| 1. |
- Benediktsdottir, Bryndis, et al.
(author)
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Prevalence of restless legs syndrome among adults in Iceland and Sweden : Lung function, comorbidity, ferritin, biomarkers and quality of life
- 2010
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In: Sleep Medicine. - : Elsevier BV. - 1389-9457 .- 1878-5506. ; 11:10, s. 1043-1048
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: This study investigates the prevalence and the association between restless legs syndrome (RLS) and a large variety of health variables in two well-characterized random samples from the general population in Reykjavik, Iceland, and Uppsala, Sweden. Methods: Using the national registries of inhabitants, a random sample from adults aged 40 and over living in Reykjavík, Iceland (n= 939), and Uppsala, Sweden (n= 998), were invited to participate in a study on the prevalence of COPD (response rate 81.1% and 62.2%). In addition, the participants were asked to answer the following questionnaires: International RLS Rating Scale, Short Form-12, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and questions about sleep, gastroeosophageal reflux, diabetes and hypertension, as well as pharmacological treatment. Interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP) and ferritin were measured in serum. Results: RLS was more commonly reported in Reykjavik (18.3%) than in Uppsala (11.5%). Icelandic women reported RLS almost twice as often as Swedish women (24.4 vs. 13.9% p= 0.001), but there was no difference in prevalence of RLS between Icelandic and Swedish men. RLS was strongly associated with sleep disturbances and excessive daytime sleepiness. Subjects with RLS were more likely to be ex- and current smokers than subjects without RLS (p< 0.001). Respiratory symptoms and airway obstruction were more prevalent among those reporting RLS and they also estimated their physical quality of life lower than those without RLS (p< 0.001). RLS was not associated with symptoms of the metabolic syndrome like hypertension, obesity, markers of systemic inflammation (IL-6 and CRP) or cardiovascular diseases. Ferritin levels were significantly lower in RLS participants (p= 0.0002), but not (p= 0.07) after adjustment for center, age, sex and smoking history. Conclusion: Restless legs syndrome was twice as common among Icelandic women compared to Swedish women. No such difference was seen for men. RLS was strongly associated with smoking and respiratory symptoms, decreased lung function, sleep disturbances, excessive daytime sleepiness, and physical aspects of life quality. RLS was not associated with markers of the metabolic syndrome like hypertension, obesity, cardiovascular diseases or biomarkers of systemic inflammation.
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| 2. |
- Bjornsdottir, Erla, et al.
(author)
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Association between physical activity over a 10-year period and current insomnia symptoms, sleep duration and daytime sleepiness: a European population-based study
- 2024
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In: BMJ OPEN. - : BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. - 2044-6055. ; 14:3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives To explore the relationship between physical activity over a 10-year period and current symptoms of insomnia, daytime sleepiness and estimated sleep duration in adults aged 39-67. Design Population-based, multicentre cohort study. Setting 21 centres in nine European countries. Methods Included were 4339 participants in the third follow-up to the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS III), who answered questions on physical activity at baseline (ECRHS II) and questions on physical activity, insomnia symptoms, sleep duration and daytime sleepiness at 10-year follow-up (ECRHS III). Participants who reported that they exercised with a frequency of at least two or more times a week, for 1 hour/week or more, were classified as being physically active. Changes in activity status were categorised into four groups: persistently non-active; became inactive; became active; and persistently active. Main outcome measures Insomnia, sleep time and daytime sleepiness in relation to physical activity. Results Altogether, 37% of participants were persistently non-active, 25% were persistently active, 20% became inactive and 18% became active from baseline to follow-up. Participants who were persistently active were less likely to report difficulties initiating sleep (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.45-0.78), a short sleep duration of <= 6 hours/night (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.59-0.85) and a long sleep of >= 9 hours/night (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.33-0.84) than persistently non-active subjects after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, smoking history and study centre. Daytime sleepiness and difficulties maintaining sleep were not related to physical activity status. Conclusion Physically active people have a lower risk of some insomnia symptoms and extreme sleep durations, both long and short.
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| 3. |
- Dratva, Julia, et al.
(author)
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Validation of self-reported figural drawing scales against anthropometric measurements in adults
- 2016
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In: Public Health Nutrition. - : Cambridge University Press. - 1368-9800 .- 1475-2727. ; 19:11, s. 1944-1951
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: The aim of the present study was to validate figural drawing scales depicting extremely lean to extremely obese subjects to obtain proxies for BMI and waist circumference in postal surveys.Design: Reported figural scales and anthropometric data from a large population-based postal survey were validated with measured anthropometric data from the same individuals by means of receiver-operating characteristic curves and a BMI prediction model.Setting: Adult participants in a Scandinavian cohort study first recruited in 1990 and followed up twice since.Subjects: Individuals aged 38-66 years with complete data for BMI (n 1580) and waist circumference (n 1017).Results: Median BMI and waist circumference increased exponentially with increasing figural scales. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analyses showed a high predictive ability to identify individuals with BMI > 25.0 kg/m(2) in both sexes. The optimal figural scales for identifying overweight or obese individuals with a correct detection rate were 4 and 5 in women, and 5 and 6 in men, respectively. The prediction model explained 74% of the variance among women and 62% among men. Predicted BMI differed only marginally from objectively measured BMI.Conclusions: Figural drawing scales explained a large part of the anthropometric variance in this population and showed a high predictive ability for identifying overweight/obese subjects. These figural scales can be used with confidence as proxies of BMI and waist circumference in settings where objective measures are not feasible.
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| 4. |
- Emilsson, Össur Ingi, et al.
(author)
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Heritability of cough across two generations : the RHINESSA study.
- 2024
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In: ERJ open research. - : European Respiratory Society. - 2312-0541. ; 10:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- AIM: Heritability of cough has not yet been studied. We aimed to evaluate if individuals with cough are more likely to have offspring who develop cough, and if these associations differ by type of cough (productive/nonproductive).METHODS: The RHINESSA Generation Study (Respiratory Health In Northern Europe, Spain and Australia) includes 7155 parents (initially aged 30-54) answering detailed questionnaires in 2000 and 2010, and 8176 offspring ≥20 years answering similar questionnaires in 2012-2019. Chronic cough was categorised as productive or nonproductive (dry) cough. Associations between parental and offspring cough were analysed using mixed-effects logistic regression, adjusting for offspring age, sex, body mass index, smoking history, education level, current asthma, rhinitis, nocturnal gastroesophageal reflux; parent sex and smoking history; centre and family.RESULTS: Among parents with nonproductive cough, 11% of their offspring reported nonproductive cough, compared with 7% of offspring to parents without nonproductive cough, adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.59 (95% confidence interval 1.20-2.10). Among parents with productive cough, 14% of their offspring reported productive cough, compared with 11% of offspring to parents without productive cough, aOR 1.34 (1.07-1.67). No associations were found between parent productive cough-offspring nonproductive cough, nor between parent nonproductive cough-offspring productive cough.CONCLUSIONS: Parents with chronic cough are more likely to have offspring with chronic cough independent of parental asthma, suggesting cough to be a separate heritable trait. The type of cough is important, as the nonproductive cough in parent associates only with nonproductive cough in offspring, and the same applied for productive cough.
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| 5. |
- Emilsson, Össur Ingi, et al.
(author)
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Snoring and nocturnal reflux : association with lung function decline and respiratory symptoms
- 2019
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In: ERJ Open Research. - : European Respitory Society (ERS). - 2312-0541. ; 5:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Introduction: The study aim was to examine the association of snoring and nocturnal gastro-oesophageal reflux (nGOR) with respiratory symptoms and lung function, and if snoring and/or nGOR associated with a steeper decline in lung function. Methods: Data from the third visit of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) was used for cross-sectional analysis. Pre- and post-bronchodilator spirometry was performed, and information on sleep, nGOR and respiratory symptoms was collected (n=5715). Habitual snoring and nGOR were assessed by questionnaire reports. Pre-bronchodilator spirometry from ECRHS I, II and III (20 years follow-up) were used to analyse lung function changes by multivariate regression analysis. Results: Snoring and nGOR were independently associated with a higher prevalence of wheeze, chest tightness, breathlessness, cough and phlegm. The prevalence of any respiratory symptom was 79% in subjects with both snoring and nGOR versus 56% in those with neither (p<0.001). Subjects with both snoring and nGOR had more frequent exacerbations (adjusted prevalence 32% versus 19% among "no snoring, no nGOR", p=0.003). Snoring but not nGOR was associated with a steeper decline in forced expiratory volume in 1 s over 10 years after adjusting for confounding factors (change in % predicted -5.53, versus -4.58 among "no snoring", p=0.04) and forced vital capacity (change in % predicted -1.94, versus -0.99 among "no snoring", p=0.03). Conclusions: Adults reporting both habitual snoring and nGOR had more respiratory symptoms and more frequent exacerbations of these symptoms. Habitual snoring was associated with a steeper decline in lung function over time.
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| 6. |
- Franklin, Karl, et al.
(author)
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Early life environment and snoring in adulthood
- 2008
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In: Respiratory Research. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1465-9921 .- 1465-993X. ; 9:1, s. 63-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: To our knowledge, no studies of the possible association of early life environment with snoring in adulthood have been published. We aimed to investigate whether early life environment is associated with snoring later in life. METHODS: A questionnaire including snoring frequency in adulthood and environmental factors in early life was obtained from 16,190 randomly selected men and women, aged 25-54 years, in Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Denmark and Estonia (response rate 74%). RESULTS: A total of 15,556 subjects answered the questions on snoring. Habitual snoring, defined as loud and disturbing snoring at least 3 nights a week, was reported by 18%. Being hospitalized for a respiratory infection before the age of two years (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.27; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-1.59), suffering from recurrent otitis as a child (OR = 1.18; 95%CI 1.05-1.33), growing up in a large family (OR = 1.04; 95%CI 1.002-1.07) and being exposed to a dog at home as a newborn (OR = 1.26; 95%CI 1.12-1.42) were independently related to snoring later in life and independent of a number of possible confounders in adulthood. The same childhood environmental factors except household size were also related with snoring and daytime sleepiness combined. CONCLUSION: The predisposition for adult snoring may be partly established early in life. Having had severe airway infections or recurrent otitis in childhood, being exposed to a dog as a newborn and growing up in a large family are environmental factors associated with snoring in adulthood.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Gudmundsson, Gunnar, et al.
(author)
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Long-term survival in patients hospitalized for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease : a prospective observational study in the Nordic countries
- 2012
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In: The International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. - 1176-9106 .- 1178-2005. ; 7, s. 571-576
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND AND AIM:Mortality rate is high in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Our aim was to investigate long-term mortality and associated risk factors in COPD patients previously hospitalized for a COPD exacerbation.METHODS:A total of 256 patients from the Nordic countries were followed for 8.7 ± 0.4 years after the index hospitalization in 2000-2001. Prior to discharge, the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire was administered and data on therapy and comorbidities were obtained. Information on long-term mortality was obtained from national registries in each of the Nordic countries.RESULTS:In total, 202 patients (79%) died during the follow up period, whereas 54 (21%) were still alive. Primary cause of death was respiratory (n = 116), cardiovascular (n = 43), malignancy (n = 28), other (n = 10), or unknown (n = 5). Mortality was related to older age, with a hazard risk ratio (HRR) of 1.75 per 10 years, lower forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV(1)) (HRR 0.80), body mass index (BMI) <20 kg/m(2) (HRR 3.21), and diabetes (HRR 3.02). Older age, lower BMI, and diabetes were related to both respiratory and cardiovascular mortality. An association was also found between lower FEV(1) and respiratory mortality, whereas mortality was not significantly associated with therapy, anxiety, or depression.CONCLUSION:Almost four out of five patients died within 9 years following an admission for COPD exacerbation. Increased mortality was associated with older age, lower lung function, low BMI, and diabetes, and these factors should be taken into account when making clinical decisions about patients who have been admitted to hospital for a COPD exacerbation.
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| 9. |
- Gudmundsson, Gunnar, et al.
(author)
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Mortality in COPD patients discharged from hospital : the role of treatment and co-morbidity
- 2006
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In: Respiratory Research. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1465-9921 .- 1465-993X. ; 7, s. 109-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: The aim of this study was to analyse mortality and associated risk factors, with special emphasis on health status, medications and co-morbidity, in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD) that had been hospitalized for acute exacerbation.Methods: This prospective study included 416 patients from each of the five Nordic countries that were followed for 24 months. The St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) was administered. Information on treatment and co-morbidity was obtained.Results: During the follow-up 122 (29.3%) of the 416 patients died. Patients with diabetes had an increased mortality rate [HR = 2.25 (1.28 - 3.95)]. Other risk factors were advanced age, low FEV1 and lower health status. Patients treated with inhaled corticosteroids and/or long-acting beta-2-agonists had a lower risk of death than patients using neither of these types of treatment.Conclusion: Mortality was high after COPD admission, with older age, decreased lung function, lower health status and diabetes the most important risk factors. Treatment with inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting bronchodilators may be associated with lower mortality in patients with COPD.
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