This study utilizes CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) cohort study data to examine whether (1) family-based adverse childhood experiences, recalled by women aged 32 to 47, are associated with lower urinary tract symptoms and their impact, a…
Pancreatitis is a disease continuum, starting with acute pancreatitis (AP) and progressing in some cases to recurrent acute pancreatitis (RAP) and chronic pancreatitis (CP). Currently, there are no approved therapies or early diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers for pancreatitis. The current…
Introduction: This study utilizes Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) data to examine whether women's perceived emotional support and interpersonal stressors are associated with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and their impact on quality of life. Methods: Emotional…
Genetic factors play an important role in prostate cancer (PCa) susceptibility. To discover common genetic variants contributing to the risk of PCa in men of African ancestry. We conducted a meta-analysis of ten genome-wide association studies consisting of 19378 cases…
Previous studies had limited power to assess the associations of circulating insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) with clinically relevant prostate cancer as a primary endpoint, and the association of genetically predicted IGF-I with aggressive prostate cancer is…
Long-term exposure to fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) is a known risk factor for cardiovascular events, but controversy remains as to whether the current National Ambient Air Quality Standard (12 μg/m3 for 1-year mean PM2.5) is sufficiently protective. To evaluate…
Pain is common in chronic pancreatitis (CP) and profoundly reduces quality of life (QoL). Multiple underlying mechanisms contribute to a heterogenous pain experience and reduce efficacy of pain management. This study was designed to characterize the distribution of mechanism-based pain…
Diabetes that arises from chronic pancreatitis (CP) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Methods to predict which patients with CP are at greatest risk for diabetes are urgently needed. We aimed to examine independent risk factors for diabetes in…
Parkinson disease (PD) is the second most common age-related neurodegenerative condition diagnosed in North America. We recently demonstrated, using multiple epidemiological data sources, that the prevalence of PD diagnoses was greater than previously reported and currently used for clinical, research,…
Up to one of every six individuals diagnosed with one cancer will be diagnosed with a second primary cancer in their lifetime. Genetic factors contributing to the development of multiple primary cancers, beyond known cancer syndromes, have been underexplored. To…
Our purpose was to validate the T1 SIR (T1 score) as an imaging biomarker for the staging of CP in a large, multi-institutional, prospective study. The prospective study population included 820 participants enrolled in the PROCEED study from nine clinical…
Pain is a cardinal symptom of chronic pancreatitis (CP). Using PROMIS measures, we characterized physical and mental health and symptom profiles of a well-defined cohort of individuals with CP and compared them to controls. Among patients with CP, we also…
Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is associated with osteopathy (osteoporosis or osteopenia). However, existing literature is mostly limited to retrospective or administrative studies that have not clearly defined the prevalence and risk factors. Our aim was to identify patient- and disease-related associations…
This project will compare the effectiveness of pharmacological therapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia/lower urinary tract symptoms in preventing long-term disease progression and will develop and validate predictive models using demographic, clinical, and laboratory data available at the time of benign…
In a prospective, comparative effectiveness study, we assessed clinical and psychological factors associated with switching from active surveillance (AS) to active treatment (AT) among low-risk prostate cancer (PCa) patients. Using ultra-rapid case identification, we conducted pretreatment telephone interviews (N = 1139) with…
Prior studies have shown higher green cover levels are associated with beneficial health outcomes. We sought to determine if residential green cover was also associated with direct healthcare costs. We linked residential Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) satellite data for…
This is a project more comprehensively determine the genetic factors associated with PSA levels, and to develop and apply prediction models for PCa outcomes based on genetically-adjusted PSA levels throughout life, by executing the following specific aims. This will be…
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Neighborhood walkability and greenness may also be associated with CVD, but there is limited evidence on their joint or interacting effects with PM2.5. Cox proportional hazard models…
The Kaiser Permanente Research Bank (KPRB) is collecting biospecimens and surveys linked to electronic health records (EHR) from approximately 400,000 adult KP members. Within the KPRB, we developed a Cancer Cohort to address issues related to cancer survival, and to…
We are examining the risk from the pyroaeromyobiome from a public health perspective. In particular, our goals are to determine: the association between exposure to wildfire smoke and mycoses diagnose; the mechanisms of fungal biota acquisition, maintenance and dispersal in…
In this study we are estimating the risk of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma among individuals NOD (New Onset Diabetes) Protocol defined hyperglycemia by study status (enrolled, not enrolled, not recruited). We will also participate in a national multi-site effort to build…
Women are more likely to present with genitourinary complaints immediately after exposure to interpersonal violence, but little is known about the long-term effects of violence on women's urologic health, including their susceptibility to bladder pain and infections. To determine whether…
To operationalize a new definition for bladder health, we examined the distribution of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and impact, along with associated factors, among women in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. We performed cluster…
Epidemiological studies have suggested positive associations for iron and red meat intake with risk of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Inherited pathogenic variants in genes involved in the hepcidin-regulating iron metabolism pathway are known to cause iron overload and hemochromatosis. The…
This study, being done with a parallel effort at UCSF, will focus on how bipolar disease is related to Parkinson's disease. We will look within the KPNC membership data, as well as focusing on a specific KP study population of…
Rationale: People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and may be more susceptible to air pollution exposure. However, no study has examined the association between long-term fine particulate matter exposure (≤2.5 μm in…
Embedded researchers could play a central role in developing tools to personalize care using electronic medical records (EMRs). However, few studies have described the steps involved in developing such tools, or evaluated the key factors in success and failure. This…
Germline variation and smoking are independently associated with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). We conducted genome-wide smoking interaction analysis of PDAC using genotype data from four previous genome-wide association studies in individuals of European ancestry (7,937 cases and 11,774 controls). Examination…
Background Previous studies have found associations between fine particulate matter
An effort to more comprehensively determine the genetic factors associated with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, and to develop and apply prediction models for prostate cancer outcomes based on genetically-adjusted PSA levels throughout life.
This multiple institution effort will assemble the largest set of pancreatic cases and controls to examine in detail the genetic influences on the risk and progression of pancreatic cancer and perform exome sequencing of minorities with pancreatic cancer.
To identify rare variants associated with prostate cancer susceptibility and better characterize the mechanisms and cumulative disease risk associated with common risk variants, we conducted an integrated study of prostate cancer genetic etiology in two cohorts using custom genotyping microarrays,…
Adoption of prognostic molecular assays for prostate cancer requires evidence of robust performance in different racial groups. Retrospective analysis was conducted to assess the performance of the Oncotype DX® Genomic Prostate Score® test in African American and Caucasian American men…
Even distinct cancer types share biological hallmarks. Here, we investigate polygenic risk score (PRS)-specific pleiotropy across 16 cancers in European ancestry individuals from the Genetic Epidemiology Research on Adult Health and Aging cohort (16,012 cases, 50,552 controls) and UK Biobank…
Background Fine particulate matter
Prostate cancer is a highly heritable disease with large disparities in incidence rates across ancestry populations. We conducted a multiancestry meta-analysis of prostate cancer genome-wide association studies (107,247 cases and 127,006 controls) and identified 86 new genetic risk variants independently…
There is limited research on the racial/ethnic differences in long-term outcomes for men with untreated, localized prostate cancer. Men diagnosed with localized, Gleason ≤7 prostate cancer who were not treated within 1 year of diagnosis from 1997-2007 were identified. Cumulative incidence…
Although 20 pancreatic cancer susceptibility loci have been identified through genome-wide association studies in individuals of European ancestry, much of its heritability remains unexplained and the genes responsible largely unknown. To discover novel pancreatic cancer risk loci and possible causal…
Deciphering the shared genetic basis of distinct cancers has the potential to elucidate carcinogenic mechanisms and inform broadly applicable risk assessment efforts. Here, we undertake genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and comprehensive evaluations of heritability and pleiotropy across 18 cancer types…
To evaluate the association of the Genomic Prostate Score (GPS) assay result with biochemical recurrence (BCR), distant metastases (DM), and prostate-specific death (PCD) in unfavorable intermediate (UFI) risk prostate cancer patients. The GPS assay is used to help guide management…
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were used in electrical equipment and a range of construction materials. Although banned in the United States and most of Europe in the 1970s, they are highly persistent in the environment and bioaccumulate. Whether PCBs are associated…
In almost all countries, incidence rates of liver cancer (LC) are 100%-200% higher in males than in females. However, this difference is predominantly driven by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which accounts for 75% of LC cases. Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) accounts for…
Gut changes, including evidence of alpha synuclein and the microbiome, appear to differ between people with and without Parkinson's disease. This pilot study will use colonic biospecimens from deceased patients with Parkinson's disease and control patients to determine if we…
This study, along with a parallel effort at the University of California, San Francisco, will focus on the relationship between bipolar disease and Parkinson's disease.
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal malignancies, with few known risk factors and biomarkers. Several blood protein biomarkers have been linked to PDAC in previous studies, but these studies have assessed only a limited number of…
To determine whether women with multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosed according to current criteria are at an increased risk of postpartum relapses and to assess whether this risk is modified by breastfeeding or MS disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), we examined the electronic…
Current cervical dystonia (CD) incidence estimates are based on small numbers in relatively ethnically homogenous populations. The frequency and consequences of delayed CD diagnosis is poorly characterized. To determine CD incidence and characterize CD diagnostic delay within a large, multiethnic…
To examine relationships between interpersonal trauma exposures and urinary symptoms in community-dwelling midlife and older women. We analyzed cross-sectional data from a multiethnic cohort of women aged 40-80 years enrolled in an integrated health care system in California. Lifetime history…
Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) have been implicated in the aetiology of several cancers. To better understand whether anthropometric, behavioural and sociodemographic factors may play a role in cancer risk via IGF signalling, we…
To lower risk from cardiovascular disease (CVD), national guidelines recommend lifestyle changes followed by use of lipid-lowering medications when appropriate. Previous studies have questioned whether individuals taking these medications are less likely to modify their dietary intake and physical activity,…
The antipsychotic drug haloperidol has antiproliferative and growth-inhibiting properties on prostate cancer cell lines in vitro by binding the sigma 1 protein. Evidence is needed regarding a possible preventive association in men. To examine whether our epidemiologic data support an…
Although experimental evidence indicates that certain organochlorine insecticides are hepatocarcinogens, epidemiologic evidence for most of these chemicals is very limited. We estimated associations, using prospectively collected sera, between organochlorine insecticide concentrations and cancer registry-identified primary liver cancer in two cohorts,…
Background. Men with a low-risk prostate cancer (PCa) should consider observation, particularly active surveillance (AS), a monitoring strategy that avoids active treatment (AT) in the absence of disease progression. Objective. To determine clinical and decision-making factors predicting treatment selection. Design.…
The New-Onset Diabetes Cohort Study is designed to help develop and test early detection tests and processes. Kaiser Permanente Northern California is collaborating in this multi-site study to identify, recruit, and follow up with members who have recently been identified…
Here we train cis-regulatory models of prostate tissue gene expression and impute expression transcriptome-wide for 233,955 European ancestry men (14,616 prostate cancer (PrCa) cases, 219,339 controls) from two large cohorts. Among 12,014 genes evaluated in the UK Biobank, we identify…
Despite adoption of molecular biomarkers in the management of NSCLC, the recently adopted eighth edition of the TNM staging system utilized only clinicopathologic characteristics and validated improvement in risk stratification of early-stage disease has remained elusive. We therefore evaluated the…
Telomere length (TL) may serve as a biologic marker of aging. We examined neighborhood and individual-level socioeconomic status (SES) in relation to TL. The study included 84,996 non-Hispanic white subjects from the Genetic Epidemiology Research on Adult Health and Aging…
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identify associations of individual single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with cancer risk but usually only explain a fraction of the inherited variability. Pathway analysis of genetic variants is a powerful tool to identify networks of susceptibility genes. We…
Electronic medical records hold promise to transform clinical practice. However, technological and other barriers may preclude using them to guide care in real time. We used the Virtual Data Warehouse (VDW) to develop a tool that enables physicians to generate…
The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between proinflammatory diet and prostate cancer risk. Energy-adjusted Dietary Inflammatory Index (E-DII) scores were computed among 40,161 participants in the California Men's Health Study. Over 9.7 ± 3.8 years of follow-up, 2707 incident…
Little is known about the prevalence of traumatic exposures among midlife and older women and the association of these traumatic exposures with health issues. To examine the associations of intimate partner violence (IPV), sexual assault, and posttraumatic stress with menopause…
The National Cancer Institute and the National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases initiated the Consortium for the Study of Chronic Pancreatitis, Diabetes, and Pancreatic Cancer (CPDPC) in 2015 (the CPDPC's origin, structure, governance, and research objectives are…
Prospective Evaluation of Chronic Pancreatitis for Epidemiologic and Translational Studies (PROCEED) is the first prospective, observational cohort study of chronic pancreatitis (CP) in the United States. The primary goals of PROCEED are to define disease progression, test the predictive capability…
Erectile dysfunction affects millions of men worldwide. Twin studies support the role of genetic risk factors underlying erectile dysfunction, but no specific genetic variants have been identified. We conducted a large-scale genome-wide association study of erectile dysfunction in 36,649 men…
The goal of the PROCEED study is to determine the early markers or predictors of progression among individuals with pancreatitis. Participants will undergo focused study-related procedures and questionnaires at enrollment and regularly during follow-up as outlined in the protocol. The…
To compare the risk of mortality among men treated for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) with 5 alpha-reductase inhibitors (5ARI) to those treated with alpha-blockers (AB) in community practice settings. We employed a retrospective matched cohort study in 4 regions of…
The NOD (New-Onset Diabetes) Cohort Study is part of a multisite effort to create a cohort with strictly defined new-onset diabetes. Kaiser Permanente Northern California is also receiving funding from the National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP). The…
Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), used increasingly in the treatment of localized prostate cancer, is associated with substantial long-term adverse consequences, including incident diabetes. While previous studies have suggested that ADT negatively influences glycemic control in existing diabetes, its association with…
The goals of this study are to develop an efficient method for identification of people destined to develop a neurodegenerative synucleinopathy, develop an efficient method for early stratification of persons with neurodegenerative parkinsonism to identify expected final diagnosis (e.g., Parkinson’s…
Some studies have linked long-term exposure to traffic related air pollutants (TRAP) with adverse cardiovascular health outcomes; however, previous studies have not linked highly variable concentrations of TRAP measured at street-level within neighborhoods to cardiovascular health outcomes. Long-term pollutant concentrations…
Medical castration that interferes with androgen receptor (AR) function is the principal treatment for advanced prostate cancer. However, clinical progression is universal, and tumors with AR-independent resistance mechanisms appear to be increasing in frequency. Consequently, there is an urgent need…
To describe the relationship between the incidence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs) use. Prospective cohort study. This study consisted of participants in the California Men's Health Study. Those who completed surveys in 2002-2003 and 2006…
This study will pool data from a set of well-established cohorts in the United States, each with appropriate outcome, residential history, and individual-level covariate detail, to study low-threshold exposures to criteria air pollutants and cardiovascular disease risk. A secondary aim…
This study seeks to 1) assess the feasibility and challenges associated with incorporating patient-reported outcomes into Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect, implement the collection of patient-reported-outcome measures among patients newly diagnosed with metastatic pancreatic cancer, 3) characterize patient-reported physical function and associated…
As many as 40% of men diagnosed with prostate cancer have low-risk disease, which results in the need to decide whether to undergo active treatment (AT) or active surveillance (AS). The treatment decision can have a significant effect on general…
In 2020, 146,063 deaths due to pancreatic cancer are estimated to occur in Europe and the United States combined. To identify common susceptibility alleles, we performed the largest pancreatic cancer GWAS to date, including 9040 patients and 12,496 controls of…
Prostate Cancer (PCa) is the second most prevalent cancer among U.S. males. In recent decades many men with low risk PCa have been over diagnosed and over treated. Given significant co-morbidities associated with definitive treatments, maximizing patient quality of life…
Estimates of the prevalence of Parkinson's disease in North America have varied widely and many estimates are based on small numbers of cases and from small regional subpopulations. We sought to estimate the prevalence of Parkinson's disease in North America…
A 17-gene biopsy-based reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assay, which provides a Genomic Prostate Score (GPS-scale 0-100), has been validated as an independent predictor of adverse pathology and biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy (RP) in men with low- and intermediate-risk…
To characterize decision-making processes and outcomes among men expressing early-treatment preferences for low-risk prostate cancer. We conducted telephone surveys of men newly diagnosed with low-risk prostate cancer in 2012 to 2014. We analyzed subjects who had discussed prostate cancer treatment…
As androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is increasingly being used in men with localised prostate cancer, our goal was to examine the association between ADT and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We conducted a prospective cohort study using records of…
Urinary incontinence is associated with decreased female sexual function, but little is known about the prevalence, predictors, and impact of urine leakage during sexual activity among women in the community. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence…
To assess physicians' attitudes regarding multiple factors that may influence recommendations for active surveillance (AS) vs active treatment (AT) given the central role physicians play in the treatment decision-making process. We conducted semistructured interviews to assess factors that physicians consider…
Androgen deprivation therapy is often used as salvage treatment in men with rising prostate specific antigen after initial radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy for clinically localized prostate cancer. Given the lack of evidence from general practice, we examined the association of…
Despite the evidence indicating that decision aids (DA) improve informed treatment decision making for prostate cancer (PCa), physicians do not routinely recommend DAs to their patients. We conducted semi-structured interviews with urologists (n = 11), radiation oncologists (n = 12)…
Controversy exists regarding the safety of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) following recent reports of an increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events. To investigate the association between TRT and cardiovascular outcomes in men with androgen deficiency. A retrospective cohort study was…
In the 20 years since the initial consensus on a common definition for restless legs syndrome (RLS), over 600 scientific reports on epidemiological aspects of RLS have been published. Most are descriptive and address important issues such as prevalence, familial…
This Multi-PI grant (H. Wessells, UW & S. Van Den Eeden KPNC) will 1) develop phenotyping algorithms, 2) examine genetic factors that affect risk, and 3) assess if these factors differentially affect subgroups (e.g., diabetic men, etc.). The study will…
This study will examine how urban greenspace is related to health costs. Numerous of studies have documented the connection between urban and community forests and human health: in greener places, people are healthier. However, many of these studies lack spatial…
The primary goal of the study is to confirm that the pre-specified Genomic Prostate Score (GPS) from biopsy tumor tissue predicts metastatic recurrence (MR) in patients diagnosed with localized prostate cancer and treated with radical prostatectomy. Prostate cancer-specific death (PCSD)…
This is a collaborative response to the request for a K12 training program in benign urological epidemiology. UCSF and Kaiser Permanente will jointly support two post-doctoral fellows.
Kaiser Permanente is a founding site of the NIDDK/NCI Consortium to Study Chronic Pancreatitis, Diabetes and Pancreatic Cancer. The goal of consortium is to better understand relationships between chronic pancreatitis, diabetes and pancreatic cancer. As part of the study, we…
The CISNET prostate group has been adapting and applying models of prostate cancer natural history and survival to understand how changes in prostate cancer screening and treatment impact disease outcomes. Kaiser Permanente will participate in the third funding cycle of…
The goal of the study is to perform a retrospective study to evaluate biomarkers predictive of aggressive disease using Florescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH) among men with histologically confirmed, clinically localized disease (T1c- T2c) under Active Surveillance (AS).
The Environmental Defense Fund is collecting air pollution data for high resolution air quality mapping. The study region will include areas of East, West and downtown Oakland, as defined by the boundaries of the data collected by the Environmental Defense…
Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels have been used for detection and surveillance of prostate cancer (PCa). However, factors other than PCa-such as genetics-can impact PSA. Here we present findings from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of PSA in 28,503 Kaiser Permanente…
The overarching goal of this study is to develop DNA methylation marker-based prediction algorithms that will pave the way for individualized management strategies for men with localized PCa. To achieve this goal, we propose a nested case-control study based on…
Electronic health records (EHRs) and electronic laboratory records (ELRs) are increasingly seen as a rich source of data for performing public health surveillance activities and monitoring community health status. Their potential for surveillance of chronic illness, however, may be underused.…
The optimal use of androgen deprivation therapy as salvage treatment (sADT) for men after initial prostatectomy or radiotherapy for clinically localized prostate cancer is undefined. We describe patterns of sADT use and investigate clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of insured men…
To compare the risk of prostate cancer mortality among men treated with 5- alpha reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs) with those treated with alpha-adrenergic blockers (ABs) in community practice settings. A retrospective matched cohort (N=174,895) and nested case-control study (N=18,311) were conducted…
Exposures during the prenatal period may have lasting effects on maternal and child health outcomes. To better understand the effects of the in utero environment on children's short- and long-term health, large representative pregnancy cohorts with comprehensive information on a…
Phosphodiesterase 5A inhibitors (PDEIs), a common treatment for erectile dysfunction, were recently linked to an increased risk of melanoma. We conducted two parallel case-control studies, using the Danish Nationwide Health Registries (DNHR) and the Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) electronic…
We determined the clinical and sociodemographic predictors of beginning active treatment in an ethnically diverse population of men with low risk prostate cancer initially on observational treatment. We retrospectively studied men diagnosed with low risk prostate cancer between 2004 and…
Due to the concerns about the overtreatment of low-risk prostate cancer, active surveillance (AS) is now a recommended alternative to the active treatments (AT) of surgery and radiotherapy. However, AS is not widely utilized, partially due to psychological and decision-making…
Obesity and diabetes have been associated with liver cancer. However, recent US-based studies have suggested a lack of association between obesity and liver cancer among blacks and women. We conducted a nested case-control study within the Multiphasic Health Checkup (MHC)…
Ecologic analyses, case-case comparisons, and animal experiments suggest positive associations between air pollution and tuberculosis. We evaluated this hypothesis in a large sample, which yielded results that are applicable to the general population. We conducted a case-control study nested within…
More than a third of middle-aged or older women suffer from urinary incontinence, but less than half undergo evaluation or treatment for this burdensome condition. With national organizations now including an assessment of incontinence as a quality performance measure, providers…
This study aims to identify factors associated with greater impact of vaginal symptoms on the functioning and well-being of postmenopausal women. Postmenopausal women who reported vaginal dryness, itching, irritation, or pain with sexual activity completed the multidimensional Day-to-day Impact of…
The association between leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and male breast cancer risk is unclear. In the Male Breast Cancer Pooling Project, with 449 cases and 13,855 matched controls, we used logistic regression with study stratification to generate adjusted ORs and…
Using genome-wide genotypes, we characterized the genetic structure of 103,006 participants in the Kaiser Permanente Northern California multi-ethnic Genetic Epidemiology Research on Adult Health and Aging Cohort and analyzed the relationship to self-reported race/ethnicity. Participants endorsed any of 23 race/ethnicity/nationality…
The Kaiser Permanente (KP) Research Program on Genes, Environment and Health (RPGEH), in collaboration with the University of California-San Francisco, undertook genome-wide genotyping of >100,000 subjects that constitute the Genetic Epidemiology Research on Adult Health and Aging (GERA) cohort. The…
A genome-wide association study (GWAS) of prostate cancer in Kaiser Permanente health plan members (7,783 cases, 38,595 controls; 80.3% non-Hispanic white, 4.9% African-American, 7.0% East Asian, and 7.8% Latino) revealed a new independent risk indel rs4646284 at the previously identified…
Studies suggest pioglitazone use may increase risk of cancers. To examine whether pioglitazone use for diabetes is associated with risk of bladder and 10 additional cancers. Cohort and nested case-control analyses among persons with diabetes. A bladder cancer cohort followed…
Although previous studies have implicated a variety of hormone-related risk factors in the etiology of male breast cancers, no previous studies have examined the effects of endogenous hormones. Within the Male Breast Cancer Pooling Project, an international consortium comprising 21…
Androgen deprivation therapy may increase diabetes risk. As the benefits of primary androgen deprivation therapy for localized prostate cancer are controversial, and most prostate cancer survivors are of advanced age with comorbidities, it is important to determine if primary androgen…
A positive association between smoking and increased risk of tuberculosis disease is well documented for populations outside the USA. However, it is unclear whether smoking increases risk of tuberculosis in the USA, where both smoking prevalence and disease rates are…
The etiology of male breast cancer is poorly understood, partly due to its relative rarity. Although tobacco and alcohol exposures are known carcinogens, their association with male breast cancer risk remains ill-defined. The Male Breast Cancer Pooling Project consortium provided…
This study aims to develop a self-report questionnaire assessing the impact of vaginal dryness, soreness, itching, irritation, and pain on functioning and well-being in postmenopausal women. Structured self-report items were developed to address the impact of vaginal symptoms on functioning…
To investigate the association of cannabis use and tobacco smoking on the incidence of bladder cancer within the California Men's Health Study cohort. We evaluated the records of 84,170 participants in a multiethnic cohort of men aged 45-69 years. Information on…
An efficient approach to characterizing the disease burden of rare genetic variants is to impute them into large well-phenotyped cohorts with existing genome-wide genotype data using large sequenced referenced panels. The success of this approach hinges on the accuracy of…
Recent cross-sectional studies suggest that restless legs syndrome (RLS) may be associated with an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) comorbidity or risk factors. We evaluated whether primary or secondary RLS was associated with an increased risk of incident cardiovascular…
To characterise the progression and treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) among men aged 45-69 years in the California Men's Health Study. A total of 39,222 men, aged 45-69 years, enrolled in the Southern California Kaiser Permanente Health Plan…
To examine the prevalence, predictors, and effects of nocturia in women and evaluate overlaps with established urinary tract disorders. This was a cross-sectional analysis of 2,016 women, aged 40 years and older, recruited from Kaiser Permanente Northern California from 2008…
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have mapped risk alleles for at least 10 distinct cancers to a small region of 63 000 bp on chromosome 5p15.33. This region harbors the TERT and CLPTM1L genes; the former encodes the catalytic subunit of…
Little is known about sexual activity and function in women with multiple chronic health conditions. To examine the impact of multimorbidity on sexual activity and function in middle-aged and older women. Multiethnic cross-sectional cohort of 1,997 community-dwelling women (mean age…
We investigated whether the reported lower incidence of prostate cancer in HIV-positive men is a result of confounding factors or reduced screening. We conducted a cohort study of 17,424 HIV-positive and 182,799 HIV-negative men enrolled in Kaiser Permanente (KP). Subjects…
Inconsistent evidence exists on whether obesity is associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer death post-radical prostatectomy. We examined data from three large health plans to evaluate if an increased body mass index (BMI) at prostate cancer diagnosis is…
Primary androgen-deprivation therapy (PADT) is often used to treat clinically localized prostate cancer, but its effects on cause-specific and overall mortality have not been established. Given the widespread use of PADT and the potential risks of serious adverse effects, accurate…
The etiology of male breast cancer is poorly understood, partly because of its relative rarity. Although genetic factors are involved, less is known regarding the role of anthropometric and hormonally related risk factors. In the Male Breast Cancer Pooling Project,…
To examine whether use of insulin glargine, compared with another long-acting insulin, is associated with risk of breast, prostate, colorectal cancer, or all cancers combined. Computerized health records from Kaiser Permanente Northern and Southern California regions starting in 2001 and…
Although many studies have shown that diabetes increases the risk for urinary incontinence, it is unclear whether poor glycemic control in women with diabetes is associated with incontinence. This study aims to determine the relationship between the hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)…
To examine relationships among parity, mode of delivery, and other parturition-related factors with women's sexual function later in life. Self-administered questionnaires examined sexual desire, activity, satisfaction, and problems in a multiethnic cohort of women aged 40 years and older with…
Genetic association studies have identified more than a dozen genes associated with risk of pancreatic cancer. Given this genetic heterogeneity, family history can be useful for identifying individuals at high risk for this disease. The goal of this analysis was…
BACKGROUND: Gene fusions between the ERG transcription factor and the androgen-regulated gene TMPRSS2 occur in a subset of prostate cancers and contribute to transformation of prostatic epithelial cells. Prior reports have used fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) or quantitative PCR…
OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of intermittent androgen deprivation therapy (IADT) vs continuous androgen deprivation therapy (CADT) for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer; we performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), assessing the risks of disease progression, all-cause,…
To identify women with diabetes at risk of increased postvoid residual volume (PVR) and investigate the relationship of increased PVR to urinary symptoms in women with diabetes. PVR was measured by bladder ultrasonography in a cross-sectional cohort of 427 middle-aged…
BACKGROUND: Studies of the impact of type 2 diabetes on the prevalence and incidence of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) among men have provided divergent results. We sought to examine this issue using two large and diverse cohorts. METHODS: This…
We developed an absolute risk model to identify individuals in the general population at elevated risk of pancreatic cancer. Using data on 3,349 cases and 3,654 controls from the PanScan Consortium, we developed a relative risk model for men and…
BACKGROUND: The impact of anal incontinence on women's sexual function is poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between anal incontinence and sexual activity and functioning in women. DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional study.…
OBJECTIVE: To examine the effectiveness of pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV) among approximately 40,000 community-dwelling men aged 45 years and older in the California Men's Health Study (CMHS) cohort. METHODS: All participants completed an extensive questionnaire at baseline (2002-2003) and were…
Diabetes mellitus is an established risk factor for sexual dysfunction in men, but its effect on female sexual function is poorly understood. We examined the relationship of diabetes to sexual function in middle-aged and older women. Sexual function was examined…
Study Type - Symptom prevalence (population cohort). Level of Evidence 1b. What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? It is known that medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking and prescribed medications…
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use, satisfaction with treatment, and patient-reported outcomes after treatment. METHODS: The Prostate CAncer Therapy Selection Study prospectively surveyed patients newly diagnosed with localized prostate cancer about their treatment decision-making…
BACKGROUND: The frequent recurrence of early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is generally attributable to metastatic disease undetected at complete resection. Management of such patients depends on prognostic staging to identify the individuals most likely to have occult disease. We aimed…
PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine whether the presence of symptoms would aid in the detection of valvular heart disease (VHD) in those exposed to pergolide. METHODS: Utilizing a prospective, cross-sectional study design, patients with an exposure…
PURPOSE: We examined whether there are racial/ethnic disparities in lower urinary tract symptoms in men. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Racial/ethnic disparities were examined using the American Urological Association symptom index in 2 large cohorts, including the California Men's Health Study and…
OBJECTIVES: To examine potential weight-related disparities in receipt of preventive screening exams and to compare several quality indicators and health behaviors among overweight/obese men and healthy-weight men enrolled in 2 large managed care plans. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis nested within…
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) to urinary tract infection, prostatitis, sexually transmitted infection, lifetime sexual partner count, and recreational drug use in a population of men who have sex with men. LUTS in men…
OBJECTIVE: We compared lifestyle CVD risk factors between Asian Indian and White non-Hispanic men within categories of BMI. DESIGN/SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: Participants included 51,901 White non-Hispanic men and 602 Asian Indian men enrolled in the California Men's Health Study cohort. Men were…
Following reports of an increased incidence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in U.S. veterans, we have conducted a high-density genome-wide association study (GWAS) of ALS outcome and survival time in a sample of U.S. veterans. We tested approximately 1.3 million…
Four custom Axiom genotyping arrays were designed for a genome-wide association (GWA) study of 100,000 participants from the Kaiser Permanente Research Program on Genes, Environment and Health. The array optimized for individuals of European race/ethnicity was previously described. Here we…
INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: This study aims to measure self-report urinary incontinence questions' reproducibility and agreement with bladder diary. METHODS: Data were analyzed from the Reproductive Risk of Incontinence Study at Kaiser. Participating women reporting at least weekly incontinence completed self-report…
AIMS: To examine the association between specific events during vaginal deliveries and urinary incontinence later in life. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of 1,521 middle-aged and older women with at least one vaginal delivery who were long-term members of an…
The success of genome-wide association studies has paralleled the development of efficient genotyping technologies. We describe the development of a next-generation microarray based on the new highly-efficient Affymetrix Axiom genotyping technology that we are using to genotype individuals of European…
PURPOSE: HIV/AIDS is a worldwide epidemic. Limited evidence suggests that men infected with HIV/AIDS are at increased risk for lower urinary tract symptoms. We determined whether HIV/AIDS status is an independent risk factor for self-reported bothersome lower urinary tract symptoms…
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: In 1-methyl-4-phenyl 1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD), caffeine protects neurons by blocking the adenosine receptor A2A (ADORA2A). Caffeine is primarily metabolized by cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2). Our objective was to examine whether ADORA2A and CYP1A2…
BACKGROUND: The accuracy of ectopic pregnancy rates based on nationally representative data has been compromised for many years, impairing surveillance and evaluation of the continued public health importance of this condition. PURPOSE: To estimate long-term population-based ectopic pregnancy rates and…
PURPOSE: Previous data suggest a potential relationship between inflammation and erectile dysfunction. If it is causal, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use should be inversely associated with erectile dysfunction. To this end we examined the association between nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use and…
OBJECTIVE: To explore whether treatment with pioglitazone was associated with risk of incident cancer at the 10 most common sites (prostate, female breast, lung/bronchus, endometrial, colon, non-Hodgkin lymphoma [NHL], pancreas, kidney/renal pelvis, rectal, and melanoma). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A…
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether low levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) contribute to the increased risk of postpartum multiple sclerosis (MS) relapses. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Outpatients identified through membership records of Kaiser Permanente Northern California or Stanford University outpatient…
To assess the familial aggregation of Parkinson's disease (PD), we compared the cumulative incidence of PD among first-degree relatives of PD cases and controls. We identified newly diagnosed patients with PD (n = 573) during 1994 to 1995 within Kaiser…
PURPOSE: We examined the association of urinary incontinence with diabetes status and race, and evaluated beliefs about help seeking for incontinence in a population based cohort of women with vs without diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional analysis…
PURPOSE: Urinary incontinence is a dynamic condition that can progress and regress but few groups have examined risk factors for change in incontinence status. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We used stratified random sampling to construct a racially and ethnically diverse, population…
The aim of this article was to evaluate cancer occurrence before and after diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD). We investigated 692 patients newly diagnosed with PD and 761 age- and sex-matched control subjects identified during two periods (1994-1995 and 2000-2003)…
BACKGROUND: Lactation has been associated with improvements in maternal glucose metabolism. METHODS: We explored the relationships between lactation and risk of type 2 diabetes in a well-characterized, population-representative cohort of women, aged 40-78 years, who were members of a large…
OBJECTIVES: : We investigated the prevalence of and risk factors for combinations of urinary incontinence (UI), fecal incontinence (FI) and pelvic organ prolapse (POP) in racially diverse women older than 40 years. METHODS: : The Reproductive Risks for Incontinence Study…
The objective of this study was to determine whether patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) are more likely to have other autoimmune disorders particularly prior to the diagnosis of MS. We conducted a population-based case-control study of patients enrolled in the…
PURPOSE: Due to the complexity of factors that must be considered when choosing a therapy for prostate cancer, we hypothesized that many men will find that certain factors such as side effects gain or lose importance after therapy relative to…
CONTEXT: Multiple studies have shown that preventing influenza by vaccination reduces the risk of vascular events. However, the effect of pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine on vascular events remains controversial. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between pneumococcal vaccination and risk of acute…
BACKGROUND: It has been reported that fatherhood status may be a risk factor for prostate cancer. In the current study, the authors examined the subsequent occurrence of prostate cancer in a cohort of men evaluated for infertility to determine whether…
We conducted a genome-wide association study of pancreatic cancer in 3,851 affected individuals (cases) and 3,934 unaffected controls drawn from 12 prospective cohort studies and 8 case-control studies. Based on a logistic regression model for genotype trend effect that was…
BACKGROUND: A reliable and valid questionnaire for screening restless legs syndrome (RLS) is essential for determining accurate estimates of disease frequency. In a 2002 NIH-sponsored workshop, experts suggested three mandatory questions for identifying RLS in epidemiologic studies. We evaluated the…
BACKGROUND: Quality of life among women with irritable bowel syndrome may be affected by pelvic floor disorders. AIM: To assess the association of self-reported irritable bowel syndrome with urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, sexual function and quality of life. METHODS:…
BACKGROUND: Prostatitis and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) have been positively associated with prostate cancer in previous case-control studies. However, results from recent prospective studies have been inconclusive. METHODOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We investigated the association between prostatitis, STDs, and prostate cancer among…
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether fluctuations in functional T-cell subsets can explain why multiple sclerosis (MS) relapses decline during pregnancy and increase in the postpartum period. DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: Kaiser Permanente Northern California and Stanford University. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-six pregnant women…
OBJECTIVES: Prostate cancer has few known risk factors. As part of a population-based case-control study conducted in four health maintenance organizations, the authors examined the associations between fatal prostate cancer and several medical and behavioral characteristics. METHODS: Cases were 768…
Red wine contains polyphenol antioxidants that inhibit prostate cancer development in animal studies. We investigated the effect of red wine intake on the risk of prostate cancer using data prospectively collected in the California Men's Health Study (CMHS). CMHS is…
OBJECTIVE: There are limited data on the risk of pulmonary disease in patients with diabetes. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the incidence of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary fibrosis, pneumonia, and lung cancer…
OBJECTIVE: To compare the estimated prevalence of, risk factors for, and level of bother associated with subjectively reported and objectively measured pelvic organ prolapse in a racially diverse cohort. METHODS: The Reproductive Risks for Incontinence Study at Kaiser 2 is…
INTRODUCTION: The burden of erectile dysfunction (ED) among different racial and ethnic groups is unclear, in part, because prior studies have not included all four major racial and ethnic groups in the same population-based sample. AIM: To determine the prevalence…
OBJECTIVE: To examine factors associated with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing in the multiethnic California Men's Health Study. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-Sectional analysis nested within a cohort of male health plan members (n = 55,278). METHODS: We extracted laboratory serum PSA values…
OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between demographic and clinical features in early Parkinson disease (PD) and length of survival in a multiethnic population. DESIGN: Clinical features within 2 years of diagnosis were determined for an inception cohort established during 1994-1995.…
We conducted a two-stage genome-wide association study of pancreatic cancer, a cancer with one of the lowest survival rates worldwide. We genotyped 558,542 SNPs in 1,896 individuals with pancreatic cancer and 1,939 controls drawn from 12 prospective cohorts plus one…
OBJECTIVES: To determine the role of information sources in the treatment decision-making process of men diagnosed with local stage prostate cancer. Diagnosed men have access to a large number of information sources about therapy, including print and broadcast media, the…
OBJECTIVE: To determine if exclusive breastfeeding protects against postpartum relapses of multiple sclerosis (MS) and, if so, whether this protection is related to prolonged lactational amenorrhea. DESIGN: We conducted structured interviews to assess clinical, menstrual, and breastfeeding history during each…
OBJECTIVES: To examine factors influencing sexual activity and functioning in racially and ethnically diverse middle-aged and older women. DESIGN: Cross-sectional cohort study. SETTING: Integrated healthcare delivery system. PARTICIPANTS: One thousand nine hundred seventy-seven women aged 45 to 80. MEASUREMENTS: Self-administered…
PURPOSE: We compared the impact of mixed, stress and urge urinary incontinence on quality of life in middle-aged or older women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed cross-sectional data from a population based cohort of 2,109 ethnically diverse middle-aged or older…
BACKGROUND: Numerous modifiable factors have been associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer, including the chronic use of NSAIDs. Thus, it is biologically plausible that HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins), therapeutic agents that also possess anti-inflammatory effects, are also associated…
OBJECTIVE: Although diabetes is known to result in lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in men, it remains unclear if glycemic control can mitigate urinary symptoms. We studied how diabetic characteristics are related to LUTS in the men who completed the…
BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder. People with PD, their families, scientists, health care providers, and the general public are increasingly interested in identifying environmental contributors to PD risk. METHODS: In June 2007, a multidisciplinary…
BACKGROUND: Diabetes disproportionately affects Latinos. However, examining Latinos as one group obscures important intra-group differences. This study examined how generational status, duration of US residence, and language preference are associated with diabetes prevalence and to what extent these explain the…
Obstructive defecation, a significant contributor to constipation, is frequently reported in middle-aged women, yet few population-based studies have established prevalence in this group. We analyzed data from the Reproductive Risks for Incontinence Study at Kaiser, a population-based cohort of racially…
BACKGROUND: The choice between surgical versus non-surgical treatment options is a fundamental decision for men with local stage prostate cancer because of differences in risks of genitourinary side effects among available treatments. OBJECTIVES: We assessed whether preexisting genitourinary symptoms at…
OBJECTIVES: To determine whether differences existed in prostate cancer treatment received by white and African American men at a health maintenance organization where access to medical care is theoretically equal for all members and, if so, to determine the reasons…
BACKGROUND: To examine the risk of prostate cancer and glucose tolerance in a large, racially diverse cohort. METHODS: We conducted a cohort study of 47,209 male members of Kaiser Permanente Northern California who had completed at least one Multiphasic Health…
PURPOSE: We investigated the effects of comorbidity and urinary incontinence on both generic and incontinence specific quality of life outcome measures, and investigated whether the association between urinary incontinence and quality of life varies by race. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Study…
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to estimate the direct costs of routine care for urinary incontinence (UI) in community-dwelling, racially diverse women. STUDY DESIGN: In the Reproductive Risks for Incontinence Study at Kaiser population-based study, 528 women with…
Statins have known anticarcinogenic effects, however, evidence for long-term statin use as effective chemoprevention for prostate cancer is inconsistent. We examined the association between statin use and risk of prostate cancer among 69,047 eligible participants in the California Men's Health…
BACKGROUND: The two existing estimates of the incidence of primary cervical dystonia were based on observations in relatively ethnically homogeneous populations of European descent. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the minimum incidence of primary cervical dystonia in the multiethnic membership of a…
BACKGROUND: As the majority of patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer have no known risk factors, regular screening is strongly recommended. The authors examined factors associated with screening sigmoidoscopy use among participants in the California Men's Health Study (CMHS). METHODS: The…
CONTEXT: Epidemiologic studies have reported that cigarette smoking is inversely associated with Parkinson disease (PD). However, questions remain regarding the effect of age at smoking onset, time since quitting, and race/ethnicity that have not been addressed due to sample size…
OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of and identify risk factors associated with symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse and level of distress in racially diverse women aged older than 40 years. METHODS: The Reproductive Risks for Incontinence Study at Kaiser is a…
Inflammatory processes may be involved in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We examined the association of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) with the risk of ALS in case-control study of incident cases (n = 111) conducted within the Kaiser…
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the concordance of patient recall compared with chart abstraction for distant intrapartum variables and to evaluate predictors of concordance. STUDY DESIGN: A random sample from a cohort of diverse women aged…
BACKGROUND: A genome-wide association study identified 13 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) significantly associated with Parkinson's disease. Small-scale replication studies were largely non-confirmatory, but a meta-analysis that included data from the original study could not exclude all SNP associations, leaving relevance of…
OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to describe the prevalence, risk factors, and impact of urinary incontinence and other pelvic floor disorders among Asian-American women. STUDY DESIGN: This was a population-based cohort study of older women randomly selected from…
OBJECTIVE: To identify the factors associated with greater quality-of-life impact, treatment seeking, and use of treatments for urinary incontinence in ethnically diverse older women. METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of a population-based cohort of 2109 middle-aged and older women who were randomly…
INTRODUCTION: The ability to conduct community-level asthma surveillance is increasingly crucial for public health programming and child health advocacy. We explored the potential and limitations of health care use records from both public and private sources for asthma surveillance in…
INTRODUCTION: As with many diseases, the epidemic of asthma among children over the past few decades has been shaped by a social and environmental context that is becoming progressively more evident. Commonly used methods for asthma surveillance, however, are based…
PURPOSE: This study was designed to estimate the prevalence of, and identify risk factors associated with, fecal incontinence in racially diverse females older than aged 40 years. METHODS: The Reproductive Risks for Incontinence Study at Kaiser is a population-based study…
OBJECTIVE: Data on the sexual activity of middle-aged and older women are scant and vary widely. This analysis estimates the prevalence and predictors of sexual activity and function in a diverse group of women aged 40-69 years. METHODS: The Reproductive…
PURPOSE: A relationship between childhood urinary symptoms and adult lower urinary tract symptoms in women is often clinically suspected. In this analysis we investigated the relationship between childhood and adult urinary symptoms in middle-aged women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A population…
PURPOSE: We compared the prevalence of urinary incontinence by type among white, black, Hispanic and Asian-American women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The RRISK is a population based cohort study of 2,109 randomly selected middle-aged and older women. Incontinence and other variables…
BACKGROUND: We established a male, multiethnic cohort primarily to study prostate cancer etiology and secondarily to study the etiologies of other cancer and non-cancer conditions. METHODS/DESIGN: Eligible participants were 45-to-69 year old males who were members of a large, prepaid…
OBJECTIVE: To examine the associations of reproductive factors and postmenopausal hormone use with the risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) among women. METHODS: This case-control study was conducted within the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program (KPMCP) of Northern California during…
OBJECTIVE: Parkinson disease (PD) is less common in women possibly because of hormonal or reproductive influences. The objective of this study was to evaluate the associations of reproductive factors and postmenopausal hormone use with the risk of PD among postmenopausal…
BACKGROUND: The potential role of prostate cancer screening in reducing mortality is uncertain. To examine whether screening with the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test or digital rectal examination is associated with reduced prostate cancer mortality, we conducted a population-based case-control study…
OBJECTIVE: To estimate the ectopic pregnancy rate at Kaiser Permanente, Northern California, during 1997-2000. METHODS: Computerized data systems covering inpatient, outpatient, and pharmacy records were reviewed for evidence of ectopic pregnancies during the study period. Denominator data were calculated from…
PURPOSE: To determine the risk for malignant primary adult-onset glioma (MPAG) associated with cigarette smoking and other lifestyle behaviors in a large, multiethnic, managed-care cohort. METHODS: The study population included a cohort of 133,811 subscribers to the Kaiser Permanente Medical…
The goal of this study was to estimate the incidence of Parkinson's disease by age, gender, and ethnicity. Newly diagnosed Parkinson's disease cases in 1994-1995 were identified among members of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program of Northern California, a…
OBJECTIVE: To assess whether, in children, oral magnesium oxide reduces migrainous headache frequency, severity, and associated features compared to placebo. BACKGROUND: There is no single, safe, widely well-tolerated, and effective prophylactic treatment for all children and adolescents with frequent migrainous…
BACKGROUND: There is controversy about whether thyroid hormone therapy may lead to osteoporosis, and less is known about the clinically more important end point of whether its use increases fracture risk. METHODS: We used a case-control study to examine the…
BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests the type of treatment received for prostate carcinoma is associated with comorbidity, but little information is available on associations with specific comorbid disease or symptoms. The authors examined the relations between treatment and comorbidity, specific comorbid disease,…
We examined whether ischemic heart disease (IHD) hospital admissions were associated with air pollutants in those with and without secondary diagnoses of arrhythmia (ARR) or congestive heart failure (CHF). We assessed the occurrence of increased vulnerability among persons with these…
OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to describe the prevalence, regional rates and demographic characteristics, morbidity, and mortality of pelvic organ prolapse surgeries in the United States. STUDY DESIGN: We used data from the 1997 National Hospital Discharge Survey and the 1997…
Although allergic diseases such as asthma and hay fever are a major cause of morbidity in industrialized countries, most studies have focused on patterns of prevalence among children and adolescents, with relatively few studies on variations in prevalence by race/ethnicity…
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine the potential relationship between body size, self-reported age at initiation of shaving, and subsequent risk of prostate cancer in a large, racially diverse cohort of men followed for up to 32…
In this retrospective cohort analysis of all adults who were members of Kaiser Permanente, Northern California, between July 1995 and June 1996 (N = 2,076,303), the authors estimated the prevalence, average annual costs per person, and percentage of total direct…
BACKGROUND: Prostate carcinoma is one of the leading causes of death in men. Although the mortality rate is high, it still may underestimate the number of deaths associated with the disease. This study was conducted to compare causes of death…
BACKGROUND: Population-based cancer registry data have shown that black men with prostate cancer have poorer stage-specific survival than white men, while studies in equal-access health care systems have not found racial differences in stage-specific survival. This study was designed to…
OBJECTIVE: We compared quality of life, utilization, and costs for women undergoing elective abdominal, laparoscopically assisted vaginal, or vaginal hysterectomy within a managed-care organization. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective study of 287 women who underwent an elective hysterectomy was performed. RESULTS:…
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