Epidemiology Commons^™

Associations Between Modifiable Lifestyle Risk Factors And Abdominal Aortic Calcification In The Uk Biobank Imaging Study, Nicola P. Bondonno, Abadi K. Gebre, Benjamin H. Parmenter, Jonathan Hodgson, Lauren C. Blekkenhorst, Catherine P. Bondonno, Richard Woodman, John P. Kemp, James Webster, Carl Schultz, Cassandra Smith, Afsah Saleem, Syed Zulqarnain Gilani, Emma L. Duncan, Joseph Hung, Wai H. Lim, Parminder Raina, John T. Schousboe, Nicholas C. Harvey, Marc Sim, Joshua R. Lewis

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background and aims: Abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) reflects subclinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), but its lifestyle determinants remain uncertain. We investigated how a Healthy Lifestyle Score (HLS) relates to AAC and whether AAC mediates the HLS-ASCVD association. Methods and results: Participants from the UK Biobank Imaging study were assessed for AAC from DXA images. A Healthy Lifestyle Score (HLS), based on smoking, physical activity, diet quality, alcohol consumption, sleep, and BMI was developed, and categorised as low, moderate and high. Cross-sectional associations with (i) any AAC (AAC≥1) and (ii) high AAC (AAC≥6) were analysed using multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models. The …

Cannabinoid Impacts On Ethnic Modulation Of Atrial Septal Defect Prevalence Usa, Albert Stuart Reece, Gary Kenneth Hulse

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective: To conduct a detailed epidemiological exploration of the relative contributions of cannabis and ethnicity to US atrial septal defect (ASD) rates (ASDR). Study design: State-based ASDR data from the US National Births Defects Prevention Network, substance use, income and ethnicity data analyzed in RStudio. Results: Ethnic effects were significant with relative risks amongst African Americans and American Indians and Alaskan Natives of 2·40 (95%C.I. 2·27, 2·54) and 2·31 (2·19, 21·43), Cohen’s D of 1·44 and 1·46 and P values of 2·94 × 10⁻¹⁶⁸ and 3·01 × 10⁻¹⁷² compared to others, respectively. In general, additive models inclusion of …

Implementation Of Risk Prediction And Stratification Approaches For Ageing Populations In Australian Healthcare: A Systematic Review, Leanne Greene, Jacob Brain, Belinda Brown, Claire V. Burley, Elissa Burton, Zhongyang Guan, Bronwyn Myers, Katherine Ride, Serena Sabatini, Mario Siervo, Abay Woday Tadesse, Eugene Yee Hing Tang, Blossom C.L. Stephan, Jennifer Dunne

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Despite widespread development of prognostic risk stratification tools, their implementation in Australian healthcare remains poorly characterised. This review identified tools implemented for adults aged ≥40 years and examined their real-world use. Following PRISMA and SWiM guidelines, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and CINAHL Plus were searched from inception to 20th February 2026. Eligible studies reported implementation of a risk stratification tool in Australian healthcare and health, functional, or implementation outcomes. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool assessed study quality. Of 7115 records screened, 21 studies were included across primary care, hospitals, residential aged care, and community services. Interventions included electronic …

Machine Learning Derived Abdominal Aortic Calcification Is Associated With Physical Frailty In Community-Dwelling Adults: The Uk Biobank Imaging Study, Abadi K. Gebre, Marion Mundt, Elsa Dent, James Webster, Afsah Saleem, Syed Zulqarnain Gilani, Yuandan Zhang, Cassandra Smith, Parminder Raina, John P. Kemp, William D. Leslie, John T. Schousboe, Nicholas C. Harvey, Joshua R. Lewis, Marc Sim

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Clinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) is often present in frail individuals. However, it remains unclear whether subclinical CVD, e.g., abdominal aortic calcification (AAC), is associated with frailty. This study investigated the cross-sectional relationship between AAC scored using a validated machine learning model (ML-AAC24) and physical frailty. 49,081 participants from the UK Biobank Imaging Study without atherosclerotic CVD (ASCVD) diagnosis were included. ML-AAC24 extent was categorised as low, moderate and high, based on established severity categories. Physical frailty was based on a modified Fried’s frailty phenotype comprising weak hand grip strength, slow walking speed, weight loss, exhaustion, and physical inactivity. Individuals with …

Quantifying The Fatal And Non-Fatal Burden Of Disease Associated With Child Growth Failure, 2000–2023: A Systematic Analysis From The Global Burden Of Disease Study 2023, Gbd 2023 Child Growth Failure Collaborators, Amanuel Gebremedhin

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Child growth failure (CGF), which includes underweight, wasting, and stunting, is among the factors most strongly associated with mortality and morbidity in children younger than 5 years worldwide. Poor height and bodyweight gain arise from a variety of biological and sociodemographic factors and are associated with increased vulnerability to infectious diseases. We used data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2023 to estimate CGF prevalence, the risk of infectious diseases associated with CGF, and the disease mortality, morbidity, and overall burden associated with CGF.

Methods: In this analysis we estimated the all-cause and …