Relationship between diet quality and glucose-lowering medication intensity among adults with type 2 diabetes: results from the CARTaGENE cohort
This study aimed to understand if there’s a relationship between diet quality and the amount of medication used to manage blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes. Using data from 352 CARTaGENE participants, the researchers found no clear link between diet quality and medication intensity. In younger adults, better diet quality was associated with lower medication intensity, so there may be importance of diet in managing diabetes in young adults.
Factors associated with mental health service use during the pandemic: Initiation and barriers
This study aimed to understand the factors associated with initiating new mental health service use (MHSU) during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as distinguishing between different reasons for not seeking mental health services. The research found that several factors influenced MHSU, such as age, living situation, income, and health professional status. The study suggests the need for awareness campaigns targeting older adults to explain the importance of seeking treatment and for sensitizing health professionals to facilitate access to mental health care for individuals at risk of social isolation and lower socioeconomic status.
Impact of successive office blood pressure measurements during a single visit on cardiovascular risk prediction: analysis of CARTaGENE
The researchers sought to assess the long-term impact of multiple office blood pressure (BP) readings and whether they improve cardiovascular risk prediction. Using data from CARTaGENE participants, they found that cardiovascular risk prediction is improved by successive office systolic BP values, especially when the first reading is discarded. These findings reinforce the necessity of using multiple office BP readings.
The evolution of SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Canada: a time-series study, 2020-2023
This study used data from the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force, which includes CanPath data, to track the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the Canadian population over the pre-vaccination period, the vaccine rollout, and the emergence of the Omicron variant. By March 2023, over three-quarters of the population had detectable antibodies, with the most substantial increases seen after the arrival of the Omicron variant. However, variations in immunity by age and geography highlight the importance of tailoring public health policies and clinical decisions to local patterns of population immunity, considering factors like potential antibody decline and the emergence of new variants that might evade immunity.
Depression, anxiety, and the risk of cancer: An individual participant data meta-analysis
Researchers performed meta-analyses within the Psychosocial Factors and Cancer Incidence (PSY-CA) consortium to develop a stronger foundation for addressing associations between depression, anxiety, and the incidence of various cancer types. They found that depression and anxiety are not related to increased risk for most cancer outcomes, except for lung and smoking-related cancers.
Added value of waist circumference to body mass index for predicting fracture risk in obesity: a prospective study from the CARTaGENE cohort
The researchers aimed to assess associations between waist circumference (WC) and fracture incidence within BMI categories to examine whether BMI modifies the relationships. Using data from 18,236 CARTaGENE participants, they found that larger WC was associated with a greater risk for fractures among those in the normal-to-overweight category.
Multivariate extension of penalized regression on summary statistics to construct polygenic risk scores for correlated traits
The authors developed a summary-statistics-based multivariate penalized regression approach to improve the prediction of complex human traits and disorders, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, by considering genetic correlations between these conditions. The study utilized genotypes from 29,330 subjects from the CARTaGENE cohort to determine the predictive performance of polygenic risk scores (PRS) for genetically correlated traits in simulation for several PRS construction methods.
Relationship between lifestyle habits and cardiovascular risk factors in familial hypercholesterolemia
This study’s objective was to assess the relationship between lifestyle and cardiovascular risk factors in adults with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), the most prevalent genetic disorder causing premature cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and deaths. Using data from 122 CARTaGENE participants, researchers suggest that a healthy lifestyle (e.g., not smoking, being physically active, eating a healthy diet, having a light to moderate alcohol consumption, sleeping 7-8 hours per day) is favorably associated with CVD risk factors in adults with FH.
Provincial variation in colorectal cancer screening adherence in Canada; evidence from the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow’s Health
The researchers sought to assess regional variation in screening uptake, identify factors to non-adherence to screening, and estimate adherence to screening in those with differing risk profiles. Using national CanPath data, they found adherence suboptimal amongst Canadians and noticed variation by region.
150 risk variants for diverticular disease of intestine prioritize cell types and enable polygenic prediction of disease susceptibility
This study includes data from over 724,000 individuals, including data from 7,696 CARTaGENE participants. Researchers identified 150 genetic variants associated with diverticular disease (DivD) of the intestine. Their findings suggest that DivD may be linked to factors related to colon structure, gut motility, gastrointestinal mucus, and ionic balance. Notably, one of the identified genes is a target for a drug used to treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), highlighting a potential connection between these two gastrointestinal conditions.