Abstrak: Adolescent diet may be etiologically relevant for colorectal carcinogenesis. We examined the association between meat and fish intakes during adolescence and the risk of colorectal adenomas later in life among 19,771 women participating in the Nurses' Health Study II. Subjects had completed a validated food frequency questionnaire in 1998 (when aged 34-51 years) about their diets during high school and subsequently underwent at least 1 lower-bowel endoscopy during the study period (1998-2007). During this period, 1,494 subjects were diagnosed with colorectal adenomas. Intake of red meat during adolescence was not associated with colorectal adenoma risk when comparing those in the highest versus lowest category of intake (odds ratio (OR) = 1.04, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.81, 1.35). Similarly, intake of fish during adolescence was not associated with colorectal adenoma risk (OR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.78, 1.17). Intake of poultry during adolescence was associated with a lower risk of total colorectal (OR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.64, 0.99), distal (OR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.51, 0.99), rectal (OR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.29, 0.90), and advanced (OR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.38, 0.93) adenomas. Replacement of 1 serving per day of red meat with 1 serving per day of poultry or fish was associated with 41% and 35% decreased risks for rectal adenomas and advanced adenomas, respectively. Our findings do not suggest an association between red meat intake during adolescence and colorectal adenomas later in life, but higher poultry intake during this time was associated with a lower risk of colorectal adenomas.

Abstrak: Vitamin D may reduce telomere shortening through anti-inflammatory and anti-cell proliferation mechanisms. In the present study, we examined the association between vitamin D and relative leukocyte telomere length by using both plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) biomarkers. Vitamin D biomarker levels and leukocyte telomere length were measured using plasma samples collected in 1989-1990 from participants of the Nurses' Health Study, a study of nurses from 11 US states. In total, 1,424 participants had their 25(OH)D levels assessed and 837 had their 1,25(OH)2D levels assessed. Genotyping was performed on 480 participants on 12 single nucleotide polymorphisms in vitamin D-related genes. Linear and logistic regression models were used. Higher 25(OH)D levels were significantly associated with longer telomere length (P for trend = 0.05), and the odds ratio increased from 1.07 (P = 0.65) when comparing the second lowest quartile of 25(OH)D with the lowest to 1.59 (P = 0.01) when comparing the highest quartile with the lowest. Vitamin D-related single nucleotide polymorphisms and 1,25(OH)2D levels were not significantly associated with telomere length. Total calcium intake significantly modified the association between 25(OH)D and telomere length (P for interaction = 0.05). Higher plasma 25(OH)D levels may be associated with longer telomeres, and this association may be modified by calcium intake.

Abstrak: The effect of duration of cigarette smoking cessation on colorectal cancer risk by molecular subtypes remains unclear. Using duplication-method Cox proportional-hazards regression analyses, we examined associations between duration of smoking cessation and colorectal cancer risk according to status of CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP), microsatellite instability, v-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1 (BRAF) mutation, or DNA methyltransferase-3B (DNMT3B) expression. Follow-up of 134,204 individuals in 2 US nationwide prospective cohorts (Nurses' Health Study (1980-2008) and Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986-2008)) resulted in 1,260 incident rectal and colon cancers with available molecular data. Compared with current smoking, 10-19, 20-39, and ≥40 years of smoking cessation were associated with a lower risk of CIMP-high colorectal cancer, with multivariate hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) of 0.53 (0.29, 0.95), 0.52 (0.32, 0.85), and 0.50 (0.27, 0.94), respectively (Ptrend = 0.001), but not with the risk of CIMP-low/CIMP-negative cancer (Ptrend = 0.25) (Pheterogeneity = 0.02, between CIMP-high and CIMP-low/CIMP-negative cancer risks). Differential associations between smoking cessation and cancer risks by microsatellite instability (Pheterogeneity = 0.02), DNMT3B expression (Pheterogeneity = 0.03), and BRAF (Pheterogeneity = 0.10) status appeared to be driven by the associations of CIMP-high cancer with microsatellite instability-high, DNMT3B-positive, and BRAF-mutated cancers. These molecular pathological epidemiology data suggest a protective effect of smoking cessation on a DNA methylation-related carcinogenesis pathway leading to CIMP-high colorectal cancer.

Abstrak: Evidence to substantiate recommendations for restriction of caffeinated or acidic beverages as self-management for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) is limited. We examined longitudinal and acute associations between beverage intake and LUTS in the Boston Area Community Health (BACH) cohort (n = 4,144) between 2002 and 2010. Multivariable models tested associations between baseline intakes and progression of LUTS at 5-year follow-up, between follow-up intakes and International Prostate Symptom Scores at follow-up, and between 5-year intake changes and LUTS progression. Greater coffee or total caffeine intake at baseline increased the odds of LUTS progression in men (coffee: >2 cups/day vs. none, odds ratio = 2.09, 95% confidence interval: 1.29, 3.40, P-trend = 0.01; caffeine: P-trend < 0.001), particularly storage symptoms. Women who increased coffee intake by at least 2 servings/day during follow-up (compared with categories of decreased or unchanged intakes) had 64% higher odds of progression of urgency (P = 0.003). Women with recently increased soda intake, particularly caffeinated diet soda, had higher symptom scores, urgency, and LUTS progression. Citrus juice intake was associated with 50% lower odds of LUTS progression in men (P = 0.02). Findings support recommendations to limit caffeinated beverage intake for LUTS, and in men, they suggest benefits of citrus juice consumption. Further clinical research is warranted, particularly of the precise role of sodas containing artificial sweeteners in bladder sensations and urological function.