Self-reported health as a predictor of mortality: A cohort study of its relation to other health measurements and observation time.

Self-reported health (SRH) is widely used as an epidemiological instrument given the changes in public health since its introduction in the 1980s. We examined the association between SRH and mortality and how this is affected by time and health measurements in a prospective cohort study using repeated measurements and physical examinations of 11652 men and 12684 women in Tromsø, Norway. We used Cox proportional hazard regression to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) of death for SRH, controlling for pathology, biometrics, smoking, sex and age. SRH predicted mortality independently of other, more objective health measures. Higher SRH was strongly associated with lower mortality risk. Poor SRH had HR 2.51 (CI: 2.19, 2.88). SRH is affected by disease, mental health and other risk factors, but these factors had little impact on HRs (Poor SRH: HR 1.99; CI: 1.72, 2.31). SRH predicted mortality, but with a time-dependent effect. Time strongly affected the hazard ratio for mortality, especially after ten-year follow-up (Poor SRH HR 3.63 at 0-5 years decreased to HR 1.58 at 15-21 years). SRH has both methodological and clinical value. It should not be uncritically utilised as a replacement instrument when measures of physical illness and other objective health measures are lacking

Adult Height, Insulin Levels and 17β-Estradiol in Young Women

Background: Adult height and insulin levels have independently been associated with breast cancer risk. However, little is known about whether these factors influence estradiol levels. Thus, we hypothesize that adult height in combination with insulin levels may influence premenopausal 17β-estradiol throughout the entire menstrual cycle of possible importance of breast cancer risk. Methods: Among 204 healthy women, aged 25-35 years who participated in the Norwegian EBBA I study, birth weight and age at menarche were assessed by questionnaire, personal health record and interview. 17β-estradiol concentrations were estimated by daily saliva samples throughout one entire menstrual cycle using radioimmunoassay (RIA). Measures of height (cm) were taken as well as waist circumference (cm), body mass index (BMI kg/m2) and total fat percentage (DEXA % fat). Fasting blood samples were drawn, and serum concentrations of insulin were determined. Results: The women reported a mean height of 166.5 cm, birth weight of 3389 g and age at menarche 13.1 years. Mean BMI was 24.4 kg/m2, mean waist circumference 79.5 cm and mean total fat percentage 34.1%. Women with an adult height of more than 170 cm and insulin levels higher than 90 pmol/L experienced on average an 37.2 % increase in 17β- estradiol during an entire menstrual cycle compared to those with the same height, and insulin levels below 90 pmol/L. Moreover, this was also observed throughout the entire menstrual cycle. Conclusion: Our findings support that premenopausal levels of 17β-estradiol vary in response to adult height and insulin levels, suggesting that women who become taller are put at risk for higher estradiol levels when their insulin levels rise of possible importance for breast cancer risk.Anthropolog

The association between anthropometric measures of adiposity and the progression of carotid atherosclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Few reports are available on the contribution of general and abdominal obesity to the progression of carotid atherosclerosis in late adulthood. This study investigated the impact of four simple anthropometric measures of general and abdominal obesity on the progression of carotid atherosclerosis and the extent to which the association between adiposity and the progression of plaque burden is mediated by cardiometabolic markers. METHODS: Four thousand three hundred forty-five adults (median age 60) from the population-based Tromsø Study were followed over 7 years from the first carotid ultrasound screening to the next. The progression of carotid atherosclerosis was measured in three ways: incidence of plaques in previously plaque-free participants; change in the number of plaques; and total plaque area (TPA). We used generalised linear models to investigate the association between each adiposity measure - body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) - and each outcome. Models were adjusted for potential confounders (age, sex, smoking, education, physical activity). The pathways through which any associations observed might operate were investigated by further adjusting for cardiometabolic mediators (systolic blood pressure, cholesterol, and HbA1c). RESULTS: There was little evidence that adiposity was related to the formation of new plaques during follow-up. However, abdominal adiposity was associated with TPA progression. WHtR showed the largest effect size (mean change in TPA per one standard deviation (SD) increase in WHtR of 0.665 mm2, 95% confidence interval 0.198, 1.133) while BMI showed the smallest. Effect sizes were substantially reduced after the adjustment for potential mediators. CONCLUSIONS: Abdominal obesity indirectly measured with WC seems more strongly associated with the progression of TPA than general obesity. These associations appear to be largely mediated by known cardiometabolic markers

External validation of the Garvan nomograms for predicting absolute fracture risk: The Tromso study

Background: Absolute risk estimation is a preferred approach for assessing fracture risk and treatment decision making. This study aimed to evaluate and validate the predictive performance of the Garvan Fracture Risk Calculator in a Norwegian cohort. Methods: The analysis included 1637 women and 1355 aged 60+ years from the Tromsø study. All incident fragility fractures between 2001 and 2009 were registered. The predicted probabilities of non-vertebral osteoporotic and hip fractures were determined using models with and without BMD. The discrimination and calibration of the models were assessed.Reclassification analysis was used to compare the models performance. Results: The incidence of osteoporotic and hip fracture was 31.5 and 8.6 per 1000 population in women, respectively; in men the corresponding incidence was 12.2 and 5.1. The predicted 5-year and 10-year probability of fractures was consistently higher in the fracture group than the non-fracture group for all models. The 10-year predicted probabilities of hip fracture in those with fracture was 2.8 (women) to 3.1 times (men) higher than those without fracture. There was a close agreement between predicted and observed risk in both sexes and up to the fifth quintile. Among those in the highest quintile of risk, the models over-estimated the risk of fracture. Models with BMD performed better than models with body weight in correct classification of risk in individuals with and without fracture. The overall net decrease in reclassification of the model with weight compared to the model with BMD was 10.6% (p = 0.008) in women and 17.2% (p = 0.001) in men for osteoporotic fractures, and 13.3% (p = 0.07) in women and 17.5% (p = 0.09) in men for hip fracture. Conclusions: The Garvan Fracture Risk Calculator is valid and clinically useful in identifying individuals at high risk of fracture. The models with BMD performed better than those with body weight in fracture risk prediction

Evidence of the QCD Tricritical Endpoint Existence at NICA-FAIR Energies

We present a summary of possible signals of the chiral symmetry restoration and deconfinement phase transitions which may be, respectively, probed at the center of mass collision energies at 4.3-4.9 GeV and above 8.7-9.2 GeV. It is argued that these signals may evidence for an existence of the tricritical endpoint of QCD phase diagram at the collision energy around 8.7-9.2 GeV. The equation of state hadronic matter with the restored chiral symmetry is discussed and the number of bosonic and fermionic degrees of freedom is found

Ovarian hormones and reproductive risk factors for breast cancer in premenopausal women: the Norwegian EBBA-I study

BACKGROUND: Ovarian hormones, parity and length of 'menarche-to-first birth' time interval are known risk factors for breast cancer, yet the associations between I 7$\beta$-estradiol, progesterone and these reproductive factors remain unclear. METHODS: A total of 204 women (25-35 years) who participated in the Norwegian EBBA-I study collected daily saliva samples for one complete menstrual cycle, and filled in a reproductive history questionnaire. Anthropometry was measured and saliva samples were analyzed for ovarian hormones. Associations between parity, the interval and ovarian hormones, and effects of hormone-related lifestyle factors were studied in linear regression models. RESULTS: Mean age was 30.7 years, and age of menarche 13.1 years. Parous women had on average 1.9 births, and age at first birth was 24.5 years. No association was observed between parity and ovarian steroids. In nulliparous women, higher waist circumference ($\ge$)77.75 cm) and longer oral contraceptive (OC) use ($\ge$)3 years) were associated with higher levels of I 7$\beta$-estradiol. Short (13.5 years) 'menarche-to-first birth' interval was associated with higher overall mean (P$_{trend}$ = 0.029), 47% higher maximum peak and 30% higher mid-cycle levels of I 7$\beta$-estradiol. We observed a 2.6% decrease in overall mean salivary I 7$\beta$-estradiol with each 1-year increase in the interval. CONCLUSIONS: Nulliparous women may be more susceptible to lifestyle factors, abdominal overweight and past OC use, influencing metabolic and hormonal profiles and thus breast cancer risk. Short time between 'menarche-to-first birth' is linked to higher ovarian hormone levels among regularly cycling women, suggesting that timing of first birth is related to fecundity.Human Evolutionary Biolog

Gender specific age-related changes in bone density, muscle strength and functional performance in the elderly: a-10 year prospective population-based study

Background:&nbsp;Age-related losses in bone mineral density (BMD), muscle strength, balance, and gait have been linked to&nbsp;an increased risk of falls, fractures and disability, but few prospective studies have compared the timing, rate and pattern&nbsp;of changes in each of these measures in middle-aged and older men and women. This is important so that targeted&nbsp;strategies can be developed to optimise specific musculoskeletal and functional performance measures in older adults.&nbsp;Thus, the aim of this 10-year prospective study was to: 1) characterize and compare age- and gender-specific changes in&nbsp;BMD, grip strength, balance and gait in adults aged 50 years and over, and 2) compare the relative rates of changes&nbsp;between each of these musculoskeletal and functional parameters with ageing.Methods: Men (n = 152) and women (n = 206) aged 50, 60, 70 and 80 years recruited for a population-based study had&nbsp;forearm BMD, grip strength, balance and gait velocity re-assessed after 10-years.Results: The annual loss in BMD was 0.5-0.7% greater in women compared to men aged 60 years and older&nbsp;(p &lt; 0.05- &lt; 0.001), but there were no gender differences in the rate of loss in grip strength, balance or gait. From the age&nbsp;of 50 years there was a consistent pattern of loss in grip strength, while the greatest deterioration in balance and gait&nbsp;occurred from 60 and 70 years onwards, respectively. Comparison of the changes between the different measures&nbsp;revealed that the annual loss in grip strength in men and women aged &lt;70 years was 1-3% greater than the decline in&nbsp;BMD, balance and gait velocity.Conclusion: There were no gender differences in the timing (age) and rate (magnitude) of decline in grip strength,&nbsp;balance or gait in Swedish adults aged 50 years and older, but forearm BMD decreased at a greater rate in women than&nbsp;in men. Furthermore, there was heterogeneity in the rate of loss between the different musculoskeletal and function&nbsp;parameters, especially prior to the age of 70 years, with grip strength deteriorating at a greater rate than BMD,&nbsp;balance and gait.</div

The Suppressor of AAC2 Lethality SAL1 Modulates Sensitivity of Heterologously Expressed Artemia ADP/ATP Carrier to Bongkrekate in Yeast

The ADP/ATP carrier protein (AAC) expressed in Artemia franciscana is refractory to bongkrekate. We generated two strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae where AAC1 and AAC3 were inactivated and the AAC2 isoform was replaced with Artemia AAC containing a hemagglutinin tag (ArAAC-HA). In one of the strains the suppressor of ΔAAC2 lethality, SAL1, was also inactivated but a plasmid coding for yeast AAC2 was included, because the ArAACΔsal1Δ strain was lethal. In both strains ArAAC-HA was expressed and correctly localized to the mitochondria. Peptide sequencing of ArAAC expressed in Artemia and that expressed in the modified yeasts revealed identical amino acid sequences. The isolated mitochondria from both modified strains developed 85% of the membrane potential attained by mitochondria of control strains, and addition of ADP yielded bongkrekate-sensitive depolarizations implying acquired sensitivity of ArAAC-mediated adenine nucleotide exchange to this poison, independent from SAL1. However, growth of ArAAC-expressing yeasts in glycerol-containing media was arrested by bongkrekate only in the presence of SAL1. We conclude that the mitochondrial environment of yeasts relying on respiratory growth conferred sensitivity of ArAAC to bongkrekate in a SAL1-dependent manner. © 2013 Wysocka-Kapcinska et al

The contribution of obesity to carotid atherosclerotic plaque burden in a general population sample in Norway: The Tromsø Study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Few studies have investigated the association of different measures of adiposity with carotid plaque. We aimed to investigate and compare the associations of four measures of adiposity: body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) with the presence of carotid plaque and total plaque area (TPA) in the right carotid artery. METHODS: We included 4906 individuals aged 31-88 years who participated in a population-based study with ultrasonography of the right carotid artery. Adiposity measures were converted to sex-specific SD units to allow comparison of effect sizes. TPA was log transformed due to its skewed distribution. Logistic and linear regression models were used respectively to investigate the association of each adiposity measure with the presence of plaque and with log-transformed TPA. Estimates were adjusted for potential confounders and mediators such as blood pressure and lipids. RESULTS: After adjustment for age, sex, smoking, and education level, there was strong evidence of an association between all adiposity measures and log-transformed TPA, whereas only WHR was weakly associated with presence of plaque. WHR showed the largest adjusted effect size for both log-transformed TPA (beta 0.055, 95%CI 0.028-0.081) and the presence of plaque (OR 1.07, 95%CI 1.01-1.15). Adjustment for mediators led to appreciable attenuation of observed effects. CONCLUSIONS: Adiposity is more consistently associated with extent of plaque burden than with whether an individual does or does not have any plaque. There was evidence that established biomarkers mediate much of this association. Abdominal adiposity appears to show the strongest effect

The contribution of obesity to carotid atherosclerotic plaque burden in a general population sample in Norway: The Tromsø Study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Few studies have investigated the association of different measures of adiposity with carotid plaque. We aimed to investigate and compare the associations of four measures of adiposity: body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) with the presence of carotid plaque and total plaque area (TPA) in the right carotid artery. METHODS: We included 4906 individuals aged 31-88 years who participated in a population-based study with ultrasonography of the right carotid artery. Adiposity measures were converted to sex-specific SD units to allow comparison of effect sizes. TPA was log transformed due to its skewed distribution. Logistic and linear regression models were used respectively to investigate the association of each adiposity measure with the presence of plaque and with log-transformed TPA. Estimates were adjusted for potential confounders and mediators such as blood pressure and lipids. RESULTS: After adjustment for age, sex, smoking, and education level, there was strong evidence of an association between all adiposity measures and log-transformed TPA, whereas only WHR was weakly associated with presence of plaque. WHR showed the largest adjusted effect size for both log-transformed TPA (beta 0.055, 95%CI 0.028-0.081) and the presence of plaque (OR 1.07, 95%CI 1.01-1.15). Adjustment for mediators led to appreciable attenuation of observed effects. CONCLUSIONS: Adiposity is more consistently associated with extent of plaque burden than with whether an individual does or does not have any plaque. There was evidence that established biomarkers mediate much of this association. Abdominal adiposity appears to show the strongest effect