Background:Cardiovascular diseases are becoming the major cause of morbidity and mortality in most of the developing countries including India. Various behavioral risk factors are the major risk factors for coronary artery disease. Present study was carried out to study the role of various behavioral risk factors in the occurrence of coronary artery disease.Materials and Methods:Present study was a hospital-based paired-matched case-control study, carried out at civil hospital, Ahmedabad. A total of 135 newly-diagnosed cases of coronary artery disease and 135 controls were studied after taking an informed written consent. Data was analyzed by using Epi-info version 3.5.1 computer package, Chi -square test, Z test and Odds ratio was calculated.Results:Among the total 135 cases, 70.4% were male and 29.6% were female, most of the cases (40%) belong to the age group of 51-60 years. Smokers, smokeless tobacco users, and alcoholic were significantly higher among the cases as compared to controls. Significant association was also observed between current smokers, smokeless tobacco users, and coronary artery disease. Dose-response relationship was observed between the frequency of smoking per day and coronary artery disease (OR = 3.72). Significant association was also observed between obesity, physical inactivity, and coronary artery disease. Salt and oil intake per day were significantly higher among the cases as compared to controls.Conclusion:Modifiable and preventable behavioral risk factors are major etiology behind the occurrence of coronary artery disease, which highlights the need of appropriate control strategies and measures.

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Background Cancer progression has been associated with altered immune cell function and activation. Neopterin, which is secreted by interferon-γ stimulated macrophages, exhibits an association with multiple cancer types and metastatic disease. Chitotriosidase, which is secreted by chronically activated macrophages and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor stimulated neutrophils has not been studied in the setting of cancer. Objective The goal of this discovery study was to screen chitotriosidase for diagnostic capacity in detecting cancer and compare its operating characteristics with those of neopterin. Methods Serum from subjects with breast (n = 66) or prostate (n = 70) cancer, and from 204 subjects free of malignant disease were studied. Chitotriosidase was measured by enzyme activity assay, while neopterin was measured by a competitive enzyme immunoassay. Statistical analyses included group comparisons by Mann Whitney U test, diagnostic capacity by receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis and biomarker associations with physiologic and clinical measures by Spearman correlation. Results Chitotriosidase activity was significantly higher in both cancer types compared with gender matched controls, though only in breast cancer was the diagnostic capacity significant (area under the ROC curve of 0.97 ± 0.01). In contrast, neopterin was significantly elevated in prostate cancer and exhibited discriminatory capacity (area under the ROC curve of 0.76 ± 0.05). Age, BMI, % body fat and metastasis were variables that correlated with neopterin, but not chitotriosidase levels. Conclusions The operating characteristics of serum chitotriosidase were different from neopterin and further analysis of chitotriosidase as a biomarker for breast cancer is warranted.

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