Associations of long-term exposure to air pollution and greenness with incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Northern Europe: The Life-GAP project.

BACKGROUND: Prolonged exposure to air pollution has been linked to adverse respiratory health, yet the evidence concerning its association with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is inconsistent. The evidence of a greenness effect on chronic respiratory diseases is limited. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the association between long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), black carbon (BC), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3) and greenness (as measured by the normalized difference vegetation index - NDVI) and incidence of self-reported chronic bronchitis or COPD (CB/COPD). METHODS: We analyzed data from 5355 adults from 7 centers participating in the Respiratory Health in Northern Europe (RHINE) study. Mean exposures to air pollution and greenness were assessed at available residential addresses in 1990, 2000 and 2010 using air dispersion models and satellite data, respectively. Poisson regression with log person-time as an offset was employed to analyze the association between air pollution, greenness, and CB/COPD incidence, adjusting for confounders. RESULTS: Overall, there were 328 incident cases of CB/COPD during 2010-2023. Despite wide statistical uncertainty, we found a trend for a positive association between NO2 exposure and CB/COPD incidence, with incidence rate ratios (IRRs) per 10 µg/m³ difference ranging between 1.13 (95% CI: 0.90-1.41) in 1990 and 1.18 (95% CI: 0.96-1.45) in 2000. O3 showed a tendency for inverse association with CB/COPD incidence (IRR from 0.84 (95% CI: 0.66-1.07) in 2000 to 0.88 (95% CI: 0.69-1.14) in 2010. No consistent association was found between PM, BC and greenness with CB/COPD incidence across different exposure time windows. CONCLUSION: Consistent with prior research, our study suggests that individuals exposed to higher concentrations of NO2 may face an elevated risk of developing COPD, although evidence remains inconclusive. Greenness was not associated with CB/COPD incidence, while O3 showed a tendency for an inverse association with the outcome.

Maternal preconception occupational exposure to cleaning products and disinfectants and offspring asthma.

BACKGROUND: Emerging research suggests health effects in offspring after parental chemical exposures before conception. Many future mothers are exposed to potent chemicals at work, but potential offspring health effects are hardly investigated. OBJECTIVE: We sought to investigate childhood asthma in relation to mother's occupational exposure to cleaning products and disinfectants before conception. METHODS: The multicenter Respiratory Health In Northern Europe/Respiratory Health In Northern Europe, Spain and Australia generation study investigated asthma and wheeze starting at age less than 10 years in 3318 mother-offspring pairs. From an asthma-specific Job-Exposure Matrix and mothers' occupational history, we defined maternal occupational exposure to indoor cleaning agents (cleaning products/detergents and disinfectants) starting before conception, in the 2-year period around conception and pregnancy, or after birth. Never-employed mothers were excluded. Exposed groups include cleaners, health care workers, cooks, and so forth. Associations were analyzed using mixed-effects logistic regression and ordinary logistic regression with clustered robust SEs and adjustment for maternal education. RESULTS: Maternal occupational exposure to indoor cleaning starting preconception and continuing (n = 610) was associated with offspring's childhood asthma: odds ratio 1.56 (95% CI, 1.05-2.31), childhood asthma with nasal allergies: 1.77 (1.13-2.77), and childhood wheeze and/or asthma: 1.71 (95% CI, 1.19-2.44). Exposure starting around conception and pregnancy (n = 77) was associated with increased childhood wheeze and/or asthma: 2.25 (95% CI, 1.03-4.91). Exposure starting after birth was not associated with asthma outcomes (1.13 [95% CI, 0.71-1.80], 1.15 [95% CI, 0.67-1.97], 1.08 [95% CI, 0.69-1.67]). CONCLUSIONS: Mother's occupational exposure to indoor cleaning agents starting before conception, or around conception and pregnancy, was associated with more childhood asthma and wheeze in offspring. Considering potential implications for vast numbers of women in childbearing age using cleaning agents, and their children, further research is imperative.

Breathlessness across generations: results from the RHINESSA generation study.

BACKGROUND: Breathlessness is a major cause of suffering and disability globally. The symptom relates to multiple factors including asthma and lung function, which are influenced by hereditary factors. No study has evaluated potential inheritance of breathlessness itself across generations. METHODS: We analysed the association between breathlessness in parents and their offspring in the Respiratory Health in Northern Europe, Spain and Australia generation study. Data on parents and offspring aged ≥18 years across 10 study centres in seven countries included demographics, self-reported breathlessness, asthma, depression, smoking, physical activity level, measured Body Mass Index and spirometry. Data were analysed using multivariable logistic regression accounting for clustering within centres and between siblings. RESULTS: A total of 1720 parents (mean age at assessment 36 years, 55% mothers) and 2476 offspring (mean 30 years, 55% daughters) were included. Breathlessness was reported by 809 (32.7%) parents and 363 (14.7%) offspring. Factors independently associated with breathlessness in parents and offspring included obesity, current smoking, asthma, depression, lower lung function and female sex. After adjusting for potential confounders, parents with breathlessness were more likely to have offspring with breathlessness, adjusted OR 1.8 (95% CI 1.1 to 2.9). The association was not modified by sex of the parent or offspring. CONCLUSION: Parents with breathlessness were more likely to have children who developed breathlessness, after adjusting for asthma, lung function, obesity, smoking, depression and female sex in both generations. The hereditary components of breathlessness need to be further explored.

Different components of excessive daytime sleepiness and the change with positive airway pressure treatment in patients with obstructive sleep apnea: Results from the Icelandic Sleep Apnea Cohort (ISAC).

Excessive daytime sleepiness includes both an inability to stay awake during the day and a general feeling of sleepiness. We describe different dimensions of daytime sleepiness in adults with moderate-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) before and after 2 years of positive airway pressure (PAP) treatment. Using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (score >10 defined as "risk of dozing") and Basic Nordic Sleep Questionnaire (feeling sleepy ≥3 times/week defined as "feeling sleepy"), participants were categorised into sleepiness phenotypes labelled non-sleepy, risk of dozing only, feeling sleepy only, or both symptoms. Participants repeated baseline assessments and PAP adherence was evaluated after 2 years. PAP-adherent subjects with sleepiness symptoms at both baseline and follow-up were considered persistently sleepy. Of the 810 participants, 722 (89%) returned for follow-up. At baseline, 17.7% were non-sleepy, 7.7% were at risk of dozing only, 24.7% were feeling sleepy only, and 49.9% had both symptoms. PAP adherence did not differ by baseline sleepiness phenotype. Patients with risk of dozing demonstrated greater PAP benefits for sleepiness symptoms than non-sleepy and feeling sleepy only phenotypes. Using these phenotypes, 42.3% of PAP users had persistent sleepiness; they had less severe OSA (p < 0.001), more persistent OSA symptoms and more often had symptoms of insomnia than patients in whom sleepiness resolved. Our present results, therefore, suggest that measuring the risk of dozing and the feeling of sleepiness reflect different sleepiness components and may respond differently to PAP. Patients feeling sleepy without risk of dozing may need more thorough evaluation for factors contributing to sleepiness before initiating treatment.

[Is Icelanders' sleep duration getting shorter? Review on sleep duration and sleeping habits].

Sleep health promotion is an ever-increasing subject of public discourse in Iceland. Prominent claims made include that the duration of sleep among Icelanders is shortening, and that changing sleeping habits constitute a significant public health risk. Like many aspects of healthcare, commercial interests and sales hype can skew perception. This review article will seek to shed light on the scientific background of these statements. International meta-analysis suggests there has been little change in sleep duration in adults over the past century. The duration of childrens sleep has shortened, but the consequences of this are not yet well established. Significant shortening of the sleep of adult Icelanders has not been demonstrated. No difference in sleep duration is found between Icelandic adults and adolescents and comparable groups in neighboring countries. The measurement methods that are used when comparing sleep studies are variable and can lead to different results. Associations have been established between sleep duration and adverse health outcomes, both physical and mental, but causality has not yet been established, and potential important mediators of the relationships are discussed. The circadian sleep phase of Icelanders is generally delayed relative to neighbors, likely related to Iceland's diurnal length variation at sub-Arctic latitudes and longitudinal discrepancies between natural light and local time.

Prenatal and prepubertal exposures to tobacco smoke in men may cause lower lung function in future offspring: a three-generation study using a causal modelling approach.

Mechanistic research suggests that lifestyle and environmental factors impact respiratory health across generations by epigenetic changes transmitted through male germ cells. Evidence from studies on humans is very limited.We investigated multigeneration causal associations to estimate the causal effects of tobacco smoking on lung function within the paternal line. We analysed data from 383 adult offspring (age 18-47 years; 52.0% female) and their 274 fathers, who had participated in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS)/Respiratory Health in Northern Europe, Spain and Australia (RHINESSA) generation study and had provided valid measures of pre-bronchodilator lung function. Two counterfactual-based, multilevel mediation models were developed with: paternal grandmothers' smoking in pregnancy and fathers' smoking initiation in prepuberty as exposures; fathers' forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC), or FEV1/FVC z-scores as potential mediators (proxies of unobserved biological mechanisms that are true mediators); and offspring's FEV1 and FVC, or FEV1/FVC z-scores as outcomes. All effects were summarised as differences (Δ) in expected z-scores related to fathers' and grandmothers' smoking history.Fathers' smoking initiation in prepuberty had a negative direct effect on both offspring's FEV1 (Δz-score -0.36, 95% CI -0.63- -0.10) and FVC (-0.50, 95% CI -0.80- -0.20) compared with fathers' never smoking. Paternal grandmothers' smoking in pregnancy had a negative direct effect on fathers' FEV1/FVC (-0.57, 95% CI -1.09- -0.05) and a negative indirect effect on offspring's FEV1/FVC (-0.12, 95% CI -0.21- -0.03) compared with grandmothers' not smoking before fathers' birth nor during fathers' childhood.Fathers' smoking in prepuberty and paternal grandmothers' smoking in pregnancy may cause lower lung function in offspring. Our results support the concept that lifestyle-related exposures during these susceptibility periods influence the health of future generations.

Changes in sleepiness and 24-h blood pressure following 4 months of CPAP treatment are not mediated by ICAM-1.

OBJECTIVE: Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy reduces circulating intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) in adults with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). ICAM-1 levels may affect the daytime sleepiness and elevated blood pressure associated with OSA. We evaluated the association of changes from baseline in ICAM-1 with changes of objective and subjective measures of sleepiness, as well as 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) measures, following 4 months of CPAP treatment. METHODS: The study sample included adults with newly diagnosed OSA. Plasma ICAM-1, 24-h ABPM, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) were obtained at baseline and following adequate CPAP treatment. The associations between changes in natural log ICAM-1 and changes in the number of lapses on PVT, ESS score, and 24-h mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) were assessed using multivariate regression models, controlling for a priori baseline covariates of age, sex, BMI, race, site, smoking status, physical activity, anti-hypertensive medications, AHI, and daily hours of CPAP use. RESULTS: Among 140 adults (83% men), mean (± SD) body mass index (BMI) was 31.5 ± 4.2 kg/m2, and apnea-hyopnea index (AHI) was 36.8 ± 15.3 events/h. Sleepiness measures, although not ICAM-1 or ABPM measures, improved significantly following CPAP treatment. We observed no statistically significant associations between the change in ICAM-1 and changes in sleepiness, MAP, or other ABPM measures. CONCLUSION: Changes in ICAM-1 levels were not related to changes in sleepiness or ABPM following CPAP treatment of adults with OSA. Future work should explore whether or not other biomarkers may have a role in mediating these treatment outcomes in adults with OSA.

Association between lung function decline and obstructive sleep apnoea: the ALEC study.

PURPOSE: To study changes in lung function among individuals with a risk of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), and if asthma affected this relationship. METHODS: We used data from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey II and III, a multicentre general population study. Participants answered questionnaires and performed spirometry at baseline and 10-year follow-up (n = 4,329 attended both visits). Subjects with high risk for OSA were identified from the multivariable apnoea prediction (MAP) index, calculated from BMI, age, gender, and OSA symptoms at follow-up. Asthma was defined as having doctor's diagnosed asthma at follow-up. Primary outcomes were changes in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) from baseline to follow-up. RESULTS: Among 5108 participants at follow-up, 991 (19%) had a high risk of OSA based on the MAP index. Participants with high OSA risk more often had wheeze, cough, chest tightness, and breathlessness at follow-up than those with low OSA risk. Lung function declined more rapidly in subjects with high OSA risk (low vs high OSA risk [mean ± SD]: FEV1 = - 41.3 ± 24.3 ml/year vs - 50.8 ± 30.1 ml/year; FVC = - 30.5 ± 31.2 ml/year vs - 45.2 ± 36.3 ml/year). Lung function decline was primarily associated with higher BMI and OSA symptoms. OSA symptoms had a stronger association with lung function decline among asthmatics, compared to non-asthmatics. CONCLUSION: In the general population, a high probability of obstructive sleep apnoea was related to faster lung function decline in the previous decade. This was driven by a higher BMI and more OSA symptoms among these subjects. The association between OSA symptoms and lung function decline was stronger among asthmatics.

Being overweight in childhood, puberty, or early adulthood: Changing asthma risk in the next generation?

BACKGROUND: Overweight status and asthma have increased during the last decades. Being overweight is a known risk factor for asthma, but it is not known whether it might also increase asthma risk in the next generation. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to examine whether parents being overweight in childhood, adolescence, or adulthood is associated with asthma in their offspring. METHODS: We included 6347 adult offspring (age, 18-52 years) investigated in the Respiratory Health in Northern Europe, Spain and Australia (RHINESSA) multigeneration study of 2044 fathers and 2549 mothers (age, 37-66 years) investigated in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) study. Associations of parental overweight status at age 8 years, puberty, and age 30 years with offspring's childhood overweight status (potential mediator) and offspring's asthma with or without nasal allergies (outcomes) was analyzed by using 2-level logistic regression and 2-level multinomial logistic regression, respectively. Counterfactual-based mediation analysis was performed to establish whether observed associations were direct or indirect effects mediated through the offspring's own overweight status. RESULTS: We found statistically significant associations between both fathers' and mothers' childhood overweight status and offspring's childhood overweight status (odds ratio, 2.23 [95% CI, 1.45-3.42] and 2.45 [95% CI, 1.86-3.22], respectively). We also found a statistically significant effect of fathers' onset of being overweight in puberty on offspring's asthma without nasal allergies (relative risk ratio, 2.31 [95% CI, 1.23-4.33]). This effect was direct and not mediated through the offspring's own overweight status. No effect on offspring's asthma with nasal allergies was found. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that metabolic factors long before conception can increase asthma risk and that male puberty is a time window of particular importance for offspring's health.

Definition of excessive daytime sleepiness in the general population: Feeling sleepy relates better to sleep-related symptoms and quality of life than the Epworth Sleepiness Scale score. Results from an epidemiological study.

Many different subjective tools are being used to measure excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) but the most widely used is the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). However, it is unclear if using the ESS is adequate on its own when assessing EDS. The aim of this study was to estimate the characteristics and prevalence of EDS using the ESS and the Basic Nordic Sleep Questionnaire (BNSQ) in general population samples. Participants aged 40 years and older answered questions about sleepiness, health, sleep-related symptoms and quality of life. Two groups were defined as suffering from EDS: those who scored >10 on the ESS (with increased risk of dozing off) and those reporting feeling sleepy during the day ≥3 times per week on the BNSQ. In total, 1,338 subjects (53% male, 74.1% response rate) participated, 13.1% reported an increased risk of dozing off, 23.2% reported feeling sleepy and 6.4% reported both. The prevalence of restless leg syndrome, nocturnal gastroesophageal reflux, difficulties initiating and maintaining sleep and nocturnal sweating was higher among subjects reporting feeling sleepy compared to non-sleepy subjects. Also, subjects reporting feeling sleepy had poorer quality of life and reported more often feeling unrested during the day than non-sleepy subjects. However, subjects reporting increased risk of dozing off (ESS > 10) without feeling sleepy had a similar symptom profile as the non-sleepy subjects. Therefore, reporting only risk of dozing off without feeling sleepy may not reflect problematic sleepiness and more instruments in addition to ESS are needed when evaluating daytime sleepiness.

Asthma and selective migration from farming environments in a three-generation cohort study.

Individuals raised on a farm appear to have less asthma than individual raised elsewhere. However, selective migration might contribute to this as may also the suggested protection from farm environment. This study investigated if parents with asthma are less likely to raise their children on a farm. This study involved three generations: 6045 participants in ECRHS/RHINE cohorts (born 1945-1973, denoted G1), their 10,121 parents (denoted G0) and their 8260 offspring participating in RHINESSA (born 1963-1998, denoted G2). G2-offspring provided information on parents not participating in ECRHS/RHINE. Asthma status and place of upbringing for all three generations were reported in questionnaires by G1 in 2010-2012 and by G2 in 2013-2016. Binary regressions with farm upbringing as outcome were performed to explore associations between parental asthma and offspring farm upbringing in G0-G1 and G1-G2. Having at least one parent with asthma was not associated with offspring farm upbringing, either in G1-G2 (RR 1.11, 95% CI 0.81-1.52) or in G0-G1 (RR 0.99, 0.85-1.15). G1 parents with asthma born in a city tended to move and raise their G2 offspring on a farm (RR 2.00, 1.12-3.55), while G1 parents with asthma born on a farm were less likely to raise their G2 offspring on a farm (RR 0.34, 0.11-1.06). This pattern was not observed in analyses of G0-G1. This study suggests that the protective effect from farm upbringing on subsequent asthma development could not be explained by selective migration. Intriguingly, asthmatic parents appeared to change environment when having children.

Agreement of offspring-reported parental smoking status: the RHINESSA generation study.

BACKGROUND: With increasing interest in exposure effects across generations, it is crucial to assess the validity of information given on behalf of others. AIMS: To compare adult's report of their parent's smoking status against parent's own report and examine predictors for discrepant answers. METHODS: We studied 7185 offspring (18-51 years) and one of their parents, n = 5307 (27-67 years) participating in the Respiratory Health in Northern Europe, Spain and Australia (RHINESSA) generation study. Information about parent's smoking status during offspring's childhood and mother's smoking status during pregnancy was obtained by questionnaires from parents and their offspring. We calculated sensitivity, specificity and Cohen's Kappa [κ] for agreement using parent's own report as the gold standard. We performed logistic regression to examine if offspring's sex, age, educational level, asthma status, own smoking status or parental status, as well as the parent's sex and amount of smoking during childhood predicted disagreement. RESULTS: The sensitivity for offspring's correct report of parent's smoking status during childhood (0-10 years) was 0.82 (95% CI 0.81-0.84), specificity was 0.95 (95% CI 0.95-0.96) and a good agreement was observed, κ = 0.79 (95% CI 0.78-0.80). Offspring's report of mothers' smoking status during pregnancy showed a lower sensitivity, 0.66 (95% CI 0.60-0.71), a slightly lower specificity, 0.92 (95% CI 0.90-0.95) and a good agreement, κ = 0.61 (95% CI 0.55-0.67). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, offspring not having children was a predictor for discrepant answers (odds ratio [OR] 2.11 [95% CI 1.21-3.69]). Low amount of parents' tobacco consumption, < 10 cigarettes/day (OR 2.72 [95% CI 1.71-4.31]) also predicted disagreement compared to ≥10 cigarettes per day, and so did offspring's reports of fathers' smoking status (OR 1.73 [95% CI 1.09-2.74]) compared to mothers' smoking status. Offspring's sex, asthma status, educational level, smoking status or age was not related to discrepant answers. CONCLUSIONS: Adults report their parent's smoking status during their childhood, as well as their mother' smoking status when pregnant with them, quite accurately. In the absence of parents' direct report, offspring's reports could be valuable.

Menopause Is Associated with Accelerated Lung Function Decline.

RATIONALE: Menopause is associated with changes in sex hormones, which affect immunity, inflammation, and osteoporosis and may impair lung function. Lung function decline has not previously been investigated in relation to menopause. OBJECTIVES: To study whether lung function decline, assessed by FVC and FEV1, is accelerated in women who undergo menopause. METHODS: The population-based longitudinal European Community Respiratory Health Survey provided serum samples, spirometry, and questionnaire data about respiratory and reproductive health from three study waves (n = 1,438). We measured follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone and added information on menstrual patterns to determine menopausal status using latent class analysis. Associations with lung function decline were investigated using linear mixed effects models, adjusting for age, height, weight, pack-years, current smoking, age at completed full-time education, spirometer, and including study center as random effect. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Menopausal status was associated with accelerated lung function decline. The adjusted mean FVC decline was increased by -10.2 ml/yr (95% confidence interval [CI], -13.1 to -7.2) in transitional women and -12.5 ml/yr (95% CI, -16.2 to -8.9) in post-menopausal women, compared with women menstruating regularly. The adjusted mean FEV1 decline increased by -3.8 ml/yr (95% CI, -6.3 to -2.9) in transitional women and -5.2 ml/yr (95% CI, -8.3 to -2.0) in post-menopausal women. CONCLUSIONS: Lung function declined more rapidly among transitional and post-menopausal women, in particular for FVC, beyond the expected age change. Clinicians should be aware that respiratory health often deteriorates during reproductive aging.

Serum ferritin and obstructive sleep apnea-epidemiological study.

PURPOSE: Ferritin is an intracellular iron storage protein and a marker of inflammation. Studies have shown that subjects with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have higher levels of circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines, but little is known about the association between ferritin and OSA. The aims of the study were to evaluate serum ferritin (S-Ferritin) levels in OSA patients compared to levels in the general population and also examine the effect of obesity level and treatment with positive airway pressure (PAP) on S-Ferritin levels. METHODS: The OSA subjects (n = 796) were part of the Icelandic Sleep Apnea Cohort. The control subjects (n = 637) were randomly chosen Icelanders who participated in an epidemiological study. Propensity score (PS) methodologies were employed to minimize selection bias and strengthen causal inferences when comparing non-randomized groups. S-Ferritin levels were measured and all participants answered the same detailed questionnaire about sleep and health. Only OSA patients underwent a sleep study and were re-invited for a 2-year follow-up. RESULTS: S-Ferritin levels were significantly higher in OSA males than controls (213.3 vs. 197.3 µg/L, p = 0.007). However, after adjusting for confounders and using our PS methodology, no significant difference was found. S-Ferritin levels were not correlated with severity of OSA, obesity level, or clinical symptoms. Also, no significant change in S-Ferritin levels was found with 2 years of PAP treatment. CONCLUSIONS: S-Ferritin levels are comparable in OSA patients and controls and do not change consistently with obesity level or PAP treatment in our sample.

Change in the prevalence asthma, rhinitis and respiratory symptom over a 20 year period: associations to year of birth, life style and sleep related symptoms.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this investigation was to study change in adults over a 20 year period in the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and disorders and its association to year of birth, life style and sleep related variables. METHOD: Adults 20-44 years of age, 6085 women and 5184 men, were randomly selected from seven centres in Northern Europe and followed for 20 years. The number of participants in the first survey was 21,595 and 11,269 participated in all three surveys. The participants were divided into three birth cohorts: 1944-1955, 1956-1965 and 1966-1975. RESULTS: During the 20 year period the prevalence of wheeze decreased (- 2%) and the prevalence of asthma (+ 4%) and allergic rhinitis (+ 5%) increased, whereas the prevalence of nocturnal respiratory symptoms was relatively unchanged. The increase in allergic rhinitis was largest in those born 1966 to 1975 except in Estonia. There was large decrease in smoking (- 20%), increase in obesity (+ 7%) and snoring (+ 6%) during the study period. Smoking, obesity, snoring and nocturnal gastroesophageal reflux (nGER) were related to a higher risk of all symptoms. Obesity, snoring and nGER were also independently related to asthma. CONCLUSION: We conclude that as our participants got older there was a decrease in wheeze, no change in nocturnal symptoms and an increase in reported asthma and allergic rhinitis. These changes in prevalence are probably related to a decrease in smoking being counteracted by an increase in allergy, obesity and sleep related disorders.

Agreement in reporting of asthma by parents or offspring - the RHINESSA generation study.

BACKGROUND: Self-report questionnaires are commonly used in epidemiology, but may be susceptible to misclassification, especially if answers are given on behalf of others, e.g. children or parents. The aim was to determine agreement and analyse predictors of disagreement in parents' reports of offspring asthma, and in offspring reports of parents' asthma. METHODS: In the Respiratory Health in Northern Europe, Spain and Australia (RHINESSA) generation study, 6752 offspring (age range 18-51 years) and their parents (age range 39-66 years) reported their own and each other's asthma status. Agreement between asthma reports from offspring and parents was determined by calculating sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value and Cohen's kappa. The participants' own answers regarding themselves were defined as the gold standard. To investigate predictors for disagreement logistic regression analyses were performed to obtain odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for sex, smoking status, education, comorbidity and severity of asthma. RESULTS: Agreement was good for parental report of offspring early onset asthma (< 10 years, Cohen's kappa 0.72) and moderate for offspring later onset asthma (Cohen's kappa 0.46). Specificity was 0.99 for both, and sensitivity was 0.68 and 0.36, respectively. For offspring report of maternal and paternal asthma the agreement was good (Cohen's kappa 0.69 and 0.68), specificity was 0.96 and 0.97, and sensitivity was 0.72 and 0.68, respectively. The positive predictive value (PPV) was lowest for offspring report of maternal asthma (0.75), and highest for parents' report of early onset asthma in the offspring (0.83). The negative predictive value (NPV) was high for all four groups (0.94-0.97). In multivariate analyses current smokers (OR = 1.46 [95% CI 1.05, 2.02]) and fathers (OR = 1.31 [95% CI 1.08, 1.59]) were more likely to report offspring asthma incorrectly. Offspring wheeze was associated with reporting parental asthma incorrectly (OR = 1.60 [95% CI 1.21, 2.11]), both under- and over reporting. CONCLUSIONS: Asthma reports across generations show moderate to good agreement, making information from other generations a useful tool in the absence of direct reports.

Insomnia complaints in lean patients with obstructive sleep apnea negatively affect positive airway pressure treatment adherence.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the determinants of long-term adherence to positive airway pressure treatment among patients with obstructive sleep apnea, with special emphasis on patients who stop positive airway pressure treatment within 1 year. This is a prospective long-term follow-up of subjects in the Icelandic Sleep Apnea Cohort who were diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea between 2005 and 2009, and started on positive airway pressure treatment. In October 2014, positive airway pressure adherence was obtained by systematically evaluating available clinical files (n = 796; 644 males, 152 females) with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (apnea-hypopnea index ≥15 events per h). The mean follow-up time was 6.7 ± 1.2 years. In total, 123 subjects (15.5%) returned their positive airway pressure device within the first year, 170 (21.4%) returned it later and 503 (63.2%) were still using positive airway pressure. The quitters within the first year had lower body mass index, milder obstructive sleep apnea, less sleepiness, and more often had symptoms of initial and late insomnia compared with long-term positive airway pressure users at baseline. Both initial and late insomnia were after adjustment still significantly associated with being an early quitter among subjects with body mass index <30 kg m-2 , but not among those with body mass index ≥30 kg m-2 . The prevalence of early quitters decreased significantly during the study period (2005-2009). Almost two-thirds of patients with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea are positive airway pressure users after 7 years. Obesity level, obstructive sleep apnea severity and daytime sleepiness are important determinants of long-term adherence. Symptoms of initial and late insomnia are associated with early quitting on positive airway pressure among non-obese subjects.

Physical activity and asthma: A longitudinal and multi-country study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of physical activity on asthma in middle-aged adults, in one longitudinal analysis, and one multi-centre cross-sectional analysis. METHODS: The Respiratory Health in Northern Europe (RHINE) is a population-based postal questionnaire cohort study. Physical activity, height and weight were self-reported in Bergen, Norway, at RHINE II (1999-2001) and all centres at RHINE III (2010-2012). A longitudinal analysis of Bergen data investigated the association of baseline physical activity with follow-up asthma, incident asthma and symptoms, using logistic and zero-inflated Poisson regression (n = 1782). A cross-sectional analysis of all RHINE III centres investigated the association of physical activity with concurrent asthma and symptoms (n = 13,542) using mixed-effects models. Body mass index (BMI) was categorised (<20, 20-24.99, 25-29.99, 30+ kg/m2) and physical activity grouped by amount and frequency of lighter (no sweating/heavy breathing) and vigorous (sweating/heavy breathing) activity. RESULTS: In the Bergen longitudinal analysis, undertaking light activity 3+ times/week at baseline was associated with less follow-up asthma (odds ratio [OR] 0.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.22, 0.89), whilst an effect from undertaking vigorous activity 3+ times/week was not detected (OR 1.22, 95% CI 0.44, 2.76). The associations were attenuated with BMI adjustment. In the all-centre cross-sectional analysis an interaction was found, with the association between physical activity and asthma varying across BMI categories. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest potential longer-term benefit from lighter physical activity, whilst improvement in asthma outcomes from increasing activity intensity was not evident. Additionally, it appears the benefit from physical activity may differ according to BMI.

Menopause as a predictor of new-onset asthma: A longitudinal Northern European population study.

BACKGROUND: There is limited and conflicting evidence on the effect of menopause on asthma. OBJECTIVES: We sought to study whether the incidence of asthma and respiratory symptoms differ by menopausal status in a longitudinal population-based study with an average follow-up of 12 years. METHODS: The Respiratory Health in Northern Europe study provided questionnaire data pertaining to respiratory and reproductive health at baseline (1999-2001) and follow-up (2010-2012). The study cohort included women aged 45 to 65 years at follow-up, without asthma at baseline, and not using exogenous hormones (n = 2322). Menopausal status was defined as nonmenopausal, transitional, early postmenopausal, and late postmenopausal. Associations with asthma (defined by the use of asthma medication, having asthma attacks, or both) and respiratory symptoms scores were analyzed by using logistic (asthma) and negative binomial (respiratory symptoms) regressions, adjusting for age, body mass index, physical activity, smoking, education, and study center. RESULTS: The odds of new-onset asthma were increased in women who were transitional (odds ratio, 2.40; 95% CI, 1.09-5.30), early postmenopausal (odds ratio, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.06-4.20), and late postmenopausal (odds ratio, 3.44; 95% CI, 1.31-9.05) at follow-up compared with nonmenopausal women. The risk of respiratory symptoms increased in early postmenopausal (coefficient, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.06-0.75) and late postmenopausal (coefficient, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.15-1.23) women. These findings were consistent irrespective of smoking status and across study centers. CONCLUSIONS: New-onset asthma and respiratory symptoms increased in women becoming postmenopausal in a longitudinal population-based study. Clinicians should be aware that respiratory health might deteriorate in women during reproductive aging.