Genetic Epidemiology, Translational Neurogenomics, Psychiatric Genetics and Statistical Genetics Laboratories investigate the pattern of disease in families, particularly identical and non-identical twins, to assess the relative importance of genes and environment in a variety of important health problems.
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PMID
18652981
TITLE
Investigation of the relationship between smoking and appendicitis in Australian twins.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE NlmCategory: OBJECTIVE
Appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix, the etiology of which is still poorly understood. Previous studies have shown an increased risk for cigarette smokers but no accounts for the timing of exposure to smoking relative to appendectomy were made.
METHODS NlmCategory: METHODS
Based on questionnaire data, both cohort and co-twin case-control analyses were conducted to assess the effect of active cigarette smoking on appendectomy in 3808 Australian twin pairs. Smoking status was defined as a time-dependent covariate to account for differences in timing of smoking initiation and onset of appendicitis.
RESULTS NlmCategory: RESULTS
The questionnaire had a 65% pairwise response rate. After controlling for sex, age, and year of birth, appendectomy risk in current smokers was statistically significantly increased by 65% relative to never-smokers. This was largely unchanged by the duration or intensity of smoking and was not affected by socioeconomic status or father's occupation. The effect was stronger in females. Among former smokers, increased time since quitting significantly reduced the odds ratio of appendectomy by 15% for every year since quitting.
CONCLUSION NlmCategory: CONCLUSIONS
After adjustment for age and other confounders, there was an increase in risk of appendectomy among current smokers relative to never-smokers, particularly in females. This study adds to the body of knowledge on the effects of tobacco smoking on the gastrointestinal tract.
DATE PUBLISHED
2008 Aug
HISTORY
PUBSTATUS PUBSTATUSDATE
received 2008/01/09
revised 2008/04/02
accepted 2008/04/06
pubmed 2008/07/26 09:00
medline 2008/08/30 09:00
entrez 2008/07/26 09:00
AUTHORS
NAME COLLECTIVENAME LASTNAME FORENAME INITIALS AFFILIATION AFFILIATIONINFO
Oldmeadow C Oldmeadow Chris C Department of Mathematical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Mathematical Sciences, O Block, Gardens Point Campus, Brisbane, Australia. c.oldmeadow@student.qut.edu.au
Wood I Wood Ian I
Mengersen K Mengersen Kerrie K
Visscher PM Visscher Peter M PM
Martin NG Martin Nicholas G NG
Duffy DL Duffy David L DL
INVESTIGATORS
JOURNAL
VOLUME: 18
ISSUE: 8
TITLE: Annals of epidemiology
ISOABBREVIATION: Ann Epidemiol
YEAR: 2008
MONTH: Aug
DAY:
MEDLINEDATE:
SEASON:
CITEDMEDIUM: Internet
ISSN: 1873-2585
ISSNTYPE: Electronic
MEDLINE JOURNAL
MEDLINETA: Ann Epidemiol
COUNTRY: United States
ISSNLINKING: 1047-2797
NLMUNIQUEID: 9100013
PUBLICATION TYPE
PUBLICATIONTYPE TEXT
Journal Article
Twin Study
COMMENTS AND CORRECTIONS
GRANTS
GENERAL NOTE
KEYWORDS
MESH HEADINGS
DESCRIPTORNAME QUALIFIERNAME
Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Age of Onset
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Appendectomy
Appendicitis surgery
Australia epidemiology
Case-Control Studies epidemiology
Female epidemiology
Humans epidemiology
Male epidemiology
Middle Aged epidemiology
Multivariate Analysis epidemiology
Proportional Hazards Models epidemiology
Risk Factors epidemiology
Sex Factors epidemiology
Smoking epidemiology
Twins, Dizygotic epidemiology
Twins, Monozygotic epidemiology
SUPPLEMENTARY MESH
GENE SYMBOLS
CHEMICALS
OTHER ID's