Citations

Abstract The aim of this study was to estimate the effect of exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke on the incidence of lung adenocarcinoma in situ/minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (AIS/MIA). Data from seven case–control studies participating in the International Lung Cancer Consortium (ILCCO) were pooled, resulting in 625 cases of AIS/MIA and 7,403 controls, of whom 170 cases and 3,035 controls were never smokers. Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted ORs (ORadj) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), controlling for age, sex, race, smoking status (ever/never), and pack-years of smoking. Study center was included in the models as a random-effects intercept term. Ever versus never exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke was positively associated with AIS/MIA incidence in all subjects (ORadj = 1.48; 95% CI, 1.14–1.93) and in never smokers (ORadj = 1.45; 95% CI, 1.00–2.12). There was, however, appreciable heterogeneity of ORadj across studies (P = 0.01), and the pooled estimates were largely influenced by one large study (40% of all cases and 30% of all controls). These findings provide weak evidence for an effect of secondhand tobacco smoke exposure on AIS/MIA incidence. Further studies are needed to assess the impact of secondhand tobacco smoke exposure using the newly recommended classification of subtypes of lung adenocarcinoma. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 24(12); 1902–6. ©2015 AACR.

Abstract Rationale Individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often struggle with diminished autonomy and quality of life. Emotional factors play a crucial role in the well-being of patients with COPD; they are independently associated with critical outcomes such as dyspnea, quality of life, and health care use. Emotional intelligence is the capacity to understand and manage personal thoughts and feelings, as well as to positively influence interpersonal communication and social well-being. Emotional intelligence is a trainable skill that is extensively used in corporate business to improve well-being and performance, and it may also be significant in the self-management of emotions in patients with chronic disease. Importantly, research supports the proposition that emotional intelligence may be developed and learned at any time or any age, and training programs have been associated with increased well-being and better emotional regulation in patients with chronic disease. However, to date, no research has been done to investigate its value in patients with COPD. Objectives We aimed to investigate the association between emotional intelligence and two meaningful outcomes in COPD: quality of life and self-management abilities. Methods Participants with moderate to severe COPD completed a disease-specific quality of life tool (Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire), the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire, the Self-Management Abilities Scale, the modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale, and pulmonary function tests, and also provided information about living conditions and self-reported health care use. Measurements and Main Results: A total of 310 patients with COPD (mean age, 69 ± 9 yr; 40% female; mean FEV1%, 42.4 ± 15.8) participated in the study. Emotional intelligence was significantly and independently associated with self-management abilities (P < 0.0001) and all domains of quality of life assessed (dyspnea, fatigue, emotions, and mastery; P < 0.0001) after adjusting for age, degree of bronchial obstruction, breathlessness, and other significant confounders. Conclusions Emotional intelligence may represent an important attribute in COPD, as it is associated with self-management abilities and all domains of quality of life, regardless of age or disease severity. Emotional intelligence can be learned and may complement existing rehabilitation efforts. Attention to it may address the current gap that exists in the treatment of emotional components of COPD responsible for decreased quality of life and increased health care use.

AbstractIntroductionThe objective of our study was to investigate cross‐sectional associations of atrial fibrillation with neuroimaging measures of cerebrovascular disease and Alzheimer's disease and their interactions with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).MethodsMagnetic resonance imaging scans of individuals from a population‐based study were analyzed for infarctions, total gray matter, and hippocampal and white matter hyperintensity volumes. A subsample underwent positron emission tomography imaging.ResultsAtrial fibrillation was associated with infarctions and lower total gray matter volume. Compared with subjects with no atrial fibrillation and no infarction, the odds ratio (95% confidence intervals) for MCI was 2.99 (1.57–5.70; P = .001) among participants with atrial fibrillation and infarction, 0.90 (0.45–1.80; P = .77) for atrial fibrillation and no infarction, and 1.50 (0.96–2.34; P = .08) for no atrial fibrillation and any infarction.DiscussionParticipants with both atrial fibrillation and infarction are more likely to have MCI than participants with either infarction or atrial fibrillation alone.