Age- and sex-specific associations of frailty with mortality and healthcare utilization in community-dwelling adults from Ontario, Canada
The researchers sought to estimate the association of frailty with the risk of death, hospital admissions, and length of hospital stay. Using data from the Ontario Health Study linked to all-cause mortality and hospital admissions data from ICES, they found that frailty is an important health construct for both younger and older adults.
Association of infertility with type and timing of menopause: a prospective cohort study
This study sought to uncover the association between past infertility and type and timing of menopause among midlife women. Using data from 13,243 midlife females from Alberta’s Tomorrow Project, the researchers found that women with past infertility were more likely to experience surgical menopause and had greater risk of earlier surgical menopause until age 43 years but experienced no differences in the timing of natural menopause.
Meta-GWAS Reveals Novel Genetic Variants Associated with Urinary Excretion of Uromodulin
This study is a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies to understand the mechanisms that regulate urinary excretion of uromodulin. Researchers identified two novel significant loci, providing insight into uromodulin’s biology, keratins’ role in the kidney, and the UMOD-PDILT locus’s influence on kidney function.
Evaluation of Adiposity and Cognitive Function in Adults
Researchers sought to undercover the association between adipose tissue (amount and distribution) and cognitive scores. Using data from 9,189 participants, they found that higher visceral adipose tissue and body fat percentage correlated with increased vascular brain injuries and cardiovascular risk factors, as well as lower cognitive scores.
The impact of reporting magnetic resonance imaging incidental findings in the Canadian alliance for healthy hearts and minds cohort
This study aimed to describe the management policy for incidental findings (IFs) for the Canadian Alliance for Healthy Hearts and Minds (CAHHM) cohort and understand IF disclosure effects for participants. IF management is challenging, though results are promising for the CAHHM’s policies since 97% of participants with an IF reported no change in their quality of life.
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.
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.
Environmental health assessment of communities across Canada: contextual factors study of the Canadian Alliance for Healthy Hearts and Minds
This study aimed to report national-level community characteristics and any interprovincial, urban/rural, and Cartesian coordinate differences. Researchers developed an on-line map for public use, showing differences in fruit and vegetable availability, advertising for sweet drinks, junk food, and tobacco products, and cigarette and alcohol prices.
Development of an on-line interactive map to display environmental health assessments of Canadian communities: knowledge-translation to support collaborations for health
This report describes an on-line interactive map developed by the Canadian Alliance for Healthy Hearts and Minds. It contains information from over 2,000 communities across Canada!