Does physical activity and inflammation mediate the job stress-headache relationship? A sequential mediation analysis in the ELSA-Brasil study.

BACKGROUND: Evidence indicates that physical activity reduces stress and promote a myriad of health-enhancing effects through anti-inflammatory mechanisms. However, it is unknown whether these mechanisms interfere in the association between psychosocial job stress and headache disorders. OBJECTIVE: To test whether physical activity and its interplay with the systemic inflammation biomarkers high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and acute phase glycoproteins (GlycA) would mediate the associations between job stress and headache disorders. METHODS: We cross-sectionally evaluated the baseline data from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) regarding job stress (higher demand and lower control and support subscales), migraine and tension-type headache (ICHD-2 criteria), self-reported leisure-time physical activity, and plasma hs-CRP and GlycA levels. Conditional process analyses with a sequential mediation approach were employed to compute path coefficients and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) around the indirect effects of physical activity and biomarkers on the job stress-headache relationship. Separate models were adjusted for sex, age, and depression and anxiety. Further adjustments added BMI smoking status, and socioeconomic factors. RESULTS: In total, 7,644 people were included in the study. The 1-year prevalence of migraine and tension-type headache were 13.1 % and 49.4 %, respectively. In models adjusted for sex, age, anxiety, and depression, the association between job stress (lower job control) and migraine was mediated by physical activity [effect = -0.039 (95 %CI: -0.074, -0.010)] but not hs-CRP or GlycA. TTH was associated with higher job control and lower job demand, which was mediated by the inverse associations between physical activity and GlycA [Job Control: effect = 0.0005 (95 %CI: 0.0001, 0.0010); Job Demand: effect = 0.0003 (95 %CI: 0.0001, 0.0007]. Only the mediating effect of physical activity in the job stress-migraine link remained after further adjustments including socioeconomic factors, BMI, smoking, and the exclusion of major chronic diseases. CONCLUSION: In the ELSA-Brasil study, physical activity reversed the link between job stress and migraine independently of systemic inflammation, while the LTPA-mediated downregulation of GlycA was associated with lower job stress-related TTH.

Dietary patterns and adiposity over time - analysis of the ELSA-Brasil.

PURPOSE: Combining different statistical methods to identify dietary patterns (DP) may provide new insights on how diet is associated with adiposity. This study investigated the association of DP derived from three data-driven methods and adiposity indicators over time. METHODS: This study used data from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). DP were identified at baseline applying three statistical methods: Factor Analysis (FA), Treelet Transform (TT), and Reduced Rank Regression (RRR). The association between DP and adiposity indicators (weight, body mass index, waist circumference, body fat percentage and fat mass index) over the period of 8.2 years of follow-up was assessed by linear mixed-models. RESULTS: Convenience DP, marked by unhealthy food groups, was associated with higher adiposity over the follow-up period, regardless of the method applied. The DP identified by TT and marked by high consumption of rice and beans was associated with lower adiposity, whereas the similar DP identified by FA, but additionally characterised by consumption of poultry and red meat was associated with higher adiposity. Prudent DP, marked by plant-based food groups and fish, identified by FA was associated with lower adiposity across the median follow-up time. CONCLUSION: Applying different methods to identify DP showed that a convenience DP was associated with higher adiposity independent of the method applied. We also identified the nuances within adherence to a Brazilian traditional dietary pattern characterised by the consumption of rice and beans, that only when combined with reduced consumption of animal protein and unhealthy foods was associated with lower adiposity over time.

Thyroid peroxidase antibodies were associated with prevalent carotid intima-media thickness in middle-age and older adults: the ELSA-Brasil cohort.

PURPOSE: Understanding the relationship between antithyroperoxidase antibodies (TPOAb) and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) could provide insights into the mechanisms linking thyroid autoimmunity and cardiovascular disease. We aimed to explore the association of multiple categories of TPOAb with the increased cIMT at baseline and at follow-up in participants from the ELSA-Brasil Study. METHODS: This prospective cohort study analyzed data from 9,264 participants (51.5 ± 8.9 years old, 55.9% women) without a history of cardiovascular disease. Fasting serum TPOAb levels were determined. Values of cIMT equal to or above one deviation standard of the sample's mean were classified as increased cIMT at baseline. The increased cIMT after the 8-year follow-up was calculated after excluding participants with increased cIMT at baseline. Multivariate analyses were done using binary logistic and Poisson regression models. RESULTS: The increased cIMT was prevalent in 14.3% of the participants at baseline and its development occurred in 16.8% participants during the cohort. After adjustment for all confounder variables, TPOAb detectability (OR = 1.84, 95%CI = 1.21-2.79), and low detectable (OR = 1.81, 95%CI = 1.18-2.75), high detectable (OR = 2.01, 95%CI = 1.29-3.11) and positive (OR = 1.70, 95%CI = 1.07-2.70) TPOAb were positively associated with increased cIMT at baseline. The associations of low and high detectable TPOAb and increased cIMT at baseline were consistent when excluding those with thyroid dysfunction. There was no statistically significant association between TPOAb levels and increased cIMT at follow-up (p > 0.05), neither for all sample nor for euthyroid individuals. CONCLUSION: Different levels of TPOAb, including its detectability, were associated with increased cIMT at baseline in the studied sample. We highlight that may be relevant to consider the levels of TPOAb detectability as possible marker of increased cardiovascular risk.

Predictive value of functional disability scales among stroke survivors: A long-term mortality evaluation in a Brazilian stroke cohort.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the influence of two functional scales- Modified Rankin Scale (m-RS) and Modified Katz Index (m-Katz Index) on long-term mortality in a stroke cohort. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Among 760 stroke survivors (median age: 66 (IQR:56-75), 56.4 % women) m-Katz Index and m-RS scales applied at 1 and 6 months after stroke, were investigated in relation to 12-years of all-cause mortality. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were computed, and time-varying covariate Cox regression models were fitted to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) in all sample and by sex. The prognostic ability of the fitted models was computed for each model by six different measures. RESULTS: After 12 years of follow-up (median survival time: 7.3 years), 311 participants died. Overall survival curves show lower survival rates among those with the highest levels of disability/dependence (all log-rank p-values <0.0001). These findings were confirmed in all regression models for both sexes, particularly in men who had higher levels of dependence on Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) by m-Katz Index and severe disability by m-RS and presented the highest HR of dying (HR: 3.34 (95 %CI: 2.27-4.92) and HR: 4.94 (95 % CI: 3.15-7.75), respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Both the m-Katz Index and the m-RS scale were good predictors of long-term mortality, which is of importance for guiding the functional rehabilitation of stroke patients. Besides, high levels of disability and dependence were implicated with high mortality risks, regardless of sex.

Association between objective sleep measures and cognitive performance: a cross-sectional analysis in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) study.

Sleep disturbances often co-exist, which challenges our understanding of their potential impact on cognition. We explored the cross-sectional associations of insomnia and objective measures of sleep with cognitive performance in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) study stratified by middle-aged and older adults. Participants aged ≥55 years underwent cognitive evaluations, polygraphy for 1 night, and actigraphy for 7 days. Insomnia was evaluated using the Clinical Interview Scheduled Revised. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and short sleep duration (SSD) were defined by an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of ≥15 events/h and <6 h/ night, respectively. In 703 participants (mean [SD] age 62 [6] years, 44% men), cognition was evaluated using a 10-word list, verbal fluency, and trail-making tests. The frequencies of insomnia, SSD, and OSA were 11%, 24%, and 33%, respectively. In all, 4% had comorbid OSA and insomnia, and 11% had both OSA and SSD. Higher wake after sleep onset (ß = -0.004, 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.008, -0.001) and the number of awakenings (ß = -0.006, 95% CI -0.012, -0.001) were associated with worse verbal fluency performance. Compared to those without insomnia, older participants with insomnia had worse global performance (ß = -0.354, 95% CI -0.671, -0.038). Insomnia was an effect modifier in the associations between AHI and executive function performance (p for the interaction between insomnia and AHI = 0.004) and between oxygen saturation <90% and memory performance (p for the interaction between insomnia and oxygen saturation = 0.02). Although some associations between sleep measures and cognition were significant, they should be considered with caution due to the large sample size and multiple testing performed in this study.

Percentiles of predicted 10-year cardiovascular disease risk by sex and age in Brazil and their association with estimated risk of long-term atherosclerotic events.

OBJECTIVE: Expressing the cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in relation to peers may complement the estimation of absolute CVD risk. We aimed to determine 10-year CVD risk percentiles by sex and age in the Brazilian population and evaluate their association with estimated long-term atherosclerotic CVD (ASCVD) risk. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from the ELSA-Brasil study was conducted in individuals aged 40-74 years without prior ASCVD. Ten-year CVD risk and long-term ASCVD risk were estimated by the WHO risk score and the Multinational Cardiovascular Risk Consortium tool, respectively. Ten-year risk percentiles were determined by ranking the calculated risks within each sex and age group. RESULTS: Ten-year CVD risk versus percentile plots were constructed for each sex and age group using data from 13,364 participants (55% females; median age, 52 [IQR, 46-59] years). Long-term ASCVD risk was calculated in 12,973 (97.1%) participants. Compared to individuals at the <25th risk percentile, those at the ≥75th percentile had a greater risk of being in the highest quartile of long-term risk (ORs [95% CIs] 6.57 [5.18-8.30] in females and 11.59 [8.42-15.96] in males) in regression models adjusted for age, race, education, and 10-year CVD risk. In both sexes, the association between risk percentile and long-term risk weakened after age 50. A tool for calculating 10-year CVD risk and the corresponding percentile is available at https://bit.ly/3CzPUi6. CONCLUSIONS: We established percentiles of predicted 10-year CVD risk by sex and age in the Brazilian population, which independently reflect the estimated long-term ASCVD risk in younger individuals.

Potentially inappropriate medications and cognitive performance: cross-sectional results from the ELSA-Brasil study.

OBJECTIVES: Potentially inappropriate medications (PIM), especially those with potential effects on the central nervous system, can increase the risk of cognitive impairment. We investigated the association of the use of PIM and PIM that may impair cognition (PIM-Cog) with cognitive performance among older adults. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study with 2,626 participants, PIM and PIM-Cog were defined by the 2019 American Geriatrics Society Beers criteria. We calculated global cognition and memory, verbal fluency, and Trail Making Test B version (TMT-B) z-scores. Linear regression models adjusted for sociodemographic and clinical variables were used to investigate the association between PIM and cognition. RESULTS: 27% and 7% of the sample (mean age = 65.1 ± 4.1 years old, 54% women, and 61% White) used at least one PIM and PIM-cog, respectively. PIM was associated with poor performance in the TMT-B (ß = -0.17, 95% Cl = -0.29; -0.05, p = 0.007). PIM-Cog was also associated with poor TMT-B performance (ß = -0.08, 95% Cl = -0.15; -0.01, p = 0.025). CONCLUSION: The use of PIM and PIM-Cog was associated with poor executive function among older adults. The review of PIM use and the deprescription of these drugs may be an effective way to improve cognitive function.

Dietary patterns and subclinical atherosclerosis incidence and progression: Results from ELSA-Brasil.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the main cause of disease burden worldwide. Coronary artery calcification (CAC) score is a subclinical atherosclerosis marker able to predict the risk of CVD in asymptomatic patients, and few studies have investigated the association between dietary patterns (DP) and CAC score prospectively. Thus, the aim of this study was to estimate the association between baseline DP and CAC score incidence and progression on the ELSA-Brasil cohort. METHODS AND RESULTS: This study is a longitudinal prospective analysis of the ELSA-Brasil participants who underwent a CAC exam on baseline and follow-up (n = 2,824). CAC incidence was defined as a baseline CAC score equal to zero (n = 2,131) and subsequent follow-up CAC score greater than zero. CAC progression was defined according to the Hokanson method for the individuals who presented a CAC score greater than zero at the baseline (n = 639). Dietary data were assessed at the baseline using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), and factor analysis was applied to identify DP. Poisson regression models with robust variance and linear regression models were applied to estimate the association between baseline DP and CAC incidence and progression. The incidence of CAC was 14.6%, while 60.3% of the individuals presented CAC progression. Three DP were identified: convenience, Brazilian traditional, and prudent. We did not find a significant association between baseline DP and CAC incidence or progression. CONCLUSION: Our findings from this longitudinal prospective analysis showed that baseline DP are not associated with CAC incidence or progression.

Anaemia and its causes at the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health: a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data.

BACKGROUND: Most anaemia studies focus on children and women of childbearing age. We assessed the frequency and main aetiologies of anaemia according to sociodemographic characteristics at the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil), a cohort of middle-aged adults. METHODS: The primary analyses included 15,051 participants aged 35-74 years with a valid blood cell count. We built logistic models to analyse the association between socioeconomic characteristics and anaemia diagnosis. We also described the main aetiologies in a subset (n = 209) of participants with anaemia. RESULTS: Anaemia was present in 3.0% (95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 2.6-3.4%) of men and 7.4% (95%CI: 6.9-8.0%) of women. The frequency of anaemia diagnosis was higher in women in all subgroups except for the oldest age stratum (65-74 years). The frequency of anaemia was particularly high in Blacks (6.0% and 15.5% in men and women, respectively). The most common causes of anaemia were iron deficiency (in women), chronic kidney disease, and chronic inflammation (in men). The frequency of unexplained anaemia was respectively 33.3% and 34.2% for men and women, and this condition was more frequent among participants of Black or Mixed races. CONCLUSIONS: Anaemia was associated with age, female sex, Black race, and low socioeconomic status. Unexplained anaemia was common and more frequent in individuals of Black and Mixed races. ELSA-Brasil follow-up data may provide further insight into the relevance of unexplained anaemia in this setting.

This study aims to assess the frequency, associated factors, and (in a subsample) the leading causes of anaemia in a large epidemiological study in 6 Brazilian state capitals. Our primary analyses included 15,051 participants aged 35­74 years. Anaemia was present in 3.0% of men and 7.4% of women. The frequency of anaemia diagnosis was higher in women in all subgroups except for the oldest age stratum (65­74 years). The frequency of anaemia was particularly high in Blacks (6.0% and 15.5% in men and women, respectively). The most common causes of anaemia were iron deficiency (in women), chronic kidney disease, and chronic inflammation (in men). Despite an extensive workout to determine the causes of anaemia, this condition remained unexplained in approximately one-third of cases. Unexplained anaemia was more frequent among participants of Black or Mixed races. Besides providing a clear epidemiological description of anaemia in this setting, our work also provides insight into the interpretation of current cutoffs for anaemia diagnosis.

Influence of the device used for obstructive sleep apnea diagnosis on body position: a comparison between polysomnography and portable monitor.

PURPOSE: Different devices have been used for the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which differ in the number of sensors used. The numerous sensors used in more complex sleep studies such as in-lab polysomnography may influence body position during sleep. We hypothesized that patients submitted to in-lab polysomnography (PSG) would spend more time in the supine position than patients submitted to an ambulatory Portable Monitor (PM) sleep study. METHODS: Body position during PSG and PM studies was compared among two distinct groups of patients matched for age, body-mass index (BMI), apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), and gender. Predictors of time spent in the supine position were determined using a multiple linear regression model. RESULTS: Of 478 participants who underwent either PSG or PM studies, mean age: 61[43-66] years; males: 43.9%; BMI: 28.4[26.1-31.1]kg/m2; AHI 14[7-27] events/hour). Participants who underwent PSG studies spent more time in the supine position (41[16-68]% than participants who underwent PM studies (34[16-51]%), P = 0.014. Participants with OSA spent more time in the supine position than participants without OSA, both among the PSG and PM groups P < 0.05). Gender, BMI, OSA severity, and sleep study type were independent predictors of time spent in the supine position. CONCLUSION: In-lab PSG may increase time spent in the supine position and overestimate OSA severity compared to a PM sleep study. OSA diagnosis is also associated with increased time spent in the supine position. The potential influence on the sleeping position should be taken into account when choosing among the different sleep study types for OSA diagnosis.

Trans-ethnic genomic informed risk assessment for Alzheimer's disease: An International Hundred K+ Cohorts Consortium study.

BACKGROUND: As a collaboration model between the International HundredK+ Cohorts Consortium (IHCC) and the Davos Alzheimer's Collaborative (DAC), our aim was to develop a trans-ethnic genomic informed risk assessment (GIRA) algorithm for Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: The GIRA model was created to include polygenic risk score calculated from the AD genome-wide association study loci, the apolipoprotein E haplotypes, and non-genetic covariates including age, sex, and the first three principal components of population substructure. RESULTS: We validated the performance of the GIRA model in different populations. The proteomic study in the participant sites identified proteins related to female infertility and autoimmune thyroiditis and associated with the risk scores of AD. CONCLUSIONS: As the initial effort by the IHCC to leverage existing large-scale datasets in a collaborative setting with DAC, we developed a trans-ethnic GIRA for AD with the potential of identifying individuals at high risk of developing AD for future clinical applications.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Sleep Duration, and Associated Mediators With Carotid Intima-Media Thickness: The ELSA-Brasil Study.

[Figure: see text].

Association Between Adherence to the MIND Diet and Cognitive Performance is Affected by Income: The ELSA-Brasil Study.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between the Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet and cognition has not been widely investigated in low- to middle-income countries. We investigated the relationship between MIND diet and cognition in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) baseline data. METHODS: We included 11,788 participants. MIND diet adherence was based on the intake of 15 components according to a food frequency questionnaire. We analyzed the association between MIND diet adherence and global cognition, memory, and executive function using adjusted linear regression. We examined the interaction between income and MIND diet adherence on cognition and presented income stratified analyses. RESULTS: MIND diet adherence was not associated with cognition in the whole sample. Income was an effect modifier of MIND adherence on global cognition (P=0.03) and executive function (P<0.001). For participants with high income, greater adherence was associated with better executive function [ß=0.015, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.002; 0.028, P=0.025]; while for participants with low income, greater adherence was associated with lower global cognition (ß=-0.020, 95% CI=-0.036; -0.005, P=0.010) and executive function (ß=-0.023, 95% CI=-0.039; -0.007, P=0.004). Adherence to the MIND diet was higher among participants with high income (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: For high-income participants, greater adherence was associated with better cognitive performance; for low-income participants, greater adherence was associated with lower cognitive performance.

Physical activity pattern and migraine according to aura symptoms in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) cohort: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the associations of physical activity (PA) levels with migraine subtypes. BACKGROUND: Physical activity has been associated with reduced migraine prevalence, but less is known about its relationship with migraine subtypes and PA levels as recommended by World Health Organization (WHO). METHODS: In this cross-sectional analysis of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil), we estimated the odds ratios (ORs) of migraine with aura (MA) and migraine without aura (MO), compared to participants without headaches, according to PA levels in the leisure time (LTPA), commuting time (CPA), and combined PA domains. RESULTS: In total, 2773 participants provided complete data, 1556/2773 (56.1%) were women, mean (SD) age of 52.3 (9.1) years. In this study's sample, 1370/2773 (49.4%) participants had overall migraine, 480/2773 (17.3%) had MA, and 890/2773 (32.0%) had MO. In the LTPA domain, there were reduced odds of MA (OR 0.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.53-0.96; p = 0.030) and MO (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.56-0.90; p = 0.005) in participants who met the WHO PA guidelines after adjustment for confounder variables. In the analyses stratified by intensity, moderate LTPA was associated with reduced odds of MA (OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.320-0.99; p = 0.049), while vigorous LTPA was associated with reduced odds of MO (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.395-0.77; p = 0.001). There were no significant associations between migraine subtypes and CPA or combined PA domains. In the whole migraine sample, meeting the WHO PA guidelines in the LTPA (OR 0.275, 95% CI 0.083-0.90; p = 0.034), CPA (OR 0.194, 95% CI 0.064-0.58; p = 0.004), and combined domains (OR 0.115, 95% CI 0.032-0.41; p = 0.001) was associated with reduced odds of daily migraine attack frequency. CONCLUSIONS: Meeting the WHO PA guidelines for LTPA, but not CPA or combined PA domains, is associated with lower migraine occurrence. Moderate LTPA favors MA reduction, while vigorous LTPA favors MO reduction.

Association between coffee consumption with serum lipid profile in ELSA-Brasil study: a metabolomic approach.

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the association between coffee consumption and serum lipid profile in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study on baseline data from participants of the cohort ELSA-Brasil. Only participants of São Paulo Research Center who underwent a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy examination of lipid profile were included (N = 4736). Coffee intake was categorized into four categories (cups/day, in reference cup size of 50 mL, which is the household measure adopted in Brazil): never/almost never, ≤ 1, 1-3, and > 3. Serum lipid profile [i.e., Total Cholesterol (TC), Total Triglycerides (TG), Very Low-Density Lipoprotein-cholesterol (VLDL-c), Low-Density Lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-c), High-Density Lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c), Triglyceride-rich Lipoprotein Particles (TRLP) and subfractions particles] was analyzed. To estimate the effect of coffee consumption on serum lipid profile, multivariate Generalized Linear Models were performed. RESULTS: Compared to participants who never or almost never drink coffee, individuals who consumed more than 3 cups/day showed an increase in concentrations of TC (ß: 4.13; 95% CI 0.81, 7.45), TG (ß: 9.53; 95% CI 1.65, 17.42), VLDL-c (ß: 1.90; 95% CI 0.38, 3.42), TRLP (ß: 8.42; 95% CI 1.24, 15.60), and Very Small-TRLP and Medium-TRLP subfractions (ß: 7.36; 95% CI 0.21, 14.51; ß: 2.53; 95% CI 0.89, 4.16, respectively), but not with HDL-c and LDL-c. Among individuals with low (≤ 1 cup/day) and moderate (1-3 cups/day) coffee consumption, no significant associations with lipids was observed. CONCLUSION: High coffee consumption (more than 3 cups per day) was associated with an increase in serum lipids, namely TC, TG, VLDL-c, and TRL particles, highlighting the importance of a moderate consumption of this beverage.

Anticholinergic burden and cognitive performance: cross-sectional results from the ELSA-Brasil study.

OBJECTIVES: Using multiple drugs with anticholinergic properties is common and might lead to cumulative anticholinergic toxicity and increased risk of cognitive impairment. Therefore, we sought to investigate the association between the Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden (ACB) Scale and cognitive performance among middle-aged and older adults. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study with 13,065 participants from the baseline visit of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil), mean age was 51.7 ± 9.0 years old, 55% women, and 53% white. The ACB was calculated based on the medications in use. We investigated the association of ACB with global cognition and memory, verbal fluency (VF), and trail-making test version B (TMT-B) z-scores, using multiple linear regression models adjusted for sociodemographic and clinical variables. RESULTS: Overall, 16% of participants had an ACB score greater than 0. ACB was associated with poor cognitive performance in all tests in crude analysis. After adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics, the association remained significant for the global cognitive score, as well as the memory and the TMT-B z-scores. However, after further adjustments for clinical variables, only trend associations of ACB with poor memory (ß = - 0.02, 95% Cl = - 0.05, 0.00, p = 0.056) and the TMT-B z-scores (ß = - 0.02, 95% Cl = - 0.04, 0.00, p = 0.054) were found. In stratified analyses by age groups, ACB was associated with poor cognitive performance on the TMT-B (ß = - 0.03, 95% Cl = - 0.05, - 0.01, p = 0.005) in individuals aged less than 65 years old. CONCLUSION: Although the ACB was associated with poor executive function only among middle-aged adults in adjusted analysis, residual confounding may partly explain our results.

Health care professionals' perceptions about atrial fibrillation care in the Brazilian public primary care system: a mixed-methods study.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) negatively impacts health systems worldwide. We aimed to capture perceptions of and barriers and facilitators for AF care in Brazilian primary care units (PCUs) from the perspective of healthcare professionals (HCPs). METHODS: This mixed-methods, cross-sectional study utilised an exploratory sequential design, beginning with the quantitative data collection (up to 18 closed questions) immediately followed by a semi-structured interview. HCPs were recruited from 11 PCUs in the Sao Paulo region and included managers, physicians, pharmacists, nurses and community health agents. Descriptive statistics were used to present findings from the quantitative questionnaire and inductive analysis was used to identify themes from the qualitative data. RESULTS: One hundred seven HCPs were interviewed between September 2019 and May 2020. Three main themes were identified that encapsulated barriers and facilitators to AF care: access to care (appointments, equipment/tests and medication), HCP and patient roles (HCP/patient relationship and patient adherence) and the role of the organisation/system (infrastructure, training and protocols/guidelines). Findings from the qualitative analysis reinforced the quantitative findings, including a lack of AF-specific training for HCPs, protocols/guidelines on AF management, INR tests in the PCUs, patient knowledge of AF management and novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) as key barriers to optimal AF care. CONCLUSIONS: Development and implementation of AF-specific training for PCU HCPs are needed in Brazil, along with evidence-based protocols and guidelines, educational programmes for patients, better access to INR tests for patients taking warfarin and availability of NOACs.

Hearing Loss and Cognitive Function: Baseline Findings From the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health: ELSA-Brasil.

OBJECTIVE: Hearing loss (HL) has been associated with cognitive impairment in high-income countries. However, no study has investigated this association in low- and middle-income countries. Therefore, our aim was to investigate the association between cognitive function and HL in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) with 802 individuals (35-74 years old). Hearing was measured using pure-tone audiometry. A pure-tone average (s) of thresholds at 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz was calculated. HL was defined as a PTA above 25 dB in the better ear or either ear, as a categorical variable. Cognitive performance was measured using the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease word list memory test, the semantic and phonemic verbal fluency (VF) tests, and the Trail Making test version B. To investigate the association between cognitive performance and HL, we used linear regression models adjusted for sociodemographic and clinical variables. RESULTS: Of the total of participants, 7.6% had HL. After adjustment for sociodemographic and health confounding variables, only VF was associated with HL; a 10 dB increase in the PTA in the better ear was associated with worse performance in the phonemic VF test (ß = -0.115 [95% CI, -0.203 to -0.027], p = 0.01). We found a significant interaction between HL and age in the VF domain ( p = 0.01). HL was related to poor VF performance among older adults only. CONCLUSION: In a community-dwelling sample of most middle-aged adults, objectively measured HL was associated with lower VF. These results should be evaluated with caution, given the likelihood of residual confounding and the fact that only VF showed an association with HL.

Incidence of excess body weight and annual weight gain in women and men: Results from the ELSA-Brasil cohort.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate annual weight gain and the incidence of overweight and obesity, stratified according to gender and socioeconomic factors. METHODS: From the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil), we included 13 625 women and men aged 35-74 (2008-2010) who attended a follow-up visit after a mean 3.8-years. Standardized questionnaires were used to record sociodemographic data, and height and weight were measured on all participants during in-person visits at research centers. The incidence rate to overweight was calculated among those not having excess weight at baseline, and incident obesity among those not having this condition at baseline. We evaluated the incidence of overweight and obesity in men and women, adjusted by age, through Poisson regression with robust variance. Large annual weight gain by gender was being defined as ≥90th percentile in the cohort. RESULTS: A global incidence of 7.7% for overweight and 10.6% for obesity was observed, with higher levels seen among black woman (28.5%), young men (21.1%) and woman with low educational level (35.0%). The proportions of overweight and obesity increased with age at both time points, more commonly among those with the lowest levels of per capita income and fewer years of schooling. Large annual weight gain was greater among participants with an intermediate level of education and those who self-identified as black. CONCLUSIONS: A high overall risk of becoming overweight/obese was found, especially among women. The roles of race and education level are fundamental to understanding the effects produced by social inequalities in rates of excess weight.

Self-reported versus actigraphy-assessed sleep duration in the ELSA-Brasil study: analysis of the short/long sleep duration reclassification.

PURPOSE: This study was aimed to determine the magnitude and predictors of self-reported short/long sleep duration (SDUR) reclassifications using objective measurements. METHODS: Adult participants from the ELSA-Brasil study performed self-reported SDUR, 7-day wrist actigraphy, and a portable sleep study. We explored two strategies of defining self-reported SDUR reclassification: (1) short and long SDUR defined by <6 and ≥8h, respectively; (2) reclassification using a large spectrum of SDUR categories (<5, 5-6, 7-8, 8-9, and >9 h). RESULTS: Data from 2036 participants were used in the final analysis (43% males; age: 49±8 years). Self-reported SDUR were poorly correlated (r=0.263) and presented a low agreement with actigraphy-based total sleep time. 58% of participants who self-reported short SDUR were reclassified into the reference (6-7.99 h) or long SDUR groups using actigraphy data. 88% of participants that self-reported long SDUR were reclassified into the reference and short SDUR. The variables independently associated with higher likelihood of self-reported short SDUR reclassification included insomnia (3.5-fold), female (2.5-fold), higher sleep efficiency (1.35-fold), lowest O2 saturation (1.07-fold), higher wake after sleep onset (1.08-fold), and the higher number of awakening (1.05-fold). The presence of hypertension was associated with a 3.4-fold higher chance of self-reported long SDUR reclassification. Analysis of five self-reported SDUR categories revealed that the more extreme is the SDUR, the greater the self-reported SDUR reclassification. CONCLUSION: In adults, we observed a significant rate of short/long SDUR reclassifications when comparing self-reported with objective data. These results underscore the need to reappraise subjective data use for future investigations addressing SDUR.