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Background Several candidate genes have been identified in relation to lipid metabolism, and among these, lipoprotein lipase ( LPL ) and apolipoprotein E ( APOE ) gene polymorphisms are major sources of genetically determined variation in lipid concentrations. This study investigated the association of two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at LPL , seven tagging SNPs at the APOE gene, and a common APOE haplotype (two SNPs) with blood lipids, and examined the interaction of these SNPs with dietary factors. Methods The population studied for this investigation included 660 individuals from the Prevention of Cancer by Intervention with Selenium (PRECISE) study who supplied baseline data. The findings of the PRECISE study were further replicated using 1238 individuals from the Caerphilly Prospective cohort (CaPS). Dietary intake was assessed using a validated food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in PRECISE and a validated semi-quantitative FFQ in the CaPS. Interaction analyses were performed by including the interaction term in the linear regression model adjusted for age, body mass index, sex and country. Results There was no association between dietary factors and blood lipids after Bonferroni correction and adjustment for confounding factors in either cohort. In the PRECISE study, after correction for multiple testing, there was a statistically significant association of the APOE haplotype (rs7412 and rs429358; E2, E3, and E4) and APOE tagSNP rs445925 with total cholesterol ( P  = 4 × 10 − 4 and P  = 0.003, respectively). Carriers of the E2 allele had lower total cholesterol concentration (5.54 ± 0.97 mmol/L) than those with the E3 (5.98 ± 1.05 mmol/L) ( P  = 0.001) and E4 (6.09 ± 1.06 mmol/L) ( P  = 2 × 10 − 4 ) alleles. The association of APOE haplotype (E2, E3, and E4) and APOE SNP rs445925 with total cholesterol (P = 2 × 10 − 6 and P  = 3 × 10 − 4 , respectively) was further replicated in the CaPS. Additionally, significant association was found between APOE haplotype and APOE SNP rs445925 with low density lipoprotein cholesterol in CaPS (P = 4 × 10 − 4 and P = 0.001, respectively). After Bonferroni correction, none of the cohorts showed a statistically significant SNP-diet interaction on lipid outcomes. Conclusion In summary, our findings from the two cohorts confirm that genetic variations at the APOE locus influence plasma total cholesterol concentrations, however, the gene-diet interactions on lipids require further investigation in larger cohorts.

Prospective data on the associations between vitamin D intake and risk of CVD and all-cause mortality are limited and inconclusive. The aim of the present study was to investigate the associations between vitamin D intake and CVD risk and all-cause mortality in the Caerphilly Prospective Cohort Study. The associations of vitamin D intake with CVD risk markers were examined cross-sectionally at baseline and longitudinally at 5-year, 10-year and >20-year follow-ups. In addition, the predictive value of vitamin D intake for CVD events and all-cause mortality after >20 years of follow-up was examined. Logistic regression and general linear regression were used for data analysis. Participants in the UK. Men (n 452) who were free from CVD and type 2 diabetes at recruitment. Higher vitamin D intake was associated with increased HDL cholesterol (P=0·003) and pulse pressure (P=0·04) and decreased total cholesterol:HDL cholesterol (P=0·008) cross-sectionally at baseline, but the associations were lost during follow-up. Furthermore, higher vitamin D intake was associated with decreased concentration of plasma TAG at baseline (P=0·01) and at the 5-year (P=0·01), but not the 10-year examination. After >20 years of follow-up, vitamin D was not associated with stroke (n 72), myocardial infarctions (n 142), heart failure (n 43) or all-cause mortality (n 281), but was positively associated with increased diastolic blood pressure (P=0·03). The study supports associations of higher vitamin D intake with lower fasting plasma TAG and higher diastolic blood pressure.

Dietary behaviour is an important modifiable factor in cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention. The study aimed to identify dietary patterns (DPs) and explore their association with CVD incidence and risk markers. A follow-up of 1838 middle-aged men, aged 47–67 years recruited into the Caerphilly Prospective Cohort Study at phase 2 (1984–1988) was undertaken. Principal component analysis identified three DPs at baseline, which explained 24.8% of the total variance of food intake. DP1, characterised by higher intakes of white bread, butter, lard, chips and sugar-sweetened beverages and lower intake of wholegrain bread, was associated with higher CVD (HR 1.35: 95% CI: 1.10, 1.67) and stroke (HR 1.77; 95% CI: 1.18, 2.63) incidence. DP3, characterised by higher intakes of sweet puddings and biscuits, wholegrain breakfast cereals and dairy (excluding cheese and butter) and lower alcohol intake, was associated with lower CVD (HR 0.76; 95% CI: 0.62, 0.93), coronary heart disease (HR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.52, 0.90) and stroke (HR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.47, 0.99) incidence and a beneficial CVD profile at baseline, while DP1 with an unfavourable profile, showed no clear associations after 12 years follow-up. Dietary pattern 2 (DP2), characterised by higher intake of pulses, fish, poultry, processed/red meat, rice, pasta and vegetables, was not associated with the aforementioned outcomes. These data may provide insight for development of public health initiatives focussing on feasible changes in dietary habits.

We describe plant–arthropod associations from the Middle Pennsylvanian (late Bolsovian–early Asturian) Pennant Sandstone Formation of southern Britain. Our material comprises calcified cordaitaleans and tree-fern axes, preserved in braided channel deposits, and interpreted as remains of subhumid riparian vegetation distinct from that of coeval coal swamps. The first plant–arthropod association, attributed to herbivorous insects, comprises cambial damage to cordaitalean leafy branches, resulting in traumatic wound response. The second and most widespread association, attributable to detritivorous oribatid mites, includes tunnels and galleries containing widely scattered, clustered, or densely packed microcoprolites within the inner root mantle of marattialean tree ferns and cordaitalean trunks and branches. Diameter data for tunnels and microcoprolites are multimodal, recording four or five instars of oribatid mites that parallel instar-based fecal pellet and body lengths in modern taxa. The third association attributed, possibly, to an arthropleurid, comprises a single, very large (19 × 14 mm) coprolite. Included plant fragments support a previous conjecture that arborescent lycopsids formed part of this iconic arthropod's diet. Mucus-lined burrows within the macrocoprolite imply that fecal material was processed by annelids. The high diversity and frequency of plant–arthropod associations are unusual for Mid-Pennsylvanian time, and may reflect previously undetected interactions in those ecosystems that lay outside “coal forest swamps.”

Objective: To test the hypothesis that milk drinking increases the risk of ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and ischaemic stroke in a prospective study. Design: In the Caerphilly Cohort Study dietary data, including milk consumption, were collected by a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire in 1979-1983. The cohort has been followed for 20-24 y and incident IHD and stroke events identified. Subjects: A representative population sample in South Wales, of 2512 men, aged 45-59 y at recruitment. Main outcome measures: In total, 493 men had an IHD event and 185 an ischaemic stroke during follow-up. Results: After adjustment, the hazard ratio in men with a milk consumption of one pint (0.57 l) or more per day, relative to men who stated that they consumed no milk, is 0.71 (0.40-1.26) for IHD and 0.66 (0.24-1.81) for ischaemic stroke. At baseline, 606 men had had clinical or ECG evidence of vascular disease, and in these the vascular risk was even lower (0.37; 0.15-0.90). The hazard ratio for IHD and ischaemic stroke combined is 0.64 (0.39-1.06) in all men and 0.37 (0.15-0.90) in those who had had a prior vascular event. Conclusion: The data provide no convincing evidence that milk consumption is associated with an increase in vascular disease risk. Evidence from an overview of all published cohort studies on this topic should be informative.

Abstract Objective: To examine the relation between frequency of orgasm and mortality. Study design: Cohort study with a 10 year follow up. Setting: The town of Caerphilly, South Wales, and five adjacent villages. Subjects: 918 men aged 45–59 at time of recruitment between 1979 and 1983. Main outcome measures: All deaths and deaths from coronary heart disease. Result: Mortality risk was 50% lower in the group with high orgasmic frequency than in the group with low orgasmic frequency, with evidence of a dose-response relation across the groups. Age adjusted odds ratio for all cause mortality was 2.0 for the group with low frequency of orgasm (95% confidence interval 1.1 to 3.5, test for trend P=0.02). With adjustment for risk factors this became 1.9 (1.0 to 3.4, test for trend P=0.04). Death from coronary heart disease and from other causes showed similar associations with frequency of orgasm, although the gradient was most marked for deaths from coronary heart disease. Analysed in terms of actual frequency of orgasm, the odds ratio for total mortality associated with an increase in 100 orgasms per year was 0.64 (0.44 to 0.95). Conclusion: Sexual activity seems to have a protective effect on men's health. Key messages Sex and death are common variables in epidemiology, but the relation between them has been little studied In this cohort study, mortality risk was 50% lower in men with high frequency of orgasm than in men with low frequency of orgasm; there was evidence of a dose-response relation across the groups The question of causation is complex, as with all observational epidemiological findings; several explanations are possible, but the evidence for causation is as convincing here as in many areas where causation is assumed These findings contrast with the view common to many cultures that the pleasure of sexual intercourse may be secured at the cost of vigour and wellbeing If these findings are replicated, there are implications for health promotion programmes

Background/Aims: The prevalence of dementia and cognitive impairment not dementia was investigated in the Caerphilly Prospective Study cohort (men currently aged 65–84 years). Methods: Of 1,633 men eligible for cognitive screening, 1,225 (75%) were seen, with those failing the screening criteria (CAMCOG <83 or decline in CAMCOG >9) being neurologically examined. Results: For dementia, diagnosed by DSM-IV criteria, the population prevalence was 5.2% rising to 6.1% in the screened population. For cognitive impairment not dementia, the prevalence in the screened population was 15.6% giving an overall prevalence of cognitive impairment of 21.8%. Prevalence rose fivefold between ages of 65 and 84 years to reach over 50%. Conclusion: These figures are likely to underestimate actual prevalence in this population, and developing effective interventions should be a public health priority.

Finds that the association between birthweight and risk of coronary heart disease cannot be explained by associations with childhood or adulthood socioeconomic status. Nor do conventional risk factors for coronary heart disease in adulthood account for the association. However, there is an important interaction between birthweight and body-mass index such that the increased risk of coronary heart disease associated with low birthweight is restricted to people who have high body-mass index in adulthood. (Original abstract-amended)

\"In [Caerphilly AM Jeff Cuthbert] we have the second largest castle in Britain, and we have the impressive 16th-century manor house at Llancaiach Fawr, near Nelson. \"Of course we also host the Big Cheese Festival every year - an event that pulls in more visitors than the National Eisteddfod. \"So it remains a mystery as to why Caerphilly is so low down the table in terms of tourist income.\" \"The council cannot force people to spend money in Caerphilly. We have the best tourist association in Wales and we are just about doing all we can in that department.\"