Day and Night, Night and Day: Associations of Sleep and Activity Variability and Mortality

Abstract Self-reported sleep duration has been repeatedly found to predict mortality. Actigraphy has recently been added to population-based studies to provide more accurate sleep measures. Actigraphy sleep duration has not consistently predicted mortality, but actigraphy measures of sleep disruption measures are generally found to be predictive of mortality for older adults. A few studies have more fully used actigraphy data and constructed variables to summarize 24-hour activity patterns, which have also predicted mortality. In this study, we use a nationally representative study of Americans aged 61 – 91 to examine the associations between mortality and actigraphy-derived measures of variability, for both sleep and 24-hour activity patterns. We use 72-hour wrist actigraphy data from a substudy of the 2010/11 round of the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project (NSHAP) linked to the National Death Index (NDI) to establish 5-year mortality. Sleep variability was represented by sleep fragmentation and the standard deviation of wake and bed times. Intraday variability and between day (interday) variability described the 24-hour activity patterns. Cox proportional hazards models were adjusted for sociodemographic confounders and average daytime activity. In general, more variability was associated with increased death hazard for all measures. Fragmentation (HR: 1.04, 95% CI: [1.01, 1.07], p = 0.01), standard deviation of bedtimes (HR: 1.16, 95% CI: [1.02, 1.31], p = 0.02), and intraday variability (HR: 1.19, 95% CI: [0.98, 1.43], p = 0.07) showed the strongest associations. This study suggests that both consistent sleep and 24-hour activity patterns are associated with better prospective health.

Download Full-text

Association between Sleep Duration and Incident Chronic Kidney Disease: A Population-Based Cohort Analysis of the NAGALA Study

Kidney & Blood Pressure Research ◽

10.1159/000504545 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 45 (2) ◽

pp. 339-349

Author(s):

Hanako Nakajima ◽

Yoshitaka Hashimoto ◽

Takuro Okamura ◽

Akihiro Obora ◽

Takao Kojima ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chronic Kidney Disease ◽

Kidney Disease ◽

Sleep Duration ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Cohort Analysis ◽

Population Based ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Incident Chronic Kidney Disease

Background: The duration of sleep might be a risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD). We investigated the relationship between sleep duration and incident CKD. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study of 7,752 men and 6,722 women, we divided the subjects into 4 groups according to sleep duration, i.e., those whose reported regular sleep duration was <6 h (the “<6 h group”), those whose sleep duration was >6 but <7 h (the “6 to <7 h group”), those with a sleep duration of 7 to <8 h (the “7 to <8 h group”), and those with ≥8 h sleep (the “≥8 h group”). CKD was defined as the presence of proteinuria and/or an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 mL/min/1.73 m2. The HR of the 4 groups for incident CKD were calculated with a Cox proportional hazards model, with the 7 to <8 h group set as the reference. Results: Incident CKD was detected in 1,513 (19.5%) men and 688 (10.2%) women over the median follow-up period of 7.0 (3.3–11.9) years in the men and 6.7 (3.1–10.8) years in the women. There was no association between sleep duration and incident CKD in the women. In the men, the HR of incident CKD was 0.54 (95% CI 0.45–0.64, p < 0.001) in the <6 h group, 0.73 (95% CI 0.66–0.82, p < 0.001) in the 6 to <7 h group, and 0.93 (95% CI 0.78–1.11, p = 0.433) in the ≥8 h group. Conclusion: The risk of incident CKD is lowest in those who sleep <6 h. We revealed that the risk of incident CKD is lowest in those who sleep <6 h among apparently healthy men.

Download Full-text

Associations of Dietary Patterns with Incident Depression: The Maastricht Study

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13031034 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 1034

Author(s):

Vincenza Gianfredi ◽

Annemarie Koster ◽

Anna Odone ◽

Andrea Amerio ◽

Carlo Signorelli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Dietary Patterns ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

A Priori ◽

Preventive Measure ◽

Population Based ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Healthy Diet ◽

Patient Health

Our aim was to assess the association between a priori defined dietary patterns and incident depressive symptoms. We used data from The Maastricht Study, a population-based cohort study (n = 2646, mean (SD) age 59.9 (8.0) years, 49.5% women; 15,188 person-years of follow-up). Level of adherence to the Dutch Healthy Diet (DHD), Mediterranean Diet, and Dietary Approaches To Stop Hypertension (DASH) were derived from a validated Food Frequency Questionnaire. Depressive symptoms were assessed at baseline and annually over seven-year-follow-up (using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire). We used Cox proportional hazards regression analyses to assess the association between dietary patterns and depressive symptoms. One standard deviation (SD) higher adherence in the DHD and DASH was associated with a lower hazard ratio (HR) of depressive symptoms with HRs (95%CI) of 0.78 (0.69–0.89) and 0.87 (0.77–0.98), respectively, after adjustment for sociodemographic and cardiovascular risk factors. After further adjustment for lifestyle factors, the HR per one SD higher DHD was 0.83 (0.73–0.96), whereas adherence to Mediterranean and DASH diets was not associated with incident depressive symptoms. Higher adherence to the DHD lowered risk of incident depressive symptoms. Adherence to healthy diet could be an effective non-pharmacological preventive measure to reduce the incidence of depression.

Download Full-text

How long does it take patients to find a new primary care physician when theirs retires: a population-based, longitudinal study

Human Resources for Health ◽

10.1186/s12960-021-00633-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Lindsay Hedden ◽

Megan A. Ahuja ◽

M. Ruth Lavergne ◽

Kimberlyn M. McGrail ◽

Michael R. Law ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Primary Care Physician ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Population Based ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Care Physician ◽

Potential Threat ◽

Patient Age ◽

Patient Âgé

Abstract Background The retirement of a family physician can represent a challenge in accessibility and continuity of care for patients. In this population-based, longitudinal cohort study, we assess whether and how long it takes for patients to find a new majority source of primary care (MSOC) when theirs retires, and we investigate the effect of demographic and clinical characteristics on this process. Methods We used provincial health insurance records to identify the complete cohort of patients whose majority source of care left clinical practice in either 2007/2008 or 2008/2009 and then calculated the number of days between their last visit with their original MSOC and their first visit with their new one. We compared the clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of patients who did and did not find a new MSOC in the three years following their original physician’s retirement using Chi-square and Fisher’s exact test. We also used Cox proportional hazards models to determine the adjusted association between patient age, sex, socioeconomic status, location and morbidity level (measured using Johns Hopkins’ Aggregated Diagnostic Groupings), and time to finding a new primary care physician. We produce survival curves stratified by patient age, sex, income and morbidity. Results Fifty-four percent of patients found a new MSOC within the first 12 months following their physician’s retirement. Six percent of patients still had not found a new physician after 36 months. Patients who were older and had higher levels of morbidity were more likely to find a new MSOC and found one faster than younger, healthier patients. Patients located in more urban regional health authorities also took longer to find a new MSOC compared to those in rural areas. Conclusions Primary care physician retirements represent a potential threat to accessibility; patients followed in this study took more than a year on average to find a new MSOC after their physician retired. Providing programmatic support to retiring physicians and their patients, as well as addressing shortages of longitudinal primary care more broadly could help to ensure smoother retirement transitions.

Download Full-text

Inter-pregnancy interval and later pediatric cardiovascular health of the offspring – a population-based cohort study

Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease ◽

10.1017/s2040174420001130 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-5

Author(s):

Majdi Imterat ◽

Tamar Wainstock ◽

Eyal Sheiner ◽

Gali Pariente

Keyword(s):

Proportional Hazards ◽

Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Population Based ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Cardiovascular Morbidity ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Hazards Model ◽

Kaplan Meier ◽

Inter Pregnancy Interval

Abstract Recent evidence suggests that a long inter-pregnancy interval (IPI: time interval between live birth and estimated time of conception of subsequent pregnancy) poses a risk for adverse short-term perinatal outcome. We aimed to study the effect of short (<6 months) and long (>60 months) IPI on long-term cardiovascular morbidity of the offspring. A population-based cohort study was performed in which all singleton live births in parturients with at least one previous birth were included. Hospitalizations of the offspring up to the age of 18 years involving cardiovascular diseases and according to IPI length were evaluated. Intermediate interval, between 6 and 60 months, was considered the reference. Kaplan–Meier survival curves were used to compare the cumulative morbidity incidence between the groups. Cox proportional hazards model was used to control for confounders. During the study period, 161,793 deliveries met the inclusion criteria. Of them, 14.1% (n = 22,851) occurred in parturient following a short IPI, 78.6% (n = 127,146) following an intermediate IPI, and 7.3% (n = 11,796) following a long IPI. Total hospitalizations of the offspring, involving cardiovascular morbidity, were comparable between the groups. The Kaplan–Meier survival curves demonstrated similar cumulative incidences of cardiovascular morbidity in all groups. In a Cox proportional hazards model, short and long IPI did not appear as independent risk factors for later pediatric cardiovascular morbidity of the offspring (adjusted HR 0.97, 95% CI 0.80–1.18; adjusted HR 1.01, 95% CI 0.83–1.37, for short and long IPI, respectively). In our population, extreme IPIs do not appear to impact long-term cardiovascular hospitalizations of offspring.

Download Full-text

The Longitudinal Association of Vision Impairment with Transitions to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia: Findings from The Aging, Demographics and Memory Study

The Journals of Gerontology Series A ◽

10.1093/gerona/glab157 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Joshua R Ehrlich ◽

Bonnielin K Swenor ◽

Yunshu Zhou ◽

Kenneth M Langa

Keyword(s):

Visual Acuity ◽

Logistic Regression ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Population Based ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Vision Impairment ◽

Logistic Regression Models ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Models ◽

Longitudinal Association

Abstract Background Vision impairment (VI) is associated with incident cognitive decline and dementia. However, it is not known whether VI is associated only with the transition to cognitive impairment, or whether it is also associated with later transitions to dementia. Methods We used data from the population-based Aging, Demographics and Memory Study (ADAMS) to investigate the association of visual acuity impairment (VI; defined as binocular presenting visual acuity <20/40) with transitions from cognitively normal (CN) to cognitive impairment no dementia (CIND) and from CIND to dementia. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models and logistic regression were used to model the association of VI with cognitive transitions, adjusted for covariates. Results There were 351 participants included in this study (weighted percentages: 45% male, 64% age 70-79 years) with a mean follow-up time of 4.1 years. In a multivariable model, the hazard of dementia was elevated among those with VI (HR=1.63, 95%CI=1.04-2.58). Participants with VI had a greater hazard of transitioning from CN to CIND (HR=1.86, 95%CI=1.09-3.18). However, among those with CIND and VI a similar percentage transitioned to dementia (48%) and remained CIND (52%); there was no significant association between VI and transitioning from CIND to dementia (HR=0.94, 95%CI=0.56-1.55). Using logistic regression models, the same associations between VI and cognitive transitions were identified. Conclusions Poor vision is associated with the development of CIND. The association of VI and dementia appears to be due to the higher risk of dementia among individuals with CIND. Findings may inform the design of future interventional studies.

Download Full-text

Diet Inflammatory Index and Dementia Incidence: A Population-Based Study

Neurology ◽

10.1212/wnl.0000000000012973 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 10.1212/WNL.0000000000012973

Author(s):

Sokratis Charisis ◽

Eva Ntanasi ◽

Mary Yannakoulia ◽

Costas A Anastasiou ◽

Mary H Kosmidis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Proportional Hazards ◽

Population Based ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Dietary Interventions ◽

Clinical Criteria ◽

Inflammatory Index ◽

Incident Dementia ◽

Dementia Incidence ◽

Increased Risk

Background and objectives:Aging is characterized by a functional shift of the immune system towards a proinflammatory phenotype. This derangement has been associated with cognitive decline and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of dementia. Diet can modulate systemic inflammation; thus, it may be a valuable tool to counteract the associated risks for cognitive impairment and dementia. The present study aimed to explore the associations between the inflammatory potential of diet, assessed using an easily applicable, population-based, biomarker-validated diet inflammatory index (DII), and the risk for dementia in community-dwelling older adults.Methods:Individuals from the Hellenic Longitudinal Investigation of Aging and Diet (HELIAD) were included in the present cohort study. Participants were recruited through random population sampling, and were followed for a mean of 3.05 (SD=0.85) years. Dementia diagnosis was based on standard clinical criteria. Those with baseline dementia and/or missing cognitive follow-up data were excluded from the analyses. The inflammatory potential of diet was assessed through a DII score which considers literature-derived associations of 45 food parameters with levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in the blood; higher values indicated a more pro-inflammatory diet. Consumption frequencies were derived from a detailed food frequency questionnaire, and were standardized to representative dietary intake normative data from 11 different countries. Analysis of dementia incidence as a function of baseline DII scores was performed by Cox proportional hazards models.Results:Analyses included 1059 individuals (mean age=73.1 years; 40.3% males; mean education=8.2 years), 62 of whom developed incident dementia. Each additional unit of DII was associated with a 21% increase in the risk for dementia incidence [HR=1.21 (1.03 – 1.42); p=0.023]. Compared to participants in the lowest DII tertile, participants in the highest one (maximal pro-inflammatory diet potential) were 3 [(1.2 – 7.3); p=0.014] times more likely to develop incident dementia. The test for trend was also significant, indicating a potential dose-response relationship (p=0.014).Conclusions:In the present study, higher DII scores (indicating greater pro-inflammatory diet potential) were associated with an increased risk for incident dementia. These findings might avail the development of primary dementia preventive strategies through tailored and precise dietary interventions.

Download Full-text

Cardiovascular Safety and Possible Benefit of a 5-Alpha Reductase Inhibitor among Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Patients, A Nationally Representative Cohort of Korean Men

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm8050733 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (5) ◽

pp. 733

Author(s):

Jooyoung Chang ◽

Seulggie Choi ◽

Kyuwoong Kim ◽

Sang Min Park

Keyword(s):

Cardiovascular Disease ◽

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Population Based ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Prostatic Hyperplasia ◽

Cumulative Exposure ◽

Primary Study ◽

Unexpected Finding ◽

Nationally Representative

Several studies suggest that 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (5ARIs) may be associated with elevated risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We investigated the association of 5ARI exposure and CVD incidence using the National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening Cohort, a nationally representative population-based sample of Koreans. We calculated the 4-year cumulative exposure to 5ARI for 215,003 men without prior 5ARI use. Participants were followed from January 1st, 2008 to December 31st, 2015. A subcohort of newly diagnosed benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients during 2004–2010 was also analyzed. The primary study outcome was CVD and secondary outcomes were myocardial infarction (MI) or stroke. Hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for conventional risk factors. In both the main cohort and BPH subcohort, the use of any 5ARI did not increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (HR = 1.06; 95% CI = 0.91–1.23; HR = 0.95; 95% CI = 0.88–1.03; respectively). Furthermore, as an unexpected finding, a dose-analysis among the BPH subcohort showed that the highest tertile of 5ARI exposure reduced the risk of CVD (HR = 0.82; 95% CI = 0.72–0.92; p-trend = 0.001), MI (HR = 0.69; 95% CI = 0.50–0.95), and stroke (HR = 0.84; 95% CI = 0.72–0.98) compared to non-users. Among men and BPH patients, 5ARI did not increase the risk of CVD. Among BPH patients, 5ARI use may reduce the risk CVD.

Download Full-text

Creatinine-to-body weight ratio is a predictor of incident diabetes: a population-based retrospective cohort study

Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome ◽

10.1186/s13098-021-00776-8 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Jiacheng He

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Retrospective Cohort Study ◽

Retrospective Cohort ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Weight Ratio ◽

Threshold Effect ◽

Population Based ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Incident Type

Abstract Purpose Creatinine to body weight (Cre/BW) ratio is considered the independent risk factor for incident type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but research on this relationship is limited. The relationship between the Cre/BW ratio and T2DM among Chinse individuals is still ambiguous. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between the Cre/BW ratio and the risk of T2DM in the Chinese population. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study from a prospectively collected database. We included a total of 200,658 adults free of T2DM at baseline. The risk of incident T2DM according to Cre/BW ratio was estimated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models, and a two-piece wise linear regression model was developed to find out the threshold effect. Results With a median follow-up of 3.13 ± 0.94 years, a total of 4001 (1.99%) participants developed T2DM. Overall, there was an L-shaped relation of Cre/BW ratio with the risk of incident T2DM (P for non-linearity < 0.001). When the Cre/BW ratio (× 100) was less than 0.86, the risk of T2DM decreased significantly as the Cre/BW ratio increased [0.01 (0.00, 0.10), P < 0.001]. When the Cre/BW ratio (× 100) was between 0.86 and 1.36, the reduction in the risk of developing T2DM was not as significant as before [0.22 (0.12, 0.38), P < 0.001]. In contrast, when the Cre/BW ratio (× 100) was greater than 1.36, the reduction in T2DM incidence became significantly flatter than before [0.73 (0.29,1.8), P = 0.49]. Conclusion There was an L-shaped relation of Cre/BW ratio with incidence of T2DM in general Chinese adults. A negative curvilinear association between Cre/BW ratio and incident T2DM was present, with a saturation effect predicted at 0.86 and 1.36 of Cre/BW ratio (× 100).

Download Full-text

Alpha-1 blocker use increased risk of subsequent renal cell carcinoma: A nationwide population-based study in Taiwan

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0242429 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (11) ◽

pp. e0242429

Author(s):

Shian-Ying Sung ◽

Trang Thi Huynh Le ◽

Jin- Hua Chen ◽

Teng-Fu Hsieh ◽

Chia-Ling Hsieh

Keyword(s):

Renal Cell Carcinoma ◽

Cell Carcinoma ◽

Renal Cell ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Population Based ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Research Database ◽

Antihypertensive Medications ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Underlying Mechanisms

Elevated Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) risk has been associated with the use of several antihypertensive medications but has not yet been elucidated in the populations prescribed alpha-1 blockers that are commonly used in the treatment of hypertension and lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (LUTS-BPH). The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between alpha-1 blocker use and the risk of developing RCC using a nationwide population-based database in Taiwan. Patients who were treated with alpha-1 blockers for at least 28 days were identified through the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database from 2000 to 2010. The unexposed participants were matched with the exposed cases according to age, sex, and index year at a ratio of 3:1. Cox proportional hazards regression, stratified by sex and comorbidities and adjusted for age, was performed to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for the risk of subsequent RCC. Among 2,232,092 subjects, patients who received alpha-1 blocker treatment had a higher risk of RCC than the unexposed group. Taking into account hypertension and BPH, the adjusted HR was significantly higher in male alpha-1 blocker users who had no BPH and either the presence (HR: 1.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.22–2.18) or absence (HR: 2.31, 95% CI = 1.40–3.81) of hypertension than in men not receiving these drugs. Taken together, male alpha-1 blocker users who had no comorbidity of BPH exhibited an increased risk for developing RCC independent of hypertension. Further study is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of this association.

Download Full-text

Assessing geographic and industry-related trends in bladder cancer in Ontario: A population-based study

Canadian Urological Association Journal ◽

10.5489/cuaj.7263 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Leandra Stringer ◽

Tina Luu Ly ◽

Nicolas Vanin Moreno ◽

Christopher Hewitt ◽

Michael Haan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bladder Cancer ◽

Natural Resource ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Census Data ◽

Hot Spot ◽

Population Based ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Screening Guidelines ◽

Cold Spots ◽

Statistics Canada

Introduction: Bladder cancer (BC) is the fifth most prevalent cancer in Canada, with 9000 Canadians diagnosed each year.1 While smoking is the most important risk factor, environmental and occupational carcinogens have been found to significantly contribute to BC rates.2 As Canada is highly reliant on natural resource industries, this study seeks to identify geographical and industry-related trends of BC rates in Ontario. Methods: The 1991 and 2001 Canadian Census Health and Environment Cohort (CanCHEC; Statistics Canada) was used, along with individual years of Census data. Maps identifying hot and cold spots for BC within Ontario were generated, and the former were assessed for industry patterns between location and BC rates. Cox proportional hazards models were run for each age cohort to predict the likelihood of developing BC by industry of work. Results: Significant geographical and industrial trends in BC rates were identified. For 1991–2001; hot spots included the Cochrane, Manitoulin, Parry Sound, and Sudbury (90% confidence interval [CI]), and Nipissing and Temiskaming (95% CI) regions. Toronto and York were cold spots. Concurrently, metal (p=0.039), paper and publishing (p=0.0062), and wood and furniture (p<0.0001) industries had increased rates of BC. Notably, these industries had high employment density in our hot spot areas and low density in our cold spots. Conclusions: Significant geographical and industrial BC trends were found in Northern Ontario regions reliant on heavy employment in natural resource-based industries, such as forestry, agriculture, and wood/paper. These findings may inform future screening guidelines and aid in identifying individuals at risk of BC development.

Download Full-text