| 31. |
- Macsali, Ferenc, et al.
(author)
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Oral contraception, body mass index, and asthma : a cross-sectional Nordic-Baltic population survey
- 2009
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In: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0091-6749 .- 1097-6825. ; 123:2, s. 391-397
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence suggests that sex steroid hormones may influence airways obstruction, and that metabolic status may modify potential effects. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the association between use of oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) and asthma in a Nordic-Baltic population-based study, while taking into account possible interplay with body mass index (BMI). METHODS: Postal questionnaires were sent to subjects in Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden from 1999 to 2001 (response rate in women, 77%). Pregnant women, women using hormone replacement therapy, and women >45 years were excluded. Analyses included 5791 women 25 to 44 years old, of whom 961 (17%) used OCP. Logistic regression analyses included adjustment for smoking, irregular menstruation, BMI, age, type of dwelling, and center. RESULTS: Oral contraceptive pills were associated with increased risk for asthma (odds ratio, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.09-1.86), asthma with hay fever (1.48; 1.08-2.03), wheeze with shortness of breath (1.27; 1.02-1.60), hay fever (1.25; 1.06-1.48), and >/=3 asthma symptoms (1.29; 1.05-1.58). The findings were consistent between centers. The associations were present only among normal weight women (BMI 20-25 kg/m(2), asthma: 1.45; 1.02-2.05) and overweight women (BMI >25kg/m(2): 1.91; 1.20-3.02), but not among lean women (BMI <20 kg/m(2): 0.41; 0.12-1.40). Interaction between BMI and OCP in association with asthma was significant (P(interaction) < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Women using oral contraceptive pills had more asthma. This was found only in normal weight and overweight women, indicating interplay between sex hormones and metabolic status in effect on the airways. The findings originate from a cross-sectional postal survey and should be interpreted with caution; it is recommended that asthma symptoms are included in clinical trials of oral contraception.
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| 32. |
- Moitra, Subhabrata, et al.
(author)
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Effect of asthma on the development of obesity among adults : Results of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS)
- 2018
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In: European Respiratory Journal. - : European Respiratory Society. - 0903-1936 .- 1399-3003. ; 52
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Introduction: Obesity has been associated with asthma, however the reverse relation has recently been observed among children.Objective: To investigate whether asthma contributes to obesity incidence in adults.Methods: The ECRHS is a cohort study with two follow-ups around, 10-years (ECRHS-II) and 20-years (ECRHS-III) after enrolment. Participants with obesity (BMI>30kg/m2) at baseline were excluded (n=957), leaving 8618 non-obese subjects who participated in at least one follow-up. Asthmatics were described if the subjects reported ever having asthma and had an asthma attack or woke up by an attack of shortness of breath in last 12 months or on current asthma medication. We evaluated the association between: (1) asthma at baseline (ECRHS-I) and obesity at ECRHS-II; and (2) newly reported asthma at ECRHS-II and obesity at ECRHS-III.Results: 10.2% of asthmatics at baseline developed obesity after 10 years compared to 7.7% of non-asthmatics (Age, sex & country-adjusted relative risk: 1.26; 95% confidence interval: 1.03-1.55). Further adjustment for BMI at baseline slightly reduced this risk (RR:1.2; 95%CI: 1.0-1.4). Obesity risk was highest for those developing asthma in adulthood (RR:1.37; 95%CI: 1.01-1.86) compared to those with childhood onset asthma (RR: 1.13; 95%CI: 0.83-1.53). Asthmatics who were non-atopic at baseline had a higher risk of developing obesity at 1st follow up (RR: 1.47; 95%CI: 1.15-1.86). Similar trend was observed in newly reported asthmatics in ECRHS-II and increased obesity risk at the final follow up ECRHS-III (RR: 1.22; 95%CI: 0.86-1.73).Conclusion: These results suggest that asthmatics are at a higher risk of developing obesity.
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| 33. |
- Nerpin, Elisabet, 1962-, et al.
(author)
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Bronchodilator response and lung function decline : Associations with exhaled nitric oxide with regard to sex and smoking status
- 2021
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In: World Allergy Organization Journal. - : Elsevier. - 1939-4551. ; 14:5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) is a marker of type-2 inflammation used both to support diagnosis of asthma and follow up asthma patients. The associations of FeNO with lung function decline and bronchodilator (BD) response have been studied only scarcely in large populations.Objectives: To study the association between FeNO and a) retrospective lung function decline over 20 years, and b) lung function response to BD among asthmatic subjects compared with non-asthmatic subjects and with regards to current smoking and sex.Methods: Longitudinal analyses of previous lung function decline and FeNO level at follow-up and cross-sectional analyses of BD response and FeNO levels in 4257 participants (651 asthmatics) from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey.Results: Among asthmatic subjects, higher percentage declines of FEV1 and FEV1/FVC were associated with higher FeNO levels (p = 0.001 for both) at follow-up. These correlations were found mainly among non-smoking individuals (p = 0.001) and females (p = 0.001) in stratified analyses.Percentage increase in FEV1 after BD was positively associated with FeNO levels in non-asthmatic subjects. Further, after stratified for sex and smoking separately, a positive association was seen between FEV1 and FeNO levels in non-smokers and women, regardless of asthma status.Conclusions: We found a relationship between elevated FeNO and larger FEV1 decline over 20 years among subjects with asthma who were non-smokers or women. The association between elevated FeNO levels and larger BD response was found in both non-asthmatic and asthmatic subjects, mainly in women and non-smoking subjects.
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| 34. |
- Peréz Barrionuevo, Antonio Manuel, et al.
(author)
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Periodontal health status and lung function in two Norwegian cohorts
- 2018
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In: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science. - 1932-6203. ; 13:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Rationale and objectives: The oral cavity is united with the airways, and thus poor oral health may affect respiratory health. However, data on the interaction of periodontal and respiratory health is limited. We aimed to evaluate whether periodontal health status, assessed by the Community Periodontal Index (CPI), was related to lung function among young and middle-aged adults in two Norwegian cohorts.Methods: Periodontal health status and lung function were measured among 656 participants in the Norwegian part of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECHRS III) and the RHINESSA offspring study. Each participant was given a CPI-index from 0 to 4 where higher values reflect poorer periodontal status. The association between CPI and lung function was estimated with linear regression adjusting for age, gender, smoking, body mass index, exercise, education, use of antibiotics, inhaled medication and corrected for clustering within families.Main results: Participants with CPI 3 +/- 4 had significantly lower FEV1/FVC ratio compared to participants with CPI 0, b (95% CI) = -0.032 (-0.055, -0.009). Poorer periodontal health was associated with a significant decrease in the FEV1/FVC ratio with an adjusted regression coefficient for linear trend b (95% CI) = -0.009 (-0.015, -0.004) per unit increase in CPI. This negative association remained when excluding asthmatics and smokers (-0.014 (-0.022, -0.006)).Conclusions: Poorer periodontal health was associated with increasing airways obstruction in a relatively young, healthy population. The oral cavity is united with the airways and our findings indicate an opportunity to influence respiratory health by improving oral health.
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| 35. |
- Pesce, Giancarlo, et al.
(author)
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Low dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) is associated with worse lung function in women
- 2018
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In: European Respiratory Journal. - : European Respiratory Society. - 0903-1936 .- 1399-3003. ; 52
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)abstract
- DHEA-S is the most abundant circulating steroid hormone in humans. Low concentrations of DHEA-S have been linked to several chronic diseases, but it is unclear if DHEA-S affects respiratory health. As part of the ALEC project [EU H2020 grant #633212], the associations of DHEA-S concentrations with lung function levels and decline were evaluated in women from the general population.Serum DHEA-S concentrations were measured in 2,250 women (28-57 years) participating in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey in 1999-2002. Associations of DHEA-S concentrations (categorized by age-adjusted quintiles) with FEV1, FVC, and the FEV1/FVC ratio were investigated using linear regression models adjusted for age, height, active and passive smoking, BMI, physical activity, education, menopausal status, and with study centre included as a random effect. Associations of DHEA-S concentrations with yearly decline in lung function (ΔFEV1, ΔFVC, ΔFEV1/FVC) were assessed in 1,340 women with spirometry data at follow-up in 2010-2014.The median (25th-75th percentile) concentration of DHEA-S was 4.2 µmol/L (2.9-6.0). The concentration of DHEA-S was significantly higher in current smokers and steadily declined with age. In fully adjusted models, women with low DHEA-S concentrations (below the 1st quintile) at baseline had worse FEV1 (-80mL, p<0.001) and FVC (-79mL, p=0.001) compared to women with higher DHEA-S levels. Low DHEA-S concentrations at baseline were associated with ΔFEV1/FVC (-0.08%/year, p=0.006), but not with ΔFEV1 or ΔFVC.The results suggest that low DHEA-S concentrations are associated with worse lung function in women, but have limited effects on lung function decline.
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| 36. |
- Real, Francisco Gómez, et al.
(author)
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Lung function, respiratory symptoms, and the menopausal transition
- 2008
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In: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0091-6749 .- 1097-6825. ; 121:1, s. 72-80.e3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: There is limited information on potential changes in respiratory health when women enter the menopausal transition. OBJECTIVE: We sought to investigate whether the menopausal transition is related to lung function and asthma and whether body mass index (BMI) modifies associations. METHODS: Four thousand two hundred fifty-nine women from 21 centers (ECRHS II, 2002) responded to a questionnaire concerning women's health. Women aged 45 to 56 years not using exogenous sex hormones (n = 1274) were included in the present analysis. Lung function measurements (n = 1120) and serum markers of hormonal status (follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and estradiol; n = 710) were available. Logistic and linear regression analyses were adjusted for BMI, age, years of education, smoking status, center, and height. RESULTS: Women not menstruating for the last 6 months (n = 432, 34%) had significantly lower FEV(1) values (-120 mL [95% CI, -177 to -63]), lower forced vital capacity values (-115 mL [95% CI, -181 to -50]), and more respiratory symptoms (odds ratio [OR], 1.82 [95% CI, 1.27-2.61]) than those menstruating regularly. Results were similar when restricting analyses to those who never smoked. Associations were significantly stronger in women with BMIs of less than 23 kg/m(2) (respiratory symptoms: OR, 4.07 [95% CI, 1.88-8.80]; FEV(1) adjusted difference: -166 [95% CI, -263 to -70]) than in women with BMIs of 23 to 28 kg/m(2) (respiratory symptoms: OR, 1.10 [95% CI, 0.61-1.97], P(interaction): .04; FEV(1) adjusted difference, -54 [95% CI, -151 to 43], P(interaction) = .06). CONCLUSIONS: Menopause is associated with lower lung function and more respiratory symptoms, especially among lean women.
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| 37. |
- Real, Francisco Gomez, et al.
(author)
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Maternal age at delivery, lung function and asthma in offspring : a population-based survey
- 2018
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In: European Respiratory Journal. - : EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY SOC JOURNALS LTD. - 0903-1936 .- 1399-3003. ; 51:6
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- There is limited information about potential impact of maternal age on the respiratory health of offspring. We investigated the association of maternal age at delivery with adult offspring's lung function, respiratory symptoms and asthma, and potential differences according to offspring sex. 10 692 adults from 13 countries participating in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) II responded to standardised interviews and provided lung function measurements and serum for IgE measurements at age 25-55 years. In logistic and linear multilevel mixed models we adjusted for participants' characteristics (age, education, centre, number of older siblings) and maternal characteristics (smoking in pregnancy, education) while investigating for differential effects by sex. Maternal age was validated in a subsample using data from the Norwegian birth registry. Increasing maternal age was associated with increasing forced expiratory volume in 1 s (2.33 mL per year, 95% CI 0.34-4.32 mL per year), more consistent in females (p(trend) 0.025) than in males (ptrend 0.14). Asthma (OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.79-0.92) and respiratory symptoms (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.82-0.92) decreased with increasing maternal age (per 5 years) in females, but not in males (p(interaction) 0.05 and 0.001, respectively). The results were consistent across centres and not explained by confounding factors. Maternal ageing was related to higher adult lung function and less asthma/symptoms in females. Biological characteristics in offspring related to maternal ageing are plausible and need further investigation.
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| 38. |
- Real, Francisco Gomez, et al.
(author)
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The Association of Gum Bleeding with Respiratory Health in a Population Based Study from Northern Europe
- 2016
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In: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 11:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background There is little knowledge about how oral and respiratory health is interrelated even though the mucosa of the oral cavity and airways constitutes a continuum and the exposures to these are partly similar. Aims To investigate whether gum bleeding is related to asthma, respiratory symptoms and self-reported COPD. Methods A postal questionnaire including questions about respiratory and oral health was sent to general population samples in seven Northern European centres. In 13,409 responders, gum bleeding when brushing teeth was reported always/often by 4% and sometimes by 20%. Logistic regressions accounted for age, smoking, educational level, centre and gender. Effects of BMI, cardio-metabolic diseases, early life factors, gastro-oesophageal reflux, dental hygiene, nasal congestion, and asthma medication were addressed. Results Gum bleeding always/often was significantly associated with >= 3 asthma symptoms (OR 2.58, 95% CI 2.10-3.18), asthma (1.62 [1.23-2.14]) and self-reported COPD (2.02 [1.283.18]). There was a dose-response relationship between respiratory outcomes and gum bleeding frequency (>= 3 symptoms: gum bleeding sometimes 1.42 [1.25-1.60], often/always 2.58 [2.10-3.18]), and there was no heterogeneity between centres (p(heterogeneity) = 0.49). None of the investigated risk factors explained the associations. The observed associations were significantly stronger among current smokers (p(interaction) = 0.004). Conclusions A consistent link between gum bleeding and obstructive airways disease was observed, not explained by common risk factors or metabolic factors. We speculate that oral pathogens might have unfavourable impact on the airways, and that the direct continuity of the mucosa of the oral cavity and the airways reflects a pathway that might provide novel opportunities for interventions.
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| 39. |
- Russell, Melissa A., et al.
(author)
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Physical activity and asthma : a longitudinal and multi-country study
- 2017
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In: Journal of Asthma. - Abingdon : Taylor & Francis. - 0277-0903 .- 1532-4303. ; 54:9, s. 938-945
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: To investigate the impact of physical activity on asthma in middle-aged adults, in one longitudinal analysis, and one multi-centre cross-sectional analysis.Methods: The Respiratory Health in Northern Europe (RHINE) is a population-based postal questionnaire cohort study. Physical activity, height and weight were self-reported in Bergen, Norway, at RHINE II (1999–2001) and all centres at RHINE III (2010–2012). A longitudinal analysis of Bergen data investigated the association of baseline physical activity with follow-up asthma, incident asthma and symptoms, using logistic and zero-inflated Poisson regression (n = 1782). A cross-sectional analysis of all RHINE III centres investigated the association of physical activity with concurrent asthma and symptoms (n = 13,542) using mixed-effects models. Body mass index (BMI) was categorised (<20, 20–24.99, 25–29.99, 30+ kg/m2) and physical activity grouped by amount and frequency of lighter (no sweating/heavy breathing) and vigorous (sweating/heavy breathing) activity.Results: In the Bergen longitudinal analysis, undertaking light activity 3+ times/week at baseline was associated with less follow-up asthma (odds ratio [OR] 0.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.22, 0.89), whilst an effect from undertaking vigorous activity 3+ times/week was not detected (OR 1.22, 95% CI 0.44, 2.76). The associations were attenuated with BMI adjustment. In the all-centre cross-sectional analysis an interaction was found, with the association between physical activity and asthma varying across BMI categories.Conclusion: These findings suggest potential longer-term benefit from lighter physical activity, whilst improvement in asthma outcomes from increasing activity intensity was not evident. Additionally, it appears the benefit from physical activity may differ according to BMI.
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| 40. |
- Sinsamala, Robin M., et al.
(author)
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Pregnancy outcomes as related to in utero exposure to air pollution and greenness : The Life-GAP Project
- 2024
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In: ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY. - : Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. - 2474-7882. ; 8:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Lower birth weight and preterm birth may increase the risk of adverse health outcomes later in life. We examined whether maternal exposure to air pollution and greenness during pregnancy is associated with offspring birth weight and preterm birth.Methods: We analyzed data on 4286 singleton births from 2358 mothers from Respiratory Health in Northern Europe, a prospective questionnaire-based cohort study (1990-2010). Mixed-effects regression models with random intercepts for mothers and centers were used to estimate the association of exposures to particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), black carbon (BC), and greenness (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index in 300m-buffers [NDVI300m]) with birth outcomes, adjusting for potential confounders.Results: Median (interquartile range [IQR]) exposures to PM2.5, PM10, NO2, O3, BC, and NDVI300m during pregnancy were 8.4(5.0) μg/m3, 14.4(8.3) μg/m3, 14.0(11.0) μg/m3, 54.7(10.2) μg/m3, 0.47(0.41) μg/m3, and 0.31(0.20), respectively. IQR increases in air pollution exposures during pregnancy were associated with decreased birth weight and the strongest association was seen for PM2.5 (-49g; 95% confidence interval [CI] = -83, -16). However, O3 showed an opposite association. IQR increase in NDVI300m was associated with an increase in birth weight of 25 g (95% CI = 7, 44). Preterm birth was not associated with the exposures.Conclusion: Increased greenness and decreased air pollution may contribute to healthier pregnancies and improve overall health in the next generation. This emphasizes the need to adopt policies that target the reduction of air pollution emissions and exposure of the population.
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