Blood-Based Epigenetic Age Acceleration and Incident Colorectal Cancer Risk: Findings from a Population-Based Case-Control Study.

This study investigates the association between epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) derived from DNA methylation and the risk of incident colorectal cancer (CRC). We utilized data from a random population sample of 9,360 individuals (men and women, aged 45-69) from the HAPIEE Study who had been followed up for 16 years. A nested case-control design yielded 35 incident CRC cases and 354 matched controls. Six baseline epigenetic age (EA) measures (Horvath, Hannum, PhenoAge, Skin and Blood (SB), BLUP, and Elastic Net (EN)) were calculated along with their respective EAAs. After adjustment, the odds ratios (ORs) for CRC risk per decile increase in EAA ranged from 1.20 (95% CI: 1.04-1.39) to 1.44 (95% CI: 1.21-1.76) for the Horvath, Hannum, PhenoAge, and BLUP measures. Conversely, the SB and EN EAA measures showed borderline inverse associations with ORs of 0.86-0.87 (95% CI: 0.76-0.99). Tertile analysis reinforced a positive association between CRC risk and four EAA measures (Horvath, Hannum, PhenoAge, and BLUP) and a modest inverse relationship with EN EAA. Our findings from a prospective population-based-case-control study indicate a direct association between incident CRC and four markers of accelerated baseline epigenetic age. In contrast, two markers showed a negative association or no association. These results warrant further exploration in larger cohorts and may have implications for CRC risk assessment and prevention.

Awareness of Hypertension, Hypercholesterolemia, and Diabetes Mellitus and Associated Characteristics in Russian Adults.

Russia has higher cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality compared to other European countries. The major CVD risk factors are age, male sex, and three conditions, namely hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes mellitus (DM). This study aimed to assess awareness of these three conditions among Russian adults (N = 3803) and the associated socio-demographic, lifestyle, and health characteristics. We used cross-sectional data from a randomly drawn population-based sample of Russians aged 35-69 years, who participated in the Know Your Heart (KYH) study conducted in Arkhangelsk and Novosibirsk between 2015-2018. Participants' self-reported awareness of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and DM was assessed against the measures at the KYH health check (blood pressure, cholesterol, HbA1c and/or use of medication for each condition). Prevalence estimates for the awareness were age- and sex-standardized to the Standard European Population. Socio-demographic, lifestyle, and health-related correlates of the awareness were investigated using logistic regression modelling. Among participants with hypertension (N = 2206), hypercholesterolemia (N = 3171), and DM (N = 329) recorded at a health check, 79%, 45%, and 61% self-reported these conditions, respectively. Higher awareness of hypercholesterolemia and hypertension was associated with older age, female sex, nonsmoking status, obesity, and history of CVD diagnoses. Low household income and history of CVD diagnoses were associated with being aware of DM. The awareness rates of hypertension were relatively high, whereas awareness rates of hypercholesterolemia and DM were relatively low. CVD prevention and early intervention could be improved in Russia through increasing the awareness of the risk factors.

The relationship between physical performance and alcohol consumption levels in Russian adults.

Investigating the relationship between alcohol consumption and physical performance, we used data from the 2015-2018 Know Your Heart study on 4215 adults aged 35-69 from Arkhangelsk and Novosibirsk, Russia. We classified participants' drinking status into non-drinking, non-problem drinking, hazardous drinking, and harmful drinking based on their self-reported drinking behaviors. To evaluate physical performance, we developed a Composite Physical Performance Scale (CPPS), which combined the results of three functional tests: grip strength (GS), closed-eyes balance, and chair rises (CR). We applied multivariable linear regression to assess the relationship between alcohol consumption and CPPS score, and ordinal logistic regression to explore the associations between alcohol consumption and the three functional tests separately. The results showed that harmful drinking was associated with lower CPPS scores compared to non-problem drinking. Among harmful drinking men, the decrease in CPPS scores was explained by all three tests equally and exceptionally by GS among women. Non-drinking was also associated with decreased CPPS, linked to lower GS and CR scores in men, and only lower GS scores in women. The study revealed a reduced physical performance in the non-drinking and harmful drinking groups compared to non-problem drinking.

Global Effect of Modifiable Risk Factors on Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality.

BACKGROUND: Five modifiable risk factors are associated with cardiovascular disease and death from any cause. Studies using individual-level data to evaluate the regional and sex-specific prevalence of the risk factors and their effect on these outcomes are lacking. METHODS: We pooled and harmonized individual-level data from 112 cohort studies conducted in 34 countries and 8 geographic regions participating in the Global Cardiovascular Risk Consortium. We examined associations between the risk factors (body-mass index, systolic blood pressure, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, current smoking, and diabetes) and incident cardiovascular disease and death from any cause using Cox regression analyses, stratified according to geographic region, age, and sex. Population-attributable fractions were estimated for the 10-year incidence of cardiovascular disease and 10-year all-cause mortality. RESULTS: Among 1,518,028 participants (54.1% of whom were women) with a median age of 54.4 years, regional variations in the prevalence of the five modifiable risk factors were noted. Incident cardiovascular disease occurred in 80,596 participants during a median follow-up of 7.3 years (maximum, 47.3), and 177,369 participants died during a median follow-up of 8.7 years (maximum, 47.6). For all five risk factors combined, the aggregate global population-attributable fraction of the 10-year incidence of cardiovascular disease was 57.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 52.4 to 62.1) among women and 52.6% (95% CI, 49.0 to 56.1) among men, and the corresponding values for 10-year all-cause mortality were 22.2% (95% CI, 16.8 to 27.5) and 19.1% (95% CI, 14.6 to 23.6). CONCLUSIONS: Harmonized individual-level data from a global cohort showed that 57.2% and 52.6% of cases of incident cardiovascular disease among women and men, respectively, and 22.2% and 19.1% of deaths from any cause among women and men, respectively, may be attributable to five modifiable risk factors. (Funded by the German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK); ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT05466825.).

Association of Common Variants of APOE, CETP, and the 9p21.3 Chromosomal Region with the Risk of Myocardial Infarction: A Prospective Study.

The individual risk of an unfavorable cardiovascular outcome is determined by genetic factors in addition to lifestyle factors. This study was aimed at analyzing possible associations of several genetic factors with the risk of myocardial infarction (MI). For our study, we selected genes that have been significantly associated with MI in meta-analyses: the chromosomal region 9p21.3, the CETP gene, and the APOE gene. In total, 2286 randomly selected patients were included. Rs708272 and rs429358 and rs7412 were analyzed using RT-PCR via the TaqMan principle, and rs1333049 vas analyzed via a commercial KASP assay. In our sample, the frequencies of alleles and genotypes were consistent with frequencies in comparable populations of Eastern and Western Europe. Allele C of rs1333049 was significantly associated with MI among males (p = 0.027) and in the whole study sample (p = 0.008). We also revealed a significant association of the ɛ2/ɛ4 genotype of APOE with MI among males (p < 0.0001) and in the whole study sample (p < 0.0001). Thus, among the tested polymorphisms, some genotypes of rs1333049 and rs429358 and rs7412 are the most strongly associated with MI and can be recommended for inclusion into a genetic risk score.

The Relationship between All-Cause Natural Mortality and Copy Number of Mitochondrial DNA in a 15-Year Follow-Up Study.

We explored the relationship between the copy number of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA-CN) and all-cause natural mortality. We examined a random population sample in 2003/2005 (n = 9360, men/women, 45-69, the HAPIEE project) and followed up for 15 years. Using a nested case-control design, we selected non-external deaths among those free from baseline cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and cancer (n = 371), and a sex- and age-stratified control (n = 785). The odds ratios (ORs) of death were 1.06 (95%CI 1.01-1.11) per one-decile decrease in mtDNA-CN independent of age, sex, metabolic factors, smoking, alcohol intake and education. The age-sex-adjusted ORs of death in the second and first tertiles of mtDNA-CN vs. the top tertile were 2.35 (95% CI 1.70-3.26) and 1.59 (1.16-2.17); an increased risk was confined to the second tertile after controlling for smoking and metabolic factors. The multivariable-adjusted OR of CVD death was 1.92 (95% CI 1.18-3.15) in tertile 2 vs. the top tertile of mtDNA-CN, and for cancer-related death the ORs were 3.66 (95% CI 2.21-6.05) and 2.29 (95% CI 1.43-3.68) in tertiles 2 and 1 vs. the top tertile. In the Siberian population cohort, the mtDNA-CN was an inverse predictor of the 15-year risk of natural mortality, due to the greatest impact of CVD and cancer-related death. The findings merit attention for exploring further the role of mtDNA in human ageing and the diversity of mortality.

Drinking alcohol in moderation is associated with lower rate of all-cause mortality in individuals with higher rather than lower educational level: findings from the MORGAM project.

The association between socioeconomic status (SES) and alcohol-related diseases has been widely explored. Less is known, however, on whether the association of moderate drinking with all-cause mortality is modified by educational level (EL). Using harmonized data from 16 cohorts in the MORGAM Project (N = 142,066) the association of pattern of alcohol intake with hazard of all-cause mortality across EL (lower = primary-school; middle = secondary-school; higher = university/college degree) was assessed using multivariable Cox-regression and spline curves. A total of 16,695 deaths occurred in 11.8 years (median). In comparison with life-long abstainers, participants drinking 0.1-10 g/d of ethanol had 13% (HR = 0.87; 95%CI: 0.74-1.02), 11% (HR = 0.89; 0.84-0.95) and 5% (HR = 0.95; 0.89-1.02) lower rate of death in higher, middle and lower EL, respectively. Conversely, drinkers > 20 g/d had 1% (HR = 1.01; 0.82-1.25), 10% (HR = 1.10; 1.02-1.19) and 17% (HR = 1.17; 1.09-1.26) higher rate of death. The association of alcohol consumption with all-cause mortality was nonlinear, with a different J-shape by EL levels. It was consistent across both sexes and in various approaches of measuring alcohol consumption, including combining quantity and frequency and it was more evident when the beverage of preference was wine. We observed that drinking in moderation (≤ 10 g/d) is associated with lower mortality rate more evidently in individuals with higher EL than in people with lower EL, while heavy drinking is associated with higher mortality rate more evidently in individuals with lower EL than in people with higher EL, suggesting that advice on reducing alcohol intake should especially target individuals of low EL.

Socio-Demographic, Lifestyle, and Cardiometabolic Characteristics Associated with Low-Grade Systemic Inflammation in Russian Adult Population.

Mortality from cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) is higher in Russia compared to other European countries. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is a biomarker of inflammation, and its elevated levels indicate increased CVD risks. We aim to describe the prevalence of low-grade systemic inflammation (LGSI) and the associated factors in a Russian population. The Know Your Heart cross-sectional study was conducted in Arkhangelsk, Russia in 2015-2017 with a population sample aged 35-69 years (n = 2380). LGSI was defined as hs-CRP ≥ 2 and <10 mg/L, and its associations with socio-demographic, lifestyle, and cardiometabolic characteristics were analyzed. The prevalence of LGSI (age-standardized to European Standard Population 2013) was 34.1% (33.5% in men and 36.1% in women). In the total sample, the increased odds ratios (ORs) of LGSI were associated with abdominal obesity (2.1), smoking (1.9), dyslipidemia (1.5), pulmonary diseases (1.4), and hypertension (1.3); the decreased ORs were in women (0.6) and in married participants (0.6). In men, the ORs were higher with abdominal obesity (2.1), smoking (2.0), CVDs (1.5), and hazardous drinking (1.5); in women-with abdominal obesity (4.4) and pulmonary diseases (1.5). In conclusion, one-third of the adult population in Arkhangelsk had LGSI. Abdominal obesity was the strongest LGSI correlate in both sexes, while the profiles of other associated factors were different between men and women.

Influence of hypertension on systolic and diastolic left ventricular function including segmental strain and strain rate.

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic functions are important cardiovascular risk predictors in patients with hypertension. However, data on segmental, layer-specific strain, and diastolic strain rates in these patients are limited. The aim of this study was to investigate segmental two-dimensional strain rate imaging (SRI)-derived parameters to characterize LV systolic and diastolic function in hypertensive individuals compared with that in normotensive individuals. METHODS: The study sample comprised 1194 participants from the population-based Know Your Heart study in Arkhangelsk and Novosibirsk, Russia, and 1013 individuals from the Seventh Tromsø Study in Norway. The study population was divided into four subgroups: (A) healthy individuals with normal blood pressure (BP), (B) individuals on antihypertensive medication with normal BP, (C) individuals with systolic BP 140-159 mmHg and/or diastolic BP > 90 mm HG, and (D) individuals with systolic BP ≥160 mmHg. In addition to conventional echocardiographic parameters, global and segmental layer-specific strains and strain rates in early diastole and atrial contraction (SR E, SR A) were extracted. The strain and SR (S/SR) analysis included only segments without strain curve artifacts. RESULTS: With increasing BP, the systolic and diastolic global and segmental S/SR gradually decreased. SR E, a marker of impaired relaxation, showed the most distinctive differences between the groups. In normotensive controls and the three hypertension groups, all segmental parameters displayed apico-basal gradients, with the lowest S/SR in the basal septal and highest in apical segments. Only SR A did not differ between the segmental groups but increased gradually with increasing BP. End-systolic strain showed incremental epi-towards endocardial gradients, irrespective of the study group. CONCLUSION: Arterial hypertension reduces global and segmental systolic and diastolic left ventricular S/SR parameters. Impaired relaxation determined by SR E is the dominant factor of diastolic dysfunction, whereas end-diastolic compliance (by SR A) does not seem to be influenced by different degrees of hypertension. Segmental strain, SR E and SR A provide new insights into the LV cardio mechanics in hypertensive hearts.

Blood pressure and cardiovascular risk in relation to birth weight and urinary sodium: an individual-participant meta-analysis of European family-based population studies.

BACKGROUND: Although the relation of salt intake with blood pressure (BP) is linear, it is U-shaped for mortality and cardiovascular disease (CVD). This individual-participant meta-analysis explored whether the relation of hypertension, death or CVD with 24-h urinary sodium excretion (UVNA) or sodium-to-potassium (UNAK) ratio was modified by birth weight. METHODS: Families were randomly enrolled in the Flemish Study on Genes, Environment and Health Outcomes (1985-2004) and the European Project on Genes in Hypertension (1999-2001). Categories of birth weight, UVNA and UNAK (≤2500, >2500-4000, >4000 g; <2.3, 2.3-4.6 and >4.6 g; and <1, 1-2, >2, respectively) were coded using deviation-from-mean coding and analyzed by Kaplan-Meier survival functions and linear and Cox regression. RESULTS: The study population was subdivided into the Outcome ( n  = 1945), Hypertension ( n  = 1460) and Blood Pressure cohorts ( n  = 1039) to analyze the incidence of mortality and cardiovascular endpoints, hypertension and BP changes as function of UVNA changes. The prevalence of low/medium/high birth weight in the Outcome cohort was 5.8/84.5/9.7%. Over 16.7 years (median), rates were 4.9, 8 and 27.1% for mortality, CVD and hypertension, respectively, but were not associated with birth weight. Multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios were not significant for any endpoint in any of the birth weight, UVNA and UNAK strata. Adult body weight tracked with birth weight ( P  < 0.0001). The partial r in the low-birth-weight group associating changes from baseline to follow-up in UVNA and SBP was 0.68 ( P  = 0.023) but not significant in other birth weight groups. CONCLUSION: This study did not substantiate its prior hypothesis but showed tracking of adult with birth weight and suggest that low birth weight increases salt sensitivity.

Association between Alcohol Consumption and Body Composition in Russian Adults and Patients Treated for Alcohol-Related Disorders: The Know Your Heart Cross-Sectional Study.

There is conflicting evidence about the association between alcohol consumption and body composition (BC). We aimed to investigate this association in Russian adults. The study population included 2357 residents of Arkhangelsk aged 35-69 years, and 272 in-patients treated for alcohol problems (narcological patients) who participated in the Know Your Heart (KYH) cross-sectional study in 2015-2017. The participants were divided into five subgroups based on their alcohol use characteristics: non-drinkers, non-problem drinkers, hazardous drinkers, harmful drinkers, and narcological patients. Considering men, hazardous drinkers had a larger waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and percentage of body fat mass (%FM) compared to non-problem drinkers. In harmful drinking men, these differences were the opposite: a lower body mass index (BMI), hip circumference (HC), and %FM. Men among narcological patients had the lowest mean BMI, WC, HC, WHR, and %FM compared to other subgroups of men. As for women, non-drinkers had a lower BMI, WC, HC, and %FM compared to non-problem drinkers. Women among narcological patients had the lowest mean BMI and HC but an increased WHR compared to other subgroups of women. In conclusion, alcohol consumption levels had an inverted J-shaped association with adiposity-related BC parameters: they were elevated in hazardous drinkers but were reduced in harmful drinkers, and were even lower in patients with alcohol-related diagnoses.

Work stress, overcommitment personality and alcohol consumption based on the Effort-Reward Imbalance model: A population-based cohort study.

Work stress has been extensively supported to predict health outcomes like health behaviors. Evidence has linked work stress and personality independently to health, but the interrelationships between work stress and personality and their joint effects on health might deserve more attention in research. This study attempts to integrate recent developments in psychological research (diverse roles of personality in stress processes) into the well-established Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) model for work stress. Based on the ERI model, this population-based cohort study aims to investigate the relationships between work stress, personality and alcohol consumption; it particularly focuses on potential roles of overcommitment (OC) personality in ERI-drinking relations, including modifying, antecedent, mediator or direct effects. This two-wave cohort study was conducted in population samples of 3782 men and 3731 women (aged 45-69 years) from Czech Republic, Poland and Russia. Alcohol consumption was assessed by three drinking outcomes: binge drinking, heavy drinking and problem drinking. To assess modifying effect of OC in ERI-drinking relations, logistic regression was used. To assess antecedent or mediator role of OC in ERI-drinking relations, path analysis with the autoregressive and cross-lagged model was conducted. The results showed that OC had no significantly modifying effect in ERI-drinking relations. OC and ERI might have bidirectional relationships in the average follow-up period of 3.5 years; the effect of OC on ERI was remarkably stronger than the reversed causation. Antecedent role of OC in ERI-drinking relationship was significant, but mediator role of OC was not. In conclusion, our findings imply that "antecedent role" of OC in ERI-drinking relations is significant and promising as a potential target for individual intervention; future interventions are suggested to identify and target potential cognitive-behavioral mechanisms via which personality might influence work stress and subsequently health behaviors.

Hazardous alcohol consumption and problem drinking in Norwegian and Russian women and men: The Tromsø Study 2015-2016 and the Know Your Heart study 2015-2018.

AIM: Harmful use of alcohol is a worldwide public health concern. Cultural differences may affect responses to questions on alcohol problems, making international comparisons difficult. We aimed to compare self-reported alcohol consumption and problem drinking between Norwegian and Russian populations. METHODS: We used data from women and men aged 40-69 years participating in the Tromsø Study seventh survey (Tromsø7, N=17646, participation 65%), Tromsø (2015-2016), Norway, and the Know Your Heart study (KYH, N=4099, participation 51%), Arkhangelsk and Novosibirsk (2015-2018), Russia. Alcohol consumption and problem drinking were measured by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) via questionnaires (Tromsø7) and interviews (KYH). We compared AUDIT scores and components between populations, by sex. RESULTS: Non-drinking was more commonly reported in KYH compared with Tromsø7 (men 15.5% versus 4.9%, women 13.3% versus 7.3%). In men, hazardous consumption (41.4% versus 31.5%) and problem drinking (24.8% versus 19.6%) was higher in KYH compared with Tromsø7, but opposite for women (6.5% versus 12.0%, and 2.3% versus 5.8%). KYH men were less likely to report problem drinking behaviours than Tromsø7 men, with the exception of needing a drink first thing in the morning (13.2% versus 2.4%). KYH women consistently reported less consumption and problem drinking than Tromsø7 women. CONCLUSIONS: We found between-study differences in hazardous drinking, but in men these were lower than suggested by differences in country-level statistics on alcohol consumption and alcohol-related health-harms. Study sample selection, stronger social desirability bias effects in the Russian samples, and cultural differences in responding could have affected the results.

The Profile of Glucose Lowering Therapy in Persons with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in an Aging Russian Population.

We aimed to analyze the profile of glucose lowering therapy (GLT) in persons with diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2) in an aging Russian population. A random population sample (n = 3898, men/women, 55−84) was examined in Novosibirsk, during 2015−2018 (HAPIEE Project). The design of the present work is a cross-sectional study. DM2 was defined in those with a history of DM2 receiving GLT, or at a level of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) ≥7.0 mmol/L. The entire DM2 group was included in the analysis (n = 803); of these, 476 persons were taking GLT and were included in the analysis at stage 2. Regular GLT medication intake for 12 months was coded with ATC. In studied sample, the prevalence of DM2 was 20.8%. Among subjects with DM2, 59% of individuals received GLT, 32% did not. Glycemic control (FPG < 7.0 mmol/L) was achieved in every fifth participant with DM2 (35% in those receiving GLT). In frequency of GLT use, biguanides ranked in first place (75%), sulfonylurea derivatives in second (35%), insulins in third (12%), and iDPP-4 in fourth (5%). Among those receiving GLT, 24% used combined oral therapy, and 6% used insulin-combined therapy. In conclusion, in a population sample aged 55−84 examined in 2015−2018, glycemic control was achieved in every fifth participant with DM2, and in every third participant receiving GLT. The proportion of participants using new GLT drugs was small, and there was a lack of HbA1c monitoring for intensive glycemic control.

Risk Factors for Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases and Osteoporotic Fractures in a Middle and Elderly-Aged Population.

Aim. To study the associations of risk factors for chronic non-communicable diseases (CNCDs) and osteoporotic fractures (OFs) in a population sampling over 50 years. Materials and Methods. The data of a cross-sectional population-based study obtained in the Russian part of the international project HAPIEE (Novosibirsk) are analyzed. The present analysis comprised 7363 men and women aged 50-69 years old. We have assessed the frequency of OFs for the last 12 months and risk factors of CNCDs. Cross-sectional associations between OF history and potential determinants were analyzed using multivariable-adjusted logistic regression. Results. The frequency of OFs in the last 12 months was 3.6% (3.2% in men and 4.0% in women, p = 0.074). In men, the probability of OFs increased with an elevation of blood pressure (BP), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), ethanol consumption, and reduced with increased body mass index (BMI). In women, the probability of a fracture increased with current smoking and an increased duration of post-menopause and reduced with an increase in triglycerides (TG) levels, independently of other factors. Conclusions. A syndemia of risk factors, both generally recognized for OFs (BMI, tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, postmenopausal duration) and new factors associated with CNCDs (BP, HDL, TG), have been defined.

Predictive power of 24-h ambulatory pulse pressure and its components for mortality and cardiovascular outcomes in 11 848 participants recruited from 13 populations.

BACKGROUND: The role of pulse pressure (PP) 'widening' at older and younger age as a cardiovascular risk factor is still controversial. Mean PP, as determined from repeated blood pressure (BP) readings, can be expressed as a sum of two components: 'elastic PP' (elPP) and 'stiffening PP' (stPP) associated, respectively, with stiffness at the diastole and its relative change during the systole. We investigated the association of 24-h ambulatory PP, elPP, and stPP ('PP variables') with mortality and composite cardiovascular events in different age classes. METHOD: Longitudinal population-based cohort study of adults with baseline observations that included 24-h ambulatory BP. Age classes were age 40 or less, 40-50, 50-60, 60-70, and over 70 years. Co-primary endpoints were total mortality and composite cardiovascular events. The relative risk expressed by hazard ratio per 1SD increase for each of the PP variables was calculated from multivariable-adjusted Cox regression models. RESULTS: The 11 848 participants from 13 cohorts (age 53 ±â€Š16 years, 50% men) were followed for up for 13.7 ±â€Š6.7 years. A total of 2946 participants died (18.1 per 1000 person-years) and 2093 experienced a fatal or nonfatal cardiovascular event (12.9 per 1000 person-years). Mean PP, elPP, and stPP were, respectively, 49.7, 43.5, and 6.2 mmHg, and elPP and stPP were uncorrelated ( r  = -0.07). At age 50-60 years, all PP variables displayed association with risk for almost all outcomes. From age over 60 years to age over 70 years, hazard ratios of of PP and elPP were similar and decreased gradually but differently for pulse rate lower than or higher than 70 bpm, whereas stPP lacked predictive power in most cases. For age 40 years or less, elPP showed protective power for coronary events, whereas stPP and PP predicted stroke events. Adjusted and unadjusted hazard ratio variations were similar over the entire age range. CONCLUSION: This study provides a new basis for associating PP components with outcome and arterial properties in different age groups and at different pulse rates for both old and young age. The similarity between adjusted and unadjusted hazard ratios supports the clinical usefulness of PP components but further studies are needed to assess the prognostic significance of the PP components, especially at the young age.

Obesity Prevalence and Associated Socio-Demographic Characteristics and Health Behaviors in Russia and Norway.

Associations between obesity and socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics vary between populations. Exploring such differences should throw light on factors related to obesity. We examined associations between general obesity (GO, defined by body mass index) and abdominal obesity (AO, defined by waist-to-hip ratio) and sex, age, socio-economic characteristics (education, financial situation, marital status), smoking and alcohol consumption in women and men aged 40-69 years from the Know Your Heart study (KYH, Russia, N = 4121, 2015-2018) and the seventh Tromsø Study (Tromsø7, Norway, N = 17,646, 2015-2016). Age-standardized prevalence of GO and AO was higher in KYH compared to Tromsø7 women (36.7 vs. 22.0% and 44.2 vs. 18.4%, respectively) and similar among men (26.0 vs. 25.7% and 74.8 vs. 72.2%, respectively). The positive association of age with GO and AO was stronger in KYH vs. Tromsø7 women and for AO it was stronger in men in Tromsø7 vs. KYH. Associations between GO and socio-economic characteristics were similar in KYH and Tromsø7, except for a stronger association with living with spouse/partner in KYH men. Smoking had a positive association with AO in men in Tromsø7 and in women in both studies. Frequent drinking was negatively associated with GO and AO in Tromsø7 participants and positively associated with GO in KYH men. We found similar obesity prevalence in Russian and Norwegian men but higher obesity prevalence in Russian compared to Norwegian women. Other results suggest that the stronger association of obesity with age in Russian women is the major driver of the higher obesity prevalence among them compared to women in Norway.

All-cause and cardiovascular mortality in relation to lung function in the full range of distribution across four Eastern European cohorts.

It is unclear whether the dose-response relationship between lung function and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in the Central and Eastern European populations differ from that reported in the Western European and American populations. We used the prospective population-based HAPIEE cohort that includes randomly selected people with a mean age of 59 ± 7.3 years from population registers in Czech, Polish, Russian and Lithuanian urban centres. The baseline survey in 2002-2005 included 36,106 persons of whom 24,944 met the inclusion criteria. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the dose-response relationship between lung function defined as FEV1 divided by height cubed and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality over 11-16 years of follow-up. Mortality rate increased in a dose-response manner from highest to lower FEV1/height3 deciles. Adjusted hazard ratios (HR) of all-cause mortality for persons in the 8th best, the 5th and the worst deciles were 1.27 (95% CI 1.08‒1.49), 1.37 (1.18-1.60) and 2.15 (1.86‒2.48), respectively; for cardiovascular mortality, the respective HRs were 1.84 (1.29-2.63), 2.35 (1.67-3.28) and 3.46 (2.50‒4.78). Patterns were similar across countries, with some statistically insignificant variation. FEV1/height3 is a strong predictor of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, across full distribution of values, including persons with preserved lung function.

Impaired lung function and mortality in Eastern Europe: results from multi-centre cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The association between impaired lung function and mortality has been well documented in the general population of Western European countries. We assessed the risk of death associated with reduced spirometry indices among people from four Central and Eastern European countries. METHODS: This prospective population-based cohort includes men and women aged 45-69 years, residents in urban settlements in Czech Republic, Poland, Russia and Lithuania, randomly selected from population registers. The baseline survey in 2002-2005 included 36,106 persons of whom 24,993 met the inclusion criteria. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the hazard ratios of mortality over 11-16 years of follow-up for mild, moderate, moderate-severe and very severe lung function impairment categories. RESULTS: After adjusting for covariates, mild (hazard ratio (HR): 1.25; 95% CI 1.15‒1.37) to severe (HR: 3.35; 95% CI 2.62‒4.27) reduction in FEV1 was associated with an increased risk of death according to degree of lung impairment, compared to people with normal lung function. The association was only slightly attenuated but remained significant after exclusion of smokers and participants with previous history of respiratory diseases. The HRs varied between countries but not statistically significant; the highest excess risk among persons with more severe impairment was seen in Poland (HR: 4.28, 95% CI 2.14‒8.56) and Lithuania (HR: 4.07, 95% CI 2.21‒7.50). CONCLUSIONS: Reduced FEV1 is an independent predictor of all-cause mortality, with risk increasing with the degree of lung function impairment and some country-specific variation between the cohorts.

Prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension, diabetes and hypercholesterolemia, and associated risk factors in the Czech Republic, Russia, Poland and Lithuania: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Empirical evidence on the epidemiology of hypertension, diabetes and hypercholesterolemia is limited in many countries in Central and Eastern Europe. We aimed to estimate the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension, diabetes and hypercholesterolemia in the Czech Republic, Russia, Poland and Lithuania, and to identify the risk factors for the three chronic conditions. METHODS: We analysed cross-sectional data from the HAPIEE study, including adults aged 45-69 years in the Czech Republic, Russia, Poland and Lithuania, collected between 2002 and 2008 (total sample N = 30,882). Among prevalent cases, we estimated awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension, diabetes and hypercholesterolemia by gender and country. Multivariate logistic regression was applied to identify associated risk factors. RESULTS: In each country among both men and women, we found high prevalence but low control of hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia. Awareness rates of hypertension were the lowest in both men (61.40%) and women (69.21%) in the Czech Republic, while awareness rates of hypercholesterolemia were the highest in both men (46.51%) and women (51.20%) in Poland. Polish participants also had the highest rates of awareness (77.37% in men and 79.53% in women), treatment (71.99% in men and 74.87% in women) and control (30.98% in men and 38.08% in women) of diabetes. The common risk factors for the three chronic conditions were age, gender, education, obesity and alcohol consumption. CONCLUSIONS: Patterns of awareness, treatment and control rates of hypertension, diabetes and hypercholesterolemia differed by country. Efforts should be made in all four countries to control these conditions, including implementation of international guidelines in everyday practice to improve detection and effective management of these conditions.