Background Passive smoking is increasingly associated with adverse health effects. The new UK Government is considering its tobacco control policy. Aim To record public attitudes on potential legislation regarding smoking in cars. Methods We commissioned a survey of the YouGov® Plc British panel of 185 000+ people (aged 18+). An email was sent to panellists, selected at random using a sophisticated sampling matrix, to be representative of each country. Three surveys were conducted between 25 and 30 March 2009. We obtained answers from n=10 895 adults in England, n=1023 adults in Wales, and n=1157 adults in Scotland. The results for all three countries were merged at analysis stage and re-weighted to be representative of the overall GB population. We had data from 13 075 adults, 52% female, mean age 45.5 (range 18–88 years), 22% of whom reported continued smoking at least occasionally. Results Overall, 76% of adults support a ban on smoking in cars carrying children, 55% support a ban on smoking in cars carrying any passenger. Regarding a total ban on smoking in cars, 44% support a complete ban, with 37% opposing a complete ban and 19% were undecided. The Abstract P185 Table 1 shows responses by smoking status for support for a ban in cars.Abstract P185 Table 1 Never or ex-smokers (n=10229) Smokers (n=2846) p-Value That are carrying children <18 years of age 81% 58% <0.001 That are carrying any passenger 64% 24% <0.001 All cars 52% 15% <0.001 Conclusions There remain differences in opinion between smokers and non-smokers but there appears widespread public support among both groups for a ban on smoking in cars, especially any carrying children.

Aim To record public attitudes to the 2006–2007 UK bans on smoking in enclosed public and workplaces. Methods We commissioned a survey of the YouGov Plc British panel of 185 000+ people (aged 18+). An email was sent to panellists, selected at random using a sophisticated sampling matrix, to be representative of each country. Three surveys were conducted between 25 and 30 March 2009. We obtained answers from n=10 895 adults in England, n=1023 adults in Wales, and n=1157 adults in Scotland. The results for all three countries were merged at analysis stage and re-weighted to be representative of the overall GB population. We had data from 13 075 adults, 52% female, mean age 45.5 years (range 18–88 years), 22% of whom reported continued smoking at least occasionally. Results Overall, 79.1% supported the ban, 14.6% opposed the ban and 6.2% were unsure. The Abstract P186 Table 1 describes responses by smoking status: Conclusions There remain differences in opinion between smokers and non-smokers but public support for the ban on smoking in public and workplaces remains high. Most people (including smokers) believe the ban has significant beneficial health effects at all levels.

In discussing whether the UK is turning the clock back on public health advances,1 the fact that the coalition government is considering mandatory plain brown packets for cigarettes is encouraging.2 However, this move, which may get held up in the courts, must not delay implementing …

Background: Asthma has a major impact on patients’ lives, and severe asthma is a serious health problem. The European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations (EFA) commissioned a telephonic survey to capture the views of people who are living with severe asthma in Europe.Methods: A total of 1300 patients from the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Sweden who reported a previous diagnosis of asthma and reported receiving asthma medication took part in the survey.Results: Most patients reported having limitations to their lifestyles as a consequence of the symptoms of severe asthma. Almost 70% of patients reported that physical activity was restricted, 50% were restricted from having pets, 30% from taking holidays, and many felt their job prospects were limited. In addition, 50% of this population of patients were not convinced that guideline goals were being achieved, although it is not clear as to the cause of this failing. Patients indicated that they want treatments that are fast‐acting, long‐lasting and have minimal side effects, and they were optimistic for the development of effective therapies over the next 5 years.Conclusions: The results of this study provide insight into how greatly patients’ lives are affected by severe asthma.

BACKGROUND:Recent randomized clinical trials have suggested that estrogen plus progestin does not confer cardiac protection and may increase the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). In this report, we provide the final results with regard to estrogen plus progestin and CHD from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI).METHODS:The WHI included a randomized primary-prevention trial of estrogen plus progestin in 16,608 postmenopausal women who were 50 to 79 years of age at base line. Participants were randomly assigned to receive conjugated equine estrogens (0.625 mg per day) plus medroxyprogesterone acetate (2.5 mg per day) or placebo. The primary efficacy outcome of the trial was CHD (nonfatal myocardial infarction or death due to CHD).RESULTS:After a mean follow-up of 5.2 years (planned duration, 8.5 years), the data and safety monitoring board recommended terminating the estrogen-plus-progestin trial because the overall risks exceeded the benefits. Combined hormone therapy was associated with a hazard ratio for CHD of 1.24 (nominal 95 percent confidence interval, 1.00 to 1.54; 95 percent confidence interval after adjustment for sequential monitoring, 0.97 to 1.60). The elevation in risk was most apparent at one year (hazard ratio, 1.81 [95 percent confidence interval, 1.09 to 3.01]). Although higher base-line levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were associated with an excess risk of CHD among women who received hormone therapy, higher base-line levels of C-reactive protein, other biomarkers, and other clinical characteristics did not significantly modify the treatment-related risk of CHD.CONCLUSIONS:Estrogen plus progestin does not confer cardiac protection and may increase the risk of CHD among generally healthy postmenopausal women, especially during the first year after the initiation of hormone use. This treatment should not be prescribed for the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Complementary therapies attract considerable media attention and previous surveys of members of an asthma patient organisation suggested that their use by those with asthma was commonplace. This report concerns a study of a stratified cross section of the asthma population designed to give a more representative insight into current usage of complementary therapies. A sift questionnaire was used to identify those with asthma and 785 of those so identified undertook a semi-structured face-to-face interview. Only 6% of the study population were current users of complementary therapies with use being more common amongst those who expressed most concern regarding their current medication. Low use of complementary therapies may well reflect satisfaction with current management and suggests that previous surveys may have been unrepresentative of a more balanced population of those with asthma.

BACKGROUND:Little information is available on the assessment of changes in body composition as a function of weight change with the use of the fan beam of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).OBJECTIVE:The objective was to determine the accuracy of the fan beam of the QDR 4500A densitometer and the pencil beam of the QDR 2000 densitometer in estimating changes in whole-body lean soft tissue mass (LSTM(DXA)) and fat mass (FM) with weight change.DESIGN:Thirty-seven subjects who lost 5.7 +/- 4.5 kg were measured before and after weight change. Using total body water and computed tomography (CT) of the midthigh, we compared changes in FFM(TBW) and LSTM(CT) with changes in LSTM(DXA).RESULTS:Overall, compared with TBW, the fan beam gave a larger estimate of change (macro x +/- SD) in LSTM (fan beam - TBW: -0.7 +/- 1.6 kg) than did the pencil beam (pencil beam - TBW: -0.1 +/- 1.6 kg). When the change in LSTM obtained with the fan beam and pencil beam was regressed against the change in FFM(TBW), the slope of the line for the fan beam was 0.97 (r(2) = 0.61) and that for the pencil beam was 0.86 (r(2) = 0.61). Regression analysis showed that the results between the 2 units were not interchangeable. For the midthigh region, the change in LSTM(CT) was moderately correlated with the change in LSTM(DXA) with the fan beam and pencil beam.CONCLUSIONS:The measurement of change in LSTM with the fan and pencil beams provides the same relation to changes in FFM assessed by TBW, but the 2 systems are not interchangeable.

Background: The use of hydrostatic weighing (HW) to measure body composition in the elderly can be difficult and is based on the assumption of constancy of body compartments.Objective: We calibrated and validated a new air-displacement plethysmography (AP) method for measuring body composition in the elderly. Design: A 4-compartment equation for calculating percentage body fat (%BF) that used body density (D-b), total body water, and bone mineral content was used as the criterion for evaluating %BF estimated by the 2- and 3-compartment models. Db was measured by HW [D-b(HW)] and by use of the AP instrument [D-b(AP)] in 30 elderly men and 28 elderly women aged 70-79 y.Results: D-b(AP) was not significantly different from D-b(HW). However, analysis of variance showed a significant two-way interaction between sex and compartment model (P < 0.02), indicating that the comparisons between the sexes were different across all compartment models. The %BF calculated for the women was significantly higher than that calculated for the men by both HW and AP and for all compartment models.Conclusion: Our data indicate that D-b(AP) was not significantly different from D-b(HW). Although differences were seen in %BF between the sexes, we observed no significant differences among the compartment models within each sex for this group of older individuals.

Annals of the New York Academy of SciencesVolume 904, Issue 1 p. 94-97 Measurement of Changes in Soft Tissue Mass and Fat Mass with Weight Change: Pencil- versus Fan-Beam Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry F. A. TYLAVSKY, Corresponding Author F. A. TYLAVSKY University of Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee 36105, USA Address for correspondence: Frances A. Tylavsky, Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Tennessee, 66 North Pauline Street, Suite 633, Memphis, TN 36105. Voice: 901–448–7341; fax: 901–448–7641. tylavsky@physio1.utmem.eduSearch for more papers by this authorT. FUERST, T. FUERST SYNARC, Inc., San Francisco, California 94105, USASearch for more papers by this authorM. NEVITT, M. NEVITT University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94105, USASearch for more papers by this authorM. DOCKRELL, M. DOCKRELL University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94105, USASearch for more papers by this authorJ. Y. WAN, J. Y. WAN University of Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee 36105, USASearch for more papers by this authorJ. CAULEY, J. CAULEY University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USASearch for more papers by this authorT. HARRIS, T. HARRIS The National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USASearch for more papers by this authorFOR THE HEALTH ABC STUDY, FOR THE HEALTH ABC STUDY University of Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee 36105, USASearch for more papers by this author F. A. TYLAVSKY, Corresponding Author F. A. TYLAVSKY University of Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee 36105, USA Address for correspondence: Frances A. Tylavsky, Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Tennessee, 66 North Pauline Street, Suite 633, Memphis, TN 36105. Voice: 901–448–7341; fax: 901–448–7641. tylavsky@physio1.utmem.eduSearch for more papers by this authorT. FUERST, T. FUERST SYNARC, Inc., San Francisco, California 94105, USASearch for more papers by this authorM. NEVITT, M. NEVITT University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94105, USASearch for more papers by this authorM. DOCKRELL, M. DOCKRELL University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94105, USASearch for more papers by this authorJ. Y. WAN, J. Y. WAN University of Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee 36105, USASearch for more papers by this authorJ. CAULEY, J. CAULEY University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USASearch for more papers by this authorT. HARRIS, T. HARRIS The National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USASearch for more papers by this authorFOR THE HEALTH ABC STUDY, FOR THE HEALTH ABC STUDY University of Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee 36105, USASearch for more papers by this author First published: 25 January 2006 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2000.tb06426.xCitations: 12Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume904, Issue1IN VIVO BODY COMPOSITION STUDIESMay 2000Pages 94-97 RelatedInformation

The accuracy of total body fat mass and leg fat mass measurements by fan-beam dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) was assessed in 60 healthy elderly subjects (aged 70-79 yr). Total fat and leg fat mass at four leg regions (total leg, thigh, midthigh, and calf) were measured with the QDR 4500A (Hologic, Waltham, MA). The four-compartment model and multislice computed tomography scans were selected as criterion methods for total fat and leg fat mass, respectively. Total fat mass from DEXA was positively associated with fat mass from the four-compartment model with a standard error of the estimate ranging from 1.4 to 1.6 kg. DEXA fan-beam tended to overestimate fat mass for total leg and total thigh fat mass, whereas only marginal differences in fat mass measurements at the midthigh and calf were demonstrated (</=0.08 kg, P < 0.0005). Although there were significant differences between DEXA fan beam and the criterion methods, these differences were of small magnitude, suggesting that DEXA is an accurate method for measurement of fat mass for the elderly.

This study evaluated a new body composition phantom and its use for quality control and cross-calibration of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) instruments for measurements of body composition. We imaged the variable composition phantom (Lunar, Madison, WI) on eight different DXA devices. Deviations of up to 7% fat were observed when we compared the percent fat values measured by the different devices with the nominal values provided by the manufacturer. Absolute precision error of percent fat measurements for the phantom ranged from 0.6 to 0.8%. The phantom's percent fat values were also compared with whole body composition measurements from 130 female and male volunteers. The phantom detected differences in percent fat values that were similar to those found by comparing in vivo measurements with values from different DXA scanner models from the same manufacturer. When comparing different models of scanners from different manufacturers, such as the Hologic QDR-4500 and the Lunar DPX-IQ, the phantom showed a different relationship than was seen for patients. Therefore, corrections or comparisons based on the phantom data alone would be incorrect. In conclusion, the Lunar variable composition phantom is capable of accurately measuring the fat calibration of DXA devices and may be suitable for cross-sectional cross-calibration between scanners from the same manufacturer; however, for comparison of DXA scanners from different manufacturers, in vivo cross-calibration is still the only accurate method. The phantom may be used in longitudinal quality control to verify an instrument's temporal stability.

2074 The primary objective of this study was to determine if changes in fat free mass(STM) and fat mass (FM) due to weight loss were assessed similarly using DXA Fan Beam (FB)(QDR4500 Hologic, Inc.) and Pencil Beam (PB) (QDR2000) technology. 43 individuals enrolled in a weight loss program STM and FM measured at baseline and at follow-up. STM and FM was obtained by performing a whole body DXA using both the FB and PB. The mean weight loss was 5.9 ± 4.5 kg. FM assessed by the PB was higher at baseline and follow-up and STM (kg.) was lower as indicated in this table (**p<0.001; *p<0.04) FB PB Difference Correlation Baseline 52.1 ± 5.4 46.1 ± 5.3 −6.1 ± 1.9** 0.98** Follow-up 48.9 ± 6.1 43.5 ± 6.0 −5.4 ± 1.7** 0.97** Change −1.6 ± 2.0 −0.9 ± 2.2 −0.7 ± 1.4** 0.78* Using the model; STM = Scale Weight + Beam Indicator, the relationship between the FB and PB was deemed to be parallel at baseline (p<0001), follow-up(p<0001) and change, (p<0.04) across the range for weight (65.3-122.2 kg) and weight change(4.1 - 13.9 kg). This study demonstrated that the pencil beam consistently assesses lower levels of STM and higher levels of FM than the fan beam both cross-sectionally and with weight change. Additionally, the agreement between the two beams when ranked into tertiles had a kappa =0.536 (0.325,0.746 95%CI) for change in STM. Whether the FB or PB provides the correct assessment of STM and FM rem ms to be determined.