Calculating a national Anomie Density Ratio: Measuring the patterns of loneliness and social isolation across the UK’s residential density gradient using results from the UK Biobank study

ObjectiveTo examine whether social isolation and loneliness (1) predict acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and stroke among those with no history of AMI or stroke, (2) are related to mortality risk among those with a history of AMI or stroke, and (3) the extent to which these associations are explained by known risk factors or pre-existing chronic conditions.MethodsParticipants were 479 054 individuals from the UK Biobank. The exposures were self-reported social isolation and loneliness. AMI, stroke and mortality were the outcomes.ResultsOver 7.1 years, 5731 had first AMI, and 3471 had first stroke. In model adjusted for demographics, social isolation was associated with higher risk of AMI (HR 1.43, 95% CI 1.3 to –1.55) and stroke (HR 1.39, 95% CI 1.25 to 1.54). When adjusted for all the other risk factors, the HR for AMI was attenuated by 84% to 1.07 (95% CI 0.99 to 1.16) and the HR for stroke was attenuated by 83% to 1.06 (95% CI 0.96 to 1.19). Loneliness was associated with higher risk of AMI before (HR 1.49, 95% CI 1.36 to 1.64) but attenuated considerably with adjustments (HR 1.06, 95% CI 0.96 to 1.17). This was also the case for stroke (HR 1.36, 95% CI 1.20 to 1.55 before and HR 1.04, 95% CI 0.91 to 1.19 after adjustments). Social isolation, but not loneliness, was associated with increased mortality in participants with a history of AMI (HR 1.25, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.51) or stroke (HR 1.32, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.61) in the fully adjusted model.ConclusionsIsolated and lonely persons are at increased risk of AMI and stroke, and, among those with a history of AMI or stroke, increased risk of death. Most of this risk was explained by conventional risk factors.

Download Full-text

Social isolation, loneliness and all-cause dementia: a longitudinal and imaging-genetic study in the UK Biobank cohort

10.1101/2021.06.30.21259818 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Chun Shen ◽

Barbara Sahakian ◽

Wei Cheng ◽

Jujiao Kang ◽

Guiying Dong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Isolation ◽

Structural Changes ◽

Enrichment Analysis ◽

Uk Biobank ◽

Spatially Correlated ◽

Brain Changes ◽

Disease Related Genes ◽

Subcortical Regions ◽

The Uk ◽

Gray Matter Volumes

INTRODUCTION: Current findings of the relative influence of social isolation and loneliness on dementia are contradictory, and the potential neurobiological mechanisms are unclear. METHODS: We utilized the UK Biobank to investigate the relationships of social isolation and loneliness with dementia (n = 462,619). Neuroanatomical correlates were identified in a subset of participants (n = 32,263). The transcriptomic signatures of related brain changes were characterized by gene enrichment analysis. RESULTS: After full adjustment, social isolation but not loneliness was associated with dementia (hazard ratio: 1.28, 95% confidence interval: 1.17-1.39). Isolated individuals had reduced gray matter volumes in temporal, frontal, occipital and subcortical regions (e.g., hippocampus and amygdala). Relevant brain changes were spatially correlated with genes involved in mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative phosphorylation, and down-regulated Alzheimer's disease-related genes. DISCUSSION: Social isolation is an independent risk factor for dementia, which could be partly explained by related structural changes coupling with altered molecular functions.

Download Full-text

The genetic and environmental hierarchical structure of anxiety and depression in the UK Biobank

10.31234/osf.io/pzh9n ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Geneviève Morneau-Vaillancourt ◽

Jonathan Richard Iain Coleman ◽

Kirstin Lee Purves ◽

Rosa Cheesman ◽

Christopher Rayner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Isolation ◽

Depressive Disorders ◽

Current Knowledge ◽

Genetic Correlations ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Generalized Anxiety ◽

Uk Biobank ◽

Genome Wide ◽

The Uk ◽

Mental Health Questionnaire

Background. Anxiety and depressive disorders can be classified under a bi-dimensional model, where depression and generalized anxiety disorder are represented by distress and the other anxiety disorders, by fear. The phenotypic structure of this model has been validated, but twin studies only show partial evidence for genetic and environmental distinctions between distress and fear. Moreover, the effects of genetic variants are mostly shared between anxiety and depression, but the genome-wide genetic distinction between distress and fear remain unexplored. This study aimed to examine the degree of common genetic variation overlap between distress and fear, and their associations with the psychosocial risk factors of loneliness and social isolation. Methods. We used genome-wide data from 157,366 individuals in the UK Biobank who answered a mental health questionnaire. Results. Genetic correlations indicated that depression and generalized anxiety had a substantial genetic overlap, and that they were genetically partially distinct from fear disorders. Associations with loneliness, but not social isolation, showed that loneliness was more strongly associated with both distress disorders than with fear. Conclusions. Our findings shed light on genetic and environmental mechanisms that are common and unique to distress and fear and contribute to current knowledge on individuals’ susceptibility to anxiety and depression.

Download Full-text

Residential density and adiposity: findings from the UK Biobank

The Lancet ◽

10.1016/s0140-6736(17)33014-3 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 390 ◽

pp. S79

Author(s):

Chinmoy Sarkar ◽

Chris Webster ◽

John Gallacher

Keyword(s):

Residential Density ◽

Uk Biobank ◽

The Uk

Download Full-text

Exploring Health in the UK Biobank: Sociodemographic, Psychosocial, Lifestyle and Environmental Factors

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.2519 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 673-673

Author(s):

Julian Mutz ◽

Charlotte Roscoe ◽

Cathryn Lewis

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Social Isolation ◽

Sleep Duration ◽

Low Income ◽

Alcohol Intake ◽

Health Indicators ◽

Poor Health ◽

Stair Climbing ◽

Uk Biobank ◽

The Uk

Abstract A greater understanding of factors associated with favourable health may help increase longevity and healthy life expectancy. We examined sociodemographic, psychosocial, lifestyle, and environmental exposures associated with multiple health indicators. The UK Biobank study recruited >500,000 participants, aged 37-73, between 2006–2010. Health indicators examined were 81 cancer and 443 non-cancer illnesses used to classify participants by health status; long-standing illness; and self-rated health. Exposures were sociodemographic (age, sex, ethnicity, education, income and deprivation), psychosocial (loneliness and social isolation), lifestyle (smoking, alcohol intake, sleep duration, BMI, physical activity and stair climbing) and environmental (air pollution, noise and residential greenspace) factors. 307,378 participants (mean age = 56.1 years [SD = 8.07], 51.9% female) were selected for cross-sectional analyses. Low income, being male, neighbourhood deprivation, loneliness, social isolation, short or long sleep duration, low or high BMI and smoking was associated with poor health. Walking, vigorous-intensity physical activity and more frequent alcohol intake was associated with good health. There was some evidence that airborne pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, and NO2) and noise (Lden) were associated with poor health, though findings were not consistent across all models. Our findings highlight the multifactorial nature of health, the importance of non-medical factors, such as loneliness, healthy lifestyle behaviours and weight management, and the need to examine efforts to improve health outcomes of individuals with low income.

Download Full-text

Low birthweight is associated with poorer limb muscle mass and grip strength in middle age: findings from the UK Biobank Imaging Enhancement

Bone Abstracts ◽

10.1530/boneabs.7.oc5 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Elizabeth Curtis ◽

Justin Liu ◽

Kate Ward ◽

Karen Jameson ◽

Zahra Raisi-Estabragh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Grip Strength ◽

Muscle Mass ◽

Low Birthweight ◽

Middle Age ◽

Limb Muscle ◽

Uk Biobank ◽

The Uk

Download Full-text

Associations between dietary macronutrients and blood lipids in the UK Biobank study

10.26226/morressier.5ef37080b2a27f760262bb62 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Rebecca K Kelly

Keyword(s):

Blood Lipids ◽

Uk Biobank ◽

The Uk

Download Full-text

Contrasting Broad- and Clinically- defined Polygenic Indicators of Depression and Depression-related Phenotypes in Adults and Children

10.31234/osf.io/pn9vb ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

John E. McGeary ◽

Chelsie Benca-Bachman ◽

Victoria Risner ◽

Christopher G Beevers ◽

Brandon Gibb ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Cognitive Reappraisal ◽

Twin Studies ◽

European Ancestry ◽

Summary Statistics ◽

Depression Severity ◽

Uk Biobank ◽

Polygenic Scores ◽

Adults And Children ◽

The Uk

Twin studies indicate that 30-40% of the disease liability for depression can be attributed to genetic differences. Here, we assess the explanatory ability of polygenic scores (PGS) based on broad- (PGSBD) and clinical- (PGSMDD) depression summary statistics from the UK Biobank using independent cohorts of adults (N=210; 100% European Ancestry) and children (N=728; 70% European Ancestry) who have been extensively phenotyped for depression and related neurocognitive phenotypes. PGS associations with depression severity and diagnosis were generally modest, and larger in adults than children. Polygenic prediction of depression-related phenotypes was mixed and varied by PGS. Higher PGSBD, in adults, was associated with a higher likelihood of having suicidal ideation, increased brooding and anhedonia, and lower levels of cognitive reappraisal; PGSMDD was positively associated with brooding and negatively related to cognitive reappraisal. Overall, PGS based on both broad and clinical depression phenotypes have modest utility in adult and child samples of depression.

Download Full-text