No abstract

Studies have indicated that men in sedentary occupations are more liable to have coronary heart disease than those in occupations requiring moderate to heavy physical activity. To test this hypothesis a study was conducted of the death rates among clerks, switchmen, and section men employed in the railroad industry. MORRIS, et al.,1 demonstrated an association between the physical activity required by an occupation and the incidence of coronary heart disease over a period of two years among bus drivers and conductors employed by the London Transport Executive. Additional studies of postmen on the one hand, and telegraphers, telephonists, clerks, and supervisory personnel of the postal service on the other, also indicated a higher incidence of coronary heart disease among men in the more sedentary jobs than among men in the occupations requiring greater physical activity. In addition, it was found that men in sedentary occupations had less angina pectoris and a higher death rate during the first three months after an initial coronary attack than men in the more active occupations. Since that time, results of other studies in Great Britain2-5 and in the United States67 have supported the thesis proposed by Morris that men in physically active jobs have a lower incidence of coronary (ischemic)

SUMMARY To determine changes in the patterns of care between 1970 and 1980 for patients with uncomplicated acute myocardial infarction, questionnaires were sent to almost 6000 physicians in 1979 and responses were compared with those of a similar survey taken in 1970. Almost all physicians in 1979 reported the availability and use of an intensive care/coronary care unit facility with continuous electrocardiographic monitoring. Progressive-care facilities are also becoming more widely available. The median length of hospitalization has decreased markedly. Early ambulation and an earlier return to work are more common. There is a high level of informal patient and patient-family counseling about myocardial infarction and its management, both during and after hospitalization, and wider use of educational materials. Most physicians continue to recommend progressive physical activity after hospitalization.The routine prescription of anticoagulant therapy during hospitalization has declined, while prescription of prophylactic antiarrhythmic agents has increased. Nitrate drugs and tranquilizers are routinely prescribed by a large percentage of physicians for their patients with uncomplicated myocardial infarction.Use of standard exercise tests has increased among all physician specialties. The treadmill test is most often used, and testing is typically done 6 weeks after infarction. A significant increase in the availability of and familiarity with exercise testing is characteristic of all medical specialties.Symptoms of new chest pain and palpitations are now considered important enough to warrant the recommendation to report immediately to an emergency room. Other current findings include the routine use of coronary angiography by a large percentage of physicians to evaluate the need for surgical intervention, and the routine posthospitalization prescription by only a small percentage of physicians of aspirin and of nitrate drugs for patients with uncomplicated myocardial infarction. IN 1970, PHYSICIAN PRACTICE

No abstract

Many observational studies have found that higher consumption of vegetables, and to a lesser extent of fruits, was associated with lower risk of colorectal cancer. In particular, fiber or foods high in fiber have received attention in the potential prevention of colorectal cancer. We performed an ecological analysis with data of the Seven Countries Study, to investigate whether intake of fiber and plant foods contributes to cross-cultural differences in 25-year colorectal-cancer mortality in men. In the Seven Countries Study, around 1960 12,763 men aged 40 to 59 were enrolled in 16 cohorts in 7 countries. Baseline dietary information was gathered in small random samples per cohort, and nutrient intakes were based on chemical analyses of the average diets per cohort. Crude and energy-adjusted mortality-rate ratios were calculated for a change of 10% of the mean intake of fiber and plant foods, i.e., total plant foods, fruits, vegetables, potatoes, grains, and related sub-groups.