Risk of suicide after hospitalizations due to acute physical health conditions-a cohort study of the Norwegian population.

BACKGROUND: It is well known that individuals recently discharged from psychiatric inpatient care face a high risk of suicide. Severe physical health conditions have also been linked to suicide risk. The risk of suicide following discharge from somatic hospitals is not known for individuals admitted due to acute physical health conditions. METHODS: A Cohort study using data from the entire Norwegian population aged 12 years and older from 2008 to 2022 linked with information on health service use and cause of death. We used Cox regression with age as time axis to estimate sex-adjusted hazard ratios of suicide following discharge for ages 12 to 64 years and 65 years and older. We also performed analyses after excluding hospitalizations with indications of concurrent mental disorders, self-harm, or suicide attempts. To assess individual risk, we performed an adapted case-crossover analysis among discharged patients who died from suicide. RESULTS: A total of 4 632,980 individuals aged 12 to 64 years and 1,469,265 individuals aged 65 years and older were included. Compared to unexposed individuals at similar ages, we found an increased risk of suicide in the first 4 weeks after discharge, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 7.0 (95% confidence interval (CI) 5.9 to 8.3) among those aged 12 to 64 years and 6.8 (95% CI 5.4 to 8.6) among those 65 years and older. In the younger age group, the risk was attenuated, with a HR of 2.4 (95% CI 1.7 to 3.2) after excluding hospitalizations with indications of concurrent mental disorders, self-harm, or suicide attempts. The corresponding HR was 4.8 (95% CI 3.5 to 6.4) among those 65 years and older, declining to 1.9, (1.2 to 3.1) in weeks 5 to 8 and 1.2 (0.7 to 2.2) in weeks 21 to 24. The case-crossover analysis confirmed that individuals 65 years and older were particularly vulnerable. CONCLUSIONS: The heightened risk of suicide following discharge from acute somatic hospitalization, even in the absence of concurrent mental disorders, self-harm, or prior suicide attempts, underscores the critical need for comprehensive mental health and existential support for patients post-discharge.

Dispensed prescription medications and short-term risk of pulmonary embolism in Norway and Sweden.

Scandinavian electronic health-care registers provide a unique setting to investigate potential unidentified side effects of drugs. We analysed the association between prescription drugs dispensed in Norway and Sweden and the short-term risk of developing pulmonary embolism. A total of 12,104 pulmonary embolism cases were identified from patient- and cause-of-death registries in Norway (2004-2014) and 36,088 in Sweden (2005-2014). A case-crossover design was used to compare individual drugs dispensed 1-30 days before the date of pulmonary embolism diagnosis with dispensation in a 61-90 day time-window, while controlling for the receipt of other drugs. A BOLASSO approach was used to select drugs that were associated with short-term risk of pulmonary embolism. Thirty-eight drugs were associated with pulmonary embolism in the combined analysis of the Norwegian and Swedish data. Drugs associated with increased risk of pulmonary embolism included certain proton-pump inhibitors, antibiotics, antithrombotics, vasodilators, furosemide, anti-varicose medications, corticosteroids, immunostimulants (pegfilgrastim), opioids, analgesics, anxiolytics, antidepressants, antiprotozoals, and drugs for cough and colds. Mineral supplements, hydrochlorothiazide and potassium-sparing agents, beta-blockers, angiotensin 2 receptor blockers, statins, and methotrexate were associated with lower risk. Most associations persisted, and several additional drugs were associated, with pulmonary embolism when using a longer time window of 90 days instead of 30 days. These results provide exploratory, pharmacopeia-wide evidence of medications that may increase or decrease the risk of pulmonary embolism. Some of these findings were expected based on the drugs' indications, while others are novel and require further study as potentially modifiable precipitants of pulmonary embolism.

Parity, infertility, age at first birth, and risk of atrial fibrillation: data from the HUNT study.

AIMS: Although parity, infertility, and age at first birth are important for later development of cardiovascular disease, research on their association with atrial fibrillation (AF) is limited. METHODS AND RESULTS: We linked data from the population-based HUNT study and the Medical Birth Registry of Norway (MBRN) and validated medical records from local hospitals. A total of 24 015 women aged 45 years or older were followed for verified incident AF. Parity and age at first birth were retrieved from the MBRN or from self-reported questionnaires in the HUNT study. A history of infertility was self-reported on the HUNT questionnaire. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) for the multivariable-adjusted associations of parity, infertility, and age at first birth with risk of AF. During a median follow-up of 12.8 years, 1448 (6.0%) participants developed AF. Women with higher parity (four or more births vs. two births) were at 21% higher risk of AF [HR 1.21, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05-1.39]. A history of infertility was also associated with the risk of AF (HR 1.20, 95% CI 1.02-1.42). Among parous women, younger age at first birth (<20 vs. 20-29 years) was associated with a 20% higher risk of AF (HR 1.20, 95% CI 1.03-1.40). CONCLUSION: Women with four or more births, or a history of infertility, or younger age at first birth have approximately a 20% higher risk of AF among women over 45 years old.

A higher number of births and a younger age at first birth are associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. However, there is limited evidence on the associations between parity, age at first birth, and atrial fibrillation (AF). Moreover, the association between infertility and AF remains largely unexplored. We investigated the association between parity, infertility, age at first birth, and AF in a population-based cohort from Norway (the HUNT study) among women over 45 years old. Our findings reveal that women with four or more births, or a history of infertility, or younger age at first birth have approximately a 20% higher risk of AF.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms and risk of atrial fibrillation in a population-based cohort study (the HUNT study).

AIMS: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) may influence the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). We investigated the association between symptoms of GERD and AF in the Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT). METHODS: The study cohort comprised 34,120 adult men and women initially free of AF with information on GERD symptoms. Participants were followed from the baseline clinical examination (1 October 2006 to 30 June 2008) to March 31, 2018. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 8.9 years, 1,221 cases of AF were diagnosed. When looking at the whole population, participants with much GERD symptoms did not have an increased risk of AF (HR: 1.01; CI: 95%, 0.82 to 1.24) while participants with little GERD symptoms had a 14% lower risk of AF compared those with no GERD symptoms (HR: 0.86; CI: 95%, 0.76 to 0.97). Among younger participants (<40 years of age), the risk of AF had a trend towards increased risk with increasing symptom load of GERD (little GERD symptoms, HR: 3.09; CI: 95%, 0.74 to 12.94 and much GERD symptoms, HR: 5.40; 95% CI: 0.82 to 35.58). Among older participants (≥65 years of age), we saw a slightly reduced risk of AF in participants with little symptoms (HR: 0.84; CI: 0.72 to 0.97) and no association among those with much GERD symptoms (HR: 1.06; 95% CI: 0.82 to 1.36). CONCLUSION: We did not find support for a clinically important association between symptoms of GERD and AF across all age groups but for some younger people, GERD might play a role in the development of AF. However, our estimates for this age group were very imprecise and larger studies including younger individuals are warranted.

Association of age at menarche, reproductive lifespan and age at menopause with the risk of atrial fibrillation: The HUNT study.

BACKGROUND: Age at menarche, reproductive lifespan, and age at menopause are associated with several cardiovascular diseases, but their relationship with atrial fibrillation (AF) is uncertain. METHODS: We linked information on all women who participated in the third survey of the population-based, longitudinal HUNT study in Norway with medical records from all local hospitals. A total of 14,632 women aged 60 or more were followed for validated incident AF. We retrieved age at menarche and age at menopause from the HUNT questionnaires. Reproductive lifespan was defined as the difference between age at menarche and age at menopause. We used Cox proportional hazards regression models to assess associations between AF and age at menarche, reproductive lifespan, and age at menopause. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 8.17 years (136,494 person-years), 1217 (8.3 %) participants developed AF. In multivariable-adjusted analyses, we observed no associations between early or late age at menarche and AF (hazard ratios (HRs): <12 years: 0.85 [95 % confidence interval (CI), 0.65-1.12]; ≥16 years: 0.99 [95 % CI, 0.80-1.24] compared to those who attained menarche at 13-14 years). The HR for a reproductive lifespan shorter than 30 years was 0.91 [95 % CI, 0.72-1.15] compared to 34-37 years. Likewise, there was no clear association between premature or early age at menopause and AF (HRs: <40 years: 1.21 [95 % CI, 0.83-1.75]; 40-44 years: 0.97 [95 % CI, 0.77-1.22] compared to 50-54 years). CONCLUSIONS: In this population of women aged 60 years and over, the risk of AF was not associated with age at menarche, reproductive lifespan, or age at menopause.

Prenatal Exposure to Severe Stress and the Risk of Heart Failure Up to Middle-Age.

BACKGROUND: Prenatal stress is a potential risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but its association with heart failure (HF) is unknown. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether prenatal stress, defined as maternal bereavement, was associated with HF risk up to middle-age. METHODS: This cohort study included 6,758,560 live singleton births from the Danish (1973-2016) and the Swedish (1973-2014) Medical Birth Registers. The authors retrieved information on death of the mothers' close family members (partner, older children, parents, and siblings) and offspring's HF (up to 2016 in Denmark and 2020 in Sweden) from nationwide registers. They estimated HRs and 95% CIs for HF in the offspring according to maternal bereavement. RESULTS: During up to 48 years of follow-up, 4,812 offspring (0.07%) had a diagnosis of HF. Maternal loss of any close family member was not associated with HF in the offspring (adjusted HR: 1.04; 95% CI: 0.88-1.23). However, the most severe forms of bereavement, ie, death of a partner or an older child (adjusted HR: 1.47; 95% CI: 1.06-2.04) and unnatural death of a relative (adjusted HR: 2.77; 95% CI: 1.49-5.17), were associated with increased risks of HF. Congenital heart disease and preterm birth contributed substantially to the association of maternal loss of a partner or older child with HF risk in the offspring. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal loss of a partner or older child and loss of a close relative caused by unnatural causes the year before or during pregnancy were associated with increased risk of HF in offspring.

Insomnia symptoms and risk for atrial fibrillation - The HUNT study.

Studies on the effect of insomnia on atrial fibrillation risk in the general population are limited, therefore we investigated the association between insomnia and the risk of atrial fibrillation in a large-scale population-based study with valid atrial fibrillation measure. A total of 33,983 participants (55% women) reported their insomnia symptoms in the third wave of the HUNT study (between 2006 and 2008) in Norway, and they were followed for their first atrial fibrillation diagnosis until 2020 using hospital registers. Atrial fibrillation diagnoses were validated by physicians based on medical records and electrocardiograms. Insomnia symptoms were assessed by four questions, and analysed both individually and as cumulative symptoms. Cox regression, adjusted for age, sex, social and marital status, working in shiftwork, alcohol consumption, smoking, physical activity, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, and symptoms of anxiety and depression, was conducted. Overall, 1592 atrial fibrillation cases were identified during the follow-up and 31.6% of individuals reported at least one insomnia symptom. In our analysis, we did not detect meaningful associations between insomnia symptoms and the risk of atrial fibrillation. In conclusion, in this population there was no evidence for an association between insomnia symptoms and the risk of subsequent atrial fibrillation.

Prenatal Exposure to Severe Stress and Risks of Ischemic Heart Disease and Stroke in Offspring.

Importance: Prenatal stress is associated with increased risks of several cardiovascular risk factors later in life. However, knowledge regarding the role of prenatal stress in the development of ischemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke is very limited. Objective: To examine prenatal stress, defined as maternal bereavement, and risks of IHD and stroke in the offspring. Design, Setting, and Participants: A cohort study was conducted using data from Danish and Swedish registries. Live singleton births during calendar years 1973-2016 in Denmark (followed up until December 31, 2016) and during calendar years 1973-2014 in Sweden (followed up until December 31, 2021) were included in the analysis. Exposure: Maternal loss of a close family member (partner, older children, parents, or siblings) the year before or during the pregnancy. Main Outcome and Measures: Diagnoses of IHD and stroke. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs for IHD and stroke in the offspring according to maternal bereavement. Results: The study included 6 758 560 births (39.4% from Denmark; 51.4% boys). During the median follow-up of 24.6 (IQR, 13.9-35.1) years, 8664 offspring (0.1%) were diagnosed with IHD and 13 094 with stroke (0.2%). Overall, maternal bereavement the year before or during pregnancy was not associated with IHD (adjusted HR [AHR], 0.98; 95% CI, 0.85-1.13) or stroke (AHR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.94-1.16) in offspring. Similarly, no associations were observed when exposure was classified by the mother's relationship to the deceased individual, ie, loss of older child or partner (HR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.64-1.14 for IHD and 0.98; 95% CI, 0.77-1.25 for stroke) or loss of parent or sibling (HR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.87-1.21 for IHD and 1.06; 95% CI, 0.94-1.19 for stroke). However, associations between loss in the third trimester and IHD (AHR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.06-2.13), and loss due to cardiovascular disease and stroke (AHR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.03-1.44) were identified when exposure was classified by time of loss or the relative's cause of death. Conclusions and Relevance: The findings of this study provide little support for the hypothesis that prenatal stress is associated with risks of IHD and stroke in the first 5 decades of life. However, the association observed between stress in the third trimester and IHD warrants further investigation.

Nondental Invasive Procedures and Risk of Infective Endocarditis: Time for a Revisit: A Science Advisory From the American Heart Association.

There have been no published prospective randomized clinical trials that have: (1) established an association between invasive dental and nondental invasive procedures and risk of infective endocarditis; or (2) defined the efficacy and safety of antibiotic prophylaxis administered in the setting of invasive procedures in the prevention of infective endocarditis in high-risk patients. Moreover, previous observational studies that examined the association of nondental invasive procedures with the risk of infective endocarditis have been limited by inadequate sample size. They have typically focused on a few potential at-risk surgical and nonsurgical invasive procedures. However, recent investigations from Sweden and England that used nationwide databases and demonstrated an association between nondental invasive procedures, and the subsequent development of infective endocarditis (in particular, in high-risk patients with infective endocarditis) prompted the development of the current science advisory.

Preterm Birth, Small for Gestational Age, and Large for Gestational Age and the Risk of Atrial Fibrillation Up to Middle Age.

Importance: Adverse birth outcomes, including preterm birth, small for gestational age (SGA), and large for gestational age (LGA) are associated with increased risks of hypertension, ischemic heart disease, stroke, and heart failure, but knowledge regarding their associations with atrial fibrillation (AF) is limited and inconsistent. Objective: To investigate whether preterm birth, SGA, or LGA are associated with increased risks of AF later in life. Design, Setting, and Participants: This multinational cohort study included Danish, Swedish, and Finnish national health registries. Live singleton births in Denmark from 1978 through 2016, in Sweden from 1973 through 2014, and in Finland from 1987 through 2014, who were followed up until December 31, 2016, in Denmark, December 31, 2021, in Sweden, and December 31, 2014, in Finland were included. Data analyses were performed between January 2021 and August 2022. Exposures: Preterm birth (less than 37 gestational weeks), SGA (less than 10th percentile birth weight for gestational age), and LGA (more than 90th percentile birth weight for gestational age) identified from medical birth registers. Main Outcomes and Measures: Diagnosis of AF obtained from nationwide inpatient and outpatient registers. The study team ran multivariable Cox proportional hazard models and flexible parametric survival models to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs for AF according to preterm birth, SGA, and LGA. Sibling analyses were conducted to control for unmeasured familial factors. Results: The cohort included 8 012 433 study participants (maximum age, 49 years; median age, 21 years; male, 51.3%). In 174.4 million person-years of follow-up, 11 464 participants had a diagnosis of AF (0.14%; median age, 29.3 years). Preterm birth and LGA were associated with increased AF risk in both the full population cohort and in the sibling analyses; the multivariate HRs from the cohort analyses were 1.30 (95% CI, 1.18-1.42) and 1.55 (95% CI, 1.46-1.63), respectively. Preterm birth was more strongly associated with AF in childhood than in adulthood. Children born SGA had an increased risk of AF in the first 18 years of life but not afterwards. Conclusions and Relevance: Preterm births and LGA births were associated with increased risks of AF up to middle age independently of familial confounding factors. Individuals born SGA had an increased AF risk only during childhood.

Body Mass Index Measured Repeatedly over 42 Years as a Risk Factor for Ischemic Stroke: The HUNT Study.

BACKGROUND: Higher BMI in middle age is associated with ischemic stroke, but little is known about BMI over adulthood, and the risk for ischemic stroke as most studies relied on a single measurement of BMI. METHODS: BMI was measured four times over a period of 42 years. We calculated average BMI values and group-based trajectory models and related these to the prospective risk of ischemic stroke after the last examination in Cox models with a follow-up time of 12 years. RESULTS: A total of 14,139 participants, with a mean age of 65.2 years and 55.4% women, had information on BMI from all four examinations, and we observed 856 ischemic strokes. People with overweight and obesity over adulthood had a higher risk for ischemic stroke with a multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio of 1.29 (95% CI 1.11-1.48) and 1.27 (95% CI 0.96-1.67), respectively, when compared to normal weight participants. Excess weight tended to have stronger effects earlier than later in life. A trajectory of developing obesity throughout life was associated with higher risk than other trajectories. CONCLUSIONS: High average BMI, especially at an early age, is a risk factor for ischemic stroke. Early weight control and long-term weight reduction for those with high BMI may decrease the later occurrence of ischemic stroke.

Loss of a child and the risk of atrial fibrillation: a Danish population-based prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Several studies suggest that bereavement is associated with increased risks of ischaemic heart disease, heart failure, stroke and cardiovascular mortality. Knowledge regarding the link between bereavement and the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) is limited. We investigated whether the death of a child, one of the most severe forms of bereavement, is associated with AF. METHODS: We conducted a population-based cohort study involving parents of live-born children during 1973-2016 from the Danish Medical Birth Register (n=2 804 244). Information on children's death, parental AF and sociodemographic and other health-related characteristics was obtained by individual-level linkage between several Danish population-based registers. We analysed the association between loss of a child and AF using Poisson regression. RESULTS: During the up to 39 years follow-up, 64 216 (2.3%) parents lost a child and 74 705 (2.7%) had an AF. Bereaved parents had a higher risk of AF than the non-bereaved; the corresponding incidence rate ratio (IRR) and 95% CI were 1.12 (1.08 to 1.17). The association was present both when the child died of cardiovascular diseases (IRR (95% CI): 1.42 (1.20 to 1.69)), and of other causes (IRR (95% CI): 1.11 (1.06 to 1.16)), tended to be U-shaped according to the deceased child's age at loss, but did not differ substantially according to the number of remaining live children at loss, the number of deceased children or the time since the loss. CONCLUSIONS: The death of a child was associated with a modestly increased risk of AF. Bereaved parents may benefit from increased support from family members and health professionals.

Risk of myocardial infarction after invasive outpatient procedures.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the short-term risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) associated with procedures performed at outpatient specialised hospital clinics. METHODS: In this case-crossover, population-based study, we identified first-time AMI cases aged ≥40 years via patient registries and linked them to their surgical intervention in Norway (2008-2016) and Sweden (2001-2014), respectively. The number of individuals with AMI who underwent procedures 0-7 days (hazard period) prior to the AMI diagnosis was compared with cases who were exposed 29-36 days (control period) before the AMI. A total of 6176 patients with AMI who underwent a procedure either during the defined hazard or control period contributed to the analyses. ORs with 95% CIs were computed using conditional logistic regression. RESULTS: The mean age of the total population was 74.7 years and 64.6% were male. The relative risk was higher following procedures performed under general/regional anaesthesia for gastrointestinal endoscopy (ORsummary, 4.23, 95% CI 1.58 to 11.31), vascular (ORsummary, 3.12, 95% CI 1.10 to 8.90), urological/gynaecological (ORsummary, 2.30, 95% CI 1.50 to 3.53) and orthopaedic (ORsummary,1.78, 95% CI 1.30 to 2.44) procedures, and for ENT (ear, nose and throat) and mouth procedures (ORsummary, 1.53, 95% CI 1.19 to 1.99) performed under local anaesthesia. CONCLUSION: This large population-based register study from two countries suggests that outpatient procedures are generally safe with regard to the postoperative risk of AMI. However, some procedures, such as gastrointestinal endoscopy, vascular procedures and urological/gynaecological procedures may increase the risk of AMI by twofold or threefold within the first 8 days after the procedures. Further studies are warranted to assess whether the effect is modified by cardiovascular medication or other clinical factors.

Blood pressure, hypertension and the risk of atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies.

Elevated blood pressure and hypertension have been associated with increased risk of atrial fibrillation in a number of epidemiological studies, however, the strength of the association has differed between studies. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between blood pressure and hypertension and atrial fibrillation. PubMed and Embase databases were searched for studies of hypertension and blood pressure and atrial fibrillation up to June 6th 2022. Cohort studies reporting adjusted relative risk (RR) estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of atrial fibrillation associated with hypertension or blood pressure were included. A random effects model was used to estimate summary RRs. Sixty eight cohort studies were included in the meta-analysis. The summary RR was 1.50 (95% CI: 1.42-1.58, I2 = 98.1%, n = 56 studies) for people with hypertension compared to those without hypertension (1,080,611 cases, 30,539,230 participants), 1.18 (95% CI: 1.16-1.21, I2 = 65.9%, n = 37 studies) per 20 mmHg increase in systolic blood pressure (346,471 cases, 14,569,396 participants), and 1.07 (95% CI: 1.03-1.11, I2 = 91.5%, n = 22 studies) per 10 mmHg increase in diastolic blood pressure (332,867 cases, 14,354,980 participants). There was evidence of a nonlinear association between diastolic blood pressure and atrial fibrillation with a steeper increase in risk at lower levels of diastolic blood pressure, but for systolic blood pressure the association appeared to be linear. For both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, the risk increased even within the normal range of blood pressure and persons at the high end of systolic and diastolic blood pressure around 180/110 mmHg had a 1.8-2.3 fold higher risk of atrial fibrillation compared to those with a blood pressure of 90/60 mmHg. These results suggest that elevated blood pressure and hypertension increases the risk of atrial fibrillation and there is some increase in risk even within the normal range of systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

Bereavement in childhood and young adulthood and the risk of atrial fibrillation: a population-based cohort study from Denmark and Sweden.

BACKGROUND: Adverse childhood life events are associated with increased risks of hypertension, ischemic heart disease, and stroke later in life. Limited evidence also suggests that stress in adulthood may increase the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). Whether childhood adversity may lead to the development of AF is unknown. We investigated whether the loss of a parent or sibling in childhood is associated with an increased risk of AF and compared this effect to that of similar losses in young adulthood. METHODS: We studied 6,394,975 live-born individuals included in the Danish (1973-2018) and Swedish Medical Birth Registers (1973-2014). We linked data from several national registers to obtain information on the death of parents and siblings and on personal and familial sociodemographic and health-related factors. We analyzed the association between bereavement and AF using Poisson regression. RESULTS: Loss of a parent or sibling was associated with an increased AF risk both when the loss occurred in childhood and in adulthood; the adjusted incident rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals were 1.24 (1.14-1.35) and 1.24 (1.16-1.33), respectively. Bereavement in childhood was associated with AF only if losses were due to cardiovascular diseases or other natural causes, while loss in adulthood was associated with AF not only in case of natural deaths, but also unnatural deaths. The associations did not differ substantially according to age at loss and whether the deceased was a parent or a sibling. CONCLUSIONS: Bereavement both in childhood and in adulthood was associated with an increased AF risk.

Association of Maternal Preeclampsia With Offspring Risks of Ischemic Heart Disease and Stroke in Nordic Countries.

Importance: An association between maternal preeclampsia and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in the offspring is plausible, but evidence in this area is limited. Objective: To investigate (1) the association between maternal preeclampsia and risks of ischemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke in the offspring, (2) whether the association varies by severity or timing of onset of preeclampsia, and (3) the role of preterm birth and small for gestational age (SGA) birth, both of which are related to preeclampsia and cardiovascular diseases, in this association. Design, Setting, and Participants: This multinational population-based cohort study obtained data from Danish, Finnish, and Swedish national registries. Live singleton births from Denmark (1973-2016), Finland (1987-2014), and Sweden (1973-2014) were followed up until December 31, 2016, in Denmark and December 31, 2014, in Finland and Sweden. Data analyses were performed between September 2020 and September 2022. Exposures: Preeclampsia and its subtypes, including early onset (<34 gestational weeks) and late onset (≥34 gestational weeks), severe and mild or moderate, and with and without SGA birth. Main Outcomes and Measures: Diagnoses of IHD and stroke were extracted from patient and cause-of-death registers. Cox proportional hazards regression models and flexible parametric survival models were used to analyze the associations. Sibling analyses were conducted to control for unmeasured familial factors. Results: The cohort included of 8 475 819 births (2 668 697 [31.5%] from Denmark, 1 636 116 [19.3%] from Finland, and 4 171 006 [49.2%] from Sweden, comprising 4 350 546 boys [51.3%]). Of these offspring, 188 670 (2.2%) were exposed to maternal preeclampsia, 7446 (0.1%) were diagnosed with IHD, and 10 918 (0.1%) were diagnosed with stroke during the median (IQR) follow-up of 19.3 (9.0-28.1) years. Offspring of individuals with preeclampsia had increased risks of IHD (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.33; 95% CI, 1.12-1.58) and stroke (adjusted HR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.17-1.52). These associations were largely independent of preterm or SGA birth. Severe forms of preeclampsia were associated with a higher stroke risk than less severe forms (severe vs mild or moderate: adjusted HR, 1.81 [95% CI, 1.41-2.32] vs 1.22 [95% CI, 1.05-1.42]; early vs late onset: adjusted HR, 2.55 [95% CI, 1.97-3.28] vs 1.18 [95% CI, 1.01-1.39]; with vs without SGA birth: adjusted HR, 1.84 [95% CI, 1.44-2.34] vs 1.25 [95% CI, 1.07-1.48]). Sibling analyses suggested that the associations were partially explained by unmeasured familial factors. Conclusions and Relevance: Results of this study suggest that offspring born to individuals with preeclampsia had increased IHD and stroke risk that were not fully explained by preterm or SGA birth, and that the associated risks for stroke were higher for severe forms of preeclampsia.

Bereavement and Prognosis in Heart Failure: A Swedish Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The role of stress in the prognosis of heart failure (HF) is unclear. This study investigated whether the death of a close family member, a severe source of stress, is associated with mortality in HF. OBJECTIVES: This study assessed whether the death of a close family member is associated with mortality in HF. METHODS: Patients from the Swedish Heart Failure Registry during 2000-2018 and/or in the Swedish Patient Register with a primary diagnosis of HF during 1987-2018 (N = 490,527) were included in this study. Information was obtained on death of family members (children, partner, grandchildren, siblings, and parents), mortality, sociodemographic variables, and health-related factors from several population-based registers. The association between bereavement and mortality was analyzed by using Poisson regression. RESULTS: Loss of a family member was associated with an increased risk of dying (adjusted relative risk: 1.29; 95% CI: 1.27-1.30). The association was present not only in case of the family member's cardiovascular deaths and other natural deaths but also in case of unnatural deaths. The risk was higher for 2 losses than for 1 loss and highest in the first week after the loss. The association between bereavement and an increased mortality risk was observed for the death of a child, spouse/partner, grandchild, and sibling but not of a parent. CONCLUSIONS: Death of a family member was associated with an increased risk of mortality among patients with HF. Further studies are needed to investigate whether less severe sources of stress can also contribute to poor prognosis in HF and to explore the mechanisms underlying this association.

Bereavement and Prognosis After a First Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Swedish Register-Based Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND Despite accumulating evidence suggesting that bereavement is associated with increased risks of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, the association between bereavement and prognosis after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has not been well documented. We investigated the association by using Swedish register data. METHODS AND RESULTS We studied 266 651 patients with a first AMI included in the SWEDEHEART (Swedish Web-system for Enhancement and Development of Evidence-based care in Heart disease Evaluated According to Recommended Therapies) quality register from 1991 to 2018. We obtained information on bereavement (ie, death of a partner, child, grandchild, sibling, or parent), on primary (nonfatal recurrent AMI and death attributed to ischemic heart disease) and secondary outcomes (total mortality, heart failure, and stroke) and on covariates from several national registers. The association was analyzed using Poisson regression. The bereaved patients had a slightly increased risk of the primary outcome; the corresponding risk ratio (RR) was 1.02 (95% CI, 1.00-1.04). An increased risk was noted any time bereavement occurred, except if the loss was in the year after the first AMI. The association was strongest for the loss of a partner, followed by the loss of a child, grandchild, sibling, or parent. We also observed increased risks for total mortality (RR, 1.14 [95% CI, 1.12-1.16]), heart failure (RR, 1.05 [95% CI, 1.02-1.08]), and stroke (RR, 1.09 [95% CI, 1.05-1.13]) following bereavement. CONCLUSIONS Bereavement was associated with an increased risk of poor prognosis after a first AMI. The association varied by the relationship to the deceased.