Seasonality, morningness-eveningness, and sleep in common non - communicable medical conditions and chronic diseases in a population

Introduction: The seasonal pattern for mood and behaviour, the behavioural trait of morningness-eveningness, and sleep are interconnected features, that may serve as etiological factors in the development or exacerbation of medical conditions. Methods: The study was based on a random sample of inhabitants aged 25 to 74 years living in Finland. As part of the national FINRISK 2012 study participants were invited (n=9905) and asked whether the doctor had diagnosed or treated them during the past 12 months for chronic diseases. Results: A total of 6424 participants filled in the first set of questionnaires and 5826 attended the physical health status examination, after which the second set of questionnaires were filled. Regression models were built in which each condition was explained by the seasonal, diurnal and sleep features, after controlling for a range of background factors. Of the chronic diseases, depressive disorder was associated with longer total sleep duration (pPeer reviewe

Associations of common chronic non-communicable diseases and medical conditions with sleep-related problems in a population-based health examination study

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An analysis of problem gambling among the Finnish working-age population : a population survey

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Associations between circadian factors and noncommunicable diseases : A population-based study in Finland

The aim of this thesis was to study the association between circadian factors and common noncommunicable diseases. To our knowledge, these associations have not been investigated before in a large population-based cohort. The study of these associations is important as the global morbidity and mortality rates for noncommunicable diseases are increasing. Thus, there is a need to better understand the etiology of these diseases. The data to conduct the four studies included into this thesis was derived from The National FINRISK 2012 Study. A random sample of 10,000 Finns aged 25 to 74 from five different geographical areas in Finland were invited to participate in the study. The overall participation rate was 64%. The participants reported their sleeping habits and disturbances, seasonal variations in mood and behavior as well as their circadian preference to the daily activities. As a part of their health examination, the participants were also asked about their diagnoses or treatments they had received for a set of common noncommunicable diseases and medical conditions during the past 12 months. Here, the results are first presented based on a single-item (study I–III) and the final analysis (study IV) with regression analyses controlled for covariates. According to our results, the average duration of self-reported sleep in the Finnish working-age population has declined as compared to previous years. Now, 63% of the population is sleeping on average 7-8 hours daily, and the population is distributed into evening types (13.5%), intermediate types (42.7%), and morning types (43.8%). Seasonal variations in sleep duration, social activity, mood and energy level, as well as in weight and appetite are rather common. As hypothesized, circadian factors were associated with several noncommunicable diseases. The odds for evening chronotype for depression and other psychiatric illnesses was significant in single-item analysis and remained significant in the final analysis. Higher seasonality and more frequent sleep problems were reported throughout the studies I–IV. Of all the circadian factors, sleep quality was the most sensitive probe yielding associations with noncommunicable diseases. Insufficient and poor sleep, eveningness and seasonal variations are common among Finnish adult population and associated with the increased odds for several noncommunicable diseases. By better recognizing those with the increased risk to develop noncommunicable diseases, we could improve the assessment of health status, health care practices and health policies. Key words Circadian factors, non-communicable diseases, chronotype, population, seasonal factors, sleep.Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli analysoida vuorokausirytmiin liittyvien tekijöiden yhteyttä kansantauteihin. Näitä yhteyksiä ei ole aiemmin tutkittu suurissa väestöpohjaisissa aineistoissa. Näiden tautiyhteyksien tutkiminen on tärkeää, koska sairastavuus ja kuolleisuus väestössä yleisiin tarttumattomiin tauteihin ovat globaalisti suurenemassa. Tämän takia on tarve ymmärtää paremmin näiden sairauksien etiologiaa. Tämän tutkimuksen neljän osatyön aineisto perustui vuoden 2012 kansalliseen FINRISKI-tutkimukseen. Satunnaisotannassa 25-vuotiaista 74-vuotiaisiin 10 000 suomalaista kutsuttiin osallistumaan tutkimukseen viidellä maantieteellisellä alueella Suomessa. Osallistumisaktiivisuus tutkimukseen oli 64 prosenttia. Tutkimukseen osallistuneet vastasivat tutkimuslomakkeilla kysymyksiin nukkumisestaan ja univaikeuksistaan, mielialansa ja käyttäytymisensä vuodenaikaisvaihtelusta sekä päivittäisten toimiensa mieltymyksistä ajoittamisesta. Osana terveystarkastusta tutkittavilta kysyttiin, oliko heillä edeltäneen vuoden aikana ollut tiettyjä lääkärin toteamia tai hoitamia sairauksia. Tässä tutkimuksessa esitetään tulokset näistä vastauksista yksittäisten kysymysten (osatyöt I-III) ja kolmen aihepiirin kysymykset kokoavan (osatyö IV) regressioanalyysin osalta taustamuuttujineen. Keskimääräinen yöunen pituus on työikäisillä suomalaisilla lyhentynyt. Työikäisestä väestöstä 63 % nukkuu keskimäärin 7–8 tuntia yössä. Väestö jakautuu iltavirkkuihin (13,5 %), päivävirkkuihin (42,7 %) ja aamuvirkkuihin (43,8 %). Unen pituuden, sosiaalisen aktiivisuuden, mielialan ja toimintatarmon sekä painon ja ruokahalun vuodenaikaisvaihtelut ovat verraten yleisiä. Vuorokausirytmiin vaikuttavat tekijät liittyivät moniin väestössä yleisiin tarttumattomiin tauteihin. Iltavirkuilla riski sairastaa masennusta tai muita psyykkisiä sairauksia oli merkitsevä yksittäisten kysymysten tarkastelussa ja säilyi merkitsevänä kysymysten yhteistarkastelussa. Iltavirkuilla oli myös muita suurempi vuodenaikaisvaihtelu ja useammin univaikeuksia. Unen laatu oli herkimmin yhteydessä väestössä yleisiin tarttumattomiin tauteihin. Riittämätön ja huonolaatuinen uni, iltavirkkuus sekä mielialan ja käyttäytymisen vuodenaikaisvaihtelut ovat yleisiä suomalaisessa aikuisväestössä ja liittyvät useampaan kansantautiin. Näiden tekijöiden huomioiminen nykyistä tarkemmin voisi parantaa väestön terveydentilan määrittämistä, hoitokäytäntöjä ja kansanterveysratkaisuja. Avainsanat Kronotyyppi, pitkäaikaissairaudet, uni, vuodenaikaisvaihtelu, vuorokausirytmi, väestö

Seasonal variations in mood and behavior associate with common chronic diseases and symptoms in a population-based study

The purpose of this study was to assess how seasonality is associated with some of the most common non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the general Finnish population. The global seasonality score (GSS) was used to measure the magnitude of seasonality in 4689 participants, in addition to which they reported the extent to which the seasonal variations in mood and behavior were experienced as a problem. Regression models and the odds ratios were adopted to analyze the associations adjusted for a range of covariates. Seventy percent of the participants had seasonal variations in sleep duration, social activity, mood, or energy level, and forty percent those in weight and appetite. Angina pectoris and depression were significantly associated with seasonality throughout the analysis. Hypertension, high cholesterol levels, diabetes, other (than rheumatoid) joint diseases and other (than depressive) psychological illnesses were significantly associated with experiencing a problem due to the seasonal variations, with an increase in the GSS, and with seasonal affective disorder and its subsyndromal form. The co-occurrence of the seasonal variations in mood and behavior with certain common NCDs warrants future research to have insights into the etiology and potentially shared pathways and mechanisms of action. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Seasonality, morningness-eveningness, and sleep in common non - communicable medical conditions and chronic diseases in a population

Introduction: The seasonal pattern for mood and behaviour, the behavioural trait of morningness-eveningness, and sleep are interconnected features, that may serve as etiological factors in the development or exacerbation of medical conditions. Methods: The study was based on a random sample of inhabitants aged 25 to 74 years living in Finland. As part of the national FINRISK 2012 study participants were invited (n=9905) and asked whether the doctor had diagnosed or treated them during the past 12 months for chronic diseases. Results: A total of 6424 participants filled in the first set of questionnaires and 5826 attended the physical health status examination, after which the second set of questionnaires were filled. Regression models were built in which each condition was explained by the seasonal, diurnal and sleep features, after controlling for a range of background factors. Of the chronic diseases, depressive disorder was associated with longer total sleep duration (p<.0001) and poor sleep quality (p<.0001). Of the measurements for health status assessment, none associated with sleep features, but systolic blood pressure yielded significant (p<.0001) associations with both seasonal and diurnal features at large. Conclusion: Sleep quality was the most sensitive probe in yielding associations with chronic diseases in this population-based study. The seasonal variations in mood and social activity, and the ease in getting up and tiredness in the morning were the most sensitive probes in yielding associations with blood pressure and waist circumference. Assessment of sleep quality, seasonal and diurnal features provides thus added value for health surveys of the general population

A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial of As-Needed Naltrexone in the Treatment of Pathological Gambling

&lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Background/Aims:&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; Effective treatment strategies are needed for the treatment of pathological gambling (PG). The efficacy of as-needed naltrexone was assessed in a single-centre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Methods:&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; The participants (n = 101) received either as-needed placebo or naltrexone (50 mg) and psychosocial support for 20 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the severity of PG assessed by the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale adapted for PG (PG-YBOCS). Secondary gambling-related outcome measures included thoughts/urges and behaviour subscales of PG-YBOCS as well as the highest daily expenditure and gambling frequency. In addition, RAND-36 scales of emotional well-being and social functioning were used as outcomes. The results were analysed using the intention-to-treat principle and linear random effects modelling. &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Results:&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; No significant treatment group differences were found. In an exploratory analysis, emotional well-being increased in a subgroup of participants with &lt;i&gt;AA&lt;/i&gt; genotype of opioid receptor, mu 1 &lt;i&gt;(OPRM1) A118G&lt;/i&gt; polymorphism (p = 0.02). &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Conclusion:&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; Overall, the as-needed naltrexone may not provide substantial additional benefit for PG patients receiving psychosocial support. Replication by larger scale studies is warranted to further evaluate naltrexone administration schedules for the treatment of PG and the role of &lt;i&gt;OPRM1&lt;/i&gt;.</jats:p