Hypertension research : official journal of the Japanese Society of Hypertension, Jan 19, 2015
Although physical activity (PA) improves arterial distensibility, it is unclear which type of act... more Although physical activity (PA) improves arterial distensibility, it is unclear which type of activity is most beneficial. We aimed to examine the association of different types of PA with carotid distensibility (CD) and the mechanisms involved. Data included 4503 Australians and Finns aged 26-45 years. Physical activity was measured by pedometers and was self-reported. CD was measured using ultrasound. Other measurements included resting heart rate (RHR), cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), blood pressure, biomarkers and anthropometry. Steps/day were correlated with RHR (Australian men r=-0.10, women r=-0.14; Finnish men r=-0.15, women r=-0.11; P<0.01), CRF and biochemical markers, but not with CD. Self-reported vigorous leisure-time activity was more strongly correlated with RHR (Australian men r=-0.23, women r=-0.19; Finnish men r=-0.20, women r=-0.13; P<0.001) and CRF, and was correlated with CD (Australian men r=0.07; Finnish men r=0.07, women r=0.08; P<0.05). This relati...
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with brain atrophy, but the mechanisms underlying t... more Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with brain atrophy, but the mechanisms underlying this link are unknown. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) accumulate in T2DM, resulting in inflammation, oxidative stress, and protein cross-linking, which are known contributors to neurodegeneration. We aimed to study whether tissue AGE accumulation is associated with T2DM-related brain atrophy. We performed brain magnetic resonance imaging, cognitive tests, and noninvasive skin autofluorescence (SAF; a measure of tissue AGE levels) on people aged &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;55 years with and without T2DM. Multivariable linear regression was used to study the relationships among T2DM, SAF, and gray matter volume (GMV). There were 486 people included in the study. T2DM was associated with greater SAF. Greater SAF, T2DM, and cognitive impairment were each associated with lower GMV independently of age, sex, and total intracranial volume. SAF partially mediated the association between T2DM and GMV. Longitudinal studies may help confirm whether tissue AGE accumulation is associated with brain atrophy in T2DM.
Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association, 2014
The current study examines associations between five factor personality traits and average sleep ... more The current study examines associations between five factor personality traits and average sleep duration, sleep deficiency, and sleep problems. The participants were from two population-based samples from Australia (n = 1,104, age range 31-41) and Finland (n = 1,623, age range 30-45). Self-reports of sleep behavior, sleep problems (Jenkin's scale), and five factor model personality traits (NEO-FFI) were collected. Associations between personality traits and sleep were analyzed with linear regressions. The results showed that higher extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness were, in general, associated with better sleep, whereas higher neuroticism was associated with sleeping less well. Openness was not associated with sleep. Most of the associations were replicable between the samples from the two countries, but personality traits explained only small part of the variance in sleep behavior. Increasing the knowledge on personality and sleep may benefit more personalized...
Previous studies have reported that histopathologically amelanotic melanoma is associated with po... more Previous studies have reported that histopathologically amelanotic melanoma is associated with poorer survival than pigmented melanoma; however, small numbers of amelanotic melanomas, selected populations, lack of centralized pathologic review, or no adjustment for stage limit the interpretation or generalization of results from prior studies. To compare melanoma-specific survival between patients with histopathologically amelanotic and those with pigmented melanoma in a large international population-based study. Survival analysis with a median follow-up of 7.6 years. The study population comprised 2995 patients with 3486 invasive primary melanomas centrally scored for histologic pigmentation from the Genes, Environment, and Melanoma (GEM) Study, which enrolled incident cases of melanoma diagnosed in 1998 through 2003 from international population-based cancer registries. Clinicopathologic predictors and melanoma-specific survival of histologically amelanotic and pigmented melanoma...
Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology, 2014
We previously reported a significant association between higher UV radiation exposure before diag... more We previously reported a significant association between higher UV radiation exposure before diagnosis and greater survival with melanoma in a population-based study in Connecticut. We sought to evaluate the hypothesis that sun exposure before diagnosis was associated with greater survival in a larger, international population-based study with more detailed exposure information. We conducted a multicenter, international population-based study in four countries-Australia, Italy, Canada, and the United States-with 3,578 cases of melanoma with an average of 7.4 years of follow-up. Measures of sun exposure included sunburn, intermittent exposure, hours of holiday sun exposure, hours of water-related outdoor activities, ambient ultraviolet B (280-320 nm) dose, histologic solar elastosis, and season of diagnosis. Results were not strongly supportive of the earlier hypothesis. Having had any sunburn in 1 year within 10 years of diagnosis was inversely associated with survival; solar elasto...
Working through a depressive illness can improve mental health but also carries risks and costs f... more Working through a depressive illness can improve mental health but also carries risks and costs from reduced concentration, fatigue, and poor on-the-job performance. However, evidence-based recommendations for managing work attendance decisions, which benefit individuals and employers, are lacking. Therefore, this study has compared the costs and health outcomes of short-term absenteeism versus working while ill ("presenteeism") amongst employed Australians reporting lifetime major depression. Cohort simulation using state-transition Markov models simulated movement of a hypothetical cohort of workers, reporting lifetime major depression, between health states over one- and five-years according to probabilities derived from a quality epidemiological data source and existing clinical literature. Model outcomes were health service and employment-related costs, and quality-adjusted-life-years (QALYs), captured for absenteeism relative to presenteeism, and stratified by occupa...
Physical activity recommendations for adults worldwide advise participation in moderate-intensity... more Physical activity recommendations for adults worldwide advise participation in moderate-intensity physical activity, such as walking, on most days of the week. Younger adults report the lowest prevalence of walking. This mixed-methods study explores the salience of Australia&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s activity recommendations around moderate-intensity physical activity, particularly walking, for young Australian adults. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 24 young Australians aged 17-25 years. During interviews, Australia&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s physical activity recommendations for adults were explained to participants, highlighting the inclusion of moderate-intensity physical activity such as walking. Participants were asked to comment on the recommendations and walking for physical activity and exercise. Data from interviews underwent an iterative thematic form of analysis. Participants also completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and were asked to complete a pedometer diary. No participant was classified as sedentary; twenty three participants reported walking for transport and nine for leisure (IPAQ). During interviews, the majority of participants (n=20) did not identify walking as physical activity or exercise. Participants focussed on the cardiorespiratory (fitness) benefits associated with physical activity and believed walking was of insufficient intensity to achieve these benefits at their age. Walking was considered an everyday activity and of insufficient intensity to achieve any health or fitness benefits. SO WHAT?: The belief that only vigorous physical activity conveys any fitness benefits may act as a barrier to participation in moderate-intensity physical activity such as walking, particularly among sedentary young people.
Recent evidence suggests that the exposure of children to their parents' smoking adversely ef... more Recent evidence suggests that the exposure of children to their parents' smoking adversely effects endothelial function in adulthood. We investigated whether the association was also present with carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) up to 25 years later. The study comprised participants from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study (YFS, n = 2401) and the Childhood Determinants of Adult Health (CDAH, n = 1375) study. Exposure to parental smoking (none, one, or both) was assessed at baseline by questionnaire. B-mode ultrasound of the carotid artery determined IMT in adulthood. Linear regression on a pooled dataset accounting for the hierarchical data and potential confounders including age, sex, parental education, participant smoking, education, and adult cardiovascular risk factors was conducted. Carotid IMT in adulthood was greater in those exposed to both parents smoking than in those whose parents did not smoke [adjusted marginal means: 0.647 mm ± 0.022 (mean ± SE) vs. 0...
In a prospective cohort of 181 individuals followed up since childhood--when aged 9, 12 and 15 ye... more In a prospective cohort of 181 individuals followed up since childhood--when aged 9, 12 and 15 years--patients with a family history of premature coronary heart disease (n=18) had higher left ventricular mass index in adulthood--at mean age of 31 years--compared with those without (mean±standard error 39.1±1.9 versus 34.6±0.7 g/m(2.7), p=0.04). The correlation between adult left ventricular mass index and child triglycerides (r=0.66, p=0.04 versus r=-0.03, p=0.75; p(diff)=0.02) and diastolic blood pressure (r=0.65, p=0.02 versus r=0.16, p=0.07; p(diff)=0.05) was stronger among those with a family history of coronary heart disease than in those without. Although preliminary, these data suggest that the higher left ventricular mass index among adults with a family history might be explained by their increased susceptibility to child cardio-metabolic risk factors.
Hypertension research : official journal of the Japanese Society of Hypertension, Jan 19, 2015
Although physical activity (PA) improves arterial distensibility, it is unclear which type of act... more Although physical activity (PA) improves arterial distensibility, it is unclear which type of activity is most beneficial. We aimed to examine the association of different types of PA with carotid distensibility (CD) and the mechanisms involved. Data included 4503 Australians and Finns aged 26-45 years. Physical activity was measured by pedometers and was self-reported. CD was measured using ultrasound. Other measurements included resting heart rate (RHR), cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), blood pressure, biomarkers and anthropometry. Steps/day were correlated with RHR (Australian men r=-0.10, women r=-0.14; Finnish men r=-0.15, women r=-0.11; P<0.01), CRF and biochemical markers, but not with CD. Self-reported vigorous leisure-time activity was more strongly correlated with RHR (Australian men r=-0.23, women r=-0.19; Finnish men r=-0.20, women r=-0.13; P<0.001) and CRF, and was correlated with CD (Australian men r=0.07; Finnish men r=0.07, women r=0.08; P<0.05). This relati...
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with brain atrophy, but the mechanisms underlying t... more Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with brain atrophy, but the mechanisms underlying this link are unknown. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) accumulate in T2DM, resulting in inflammation, oxidative stress, and protein cross-linking, which are known contributors to neurodegeneration. We aimed to study whether tissue AGE accumulation is associated with T2DM-related brain atrophy. We performed brain magnetic resonance imaging, cognitive tests, and noninvasive skin autofluorescence (SAF; a measure of tissue AGE levels) on people aged &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;55 years with and without T2DM. Multivariable linear regression was used to study the relationships among T2DM, SAF, and gray matter volume (GMV). There were 486 people included in the study. T2DM was associated with greater SAF. Greater SAF, T2DM, and cognitive impairment were each associated with lower GMV independently of age, sex, and total intracranial volume. SAF partially mediated the association between T2DM and GMV. Longitudinal studies may help confirm whether tissue AGE accumulation is associated with brain atrophy in T2DM.
Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association, 2014
The current study examines associations between five factor personality traits and average sleep ... more The current study examines associations between five factor personality traits and average sleep duration, sleep deficiency, and sleep problems. The participants were from two population-based samples from Australia (n = 1,104, age range 31-41) and Finland (n = 1,623, age range 30-45). Self-reports of sleep behavior, sleep problems (Jenkin's scale), and five factor model personality traits (NEO-FFI) were collected. Associations between personality traits and sleep were analyzed with linear regressions. The results showed that higher extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness were, in general, associated with better sleep, whereas higher neuroticism was associated with sleeping less well. Openness was not associated with sleep. Most of the associations were replicable between the samples from the two countries, but personality traits explained only small part of the variance in sleep behavior. Increasing the knowledge on personality and sleep may benefit more personalized...
Previous studies have reported that histopathologically amelanotic melanoma is associated with po... more Previous studies have reported that histopathologically amelanotic melanoma is associated with poorer survival than pigmented melanoma; however, small numbers of amelanotic melanomas, selected populations, lack of centralized pathologic review, or no adjustment for stage limit the interpretation or generalization of results from prior studies. To compare melanoma-specific survival between patients with histopathologically amelanotic and those with pigmented melanoma in a large international population-based study. Survival analysis with a median follow-up of 7.6 years. The study population comprised 2995 patients with 3486 invasive primary melanomas centrally scored for histologic pigmentation from the Genes, Environment, and Melanoma (GEM) Study, which enrolled incident cases of melanoma diagnosed in 1998 through 2003 from international population-based cancer registries. Clinicopathologic predictors and melanoma-specific survival of histologically amelanotic and pigmented melanoma...
Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology, 2014
We previously reported a significant association between higher UV radiation exposure before diag... more We previously reported a significant association between higher UV radiation exposure before diagnosis and greater survival with melanoma in a population-based study in Connecticut. We sought to evaluate the hypothesis that sun exposure before diagnosis was associated with greater survival in a larger, international population-based study with more detailed exposure information. We conducted a multicenter, international population-based study in four countries-Australia, Italy, Canada, and the United States-with 3,578 cases of melanoma with an average of 7.4 years of follow-up. Measures of sun exposure included sunburn, intermittent exposure, hours of holiday sun exposure, hours of water-related outdoor activities, ambient ultraviolet B (280-320 nm) dose, histologic solar elastosis, and season of diagnosis. Results were not strongly supportive of the earlier hypothesis. Having had any sunburn in 1 year within 10 years of diagnosis was inversely associated with survival; solar elasto...
Working through a depressive illness can improve mental health but also carries risks and costs f... more Working through a depressive illness can improve mental health but also carries risks and costs from reduced concentration, fatigue, and poor on-the-job performance. However, evidence-based recommendations for managing work attendance decisions, which benefit individuals and employers, are lacking. Therefore, this study has compared the costs and health outcomes of short-term absenteeism versus working while ill ("presenteeism") amongst employed Australians reporting lifetime major depression. Cohort simulation using state-transition Markov models simulated movement of a hypothetical cohort of workers, reporting lifetime major depression, between health states over one- and five-years according to probabilities derived from a quality epidemiological data source and existing clinical literature. Model outcomes were health service and employment-related costs, and quality-adjusted-life-years (QALYs), captured for absenteeism relative to presenteeism, and stratified by occupa...
Physical activity recommendations for adults worldwide advise participation in moderate-intensity... more Physical activity recommendations for adults worldwide advise participation in moderate-intensity physical activity, such as walking, on most days of the week. Younger adults report the lowest prevalence of walking. This mixed-methods study explores the salience of Australia&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s activity recommendations around moderate-intensity physical activity, particularly walking, for young Australian adults. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 24 young Australians aged 17-25 years. During interviews, Australia&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s physical activity recommendations for adults were explained to participants, highlighting the inclusion of moderate-intensity physical activity such as walking. Participants were asked to comment on the recommendations and walking for physical activity and exercise. Data from interviews underwent an iterative thematic form of analysis. Participants also completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and were asked to complete a pedometer diary. No participant was classified as sedentary; twenty three participants reported walking for transport and nine for leisure (IPAQ). During interviews, the majority of participants (n=20) did not identify walking as physical activity or exercise. Participants focussed on the cardiorespiratory (fitness) benefits associated with physical activity and believed walking was of insufficient intensity to achieve these benefits at their age. Walking was considered an everyday activity and of insufficient intensity to achieve any health or fitness benefits. SO WHAT?: The belief that only vigorous physical activity conveys any fitness benefits may act as a barrier to participation in moderate-intensity physical activity such as walking, particularly among sedentary young people.
Recent evidence suggests that the exposure of children to their parents' smoking adversely ef... more Recent evidence suggests that the exposure of children to their parents' smoking adversely effects endothelial function in adulthood. We investigated whether the association was also present with carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) up to 25 years later. The study comprised participants from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study (YFS, n = 2401) and the Childhood Determinants of Adult Health (CDAH, n = 1375) study. Exposure to parental smoking (none, one, or both) was assessed at baseline by questionnaire. B-mode ultrasound of the carotid artery determined IMT in adulthood. Linear regression on a pooled dataset accounting for the hierarchical data and potential confounders including age, sex, parental education, participant smoking, education, and adult cardiovascular risk factors was conducted. Carotid IMT in adulthood was greater in those exposed to both parents smoking than in those whose parents did not smoke [adjusted marginal means: 0.647 mm ± 0.022 (mean ± SE) vs. 0...
In a prospective cohort of 181 individuals followed up since childhood--when aged 9, 12 and 15 ye... more In a prospective cohort of 181 individuals followed up since childhood--when aged 9, 12 and 15 years--patients with a family history of premature coronary heart disease (n=18) had higher left ventricular mass index in adulthood--at mean age of 31 years--compared with those without (mean±standard error 39.1±1.9 versus 34.6±0.7 g/m(2.7), p=0.04). The correlation between adult left ventricular mass index and child triglycerides (r=0.66, p=0.04 versus r=-0.03, p=0.75; p(diff)=0.02) and diastolic blood pressure (r=0.65, p=0.02 versus r=0.16, p=0.07; p(diff)=0.05) was stronger among those with a family history of coronary heart disease than in those without. Although preliminary, these data suggest that the higher left ventricular mass index among adults with a family history might be explained by their increased susceptibility to child cardio-metabolic risk factors.
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