Systematic reviews on neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders linked to pesticide exposure: Methodological features and impact on risk assessment

Background Epidemiological data are not currently used in the risk assessment of chemical substances in a systematic and consistent manner. However, systematic reviews (SRs) could be useful for risk assessment as they appraise and synthesize the best epidemiological knowledge available. Objectives To conduct a comprehensive literature search of SRs pertaining to pesticide exposure and various…

Plasma carotenoids, vitamin C, tocopherols, and retinol and the risk of breast cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohor

Background: Carotenoids and vitamin C are thought to be associated with reduced cancer risk because of their antioxidative capacity. Objective: This study evaluated the associations of plasma carotenoid, retinol, tocopherol, and vitamin C concentrations and risk of breast cancer. Design: In a nested case-control study within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort,…

Human Papillomavirus 16 E6 Antibodies in Individuals Without Diagnosed Cancer: A Pooled Analysis

Background: The increasing incidence of oropharyngeal cancer in many developed countries has been attributed to human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) infections. Recently, HPV16 E6 serology has been identified as a promising early marker for oropharyngeal cancer. Therefore, characterization of HPV16 E6 seropositivity among individuals without cancer is warranted. Methods: 4,666 controls were pooled from several…

Postnatal arsenic exposure and attention impairment in school children

Over the last few decades there has been an increased concern about the health risks from exposure to metallic trace elements, including arsenic, because of their potential neurotoxic effects on the developing brain. This study assessed whether urinary arsenic (UA) levels are associated with attention performance and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children living in an…

Dietary and lifestyle determinants of acrylamide and glycidamide hemoglobin adducts in non-smoking postmenopausal women from the EPIC cohort

Purpose Acrylamide was classified as ‘probably carcinogenic’ to humans in 1994 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. In 2002, public health concern increased when acrylamide was identified in starchy, plant-based foods, processed at high temperatures. The purpose of this study was to identify which food groups and lifestyle variables were determinants of hemoglobin…

Anticoncepción de urgencia y objeción de conciencia: un debate sin cerrar

El objetivo de este editorial es reflexionar sobre la anticoncepción de urgencia y las posibles implicaciones para la salud pública de la reciente Sentencia del Tribunal Constitucional (STC) sobre el recurso de amparo interpuesto por el cotitular de una oficina de farmacia por supuesta vulneración del derecho a la objeción de conciencia al haber sido…

Experiencias, modelos y claves para la coordinación e integración de servicios sociales y sanitarios

El desarrollo de la coordinación de servicios sociales y sanitarios se fundamenta en un modelo universal, orientado a facilitar la realización del proyecto vital de cada persona, contando con su entorno más próximo1. Este modelo determina que el sujeto y protagonista de la acción es la persona y su entorno de convivencia, y que esta…

Serum Endotoxins and Flagellin and Risk of Colorectal Cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Cohort

Background: Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress are thought to be involved in colorectal cancer development. These processes may contribute to leakage of bacterial products, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and flagellin, across the gut barrier. The objective of this study, nested within a prospective cohort, was to examine associations between circulating LPS and flagellin serum antibody…

Prospective association of liver function biomarkers with development of hepatobiliary cancers

Introduction Serum liver biomarkers (gamma-glutamyl transferase, GGT; alanine aminotransferase, ALT; aspartate aminotransferase, AST; alkaline phosphatase, ALP; total bilirubin) are used as indicators of liver disease, but there is currently little data on their prospective association with risk of hepatobiliary cancers. Methods A nested-case control study was conducted within the prospective EPIC cohort (>520,000 participants, 10…

The Use of Statistics in Health Sciences: Situation Analysis and Perspective

Statistics plays a crucial role in research, planning and decision-making in the health sciences. Progress in technologies and continued research in computational statistics has enabled us to implement sophisticated mathematical models within software that are handled by non-statistician researchers. As a result, over the last decades, medical journals have published a host of papers that…