Publications

These publications are examples of research made possible with data from CanPath and its regional cohorts.

2024

Microbial features linked to medication strategies in cardiometabolic disease management

Authors: Jane Shearer, Shrushti Shah, Grace Shen-Tu, Kristina Schlicht, Matthias Laudes, and Chunlong Mu

Researchers explored the association of microbial structure with the use of single or multiple medications among participants from Alberta’s Tomorrow Project who were diagnosed with cardiometabolic disease. Forty-six associations were identified between microbial composition and single medications. Findings indicated that both single- and multiple medication use in cardiometabolic disease is associated with decreases in bacterial diversity, species, and microbial functional potential.

Read Publication
2023

Subclinical primary aldosteronism and cardiovascular health: a population-based cohort study

Authors: Gregory L Hundemer, Mohsen Agharazii, François Madore, Anand Vaidya, Jenifer M Brown, Alexander A Leung, Gregory A Kline, Eric Larose, Marie-Eve Piché, Andrew M Crean, Julie L V Shaw, Tim Ramsay, Bernhard Hametner, Siegfried Wassertheurer, Manish M Sood, Swapnil Hiremath, Marcel Ruzicka, Rémi Goupil

This study explores the impact of subclinical primary aldosteronism, a less recognized form of hypertension characterized by renin-independent aldosterone production, on cardiovascular health. With data from 1284 CARTaGENE participants, researchers found that a higher aldosterone-to-renin ratio, indicative of this condition, was associated with increased arterial stiffness, adverse cardiac remodeling, and higher odds of developing hypertension, independent of traditional blood pressure measures.

Read Publication
2023

Health-related and psychosocial factors associated with prostate cancer stage at diagnosis among males participating in Alberta’s Tomorrow Project

Authors: Michelle L Aktary, Brittany Shewchuk, Qinggang Wang, Eric Hyndman, Lorraine Shack, Paula J Robson, Karen A Kopciuk

Researchers investigated the factors associated with the stage at which prostate cancer (PCa) is diagnosed among males in Alberta’s Tomorrow Project. They found that a higher number of lifetime prostate-specific antigen tests were linked to earlier-stage PCa, while higher abdominal circumference, lower social support, and having children were associated with later-stage disease.

Read Publication
2023

The evolution of SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Canada: a time-series study, 2020-2023

Authors: Tanya J. Murphy, Hanna Swail, Jaspreet Jain, Maureen Anderson, Philip Awadalla, Lesley Behl, Patrick E. Brown, Carmen L. Charlton, Karen Colwill, Steven J. Drews, Anne-Claude Gingras, Deena Hinshaw, Prabhat Jha, Jamil N. Kanji, Victoria A. Kirsh, Amanda L. S. Lang, Marc-André Langlois, Stephen Lee, Antoine Lewin, Sheila F. O'Brien, Chantale Pambrun, Kimberly Skead, David A. Stephens, Derek R. Stein, Graham Tipples, Paul G. Van Caeseele, Timothy G. Evans, Olivia Oxlade, Bruce D. Mazer, David L. Buckeridge

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.

Read Publication
2023

Association of infertility with type and timing of menopause: a prospective cohort study

Authors: Natalie V. Scime, Hilary K. Brown, Alison K. Shea, Erin A. Brennand

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.

Read Publication
2023

The contributions of neighbourhood design in promoting metabolic health

Authors: Mohammad Javad Koohsari, Akitomo Yasunaga, Koichiro Oka, Tomoki Nakaya, Yukari Nagai, Jennifer E. Vena, Gavin R. McCormack

Using data from 6,718 Alberta’s Tomorrow Project participants, the researchers assessed associations between neighbourhood built environment and metabolic syndrome, or the presence of at least three clinical risk factors among lipid levels, blood pressure, and waist circumference. They found that neighbourhoods with more points of interest and greater overall active living environment-friendliness were associated with fewer metabolic syndrome risk factors and lower odds of metabolic syndrome. Higher dwelling density was also linked to having fewer metabolic syndrome risk factors.

Read Publication
2023

Development and external validation of partial proportional odds risk prediction models for cancer stage at diagnosis among males and females in Canada

Authors: Timofei Biziaev, Michelle L. Aktary, Qinggang Wang, Thierry Chekouo, Parveen Bhatti, Lorraine Shack, Paula J. Robson, Karen A. Kopciuk

This study examined health patterns in Alberta’s Tomorrow Project participants before cancer diagnosis to find factors related to cancers caught early versus late. The researchers found factors then tested them in a similar group from the British Columbia Generations Project.

Read Publication
2023

Time spent in the sun and the risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma: a Canadian cohort study

Authors: Dylan E. O'Sullivan, Troy W. R. Hillier, Darren R. Brenner, Cheryl E. Peters, Will D. King

This study’s objective was to explore the relationship of sun behaviour patterns with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) risk. Using data from 79,803 Alberta’s Tomorrow Project, CARTaGENE, and Ontario Health Study participants, the researchers found a protective effect of moderate time spent in the sun on NHL risk

Read Publication
2023

Urban design and cardio-metabolic risk factors

Authors: Mohammad Javad Koohsari, Koichiro Oka, Tomoki Nakaya, Jennifer Vena, Tyler Williamson, Hude Quan, Gavin R. McCormack

This study aimed to estimate associations between neighbourhood built environment metrics and cardiovascular health. Using data from 7171 Alberta’s Tomorrow Project participants, researchers found that a new measure of neighbourhood design showed lower blood pressure in men and lower risk of being overweight or obese in men and women, whereas traditional measures did not show this association.

Read Publication
2023

Physical activity-induced alterations of the gut microbiota are BMI dependent

Authors: Shrushti Shah, Chunlong Mu, Shirin Moossavi, Grace Shen-Tu, Kristina Schlicht, Nathalie Rohmann, Corinna Geisler, Matthias Laudes, Andre Franke, Thomas Züllig, Harald Köfeler, Jane Shearer

Researchers assessed physical activity and hand-grip strength’s role in gut microbiome composition in middle-aged adults with normal and overweight body mass index. Data from 443 participants from Alberta’s Tomorrow Project suggest that BMI plays a significant role in modelling PA-induced changes in gut microbiota.

Read Publication