No abstract

A comprehensive case-control study was conducted in an Italian region in order to compare the influence of family history of cardiovascular events, socioeconomic factors, social networks, and their joint associations with major risk factors, on the risk, of myocardial infarction (MI), unstable angina (UA) and ischemic stroke (IS). A total of 513 patients with MI, 178 with UA, 237 with IS, and 928 hospitalised controls were recruited. The odds ratio (OR) of MI for two or more relatives with a positive history of MI was 3.6 (95% CI: 1.8-7.3). Family history of MI was predictive for UA (OR = 5.8; 95% CI: 1.2-28.7), but not for IS. A family history of stroke was more associated with the risk of MI than of IS. After adjustment for known risk factors, the OR of MI for more educated people was 2.1 (1.3-3.6) compared with less-educated people. Large family size seemed to be protective for MI. The effect of major risk factors on MI ranged from additive (diabetes) to multiplicative jointly with high education and family history of MI. A family history of stroke increased IS risk threefold jointly with smoking and hyperlipidemia, and eightfold with diabetes. Besides a family history of MI and IS, in this community a higher educational status seems to better identify groups at increased risk of MI. The joint associations have important preventive implications since by identifying high-risk individuals (for MI and IS) a more careful assessment and control of risk factors amenable to intervention may be performed.

No abstract

We examined the relationship between the hemoglobin concentration and the risk of ischemic stroke using data from a hospital-based case-control study. A total of 143 patients (age 30-69 years) with a diagnosis of cerebral infarction confirmed by computerized tomography scan and 143 age- and sex-matched controls entered the study. Hemoglobin was higher in the patients with stroke (14.2 ± 1.6 g/l, mean ± SD) than in controls (13.7 ± 1.6 g/l; p< 0.05). Compared with subjects with hemoglobin levels of less than 13 g/l (reference category), the relative risk of ischemic stroke, after allowance for potential risk factors, was 2.0 (95% CI 0.8-4.9) for the 13-13.9 g/l quartile, 2.8 (95% CI 1.2-6.5) for the 14-14.9 g/1 quartile, and 3.2 (95% CI 1.4-7.4) for the 14+ g/1 quartile (χ² for linear trend 7.27, p < 0.01). We conclude that the hemoglobin concentration may be an indicator of risk for ischemic stroke.

Applying the cancer registries national rate, expected new diagnoses of HM in Abruzzo are about 620/year (46.4/100,000), compared to HDR estimates of 461 and 791/year (primary/all diagnoses fields: 58%). Since this percentage varies between 35% and 82%, our findings on the 2 methods seem useful for a validation process in the starting Cancer Registry.