Anne Pernille Toft-Petersen

Blood lipid and lipoprotein concentrations and colorectal cancer risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition

Objective To examine the association between serum concentrations of total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), low density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein A-I (apoA), apolipoprotein B and the incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC). Design Nested case–control study. Setting The study was conducted within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), a cohort of more than 520 000 participants from 10 western European countries. Participants 1238 cases of incident CRC, which developed after enrolment into the cohort, were matched with 1238 controls for age, sex, centre, follow-up time, time of blood collection and fasting status. Main outcome measures Serum concentrations were quantitatively determined by colorimetric and turbidimetric methods. Dietary and lifestyle data were obtained from questionnaires. Conditional logistic regression models were used to estimate incidence rate ratios (RRs) and 95% CIs which were adjusted for height, weight, smoking habits, physical activity, education, consumption of fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, alcohol, fibre and energy. Results After adjustments, the concentrations of HDL and apoA were inversely associated with the risk of colon cancer (RR for 1 SD increase of 16.6 mg/dl in HDL and 32.0 mg/dl in apoA of 0.78 (95% CI 0.68 to 0.89) and 0.82 (95% CI 0.72 to 0.94), respectively). No association was observed with the risk of rectal cancer. Additional adjustment for biomarkers of systemic inflammation, insulin resistance and oxidative stress or exclusion of the first 2 years of follow-up did not influence the association between HDL and risk of colon cancer. Conclusions These findings show that high concentrations of serum HDL are associated with a decreased risk of colon cancer. The mechanism behind this association needs further elucidation.

Small dense LDL particles--a predictor of coronary artery disease evaluated by invasive and CT-based techniques: a case-control study.

BackgroundCoronary angiography is the current standard method to evaluate coronary atherosclerosis in patients with suspected angina pectoris, but non-invasive CT scanning of the coronaries are increasingly used for the same purpose.Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and other lipid and lipoprotein variables are major risk factors for coronary artery disease. Small dense LDL particles may be of particular importance, but clinical studies evaluating their predictive value for coronary atherosclerosis are few.MethodsWe performed a study of 194 consecutive patients with chest pain, a priori considered of low to intermediate risk for significant coronary stenosis (>50% lumen obstruction) who were referred for elective coronary angiography. Plasma lipids and lipoproteins were measured including the subtype pattern of LDL particles, and all patients were examined by coronary CT scanning before coronary angiography.ResultsThe proportion of small dense LDL was a strong univariate predictor of significant coronary artery stenosis evaluated by both methods. After adjustment for age, gender, smoking, and waist circumference only results obtained by traditional coronary angiography remained statistically significant.ConclusionSmall dense LDL particles may add to risk stratification of patients with suspected angina pectoris.

Trends in assisted ventilation and outcome for obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations: A nationwide study

Background Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) has been used for decades in treatment of exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The impact of the changing use of assisted ventilation in acute exacerbations on outcomes has not been fully elucidated and we aimed to describe these changes in the Danish population and describe their consequences for mortality. Methods A register-based study was conducted of a cohort of 12,847 patients admitted for acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) from 2004 through 2011, treated with invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) or NIV for the first time. Age, sex, in-hospital mortality rates, time to death or readmission for AECOPD were established and changes over time tracked. Results The number of admissions for AECOPD where assisted ventilation was used was 1,130 in 2004 and had increased by 145% in 2011. First time ventilations increased by 88%. This was mainly due to an increase in use of NIV accounting for 36% of the total number of assisted ventilations in 2004 and 67% in 2011. The number of IMV with or without NIV treatments remained constant. The mean age of NIV patients increased from 71.5 to 73.6 years, but remained constant at 70.0 years in IMV patients. Mortality rates both in hospital and after discharge for patients receiving NIV remained constant throughout the period. In-hospital mortality following IMV increased from 30% to 38%, but mortality after discharge remained stable. Conclusion Assisted ventilation has been increasingly used in a broader spectrum of AECOPD patients since the introduction of NIV. The changes in treatment strategies have been followed by shifts in in-hospital mortality rates following IMV.

Association between hemoglobin and prognosis in patients admitted to hospital for COPD

Low concentrations of hemoglobin have previously been demonstrated in many patients with COPD. There is evidence of anemia as a prognostic factor in acute exacerbations, but the detailed relationship between concentrations of hemoglobin and mortality is not known. A register-based cohort of patients admitted for the first time to Danish hospitals for acute exacerbations of COPD from 2007 through 2012 was established. Age, sex, comorbidities, medication, renal function, and concentrations of hemoglobin were retrieved. Sex-specific survival analyses were fitted for different rounded concentrations of hemoglobin. The cohort encompassed 6,969 patients. Hemoglobin below 130 g/L was present in 39% of males and below 120 g/L in 24% of females. The in-hospital mortality rates for patients with hemoglobin below or above these limits were 11.6% and 5.4%, respectively. After discharge, compared to hemoglobin 130 g/L, the hazard ratio (HR) for males with hemoglobin 120 g/L was 1.45 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.22–1.73), adjusted HR 1.37 (95% CI 1.15–1.64). Compared to hemoglobin 120 g/L, the HR for females with hemoglobin 110 g/L was 1.4 (95% CI 1.17–1.68), adjusted HR 1.28 (95% CI 1.06–1.53). In conclusion, low concentrations of hemoglobin are frequent in COPD patients with acute exacerbations, and predict long-term mortality.

Exploring the impact of using measured or estimated values for height and weight on the relationship between BMI and acute hospital mortality

Purpose: Studies have demonstrated an association between height and weight and mortality among patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the optimal body mass index (BMI) might be well above the optimal values in the general population. Most of these studies have relied on estimated values, the validity of which is not known. Material and methods: Admissions to adult general ICUs from 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2016 in the Case Mix Programme (CMP) Database were described by height and weight assessment methods (measured or estimated). A multilevel logistic regression model was built, which had acute hospital mortality as the outcome and included standard case mix adjustment, BMI, the assessment method and the interactions between BMI and assessment method. Results: There were 690,405 eligible admissions and most patients (59.7%) had estimates of height and/or weight recorded. Patients with both height and weight measured had lower severity and mortality. The association between BMI and mortality was reverse J‐shaped with the lowest mortality at BMI 34.3 kg/m2. Whether height and weight were measured or estimated did not influence the association between BMI and mortality. Conclusions: For epidemiological comparisons of mortality among critically ill adults, estimated values of height and weight appear valid. HighlightsMost ICU patients do not have height and weight measured.Despite extensive case mix adjustment, mortality in ICU is lower in obese patients compared with those of normal weight.The relationship between BMI and mortality is similar regardless of whether weight and/or height are measured or estimated.Estimates of height and weight are valid for epidemiological purposes.

The organisation of critical care for burn patients in the UK: epidemiology and comparison of mortality prediction models

In the UK, a network of specialist centres has been set up to provide critical care for burn patients. However, some burn patients are admitted to general intensive care units. Little is known about the casemix of these patients and how it compares with patients in specialist burn centres. It is not known whether burn‐specific or generic risk prediction models perform better when applied to patients managed in intensive care units. We examined admissions for burns in the Case Mix Programme Database from April 2010 to March 2016. The casemix, activity and outcome in general and specialist burn intensive care units were compared and the fit of two burn‐specific risk prediction models (revised Baux and Belgian Outcome in Burn Injury models) and one generic model (Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre model) were compared. Patients in burn intensive care units had more extensive injuries compared with patients in general intensive care units (median (IQR [range]) burn surface area 16 (7–32 [0–98])% vs. 8 (1–18 [0–100])%, respectively) but in‐hospital mortality was similar (22.8% vs. 19.0%, respectively). The discrimination and calibration of the generic Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre model was superior to the revised Baux and Belgian Outcome in Burn Injury burn‐specific models for patients managed on both specialist burn and general intensive care units.

Correlation between retinal vein occlusion and cancer - a nationwide Danish cohort study

To explore the association between retinal vein occlusion (RVO) and incident cancer.

Intensive care doctors’ preferences for arterial oxygen tension levels in mechanically ventilated patients

Oxygen is liberally administered in intensive care units (ICUs). Nevertheless, ICU doctors’ preferences for supplementing oxygen are inadequately described. The aim was to identify ICU doctors’ preferences for arterial oxygenation levels in mechanically ventilated adult ICU patients.

Assisted ventilation in COPD: association between previous hospitalizations and mortality

Background In general, previous studies have shown an association between prior exacerbations and mortality in COPD, but this association has not been demonstrated in the subpopulation of patients in need of assisted ventilation. We examined whether previous hospitalizations were independently associated with mortality among patients with COPD ventilated for the first time. Patients and methods In the Danish National Patient Registry, we established a cohort of patients with COPD ventilated for the first time from 2003 to 2011 and previously medicated for obstructive airway diseases. We assessed the number of hospitalizations for COPD in the preceding year, age, sex, comorbidity, mode of ventilation, survival to discharge, and days to death beyond discharge. Results The cohort consisted of 6,656 patients of whom 66% had not been hospitalized for COPD in the previous year, 18% once, 8% twice, and 9% thrice or more. In-hospital mortality was 45%, and of the patients alive at discharge, 11% died within a month and 39% within a year. In multivariate models, adjusted for age, sex, mode of ventilation, and comorbidity, odds ratios for in-hospital death were 1.26 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.11–1.44), 1.43 (95% CI: 1.19–1.72), and 1.56 (95% CI: 1.30–1.87) with one, two, and three or more hospitalizations, respectively. Hazard ratios for death after discharge from hospital were 1.32 (95% CI: 1.19–1.46), 1.76 (95% CI: 1.52–2.02), and 2.07 (95% CI: 1.80–2.38) with one, two, and three or more hospitalizations, respectively. Conclusion Preceding hospitalizations for COPD are associated with in-hospital mortality and after discharge in the subpopulation of patients with COPD with acute exacerbation treated with assisted ventilation for the first time.