Barker D J
Br Med J (Clin Res Ed). 1985 Apr 13;290(6475):1125-7. doi: 10.1136/bmj.290.6475.1125.
This paper examines the time trends in acute appendicitis in Britain in relation to changes in consumption of fibre, meat, and sugar. Knowledge of previous case fatality rates, diagnostic criteria, and management are sufficient to infer general trends in incidence from mortality data. The incidence rose steeply from around 1895 and fell from the 1930s onwards. Contrary to previous statements there is no evidence that disease rates were greatly influenced by the dietary changes in the second world war. It is concluded that dietary changes do not explain the time trends in appendicitis and that the epidemiology of the disease is more readily explained by a primarily infectious aetiology.
本文研究了英国急性阑尾炎的时间趋势,及其与纤维、肉类和糖消费量变化的关系。了解既往的病死率、诊断标准和治疗方法,足以从死亡率数据推断出发病率的总体趋势。发病率从1895年左右开始急剧上升,并从20世纪30年代起开始下降。与之前的说法相反,没有证据表明第二次世界大战期间的饮食变化对发病率有很大影响。研究得出结论,饮食变化无法解释阑尾炎的时间趋势,而该疾病的流行病学更易于用主要的感染病因来解释。