Ritva Järvinen

Publications (12)51.44 Total impact

• Article: Vitamin D status is associated with sociodemographic factors, lifestyle and metabolic health.

  Tuija Jääskeläinen, Paul Knekt, Jukka Marniemi, Laura Sares-Jäske, Satu Männistö, Markku Heliövaara, Ritva Järvinen
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  ABSTRACT: PURPOSE: Low serum 25(OH)D concentration has been shown to predict the occurrence of several chronic diseases. It is, however, still unclear whether the associations are causal or due to confounding. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between serum 25(OH)D concentration and sociodemographic, lifestyle and metabolic health-related factors. METHODS: The study population comprised 5,714 men and women, aged 30-79 years, from the Health 2000 Survey representing the Finnish population. Serum 25(OH)D concentration was determined by radioimmunoassay from serum samples frozen at -70 °C. Sociodemographic, lifestyle and metabolic factors were determined by questionnaires, interviews and measurements. Linear regression was used to assess the associations between serum 25(OH)D and the factors studied. RESULTS: The mean serum 25(OH)D concentration was 45.3 nmol/l and it varied between categories of sociodemographic, lifestyle and metabolic health variables. Older age, being married or cohabiting and higher education were related to higher serum 25(OH)D concentration. Those with the healthiest lifestyle estimated by a lifestyle index based on body mass index, physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption and diet had 15.8 nmol/l higher serum 25(OH)D concentration compared to those with the unhealthiest lifestyle. Of the indicators of metabolic health, only waist circumference and HDL cholesterol were significantly associated with 25(OH)D after adjustment for sociodemographic, lifestyle and other metabolic health factors. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that serum 25(OH)D concentration is associated with a multitude of sociodemographic, lifestyle and metabolic health factors. Thus, it is possible that such factors confound associations observed between serum 25(OH)D concentration and chronic diseases.
  European Journal of Nutrition 04/2012; · 2.75 Impact Factor
• Article: Plant foods and the risk of cerebrovascular diseases: a potential protection of fruit consumption.

  Anna Mizrahi, Paul Knekt, Jukka Montonen, Maarit A Laaksonen, Markku Heliövaara, Ritva Järvinen
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  ABSTRACT: Studies on the association between plant foods and cerebrovascular diseases have given contradictory results suggesting the existence of some effect-modifying factors. The present study determines whether the consumption of plant foods (i.e. fruits and berries, vegetables, and cereals) predicts a decreased cerebrovascular disease incidence in a population with low fruit and vegetable and high wholegrain intake. This cohort study on 3932 men and women was based on data from the Finnish Mobile Clinic Health Examination Survey, conducted in 1968-72. The participants were 40-74 years of age and free of cardiovascular diseases at baseline. Data on the plant food consumption were derived from a 1-year dietary history interview. During a 24-year follow-up 625 cases of cerebrovascular diseases occurred, leading to either hospitalisation or death. An inverse association was found between fruit consumption and the incidence of cerebrovascular diseases, ischaemic stroke and intracerebral haemorrhage. The adjusted relative risks (RR) between the highest and lowest quartiles of intake of any cerebrovascular disease, ischaemic stroke and intracerebral haemorrhage were 0.75 (95 % CI 0.59, 0.94), 0.73 (95 % CI 0.54, 1.00) and 0.47 (95 % CI 0.24, 0.92), respectively. These associations were primarily due to the consumption of citrus fruits and occurred only in men. Total consumption of vegetables or cereals was not associated with the cerebrovascular disease incidence. The consumption of cruciferous vegetables, however, predicted a reduced risk of cerebrovascular diseases (RR 0.79; 95 % CI 0.63, 0.99), ischaemic stroke (RR 0.67; 95 % CI 0.49, 0.92) and intracerebral haemorrhage (RR 0.49; 95 % CI 0.25, 0.98). In conclusion, the consumption of fruits, especially citrus, and cruciferous vegetables may protect against cerebrovascular diseases.
  The British journal of nutrition 08/2009; 102(7):1075-83. · 3.45 Impact Factor
• Source

  Available from: missclasses.com

  Article: Fish consumption and the incidence of cerebrovascular disease.

  Jukka Montonen, Ritva Järvinen, Antti Reunanen, Paul Knekt
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  ABSTRACT: Studies of the beneficial role of fish consumption in the prevention of CVD are not consistent in their findings, particularly those studies that focus on the risk of stroke. The aim of the present study is to investigate the relationship between the consumption of different types of fish and the subsequent incidence of cerebrovascular disease (CVA). We prospectively evaluated the association between consumption of different types of fish and CVA in 3958 men and women aged 40-79 years who were free of heart disease and had participated in a health examination survey from 1967 to 1972. A total of 659 incident cases of CVA occurred during a follow-up until the end of 1994. A dietary history interview method provided data on habitual consumption of fish and other foods over the preceding year at baseline. Total fish intake did not predict CVA, but consumption of salted fish suggested an increased risk of intracerebral haemorrhage. The relative risk of intracerebral haemorrhage between the highest tertile of salted fish consumption and non-consumers was 1.98 (95 % CI 1.02, 3.84; P for trend = 0.06) after adjustment for age, sex, energy intake, smoking, BMI, physical activity, geographic area, occupation, diabetes, use of post-menopausal hormones, serum cholesterol, hypertension, and consumptions of butter, vegetables, fruits and berries. The relationship between fish consumption and stroke risk is not straightforward. How the fish is prepared for consumption may play an important role, affecting the association.
  The British journal of nutrition 05/2009; 102(5):750-6. · 3.45 Impact Factor
• Article: Consumption of sweetened beverages and intakes of fructose and glucose predict type 2 diabetes occurrence.

  Jukka Montonen, Ritva Järvinen, Paul Knekt, Markku Heliövaara, Antti Reunanen
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  ABSTRACT: The role of intakes of different sugars in the development of type 2 diabetes was studied in a cohort of 4,304 men and women aged 40-60 y and initially free of diabetes at baseline in 1967-1972. Food consumption data were collected using a dietary history interview covering the habitual diet during the previous year. The intakes of different sugars were calculated and divided in quartiles. During a 12-y follow-up, 177 incidents of type 2 diabetes cases were identified from a nationwide register. Combined intake of fructose and glucose was associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes but no significant association was observed for intakes of sucrose, lactose, or maltose. The relative risk between the highest and lowest quartiles of combined fructose and glucose intake was 1.87 (95% [CI] = 1.19, 2.93; P = 0.003). The corresponding relative risks between the extreme quartiles of consumption of food items contributing to sugar intakes were 1.69 (95% [CI] = 1.17, 2.43; P < 0.001) for sweetened berry juice and 1.67 (95% [CI] = 0.98, 2.87; P = 0.01) for soft drinks. Our findings support the view that higher intake of fructose and glucose and sweetened beverages may increase type 2 diabetes risk.
  Journal of Nutrition 06/2007; 137(6):1447-54. · 3.92 Impact Factor
• Article: Intake of fried meat and risk of cancer: A follow‐up study in finland

  Paul Knekt, Gunnar Steineck, Ritva Järvinen, Timo Hakulinen, Arpo Aromaa
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  ABSTRACT: It has been suggested that mutagens in fried meat may be involved in the cancer process. Therefore the relationships between intake of fried meat and subsequent risk of cancers at different sites were studied among 9,990 Finnish men and women, 15–99 years of age and initially free of cancer. The baseline study was carried out in 1966–1972, and cases of cancer were identified through data linkage with the Finnish Cancer Registry. During a 24-year follow-up, 853 cancer cases were diagnosed. The intake of fried meat was estimated from a dietary history interview covering the total diet of the participants during the previous year. There was a positive association between fried meat intake and the risk of female-hormone-related cancers, i.e., cancer of the breast, endometrium and ovary combined. The relative risk of these cancers combined between persons in the highest and lowest tertiles of daily intake of fried meat adjusted for age, personal characteristics and intake of other main food groups was 1.77 (95% confidence interval = 1.11–2.84). Pancreatic and nervous system cancers also presented non-significant suggestive associations. No associations were observed with respect to other single cancer sites studied or to all sites of cancer combined. Further epidemiological efforts are needed to ascertain the potential link between fried-food mutagens and cancer risk.
  International Journal of Cancer 07/2006; 59(6):756 - 760. · 5.44 Impact Factor
• Article: Intake of fish and long-chain n-3 fatty acids and the risk of coronary heart mortality in men and women.

  Ritva Järvinen, Paul Knekt, Harri Rissanen, Antti Reunanen
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  ABSTRACT: This prospective study investigated the relationship between the consumption of fish and intake of long-chain n-3 fatty acids and the risk of coronary heart mortality in 2775 men and 2445 women aged from 30 to 79 years who were free of CHD and had participated in a health examination survey from 1967 to 1972. In total, 335 men and 163 women died of CHD during a follow-up until the end of 1992. A dietary history interview method provided data on habitual consumption of fish and other foods over the preceding year at baseline. The intakes of long-chain n-3 fatty acids were calculated on the basis of food composition values of Finnish foods. Higher consumption of fish was associated with a decreased risk of CHD among women, whereas no significant association was seen among men. The relative risk between the highest and the lowest quintile for fish consumption was 1.00 (95 % CI 0.70, 1.43; P for trend 0.83) for men and 0.59 (95 % CI 0.36, 0.99; P for trend 0.02) for women in analysis adjusting for age, energy intake, geographical area, BMI, serum cholesterol, blood pressure, smoking, occupation and diabetes; however, after adjustment for dietary confounders this association was no longer significant. The intake of n-3 fatty acids was not significantly associated with the risk of CHD in either men or women. In conclusion, our results for women are in line with the suggested protective effect of fish consumption against CHD but a similar association was not, however, found in men.
  British Journal Of Nutrition 05/2006; 95(4):824-9. · 3.01 Impact Factor
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  Available from: oxfordjournals.org

  Article: Dietary patterns and the incidence of type 2 diabetes.

  Jukka Montonen, Paul Knekt, Tommi Härkänen, Ritva Järvinen, Markku Heliövaara, Arpo Aromaa, Antti Reunanen
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  ABSTRACT: Major dietary patterns were studied for the ability to predict type 2 diabetes mellitus in a cohort of 4,304 Finnish men and women aged 40-69 years and free of diabetes at baseline in 1967-1972. Factor analysis was used to identify dietary patterns from dietary data that were collected using a 1-year dietary history interview. A total of 383 incident cases of type 2 diabetes occurred during a 23-year follow-up. Two major dietary patterns were identified. The pattern labeled "prudent" was characterized by higher consumption of fruits and vegetables, and the pattern labeled "conservative" was characterized by consumption of butter, potatoes, and whole milk. The relative risks (adjusted for nondietary confounders) between the extreme quartiles of the pattern scores were 0.72 (95% confidence interval: 0.53, 0.97; p(trend) = 0.03) for the prudent pattern and 1.49 (95% confidence interval: 1.11, 2.00; p(trend) = 0.01) for the conservative pattern. Thus, the prudent dietary pattern score was associated with a reduced risk and the conservative pattern score was associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. In light of these results, it appears conceivable that the risk of developing type 2 diabetes can be reduced by changing dietary patterns.
  American Journal of Epidemiology 03/2005; 161(3):219-27. · 5.22 Impact Factor
• Source

  Available from: diabetesjournals.org

  Article: Dietary antioxidant intake and risk of type 2 diabetes.

  Jukka Montonen, Paul Knekt, Ritva Järvinen, Antti Reunanen
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  ABSTRACT: The intake of antioxidants was studied for its ability to predict type 2 diabetes. A cohort of 2,285 men and 2,019 women 40-69 years of age and free of diabetes at baseline (1967-1972) was studied. Food consumption during the previous year was estimated using a dietary history interview. The intake of vitamin C, four tocopherols, four tocotrienols, and six carotenoids was calculated. During a 23-year follow-up, a total of 164 male and 219 female incident cases occurred. Vitamin E intake was significantly associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. The relative risk (RR) of type 2 diabetes between the extreme quartiles of the intake was 0.69 (95% CI 0.51-0.94, P for trend = 0.003). Intakes of alpha-tocopherol, gamma-tocopherol, delta-tocopherol, and beta-tocotrienol were inversely related to a risk of type 2 diabetes. Among single carotenoids, beta-cryptoxanthin intake was significantly associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes (RR 0.58, 95% CI 0.44-0.78, P < 0.001). No association was evident between intake of vitamin C and type 2 diabetes risk. This study supports the hypothesis that development of type 2 diabetes may be reduced by the intake of antioxidants in the diet.
  Diabetes Care 03/2004; 27(2):362-6. · 8.09 Impact Factor
• Article: Whole-grain and fiber intake and the incidence of type 2 diabetes.

  Jukka Montonen, Paul Knekt, Ritva Järvinen, Arpo Aromaa, Antti Reunanen
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  ABSTRACT: Epidemiologic evidence of a preventive effect of whole grain against type 2 diabetes is mainly based on data from women. Information specific to men and women is needed. The objective was to study the relation between the intake of whole grain and fiber and the subsequent incidence of type 2 diabetes. The design was a cohort study of 2286 men and 2030 women aged 40-69 y and initially free of diabetes. Food consumption data were collected from 1966 through 1972 with the use of a dietary history interview covering the habitual diet during the previous year. During a 10-y follow-up, incident type 2 diabetes cases were identified in 54 men and 102 women from a nationwide register. Whole-grain consumption was associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. The relative risk (adjusted for age, sex, geographic area, smoking status, body mass index, energy intake, and intakes of vegetables, fruit, and berries) between the highest and lowest quartiles of whole-grain consumption was 0.65 (95% CI: 0.36, 1.18; P for trend = 0.02). Cereal fiber intake was also associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. The relative risk between the extreme quartiles of cereal fiber intake was 0.39 (95% CI: 0.20, 0.77; P = 0.01). An inverse association between whole-grain intake and the risk of type 2 diabetes was found. The similar result for cereal fiber intake suggests that the whole-grain association is due to cereal fiber or another factor related to cereal fiber intake.
  American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 04/2003; 77(3):622-9. · 6.67 Impact Factor
• Article: Serum fatty acids and breast cancer incidence.

  Harri Rissanen, Paul Knekt, Ritva Järvinen, Irma Salminen, Timo Hakulinen
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  ABSTRACT: Fatty acid composition of the diet may be essential to the development of breast cancer. We studied the ability of several fatty acids of serum total lipids to predict breast cancer incidence in a case-control study nested within a longitudinal population study. The proportions of fatty acids in serum total lipids were determined from stored serum samples collected at baseline for 127 incident breast cancer cases and 242 matched controls. Women with a higher proportion of total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in serum had a reduced risk of breast cancer. The odds ratio (OR) between the highest and lowest tertiles of serum PUFA was 0.31 (95% confidence interval, CI = 0.12-0.77). This association was mainly due to n-6 PUFAs and especially to linoleic acid. The ORs were 0.35 (CI = 0.14-0.84) and 0.29 (CI = 0.12-0.73), respectively. Of the monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), higher trans-11-18:1 levels were related to an increased breast cancer risk (OR = 3.69, CI = 1.35-10.06). The association was stronger in postmenopausal than in premenopausal women. The present study suggests that higher serum proportions of the n-6 PUFA linoleic acid and lower proportions of the MUFA trans-11-18:1 fatty acid predict a reduced incidence of breast cancer.
  Nutrition and Cancer 02/2003; 45(2):168-75. · 2.78 Impact Factor
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  Available from: ajcn.org

  Article: Flavonoid intake and risk of chronic diseases.

  Paul Knekt, Jorma Kumpulainen, Ritva Järvinen, Harri Rissanen, Markku Heliövaara, Antti Reunanen, Timo Hakulinen, Arpo Aromaa
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  ABSTRACT: Flavonoids are effective antioxidants and may protect against several chronic diseases. The association between flavonoid intake and risk of several chronic diseases was studied. The total dietary intakes of 10 054 men and women during the year preceding the baseline examination were determined with a dietary history method. Flavonoid intakes were estimated, mainly on the basis of the flavonoid concentrations in Finnish foods. The incident cases of the diseases considered were identified from different national public health registers. Persons with higher quercetin intakes had lower mortality from ischemic heart disease. The relative risk (RR) between the highest and lowest quartiles was 0.79 (95% CI: 0.63, 0.99: P for trend = 0.02). The incidence of cerebrovascular disease was lower at higher kaempferol (0.70; 0.56, 0.86; P = 0.003), naringenin (0.79; 0.64, 0.98; P = 0.06), and hesperetin (0.80; 0.64, 0.99; P = 0.008) intakes. Men with higher quercetin intakes had a lower lung cancer incidence (0.42; 0.25, 0.72; P = 0.001), and men with higher myricetin intakes had a lower prostate cancer risk (0.43; 0.22, 0.86; P = 0.002). Asthma incidence was lower at higher quercetin (0.76; 0.56, 1.01; P = 0.005), naringenin (0.69; 0.50, 0.94; P = 0.06), and hesperetin (0.64; 0.46, 0.88; P = 0.03) intakes. A trend toward a reduction in risk of type 2 diabetes was associated with higher quercetin (0.81; 0.64, 1.02; P = 0.07) and myricetin (0.79; 0.62, 1.00; P = 0.07) intakes. The risk of some chronic diseases may be lower at higher dietary flavonoid intakes.
  American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 10/2002; 76(3):560-8. · 6.67 Impact Factor
• Article: Dietary Flavonoids and the Risk of Lung Cancer and Other Malignant Neoplasms

  Paul Knekt, Ritva Järvinen, Ritva Seppänen, Markku Heliövaara, Lyly Teppo, Eero Pukkala, Arpo Aromaa
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  ABSTRACT: Flavonoids are effective antioxidants and, in theory, may provide protection against cancer, although direct human evidence of this is scarce. The relation between the intake of antioxidant flavonoids and subsequent risk of cancer was studied among 9,959 Finnish men and women aged 15–99 years and initially cancer free. Food consumption was estimated by the dietary history method, covering the total habitual diet during the previous year. During a follow-up in 1967–1991, 997 cancer cases and 151 lung cancer cases were diagnosed. An inverse association was observed between the intake of flavonoids and incidence of all sites of cancer combined. The sex- and age-adjusted relative risk of all sites of cancer combined between the highest and lowest quartiles of flavonoid intake was 0.80 (95% confidence interval 0.67–0.96). This association was mainly a result of lung cancer, which presented a corresponding relative risk of 0.54 (95% confidence interval 0.34–0.87). The association between flavonoid intake and lung cancer incidence was not due to the intake of antioxidant vitamins or other potential confounding factors, as adjustment for factors such as smoking and intakes of energy, vitamin E, vitamin C, and beta-carotene did not materially alter the results. The association was strongest in persons under 50 years of age and in nonsmokers with relative risks of 0.33 (95% confidence interval 0.15–0.77) and 0.13 (95% confidence interval 0.03–0.58), respectively. Of the major dietary flavonoid sources, the consumption of apples showed an inverse association with lung cancer incidence, with a relative risk of 0.42 (95% confidence interval 0.23–0.76) after adjustment for the intake of other fruits and vegetables. The results are in line with the hypothesis that flavonoid intake in some circumstances may be involved in the cancer process, resulting in lowered risks. Am J Epidemiol 1997;146:223–30.