Religiousness, Physical Activity and Obesity among Older Cancer Survivors: Results from the Health and Retirement Study 2000–2010

Abstract While cancer survivors experience many long-term health effects, there is limited evidence on the potentially heterogeneous memory aging of older cancer survivors. We identified memory aging phenotypes of older US cancer survivors, and determined sociodemographic and health-related predictors of membership. Data were from 2,755 survivors aged ≥50 in the U.S. Health and Retirement Study (1998 – 2016). Self-reported first incident cancer diagnosis (except non-melanoma skin cancer) and memory (composite immediate and delayed word-list recall score, combined with proxy-reported cognition) were assessed at biennial interviews. Memory aging phenotypes were identified using latent growth curve (LGC) models, with baseline being time of cancer diagnosis. Logistic regression evaluated predictors of group membership. 5 distinct memory aging groups were identified: low memory (n=165, 6.16%); medium-low memory (n=459, 17.1%); medium-high memory (n=733, 27.4%); high memory (n=750, 28.0%); and very high memory (n=571, 21.3%). The low memory group received less chemotherapy compared to the other groups (20.0% vs. 25.5%, 31.7%, 36.8%, 41.5%%, respectively), and had the shortest mean survival time after diagnosis (1.08 vs 2.10, 2.76, 3.37, 4.31 years, respectively). Older age at diagnosis (OR: 1.71, 95%CI: 1.61-1.82), being male (OR: 4.10, 95%CI: 2.82-6.51), having a history of stroke (OR: 4.62, 95%CI: 2.57-8.30) and depression prior to diagnosis (OR: 1.19, 95%CI: 1.05-1.34) were independently associated with being in the low memory group vs. the medium-high memory group. We identified distinct memory aging phenotypes among older cancer survivors. Further research should evaluate the influence of pre-cancer memory and how these phenotypes differ from the general population.

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POLYGENETIC SCORE IS ASSOCIATED WITH T2D; EVIDENCE FROM THE HEALTH AND RETIREMENT STUDY

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.3264 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S892-S893

Author(s):

Fadi Youkhana ◽

Yanyan Wu ◽

Mika Thompson ◽

Catherine M Pirkle

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Smoking Status ◽

National Sample ◽

Health And Retirement Study ◽

P Value ◽

Behavioral Risk ◽

Risk Alleles ◽

Nationally Representative ◽

The Impact ◽

Retirement Study

Abstract Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a complex chronic disorder influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Studies that use a combined polygenetic score (PGS), calculated based on the number of risk alleles an individual may have, are rarely applied to a representative national sample. We used data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative study of older U.S. adults 50-years or older to examine the impact of PGS and behavioral risk factors (education, poverty ratio, BMI, smoking status, alcohol consumption and physical activity) with incident T2D. We used ethnic-straitifed Poisson generalized estimating equation (GEE) models with robust standard errors to estimate prevalence ratios (PRs) and risk ratios (RRs). Our sample included genotyped Black (N=2,823) and White (N=11,178) men and women.The highest PRs for T2D were among those in the 5th PGS quintile in both Whites (PR=2.24, 95%CI 1.89, 2.65, P-value <0.0001) and Blacks (PR=1.73, 95%CI 1.28,2.33, P-value 0.0003). The highest risk for T2D was among obese Whites (RR=3.35, 95%CI 2.93,3.82, P-value <0.0001) and Blacks (RR=1.60, 95%CI 1.28, 2.00, P-value <0.0001). Our findings found associations between PGS and T2D as well as some lifestyle factors among both Black and White individuals in a nationally representative sample with similar patterns in age, physical activity and poverty ratio. Our study supports the importance of including modifiable and non-modifiable life-style factors in the analysis of risk alleles for T2D to continue addressing the disparities between T2D risk between race/ethnicity groups

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Sleep disturbance as a moderator of the association between physical activity and later pain onset among American adults aged 50 and over: evidence from the Health and Retirement Study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-036219 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. e036219

Author(s):

Daniel Whibley ◽

Heidi M Guyer ◽

Leslie M Swanson ◽

Tiffany J Braley ◽

Anna L Kratz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Sleep Disturbance ◽

Activity Index ◽

Vigorous Physical Activity ◽

Index Score ◽

Health And Retirement Study ◽

Physical Activity Index ◽

Activity Index Score ◽

Incident Pain ◽

Retirement Study

ObjectiveTo examine whether sleep disturbance modifies the association between physical activity and incident pain.DesignProspective population-based study.SettingHealth and Retirement Study.ParticipantsAmerican adults aged ≥50 years who reported no troublesome pain in 2014 were re-assessed for pain in 2016. Of 9828 eligible baseline respondents, 8036 (82%) had complete follow-up data for adjusted analyses (weighted analysis population N=42 407 222).ExposuresPhysical activity was assessed via interview with questions about time spent in moderate and vigorous physical activity. Sleep disturbance, assessed using a modified form of the Jenkins Sleep Scale, was examined as a potential moderator.Main outcome measureTroublesome pain.ResultsIn weighted analyses, 37.9% of the 2014 baseline pain-free sample participated in moderate or vigorous physical activity once a week or less, with an overall mean Physical Activity Index Score of 9.0 (SE=0.12). 18.6% went on to report troublesome pain in 2016. Each one-point higher on the Physical Activity Index Score was associated with a reduced odds ratio (OR) of incident pain for those who endorsed sleep disturbance never/rarely (OR=0.97, 95% CI 0.94 to 0.99), but not for those who endorsed sleep disturbance sometimes (OR=0.99, 95% CI 0.97 to 1.01) or most of the time (OR=1.01, 95% CI 0.99 to 1.03). The analysis of possible interaction demonstrated that frequency of sleep disturbance moderated the physical activity and incident pain association (Wald test: p=0.02).ConclusionsThe beneficial association of physical activity on reduced likelihood of later pain was only observed in persons who endorsed low levels of sleep disturbance.

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Interaction Between Physical Activity and Polygenic Score on Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Older Black and White Participants From the Health and Retirement Study

The Journals of Gerontology Series A ◽

10.1093/gerona/glab025 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yan Yan Wu ◽

Mika D Thompson ◽

Fadi Youkhana ◽

Catherine M Pirkle

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Diabetes Mellitus ◽

Type 2 Diabetes ◽

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus ◽

Lifestyle Factors ◽

Health And Retirement Study ◽

Black And White ◽

Prospective Longitudinal ◽

Retirement Study

Abstract This study investigated the association of lifestyle factors and polygenic risk scores (PGS), and their interaction, on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). We examined data from the U.S. Health and Retirement Study, a prospective longitudinal cohort of adults aged 50 years and older, containing nationally representative samples of Black and White Americans with precalculated PGS for T2D (N = 14 001). Predicted prevalence and incidence of T2D were calculated with logistic regression models. We calculated differences in T2D prevalence and incidence by PGS percentiles and for interaction variables using nonparametric bootstrap method. Black participants had approximately twice the prevalence of Whites (26.2% vs 14.2%), with a larger difference between the 90th and 10th PGS percentile from age 50 to 80 years. Significant interaction (pinteraction = .0096) was detected between PGS and physical activity among Whites. Among Whites in the 90th PGS percentile, T2D prevalence for moderate physical activity was 17.0% (95% CI: 14.8, 19.6), 6.8% lower compared to no/some physical activity (23.8%; 95% CI: 20.4, 27.5). T2D prevalence was similar (~10%) for both groups in the 10th PGS percentile. Incident T2D in Whites followed a similar pattern (pinteraction = .0325). No significant interactions with PGS were detected among Black participants. Interaction of different genetic risk profiles with lifestyle factors may inform understanding of varying inventions’ efficacy for different groups of people, potentially improving clinical and prevention interventions.

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Changes in life expectancy and disability-free life expectancy in successive birth cohorts of older cancer survivors: a longitudinal modeling analysis of the US Health and Retirement Study

American Journal of Epidemiology ◽

10.1093/aje/kwab241 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Collin F Payne ◽

Lindsay C Kobayashi

Keyword(s):

Life Expectancy ◽

Cancer Survivors ◽

Early Period ◽

Population Level ◽

Health And Retirement Study ◽

Birth Cohorts ◽

Incident Cancer ◽

The Us ◽

Using Data ◽

Retirement Study

Abstract The population of older cancer survivors in the US is rapidly growing. However, little is currently known about how the health of older cancer survivors has changed over time and across successive birth cohorts. Using data from the US Health and Retirement Study, we parameterized a demographic microsimulation model to compare partial cohort life expectancy (LE) and disability-free LE for US men and women without cancer and with prevalent and incident cancer diagnoses for four successive 10-year birth cohorts born 1918-1927 to 1948-1957. Disability was defined as being disabled in ≥1 activity of daily living. These cohorts had mid-point ages of 55-64, 65-74, and 75-84 years during the periods 1998-2008 (the “early” period) and 2008-2018 (the “later” period). Across all cohorts and periods, those with incident cancer had the lowest LE, followed by those with prevalent cancer and cancer-free individuals. We observed declines in partial LE and an expansion of life spent disabled among more recent birth cohorts of prevalent cancer survivors. Our findings suggest that advances in treatments that prolong life for individual cancer patients may have led to population-level declines in conditional LE and disability-free LE across successive cohorts of older cancer survivors.

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LOSS NEGATIVELY IMPACTS A HEALTHY LIFE IN US ADULTS: FINDINGS FROM THE HEALTH AND RETIREMENT STUDY

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.3346 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S918-S918

Author(s):

Justin B Ingels ◽

Toni Miles

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Census Data ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Public Health Issue ◽

Health And Retirement Study ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Healthy Life ◽

Loved One ◽

And Gender ◽

Retirement Study

Abstract Previous research reports that the loss of a loved one increases the risk of mortality and physical and mental health problems. Using data from the 2004 to 2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, we estimate the years of healthy life (YHL) from 2004 to death for each respondent. YHL is based on the combination of years lived between 2004 and 2014, a projection of years beyond 2014, and self-rated health. Regression models stratified by age and gender were developed with the loss of a parent or spouse as the primary exposure and YHL as the dependent variable. Annual estimates of the total YHL lost associated with bereavement were based on these regression analyses and US Census data. Models reveal a strong dose-relationship between YHL lost and the number of losses. In total, the annual YHL lost associated with loss in US adults between 50 and 84 years of age is estimated at 2.0 and 1.6 million for men and women, respectively. Nearly three-fourths of the annual YHL lost are associated with adults younger than 65. Interaction analyses suggest that increasing physical activity has the greatest impact on reducing YHL lost in those with the greatest number of losses, one to two YHL per person. Understanding the full impact of loss on the lives of adults is an important step toward framing loss as a public health issue, especially for middle-aged adults. Results suggest that physical activity should be an important aspect of bereavement interventions.

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