| 1. |
- Patel, Riyaz S., et al.
(author)
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Subsequent Event Risk in Individuals With Established Coronary Heart Disease : Design and Rationale of the GENIUS-CHD Consortium
- 2019
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In: Circulation. - 2574-8300. ; 12:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The Genetics of Subsequent Coronary Heart Disease (GENIUS-CHD) consortium was established to facilitate discovery and validation of genetic variants and biomarkers for risk of subsequent CHD events, in individuals with established CHD.METHODS: The consortium currently includes 57 studies from 18 countries, recruiting 185 614 participants with either acute coronary syndrome, stable CHD, or a mixture of both at baseline. All studies collected biological samples and followed-up study participants prospectively for subsequent events.RESULTS: Enrollment into the individual studies took place between 1985 to present day with a duration of follow-up ranging from 9 months to 15 years. Within each study, participants with CHD are predominantly of self-reported European descent (38%-100%), mostly male (44%-91%) with mean ages at recruitment ranging from 40 to 75 years. Initial feasibility analyses, using a federated analysis approach, yielded expected associations between age (hazard ratio, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.14-1.16) per 5-year increase, male sex (hazard ratio, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.13-1.21) and smoking (hazard ratio, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.35-1.51) with risk of subsequent CHD death or myocardial infarction and differing associations with other individual and composite cardiovascular endpoints.CONCLUSIONS: GENIUS-CHD is a global collaboration seeking to elucidate genetic and nongenetic determinants of subsequent event risk in individuals with established CHD, to improve residual risk prediction and identify novel drug targets for secondary prevention. Initial analyses demonstrate the feasibility and reliability of a federated analysis approach. The consortium now plans to initiate and test novel hypotheses as well as supporting replication and validation analyses for other investigators.
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| 2. |
- Patel, Riyaz S., et al.
(author)
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Association of Chromosome 9p21 With Subsequent Coronary Heart Disease Events : A GENIUS-CHD Study of Individual Participant Data
- 2019
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In: Circulation. - 2574-8300. ; 12:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Genetic variation at chromosome 9p21 is a recognized risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD). However, its effect on disease progression and subsequent events is unclear, raising questions about its value for stratification of residual risk.METHODS: A variant at chromosome 9p21 (rs1333049) was tested for association with subsequent events during follow-up in 103 357 Europeans with established CHD at baseline from the GENIUS-CHD (Genetics of Subsequent Coronary Heart Disease) Consortium (73.1% male, mean age 62.9 years). The primary outcome, subsequent CHD death or myocardial infarction (CHD death/myocardial infarction), occurred in 13 040 of the 93 115 participants with available outcome data. Effect estimates were compared with case/control risk obtained from the CARDIoGRAMplusC4D consortium (Coronary Artery Disease Genome-wide Replication and Meta-analysis [CARDIoGRAM] plus The Coronary Artery Disease [C4D] Genetics) including 47 222 CHD cases and 122 264 controls free of CHD.RESULTS: Meta-analyses revealed no significant association between chromosome 9p21 and the primary outcome of CHD death/myocardial infarction among those with established CHD at baseline (GENIUSCHD odds ratio, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.99-1.05). This contrasted with a strong association in CARDIoGRAMPlusC4D odds ratio 1.20; 95% CI, 1.18-1.22; P for interaction < 0.001 compared with the GENIUS-CHD estimate. Similarly, no clear associations were identified for additional subsequent outcomes, including all-cause death, although we found a modest positive association between chromosome 9p21 and subsequent revascularization (odds ratio, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.04-1.09).CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to studies comparing individuals with CHD to disease-free controls, we found no clear association between genetic variation at chromosome 9p21 and risk of subsequent acute CHD events when all individuals had CHD at baseline. However, the association with subsequent revascularization may support the postulated mechanism of chromosome 9p21 for promoting atheroma development.
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| 3. |
- Zewinger, Stephen, et al.
(author)
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Relations between lipoprotein(a) concentrations, LPA genetic variants, and the risk of mortality in patients with established coronary heart disease : a molecular and genetic association study
- 2017
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In: The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology. - : ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC. - 2213-8587 .- 2213-8595. ; 5:7, s. 534-543
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Lipoprotein(a) concentrations in plasma are associated with cardiovascular risk in the general population. Whether lipoprotein(a) concentrations or LPA genetic variants predict long-term mortality in patients with established coronary heart disease remains less clear.Methods: We obtained data from 3313 patients with established coronary heart disease in the Ludwigshafen Risk and Cardiovascular Health (LURIC) study. We tested associations of tertiles of lipoprotein(a) concentration in plasma and two LPA single-nucleotide polymorphisms ([SNPs] rs10455872 and rs3798220) with all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality by Cox regression analysis and with severity of disease by generalised linear modelling, with and without adjustment for age, sex, diabetes diagnosis, systolic blood pressure, BMI, smoking status, estimated glomerular filtration rate, LDL-cholesterol concentration, and use of lipid-lowering therapy. Results for plasma lipoprotein(a) concentrations were validated in five independent studies involving 10 195 patients with established coronary heart disease. Results for genetic associations were replicated through large-scale collaborative analysis in the GENIUS-CHD consortium, comprising 106 353 patients with established coronary heart disease and 19 332 deaths in 22 studies or cohorts.Findings: The median follow-up was 9.9 years. Increased severity of coronary heart disease was associated with lipoprotein(a) concentrations in plasma in the highest tertile (adjusted hazard radio [HR] 1.44, 95% CI 1.14-1.83) and the presence of either LPA SNP (1.88, 1.40-2.53). No associations were found in LURIC with all-cause mortality (highest tertile of lipoprotein(a) concentration in plasma 0.95, 0.81-1.11 and either LPA SNP 1.10, 0.92-1.31) or cardiovascular mortality (0.99, 0.81-1.2 and 1.13, 0.90-1.40, respectively) or in the validation studies.Interpretation: In patients with prevalent coronary heart disease, lipoprotein(a) concentrations and genetic variants showed no associations with mortality. We conclude that these variables are not useful risk factors to measure to predict progression to death after coronary heart disease is established.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Andreasson, Anna, et al.
(author)
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The prediction of colorectal cancer using anthropometric measures : A Swedish population-based cohort study with 22 years of follow-up
- 2019
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In: United European Gastroenterology journal. - : Wiley. - 2050-6406 .- 2050-6414. ; 7:9, s. 1250-1260
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Obesity is a risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC).Objective: The objective of this article is to investigate whether anthropometric measures reflecting visceral obesity are better predictors of CRC than body mass index (BMI).Methods: Data were analysed from the Malmo Diet and Cancer study in Sweden, comprising 16,669 women and 10,805 men (median age 56.6 and 59.1 years) followed for a median 21.5 years. Diagnoses of CRC were identified using Swedish national registers. Cox regression was used to test the associations of BMI, waist circumference (WC), waist-hip ratio, waist-to-height ratio, waist-to-hip-to-height ratio, A Body Shape Index (ABSI) and percentage body fat with the development of CRC adjusted for age, alcohol consumption, smoking, education and physical activity in men and women.Results: None of the measures were significantly associated with an increased risk for CRC in women. WC was the strongest predictor of colon cancer (CC) in men and the only measure that was independent of BMI. ABSI was the only measure significantly associated with the risk of rectal cancer in men.Conclusions: Visceral obesity, best expressed as WC, is a risk factor for CC in men but a poor predictive marker for CRC in women.
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| 6. |
- Bhatt, Deepak L., et al.
(author)
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Rationale, design and baseline characteristics of the effect of ticagrelor on health outcomes in diabetes mellitus patients Intervention study
- 2019
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In: Clinical Cardiology. - : Wiley. - 0160-9289 .- 1932-8737. ; 42:5, s. 498-505
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In the setting of prior myocardial infarction, the oral antiplatelet ticagrelor added to aspirin reduced the risk of recurrent ischemic events, especially, in those with diabetes mellitus. Patients with stable coronary disease and diabetes are also at elevated risk and might benefit from dual antiplatelet therapy. The Effect of Ticagrelor on Health Outcomes in diabEtes Mellitus patients Intervention Study (THEMIS, NCT01991795) is a Phase 3b randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial of ticagrelor vs placebo, on top of low dose aspirin. Patients >= 50 years with type 2 diabetes receiving anti-diabetic medications for at least 6 months with stable coronary artery disease as determined by a history of previous percutaneous coronary intervention, bypass grafting, or angiographic stenosis of >= 50% of at least one coronary artery were enrolled. Patients with known prior myocardial infarction (MI) or stroke were excluded. The primary efficacy endpoint is a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke. The primary safety endpoint is Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction major bleeding. A total of 19 220 patients worldwide have been randomized and at least 1385 adjudicated primary efficacy endpoint events are expected to be available for analysis, with an expected average follow-up of 40 months (maximum 58 months). Most of the exposure is on a 60 mg twice daily dose, as the dose was lowered from 90 mg twice daily partway into the study. The results may revise the boundaries of efficacy for dual antiplatelet therapy and whether it has a role outside acute coronary syndromes, prior myocardial infarction, or percutaneous coronary intervention.
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| 7. |
- Brinck, Jonas, et al.
(author)
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E78.0A – en unik, ny ICD-10-kod för familjär hyperkolesterolemi : [Sweden introduces a new specific ICD-10 code for the disease familial hypercholesterolemia]
- 2019
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In: Läkartidningen. - Stockholm, Sweden : Läkartidningen Förlag. - 0023-7205 .- 1652-7518. ; 116
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- At the turn of the year 2018/19, a new ICD-10 code (E78.0A) will be introduced in Sweden for the hereditary blood lipid disorder familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). Patients with FH have a significantly increased risk of developing atherosclerotic disease, such as myocardial infarction before the age of 50. However, early diagnosis and start of treatment of FH can ameliorate the disease's negative long term effects. The Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare gave in its guidelines from 2015 a high priority to the work of identifying and diagnosing individuals with FH in the general population. The introduction of the ICD-10 code E78.0A for FH may, when properly used, be an effective tool in this work.
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| 8. |
- Järbrink-Sehgal, M. Ellionore, et al.
(author)
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Lifestyle Factors in Late Adolescence Associate With Later Development of Diverticular Disease Requiring Hospitalization
- 2018
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In: Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1542-3565 .- 1542-7714. ; 16:9, s. 1474-1480
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND & AIMS: The burden of diverticular disease on society is high and is increasing with an aging population. It is therefore important to identify risk factors for disease development or progression. Many lifestyle behaviors during adolescence affect risk for later disease. We searched for adolescent lifestyle factors that affect risk of diverticular disease later in life. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of data from 43,772 men (age, 18-20 y) conscripted to military service in Sweden from 1969 through 1970, with a follow-up period of 39 years. All conscripts underwent an extensive mental and physical health examination and completed questionnaires covering alcohol consumption, smoking, and use of recreational drugs; cardiovascular fitness was assessed using an ergometer cycle at the time of conscription. Outcome data were collected from national registers to identify discharge diagnoses of diverticular disease until the end of 2009. We performed Cox regression analysis to determine whether body mass index, cardiovascular fitness, smoking, use of recreational drugs, alcohol consumption, and risky use of alcohol, at time of conscription are independent risk factors for development of diverticular disease. RESULTS: Overweight and obese men had a 2-fold increased risk of diverticular disease compared to normal-weight men (hazard ratio, 2.00; P < .001). A high level of cardiovascular fitness was associated with a reduced risk of diverticular disease requiring hospitalization (P = .009). Smoking (P = .003), but not use of recreational drugs (P = .11), was associated with an increased risk of diverticular disease requiring hospitalization. Risky use of alcohol, but not alcohol consumption per se, was associated with a 43% increase in risk of diverticular disease requiring hospitalization (P = .007). CONCLUSIONS: In a retrospective analysis of data from 43,772 men in Sweden, we associated being overweight or obese, a smoker, a high-risk user of alcohol, and/or having a low level of cardiovascular fitness in late adolescence with an increased risk of developing diverticular disease requiring hospitalization later in life. Improving lifestyle factors among adolescents might reduce the economic burden of diverticular disease decades later.
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| 9. |
- Khan, MD. Ershad Ullah, 1979-
(author)
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Renewables Based Polygeneration for Rural Development in Bangladesh
- 2017
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Despite the country's rural electrification programme, kerosene is the predominant source for lighting, and unsustainable and polluting woody biomass is virtually the only option available for cooking. The rural population also struggles with unsafe drinking water in terms of widespread arsenic contamination of well water. The present work has taken an integrated approach in an attempt to mitigate problems through small-scale polygeneration, a concept linking renewable energy sources to these energy needs via novel energy conversion systems.Anaerobic digesters (AD) for biogas production are promising in the rural setting, and field surveys have identified problems in the construction, maintenance and operation of existing AD, particularly in overall performance of household digesters. Based on these results, a number of operational and technological improvements are suggested for employing digesters in polygeneration units. This study also examines one approach for small-scale, low cost arsenic removal in groundwater through air gap membrane distillation, a thermally-driven water purification technology.Integration of biogas production with power generation and water purification is an innovative concept that lies at the core of feasibility analyses conducted in this work. One of the case studies presents a new concept for integrated biogas based polygeneration and analyzes the techno-economic performance of the scheme for meeting the demand of electricity, cooking energy and safe drinking water of 30 households in a rural village of Bangladesh. The specific technologies chosen for the key energy conversion steps are as follows: plug-flow digester; internal combustion engine; and membrane distillation. One major concern is local feedstock availability for the digester, since a single feedstock is impractical to serve both cooking, lighting and water purification systems. In this circumstance solar PV could be a potential option for integrated hybrid systems.
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| 10. |
- Ortiz-Marcos, I., et al.
(author)
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Project Based Learning in an International Context in Sustainability and the Global Economy. TIME European Summer School : A Truly European Learning Experience
- 2016
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In: International Journal of Engineering Education. - : Tempus Publications. - 0949-149X. ; 32:5, s. 2284-2293
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this paper an innovative experience developed by seven Universities (six European and one non-European) to teach a two weeks summer course in a non-conventional, remotely way is presented. The course is developed using a Project Based teaching-learning methodology and it is also designed to have a deeper knowledge of the relationship between sustainable development and the economic and financial conditions. The experience is innovative because the technology used, allowed students to share knowledge and participate from countries all over the world. Competences of students in this context are measured and strengthened. The most interesting issues, challenges and difficulties are presented here. Conclusions help professors to propose actions to improve the methodology in order to strengthen students' competences.
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