Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The External Validity Of A Novel Contract-Relax Stretching Technique On Knee Flexor Range Of Motion, Anthony D. Kay, Joshua Dixon, Liam D. Bligh, Anthony J. Blazevich

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Introduction: Compromised joint range of motion (ROM) can negatively affect the capacity to perform activities of daily living in clinical populations. Recently, similar improvements in dorsiflexion ROM were reported following dynamometry‐based contract‐relax (CR) stretching and modified CR stretching technique (stretch‐return‐contract [SRC]) where the contraction phase was performed “off stretch.” As neither the impact of SRC on other muscle groups nor the ecological validity of SRC performed in an applied environment has been tested, the acute effects of both techniques in dynamometry‐ (CR_dyna and SRC_dyna) and field‐based (CR_field and SRC_field) environments were compared with the …

Power Output, Cadence, And Torque Are Similar Between The Forward Standing And Traditional Sprint Cycling Positions, Paul F. J. Merkes, Paolo Menaspà, Chris R. Abbiss

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose: Compare power output, cadence, and torque in the seated, standing, and forward standing cycling sprint positions.

Methods: On three separated occasions (ie, one for each position), 11 recreational male road cyclists performed a 14 seconds sprint before and directly after a high-intensity lead-up. Power output, cadence, and torque were measured during each sprint. Results: No significant differences in peak and mean power output were observed between the forward standing (1125.5 ± 48.5 W and 896.0 ± 32.7 W, respectively) and either the seated or standing positions (1042.5 ± 46.8 W and 856.5 ± 29.4 W; 1175.4 ± 44.9 W …

Characterizing The Composition Of The Pediatric Gut Microbiome: A Systematic Review, Kane E. Deering, Amanda Devine, Therese A. O’Sullivan, Johnny Lo, Mary C. Boyce, Claus T. Christophersen

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The consortium of trillions of microorganisms that live inside the human gut are integral to health. Little has been done to collate and characterize the microbiome of children. A systematic review was undertaken to address this gap (PROSPERO ID: CRD42018109599). MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched using the keywords: “healthy preadolescent children” and “gut microbiome” to 31 August 2018. Of the 815 journal articles, 42 met the inclusion criteria. The primary outcome was the relative abundance of bacteria at the phylum, family, and genus taxonomic ranks. α-diversity, short chain fatty acid concentrations, diet, 16S rRNA sequencing region, and geographical location were …

Liquid Biopsy In Ovarian Cancer Using Circulating Tumor Dna And Cells: Ready For Prime Time?, Du-Bois Asante, Leslie Calapre, Melanie Ziman, Tarek M. Meniawy, Elin S. Gray

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Liquid biopsies hold the potential to inform cancer patient prognosis and to guide treatment decisions at the time when direct tumor biopsy may be impractical due to its invasive nature, inaccessibility and associated complications. Specifically, circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have shown promising results as companion diagnostic biomarkers for screening, prognostication and/or patient surveillance in many cancer types. In ovarian cancer (OC), CTC and ctDNA analysis allow comprehensive molecular profiling of the primary, metastatic and recurrent tumors. These biomarkers also correlate with overall tumor burden and thus, they provide minimally-invasive means for patient monitoring during clinical …

Associations Between Dietary Flavonoids And Retinal Microvasculature In Older Adults, Bamini Gopinath, Gerald Liew, Joshua Lewis, Nicola P. Bondonno, Catherine P. Bondonno, George Burlutsky, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Paul Mitchell

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose: In this study, we assessed whether there are independent associations between dietary total flavonoid intake and major flavonoid classes with retinal arteriolar and venular calibre.

Methods: Blue Mountains Eye Study participants aged 49+ years who had complete data on diet and retinal vessel measures were analysed (n = 2821). Dietary intake was assessed using a semi-quantitative Food-Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). Flavonoid content of foods in the FFQ was estimated using the US Department of Agriculture Flavonoid, Isoflavone and Proanthocyanidin databases. Fundus photographs were taken and retinal vascular calibre was measured using validated computer-assisted techniques. The associations of intake of …

Association Of Suboptimal Health Status With Intestinal Microbiota In Chinese Youths, Qi Sun, Xizhu Xu, Jie Zhang, Ming Sun, Qiuyue Tian, Qihuan Li, Weijie Cao, Xiaoyu Zhang, Hao Wang, Jiaonan Liu, Jinxia Zhang, Xiaoni Meng, Lijuan Wu, Manshu Song, Hongqi Liu, Wei Wang, Youxin Wang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Suboptimal health status (SHS), a physical state between health and disease, is a subclinical and reversible stage of chronic disease. Previous studies have shown alterations in the intestinal microbiota in patients with some chronic diseases. This study aimed to investigate the association between SHS and intestinal microbiota in a case-control study with 50 SHS individuals and 50 matched healthy controls. Intestinal microbiota was analysed by MiSeq 250PE. Alpha diversity of intestinal microbiota in SHS individuals was higher compared with that of healthy controls (Simpson index, W = 2238, P = .048). Beta diversity was different between SHS and healthy controls …

Corrections To: The Effect Of Nordic Hamstring Exercise Intervention Volume On Eccentric Strength And Muscle Architecture Adaptations: A Systematic Journal Article And Meta-Analyses, Matthew Cuthbert, Nicholas Ripley, John J. Mcmahon, Martin Evans, G. Gregory Haff, Paul Comfort

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

No abstract provided.

Exercise Twice-A-Day Potentiates Markers Of Mitochondrial Biogenesis In Men, Victor Amorim Andrade-Souza, Thaysa Ghiarone, Andre Sansonio, Kleiton Augusto Santos Silva, Fabiano Tomazini, Lucyana Arcoverde, Jackson Fyfe, Enrico Perri, Nicholas Saner, Jujiao Kuang, Romulo Bertuzzi, Carol Gois Leandro, David John Bishop, Adriano Eduardo Lima‐Silva

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Endurance exercise begun with reduced muscle glycogen stores seems to potentiate skeletal muscle protein abundance and gene expression. However, it is unknown whether this greater signaling responses is due to performing two exercise sessions in close proximity-as a first exercise session is necessary to reduce the muscle glycogen stores. In the present study, we manipulated the recovery duration between a first muscle glycogen-depleting exercise and a second exercise session, such that the second exercise session started with reduced muscle glycogen in both approaches but was performed either 2 or 15 hours after the first exercise session (so-called "twice-a-day" and "once-daily" …

Association Of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms With Dyslipidemia In Antiretroviral Exposed Hiv Patients In A Ghanaian Population: A Case-Control Study, Christian Obirikorang, Emmanuel Acheampong, Lawrence Quaye, Joseph Yorke, Ernestine Kubi Amos-Abanyie, Priscilla Abena Akyaw, Enoch Odame Anto, Simon Bannison Bani, Evans Adu Asamoah, Emmanuella Nsenbah Batu

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Dyslipidemia is a potential complication of long-term usage of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and also known to be associated with genetic factors. The host genetic variants associated with dyslipidemia in HIV patients on ART in Ghana have not been fully explored. The study constituted a total of 289 HIV-infected patients on stable ART for at least a year. Fasting blood was collected into EDTA tube for lipids measurement. Lipid profiles were used to define dyslipidemia based on the NCEP-ATP III criteria. HIV-infected subjects were categorized into two groups; those with dyslipidemia (cases) (n = 90; 31.1%) and without dyslipidemia (controls)(n = …

Antimicrobial Resistance In Clostridium Difficile Ribotype 017, Korakrit Imwattana, Daniel R. Knight, Brian Kullin, Deirdre A. Collins, Papanin Putsathit, Pattarachai Kiratisin, Thomas V. Riley

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Introduction: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) played an important role in the initial outbreaks of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in the 1970s. C. difficile ribotype (RT) 017 has emerged as the major strain of C. difficile in Asia, where antimicrobial use is poorly regulated. This strain has also caused CDI outbreaks around the world for almost 30 years. Many of these outbreaks were associated with clindamycin and fluoroquinolone resistance. AMR and selective pressure is likely to be responsible for the success of this RT and may drive future outbreaks.

Areas covered: This narrative journalarticle summarizes the prevalence and mechanisms of AMR in …

Predictors Of Ceasing Or Reducing Statin Medication Following A Large Increase In The Consumer Copayment For Medications: A Retrospective Observational Study, Karla Seamon, Frank Sanfilippo, Max Bulsara, Libby Roughead, Anna Kemp-Casey, Caroline Bulsara, Gerald F. Watts, David Preen

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

OBJECTIVES:

Previous Australian research has shown that following the 21% increase in patient copayments for medications on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) in 2005, the use of lipid-lowering therapy declined by 5%. This study aimed to determine the demographic and clinical characteristics of individuals who continued, reduced or ceased their use of statin medication in 2005.

STUDY TYPE:

Retrospective observational study using routinely collected administrative data.

METHOD:

We used pharmaceutical claims, hospital separations and mortality records from 2000 to 2005 for the Western Australian population. The cohort comprised stable users of statin medication in 2004. Based on changes in statin …

Bilingualism Is Associated With A Delayed Onset Of Dementia But Not With A Lower Risk Of Developing It: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analyses, Stefano Brini, Hamid R. Sohrabi, Jeffrey J. Hebert, Mitchell R.L. Forrest, Matti Laine, Heikki Hämäläinen, Mira Karrasch, Jeremiah Peiffer, Ralph Martins, Timothy J. Fairchild

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Some studies have linked bilingualism with a later onset of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Not all studies have observed such relationships, however. Differences in study outcomes may be due to methodological limitations and the presence of confounding factors within studies such as immigration status and level of education. We conducted the first systematic review with meta-analysis combining cross-sectional studies to explore if bilingualism might delay symptom onset and diagnosis of dementia, AD, and MCI. Primary outcomes included the age of symptom onset, the age at diagnosis of MCI or dementia, and the risk of developing …

Recent High School Graduates Support Mandatory Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Education In Australian High Schools, Tim Rankin, Lisa Holmes, Leanne Vance, Tom Crehan, Brennen Mills

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective:

To evaluate recent high school graduates' opinions on mandatory cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training in the high school curriculum as a solution to improving bystander CPR rates.

Methods:

Participants completed questionnaires assessing their CPR training history during their high school education, their willingness to learn CPR during their high school years and their opinion on making CPR training mandatory for high school curricula.

Results:

Of the 178 participants in this study, 60% had undertaken CPR training during their high school education. Of those who had not undertaken CPR training, 75% reported that they would have been willing …

The Gut Microbiota, Environmental Factors, And Links To The Development Of Food Allergy, Khui Hung Lee, Yong Song, Weidong Wu, Kan Yu, Guicheng Zhang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Food allergy appears to have its roots in an insufficient exposure to a diverse range of environmental microbiota during early life. Microbial exposure ensures the colonization of the gastrointestinal tract with commensal microbes, which is necessary for the induction of a balanced and tolerogenic immune function. High-throughput sequencing technology has facilitated in-depth studies of the gut microbiota as well as bacterial-derived metabolites. Although the role of the microbiota in allergies is now widely studied, its importance for food allergy was only recently noted. Studies in human cohorts have shown that there is an association of dysbiosis and pathogenesis of food …

Elecsys Csf Biomarker Immunoassays Demonstrate Concordance With Amyloid-Pet Imaging, James A. Doecke, Larry Ward, Samantha C. Burnham, Victor L. Villemagne, Qiao-Xin Li, Steven Collins, Christopher J. Fowler, Ekaterina Manuilova, Monika Widmann, Stephanie R. Rainey-Smith, Ralph N. Martins, Colin L. Masters, Aibl Research Group

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: β-amyloid (Aβ) positron emission tomography (PET) imaging is currently the only Food and Drug Administration-approved method to support clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, numerous research studies support the use of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers, as a cost-efficient, quick and equally valid method to define AD pathology. Methods: Using automated Elecsys® assays (Roche Diagnostics) for Aβ (1-42) (Aβ42), Aβ (1-40) (Aβ40), total tau (tTau) and phosphorylated tau (181P) (pTau), we examined CSF samples from 202 participants of the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle (AIBL) study of ageing cohort, to demonstrate the concordance with pathological AD via PET imaging. …

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries In Australian Football: Should Women And Girls Be Playing? You're Asking The Wrong Question, Aaron Fox, Jason Bonacci, Samantha Hoffmann, Sophia Nimphius, Natalie Saunders

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries have been a rising concern in the early years of the women's Australian Football League (AFLW), eliciting headlines of a â € knee crisis' surrounding the league. There has been a focus on female biology as the primary factor driving the high rate of ACL injuries in the AFLW. Emphasising Australian football (AF) as being dangerous predominantly due to female biology may be misrepresenting a root cause of the ACL injury problem, perpetuating gender stereotypes that can restrict physical development and participation of women and girls in the sport. We propose that an approach addressing …

First Age- And Gender-Matched Case-Control Study In Australia Examining The Possible Association Between Toxoplasma Gondii Infection And Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: The Busselton Health Study, Aus Molan, Kazunori Nosaka, Michael Hunter, Jinxia Zhang, Xiaoni Meng, Manshu Song, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

An emerging field of research is starting to examine the association of infectious pathogens with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). An understudied parasite of interest is Toxoplasma gondii. Globally, very few studies have been conducted to investigate this association. Additionally, very little data exists on the prevalence of T. gondii in the general Australian population. Our group sought to determine the prevalence, association, and risk factors between T. gondii infection and T2DM from a representative Australian human population. Through a cross-sectional, age-A nd gender-matched case-control study, 150 subjects with T2DM together with 150 control subjects from the Busselton Health Study …

A Comparative Study Of Extracellular Vesicle-Associated And Cell-Free Dna And Rna For Hpv Detection In Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Bella Nguyen, Katie Meehan, Michelle R. Pereira, Bob Mirzai, Si Hong Lim, Connull Leslie, Michael Clark, Chady Sader, Peter Friedland, Andrew Lindsay, Colin Tang, Michael Milward, Elin S. Gray, Annette M. Lim

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose: This study compares the detection sensitivity of two separate liquid biopsy sources, cell-free (cf) DNA/RNA and extracellular vesicle (EV)-associated DNA/RNA (EV-DNA/RNA), to identify circulating Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) DNA/RNA in plasma obtained from patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPCSCC). We also report on the longitudinal changes observed in HPV-DNA levels in response to treatment. Experimental design: A prospective study was conducted that included 22 patients with locally advanced disease and six patients with metastatic OPCSCC. Twenty-three patients had HPV-related OPCSCC defined by p16 immunohistochemistry. Levels of circulating HPV-DNA and HPV-RNA from plasma-derived cf-DNA/RNA and EV-DNA/RNA were quantified using …

Quantifying Dietary Vitamin K And Its Link To Cardiovascular Health: A Narrative Review, Claire R. Palmer, Lauren C. Blekkenhorst, Joshua R. Lewis, Natalie C. Ward, Carl J. Schultz, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Kevin D. Croft, Marc Sim

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Recent work suggests a link between vitamin K insufficiency and deficiency with vascular calcification, a marker of advanced atherosclerosis. Vitamin K refers to a group of fat-soluble vitamins important for blood coagulation, reducing inflammation, regulating blood calcium metabolism, as well as bone metabolism, all of which may play a role in promoting cardiovascular health. Presently, there is a lack of a comprehensive vitamin K database on individual foods, which are required to accurately calculate vitamin K1 and K2 intake for examination in epidemiological studies. This has likely contributed to …

South West Food Community: How Government And Community Initiatives Are Supporting Systemic Change Towards Enhanced Food Security, Stephanie Louise Godrich, Melissa Stoneham, Melinda Edmunds, Amanda Devine

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective: Food security refers to adequate physical, social and economic access to food and is regarded as a complex, ‘wicked’ issue. This research aimed to understand the perspectives of initiative leaders (stakeholders), regarding their project relating to food security and its possession of characteristics associated with system change to enhance food security. Methods: Stakeholders (n=51) participated in semi-structured interviews that evaluated initiatives (n=52) against 36 desirable characteristics for system change. Transcripts were analysed using QSR NVivo and Wicked Lab’s Tool for Systemic Change. Results: Community-based initiatives often harnessed the passion of local communities to enhance food security through awareness-raising activities …

Summary Of Tobacco Use Among Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Peoples, Australian Indigenous Healthinfonet

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The Summary of tobacco use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is a plain language publication that provides summarised and updated information from the Review of tobacco use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples(2020). It provides key information about tobacco use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in a style that is easy to engage with and is particularly useful for health workers and those studying in the field as a quick source of general information about:

• the context of tobacco use and how common tobacco use is
• how smoking affects health
• the burden of disease …

Summary Of Respiratory Diseases Among Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Children, Australian Indigenous Healthinfonet

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The Summary of respiratory diseases among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children is a plain language publication that provides summarised and updated information from the Review of respiratory diseases among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children published by the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet in 2018. The Summaryis useful for health workers and those studying in the field as a quick source of information about respiratory diseases among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. It focuses on:

• factors contributing to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children's respiratory diseases
• how common acute and chronic respiratory diseases are
• prevention and management of …

Serum Hepcidin Levels In Cognitively Normal Older Adults With High Neocortical Amyloid-Beta Load, Pratishtha Chatterjee, Maryam Mohammadi, Kathryn Goozee, Tejal Shah, Hamid R. Sohrabi, Cintia B. Dias, Kaikai Shen, Prita R. Asih, Preeti Dave, Steve Pedrini, Nicholas J. Ashton, Abdul Hye, Kevin Taddei, David B. Lovejoy, Henrik Zetterberg, Kaj Blennow, Ralph Martins

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background/Objective:

Hepcidin, an iron-regulating hormone, suppresses the release of iron by binding to the iron exporter protein, ferroportin, resulting in intracellular iron accumulation. Given that iron dyshomeostasis has been observed in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) together with elevated serum hepcidin levels, the current study examined whether elevated serum hepcidin levels are an early event in AD pathogenesis by measuring the hormone in cognitively normal older adults at risk of AD, based on high neocortical amyloid-β load (NAL).

Methods:

Serum hepcidin levels in cognitively normal participants (n = 100) aged between 65–90 years were measured using ELISA. To evaluate NAL, all …

Role Of Serum Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (Vegf) As A Potential Biomarker Of Response To Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy In Advanced Melanoma: Results Of A Pilot Study, Muhammad A. Khattak, Afaf Abed, Anna L. Reid, Ashleigh C. Mcevoy, Michael Millward, Melanie Ziman, Elin S. Gray

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background:

The development of biomarkers predictive of response to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapies in advanced melanoma is an area of great interest in oncology. Our study evaluated the potential role of serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as a predictive biomarker of clinical benefit and response to treatment with ICIs.

Methods:

Pre-treatment peripheral blood samples were obtained from advanced melanoma patients undergoing ICI therapy as monotherapy or in combination at two tertiary care hospitals in Western Australia. Serum VEGF levels were correlated with response to therapy and survival outcomes.

Results:

Serum VEGF samples were collected from a total of …

Summary Of Methamphetamine Use Among Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander People, Australian Indigenous Healthinfonet

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The Summary of methamphetamine use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is a plain language publication that provides summarised and updated information from the Review of methamphetamine use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people(2019). It provides key information about methamphetamine use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in a style that is easy to engage with. It is particularly useful for health workers and those studying in the field as a quick source of general information about:

• the physical and mental impacts of methamphetamine
• historical and social factors of use
• how common methamphetamine use is …

Chronic Stress Influences Nociceptive Sensitivity Of Female Rats In An Estrous Cycle-Dependent Manner, Chun-Xiao Yang, Yi Wang, Qi Lu, Yan-Na Lian, Enoch Odame Anto, Ying Zhang, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Exposure to chronic stress can influence nociception and further induce hyperalgesia. Whether stress modulation of pain in female animals occurs in an estrous cycle-specific manner is still unclear. We profiled the changes in nociception (thermal, mechanical, formalin-evoked acute and inflammatory pain) of female Sprague-Dawley rats after treatment with chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) and investigated whether these changes occur in an estrous cycle-dependent manner. The results showed that CUMS female rats exhibited a lower mechanical withdrawal threshold in proestrus and estrus, a longer formalin-evoked licking time in metestrus and diestrus, but no changes in the latency time on the tail-flick …

Can We Predict Expected Adenoma Weight Preoperatively With Reference To The Correlation Of Preoperative Biochemical Tests With Parathyroid Adenoma Weight?, David Chee Weng Leong, Johnny Lo, Hieu Nguyen, Simon Ryan

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Primary hyperparathyroidism is a prevalent disease with proven benefits for appropriately selected patients who undergo parathyroidectomy. The ability to accurately predict expected single adenoma gland weight as the cause based on preoperative biochemical tests could improve cure rates in a minimally invasive approach. Objective: To assess the correlation between parathyroid weight and preoperative parathyroid hormone and calcium levels in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism with a solitary adenoma and determine if these could be used to predict expected parathyroid weight. Methods: Patients with primary hyperparathyroidism who underwent curative parathyroidectomy from 2013 to 2018 was retrospectively analysed. Results: There is a …

Blood Sampling Through Peripheral Intravenous Cannulas: A Look At Current Practice In Australia, Hugh Davies, Linda L. Coventry, Alycia Jacob, Laurita Stoneman, Elisabeth Jacob

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Sampling blood from a peripheral intravenous cannula offers an alternative to venepuncture. This practice can reduce frequency of venepuncture and patient discomfort. Opponents argue the practice increases the chance of haemolysis, risk of infection and device failure. Aim: To describe the prevalence and practice of blood sampling from peripheral intravenous cannulas by Australian nurses. Methods: This study used a descriptive cross-sectional design and data were collected using an electronic survey. The survey examined Australian nurses’ practice of sampling blood from peripheral intravenous cannulas. Quantitative descriptive data was analysed and presented as frequencies, percentages, medians and ranges. Findings: A total …

Causal Association Of Circulating Cholesterol Levels With Dementia: A Mendelian Randomization Meta-Analysis, Xiaoyu Zhang, Qiuyue Tian, Di Liu, Tao Geng, Xizhu Xu, Siqi Ge, Deqiang Zheng, Lijuan Wu, Manshu Song, Haifeng Hou, Wei Wang, Youxin Wang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Prospective studies have shown that abnormally circulating cholesterol is associated with the risk of dementia. However, whether the association is causal or not remains unclear. We attempt to infer the causal association in a MR meta-analysis by using ApoE gene polymorphisms as instrument variables. Studies with dementia risk (27 studies) or circulating lipid levels (7 studies) were included, with totally 3136 dementia patients and 3103 healthy controls. The analyses showed that carriers of ε2 allele significantly were of decreased risk of AD (OR = 0.70; 95% CI: 0.58–0.84; P < 0.01), whereas carriers of ε4 allele were of increased risk of AD (OR = 3.62; 95% CI: 3.03–4.32; P < 0.05), compared to these of ε3 allele. Circulating TC was significantly reduced in carriers of ε2 allele (WMD = − 0.29 mmol/L; 95% CI: −0.54 to −0.03; P < 0.05) and increased in carriers of ε4 allele (WMD = 0.42 mmol/l; 95% CI: 0.001–0.84; P < 0.05). In addition, carriers of ε4 allele had reduction in circulating HDL-C (WMD = − 0.04 mmol/L; 95% CI: − 0.07 to −0.001; P < 0.05). In comparing allele ε2 with ε3, the predicted OR of having AD for 1 mg/dL increment in circulating TC was 0.97 (95% CI: 0.86–0.98; P < 0.05). Comparing allele ε4 with ε3, the predicted OR for a 1 mg/dL increment in TC was 1.08 (95% CI: 1.05–17.58; P < 0.05), and reduction in HDL-C was 2.30 (95% CI: 1.51–43.99; P < 0.05). Our findings demonstrate that high circulating TC and reduced HDL-C levels might be potential risk factors of the development of AD.

Flavonoid Intake And Its Association With Atrial Fibrillation, Nicola P. Bondonno, Kevin Murray, Catherine P. Bondonno, Joshua R. Lewis, Kevin D. Croft, Cecilie Kyro, Gunnar Gislason, Anne Tjonneland, Augustin Scalbert, Aedin Cassidy, Jonathan P. Piccini, Kim Overad, Johnathan M. Hodgson, Frederik Dalgaard

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background & aims: Primary prevention of atrial fibrillation (AF) through behavioural and dietary modification is a critically important and unmet need. Flavonoids are bioactive dietary compounds with promising cardiovascular health benefits. Our aim was to investigate the association between flavonoid intake and clinically apparent AF. Methods: Baseline data from 55 613 participants of the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health Study, without AF, recruited between 1993 and 1997, were cross-linked with Danish nationwide registries. Total flavonoid and flavonoid subclass intakes were calculated from validated food frequency questionnaires using the Phenol-Explorer database. Associations between flavonoid intake and incident AF (first-time hospitalization or …