understood. While in developed countries the association between education and obesity is inverse, in the developing world social distribution of obesity is less predictable. We examined... more
The international pattern of obesity is only partly understood. While in developed countries the association between education and obesity is inverse, in the developing world social distribution of obesity is less predictable. We examined obesity patterns in three countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE): Russia, Poland and the Czech Republic, middle-income post-communist countries undergoing social and economic transition. The prevalence of obesity was inversely associated with education of individuals in our three samples of Central and Eastern European populations. In agreement with previous findings, the inverse socioeconomic gradient was more pronounced in the Czech Republic and Poland, countries with higher Gross National Product (GNP) than Russia. In addition, obesity was more common in Russian women than in Czech or Polish women while Russian men were less obese than Czech or Polish men. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the social gradient in obesity differs between populations--it is more likely to find a reverse association between socioeconomic position and prevalence of obesity in the more westernized countries with higher population income.
Research Interests: Eastern Europe, Obesity, Social Class, Poland, Czech Republic, and 17 moreRussia, Humans, Developing Country, Female, Male, Developing World, Body Mass Index, European, Social Conditions, Aged, Prevalence, Middle Aged, Public health systems and services research, Economic transition, Educational Status, Central and Eastern European Studies, and Cross Sectional Studies
Hubacek, JA and Adamkova, V and Stavek, P and Hubacek, JA and Kubinova, R and Peasey, A and Pikhart, H and Mar-Mot, M and Bobak, M (2008) Apolipoprotein E Arg136 -> Cys mutation and hyperlipidemia in a large central European population... more
Hubacek, JA and Adamkova, V and Stavek, P and Hubacek, JA and Kubinova, R and Peasey, A and Pikhart, H and Mar-Mot, M and Bobak, M (2008) Apolipoprotein E Arg136 -> Cys mutation and hyperlipidemia in a large central European population sample. CLIN CHIM ...
Research Interests: Genetics, Humans, Mutation, Europe, Female, and 8 moreMale, Lipid metabolism, Clinical Sciences, Aged, Middle Aged, Adult, Arginine, and Cysteine
Research Interests: Public Health, Logistic Regression, Czech Republic, Humans, Locus of Control, and 17 moreFemale, Dental Caries, Male, Statistical Significance, Risk factors, Parents, Questionnaires, Adult, Cross Section, Public health systems and services research, Preschool Children, Risk Factors, Parent‐child Relations, Cross Sectional Studies, Socioeconomic Factors, Child preschool, and attitude to health
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Research Interests: Psychology, Cognitive Science, Anxiety Disorders, Depression, Czech Republic, and 16 moreHumans, Chronic Disease, Female, Male, Social Psychiatry, Clinical Sciences, Aged, Middle Aged, C reactive protein, Questionnaires, Random sampling, Depressive Symptoms, Cross sectional Study, Cross Sectional Studies, Epidemiologic Studies, and Healthy Subjects
Variants in the FTO (oxoglutarate-dependent nucleic acid demethylase) gene have been associated with the BMI determination in Western European and North American populations. To widen the geographical coverage of the FTO studies, we have... more
Variants in the FTO (oxoglutarate-dependent nucleic acid demethylase) gene have been associated with the BMI determination in Western European and North American populations. To widen the geographical coverage of the FTO studies, we have analyzed the association between the FTO gene variant rs17817449 (G>C) and obesity in a Slavic Eastern European population. A total of 3,079 males and 3,602 females 45-69 years old were randomly selected from population registers of seven Czech cities. We examined three indices of obesity: BMI (kg/m(2)), waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). The FTO rs17817449 variant was significantly associated with BMI both in males (GG 28.7 +/- 4.1; GT 28.3 +/- 3.9; TT 28.0 +/- 3.9; P = 0.003) and females (GG 28.7 +/- 5.2; GT 28.2 +/- 5.1; TT 27.2 +/- 4.9; P < 0.001); the associations were not affected by adjustment for age, smoking, socioeconomic status, and physical activity. The FTO variant was also associated with waist circumference (difference between GG and TT was 1.1 cm (P = 0.043) in men and 2.4 cm (P < 0.001) in women) but this relationship disappeared after adjustment for BMI. Similarly, BMI explained the weak association of FTO with WHR and C-reactive protein. FTO was not associated with plasma total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, blood glucose, and blood pressure. These results confirm that in a Slavic population the FTO variant is strongly associated with BMI but not with other risk factors.
Research Interests: Obesity, Physical Activity, Multidisciplinary, Czech Republic, Humans, and 18 moreBlood Glucose, Diabetes mellitus, Blood Pressure, Female, Male, Proteins, Body Mass Index, Risk factors, Socioeconomic Status, Waist Circumference, Association, Aged, Middle Aged, C reactive protein, Waist to Hip Ratio, Risk Factors, North American, and Nucleic Acid
We tested the hypothesis that the MLXIPL rs3812316 variant predicts plasma triglyceride (TG) levels. We compared three groups of adult individuals: 162 persons with TG... more
We tested the hypothesis that the MLXIPL rs3812316 variant predicts plasma triglyceride (TG) levels. We compared three groups of adult individuals: 162 persons with TG > 10 mmol/L, 266 persons with TG < 0.65 mmol/L, and 2,043 population-based controls (range of TG concentrations 0.7-8.7 mmol/L). We found a small difference in the frequency of the Gln allele carriers between population controls (20.4%) and persons with low TG (26.3%, P = 0.033). We found no difference between individuals with high TG and population controls, and there was no association between the MLXIPL variant and plasma TG levels among the population controls.
Research Interests: Genetics, Human Genetics, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Czech Republic, DNA, and 15 moreHumans, Female, Male, Population Control, Triglycerides, Aged, Middle Aged, Genotype, Adult, European Continental Ancestry Group, Genetic variation, Base Sequence, Amino Acid Substitution Rates, Case Control Studies, and Hypertriglyceridemia
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Social capital is often described as a collective benefit engendered by generalised trust, civic participation, and mutual reciprocity. This feature of communities has been shown to associate with an assortment of health outcomes at... more
Social capital is often described as a collective benefit engendered by generalised trust, civic participation, and mutual reciprocity. This feature of communities has been shown to associate with an assortment of health outcomes at several levels of analysis. The current study assesses the evidence for an association between area-level social capital and individual-level subjective health. Respondents participating in waves 8 (1998) and 9 (1999) of the British Household Panel Survey were identified and followed-up 5 years later in wave 13 (2003). Area social capital was measured by two aggregated survey items: social trust and civic participation. Multilevel logistic regression models were fitted to examine the association between area social capital indicators and individual poor self-rated health. Evidence for a protective association with current self-rated health was found for area social trust after controlling for individual characteristics, baseline self-rated health and individual social trust. There was no evidence for an association between area civic participation and self-rated health after adjustment. The findings of this study expand the literature on social capital and health through the use of longitudinal data and multilevel modelling techniques.
Research Interests: Sociology, Anthropology, Social Interaction, Statistical Analysis, Social Capital, and 29 moreModeling, Social Support, Health, British Household Panel Survey (BHPS), Social Science & Medicine, Humans, Social Medicine, Surveys, Multilevel modelling, Female, Male, Capital social, Regression Analysis, Attitudes, Young Adult, Interpersonal Relations, Health Status, Self Evaluation, Aged, Great Britain, Middle Aged, Questionnaires, Adult, Public health systems and services research, Longitudinal data, Multilevel Analysis, Logistic Regression Model, Self Rated Health, and Health Outcome
Research Interests: Poverty, Mental Health, Depression, Unemployment, Public Health, and 15 moreLogistic Regression, Czech Republic, Humans, Female, Male, Population based study, University Education, Aged, Middle Aged, Random sampling, Public health systems and services research, Educational Status, Health surveys, Depressive Symptoms, and Logistic Models
A possible association between end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and apolipoprotein E (APOE) polymorphism was found in some but not all studies. We have analyzed the APOE genotypes in 995 hemodialyzed patients (cases) and a sample of 6242... more
A possible association between end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and apolipoprotein E (APOE) polymorphism was found in some but not all studies. We have analyzed the APOE genotypes in 995 hemodialyzed patients (cases) and a sample of 6242 healthy individuals (controls) in the Czech Republic. There was a statistically significant difference in the frequency of APOE alleles between cases and controls, with more carriers of the APOE2 allele in ESRD patients (15.9%) than in controls (12.2%) (P = 0.005). The odds ratio of ESRD for the APOE2 allele, compared with APOE3E3 homozygotes, was 1.37 (95% confidence interval 1.13-1.67). The strength of the association increased with the time spent on hemodialysis: the odds ratio of all-cause ESRD in patients dialyzed for eight or more years was 1.27 (0.94-1.71), for 1-8 years 1.41 (1.09-1.81), and less than 1 year (nonsurvivors) 1.94 (0.88-4.18). This study suggests that the APOE2 allele is a possible genetic risk factor for all-cause ESRD in Caucasians.