Dietary epidemiology of essential tremor: meat consumption and meat cooking practices.

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIM:

Harmane [1-methyl-9H-pyrido(3,4-b)indole] is a tremor-producing neurotoxin. Blood harmane concentrations are elevated in essential tremor (ET) patients for unclear reasons. Potential mechanisms include increased dietary harmane intake (especially through well-cooked meat) or genetic-metabolic factors. We tested the hypothesis that meat consumption and level of meat doneness are higher in ET cases than in controls.

METHODS:

Detailed data were collected using the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Meat Questionnaire.

RESULTS:

Total current meat consumption was greater in men with than without ET (135.3 +/- 71.1 vs. 110.6 +/- 80.4 g/day, p = 0.03) but not in women with versus without ET (80.6 +/- 50.0 vs. 79.3 +/- 51.0 g/day, p = 0.76). In an adjusted logistic regression analysis in males, higher total current meat consumption was associated with ET (OR = 1.006, p = 0.04, i.e., with 10 additional g/day of meat, odds of ET increased by 6%). Male cases had higher odds of being in the highest than lowest quartile of total current meat consumption (adjusted OR = 21.36, p = 0.001). Meat doneness level was similar in cases and controls.

CONCLUSION:

This study provides evidence of a dietary difference between male ET cases and male controls. The etiological ramifications of these results warrant additional investigation.

• Authors: Elan D Louis, Garrett A Keating, Kenneth T Bogen, Eileen Rios, Kathryn M Pellegrino, Pam Factor-Litvak
• Journal: Neuroepidemiology (Neuroepidemiology) Vol. 30 Issue 3 Pg. 161-6 ( 2008) ISSN: 1423-0208 [Electronic] Switzerland
• PMID: 18382115 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural)
• Copyright: (c) 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel

Chemical References

• Neurotoxins
• Harmine
• harman

Topics

• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Case-Control Studies
• Cooking
• Diet (statistics & numerical data)
• Diet Surveys
• Essential Tremor (etiology, psychology)
• Feeding Behavior
• Female
• Harmine (administration & dosage, analogs & derivatives)
• Humans
• Male
• Meat
• Middle Aged
• Neurotoxins (administration & dosage)