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January 27, 2012

Oral HPV Infection Found in 7% of Americans

The prevalence of oral human papillomavirus infection was 7% in the U.S. in 2009–2010, according to an analysis of NHANES data published in JAMA.

The analysis included more than 5500 individuals, aged 14 to 69, who underwent in-home interviews and provided oral rinse samples for HPV testing. Among the other findings:

• Slightly more than half of oral HPV infections were high-risk, with HPV-16 the most common type.
• HPV prevalence was eight times higher among people who had ever had sex, compared with those who had not; risk increased with number of sexual partners.
• Infection was more common among men than women, even after adjustment for high-risk behaviors (such as sexual activity and smoking).

The authors say their findings "provide evidence that oral HPV infection is predominantly sexually transmitted," and an editorialist advises physicians to "encourage their patients who engage in oral sex to use barrier protection."

LINK(S):

JAMA article (Free)

JAMA editorial (Free)

Journal Watch Oncology/Hematology summary on HPV-associated head and neck cancers, 2009 (Your Journal Watch registration required)

Published in Physician's First Watch January 27, 2012

January 26, 2012

Lifetime Risk for Cardiovascular Disease Linked to Risk-Factor Burden at All Ages

Estimating a person's lifetime risk (as opposed to 10-year risk) for cardiovascular disease depends more on the burden of risk factors found at any age than on race or the availability of improved treatments, according to a New England Journal of Medicine study.

Investigators pooled a quarter-million subjects from 18 published cohort studies performed over 50 years. All subjects had their risk factors ascertained and were followed for at least 10 years. The four major risk factors assessed were hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, and smoking. Subjects were assigned to one of five mutually exclusive groups according to their risk-factor burden.

In men with no risk factors at age 45, the lifetime risk for suffering an atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease event was less than 2%, while those with two or more major risk factors showed an almost 50% risk. Results were similar in subjects evaluated at older ages. Overall, men were at higher risk than women, and blacks and whites with similar risk burdens faced similar lifetime risks.

LINK(S):

NEJM article (Free abstract)

Journal Watch Cardiology summary (Your Journal Watch subscription required)

Published in Physician's First Watch January 26, 2012

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