A large Canadian cohort provides insights into the genetic architecture of human hair colour
Researchers performed genome-wide association studies and meta-analyses to garner insight on regulatory mechanisms of hair colour variation and pigmentation biology. 12,996 genotyped CanPath participants were included in this study, along with their self-reported natural hair colour. The researchers fine-mapped significant loci throughout the genome, identifying multiple novel causal variants for hair colour.
Effect of Cognitive Reserve on the Association of Vascular Brain Injury with Cognition: Analysis of the PURE and CAHHM Studies
This study sought to determine whether cognitive reserve lessens the correlation between brain injury and cognition. The researchers analyzed data from two population-based studies, including the Canadian Alliance for Healthy Hearts and Healthy Minds (CAHHM), comprising CanPath national and regional data. They found that brain injury and cognitive reserve are related to cognition, but higher cognitive reserve does not mitigate the harmful effects of brain injury.
Psychosocial factors and cancer incidence (PSY-CA): Protocol for individual participant data meta-analyses
This study aims (1) to test whether psychosocial factors are associated with the incidence of any cancer; (2) to test the interaction between psychosocial factors and factors related to cancer risk with regard to the incidence of cancer; and (3) to test the mediating role of health behaviors in the relationship between psychosocial factors and the incidence of cancer.
Examining the etiology of early-onset breast cancer in the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health (CanPath)
The objective of this study was to investigate relationships between modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors and early-onset breast cancer among the BC Generations Project, Alberta’s Tomorrow Project and Ontario Health Study. In this study, measures of adiposity, pregnancy history, and familial history of breast cancer are important risk factors for early-onset breast cancer.
Normal sex and age-specific parameters in a multi-ethnic population: a cardiovascular magnetic resonance study of the Canadian Alliance for Healthy Hearts and Minds cohort
Researchers sought to create a robust, reference value set for cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) parameters, and understand their relationship with age and sex in people without cardiovascular disease (CVD) history or risk factors. They were able to uncover a significant influence of sex and age on these parameters for use in clinical evaluations of CVD.
Diabetes, Brain Infarcts, Cognition and Small Vessels in the Canadian Alliance for Healthy Hearts and Minds Study
The CAHHM study collected brain and carotid magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and two cognitive tests (DSST and MoCA) in a cross-sectional sample of 7,733 men and women. It was concluded that small vessel disease characterizes much of the relationship between diabetes and vascular brain injury. However, additional factors are required to disentangle the relationship between diabetes and cognitive impairment.
The Canadian Alliance for Healthy Hearts and Minds: How well does it reflect the Canadian population?
The representativeness of the Canadian Alliance for Healthy Hearts and Minds (CAHHM-HSR) cohort was evaluated by comparing to region matched respondents of the 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey Rapid Response module (CCHS-RR). CAHHM-HSR participants were older, more often women, more likely Chinese, and had higher education, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and cardiac testing than the general Canadian population. Despite these differences, the INTERHEART risk score was similar.
Reduced Cognitive Assessment Scores Among Individuals With Magnetic Resonance Imaging–Detected Vascular Brain Injury
This study investigated if scores on a cognitive screen were lower in individuals with higher cardiovascular risk, and those with covert vascular brain injury. Among a middle-aged community-dwelling population, scores on a cognitive screen were lower in individuals with higher cardiovascular risk factors or MRI vascular brain injury. Much of the population attributable risk of low cognitive scores can be attributed to lower educational attainment, higher cardiovascular risk factors, and MRI vascular brain injury.
Cardiovascular risk scoring and magnetic resonance imaging detected subclinical cerebrovascular disease
This study aimed to determine if simple cardiac risk scores are associated with certain MRI-deected subclinical cerebrovascular diseases. They found that the risk scores are significantly related with carotid wall volume, carotid intraplaque haemorrhage, and silent brain infarction amongst adults without known clinical cardiovascular disease.
Harmonization of the Health and Risk Factor Questionnaire data of the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow Project: a descriptive analysis
This paper describes how data is harmonized the health and risk factor questionnare and provides an overview of information required to use the core data that has been created. The reason for the harmonization is to have a unique data set including data on health and risk factors from over 307000 Canadians.