The city of Basel in Switzerland was severely damaged in 1356 by the largest historically known e... more The city of Basel in Switzerland was severely damaged in 1356 by the largest historically known earthquake north of the alps. The return period for damaging earthquakes is large in this region and the seismiciy of the region is low. In an attempt to improve the earthquake prevention for the city of Basel, we aim at a seismic zonation based
Several observations in the Matter valley of southern Switzerland attest to an important role of ... more Several observations in the Matter valley of southern Switzerland attest to an important role of earthquake induced rock slope displacements, however owing to the long return period of large earthquakes in the area, co-seismic landslide hazards are not often fully appreciated. In this study, we investigate the seismic response of a large unstable rock mass above the village of Randa
To assess the feasibility and quality of an anonymous linkage of 1) MONICA (MONItoring of trends ... more To assess the feasibility and quality of an anonymous linkage of 1) MONICA (MONItoring of trends and determinants in CArdiovscular disease, three waves between 1984 and 1993) data with 2) census and mortality records of the Swiss National Cohort in order to establish a mortality follow-up until 2008. Many countries feature the defect of lacking general population cohorts because they have missed to provide for follow-up information of health surveys. Record linkage procedures were used in a multi-step approach. Kaplan-Meier curves from our data were contrasted with the survival probabilities expected from life tables for the general population, age-standardized mortality rates from our data with those derived from official cross-sectional mortality data. Cox regression models were fit to investigate the influence of covariates on survival. 97.8% of the eligible 10,160 participants (25-74y at baseline) could be linked to a census (1990: 9,737; 2000: 8,749), mortality (1,526, 1984-200...
Since the beginning of the 1990s, increasing evidence supports beneficial effects of nut consumpt... more Since the beginning of the 1990s, increasing evidence supports beneficial effects of nut consumption on health. A new analysis of the Spanish PREDIMED trial, published in BMC Medicine, has expanded our knowledge. The study showed that individuals eating nuts more than three times per week died less often from cardiovascular disease and cancer than non-consumers. The study also adds an important finding that previous epidemiological studies could not provide: a protective effect on premature mortality was only seen in the intervention group in which nut consumption increased during the 4.8 years of follow-up, not in the intervention group with additional olive oil consumption or in the control group. Nut consumption actually decreased during follow-up in the latter two groups. Questions remain to be answered on the quantity of nuts to be consumed for health benefits, on possible mechanisms of action, and on whether some types of nuts should be favored. Please see related research: ht...
Our aim was to critically evaluate the relations among smoking, body weight, body fat distributio... more Our aim was to critically evaluate the relations among smoking, body weight, body fat distribution, and insulin resistance as reported in the literature. In the short term, nicotine increases energy expenditure and could reduce appetite, which may explain why smokers tend to have lower body weight than do nonsmokers and why smoking cessation is frequently followed by weight gain. In contrast, heavy smokers tend to have greater body weight than do light smokers or nonsmokers, which likely reflects a clustering of risky behaviors (eg, low degree of physical activity, poor diet, and smoking) that is conducive to weight gain. Other factors, such as weight cycling, could also be involved. In addition, smoking increases insulin resistance and is associated with central fat accumulation. As a result, smoking increases the risk of metabolic syndrome and diabetes, and these factors increase risk of cardiovascular disease. In the context of the worldwide obesity epidemic and a high prevalence...
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. CVD is causally related to ... more Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. CVD is causally related to "classical" risk factors such as elevated blood pressure, cholesterol, or glucose level and smoking. A causal role in the development of CVD is also suggested for numerous other factors, including an elevated plasma homocysteine concentration. Variation of homocysteinaemia is mainly due to genetic mutations and/or vitamin deficiency. The homocysteine concentration can be lowered with folate. Vitamin supplementation has thus been proposed in individuals with hyperhomocysteinaemia in order to reduce their CVD risk. On the other hand, population-based studies show little or no association between moderate hyperhomocysteinaemia and CVD risk. Nor has any randomised clinical trial clearly proven the efficacy of lowering the homocysteine concentration as a means of lowering the incidence of CVD. Hence at present it is inappropriate to recommend screening and treatment of hyperhomocyst...
High fructose consumption is suspected to be causally linked to the epidemics of obesity and meta... more High fructose consumption is suspected to be causally linked to the epidemics of obesity and metabolic disorders. In rodents, fructose leads to insulin resistance and ectopic lipid deposition. In humans, the effects of fructose on insulin sensitivity remain debated, whereas its effect on ectopic lipids has never been investigated. We assessed the effect of moderate fructose supplementation on insulin sensitivity (IS) and ectopic lipids in healthy male volunteers (n = 7). IS, intrahepatocellular lipids (IHCL), and intramyocellular lipids (IMCL) were measured before and after 1 and 4 wk of a high-fructose diet containing 1.5 g fructose . kg body wt(-1) . d(-1). Adipose tissue IS was evaluated from nonesterified fatty acid suppression, hepatic IS from suppression of hepatic glucose output (6,6-2H2-glucose), and muscle IS from the whole-body glucose disposal rate during a 2-step hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp. IHCL and IMCL were measured by 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Fructos...
Smoking, alcohol drinking and cannabis use ("risk behaviors") are often initiated at a young age ... more Smoking, alcohol drinking and cannabis use ("risk behaviors") are often initiated at a young age but few epidemiological studies have assessed their joined prevalence in children in developing countries. This study aims at examining the joint prevalence of these behaviors in adolescents in the Seychelles, a rapidly developing country in the Indian Ocean.
Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, 2007
Background: n-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) convey several health benefits, including ... more Background: n-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) convey several health benefits, including a reduction of serum concentration of triglycerides (TG). Aim: To examine the effect on blood lipids, particularly TG, of a diet with n-3 PUFA enriched eggs in healthy volunteers in the Seychelles (Indian Ocean). Methods: Double-blind crossover trial with one group of volunteers fed with 5 normal eggs per week during 3 weeks followed by 5 enriched eggs per week during the next 3 weeks while the other group received eggs in the inverse sequence. Hen feed was supplemented at 5% with tuna oil. Enriched eggs contained nine times more n-3 PUFA than usual eggs (mainly docosahexaenoic acid). Results: Twenty-five healthy volunteers participated in the study. Based on pooled results observed during the two 3-week periods, consumption of enriched eggs was associated with a significant 16e18% decrease in serum triglycerides (P < 0.01) but with no significant difference in serum LDL-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol. Serum LDL-cholesterol increased during the first 3-week period and decreased during the second 3-week period with both normal and enriched eggs. Participants did not report a systematic preference for either type of eggs.
The city of Basel in Switzerland was severely damaged in 1356 by the largest historically known e... more The city of Basel in Switzerland was severely damaged in 1356 by the largest historically known earthquake north of the alps. The return period for damaging earthquakes is large in this region and the seismiciy of the region is low. In an attempt to improve the earthquake prevention for the city of Basel, we aim at a seismic zonation based
Several observations in the Matter valley of southern Switzerland attest to an important role of ... more Several observations in the Matter valley of southern Switzerland attest to an important role of earthquake induced rock slope displacements, however owing to the long return period of large earthquakes in the area, co-seismic landslide hazards are not often fully appreciated. In this study, we investigate the seismic response of a large unstable rock mass above the village of Randa
To assess the feasibility and quality of an anonymous linkage of 1) MONICA (MONItoring of trends ... more To assess the feasibility and quality of an anonymous linkage of 1) MONICA (MONItoring of trends and determinants in CArdiovscular disease, three waves between 1984 and 1993) data with 2) census and mortality records of the Swiss National Cohort in order to establish a mortality follow-up until 2008. Many countries feature the defect of lacking general population cohorts because they have missed to provide for follow-up information of health surveys. Record linkage procedures were used in a multi-step approach. Kaplan-Meier curves from our data were contrasted with the survival probabilities expected from life tables for the general population, age-standardized mortality rates from our data with those derived from official cross-sectional mortality data. Cox regression models were fit to investigate the influence of covariates on survival. 97.8% of the eligible 10,160 participants (25-74y at baseline) could be linked to a census (1990: 9,737; 2000: 8,749), mortality (1,526, 1984-200...
Since the beginning of the 1990s, increasing evidence supports beneficial effects of nut consumpt... more Since the beginning of the 1990s, increasing evidence supports beneficial effects of nut consumption on health. A new analysis of the Spanish PREDIMED trial, published in BMC Medicine, has expanded our knowledge. The study showed that individuals eating nuts more than three times per week died less often from cardiovascular disease and cancer than non-consumers. The study also adds an important finding that previous epidemiological studies could not provide: a protective effect on premature mortality was only seen in the intervention group in which nut consumption increased during the 4.8 years of follow-up, not in the intervention group with additional olive oil consumption or in the control group. Nut consumption actually decreased during follow-up in the latter two groups. Questions remain to be answered on the quantity of nuts to be consumed for health benefits, on possible mechanisms of action, and on whether some types of nuts should be favored. Please see related research: ht...
Our aim was to critically evaluate the relations among smoking, body weight, body fat distributio... more Our aim was to critically evaluate the relations among smoking, body weight, body fat distribution, and insulin resistance as reported in the literature. In the short term, nicotine increases energy expenditure and could reduce appetite, which may explain why smokers tend to have lower body weight than do nonsmokers and why smoking cessation is frequently followed by weight gain. In contrast, heavy smokers tend to have greater body weight than do light smokers or nonsmokers, which likely reflects a clustering of risky behaviors (eg, low degree of physical activity, poor diet, and smoking) that is conducive to weight gain. Other factors, such as weight cycling, could also be involved. In addition, smoking increases insulin resistance and is associated with central fat accumulation. As a result, smoking increases the risk of metabolic syndrome and diabetes, and these factors increase risk of cardiovascular disease. In the context of the worldwide obesity epidemic and a high prevalence...
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. CVD is causally related to ... more Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. CVD is causally related to "classical" risk factors such as elevated blood pressure, cholesterol, or glucose level and smoking. A causal role in the development of CVD is also suggested for numerous other factors, including an elevated plasma homocysteine concentration. Variation of homocysteinaemia is mainly due to genetic mutations and/or vitamin deficiency. The homocysteine concentration can be lowered with folate. Vitamin supplementation has thus been proposed in individuals with hyperhomocysteinaemia in order to reduce their CVD risk. On the other hand, population-based studies show little or no association between moderate hyperhomocysteinaemia and CVD risk. Nor has any randomised clinical trial clearly proven the efficacy of lowering the homocysteine concentration as a means of lowering the incidence of CVD. Hence at present it is inappropriate to recommend screening and treatment of hyperhomocyst...
High fructose consumption is suspected to be causally linked to the epidemics of obesity and meta... more High fructose consumption is suspected to be causally linked to the epidemics of obesity and metabolic disorders. In rodents, fructose leads to insulin resistance and ectopic lipid deposition. In humans, the effects of fructose on insulin sensitivity remain debated, whereas its effect on ectopic lipids has never been investigated. We assessed the effect of moderate fructose supplementation on insulin sensitivity (IS) and ectopic lipids in healthy male volunteers (n = 7). IS, intrahepatocellular lipids (IHCL), and intramyocellular lipids (IMCL) were measured before and after 1 and 4 wk of a high-fructose diet containing 1.5 g fructose . kg body wt(-1) . d(-1). Adipose tissue IS was evaluated from nonesterified fatty acid suppression, hepatic IS from suppression of hepatic glucose output (6,6-2H2-glucose), and muscle IS from the whole-body glucose disposal rate during a 2-step hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp. IHCL and IMCL were measured by 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Fructos...
Smoking, alcohol drinking and cannabis use ("risk behaviors") are often initiated at a young age ... more Smoking, alcohol drinking and cannabis use ("risk behaviors") are often initiated at a young age but few epidemiological studies have assessed their joined prevalence in children in developing countries. This study aims at examining the joint prevalence of these behaviors in adolescents in the Seychelles, a rapidly developing country in the Indian Ocean.
Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, 2007
Background: n-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) convey several health benefits, including ... more Background: n-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) convey several health benefits, including a reduction of serum concentration of triglycerides (TG). Aim: To examine the effect on blood lipids, particularly TG, of a diet with n-3 PUFA enriched eggs in healthy volunteers in the Seychelles (Indian Ocean). Methods: Double-blind crossover trial with one group of volunteers fed with 5 normal eggs per week during 3 weeks followed by 5 enriched eggs per week during the next 3 weeks while the other group received eggs in the inverse sequence. Hen feed was supplemented at 5% with tuna oil. Enriched eggs contained nine times more n-3 PUFA than usual eggs (mainly docosahexaenoic acid). Results: Twenty-five healthy volunteers participated in the study. Based on pooled results observed during the two 3-week periods, consumption of enriched eggs was associated with a significant 16e18% decrease in serum triglycerides (P < 0.01) but with no significant difference in serum LDL-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol. Serum LDL-cholesterol increased during the first 3-week period and decreased during the second 3-week period with both normal and enriched eggs. Participants did not report a systematic preference for either type of eggs.
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