Lower estimated glomerular filtration rate relates to cognitive impairment and brain alterations
The researchers investigated the association between estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and cognitive function in 15,897 CARTaGENE participants. They found that lower eGFR was linked to reduced cognitive performance and that brain regions associated with eGFR were enriched in mitochondrial and inflammation-related genes. These associations were independent of age, sex, education, BMI, Framingham risk score, and white matter lesion volume.
Association of lifetime lactation and characteristics of menopause: a longitudinal cohort study
The researchers used survey data on 19,783 parous women aged 40 to 65 years at enrollment in the Alberta’s Tomorrow Project to investigate the association between lifetime duration of lactation and the timing and type of menopause in midlife women. They found that in a dose-response manner, longer lactation was associated with reduced risk of natural menopause before age 50, surgical menopause before age 55, and indeterminate menopause before age 50. Longer lactation was associated with lower odds of surgical and indeterminate menopause, compared to natural menopause.
Unilateral Oophorectomy and Age at Natural Menopause: A Longitudinal Community-Based Cohort Study.
The researchers investigated the impact of unilateral oophorectomy (UO) on the age of natural menopause using data from Alberta’s Tomorrow Project. They found that UO was linked to an earlier age at natural menopause, with the strongest effect seen in women who had UO between ages 20-40. These findings highlight that UO, particularly before the age of 40, increases the risk of earlier natural menopause.
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Healthcare Utilization in People with Diabetes: A Time-Segmented Longitudinal Study of Alberta’s Tomorrow Project
The objective is to characterize the impact of COVID-19 on major healthcare for diabetes, including hospitalization, emergency department (ED) visits and primary care visits in Alberta, Canada. Participants from Alberta’s Tomorrow Project (ATP) with pre-existing diabetes prior to 1 April 2018 were included and followed up to 31 March 2021. The declared COVID-19 states of emergency had a negative impact on healthcare utilization for people with diabetes, especially for hospital and ED services, which suggests the importance of enhancing the capacity of these two healthcare sectors during future COVID-19-like public health emergencies.
A comprehensive analysis of skin cancer concerns and protective practices in Manitoba, Canada, highlights lack of skin cancer awareness and predominance of high-risk sun exposure behaviors
The researchers conducted a cross-sectional survey using data from Manitoba’s Tomorrow Project to examine sun exposure behaviors and attitudes. They found that over 65% of participants reported a history of sunburns, more than 50% had used tanning beds, and fewer than 50% used sunscreen. These findings highlight critical gaps in sun protection practices and awareness, underscoring the urgent need for targeted public health interventions to reduce skin cancer rates.
Education level is associated with the occurrence and timing of hysterectomy: A cohort study of Canadian women
The researchers used data of 30 496 females in the Alberta’s Tomorrow Project to determine the association between level of educational attainment and the occurrence and timing of hysterectomy in Canadian women. They found that women with lower levels of education were more likely to experience hysterectomy, including hysterectomy before menopause and at younger ages.
Estimating Additive Interaction in Two-Stage Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis.
The researchers aimed to describe how the Relative Excess Risk due to Interaction (RERI) and other measures of additive interaction or effect modification can be validly estimated within two-stage individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis. They proposed a three-step procedure to estimate additive interaction, and illustrate this procedure by investigating interaction between depression and smoking and risk of smoking-related cancers incidence during follow-up, and used IPD of six cohorts, including CARTaGENE.
Association of parity with the timing and type of menopause: A longitudinal cohort study
The study aimed to determine the time-varying association between parity and timing of natural menopause, surgical menopause, and premenopausal hysterectomy among 23,728 women aged 40-65 years at enrollment in the Alberta’s Tomorrow Project cohort study. The researchers found that overall, natural menopause was most common, then premenopausal hysterectomy and surgical menopause. The risk of natural menopause before age 50 was higher for women with 0 or 1 birth, while the risk was similar for those with 3 or more births compared to those with 2 births. Elevated risks of surgical menopause before age 45 for women with 0 or 1 birth were reduced after excluding those with a history of infertility or recurrent pregnancy loss, and the risk decreased over time for women with 3 or more births. Additionally, the risk of premenopausal hysterectomy before age 50 was lower for women with 0 births but increased after age 40 for those with 3 or more births.
Cohort profile: the CARTaGENE Cohort Nutrition Study (Quebec, Canada)
The researchers aimed to address emerging nutritional epidemiological research questions, using data from the CARTaGENE cohort. Dietary information was collected making it a rich resource for the exploration of diet in the etiology of many health outcomes. They found that dietary intake and quality varied among participants but generally met recommended nutrient levels. Along with other findings, the Canadian Healthy Eating Index 2005 (C-HEI) scores were higher among never smokers, those with higher education, and those with more physical activity compared to current smokers, less than high school education, and those with lower physical activity.
Sex-Specific Associations of Aldosterone and Renin with Body Composition: A Population-Based Cohort Study
The researchers investigated the associations of aldosterone and renin with body composition according to sex in a population-based cohort. Using data from 3,687 adults aged 40-69 years enrolled in the CARTaGENE study, they found that among males, higher aldosterone and renin levels were linked to increased waist to hip ratio, increased fat mass, and decreased lean and muscle mass, while aldosterone specifically was also associated with increased ectopic cardiac adiposity. In contrast, among females higher renin, but not aldosterone, was associated with increased waist circumference, increased waist-to-hip ratio, and increased cardiac adiposity. Higher renin and aldosterone were associated with increased fat mass but were not associated with lean body mass or muscle mass.