The association of urine metals and metal mixtures with cardiovascular incidence in an adult population from Spain: the Hortega Follow-Up Study

Abstract Background The association of low-level exposure to metals and metal mixtures with cardiovascular incidence in the general population has rarely been studied. We flexibly evaluated the association of urinary metals and metal mixtures concentrations with cardiovascular diseases in a representative sample of a general population from Spain. Methods Urine antimony (Sb), barium (Ba), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo), vanadium (V) and zinc (Zn) were measured in 1171 adults without clinical cardiovascular diseases, who participated in the Hortega Study. Cox proportional hazard models were used for evaluating the association between single metals and cardiovascular incidence. We used a Probit extension of Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR-P) to handle metal mixtures in a survival setting. Results In single-metal models, the hazard ratios [confidence intervals (CIs)] of cardiovascular incidence, comparing the 80th to the 20th percentiles of metal distributions, were 1.35 (1.06, 1.72) for Cu, 1.43 (1.07, 1.90) for Zn, 1.51 (1.13, 2.03) for Sb, 1.46 (1.13, 1.88) for Cd, 1.64 (1.05, 2.58) for Cr and 1.31 (1.01, 1.71) for V. BKMR-P analysis was confirmatory of these findings, supporting that Cu, Zn, Sb, Cd, Cr and V are related to cardiovascular incidence in the presence of the other metals. Cd and Sb showed the highest posterior inclusion probabilities. Conclusions Urine Cu, Zn, Sb, Cd, Cr and V were independently associated with increased cardiovascular risk at levels relevant for the general population of Spain. Urine metals in the mixture were also jointly associated with cardiovascular incidence, with Cd and Sb being the most important components of the mixture.

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Farming tasks and the development of rheumatoid arthritis in the agricultural health study

Occupational and Environmental Medicine ◽

10.1136/oemed-2018-105361 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. oemed-2018-105361 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Christine G Parks ◽

Armando Meyer ◽

Laura E Beane Freeman ◽

Jonathan Hofmann ◽

Dale P Sandler

Keyword(s):

Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽

Self Report ◽

Health Study ◽

Proportional Hazard ◽

Agricultural Health ◽

Cox Proportional Hazard ◽

Hazard Ratios ◽

Cox Proportional Hazard Models ◽

Agricultural Health Study

ObjectivesFarming has been associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Some studies have evaluated the effects of pesticides, but other agricultural exposures may also affect immune response.MethodsWe investigated non-pesticide agricultural exposures in relation to RA in licensed pesticide applicators (n=27 175, mostly male farmers) and their spouses (n=22 231) in the Agricultural Health Study (AHS) cohort (1993–1997) who completed at least one follow-up survey through 2015. Incident RA cases (n=229 applicators and 249 spouses) were identified based on self-report confirmed by use of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs or medical records. Hazard Ratios (HRs) and 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs) were estimated by Cox proportional hazard models adjusting for applicator status, state, smoking, education and specific pesticide use, allowing estimates to vary by median age when hazards assumptions were not met.ResultsOverall, RA was associated with regularly applying chemical fertilisers (HR=1.50; 95% CI 1.11 to 2.02), using non-gasoline solvents (HR=1.40; 95% CI 1.09 to 1.80), and painting (HR=1.26; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.59). In older applicators (>62 years), RA was associated with driving combines (HR=2.46; 95% CI 1.05 to 5.78) and milking cows (HR=2.56; 95% CI 1.01 to 6.53). In younger participants (≤62 years), RA was inversely associated with raising animals as well as crops (HR=0.68; 95% CI 0.51 to 0.89 vs crops only). Associations with specific crops varied by age: some (eg, hay) were inversely associated with RA in younger participants, while others (eg, alfalfa) were associated with RA in older participants.ConclusionThese findings suggest several agricultural tasks and exposures may contribute to development of RA.

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Physical Activity, Function, and Mortality in Advanced Age: A Longitudinal Follow-Up (LiLACS NZ)

Journal of Aging and Physical Activity ◽

10.1123/japa.2017-0178 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 26 (4) ◽

pp. 583-588

Author(s):

Casey Mace Firebaugh ◽

Simon Moyes ◽

Santosh Jatrana ◽

Anna Rolleston ◽

Ngaire Kerse

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Advanced Age ◽

Linear Regression Models ◽

Cox Proportional Hazard ◽

Kaplan Meier ◽

Hazard Ratios ◽

Cox Proportional Hazard Models ◽

The Relationship ◽

Lower Hazard

The relationship between physical activity, function, and mortality is not established in advanced age. Physical activity, function, and mortality were followed in a cohort of Māori and non-Māori adults living in advanced age for a period of 6 years. Generalized linear regression models were used to analyze the association between physical activity and Nottingham Extended Activities of Daily Living scale, whereas Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the association between the physical activity and mortality. The hazard ratio for mortality for those in the least active physical activity quartile was 4.1 for Māori and 1.8 for non-Māori compared with the most active physical activity quartile. There was an inverse relationship between physical activity and mortality, with lower hazard ratios for mortality at all levels of physical activity. Higher levels of physical activity were associated with lower mortality and higher functional status in advanced-aged adults.

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Childhood neurodevelopmental markers and risk of premature mortality: Follow-up to age 60–65 years in the Aberdeen Children of the 1950s study

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0255649 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (8) ◽

pp. e0255649

Author(s):

Adele Warrilow ◽

Geoff Der ◽

Sally-Ann Cooper ◽

Helen Minnis ◽

Jill P. Pell

Keyword(s):

General Population ◽

Public Mental Health ◽

Premature Mortality ◽

Population Level ◽

Population Cohort ◽

Hazard Ratios ◽

Wide Range ◽

General Population Cohort ◽

Cox Proportional Hazard Models

Background Individual neurodevelopmental disorders are associated with premature mortality. Little is known about the association between multiple neurodevelopmental markers and premature mortality at a population level. The ESSENCE (Early Symptomatic Syndromes Eliciting Neurodevelopmental Clinical Examinations) approach considers multiple neurodevelopmental parameters, assessing several markers in parallel that cluster, rather than considering individual diagnostic categories in isolation. Objectives To determine whether childhood neurodevelopmental markers, including reduced intellectual functioning, are associated with all-cause premature mortality. Methods and procedures In a general population cohort study (n = 12,150) with longitudinal follow up from childhood to middle age, Cox proportional hazard models were used to study the associations between childhood neurodevelopmental markers (Rutter B scale and IQ) and premature all-cause mortality. Outcomes and results The cognitive measures and 21 of the 26 Rutter B items were significantly associated with premature mortality in bivariate analyses with hazard ratios from 1.24 (95% CI 1.05–1.47) to 2.25 (95% CI 1.78–2.90). In the final adjusted model, neurodevelopmental markers suggestive of several domains including hyperactivity, conduct problems and intellectual impairment were positively associated with premature mortality and improved prediction of premature mortality. Conclusions A wide range of neurodevelopmental markers, including childhood IQ, were found to predict premature mortality in a large general population cohort with longitudinal follow up to 60–65 years of age. Implications These findings highlight the importance of a holistic assessment of children with neurodevelopmental markers that addresses a range of neurodevelopmental conditions. Our findings could open the door to a shift in child public mental health focus, where multiple and/or cumulative markers of neurodevelopmental conditions alert clinicians to the need for early intervention. This could lead to a reduction in the risk of broad health outcomes at a population level.

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Wrist circumference as a novel predictor of transition from metabolically healthy to unhealthy phenotype in overweight/obese adults: a gender-stratified 15.5-year follow-up

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-12371-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Pouria Mousapour ◽

Maryam Barzin ◽

Majid Valizadeh ◽

Maryam Mahdavi ◽

Farzad Hadaegh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Predictive Performance ◽

Proportional Hazard ◽

Obese Adults ◽

Cox Proportional Hazard ◽

Hazard Ratios ◽

Wrist Circumference ◽

Cox Proportional Hazard Models ◽

Metabolically Healthy

Abstract Background Individuals with transition from metabolically healthy overweight/obese (MHO) to metabolically unhealthy overweight/obese (MUO) phenotype are significantly predisposed to greater risks of cardiovascular events compared to those with a persistent MHO phenotype. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive performance of wrist circumference for this transition in adults over a 15.5-year follow-up. Methods We included 309 males and 821 females with the age of ≥18 years old, body mass index ≥25 kg/m2, and metabolically healthy status according to the criteria of the Joint Interim Statement. The incidence of MUO phenotype was evaluated for each gender, across tertiles wrist circumference, using Cox-proportional hazard models. Results The overall rate of transition from MHO to MUO phenotype was 87.1% in males and 77.5% in females. The hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% CI across second and third tertiles of wrist circumference were 0.89 (0.64-1.24) and 1.31 (0.99-1.73) in men (P for trend =0.027); and 1.34 (1.09-1.66) and 1.61 (1.30-2.00) in women (P for trend <0.001), respectively. After multivariable adjustment, HRs across second and third tertiles of wrist circumference were 0.92 (0.64-1.32) and 1.18 (0.83-1.67) in males (p for trend =0.352), and 1.32 (1.05-1.65) and 1.34 (1.06-1.96) in females (p for trend =0.025), respectively. Conclusions Wrist circumference significantly predicts the transition from MHO to MUO phenotype in adults of both genders. However, it is an independent predictor of the transition only in females. Future studies are warranted to clarify the role of wrist circumference mechanisms on metabolic risk deterioration.

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Substitutions of red meat, poultry and fish and risk of myocardial infarction

British Journal Of Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s0007114516000507 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 115 (9) ◽

pp. 1571-1578 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Anne M. L. Würtz ◽

Mette D. Hansen ◽

Anne Tjønneland ◽

Eric B. Rimm ◽

Erik B. Schmidt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Myocardial Infarction ◽

Red Meat ◽

Food Groups ◽

Fatty Fish ◽

Lean Fish ◽

Cox Proportional Hazard ◽

Hazard Ratios ◽

History Of ◽

Cox Proportional Hazard Models

AbstractRed meat has been suggested to be adversely associated with risk of myocardial infarction (MI), but previous studies have rarely taken replacement foods into consideration. We aimed to investigate optimal substitutions between and within the food groups of red meat, poultry and fish for MI prevention. We followed up 55 171 women and men aged 50–64 years with no known history of MI at recruitment. Diet was assessed by a validated 192-item FFQ at baseline. Adjusted Cox proportional hazard models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % CI for specified food substitutions of 150 g/week. During a median follow-up time of 13·6 years, we identified 656 female and 1694 male cases. Among women, the HR for replacing red meat with fatty fish was 0·76 (95 % CI 0·64, 0·89), whereas the HR for replacing red meat with lean fish was 1·00 (95 % CI 0·89, 1·14). Similarly, replacing poultry with fatty but not lean fish was inversely associated with MI: the HR was 0·81 (95 % CI 0·67, 0·98) for fatty fish and was 1·08 (95 % CI 0·92, 1·27) for lean fish. The HR for replacing lean with fatty fish was 0·75 (95 % CI 0·60, 0·94). Replacing processed with unprocessed red meat was not associated with MI. Among men, a similar pattern was found, although the associations were not statistically significant. This study suggests that replacing red meat, poultry or lean fish with fatty fish is associated with a lower risk of MI.

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Height in Adolescence as a Risk Factor for Glioma Subtypes: a Nationwide Retrospective Cohort Study of 2.2 Million Subjects

Neuro-Oncology ◽

10.1093/neuonc/noab049 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Roi Tschernichovsky ◽

Lior H Katz ◽

Estela Derazne ◽

Matan Ben-Zion Berliner ◽

Maya Simchoni ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factor ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Positive Association ◽

High Grade Glioma ◽

Low Grade ◽

Cox Proportional Hazard ◽

Cox Proportional Hazard Models ◽

Glioma Risk ◽

Incident Cases

Abstract Background Gliomas manifest in a variety of histological phenotypes with varying aggressiveness. The etiology of glioma remains largely unknown. Taller stature in adulthood has been linked with glioma risk. The aim of this study was to discern whether this association can be detected in adolescence. Methods The cohort included 2,223,168 adolescents between the ages of 16-19. Anthropometric measurements were collected at baseline. Incident cases of glioma were extracted from the Israel National Cancer Registry over a follow-up period spanning 47,635,745 person-years. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the hazard ratio for glioma and glioma subtypes according to height, body mass index (BMI) and sex. Results 1,195 patients were diagnosed with glioma during the study period. Mean(SD) age at diagnosis was 38.1 (11.7) years. Taller adolescent height (per 10cm increase) was positively associated with the risk for glioma of any type (HR 1.15; p=0.002). The association was retained in subgroup analyses for low-grade glioma (HR 1.17; p=0.031), high-grade glioma (HR 1.15; p=0.025), oligodendroglioma (HR 1.31; p=0.015), astrocytoma (HR 1.12; p=0.049), and a category of presumed IDH-mutated glioma (HR 1.17; p=0.013). There was a trend towards a positive association between height and glioblastoma, however this had borderline statistical significance (HR: 1.15; p=0.07). After stratification of the cohort by sex, height remained a risk factor for men, but not for women. Conclusions The previously - established association between taller stature in adulthood and glioma risk can be traced back to adolescence. The magnitude of association differs by glioma subtype.

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Plasma Lutein, a Nutritional Biomarker for Development of Advanced Age-Related Macular Degeneration: The Alienor Study

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13062047 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 2047

Author(s):

Bénédicte M. J. Merle ◽

Audrey Cougnard-Grégoire ◽

Jean-François Korobelnik ◽

Wolfgang Schalch ◽

Stéphane Etheve ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Macular Degeneration ◽

High Performance ◽

Population Based ◽

Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽

Cox Proportional Hazard ◽

Age Related ◽

Cox Proportional Hazard Models ◽

Adjusted Model ◽

Reduced Risk

Lutein and zeaxanthin may lower the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). We evaluated the associations of plasma lutein and zeaxanthin with the incidence of advanced AMD in the Alienor study (Antioxydants Lipides Essentiels Nutrition et Maladies Oculaires). Alienor study is a prospective population-based cohort of 963 residents of Bordeaux, France, who were 73 years or older at baseline (2006–2008). The present study included 609 participants with complete ophthalmologic and plasma carotenoids data. Examinations were performed every two years over an eight-year period (2006 to 2017). Plasma lutein and zeaxanthin were determined at baseline from fasting blood samples using high-performance liquid chromatography. Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess associations between plasma lutein, zeaxanthin, and their (total cholesterol (TC) + triglycerides (TG)) ratios with AMD. Among the 609 included participants, 54 developed advanced incident AMD during a median follow-up time of 7.6 years (range 0.7 to 10.4). Participants with higher plasma lutein had a reduced risk for incident advanced AMD in the fully adjusted model (HR = 0.63 per 1-SD increase (95% CI, 0.41–0.97), p = 0.03). A similar association was observed using the lutein/(TC + TG) ratio (HR = 0.59 (95% CI, 0.39–0.90), p = 0.01). No associations were evidenced for other carotenoids. Higher plasma lutein was associated with a 37% reduced risk of incident advanced AMD.

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Association of Mean and Variability of HbA1c with Heart Failure in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10071401 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 1401

Author(s):

You-Ting Lin ◽

Wei-Lun Huang ◽

Hung-Pin Wu ◽

Man-Ping Chang ◽

Ching-Chu Chen

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Type 2 Diabetes ◽

Hba1c Level ◽

Care Program ◽

Good Glycemic Control ◽

Cox Proportional Hazard ◽

Hazard Ratios ◽

Cox Proportional Hazard Models ◽

Hba1c Variability

Heart failure (HF) is a common presentation in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Previous studies revealed that the HbA1c level is significantly associated with HF. However, little is known about the association between HbA1c variability and HF. We aimed to evaluate the association of mean and variability of HbA1c with HF in patients with T2DM. Using Diabetes Share Care Program data, patients with T2DM who had mean HbA1c (HbA1c-Mean), and HbA1c variability (tertiles of HbA1c-SD and HbA1c-adjSD) within 12–24 months during 2001–2008 were included. The cutoffs of HbA1c-Mean were set at <7%, 7–7.9%, and ≥8%. Hazard ratios (HRs) for HF during 2008–2018 were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models. A total of 3824 patients were included, of whom 315 patients developed HF during the observation period of 11.72 years. The associated risk of HF increased with tertiles of HbA1c variability and cutoffs of HbA1c-Mean. In mutually adjusted models, HbA1c-Mean showed a consistent dose-response association with HF, while the association of HbA1c variability with HF disappeared. Among patients with HbA1c-Mean <7%, the associated risk of HF in patients with HbA1c variability in tertile 3 was comparable to patients with HbA1c-Mean ≥8%. In conclusion, mean HbA1c was an independent predictor of HF and not explained by HbA1c variability. In addition to absolute HbA1c level, targeting on stability of HbA1c in patients with good glycemic control was also important for the development of HF in patients with T2DM.

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Differential cerebrovascular risks in glioblastoma and meningioma patients: a population-based matched cohort study in Wales (United Kingdom)

Neuro-Oncology ◽

10.1093/neuonc/noab195.028 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 23 (Supplement_4) ◽

pp. iv12-iv12

Author(s):

Michael T C Poon ◽

Kai Jin ◽

Paul M Brennan ◽

Jonine Figueroa ◽

Cathie Sudlow

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

General Population ◽

Ischaemic Stroke ◽

Population Based ◽

Parametric Models ◽

Matched Cohort ◽

Matched Cohort Study ◽

Hazard Ratios ◽

History Of

Abstract Aims There is limited evidence on cerebrovascular risks in glioblastoma and meningioma patients. We aimed to compare cerebrovascular risks of these patients with the general population. Method We used population-based routine healthcare and administrative data linkage in this matched cohort study. Cases were adult glioblastoma and meningioma patients diagnosed in Wales 2000-2014 identified in the cancer registry. Controls from cancer-free general population were matched to cases (5:1 ratio) on age (±5 years), sex and GP practice. Factors included in multivariable models were age, sex, index of multiple deprivation, hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, history of cardiovascular disease, and medications for cardiovascular diseases. Outcomes were fatal and non-fatal haemorrhagic and ischaemic stroke. We used flexible parametric models adjusting for confounders to calculate the hazard ratios (HR). Results Final analytic population was 16,921 participants, of which 1,340 had glioblastoma and 1,498 had meningioma. The median follow-up time was 0.5 year for glioblastoma patients, 4.9 years for meningioma patients, and 6.6 years for controls. The number of haemorrhage and ischaemic stroke was 154 and 374 in the glioblastoma matched cohort, respectively, and 180 and 569 in the meningioma matched cohort, respectively. The adjusted HRs for haemorrhagic and ischaemic stroke were 3.74 (95%CI 1.87-6.57) and 5.62 (95%CI 2.56-10.42) in glioblastoma patients, respectively, and were 2.42 (95%CI 1.58-3.52) and 1.86 (95%CI 1.54-2.23) in meningioma patients compared with their controls. Conclusion Glioblastoma and meningioma patients had higher cerebrovascular risks; these risks were even higher for glioblastoma patients. Further assessment of these potentially modifiable risks may improve survivorship.

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Self-Rated Health Predicts Mortality in Very Old Men—the Manitoba Follow-Up Study

Canadian Geriatrics Journal ◽

10.5770/cgj.22.391 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 22 (4) ◽

pp. 199-204

Author(s):

Christian R. Hanson ◽

Philip D. St John ◽

Robert B. Tate

Keyword(s):

Very Old ◽

Time To Death ◽

Risk Of Death ◽

Cox Proportional Hazard ◽

Specific Distribution ◽

Long Time ◽

Cox Proportional Hazard Models ◽

Old Men ◽

Second World

BackgroundSelf-rated health (SRH) predicts death, but there are few studies over long-time horizons that are able to explore the effect age may have on the relationship between SRH and mortality.Objectives1. To determine how SRH evolves over 20 years; and 2. To determine if SRH predicts death in very old men.MethodsWe analyzed a prospective cohort study of men who were fit for air crew training in the Second World War. In 1996, a regular questionnaire was administered to the 1,779 surviving participants. SRH was elicited with a 5-point Likert Scale with the categories: excellent, very good, good, fair and poor/bad. We examined the age-specific distribution of SRH in these categories from the age of 75 to 95 years, to the end of the follow-up period in 2018. We constructed age-specific Cox proportional hazard models with an outcome of time to death. ResultsSRH declined with age. The gradient in risk of death persisted across all ages; those with poor/fair/bad SRH had consistently higher mortality rates. However, the discrimination between good and excellent was less in those aged 85+. ConclusionsSRH declines with advancing age, but continues to predict death in older men.

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