Higher triglyceride­glucose index is associated with increased risk of stroke among middle-aged and elderly Chinese: a national longitudinal study.

Stroke is a severe cerebrovascular disease. This study aimed to determine the association between triglyceride­glucose (TyG) index and stroke among middle-aged and elderly Chinese. Data was extracted from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study survey 2015 and survey 2018. Logistic regression, trend test and subgroup analysis were conducted to assess the association. Possible nonlinear relationships were explored with restricted cubic spline (RCS). Propensity score matching (PSM) was conducted to attenuate the effect of confounding factors. ORs of stroke was positively associated with TyG index. The ORs in RCS analysis also increased with the rising TyG, though p for non-linearity was bigger than 0.05. After PSM, the ORs in the full adjusted models were 1.28 (1.01, 1.62). TyG was suggested as an independent risk factor for stroke in the middle aged and elderly Chinese.

Development and validation of a novel sleep health score in the sleep heart health study.

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of consensus in evaluating multidimensional sleep health, especially concerning its implication for mortality. A validated multidimensional sleep health score is the foundation of effective interventions. METHODS: We obtained data from 5706 participants in the Sleep Heart Health Study. First, random forest-recursive feature elimination algorithm was used to select potential predictive variables. Second, a sleep composite score was developed based on the regression coefficients from a Cox proportional hazards model evaluating the associations between selected sleep-related variables and mortality. Last, we validated the score by constructing Cox proportional hazards models to assess its association with mortality. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 63.2 years old, and 47.6% (2715/5706) were male. Six sleep variables, including average oxygen saturation (%), spindle density (C3), sleep efficiency (%), spindle density (C4), percentage of fast spindles (%) and percentage of rapid eye movement (%) were selected to construct this multidimensional sleep health score. The average sleep composite score in participants was 6.8 of 22 (lower is better). Participants with a one-point increase in sleep composite score had an 10% higher risk of death (hazard ratio = 1.10, 95% confidence interval: 1.08-1.12). CONCLUSIONS: This study constructed and validated a novel multidimensional sleep health score to better predict death based on sleep, with significant associations between sleep composite score and all-cause mortality. Integrating questionnaire information and sleep microstructures, our sleep composite score is more appropriately applied for mortality risk stratification.

Association between the triglyceride-glucose index and stroke in middle-aged and older non-diabetic population: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Data regarding the association between insulin resistance (IR) and stroke among the non-diabetic population is still limited and inconsistent. This study aimed to investigate the association between IR measured by the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and the risk of stroke among the middle-aged and elderly Chinese without diabetes. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 17,708 middle-aged and elderly (main respondents≥45 years) individuals without diabetes were enrolled from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. Participants were divided into 4 categories according to quartiles of the TyG index. During a median follow-up of 7.00 years, a total of 305 (3.93%) incident strokes occurred. With the increase in the TyG index quartiles, stroke incidence increased substantially, compared with the Q1 group, the fully adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) were 1.64 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13-2.38), 1.65 (95% CI, 1.10-2.46), and 1.76 (95% CI, 1.21-2.57) for Q2, Q3, and Q4 groups, respectively. The cutoff value we determined for the TyG index was 8.28. Furthermore, the addition of the TyG index to a conventional risk model had an incremental effect on the predictive value for stroke (integrated discrimination improvement 0.17%, P = 0.0025; category-free net reclassification improvement 17.91%, P = 0.0025). CONCLUSION: TyG index was significantly associated with a higher risk of stroke among the middle-aged and elderly non-diabetic population. Our findings indicated that the TyG index may be a good tool in the prediction of stroke risk for clinical and public health fields.

The Obesity Paradox: Effect of Body Mass Index and Waist Circumference on Post-Stroke Cognitive Impairment.

Background: Obesity is a risk factor for dementia within the old population however not within the middle-aged population, that is referred to the "obesity paradox". This study explored the association of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) with post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) in middle-aged (40-65 years) versus old population (≥ 65 years). Methods: The current study enrolled 1735 individuals over the age of 40 who had their first ischemic stroke from the Impairment of Cognition and Sleep (ICONS) subgroup of the China National Stroke Registry-3 (CNSR-3). BMI and WC were used for the diagnosis of obesity and central obesity, respectively. PSCI was diagnosed according to the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). The main clinical outcome was the incidence of PSCI assessed at three months after stroke. Multivariable regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between obesity and three-month PSCI. Stratified analysis was also performed to explore the effect of age on the relationship between obesity and PSCI. Results: In the general population, multivariable logistic regression found that the adjusted odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) of general obesity was 1.45 (1.06-1.98) and that of central obesity was 1.54 (1.24-1.91) for the three-month incidence of PSCI. Stratified analysis by age showed that the adjusted OR with a 95% CI of general obesity was 1.84 (1.24-2.72) in middle-aged patients and 0.89 (0.52-1.54) in elderly patients (p-value for interaction = 0.05). Central obesity was associated with PSCI in all age groups: 1.57 (1.18-2.09) in middle-aged patients and 1.52 (1.08-2.15) in elderly patients (p-value for interaction= 0.93). Conclusion: General obesity was related to an increased risk of PSCI in middle-aged but not elderly patients, whereas central obesity was associated with an increased risk of PSCI in all age groups, suggesting that the obesity paradox arises only obesity is outlined by BMI.

Prediction of depression onset risk among middle-aged and elderly adults using machine learning and Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging cohort.

BACKGROUND: Early identification of the middle-aged and elderly people with high risk of developing depression disorder in the future and the full characterization of the associated risk factors are crucial for early interventions to prevent depression among the aging population. METHODS: Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) has collected comprehensive information, including psychological scales and other non-psychological measures, i.e., socioeconomic, environmental, health, lifestyle, cognitive function, personality, about its participants (30,097 subjects aged from 45 to 85) at baseline phase in 2012-2015. We applied machine learning models for the prediction of these participants' risk of depression onset approximately three years later using information collected at baseline phase. RESULTS: Individual-level risk for future depression onset among CLSA participants can be accurately predicted, with an area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) 0.791 ± 0.016, using all baseline information. We also found the 10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale coupled with age and sex information could achieve similar performance (AUC 0.764 ± 0.016). Furthermore, we identified existing subthreshold depression symptoms, emotional instability, low levels of life satisfaction, perceived health, and social support, and nutrition risk as the most important predictors for depression onset independent from psychological scales. LIMITATIONS: Depression was based on self-reported doctor diagnosis and depression screening tool. CONCLUSIONS: The identified risk factors will further improve our understanding of the depression onset among middle-aged and elderly population and the early identification of high-risk subjects is the first step for successful early interventions.

Serum uric acid to creatinine ratio and metabolic syndrome in middle-aged and elderly population: Based on the 2015 CHARLS.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Serum uric acid to creatinine ratio (SUA/Cr) may be associated with metabolic syndrome (MS). Here, we investigated the correlation between SUA/Cr and MS in Chinese residents aged ≥ 45 years. METHODS AND RESULTS: Data were obtained from the 2015 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) database. MS was diagnosed using the Chinese Diabetes Society 2017 criteria. We grouped the population according to SUA/Cr quartiles and compared the index differences between groups. We used spearman correlation analysis and binary logistic regression. The possible dose-response association of SUA/Cr with MS were analyzed using restricted cubic spline model. Of 12,946 included participants, 3370 (26.0%) had MS, and 1900 (56.4%) were female. After adjusting for multiple confounders, binary logistic regression analysis showed that compared with Quartile 1, the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of the MS risk was 1.29 (1.09-1.52), 1.47 (1.25-1.74), and 1.80 (1.53-2.12) in Quartiles 2, 3, and 4, respectively. The restricted cubic spline model indicated a significant nonlinear dose-response association (Poverall < 0.001, Pnon-linearity = 0.029) between SUA/Cr and strength of MS prevalence association; MS risk began increasing when SUA/Cr > 6.22. CONCLUSIONS: A significant positive correlation existed between SUA/Cr and MS risk in Chinese individuals aged ≥ 45 years, which may be a new predictive marker for MS risk.

[Osteoporosis Screening Values of Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool for Asians Index and Body Mass Index in Middle-Aged and Elderly Tibetan Population in Tibet].

Objective: To analyze the screening value of osteoporosis self-screening tool for Asia (OSTA) and body mass index (BMI) for osteoporosis (OP) in middle-aged and elderly Tibetan population in the Tibetan region. Methods: Data on demographic information, bone mineral density (BMD), and other information of 627 middle-aged and elderly people were collected. Analysis of the correlation between OSTA index, BMI and BMD, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was performed to evaluate the OP screening effects. Results: OSTA index and BMI were correlated with BMD in both female and male populations ( P<0.05). In both male and female populations, OSTA index screening results for OP yielded higher area under the curve ( AUC) than BMI did, with the AUC for female OSTA index being 0.886 and that for female BMI being 0.785, while that for male OSTA index being 0.957 and that for male BMI being 0.834. When comparing the different age groups, the AUC of OSTA index and BMI of the middle-age group was higher than those of the quasi-elderly group and the elderly group, with the AUC of OSTA index and BMI of the middle-age being 0.939 and 0.858, those of the quasi-elderly group being 0.860 and 0.813, and those of the elderly group being 0.750 and 0.650, respectively. When the optimal cut-off value of diagnosis with OSTA index was －2.20, the sensitivity and specificity were both 100%. When the optimal cut-off value for diagnosis with BMI was 17.512 kg/m2, the sensitivity and specificity were both 100%. Conclusion: OSTA index and BMI have different OP screening effects in different middle-aged and elderly Tibetan populations, and OSTA index shows better effects for OP screening than BMI does.

Long-term effect of submicronic particulate matter (PM1) and intermodal particulate matter (PM1-2.5) on incident dyslipidemia in China: A nationwide 5-year cohort study.

BACKGROUND: There is insufficient evidence of associations between incident dyslipidemia with PM1 (submicronic particulate matter) and PM1-2.5 (intermodal particulate matter) in the middle-aged and elderly. We aimed to determine the long-term effects of PM1 and PM1-2.5 on incident dyslipidemia respectively. METHODS: We studied 6976 individuals aged ≥45 from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study from 2013 to 2018. The concentrations of particular matter (PM) for every individual's address were evaluated using a satellite-based spatiotemporal model. Dyslipidemia was evaluated by self-reported. The generalized linear mixed model was applied to quantify the correlations between PM and incident dyslipidemia. RESULTS: After a 5-year follow-up, 333 (4.77%) participants developed dyslipidemia. Per 10 µg/m³ uptick in four-year average concentrations of PMs (PM1 and PM1-2.5) corresponded to 1.11 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-1.23)] and 1.23 (95% CI: 1.06-1.43) fold risks of incident dyslipidemia. Nonlinear exposure-response curves were observed between PM and incident dyslipidemia. The effect size of PM1 on incident dyslipidemia was slightly higher in males [1.14 (95% CI: 0.98-1.32) vs. 1.04 (95% CI: 0.89-1.21)], the elderly [1.23 (95% CI: 1.04-1.45) vs. 1.03 (95% CI: 0.91-1.17)], people with less than primary school education [1.12 (95% CI: 0.94-1.33) vs. 1.08 (95% CI: 0.94-1.23)], and solid cooking fuel users [1.17 (95% CI: 1.00-1.36) vs. 1.06 (95% CI: 0.93-1.21)], however, the difference was not statistically significant (Z = -0.82, P = 0.413; Z = -1.66, P = 0.097; Z = 0.32, P = 0.752; Z = -0.89, P = 0.372). CONCLUSIONS: Long-term exposure to PM1 and PM1-2.5 were linked with an increased morbidity of dyslipidemia in the middle-aged and elderly population. Males, the elderly, and solid cooking fuel users had higher risk. Further studies would be warranted to establish an accurate reference value of PM to mitigate growing dyslipidemia.

Impact of migration status on incidence of depression in the middle-aged and elderly population in China: Exploring healthy migrant and salmon bias hypotheses from a mental health perspective.

BACKGROUND: The healthy migrant and salmon bias hypotheses stipulate that those who are healthier are more likely to migrate (a selection effect) and unhealthy migrants have a greater tendency to return to their origin communities than healthier migrants. It remains unclear whether the hypotheses are relevant for mental health, although they have robust evidence for physical health. The current study expands the theoretical foundation underlying these hypotheses by exploring the impact of migration status on depression among the middle-aged and older population in China. METHOD: Longitudinal data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2018 were used. Participants were divided into three groups, non-migrants, permanent migrants, and return-migrants according to their migration status. The Chinese version of 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale was used to assess clinically relevant depressive symptoms. Incidence were estimated by each migration status and compared across strata using log-rank tests. Cox regression models were fit to assess the relationship between migration status and depression incidence. RESULTS: A total of 9264 middle-aged and elderly participants were included, of whom 7047 (76.1 %) were non-migrants, 1065 (11.5 %) were permanent migrants, and 1152 (12.4 %) were return-migrants, respectively. Incidence rates of depression by different migration statuses were 76.6/103 person-years (73.7/103-79.7/103) in non-migrants, 62.9/103 person-years (55.9/103-70.6/103) in permanent migrants, and 67.3/103 person-years (60.7/103-74.5/103) in return-migrants. After controlling for covariates, only permanent migrants had significantly lower incidence of depression than non-migrants (HR: 0.85 (0.75, 0.96)). After stratifying by current place of residence, urban-permanent-migrants had a lower risk of depression than both rural and urban non-migrants, and the HRs and 95%CIs were 0.62 (0.52-0.74) and 0.81 (0.68-0.97). LIMITATIONS: Migration statuses of participants may have changed over time, but due to the lack of raw data on migration status in 2013 and 2015, we used migration status at baseline. We were also not able to contextualize the migration experiences among those who migrated, and these trajectories may be heterogeneous. CONCLUSION: Using depression as an indicator of mental health, the healthy migrant hypothesis was supported among middle-aged and elderly permanent migrants living in urban areas while the salmon bias hypothesis was not. Significant urban-rural inequities in mental health existed among different types of migrants. Especially among permanent migrants who have migrated and converted Hukou from their original registration place to their current residence.

Association of the depressive scores, depressive symptoms, and conversion patterns of depressive symptoms with the risk of new-onset chronic diseases and multimorbidity in the middle-aged and elderly Chinese population.

Background: The relationship between depressive symptoms (DS) and their conversion patterns over time and the new-onset risk of diseases in the middle-aged and elderly population has not been extensively studied. Methods: Based on The China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study participants in 2013, we established 13 cohorts involving 12 types of chronic diseases and multimorbidity, who were identified by face-to-face questionnaires. We retrospectively assessed their DS during 2011 and 2013 through the 10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), which were classified into never, newly developed, relieved, and persistent DS, and these participants were followed from 2013 to 2018. Findings: CES-D scores were new-onset risk factors for 9 diseases. The new-onset risk of diseases increased with higher CES-D scores. When CES-D scores were higher than approximately 6, the hazard ratios (HRs) of emergent diseases were greater than 1. DS was independent new-onset risk factors for 8 diseases, with HRs (95% CI) ranging from 1.2635 (1.0061-1.5867) to 1.5231 (1.0717-2.165). Persistent DS was an independent risk factor for most diseases but might be an independent protective factor for new-onset cancer (HR, 95% CI: 0.276, 0.106-0.723). Interpretation: DS is closely associated with new-onset risk of chronic diseases and multimorbidity, and awareness of the risk associated with pre-DS status (6

The Distribution and Potential Exposure Factors of Physical Activity Level Among Middle-Aged and Elderly Population - Six Communities, Beijing, China, October 2020 to January 2021.

What is already known about this topic?: Available evidence suggested that 31% of the world's population do not meet the minimum recommendations for physical activity. What is added by this report?: The latest findings showed that physical activity level (PAL), metabolic equivalents (MET) in min/week with <4,500 (low), 4,500-6,000 (moderate) and ≥6,000 (high) accounted for 45.72%, 25.62%, and 28.66% of middle-aged and elderly population in Changchunyuan Community, Weixiuyuan Community, Zhongguanyuan Community, Yanbeiyuan Community, Kangzeyuan Community, and Xima Community, respectively. The moderate and high PAL was associated with a decreased risk of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, dyslipidemia, and poor sleep. What are the implications for public health practice?: More attention should be given to the middle-aged population who may be at high risk of insufficient physical activity in urban environments as it is of public health significance for improving the community population health.

Nonlinear associations between environmental factors and lipid levels in middle-aged and elderly population in China: A national cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Blood lipid is an important factor affecting cardiovascular disease in middle-aged and elderly people. At present, the associations between environmental factors and blood lipid level in elderly people has been controversial, and the nonlinear effect of their relationship is lack of research. METHODS: This study used data from a national cross-sectional survey of blood lipid levels in 13,354 subjects and data from environmental monitoring sites. Logistic regression was used to measure the relationship between the basic characteristics of the study population and blood lipid levels. After controlling the confounding factors, the nonlinear associations between environmental factors and blood lipid levels of middle-aged and elderly people in different geographical regions were studied by random forest model. RESULTS: The risk of dyslipidemia is significantly higher in middle-aged women, obese people, elderly people, and urban people. Smoking and alcohol consumption increase the risk. The associations between environmental factors and lipid levels of middle-aged and elderly people are nonlinear, the correlation effect between air pollutants and blood lipid level is mainly shown in northern China, and the correlation between meteorological factors and blood lipid level is more obvious in southern China. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that the associations between environmental factors and lipid levels in middle-aged and elderly population are nonlinear and have regional differences. Therefore it should be considered in optimizing the allocation of public health resources and preventing and controlling environmental exposure of middle-aged and elderly population.

Sleep Patterns, Genetic Susceptibility, and Incident Chronic Kidney Disease: A Prospective Study of 370 671 Participants.

OBJECTIVES: Unhealthy sleep behaviors may be potential risk factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD). We aimed to examine the associations of combined sleep patterns and genetic susceptibility with incident CKD. METHODS: This large-scale prospective cohort study included 370,671 participants without CKD at baseline (2006-2010) in UK Biobank data. Five sleep behaviors were made up of sleep duration, insomnia, snoring, chronotype, and daytime sleepiness according to questionnaire. Overall sleep patterns by summing the five scores were created. Weighted genetic risk score of kidney function was calculated. Incident CKD was recorded from death register, primary care, and hospital inpatient records. A subset of 41,130 individuals who participated both the initial assessment visit and follow-up visit (2012+) was also used. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 10.6 years (about 3.9 million person-years), we documented 6,365 patients with incident CKD. In five sleep behaviors, sleep 7-8 h/day, free of insomnia and no frequent daytime sleepiness were independently associated with incident CKD, with a 12% (95%CI 7-16), 9% (3-14), 13% (9-18) lower risk, respectively. Compared to those with a sleep score of 0-1, participants with a score of 5 had a 21% (10-31%) lower risk of CKD. 17.1% of CKD in this cohort could be attributed to total poor sleep pattern. Participants with high genetic risk and intermediate or poor sleep pattern showed the highest risk of CKD (OR = 2.58, 95%CI 2.24-2.96; OR = 2.59, 95%CI 2.02-3.32, respectively), although there was no significant interaction between sleep patterns and genetic risk categories. Among individuals who participated both the initial assessment visit and follow-up visit, we found that the association between amelioration of sleep pattern and risk of CKD was significant after fully adjustment (OR = 0.60, 95%CI 0.36-0.99), compared with group of stable sleep pattern. CONCLUSION: In this large prospective study, participants with a healthy sleep pattern was associated with a significant reduction of incident CKD risk no matter they had a high, intermediate, or low genetic risk.

Does self-medication reduce medical expenditure among the middle-aged and elderly population? A four-wave longitudinal study in China.

Introduction: Self-medication has a high prevalence in the middle-aged and elderly population in China. Despite the published evidence demonstrating the economic benefits of self-medication, limited research has addressed the relationship between self-medication and individual medical expenditures, especially within the Chinese population. This study examined the effect of self-medication on individual medical expenditures in China and analyzed the heterogeneity between outpatient and inpatient cases. Methods: We conducted a panel data analysis using data from four waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Two-part mixed-effect models were implemented to estimate the effect of self-medication on total outpatient and inpatient expenses and out-of-pocket (OOP) costs, where mixed-effects logit regression was used as the first part, and generalized linear mixed models with log link and gamma distribution was used as the second part. Results: We identified 72,041 responses representing 24,641 individuals, of which 13,185 responses incurred outpatient expenses and 9,003 responses incurred inpatient costs. Controlling for all covariates, we found that self-medication behaviors were significantly associated with a higher probability of outpatient service utilization (OR = 1.250, 95% CI = 0.179 to 0.269; P < 0.001), but displayed no significant association with outpatient expenses. Respondents who had taken self-medication were less likely to use inpatient services (OR = 0.865, 95% CI = -0.201 to -0.089; P < 0.001), and their inpatient expenses were significantly reduced by 9.4% (P < 0.001). Inpatient OOP costs were significantly reduced by 10.7% (P < 0.001), and outpatient OOP costs were significantly increased by 11.3% (P < 0.001) among respondents who had self-medicated. Conclusions: This study allowed us to identify the economic value of self-medication among the middle-aged and elderly population in China. Future work should guide the middle-aged and elderly to take responsible self-medication to reduce their economic burden.

The Effects of Childhood Circumstances on Health in Middle and Later Life: Evidence From China.

Background: This study examined the relationship between childhood circumstances and health in middle and later life. We quantified how childhood circumstances contribute to health in later life, both directly and indirectly, through their effects on potential mediators. Methods: This study used three waves of data from the national longitudinal survey of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). The final model in this study included 7,476 eligible respondents aged 45 years and above. We constructed a simple health status measure based on the first principal component of CHARLS survey responses with 25 health-related information. It is a multi-dimensional measurement that comprehensively reflects the individual's healthy aging. We formulated childhood circumstances factors into five domains: childhood health and nutrition, childhood socioeconomic status, access to health care, parental genetics, and adverse childhood experiences. Ordered logit regression was conducted to analyze the relationship between health in middle and later life and childhood circumstances, with other explanatory variables controlled. Results: Controlling for educational attainment, personal income, and health status in the last wave, adults who experience good childhood health (poor as the base, coefficient 0.448, p < 0.01), and better family financial status (worse as the base, coefficient 0.173, p < 0.01) have significantly better health during their middle and later life, in comparison, being inconvenient to visit a doctor (coefficient -0.178, p < 0.01), and having two or three adverse childhood experiences (0 as the base, coefficient -0.148, p < 0.01) are significantly associated with poorer health. Childhood circumstances appear to act both through a lasting effect of initial health and financial status in childhood and through their impact on achievements in adulthood. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that investments in health during childhood not only contribute to health in later life but also dynamically improve an individual's educational attainment and personal income, as well as other life prospects. All these returns may extend far beyond childhood and continue throughout the lifespan.

Sex differences in the associations between blood pressure and anxiety and depression scores in a middle-aged and elderly population: The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA).

BACKGROUND: Anxiety and depression are considered risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), but their relationship to blood pressure (BP) is still uncertain. Lifestyle factors and age-related comorbidities may confound these relationships. Our study aimed to evaluate the associations between BP and anxiety and depression scores in a population aged ≥49 years. METHODS: Data on 8504 participants from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) were analyzed for associations between BP and anxiety and depression questionnaire scores, accounting for relevant confounding factors. RESULTS: Multivariable analyses showed negative associations between systolic BP and anxiety and depression scores, independent of age, body mass index (BMI), marital status, education level, smoking status, alcohol consumption, level of physical activity, self-reported CVDs (≥2) and antihypertensive medication use in men (coefficient=-0.112, P=0.013; coefficient=-0.051, P=0.026) but not in women (coefficient=-0.001, P=0.855; coefficient=-0.005, P=0.556). Diastolic BP was not associated with anxiety or depression scores in either men (coefficient=-0.018, P=0.223; coefficient=-0.001, P=0.924) or women (coefficient=-0.007, P=0.338; coefficient=-0.015, P=0.293) after adjusting for these same confounding factors. After a follow-up of 4 years, lower BP in subjects not using antihypertensive medications was significantly associated with more anxiety and depression events. LIMITATION: Time-varying confounding factors may have interfered with our results. CONCLUSION: Our results show that systolic BP in a middle-aged and elderly population is negatively associated with anxiety and depression scores in men but not women after adjustment for a range of lifestyle factors. These results contrast with the predisposition of anxious or depressed participants to CVDs in later life when decades of unhealthy lifestyles have persisted.

Serum uric acid is independently associated with aortic arch calcification in a cross-sectional study of middle-aged and elderly women.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The increased serum uric acid (SUA) level is associated with the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks. Aortic arch calcification (AAC) reflects subclinical coronary atherosclerosis and is linked to subsequent cardiovascular morbidity and mortality risks closely. To better understand the role of SUA on arteriosclerosis and CVD, we aim to determine the association between SUA and the presence of AAC. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 5920 individuals aged >45 years old without prior CVD disease were included. The prevalence rate of AAC was 14.4% in all participants and a significantly increasing trend for AAC prevalence rate was found across the SUA tertiles (p < 0.001 for trend). Subsequent subgroup analyses revealed that this positive association trend was only significant in female subjects. After adjusting for confounders, SUA is an independent predictor for the presence of AAC in overall participants and in women. CONCLUSION: SUA is independently associated with AAC in middle-aged and elderly population, especially in the women. More research needs to determine whether lower thresholds for CVD risk screening for those middle-aged and elderly women with higher SUA tertile even without hyperuricemia are warranted.

Effect of hypertension status on the association between sleep duration and stroke among middle-aged and elderly population.

We aimed to examine whether hypertension status modified the association between sleep duration and stroke among middle-aged and elderly population. This cross-sectional study included 10 516 participants aged ≥45 years from the China Hypertension Survey study. Sleep duration and history of stroke were assessed by questionnaires. Multivariate logistic regression analyses, a generalized additive model (GAM) and smooth curve fitting (penalized spline method) and a two-piecewise logistic regression models were performed to evaluate the association between sleep duration and stroke in different status of hypertension. 95% confidence interval (CI) for turning point was obtained by bootstrapping. Multiple logistic analyses showed that per 1 hour increase in sleep duration was associated with a 37% increased prevalence of stroke among participants without hypertension and associated with a 8% increased prevalence of stroke among hypertensive participants (without hypertension: odds ratio [OR] = 1.37, 95% CI 1.09-1.71; with hypertension: OR = 1.08, 95% CI 0.95-1.21; PInteraction  = .029). The fully adjusted smooth curves presented a linear association between sleep duration and stroke among participants without hypertension, but a threshold, nonlinear association among hypertensive participants. The turning point for the curve was found at a sleep duration of 8 (95% CI 5-9) h among hypertensive patients. The ORs (95% CIs) for stroke were 0.92 (0.79, 1.06) and 1.60 (1.23, 2.08) to the left and right of the turning point, respectively. In conclusion, we found a linear association between sleep duration and stroke among middle-aged and elderly participants without hypertension, but a threshold, nonlinear association among hypertensive participants.

Association between blood pressure and intracranial artery stenosis in a Chinese population.

The association between blood pressure and intracranial artery stenosis (ICAS) in different age groups has not been elucidated. Using data from the "China Hypertension Survey," we conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the association between blood pressure parameters and ICAS. In this study, participants older than 35 years were selected by stratified, multistage random sampling. Blood pressure was measured repeatedly at rest, and ICAS was assessed by transcranial doppler ultrasound. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to demonstrate the association between different blood pressure indicators and ICAS. Of the 3640 participants included (mean age 63 ± 13 years old, 57.8% female), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and pulse pressure (PP) were associated with ICAS in the general population; the multivariable adjusted odds ratio (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of ICAS and multivessel stenosis were 1.32 (1.21, 1.45) and 1.29 (1.14, 1.46) per standard deviation (SD) increase in SBP and 1.44 (1.30, 1.59) and 1.52 (1.33, 1.74) for PP, respectively. Further analysis of this association in different age groups revealed inconsistent results between SBP and ICAS. Prehypertension (120 ≤ SBP < 140) could predict ICAS in the older group but not in the younger group, and the positive association between SBP and multivessel stenosis disappeared in the younger age group (P > .05 in all SBP subgroups). In conclusion, SBP and PP could not only identify ICAS in the middle-aged and elderly population but could also provide some information about ICAS burden; however, these associations need to be interpreted differentially based on age subgroup.

[Association between lack of care in childhood and cognitive impairment in middle-aged and elderly population].

Objective: To investigate the association between people who were under lack of care in childhood and the development of cognitive impairment in their middle-aged and elderly life spans. Methods: Based on the baseline survey data of the third phase of "Guangzhou Biobank Cohort study" conducted from January 2007 to January 2008, 9 223 residents aged ≥50 years with records on Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) were included in a retrospective survey on received childhood care of their early lives. Questions would include: feelings of care and support from their close relatives during childhood, the status of separation from their mothers for ≥1 year, and the current status of their parents. Linear regression, unconditional and multinomial logistic regression models were used to analyze the associations between the received childhood care and cognitive function (i.e., MMSE scores and cognitive impairment) in middle and old age, of this population under study. Results: After adjusting for age, gender, education, place of residence, marital status, physical activity, smoking, drinking, occupation, personal income, childhood socioeconomic position and depressive symptoms etc., factors as feeling lack of concern and support from close relatives (LC), status of separation from the mother for ≥1 year (SM), and the current status of their parents etc., were all negatively associated with the MMSE score when in middle and old age, with partial regression coefficient ß (95%CI) as -0.44 (-0.65- -0.23), -0.26 (-0.38- -0.14) and -0.61 (-0.96- -0.27), respectively. The presence of LC, SM or PD were associated with the increased risks of cognitive impairment, and the adjusted odds ratio OR (95%CI) appeared as 1.43 (1.15-1.78), 1.26 (1.08-1.47) and 1.64 (1.16-2.31) respectively in all the participants, but 1.27 (1.01-1.62), 1.29 (1.09-1.55) and 1.75 (1.19-2.55) respectively, in those with education level of primary school or below. In those with secondary school education or above, only the presence of item A was associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment (OR=2.26, 95%CI: 1.41-3.50). Conclusion: We noticed that 'lack of care' in childhood was associated with cognitive impairment during middle and old age, mainly in those population with lower education.