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| 2. |
- Lee, D. M., et al.
(författare)
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Chronic widespread pain is associated with slower cognitive processing speed in middle-aged and older European men
- 2010
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Ingår i: Pain. - : Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health). - 1872-6623 .- 0304-3959. ; 151:1, s. 30-36
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Evidence from clinic-based studies suggests that the fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is associated with impairment in cognitive function though the mechanism is unclear. The aim of this analysis was to determine whether there is a similar association between chronic widespread pain (CWP), a cardinal feature of FMS, and impaired cognition in a community setting. Men (n = 3369, 40-79 years) were recruited from population registers in eight centres for participation in the European Male Ageing Study (EMAS). Subjects completed a pain questionnaire and pain manikin, with the presence of CWP defined using the American College of Rheumatology criteria. The cognitive functions measured were: visuospatial-constructional ability and visual memory (Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure [ROCF]); visual recognition (Camden Topographical Recognition Memory test [CTRM]); and psychomotor processing speed (Digit-Symbol Substitution test [DSST]). We restricted our analysis to those subjects reporting pain that satisfied the criteria for CWP and those who were pain free. Of these 1539 men [mean (SD) age 60 (11) years], 266 had CWP. All cognitive test scores declined cross-sectionally with age (P < 0.05). In age-adjusted linear regressions men with CWP had a lower DSST score (beta = -2.4, P < 0.001) compared to pain free subjects. After adjustment for lifestyle and health factors the association between pain status and the DSST score was attenuated but remained significant (beta = -1.02, P = 0.04). There was no association between CWP and the ROCF-copy, ROCF-recall or CTRM scores. CWP is associated with slower psychomotor processing speed among community-dwelling European men. Prospective studies are required to confirm this observation and explore possible mechanisms for the association. (C) 2010 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 3. |
- Rutter, M. K., et al.
(författare)
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Epidemiological evidence against a role for C-reactive protein causing leptin resistance
- 2013
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Ingår i: European Journal of Endocrinology. - 1479-683X. ; 168:1, s. 101-106
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: It has been suggested that elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) might interfere with leptin signalling and contribute to leptin resistance. Our aim was to assess whether plasma levels of CRP influence leptin resistance in humans, and our hypothesis was that CRP levels would modify the cross-sectional relationships between leptin and measures of adiposity. Design and methods: We assessed four measures of adiposity: BMI, waist circumference, fat mass and body fat (%) in 2113 British Regional Heart Study (BRHS) men (mean (S.D.) age 69 (5) years), with replication in 760 (age 69 (6) years) European Male Ageing Study (EMAS) subjects. Results: In BRHS subjects, leptin correlated with CRP (Spearman's r=0.22, P<0.0001). Leptin and CRP correlated with all four measures of adiposity (r value range: 0.22-0.57, all P<0.0001). Age-adjusted mean levels for adiposity measures increased in relation to leptin levels, but CRP level did not consistently influence the beta-coefficients of the regression lines in a CRP-stratified analysis. In BRHS subjects, the BMI vs leptin relationship demonstrated a weak statistical interaction with CRP (P=0.04). We observed no similar interaction in EMAS subjects and no significant interactions with other measures of adiposity in BRHS or EMAS cohorts. Conclusion: We have shown that plasma CRP has little influence on the relationship between measures of adiposity and serum leptin levels in these middle-aged and elderly male European cohorts. This study provides epidemiological evidence against CRP having a significant role in causing leptin resistance. European Journal of Endocrinology 168 101-106
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| 4. |
- Vanderschueren, D., et al.
(författare)
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Gonadal sex steroid status and bone health in middle-aged and elderly European men
- 2010
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Ingår i: Osteoporosis International. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1433-2965 .- 0937-941X. ; 21:8, s. 1331-1339
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The influence of sex steroids on calcaneal quantitative ultrasound (QUS) parameters was assessed in a population sample of middle-aged and elderly European men. Higher free and total E-2 though not testosterone, were independently associated with higher QUS parameters. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between QUS parameters and sex steroids in middle-aged and elderly European men. Three thousand one hundred forty-one men aged between 40 and 79 years were recruited from eight European centres for participation in a study of male ageing: the European Male Ageing Study. Subjects were invited by letter to attend for an interviewer-administered questionnaire, blood sample and QUS of the calcaneus (Hologic-SAHARA). Blood was assessed for sex steroids including oestradiol (E-2), testosterone (T), free and bio-available E-2 and T and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). Serum total T was not associated with any of the QUS parameters. Free T and both free and total E-2 were positively related to all QUS readings, while SHBG concentrations were negatively associated. These relationships were observed in both older and younger (< 60 years) men. In a multivariate model, after adjustment for age, centre, height, weight, physical activity levels and smoking, free E-2 and SHBG, though not free T, remained independently associated with the QUS parameters. After further adjustment for IGF-1, however, the association with SHBG became non-significant. Higher free and total E-2 are associated with bone health not only among the elderly but also middle-aged European men.
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| 5. |
- Ward, K. A., et al.
(författare)
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Influence of age and sex steroids on bone density and geometry in middle-aged and elderly European men
- 2011
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Ingår i: Osteoporosis International. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1433-2965 .- 0937-941X. ; 22:5, s. 1513-1523
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The influence of age and sex steroids on bone density and geometry of the radius was examined in two European Caucasian populations. Age-related change in bone density and geometry was observed. In older men, bioavailable oestradiol may play a role in the maintenance of cortical and trabecular bone mineral density (BMD). To examine the effect of age and sex steroids on bone density and geometry of the radius in two European Caucasian populations. European Caucasian men aged 40-79 years were recruited from population registers in two centres: Manchester (UK) and Leuven (Belgium), for participation in the European Male Ageing Study. Total testosterone (T) and oestradiol (E-2) were measured by mass spectrometry and the free and bioavailable fractions calculated. Peripheral quantitative computed tomography was used to scan the radius at distal (4%) and midshaft (50%) sites. Three hundred thirty-nine men from Manchester and 389 from Leuven, mean ages 60.2 and 60.0 years, respectively, participated. At the 50% radius site, there was a significant decrease with age in cortical BMD, bone mineral content (BMC), cortical thickness, and muscle area, whilst medullary area increased. At the 4% radius site, trabecular and total volumetric BMD declined with age. Increasing bioavailable E-2 (bioE(2)) was associated with increased cortical BMD (50% radius site) and trabecular BMD (4% radius site) in Leuven, but not Manchester, men. This effect was predominantly in those aged 60 years and over. In older Leuven men, bioavailable testosterone (Bio T) was linked with increased cortical BMC, muscle area and SSI (50% radius site) and total area (4% radius site). There is age-related change in bone density and geometry at the midshaft radius in middle-aged and elderly European men. In older men bioE(2) may maintain cortical and trabecular BMD. BioT may influence bone health through associations with muscle mass and bone area.
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| 6. |
- Huaraca Huasco, Walter, et al.
(författare)
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Seasonal production, allocation and cycling of carbon in two mid-elevation tropical montane forest plots in the Peruvian Andes
- 2014
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Ingår i: Plant Ecology & Diversity. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1755-0874 .- 1755-1668. ; 7:1-2, s. 125-142
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Tropical montane cloud forests (TMCF) are unique ecosystems with high biodiversity and large carbon reservoirs. To date there have been limited descriptions of the carbon cycle of TMCF. Aims: We present results on the production, allocation and cycling of carbon for two mid-elevation (1500-1750 m) tropical montane cloud forest plots in San Pedro, Kosnipata Valley, Peru. Methods: We repeatedly recorded the components of net primary productivity (NPP) using biometric measurements, and autotrophic (R-a) and heterotrophic (Rh) respiration, using gas exchange measurements. From these we estimated gross primary productivity (GPP) and carbon use efficiency (CUE) at the plot level. Results: The plot at 1500 m was found very productive, with our results comparable with the most productive lowland Amazonian forests. The plot at 1750 m had significantly lower productivity, possibly because of greater cloud immersion. Both plots had similar patterns of NPP allocation, a substantial seasonality in NPP components and little seasonality in R-a. Conclusions: These two plots lie within the ecotone between lower and upper montane forests, near the level of the cloud base. Climate change is likely to increase elevation of the cloud base, resulting in shifts in forest functioning. Longer-term surveillance of the carbon cycle at these sites would yield valuable insights into the response of TMCFs to a shifting cloud base.
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| 7. |
- Nicholl, Barbara I., et al.
(författare)
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Association of HTR2A Polymorphisms With Chronic Widespread Pain and the Extent of Musculoskeletal Pain
- 2011
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Ingår i: Arthritis and Rheumatism. - : Wiley. - 1529-0131 .- 0004-3591. ; 63:3, s. 810-818
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether genetic variation in genes across the serotoninergic system is associated with chronic widespread pain (CWP) and the number of pain sites reported. Methods. A discovery cohort, with pain data at 3 time points, was used to investigate genetic associations with 2 phenotypes: 1) CWP (at >= 2 time points; n = 164) compared with pain-free controls (at 3 time points; n = 172), and 2) the maximum number of pain sites reported at any 1 of the 3 time points (range of sites 0-29; n = 989). A cohort of 2,285 men for whom a DNA sample and pain data were available (including 203 CWP cases and 929 controls) was used for validation. Pairwise tagging (r(2) > 0.8) single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped. Logistic and zero-inflated negative binomial regression analyses were used to test for SNP associations with CWP and the number of pain sites, respectively. Results. SNPs in HTR2A were associated with both pain phenotypes in the discovery cohort, and a number of these SNP associations were replicated in the validation cohort, some of which were attenuated after adjustment for depression. There was an increased likelihood of having CWP in subjects with 1 or 2 copies of the T allele of rs12584920 (odds ratio [OR] 1.64, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.01-2.60 [P = 0.03] in the discovery cohort, and OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.07-2.00 [P = 0.018] in the validation cohort). A similar association was observed between rs17289394 and the maximum number of pain sites reported in both cohorts. Results from a meta-analysis of the data from the 2 cohorts further strengthened these findings. Conclusion. The findings of this study support the role of HTR2A in the genetic predisposition to musculoskeletal pain.
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| 8. |
- Nicholl, Barbara I., et al.
(författare)
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No evidence for a role of the catechol-O-methyltransferase pain sensitivity haplotypes in chronic widespread pain
- 2010
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Ingår i: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. - : BMJ. - 1468-2060 .- 0003-4967. ; 69:11, s. 2009-2012
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) 'pain sensitivity' haplotypes and chronic widespread pain (CWP) in two distinct cohorts. Methods Cases of CWP and controls free of pain were selected from two population-based studies: the Epidemiology of Functional Disorders study (EPIFUND) (UK) and the European Male Ageing Study (European). The number of cases and controls were 164 and 172, and 204 and 935, respectively. Identical American College of Rheumatology criteria were used in both studies to ascertain CWP status. The EPIFUND study had three time points and cases were classified as subjects with CWP at two or three time points and controls as those free of pain at all three time points. Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP): rs6269, rs4633, rs4818 and rs4680 (V158M) were genotyped using Sequenom technology. Allele and genotype frequencies were compared and haplotype analysis was conducted using PLINK software. Results No differences in allele or genotype frequencies for any of the four SNP were observed between cases and controls for either cohort. Haplotype analysis also showed no difference in the frequency of haplotypes between cases and controls. Conclusions There was no evidence of association between the COMT 'pain sensitivity' haplotypes and CWP in two population-based cohorts.
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| 9. |
- Pye, Stephen R., et al.
(författare)
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Influence of Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein (IGFBP)-1 and IGFBP-3 on Bone Health: Results from the European Male Ageing Study
- 2011
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Ingår i: Calcified Tissue International. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1432-0827 .- 0171-967X. ; 88:6, s. 503-510
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study was to determine the influence of insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP)-1, IGFBP-3, and IGF-I on calcaneal ultrasound parameters in middle-aged and elderly European men. Men aged 40-79 years were recruited from population registers for participation in the European Male Ageing Study (EMAS). Subjects were invited by letter to complete a postal questionnaire and to attend for an interviewer-assisted questionnaire, quantitative ultrasound (QUS) of the calcaneus, and a fasting blood sample from which serum levels of IGFBP-1, IGFBP-3, IGF-I, estradiol (E-2), and SHBG were assayed. The questionnaires included the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) and questions about smoking and alcohol consumption. Estimated bone mineral density (eBMD) was derived as a function of the QUS parameters speed of sound and broadband ultrasound attenuation. Height and weight were measured in all subjects. 3057 men, mean age 59.7 years (standard deviation 11.0) were included in the analysis. After adjusting for age, center, and BMI, higher levels of IGFBP-1 were associated with lower eBMD. Higher levels of both IGFBP-3 and IGF-I were associated with higher eBMD. After further adjustment for PASE score, current smoking, alcohol consumption, free E-2, and SHBG, IGFBP-3 and IGF-I, though not IGFBP-1, remained significantly associated with eBMD. IGFBP-1 was associated with bone health, though the effect could be explained by other factors. IGFBP-3 and IGF-I were independent determinants of bone health in middle-aged and elderly European men.
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| 10. |
- Pye, Stephen R., et al.
(författare)
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Influence of Lifestyle Factors on Quantitative Heel Ultrasound Measurements in Middle-Aged and Elderly Men
- 2010
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Ingår i: Calcified Tissue International. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1432-0827 .- 0171-967X. ; 86:3, s. 211-219
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We examined the distribution of quantitative heel ultrasound (QUS) parameters in population samples of European men and looked at the influence of lifestyle factors on the occurrence of these parameters. Men aged between 40 and 79 years were recruited from eight European centers and invited to attend for an interviewer-assisted questionnaire, assessment of physical performance, and quantitative ultrasound (QUS) of the calcaneus (Hologic; Sahara). The relationships between QUS parameters and lifestyle variables were assessed using linear regression with adjustments for age, center, and weight. Three thousand two hundred fifty-eight men, mean age 60.0 years, were included in the analysis. A higher PASE score (upper vs. lower tertile) was associated with a higher BUA (beta coefficient = 2.44 dB/Mhz), SOS (beta = 6.83 m/s), and QUI (beta = 3.87). Compared to those who were inactive, those who walked or cycled more than an hour per day had a higher BUA (beta = 3.71 dB/Mhz), SOS (beta = 6.97 m/s), and QUI (beta = 4.50). A longer time to walk 50 ft was linked with a lower BUA (beta = -0.62 dB/Mhz), SOS (beta = -1.06 m/s), and QUI (beta = -0.69). Smoking was associated with a reduction in BUA, SOS, and QUI. There was a U-shaped association with frequency of alcohol consumption. Modification of lifestyle, including increasing physical activity and stopping smoking, may help optimize bone strength and reduce the risk of fracture in middle-aged and elderly European men.
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