Publications

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

2020

Diabetes, Brain Infarcts, Cognition and Small Vessels in the Canadian Alliance for Healthy Hearts and Minds Study

Authors: Hertzel Gerstein, Eric Smith, Chinthanie Ramasundarahettige, Dipika Desai, Philip Awadalla, Philippe Broet, Sandra Black, Trevor Dummer, Jason Hicks, Alan Moody, Jean-Claude Tardif, Koon Teo, Jennifer Vena, Salim Yusuf, Douglas Lee, Matthias Friedrich, Sonia Anand

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.

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2020

Long-term exposure to a mixture of industrial SO 2, NO 2, and PM 2.5 and anti-citrullinated protein antibody positivity

Authors: Naizhou Zhao, Audrey Smagiassi, Marianne Hatzopoulou, Ines Colmegna, Marie Hudson, Marvin Fritzler, Philip Awadalla, Sasha Bernatsky

The research team looked at exposures to SO2, NO2, and fine particles matter on anti-citrullinated protein antibodies, a characteristic biomarker for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It was found that there was a positive correlation between ACPA and industrial emissions of PM2.5 and SO2.

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2020

Associations between the neighbourhood characteristics and body mass index, waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio: Findings from Alberta’s Tomorrow Project

Authors: Vikram Nichani, Liam Turley, Jennifer Vena, Gavin McCormack

This study estimated the associations between neighbourhood characteristics and self-reported body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) risk categories among Canadian men and women.

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2020

Reduced Cognitive Assessment Scores Among Individuals With Magnetic Resonance Imaging–Detected Vascular Brain Injury

Authors: Sonia S. Anand, Matthias G. Friedrich, Dipika Desai, Karleen M. Schulze, Philip Awadalla, David Busseuil, Trevor J.B. Dummer, Sébastien Jacquemont, Alexander Dick, David Kelton, Anish Kirpalani, Scott A. Lear, Jonathan Leipsic, Michael D. Noseworthy, Louise Parker, Grace Parraga, Paul Poirier, Paula Robson, Jean-Claude Tardif, Koon Teo, Jennifer Vena, Salim Yusuf, Alan R. Moody, Sandra E. Black, Eric E. Smith,

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.

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2020

Investigating associations between anti-nuclear antibody positivity and combined long-term exposures to NO2, O3, and PM2.5 using a Bayesian kernel machine regression approach.

Authors: Naizhou Zhao, Audrey Smagiassi, Marie Hudson, Marvin Fritzler, Sasha Bernatsky,

This group determined ANA using biobanked sera, they asssesed the effects of exposures to NO2 and O3 and PM2.5, they compared the results obtained by the BKMR to standard logistic regression models

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2020

Incidence of fractures in middle-aged individuals with early chronic kidney disease: a population-based analysis of CARTaGENE

Authors: Louis-Charles Desbiens, Remi Goupil, Francois Madore, Fabrice Mac-Way

This article looked at the the number of new fractures with people in the CARTaGENE cohort that were affected with CKD

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2019

A population-based study of the associations between neighbourhood walkability and different types of physical activity in Canadian men and women.

Authors: Nichani V, Vena, J; Friedenreich, CM; Christie, C; McCormack GR

The purpose for this study was to determine whether there was difference between neighbourhood walkability differed amongst men/women. They examined perceived walkability and examined how the two sexes percevied walkability in their neighbourhoods.

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2019

The individual and combined effects of alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking on site-specific cancer risk in a prospective cohort of 26,607 adults: results from Alberta’s Tomorrow Project.

Authors: B Viner, AM Barberio, TR Haig, CM Fredenreich, D Brenner

This study examined the invidual and synergistic effects of modifiable lifestyle factors on overall cancer risks. The conclusions of this study were that while alcohol did not really cause a cancer risk, smoking was definitley attributed to be a factor wherein females were more affected. Those who smoked and drank were at a higher risk of developing colon/prostate cancers.

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2019

Rheumatoid arthritis-relevant DNA methylation changes identified in ACPA-positive asymptomatic individuals using methylome capture sequencing

Authors: Xiaojian Shao, Marie Hudson, Ines Colmegna, Celia Greenwood, Marvin Fritzler, Philip Awadalla, Tomi Pastinen, Sasha Bernatsky

They wanted to compare DNA methylation in subjects postivie/negative for anti-citrullinated protein antibodies which is a key marker for rheumatoid arthritis. They measured the DNA methylation of 137 subjects, 63 who were ACPA-positive, 66 were negative and 8 were self-reported with their rheumatoid arthritis.

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2019

Sleep and cancer incidence in Alberta’s Tomorrow Project cohort

Authors: Jessica McNeil, Amanda Barberio, Christine Fredenreich, Darren Brenner

This article looked at the relationship between cancer incidence and sleeping patterns. They found there was a correlation between sleep duration and cancer etiology

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