Exposure to breastfeeding and risk of developing multiple sclerosis

Background: Early-life factors are reported to modulate the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) among adults. The association between exposure to breastfeeding and the risk of MS is debated. We aimed to disclose whether past exposure to breastfeeding and its duration are associated with the risk of developing MS. Methods: We used a cohort design linking prospectively collected information on breastfeeding from the Cohort of Norway community-based surveys on health status (CONOR) with the Norwegian MS Registry and the population-based Medical Birth Registry of Norway that includes information on all births in Norway since 1967. MS clinical onset was collected throughout 2016. A total of 95 891 offspring born between 1922 and 1986 to mothers participating in CONOR were included. We identified 215 offspring within this cohort who developed adult-onset MS. Associations between breastfeeding and MS risk were estimated as hazard ratios using Cox proportional hazard models adjusting for maternal factors including education. Results: We found no association between having been breastfed for ≥4 months and MS risk, also after adjusting for various maternal factors (hazard ratio = 0.90; 95% confidence interval 0.68-1.19). The estimates did not change for different durations of breastfeeding. The results were similar when adjusting for other perinatal factors. Conclusion: Our study could not confirm previous findings of an association between breastfeeding and risk of MS. Breastfeeding information was less likely to be biased by knowledge of disease compared with case-control studies

Women’s higher likelihood of disability pension: the role of health, family and work. A 5–7 years follow-up of the Hordaland Health Study

Background: Women’s higher risk of disability pension compared with men is found in countries with high female work participation and universal welfare schemes. The aim of the study was to examine the extent to which self-perceived health, family situation and work factors explain women’s higher risk of disability pension. We also explored how these factors influenced the gender difference across educational strata. Methods: The population-based Hordaland Health Study (HUSK) was conducted in 1997–99 and included inhabitants born in 1953–57 in Hordaland County, Norway. The current study included 5,959 men and 6,306 women in paid work with valid information on education and self-perceived health. Follow-up data on disability pension, for a period of 5–7 years, was obtained by linking the health survey to a national registry of disability pension. Cox regression analyses were employed. Results: During the follow-up period 99 (1.7%) men and 230 (3.6%) women were awarded disability pension, giving a twofold risk of disability pension for women compared with men. Except for a moderate impact of self-perceived health, adjustment for family situation and work factors did not influence the gender difference in risk. Repeating the analyses in strata of education, the gender difference in risk of disability pension among the highly educated was fully explained by self-perceived health and work factors. In the lower strata of education there remained a substantial unexplained gender difference in risk. Conclusions: In a Norwegian cohort of middle-aged men and women, self-perceived health, family situation and work factors could not explain women’s higher likelihood of disability pension. However, analyses stratified by educational level indicate that mechanisms behind the gender gap in disability pension differ by educational levels. Recognizing the heterogeneity within gender may contribute to a deeper understanding of women’s higher risk of disability pension.publishedVersio

Acute hospital admissions from nursing homes: predictors of unwarranted variation?

Background: The geriatric nursing home population is frail and vulnerable to sudden changes in their health condition. Very often, these incidents lead to hospitalization, in which many cases represent an unfavourable discontinuity of care. Analysis of variation in hospitalization rates among nursing homes where similar rates are expected may identify factors associated with unwarranted variation. Objectives: To 1) quantify the overall and diagnosis specific variation in hospitalization rates among nursing homes in a well-defined area over a two-year period, and 2) estimate the associations between the hospitalization rates and characteristics of the nursing homes. Method: The acute hospital admissions from 38 nursing homes to two hospitals were identified through ambulance records and linked to hospital patient journals (n = 2451). Overall variation in hospitalization rates for 2 consecutive years was tested using chi-square and diagnosis-specific variation using Systematic Component of Variation. Associations between rates and nursing home characteristics were tested using multiple regression and ANOVA. Results: Annual hospitalization rates varied significantly between 0.16 and 1.49 per nursing home. Diagnoses at discharge varied significantly between the nursing homes. The annual hospitalization rates correlated significantly with size (r = −0.38) and percentage short-term beds (r = 0.41), explaining 32% of the variation observed (R2 = 0.319). No association was found for ownership status (r = 0.05) or location of the nursing home (p = 0.52). Conclusion: A more than nine-fold variation in annual hospitalization rates among the nursing homes in one municipality suggests the presence of unwarranted variation. This finding demands for political action to improve the premises for a more uniform practice in nursing homes.måsjekke

Prevalence and characteristics of depressive disorders in type 1 diabetes

Background: Persons with diabetes and depression have increased risk of complications and increased mortality. We aimed to investigate the prevalence, clinical characteristics and impact with regard to glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) of depressive disorders in persons with type 1 diabetes at an outpatient specialist diabetes clinic. Findings: A total of 51 persons with type 1 diabetes were diagnosed according to Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I) with regard to dysthymia and previous or ongoing depressive episodes during spring 2005. HbA1c was measured at the day of the interview, and self-reported information on family history of depressive disorders was obtained. Eight persons (16%; 95% CI: 7%, 29%) were in the midst of a major depressive episode, 4 of these also reported a previous episode of depression. Seven of the 8 persons with an ongoing major depressive episode met the criteria for melancholia. Three persons (6%) met the criteria for dysthymia, and 6 persons (12%) had previous episode(s) of depression, without being currently depressed. The 17 (33%; 95% CI: 21%, 48%) persons with ongoing and/or previous depressive disorder had increased HbA1c (8.5%; 95% CI: 7.6%, 9.4%) compared to those without depressive disorders (7.9%; 95% CI: 7.5%, 8.3%), although the difference did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: Persons with type 1 diabetes had a high prevalence of depressive disorders, mainly depressive episodes that also met the criteria for melancholia, a subtype often considered a more serious and “biologic” form of depression. We were not able to demonstrate that persons with depressive disorders had poorer regulated diabetes compared to those without depressive disorders

Multi-year transport studies of sulfonylurea herbicides from a barley field in Norway, 2007-2010 – including development of LC-MS/MS methods for quantitative analysis of sulfonylurea herbicides and degradation products

The report presents the results from multi-year field studies of transport of the sulfonylurea herbicides tribenuron-methyl and amidosulfuron in a barley field in Norway. A method for sample preparation of water samples and LC-MS/MS analysis of 6 sulfonylurea herbicides tribenuron-methyl, amidosulfuron, metsulfuron-methyl, iodosulfuron-methyl, thifensulfuron-methyl, rimsulfuron) and 5 degradation products (INL5296, INA4098, AEF101630, IN70941, IN70942) is also described.publishedVersio

Beta2-adrenoreceptor agonists and long-term risk of Parkinson's disease

Introduction There is limited information on how the association between Parkinson's disease and the use of beta2-adrenoreceptor (β2AR) agonists varies among groups of short-, long-, and ultra-long-acting β2AR agonists (SABA, LABA and ultraLABA). Methods In this prospective study of the Norwegian population, we estimated the incidence of Parkinson's disease according to exposure to β2AR agonists as a time-dependent variable by means of Cox regression. We adjusted for educational level, comorbidity and performed a sensitivity analysis excluding individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), all factors associated with smoking. Anticholinergics and corticosteroids as drugs with the same indication were analyzed for comparison. Results In the follow-up period from 2005 to 2019, 15,807 incident Parkinson's cases were identified. After adjustments for sex, education and age as the timescale, SABA (Hazard ratio (HR) = 0.84; 95%CI: 0.79, 0.89; p < 0.001), LABA (HR = 0.85; 95%CI: 0.81, 0.90; p < 0.001) and ultraLABA (HR = 0.6; 95%CI: 0.49, 0.73; p < 0.001) were all associated with a lower risk of Parkinson's disease. After exclusion of COPD patients, corticosteroids and anticholinergics were no longer inversely associated, whereas β2AR agonists remained associated. Conclusion Of drugs with the same indication of use, only β2AR agonists remained inversely associated with PD risk after all adjustments, with ultraLABA displaying the overall strongest association. Although the precision of the estimate is limited by the modest number of exposed PD cases without COPD, the association is intriguing and suggest that longer-acting, more lipophilic, and thus likely more brain-penetrant β2AR agonists could be prioritized for further studies.publishedVersio

Month of birth and risk of multiple sclerosis: confounding and adjustments

A month of birth effect on multiple sclerosis (MS) risk has been reported from different countries. Recent critics have suggested that this finding is caused by confounding and that adequately adjusting for year and place of birth would markedly reduce this effect. All inhabitants in Norway are registered in the Norwegian Population Registry (Statistics Norway), making this an ideal area for performing adjusted analyses. Using the entire Norwegian population born between 1930 and 1979 (n = 2,899,260), we calculated the excess between observed and expected number of births for each month for 6649 Norwegian MS patients, 5711 mothers, 5247 fathers, and 8956 unaffected siblings. The analyses were adjusted for year of birth and place of birth according to the 19 counties in Norway. An unadjusted analysis revealed 13% fewer MS births than expected in February (P = 0.0015; Bonferroni corrected P = 0.018), 10% more in April (P = 0.0083; Bonferroni corrected P = 0.0996) and 15% more in December (P = 0.00058; Bonferroni corrected P = 0.007). Adjustments for both year and place of birth significantly altered our results for February and December, but even after these adjustments there were still 10% more MS births than expected in April (P = 0.00796; Bonferroni corrected P = 0.096). MS patients had a higher incidence of April births than their siblings (Fisher-exact test; P = 0.011), mothers (Fisher-exact test; P = 0.004), and fathers (Fisher-exact test; P = 0.011) without MS. Adjustments for confounding significantly affected our results. However, even after adjustments, there appears to be a persistent higher than expected frequency of April births in the MS population. © 2014 The Authors. Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc on behalf of American Neurological Association

Association of adverse childhood experiences with the development of multiple sclerosis

Objective To study whether exposure to childhood emotional, sexual or physical abuse is associated with subsequent multiple sclerosis (MS) development. Methods A nationwide, prospective cohort study based on participants in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child cohort study. Enrolment took place 1999–2008, with follow-up until 31 December 2018. Childhood abuse before age 18 years was obtained from self-completed questionnaires. We identified MS diagnoses through data-linkage with national health registries and hospital records. The Cox model was used to estimate HRs for MS with 95% CIs, adjusting for confounders and mediators. Results In this prospective cohort study, 14 477 women were exposed to childhood abuse and 63 520 were unexposed. 300 women developed MS during the follow-up period. 71 of these (24%) reported a history of childhood abuse, compared with 14 406 of 77 697 (19%) women that did not develop MS. Sexual abuse (HR 1.65, 95% CI 1.13 to 2.39) and emotional abuse (HR 1.40, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.90) in childhood were both associated with an increased risk of developing MS. The HR of MS after exposure to physical abuse was 1.31 (95% CI 0.83 to 2.06). The risk of MS was further increased if exposed to two (HR 1.66, 95% CI 1.04 to 2.67) or all three abuse categories (HR 1.93, 95% CI 1.02 to 3.67). Interpretation Childhood sexual and emotional abuse were associated with an increased risk of developing MS. The risk was higher when exposed to several abuse categories, indicating a dose–response relationship. Further studies are needed to identify underlying mechanisms.publishedVersio

Early life exposures contributing to accelerated lung function decline in adulthood – a follow-up study of 11,000 adults from the general population

Background We aimed to assess whether exposure to risk factors in early life from conception to puberty continue to contribute to lung function decline later in life by using a pooled cohort comprising approx. 11,000 adults followed for more than 20 years and with up to three lung function measurements. Methods Participants (20–68 years) in the ECRHS and NFBC1966 cohort studies followed in the periods 1991–2013 and 1997–2013, respectively, were included. Mean annual decline in maximum forced expired volume in 1 s (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) were main outcomes. Associations between early life risk factors and change in lung function were estimated using mixed effects linear models adjusted for sex, age, FEV1, FVC and height at baseline, accounting for personal smoking. Findings Decline in lung function was accelerated in participants with mothers that smoked during pregnancy (FEV1 2.3 ml/year; 95% CI: 0.7, 3.8) (FVC 2.2 ml/year; 0.2, 4.2), with asthmatic mothers (FEV1 2.6 ml/year; 0.9, 4.4) (FEV1/FVC 0.04 per year; 0.04, 0.7) and asthmatic fathers (FVC 2.7 ml/year; 0.5, 5.0), and in women with early menarche (FVC 2.4 ml/year; 0.4, 4.4). Personal smoking of 10 pack-years contributed to a decline of 2.1 ml/year for FEV1 (1.8, 2.4) and 1.7 ml/year for FVC (1.3, 2.1). Severe respiratory infections in early childhood were associated with accelerated decline among ever-smokers. No effect-modification by personal smoking, asthma symptoms, sex or cohort was found. Interpretation Mothers’ smoking during pregnancy, parental asthma and early menarche may contribute to a decline of FEV1 and FVC later in life comparable to smoking 10 pack-years. Funding 10.13039/501100007601European Union's Horizon 2020; 10.13039/501100005416Research Council of Norway; 10.13039/501100002341Academy of Finland; University Hospital Oulu; 10.13039/501100008530European Regional Development Fund; 10.13039/501100004837Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation; 10.13039/501100002809Generalitat de Catalunya

Acute hospital admissions among nursing home residents: a population-based observational study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Nursing home residents are prone to acute illness due to their high age, underlying illnesses and immobility. We examined the incidence of acute hospital admissions among nursing home residents versus the age-matched community dwelling population in a geographically defined area during a two years period. The hospital stays of the nursing home population are described according to diagnosis, length of stay and mortality. Similar studies have previously not been reported in Scandinavia.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The acute hospitalisations of the nursing home residents were identified through ambulance records. These were linked to hospital patient records for inclusion of demographics, diagnosis at discharge, length of stay and mortality. Incidence of hospitalisation was calculated based on patient-time at risk.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The annual hospital admission incidence was 0.62 admissions per person-year among the nursing home residents and 0.26 among the community dwellers. In the nursing home population we found that dominant diagnoses were respiratory diseases, falls-related and circulatory diseases, accounting for 55% of the cases. The median length of stay was 3 days (interquartile range = 4). The in-hospital mortality rate was 16% and 30 day mortality after discharge 30%.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Acute hospital admission rate among nursing home residents was high in this Scandinavian setting. The pattern of diagnoses causing the admissions appears to be consistent with previous research. The in-hospital and 30 day mortality rates are high.</p