Indicators of fetal growth and adult liver enzymes: the Bogalusa Heart Study and the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study.

Despite the interest in the relationship of fetal exposures to adult cardiovascular disease, few studies have examined indicators of adult fatty liver disease as an outcome. Previous results are inconsistent, and indicate possible variation by sex. Adult liver enzymes [γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT), alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartase transaminase (AST)] were measured in two cohort studies: the Bogalusa Heart Study (BHS; n=1803) and the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns (YF; n=3571) study, which also had ultrasound measures of liver fat (n=2546). Predictors of dichotomized (clinical cut-offs) and continuous (within the reference range) liver enzymes included low birthweight (4000 g), small-for-gestational-age (birthweight 90th percentile), and preterm birth. Multiple logistic and linear regression were conducted, adjusted for medical, behavioral and socioeconomic indicators. Interactions with sex were also examined. In BHS, birth measures were not strongly associated with clinically high levels of liver enzymes, and within the reference range measures of reduced growth were associated with increased AST in women. In the YF study, at least one marker of reduced growth was associated with higher GGT, higher ALT and higher AST (in women). Probable fatty liver on ultrasound was associated with low birthweight (2.41, 1.42-4.09) and preterm birth (2.84, 1.70-4.76). These results suggest a link between birth parameters and adult fatty liver, but encourage consideration of population variation in these relationships.

Adolescence physical activity is associated with higher tibial pQCT bone values in adulthood after 28-years of follow-up--the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study.

High peak bone mass and strong bone phenotype are known to be partly explained by physical activity during growth but there are few prospective studies on this topic. In this 28-year follow-up of Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study cohort, we assessed whether habitual childhood and adolescence physical activity or inactivity at the age of 3-18 years were associated with adult phenotype of weight-bearing tibia and the risk of low-energy fractures. Baseline physical activity and data on clinical, nutritional and lifestyle factors were assessed separately for females and males aged 3-6-years (N=395-421) and 9-18-years (N=923-965). At the age of 31-46-years, the prevalence of low-energy fractures was assessed with a questionnaire and several tibial traits were measured with pQCT (bone mineral content (BMC; mg), total and cortical cross-sectional areas (mm(2)), trabecular (for the distal site only) and cortical (for the shaft only) bone densities (mg/cm(3)), stress-strain index (SSI; mm(3), for the shaft only), bone strength index (BSI; mg(2)/cm(4), for the distal site only) and the cortical strength index (CSI, for the shaft only)). For the statistical analysis, each bone trait was categorized as below the cohort median or the median and above and the adjusted odds ratios (OR) were determined. In females, frequent physical activity at the age of 9-18-years was associated with higher adulthood values of BSI, total and cortical areas, BMC, CSI and SSI at the tibia independently of many health and lifestyle factors (ORs 0.33-0.53, P≤0.05; P-values for trend 0.002-0.05). Cortical density at the tibial shaft showed the opposite trend (P-value for trend 0.03). Similarly in males, frequent physical activity was associated with higher values of adult total and cortical areas and CSI at the tibia (ORs 0.48-0.53, P≤0.05; P-values for trend 0.01-0.02). However, there was no evidence that childhood or adolescence physical activity was associated with lower risk of low energy fractures during the follow-up. In conclusion, frequent habitual physical activity in adolescence seems to confer benefits on tibial bone size and geometry in adulthood.

Depressive symptoms are associated with lower bone mineral density in young adults with high job strain. The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study.

BACKGROUND: Job strain has been associated with depressive symptoms, and depression has been associated with low bone mineral density (BMD). PURPOSE: The associations between BMD and job strain have not been studied. We examined the relations between BMD, job strain, and depressive symptoms in a population-based group of young adults in Finland. METHOD: Ultrasonic measurement of BMD at the calcaneus was performed on 777 participants (men 45 %, aged 30-45) drawn from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. Job strain was assessed by self-administered questionnaires by the combination of job demands and job control. Depressive symptoms were assessed with a modified Beck Depression Inventory. The effects of job strain on BMD were studied with multivariable analyses with age, sex, BMI, vitamin D, and calcium intake, physical activity, cigarette smoking, alcohol use, and depressive symptoms as covariates. RESULTS: Depressive symptoms were independently associated with lower BMD T score in participants with high job strain (ß = -0.241, p = 0.02), but depressive symptoms were not significantly associated with BMD in the low (ß = -0.160, p = 0.26) and intermediate (ß = -0.042, p = 0.66) job strain categories. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that job strain modifies the association between depressive symptoms and BMD. Depressed individuals with high work-related stress might be in increased risk of lower bone mineral density.

Ambient air quality and occurrence of multiple sclerosis relapse.

Infectious viruses and bacteria can trigger multiple sclerosis (MS) exacerbations. Seasonally changing concentrations of ambient air pollutants are known to predispose to transmissible infections, to induce systemic immune responses and to enhance existing peripheral inflammation. Ambient air quality and monthly MS relapse occurrence in south-western Finland were compared by multivariate logistic regression. The odds ratio of the risk of a relapse onset was over fourfold (4.143, p < 0.001) when the concentration of inhalable particulate matter (PM(10)) was at the highest quartile. Inhalable airborne particulate matter concentrations were connected to relapse occurrence. Poor air quality may enhance the seasonal changes in MS relapse occurrence by an increased susceptibility to transmissible infections.