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Cormack L, Lazuka V, Quaranta L. Early-Life Disease Exposure and Its Heterogeneous Effects on Mortality Throughout Life: Sweden, 1905-2016. Demography 2024; 61:1187-1210. [PMID: 39016620 DOI: 10.1215/00703370-11466677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/18/2024]
Abstract
Exposure to infectious diseases in early life has been linked to increased mortality risk in later life in high-disease settings, such as eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Europe. Less is known about the long-term effects of early-life disease exposure in milder disease environments. This study estimates heterogeneous effects from disease exposure in infancy on later-life mortality in twentieth-century Sweden, by socioeconomic status at birth and sex. Using historical population data for southern Sweden, we study 11,515 individuals who were born in 1905-1929 from age 1 until age 85. We measure exposure to disease using the local post-early neonatal mortality rate in the first 12 months after birth and apply flexible parametric survival models. For females, we find a negative effect on life expectancy (scarring) at ages 1-85 following high disease exposure in infancy, particularly for those born to unskilled workers. For males, we find no negative effect on later-life survival, likely because stronger mortality selection in infancy outweighs scarring. Thus, even as the incidence of infectious diseases declined at the start of the twentieth century, early-life disease exposure generated long-lasting negative but heterogeneous population health effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Cormack
- Department of Economic History and Centre for Economic Demography, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Volha Lazuka
- Department of Economic History and Centre for Economic Demography, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Department of Economics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- IZA Institute of Labor Economics, Bonn, Germany
| | - Luciana Quaranta
- Department of Economic History and Centre for Economic Demography, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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2
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Hong SC, Hwang I. Race, immunity, and lifespan: Unraveling the effect of early-life exposure to malaria risk on lifespan. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2024; 54:101382. [PMID: 38648699 PMCID: PMC11330739 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2024.101382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
We investigate a historical experience to measure the long-term effect of malaria on lifespan among infected survivors and identify a factor that mitigates malaria's effect. Using a sample of Union Army veterans born during the mid-19th century and their lifetime records, we show that exposure to high risk of malaria at birth or in early life substantially shortened their lifespan. The legacy of exposure to malaria is robust while controlling for lifetime socioeconomic and health conditions, fixed effects, and considering selection bias. Additionally, we include the US Colored Troops sample of black veterans to analyze racial differences in the effect of malaria exposure on lifespan. Exposure to malaria did not lead to a shorter lifespan among black veterans. Evidence suggests that genetic immunity to malaria in black veterans might contribute this heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sok Chul Hong
- Department of Economics, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
| | - Inhyuk Hwang
- Department of Economics, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
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3
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van Dijk IK, Nilsson T, Quaranta L. Disease exposure in infancy affects women's reproductive outcomes and offspring health in southern Sweden 1905-2000. Soc Sci Med 2024; 347:116767. [PMID: 38518483 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.116767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
Ample evidence demonstrates that early-life adversity negatively affects morbidity and survival in late life. We show that disease exposure in infancy also has a continuous impact on reproduction and health across the female life course and even affects early-life health of the next generation. Using Swedish administrative data, obstetric records, and local infant mortality rates as a measure of disease exposure, we follow women's reproductive careers and offspring health 1905-2000, examining a comprehensive set of outcomes. Women exposed to disease in infancy give birth to a lower proportion of boys, consistent with notions that male fetuses are more vulnerable to adverse conditions and are more often miscarried. Sons of exposed mothers are also more likely to be born preterm and have higher birthweight suggesting in utero out-selection. Exposed women have a greater risk of miscarriage and of male stillbirth, but their overall likelihood of giving birth is not affected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid K van Dijk
- Centre for Economic Demography, Department of Economic History, Lund University, Sweden.
| | - Therese Nilsson
- Centre for Economic Demography, Department of Economic History, Lund University, Sweden; Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN), Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Economics, Lund University, Sweden.
| | - Luciana Quaranta
- Centre for Economic Demography, Department of Economic History, Lund University, Sweden.
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4
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Noghanibehambari H, Fletcher J. Long-Term Health Benefits of Occupational Licensing: Evidence from Midwifery Laws. JOURNAL OF HEALTH ECONOMICS 2023; 92:102807. [PMID: 37722296 PMCID: PMC10841694 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2023.102807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
During the late 19th and early 20th century, several states mandated midwifery licensing requirements to improve midwives' knowledge, education, and quality. Previous studies point to the health benefits of midwifery quality improvements for maternal and infant health outcomes. This paper exploits the staggered adoption of midwifery laws across states using event-study and difference-in-difference frameworks. We use the universe of death records in the US over the years 1979-2020 and find that exposure to a midwifery licensing law at birth is associated with a 2.5 percent reduction in cumulative mortality rates and an increase of 0.6 months in longevity during adulthood and old age. The effects are concentrated on deaths due to infectious diseases, neoplasm diseases, and suicide mortality. We also show that the impacts are confined among blacks and are slightly larger among males. Additional analyses using alternative data sources suggest small but significant increases in educational attainments, income, measures of socioeconomic status, employment, and measures of height as potential mechanism channels. We provide a discussion on the economic magnitude and policy implication of the results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamid Noghanibehambari
- College of Business, Austin Peay State University, Marion St, Clarksville, TN 37040, USA.
| | - Jason Fletcher
- La Follette School of Public Affairs, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1225 Observatory Drive, Madison, WI 53706-1211, USA.
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5
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McDade TW, Ryan CP, Adair LS, Lee NR, Carba DB, MacIsaac JL, Dever K, Atashzay P, Kobor M, Kuzawa CW. Association between infectious exposures in infancy and epigenetic age acceleration in young adulthood in metropolitan Cebu, Philippines. Am J Hum Biol 2023; 35:e23948. [PMID: 37338007 PMCID: PMC10730771 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The drivers of human life expectancy gains over the past 200 years are not well-established, with a potential role for historical reductions in infectious disease. We investigate whether infectious exposures in infancy predict biological aging using DNA methylation-based markers that forecast patterns of morbidity and mortality later in life. METHODS N = 1450 participants from the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey-a prospective birth cohort initiated in 1983-provided complete data for the analyses. Mean chronological age was 20.9 years when venous whole blood samples were drawn for DNA extraction and methylation analysis, with subsequent calculation of three epigenetic age markers: Horvath, GrimAge, and DunedinPACE. Unadjusted and adjusted least squares regression models were evaluated to test the hypothesis that infectious exposures in infancy are associated with epigenetic age. RESULTS Birth in the dry season, a proxy measure for increased infectious exposure in the first year of life, as well as the number of symptomatic infections in the first year of infancy, predicted lower epigenetic age. Infectious exposures were associated with the distribution of white blood cells in adulthood, which were also associated with measures of epigenetic age. CONCLUSIONS We document negative associations between measures of infectious exposure in infancy and DNA methylation-based measures of aging. Additional research, across a wider range of epidemiological settings, is needed to clarify the role of infectious disease in shaping immunophenotypes and trajectories of biological aging and human life expectancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W. McDade
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University,
Evanston, IL 60208
- Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University,
Evanston, IL 60208
| | - Calen P. Ryan
- Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center, Department of
Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
| | - Linda S. Adair
- Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public
Health, Carolina Population Center, CB #8120, University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill
| | - Nanette R. Lee
- Office of Population Studies Foundation, University of San
Carlos, Talamban, Cebu City Philippines
| | - Delia B. Carba
- Office of Population Studies Foundation, University of San
Carlos, Talamban, Cebu City Philippines
| | - Julia L. MacIsaac
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine,
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Edwin S.H. Leong Healthy Aging Program, University of
British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver,
British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Kristy Dever
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine,
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Edwin S.H. Leong Healthy Aging Program, University of
British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver,
British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Parmida Atashzay
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine,
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Edwin S.H. Leong Healthy Aging Program, University of
British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver,
British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Mike Kobor
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine,
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Edwin S.H. Leong Healthy Aging Program, University of
British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver,
British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Christopher W. Kuzawa
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University,
Evanston, IL 60208
- Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University,
Evanston, IL 60208
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Issarapu P, Arumalla M, Elliott HR, Nongmaithem SS, Sankareswaran A, Betts M, Sajjadi S, Kessler NJ, Bayyana S, Mansuri SR, Derakhshan M, Krishnaveni GV, Shrestha S, Kumaran K, Di Gravio C, Sahariah SA, Sanderson E, Relton CL, Ward KA, Moore SE, Prentice AM, Lillycrop KA, Fall CHD, Silver MJ, Chandak GR. DNA methylation at the suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) gene influences height in childhood. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5200. [PMID: 37626025 PMCID: PMC10457295 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40607-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Human height is strongly influenced by genetics but the contribution of modifiable epigenetic factors is under-explored, particularly in low and middle-income countries (LMIC). We investigate links between blood DNA methylation and child height in four LMIC cohorts (n = 1927) and identify a robust association at three CpGs in the suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) gene which replicates in a high-income country cohort (n = 879). SOCS3 methylation (SOCS3m)-height associations are independent of genetic effects. Mendelian randomization analysis confirms a causal effect of SOCS3m on height. In longitudinal analysis, SOCS3m explains a maximum 9.5% of height variance in mid-childhood while the variance explained by height polygenic risk score increases from birth to 21 years. Children's SOCS3m is associated with prenatal maternal folate and socio-economic status. In-vitro characterization confirms a regulatory effect of SOCS3m on gene expression. Our findings suggest epigenetic modifications may play an important role in driving child height in LMIC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prachand Issarapu
- Genomic Research on Complex Diseases (GRC-Group), CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
- MRC Unit The Gambia at The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), London, UK
| | - Manisha Arumalla
- Genomic Research on Complex Diseases (GRC-Group), CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Hannah R Elliott
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Suraj S Nongmaithem
- Genomic Research on Complex Diseases (GRC-Group), CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Alagu Sankareswaran
- Genomic Research on Complex Diseases (GRC-Group), CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, AcSIR, Ghaziabad, India
| | - Modupeh Betts
- MRC Unit The Gambia at The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), London, UK
| | - Sara Sajjadi
- Genomic Research on Complex Diseases (GRC-Group), CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, AcSIR, Ghaziabad, India
| | - Noah J Kessler
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Swati Bayyana
- Genomic Research on Complex Diseases (GRC-Group), CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, AcSIR, Ghaziabad, India
| | - Sohail R Mansuri
- Genomic Research on Complex Diseases (GRC-Group), CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, AcSIR, Ghaziabad, India
| | - Maria Derakhshan
- MRC Unit The Gambia at The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), London, UK
| | - G V Krishnaveni
- Epidemiology Research Unit, CSI Holdsworth Memorial Hospital, Mysore, Karnataka, India
| | - Smeeta Shrestha
- Genomic Research on Complex Diseases (GRC-Group), CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Kalyanaraman Kumaran
- Epidemiology Research Unit, CSI Holdsworth Memorial Hospital, Mysore, Karnataka, India
- MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Chiara Di Gravio
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | - Eleanor Sanderson
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Caroline L Relton
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Kate A Ward
- MRC Unit The Gambia at The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), London, UK
- Department of Women & Children's Health, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Sophie E Moore
- MRC Unit The Gambia at The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), London, UK
- Department of Women & Children's Health, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Andrew M Prentice
- MRC Unit The Gambia at The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), London, UK
| | - Karen A Lillycrop
- School of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Caroline H D Fall
- MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Matt J Silver
- MRC Unit The Gambia at The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), London, UK.
| | - Giriraj R Chandak
- Genomic Research on Complex Diseases (GRC-Group), CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, AcSIR, Ghaziabad, India.
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7
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Saad-Roy CM, Levin SA, Grenfell BT, Boots M. Epidemiological impacts of post-infection mortality. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230343. [PMID: 37434526 PMCID: PMC10336371 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Infectious diseases may cause some long-term damage to their host, leading to elevated mortality even after recovery. Mortality due to complications from so-called 'long COVID' is a stark illustration of this potential, but the impacts of such post-infection mortality (PIM) on epidemic dynamics are not known. Using an epidemiological model that incorporates PIM, we examine the importance of this effect. We find that in contrast to mortality during infection, PIM can induce epidemic cycling. The effect is due to interference between elevated mortality and reinfection through the previously infected susceptible pool. In particular, robust immunity (via decreased susceptibility to reinfection) reduces the likelihood of cycling; on the other hand, disease-induced mortality can interact with weak PIM to generate periodicity. In the absence of PIM, we prove that the unique endemic equilibrium is stable and therefore our key result is that PIM is an overlooked phenomenon that is likely to be destabilizing. Overall, given potentially widespread effects, our findings highlight the importance of characterizing heterogeneity in susceptibility (via both PIM and robustness of host immunity) for accurate epidemiological predictions. In particular, for diseases without robust immunity, such as SARS-CoV-2, PIM may underlie complex epidemiological dynamics especially in the context of seasonal forcing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chadi M. Saad-Roy
- Miller Institute for Basic Research in Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Simon A. Levin
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Bryan T. Grenfell
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Mike Boots
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
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8
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Kok J, Quanjer B, Thompson K. Casting shadows: later-life outcomes of stature. THE HISTORY OF THE FAMILY : AN INTERNATIONAL QUARTERLY 2023; 28:181-197. [PMID: 37288160 PMCID: PMC10243405 DOI: 10.1080/1081602x.2023.2206699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The central question in this special issue is a relatively new one in anthropometric history: how did body height affect the life course? This raises the issue of whether such an effect merely captures the underlying early-life conditions that impact growth, or whether some independent effect of stature can be discerned. Further, the effects of height on later-life outcomes need not be linear. These effects may also differ by gender, by context (time and place), and among life course domains such as occupational success, family formation or health in later life. The ten research articles in this issue use a plethora of historical sources on individuals, such as prison and hospital records, conscript records, genealogies and health surveys. These articles employ a variety of methods to distinguish between early-life and later-life effects, between intra- and intergenerational processes and between biological and socio-economic factors. Importantly, all articles discuss the impact of the specific context on their results to understand these effects. The overall conclusion is that independent later-life outcomes of height are rather ambiguous, and seem to stem more from the perception of physical strength, health and intelligence associated with height than from height itself. This special issue also reflects on intergenerational effects of the later-life outcomes of height. As populations have grown taller, it is possible that height and later-life outcomes have formed a 'virtuous cycle', resulting in taller, healthier and wealthier populations. So far, however, our research offers little support for this hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Kok
- Department of History, Art History and Classics, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Björn Quanjer
- Department of History, Art History and Classics, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Kristina Thompson
- Health and Society, Social Sciences Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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9
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Anatskaya OV, Runov AL, Ponomartsev SV, Vonsky MS, Elmuratov AU, Vinogradov AE. Long-Term Transcriptomic Changes and Cardiomyocyte Hyperpolyploidy after Lactose Intolerance in Neonatal Rats. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:7063. [PMID: 37108224 PMCID: PMC10138443 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24087063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Many cardiovascular diseases originate from growth retardation, inflammation, and malnutrition during early postnatal development. The nature of this phenomenon is not completely understood. Here we aimed to verify the hypothesis that systemic inflammation triggered by neonatal lactose intolerance (NLI) may exert long-term pathologic effects on cardiac developmental programs and cardiomyocyte transcriptome regulation. Using the rat model of NLI triggered by lactase overloading with lactose and the methods of cytophotometry, image analysis, and mRNA-seq, we evaluated cardiomyocyte ploidy, signs of DNA damage, and NLI-associated long-term transcriptomic changes of genes and gene modules that differed qualitatively (i.e., were switched on or switched off) in the experiment vs. the control. Our data indicated that NLI triggers the long-term animal growth retardation, cardiomyocyte hyperpolyploidy, and extensive transcriptomic rearrangements. Many of these rearrangements are known as manifestations of heart pathologies, including DNA and telomere instability, inflammation, fibrosis, and reactivation of fetal gene program. Moreover, bioinformatic analysis identified possible causes of these pathologic traits, including the impaired signaling via thyroid hormone, calcium, and glutathione. We also found transcriptomic manifestations of increased cardiomyocyte polyploidy, such as the induction of gene modules related to open chromatin, e.g., "negative regulation of chromosome organization", "transcription" and "ribosome biogenesis". These findings suggest that ploidy-related epigenetic alterations acquired in the neonatal period permanently rewire gene regulatory networks and alter cardiomyocyte transcriptome. Here we provided first evidence indicating that NLI can be an important trigger of developmental programming of adult cardiovascular disease. The obtained results can help to develop preventive strategies for reducing the NLI-associated adverse effects of inflammation on the developing cardiovascular system.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrey L. Runov
- The D.I. Mendeleev All-Russian Institute for Metrology (VNIIM), Moskovsky ave 19, Saint Petersburg 190005, Russia
- Almazov Medical Research Centre, Akkuratova Street 2, Saint Petersburg 197341, Russia
| | | | - Maxim S. Vonsky
- The D.I. Mendeleev All-Russian Institute for Metrology (VNIIM), Moskovsky ave 19, Saint Petersburg 190005, Russia
- Almazov Medical Research Centre, Akkuratova Street 2, Saint Petersburg 197341, Russia
| | - Artem U. Elmuratov
- Medical Genetics Centre Genotek, Nastavnichesky Alley 17-1-15, Moscow 105120, Russia
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10
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Zhao Y. Socioeconomic Positions and Midlife Health Trajectories in a Changing Social Context: Evidence from China, 1991-2006. JOURNAL OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOR 2023; 64:39-61. [PMID: 36789677 DOI: 10.1177/00221465221150381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Cumulative (dis)advantage theory posits that socioeconomic disparities in health may increase with age. This study examines individuals' midlife health trajectories, taking account of how their life courses are embedded within changing social contexts. Using the China Health and Nutrition Survey (1991-2006), it examines the health gap between Chinese rural peasants and urban nonpeasants in three adjacent time periods, during which a rapid process of social change increased the inequalities between rural and urban areas. Findings show that the health gap increases more rapidly in the more recent time periods, with higher levels of inequality, indicating that health inequalities between the two groups are contingent upon the social contexts in which individuals' lives unfold. To better understand the differences observed over these time periods, further analysis will examine the roles of two structural factors: income inequality and differential access to medical care.
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11
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Gender differences in the association between adverse events in childhood or adolescence and the risk of premature mortality. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19118. [PMID: 36352182 PMCID: PMC9646814 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23443-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
To examine, by gender, the relationship between adverse events in childhood or adolescence and the increased risk of early mortality (before 80 years). The study sample included 941 participants of the English Longitudinal Study of Aging who died between 2007 and 2018. Data on socioeconomic status, infectious diseases, and parental stress in childhood or adolescence were collected at baseline (2006). Logistic regression models were adjusted by socioeconomic, behavioral and clinical variables. Having lived with only one parent (OR 3.79; p = 0.01), overprotection from the father (OR 1.12; p = 0.04) and having had an infectious disease in childhood or adolescence (OR 2.05; p = 0.01) were risk factors for mortality before the age of 80 in men. In women, overprotection from the father (OR 1.22; p < 0.01) was the only risk factor for mortality before the age of 80, whereas a low occupation of the head of the family (OR 0.58; p = 0.04) and greater care from the mother in childhood or adolescence (OR 0.86; p = 0.03) were protective factors. Independently of one's current characteristics, having worse socioeconomic status and health in childhood or adolescence increased the risk of early mortality in men. Parental overprotection increased the risk of early mortality in both sexes, whereas maternal care favored longevity in women.
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12
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Urlacher SS, Kim EY, Luan T, Young LJ, Adjetey B. Minimally invasive biomarkers in human and non-human primate evolutionary biology: Tools for understanding variation and adaptation. Am J Hum Biol 2022; 34:e23811. [PMID: 36205445 PMCID: PMC9787651 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The use of minimally invasive biomarkers (MIBs - physiological biomarkers obtained from minimally invasive sample types) has expanded rapidly in science and medicine over the past several decades. The MIB approach is a methodological strength in the field of human and non-human primate evolutionary biology (HEB). Among humans and our closest relatives, MIBs provide unique opportunities to document phenotypic variation and to operationalize evolutionary hypotheses. AIMS This paper overviews the use of MIBs in HEB. Our objectives are to (1) highlight key research topics which successfully implement MIBs, (2) identify promising yet under-investigated areas of MIB application, and (3) discuss current challenges in MIB research, with suggestions for advancing the field. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS A range of MIBs are used to investigate focal topics in HEB, including energetics and life history variation/evolution, developmental plasticity, and social status and dominance relationships. Nonetheless, we identify gaps in existing MIB research on traits such as physical growth and gut function that are central to the field. Several challenges remain for HEB research using MIBs, including the need for additional biomarkers and methods of assessment, robust validations, and approaches that are standardized across labs and research groups. Importantly, researchers must provide better support for adaptation and fitness effects in hypothesis testing (e.g., by obtaining complementary measures of energy expenditure, demonstrating redundancy of function, and performing lifetime/longitudinal analyses). We point to continued progress in the use of MIBs in HEB to better understand the past, present, and future of humans and our closest primate relatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel S. Urlacher
- Department of AnthropologyBaylor UniversityWacoTexasUSA
- Human Evolutionary Biology and Health LabBaylor UniversityWacoTexasUSA
- Child and Brain Development ProgramCIFARTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Elizabeth Y. Kim
- Human Evolutionary Biology and Health LabBaylor UniversityWacoTexasUSA
- Department of BiologyBaylor UniversityWacoTexasUSA
| | - Tiffany Luan
- Human Evolutionary Biology and Health LabBaylor UniversityWacoTexasUSA
| | - Lauren J. Young
- Human Evolutionary Biology and Health LabBaylor UniversityWacoTexasUSA
| | - Brian Adjetey
- Human Evolutionary Biology and Health LabBaylor UniversityWacoTexasUSA
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13
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Karlsson O. Scarring and selection effects on children surviving elevated rates of postneonatal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. SSM Popul Health 2022; 19:101160. [PMID: 35846870 PMCID: PMC9283665 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Infants in sub-Saharan Africa face adversity: Infections and undernutrition are major causes of infant deaths and can cause physiological damage with long-lasting adverse scarring effects on the human development of the survivors, for example, in terms of health and education. However, selective mortality of more vulnerable children at very high levels of adversity in early life can leave the surviving population to appear on average healthier. This paper estimated the nonlinear effects of postneonatal mortality rate—a proxy for adversity, particularly infections and undernutrition—in a 50 km radius, occurring over the period of infancy, on the subsequent height-for-age and school attendance of the surviving children. The results indicated that an adverse environment in infancy negatively affected height-for-age at age 1–4 years: At relatively low levels of adversity (at the 10th percentile of postneonatal mortality rate), an additional postneonatal death per 100 person-years decreased height-for-age of the survivors by almost 2% of the mean deficit in height (relative to a common growth standard) when comparing siblings born into different levels of adversity. At high levels of adversity, no effect was found for height-for-age while a small positive association was observed for school attendance at age 7–16 years. The results indicated that selective mortality may have canceled out (or even dominated in the case of school attendance) observable scarring effects following high levels of postneonatal mortality rate in sub-Saharan Africa. Adversity in early life negatively affects human development in sub-Saharan Africa. The postneonatal mortality rate over infancy was used as a proxy for adversity. Elevated adversity in infancy negatively affected height-for-age at age 1–4 years. At high adversity, selective mortality may cancel out observable scarring effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar Karlsson
- Takemi Program in International Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
- Department of Economic History, School of Economics and Management, Lund University, P.O. Box 7083, 220 07 Lund, Sweden
- Takemi Program in International Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, United States.
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14
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Candela-Martínez B, Cámara AD, López-Falcón D, Martínez-Carrión JM. Growing taller unequally? Adult height and socioeconomic status in Spain (Cohorts 1940-1994). SSM Popul Health 2022; 18:101126. [PMID: 35669890 PMCID: PMC9163098 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Socioeconomic inequalities and their evolution in different historical contexts have been widely studied. However, some of their dimensions remain relatively unexplored, such as the role played by socioeconomic status in the trajectory of biological living standards, especially net nutritional status. The main objective of this article is to analyze whether the power of socioeconomic status (SES) to explain differences in the biological dimensions of human well-being (in this case, adult height, a reliable metric for health and nutritional status) has increased or diminished over time. Educational attainment and occupational category have been used as two different proxies for the SES of Spanish men and women born between 1940 and 1994, thus covering a historical period in Spain characterized by remarkable socioeconomic development and a marked increase in mean adult height. Our data is drawn from nine waves of the Spanish National Health Survey and the Spanish sample of two waves of the European Health Interview Survey (ENSE) for the period 1987 to 2017 (N = 73,699 citizens aged 23-47). A multivariate regression analysis has been conducted, showing that, as a whole, height differentials by educational attainment have diminished over time, whereas differences by occupational category of household heads have largely persisted. These results indicate the need for further qualification when describing the process of convergence in biological well-being indicators across social groups. For instance, the progressive enrollment of a greater proportion of the population into higher educational levels may lead us to underestimate the real differences between socioeconomic groups, while other proxies of SES still point to the persistence of such differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Begoña Candela-Martínez
- Department of Applied Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business, CEIR Campus Mare Nostrum (CMN), Murcia University, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Antonio D. Cámara
- Departamento de Organización de Empresas, Marketing y Sociología, Universidad de Jaén, Spain
| | - Diana López-Falcón
- Munich Center for the Economics of Aging, Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy, Germany
| | - José M. Martínez-Carrión
- Department of Applied Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business, CEIR Campus Mare Nostrum (CMN), Murcia University, 30100 Murcia, Spain
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15
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Wu Y, Furuya S, Wang Z, Nobles JE, Fletcher JM, Lu Q. GWAS on birth year infant mortality rates provides evidence of recent natural selection. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2117312119. [PMID: 35290122 PMCID: PMC8944929 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2117312119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Following more than a century of phenotypic measurement of natural selection processes, much recent work explores relationships between molecular genetic measurements and realized fitness in the next generation. We take an innovative approach to the study of contemporary selective pressure by examining which genetic variants are “sustained” in populations as mortality exposure increases. Specifically, we deploy a so-called “regional GWAS” (genome-wide association study) that links the infant mortality rate (IMR) by place and year in the United Kingdom with common genetic variants among birth cohorts in the UK Biobank. These cohorts (born between 1936 and 1970) saw a decline in IMR from above 65 to under 20 deaths per 1,000 live births, with substantial subnational variations and spikes alongside wartime exposures. Our results show several genome-wide significant loci, including LCT and TLR10/1/6, related to area-level cohort IMR exposure during gestation and infancy. Genetic correlations are found across multiple domains, including fertility, cognition, health behaviors, and health outcomes, suggesting an important role for cohort selection in modern populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuchang Wu
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706
- Center for Demography of Health and Aging, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706
| | - Shiro Furuya
- Department of Sociology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706
| | - Zihang Wang
- Department of Statistics, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706
| | - Jenna E. Nobles
- Center for Demography of Health and Aging, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706
- Department of Sociology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706
| | - Jason M. Fletcher
- Center for Demography of Health and Aging, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706
- Department of Sociology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706
- La Follette School of Public Affairs, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706
| | - Qiongshi Lu
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706
- Center for Demography of Health and Aging, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706
- Department of Statistics, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706
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16
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Beltrán-Sánchez H, Palloni A, Huangfu Y, McEniry M. Population-level impact of adverse early life conditions on adult healthy life expectancy in low- and middle-income countries. POPULATION STUDIES 2022; 76:19-36. [PMID: 34110269 PMCID: PMC8660937 DOI: 10.1080/00324728.2021.1933149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Evidence from theories of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) suggests that experiencing adverse early life conditions subsequently leads to detrimental adult health outcomes. The bulk of empirical DOHaD literature does not consider the nature and magnitude of the impact of adverse early life conditions at the population level. In particular, it ignores the distortion of age and cohort patterns of adult health and mortality and the increased load of chronic illness and disability that ensues. In this paper, we use a microsimulation model combined with empirical estimates of incidence and prevalence of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and associated disability in low- and middle-income countries to assess the magnitude of delayed effects on adult healthy life expectancy and on compression (or expansion) of morbidity at older ages. The main goal is to determine if, in what ways, and to what extent delayed effects due to early conditions can influence cohorts' chronic illness and disability profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiram Beltrán-Sánchez
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health and California Center for Population Research, UCLA
| | - Alberto Palloni
- Center for Demography and Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones (CSIC), Madrid-Spain
| | - Yiyue Huangfu
- Center for Demography and Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
| | - Mary McEniry
- Center for Demography and Health of Aging, University of Wisconsin-Madison
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17
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Beltrán-Sánchez H, Palloni A, Huangfu Y, McEniry M. Population-level impact of adverse early life conditions on adult healthy life expectancy in low- and middle-income countries. POPULATION STUDIES 2022. [PMID: 34110269 DOI: 10.1080/00324728.2021.1933149/suppl_file/rpst_a_1933149_sm6882.pdf] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Evidence from theories of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) suggests that experiencing adverse early life conditions subsequently leads to detrimental adult health outcomes. The bulk of empirical DOHaD literature does not consider the nature and magnitude of the impact of adverse early life conditions at the population level. In particular, it ignores the distortion of age and cohort patterns of adult health and mortality and the increased load of chronic illness and disability that ensues. In this paper, we use a microsimulation model combined with empirical estimates of incidence and prevalence of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and associated disability in low- and middle-income countries to assess the magnitude of delayed effects on adult healthy life expectancy and on compression (or expansion) of morbidity at older ages. The main goal is to determine if, in what ways, and to what extent delayed effects due to early conditions can influence cohorts' chronic illness and disability profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alberto Palloni
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Consejo Superior de Investigaciones
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18
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Panzer S, Treitl M, Zesch S, Rosendahl W, Helmbold-Doyé J, Thompson RC, Zink AR. Radiological evidence of purulent infections in ancient Egyptian child mummies. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PALEOPATHOLOGY 2022; 36:30-35. [PMID: 34974252 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2021.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To identify computed tomography (CT) findings of purulent infections in ancient Egyptian child mummies. MATERIALS Whole-body CT examination of 21 ancient Egyptian child mummies from German (n = 18), Italian (n = 1), and Swiss museums (n = 2). METHODS CT examinations were evaluated for estimation of age at death and sex of the children. CT examinations were systematically assessed for any CT findings of purulent infection. RESULTS The estimated age at death of the children ranged from about one year to the age of 12-14 years (mean 4.8 years). Twelve children were assessed as male, seven as female and in two sex was indeterminate. Three out of 21 child mummies (14.3%) had radiological evidence of purulent infections. In one mummy, a bandage-like structure at the right lower leg was detected that most likely represented a dressing of a skin lesion. CONCLUSIONS This study appears to be the first to describe radiologically visualized structures consistent with dried pus in ancient Egyptian mummies. This study also appears to be the first to physically demonstrate an original ancient Egyptian dressing. SIGNIFICANCE These cases may serve as models for further paleopathological investigation. The evidence of an original dressing contributes to our knowledge of ancient Egyptian medicine. LIMITATIONS CT was used as the only examination method as sampling of the wrapped mummies was not possible. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH Radiological-pathological correlation in mummies in which physical sampling is available may reveal further insights into purulent infections in ancient Egypt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Panzer
- Department of Radiology, Berufsgenossenschaftliche Unfallklinik Murnau, Prof-Küntscher-Straße 8, D-82418 Murnau, Germany; Institute of Biomechanics, Berufsgenossenschaftliche Unfallklinik Murnau and Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria, Prof-Küntscher-Straße 8, D-82418 Murnau, Germany.
| | - Marcus Treitl
- Department of Radiology, Berufsgenossenschaftliche Unfallklinik Murnau, Prof-Küntscher-Straße 8, D-82418 Murnau, Germany.
| | - Stephanie Zesch
- German Mummy Project, Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen, Museum Weltkulturen D5, D-68159 Mannheim, Germany.
| | - Wilfried Rosendahl
- German Mummy Project, Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen, Museum Weltkulturen D5, D-68159 Mannheim, Germany.
| | - Jana Helmbold-Doyé
- Ägyptisches Museum und Papyrussammlung, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Geschwister-Scholl-Str. 6, D-10117 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Randall C Thompson
- Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute, University of Missouri-Kansas City, 4330 Wornall Road, Kansas City, MO 64111, USA.
| | - Albert R Zink
- Institute for Mummy Studies, Eurac Research, Viale Druso 1, I-39100 Bolzano, Italy.
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19
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Gue YX, Bisson A, Bodin A, Herbert J, Lip GYH, Fauchier L. Season of Birth and Cardiovascular Mortality in Atrial Fibrillation: A Population-Based Cohort Study. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2021; 8:jcdd8120177. [PMID: 34940532 PMCID: PMC8707232 DOI: 10.3390/jcdd8120177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The fetal origins hypothesis have associated early life exposures with the development of adverse health outcomes in adulthood. Season of birth has been shown to be associated with overall and cardiovascular mortality. Methods: We performed a retrospective database study to explore the association between season of birth and mortality in patients with atrial fibrillation. Results: A total of 8962 patients with AF were identified in the database with 1253 deaths recorded. AF patients born in spring and summer had a higher mortality rate when compared to those born in autumn and winter (hazard ratio (HR) 1.13, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01–1.26, p = 0.03). This effect was consistent in the male subgroup (HR 1.25, 95% CI 1.03–1.51, p = 0.02 for males born in spring; HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.03–1.51, p = 0.03 for males born in summer when compared to winter as the reference) but not in females (HR 1.02, 95% CI 0.79–1.31, p = 0.88 for females born in spring; HR 1.11, 95% CI 0.87–1.42, p = 0.39 for females born in summer when compared to winter as the reference). Results persisted after adjustment for baseline characteristics and clinical risk profile. A similar pattern was observed with cardiovascular mortality. Conclusion: Birth in spring or summer is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular mortality in male AF patients, but not in females. This could be related to the underlying differences in rates of major adverse clinical events between genders. Further studies should aim at clarifying the mechanisms behind this association, which may help us understand the higher level of risk in female patients with AF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying X. Gue
- Liverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Liverpool and Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital, Liverpool L14 3PE, UK; (Y.X.G.); (G.Y.H.L.)
| | - Arnaud Bisson
- Service de Cardiologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire et Faculté de Médecine, Université de Tours, 37044 Tours, France; (A.B.); (A.B.); (J.H.)
| | - Alexandre Bodin
- Service de Cardiologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire et Faculté de Médecine, Université de Tours, 37044 Tours, France; (A.B.); (A.B.); (J.H.)
| | - Julien Herbert
- Service de Cardiologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire et Faculté de Médecine, Université de Tours, 37044 Tours, France; (A.B.); (A.B.); (J.H.)
- Service d’Information Médicale, d’Épidémiologie et d’Économie de la Santé, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire et Faculté de Médecine, EA7505, Université de Tours, 37044 Tours, France
| | - Gregory Y. H. Lip
- Liverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Liverpool and Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital, Liverpool L14 3PE, UK; (Y.X.G.); (G.Y.H.L.)
| | - Laurent Fauchier
- Service de Cardiologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire et Faculté de Médecine, Université de Tours, 37044 Tours, France; (A.B.); (A.B.); (J.H.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +33-247474650; Fax: +33-247475919
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20
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Valge M, Meitern R, Hõrak P. Pubertal maturation is independent of family structure but daughters of divorced (but not dead) fathers start reproduction earlier. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2021.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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21
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Marco-Gracia FJ, González-Esteban ÁL. Did parental care in early life affect height? Evidence from rural Spain (19th-20th centuries). Soc Sci Med 2021; 287:114394. [PMID: 34530218 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
This article examines the relationship between childhood mortality experienced within families and the height of surviving male children. Sibling mortality, controlled by different socioeconomic and environmental variables, is used as an approximation of the hygienic and epidemiological context and practices within the family. The analysis is based on a sample of 2783 individuals born between 1835 and 1977 in 14 villages in north-eastern Spain. The mortality data were obtained from the parish archives of the reference villages, and the height data from military service records of conscriptions at 21 years of age. The data were linked according to nominative criteria using family reconstitution methods. The results suggest the existence of a strong negative relationship between height and the childhood mortality experienced within families. Children born in families in which 50% of the children died before the age of five were up to 2.3 cm shorter than those of families with childhood mortality of less than 25%. General socioeconomic, hygienic and health improvements reduced childhood mortality, causing this link to gradually disappear between the 1940s and 1970s.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco J Marco-Gracia
- Department of Applied Economics and Economic History, Universidad de Zaragoza and Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón, IA2 (UNIZAR-CITA), Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Ángel Luis González-Esteban
- Department of Applied Economics and Economic History, National University of Distance Education (UNED), Madrid, Spain.
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22
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Wells JCK, Pomeroy E, Stock JT. Evolution of Lactase Persistence: Turbo-Charging Adaptation in Growth Under the Selective Pressure of Maternal Mortality? Front Physiol 2021; 12:696516. [PMID: 34497534 PMCID: PMC8419441 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.696516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of the capacity to digest milk in some populations represents a landmark in human evolution, linking genetic change with a component of niche construction, namely dairying. Alleles promoting continued activity of the enzyme lactase through the life-course (lactase persistence) evolved in several global regions within the last 7,000 years. In some European regions, these alleles underwent rapid selection and must have profoundly affected fertility or mortality. Elsewhere, alleles spread more locally. However, the functional benefits underlying the rapid spread of lactase persistence remain unclear. Here, we set out the hypothesis that lactase persistence promoted skeletal growth, thereby offering a generic rapid solution to childbirth complications arising from exposure to ecological change, or to new environments through migration. Since reduced maternal growth and greater neonatal size both increase the risk of obstructed labour, any ecological exposure impacting these traits may increase maternal mortality risk. Over many generations, maternal skeletal dimensions could adapt to new ecological conditions through genetic change. However, this adaptive strategy would fail if ecological change was rapid, including through migration into new niches. We propose that the combination of consuming milk and lactase persistence could have reduced maternal mortality by promoting growth of the pelvis after weaning, while high calcium intake would reduce risk of pelvic deformities. Our conceptual framework provides locally relevant hypotheses to explain selection for lactase persistence in different global regions. For any given diet and individual genotype, the combination of lactase persistence and milk consumption would divert more energy to skeletal growth, either increasing pelvic dimensions or buffering them from worsening ecological conditions. The emergence of lactase persistence among dairying populations could have helped early European farmers adapt rapidly to northern latitudes, East African pastoralists adapt to sudden climate shifts to drier environments, and Near Eastern populations counteract secular declines in height associated with early agriculture. In each case, we assume that lactase persistence accelerated the timescale over which maternal skeletal dimensions could change, thus promoting both maternal and offspring survival. Where lactase persistence did not emerge, birth weight was constrained at lower levels, and this contributes to contemporary variability in diabetes risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan C K Wells
- Childhood Nutrition Research Centre, Population Policy and Practice Research and Teaching Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom
| | - Emma Pomeroy
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jay T Stock
- Department of Anthropology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.,Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
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Potente C, Harris KM, Chumbley J, Cole SW, Gaydosh L, Xu W, Levitt B, Shanahan MJ. The Early Life Course of Body Weight and Gene Expression Signatures for Disease. Am J Epidemiol 2021; 190:1533-1540. [PMID: 33675221 PMCID: PMC8489427 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwab049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
We examined the way body-weight patterns through the first 4 decades of life relate to gene expression signatures of common forms of morbidity, including cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes (T2D), and inflammation. As part of wave V of the nationally representative National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (1997–2018) in the United States, mRNA abundance data were collected from peripheral blood (n = 1,132). We used a Bayesian modeling strategy to examine the relative associations between body size at 5 life stages—birth, adolescence, early adulthood, young adulthood, and adulthood—and gene expression–based disease signatures. We compared life-course models that consider critical or sensitive periods, as well as accumulation over the entire period. Our results are consistent with a sensitive-period model when examining CVD and T2D gene expression signatures: Birth weight has a prominent role for the CVD and T2D signatures (explaining 33.1% and 22.1%, respectively, of the total association accounted for by body size), while the most recent adult obesity status (ages 33–39) is important for both of these gene expression signatures (24.3% and 35.1%, respectively). Body size in all life stages was associated with inflammation, consistent with the accumulation model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Potente
- Correspondence to Dr. Cecilia Potente, Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development, University of Zürich, Andreasstrasse 15, 8050 Zürich, Switzerland (e-mail: ); or Prof. Dr. Michael J. Shanahan, Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development, University of Zürich, Andreasstrasse 15, 8050 Zürich, Switzerland (e-mail: )
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Michael J Shanahan
- Correspondence to Dr. Cecilia Potente, Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development, University of Zürich, Andreasstrasse 15, 8050 Zürich, Switzerland (e-mail: ); or Prof. Dr. Michael J. Shanahan, Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development, University of Zürich, Andreasstrasse 15, 8050 Zürich, Switzerland (e-mail: )
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24
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Cogneau D, Kesztenbaum L, Guerrouche K. Les conséquences démographiques des sièges de Paris, 1870-1871. POPULATION 2021. [DOI: 10.3917/popu.2101.0009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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25
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Panzer S, Augat P, Sprenger M, Zesch S, Rosendahl W, Sutherland ML, Thompson RC, Paladin A, Zink AR. Correlation of atherosclerosis and osteoarthritis in ancient Egypt: A standardized evaluation of 45 whole-body CT examinations. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PALEOPATHOLOGY 2021; 33:137-145. [PMID: 33930634 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2021.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To correlate atherosclerosis (Ath) and osteoarthritis (OA) in mummies from ancient Egypt. MATERIALS Whole-body CT examinations of 23 mummies from the Ägyptisches Museum und Papyrussammlung, Berlin, Germany, and 22 mummies from the Museo Egizio, Turin, Italy. METHODS Ath was assessed in five anatomical regions by means of preserved arterial calcifications. OA was assessed using the Kellgren and Lawrence (1957) classification. RESULTS Statistical analysis revealed no correlation between Ath and total OA. A significant association was found for Ath and the upper limb group for OA grade >1 and for Ath and the lower limb group, consisting mainly of the hip and knee, for OA grade >2 OA. CONCLUSIONS The association of Ath and advanced OA of the hip and knee is comparable in prevalence to those reported in recent clinical studies, despite the low life expectancy and the different environment and lifestyle of the ancient Egyptians. SIGNIFICANCE This is the first study to correlate findings of Ath and OA in ancient Egypt statistically. The diseases of Ath and OA are common ailments with enormous and increasing impacts on public health. LIMITATIONS The large number of cardiovascular diseases was indicated only by arterial calcifications that resisted the post-mortem changes of the mummification process. Also, the assessed OA was on radiological OA. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH Genomic studies of ancient Egyptian mummies may reveal genetic risk factors for Ath and OA that could be shared in ancient and modern populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Panzer
- Department of Radiology, Berufsgenossenschaftliche Unfallklinik Murnau, Prof-Küntscher-Strasse 8, D-82418 Murnau, Germany; Institute of Biomechanics, Berufsgenossenschaftliche Unfallklinik Murnau and Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria, Prof-Küntscher-Strasse 8, D-82418 Murnau, Germany.
| | - Peter Augat
- Institute of Biomechanics, Berufsgenossenschaftliche Unfallklinik Murnau and Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria, Prof-Küntscher-Strasse 8, D-82418 Murnau, Germany.
| | - Martin Sprenger
- Institute of Social Medicine and Epidemiology, Medical University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 4/3, A-8010 Graz, Austria.
| | - Stephanie Zesch
- German Mummy Project, Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen Mannheim, Zeughaus C5, D-68159 Mannheim, Germany.
| | - Wilfried Rosendahl
- German Mummy Project, Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen Mannheim, Zeughaus C5, D-68159 Mannheim, Germany.
| | - M Linda Sutherland
- MemorialCare Health Systems, 18035 Brookhurst St, Fountain Valley, California, USA.
| | - Randall C Thompson
- Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute, University of Missouri-Kansas City, 4330 Wornall Road, Kansas City, MO 6411, USA.
| | - Alice Paladin
- Institute for Mummy Studies, Eurac Research, Viale Druso 1, I-39100 Bolzano, Italy.
| | - Albert R Zink
- Institute for Mummy Studies, Eurac Research, Viale Druso 1, I-39100 Bolzano, Italy.
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Mooldijk SS, Licher S, Vinke EJ, Vernooij MW, Ikram MK, Ikram MA. Season of birth and the risk of dementia in the population-based Rotterdam Study. Eur J Epidemiol 2021; 36:497-506. [PMID: 34002295 PMCID: PMC8159812 DOI: 10.1007/s10654-021-00755-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Early-life environmental factors have been suggested in the pathophysiology of dementia. Season of birth has previously been used as a proxy for these external exposures. We investigated the link between season of birth and the risk of dementia and further explored underlying pathways by studying structural brain changes on MRI. From the Dutch, population-based Rotterdam Study, 12,964 participants born between 1887 and 1960 were followed between 1990 and 2018 for dementia. Cox regression was conducted to assess the association between season of birth and dementia. In addition, we distinguished between mild and cold winters. The association of season of birth with structural brain markers on MRI was examined in 5237 participants. The risk of dementia in participants born in winter and fall was higher than of those born in summer (hazard ratio (HR) 1.15 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01–1.31] for winter and HR 1.17 [95% CI 1.01–1.33] for fall), especially for Alzheimer’s disease (HR 1.23 [1.06–1.43] for winter and HR 1.15 [95% CI 0.99–1.35] for fall). The risk was particularly increased for participants born in a cold winter. Except for slightly lower hippocampus in fall born participants (β − 0.03; 95% CI − 0.06 to 0.00), we did not find associations with brain imaging markers. In conclusion, winter and fall births were associated with a higher incidence of dementia, especially of AD. We did not find evidence for structural brain changes as an underlying mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanne S Mooldijk
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Silvan Licher
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Elisabeth J Vinke
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Meike W Vernooij
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mohammad Kamran Ikram
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Neurology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mohammad Arfan Ikram
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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27
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Jiménez-Brobeil SA, Charisi D, Laffranchi Z, Maroto Benavides RM, Delgado Huertas A, Milella M. Sex differences in diet and life conditions in a rural Medieval Islamic population from Spain (La Torrecilla, Granada): An isotopic and osteological approach to gender differentiation in al-Andalus. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2021; 175:794-815. [PMID: 33772756 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Gender differentiation can influence the diet, physical activity, and health of human populations. Multifaceted approaches are therefore necessary when exploring the biological consequences of gender-related social norms in the past. Here, we explore the links between diet, physiological stress, physical activity, and gender differentiation in the Medieval Islamic population of La Torrecilla (Granada, Spain, 13th-15th century AD), by analyzing stable isotope patterns, stature, and long bone diaphyseal measurements. MATERIALS AND METHODS The sample includes 96 individuals (48 females, 48 males) classified as young and middle adults (20-34 and 35-50 years of age respectively). Diet was reconstructed through the analysis of δ13 C and δ15 N. Stature, humeral and femoral diaphyseal shape and product of diaphyseal diameters served as proxies of physiological stress and physical activity. RESULTS Isotopic ratios suggest a substantial dietary contribution of C4 plants (e.g., sorghum, millet), a variable access to animal proteins, and no differences between the sexes. Sexual dimorphism in stature derives from a markedly low female stature. Long bone diaphyseal properties suggest that men performed various physically stressful activities, whereas women were involved in less physically demanding activities (possibly related to household work). DISCUSSION Gender differentiation in La Torrecilla was expressed by a possibly differential parental investment in male versus female offspring and by culturally sanctioned gender differences in the performance of physical tasks. Diet was qualitatively homogenous between the sexes, although we cannot rule out quantitative differences. Our results shed new light on the effects of gender-related social norms on human development and lifestyle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia A Jiménez-Brobeil
- Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Drosia Charisi
- Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Zita Laffranchi
- Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.,Department of Physical Anthropology, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Rosa M Maroto Benavides
- Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Antonio Delgado Huertas
- Biogeochemistry of Stable Isotopes Laboratory, Andalusian Institute of Earth Sciences, (IACT-CSIC-UGR), Granada, Spain
| | - Marco Milella
- Department of Physical Anthropology, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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28
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Trajectories of physical functioning among older adults in the US by race, ethnicity and nativity: Examining the role of working conditions. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0247804. [PMID: 33730061 PMCID: PMC7968635 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0247804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Latinos in the US live significantly longer than non-Latino whites, but spend more years disabled. Differentials in socioeconomic status account for part, but not all, of the difference in older age disability between Latinos and whites. We hypothesize that a factor often ignored in the literature—the fact that Latinos, on average, have more physically strenuous jobs than non-Latino whites—contributes to the higher Latino risk of functional limitations at older ages. We use longitudinal data from the 1998–2014 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) comprising 17,297 respondents. Compared to US-born whites, Latinos, especially Latino immigrants, report substantially higher levels of physical effort at work. Latino-black differences are much smaller than Latino-white differences. As hypothesized, physical work effort is strongly related to functional limitations. However, differentials in physical work effort for Latinos and whites in their fifties and early sixties are weakly related to Latino-white differentials in FL at later ages.
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29
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Cristofori F, Dargenio VN, Dargenio C, Miniello VL, Barone M, Francavilla R. Anti-Inflammatory and Immunomodulatory Effects of Probiotics in Gut Inflammation: A Door to the Body. Front Immunol 2021; 12:578386. [PMID: 33717063 PMCID: PMC7953067 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.578386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 282] [Impact Index Per Article: 94.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Hosting millions of microorganisms, the digestive tract is the primary and most important part of bacterial colonization. On one side, in cases of opportunistic invasion, the abundant bacterial population inside intestinal tissues may face potential health problems such as inflammation and infections. Therefore, the immune system has evolved to sustain the host-microbiota symbiotic relationship. On the other hand, to maintain host immune homeostasis, the intestinal microflora often exerts an immunoregulatory function that cannot be ignored. A field of great interest is the association of either microbiota or probiotics with the immune system concerning clinical uses. This microbial community regulates some of the host's metabolic and physiological functions and drives early-life immune system maturation, contributing to their homeostasis throughout life. Changes in gut microbiota can occur through modification in function, composition (dysbiosis), or microbiota-host interplays. Studies on animals and humans show that probiotics can have a pivotal effect on the modulation of immune and inflammatory mechanisms; however, the precise mechanisms have not yet been well defined. Diet, age, BMI (body mass index), medications, and stress may confound the benefits of probiotic intake. In addition to host gut functions (permeability and physiology), all these agents have profound implications for the gut microbiome composition. The use of probiotics could improve the gut microbial population, increase mucus-secretion, and prevent the destruction of tight junction proteins by decreasing the number of lipopolysaccharides (LPSs). When LPS binds endothelial cells to toll-like receptors (TLR 2, 4), dendritic cells and macrophage cells are activated, and inflammatory markers are increased. Furthermore, a decrease in gut dysbiosis and intestinal leakage after probiotic therapy may minimize the development of inflammatory biomarkers and blunt unnecessary activation of the immune system. In turn, probiotics improve the differentiation of T-cells against Th2 and development of Th2 cytokines such as IL-4 and IL-10. The present narrative review explores the interactions between gut microflora/probiotics and the immune system starting from the general perspective of a biological plausibility to get to the in vitro and in vivo demonstrations of a probiotic-based approach up to the possible uses for novel therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Cristofori
- Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Vanessa Nadia Dargenio
- Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Costantino Dargenio
- Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Vito Leonardo Miniello
- Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Michele Barone
- Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Ruggiero Francavilla
- Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
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30
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Assessing the effects of autarchic policies on the biological well-being: Analysis of deviations in cohort male height in the Valencian Community (Spain) during Francoist regime. Soc Sci Med 2021; 273:113771. [PMID: 33621755 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.113771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
This article aims to assess the impact of autarchic policies on the biological dimensions of human well-being during Francoist regime in Spain. This is done by examining the nutritional status of the population through the study of male adult heights. Our case study is the Valencian Community with the focus on the period 1940-59 which witnessed the implementation of such policies. The heights of 21-year old draftees born between 1900 and 1954 from nine municipalities (N = 87,510) were analyzed in the light of inter-cohort deviations from a secular trend established for cohorts that were not exposed to autarchy-related hardships. Height was regressed on infant mortality as a way to control for infection and therefore approach the net effect of nutrition on height outcomes. Contrarily to what was displayed by cohort height trends in themselves, the results reveal a significant worsening of the nutritional status of the male population at the time. Deviations from the expected height trend across municipalities ranged between -0.5 and -3.4 mm per year. The effects of malnutrition are found to be larger among cohorts born in the period 1920-34 in coherence with a longer exposure to autarchy hardships during adolescence. Pre-autarchy nutrition levels observed among the cohorts of 1900-14 were not regained until the cohorts 1945-49. The results also show that malnutrition had an unequal impact with the large industrial towns of our sample experiencing the poorest height outcomes. Overall, these results invite to revise conclusions obtained from the sole evidence of height trends and they question the efficiency of intervention policies implemented in Spain during the 1940s.
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31
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Ma M, Yahirun J, Saenz J, Sheehan C. Offspring Educational Attainment and Older Parents' Cognition in Mexico. Demography 2021; 58:75-109. [PMID: 33612872 PMCID: PMC7894606 DOI: 10.1215/00703370-8931725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Population-level disparities in later-life cognitive health point to the importance of family resources. Although the bulk of prior work establishes the directional flow of resources from parents to offspring, the "linked lives" perspective raises the question of how offspring resources could affect parental health as well. This paper examines whether adult children's education influences older parents' (aged 50+) cognitive health in Mexico, where schooling reforms have contributed to significant gains in the educational achievements of recent birth cohorts. Harnessing a change in compulsory school laws and applying an instrumental variables approach, we found that each year of offspring schooling was associated with higher overall cognition among parents, but was less predictive across different cognitive functioning domains. More offspring schooling improved parents' cognitive abilities in verbal learning, verbal fluency, and orientation, but not in visual scanning, visuo-spatial ability, or visual memory. The beneficial effects of offspring schooling on those cognitive domains are more salient for mothers compared to fathers, suggesting potential gendered effects in the influence of offspring schooling. The results remained robust to controls for parent-child contact and geographic proximity, suggesting other avenues through which offspring education could affect parental health and a pathway for future research. Our findings contribute to growing research which stresses the causal influence of familial educational attainment on population health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingming Ma
- Institute for Advanced Research, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, 111 Wuchuan Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Jenjira Yahirun
- Department of Sociology, Bowling Green State University, 242 Williams Hall, Bowling Green, OH 43404, USA
| | - Joseph Saenz
- Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, 3715 McClintock Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Connor Sheehan
- T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 873701, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
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32
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Meisel P, Nauck M, Kocher T. Individual predisposition and the intricate interplay between systemic biomarkers and periodontal risk in a general population. J Periodontol 2021; 92:844-853. [PMID: 33315240 DOI: 10.1002/jper.20-0591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increasing age is associated with systemic diseases as well as with periodontal diseases. We wondered whether a biological age score constructed exclusively from systemic biomarkers would reflect periodontal risk factors at baseline and tooth loss as well as periodontal outcome during 10 years follow-up. METHODS From the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP) 2256 participants (1072 male, 1184 female) were studied for the relationship of the systemic biomarkers glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), fibrinogen, white blood cell count, blood pressure, and waist circumference to their age. Construction of a biological age (BA) score allowed its comparison with the participants' actual chronological age (CA) and their predisposition to periodontal disease. RESULTS Though nearly identical in CA, participants appearing younger than their true age had a significantly reduced burden of periodontal risk factors. If BA > CA, then risk factors were more frequent including smoking, oral hygiene, dental visits, education, and income. After 10 years, in participants with identical CA, tooth loss followed their BA calculated at baseline, that is, with BA > CA fewer teeth were preserved. Similarly, periodontal measures varied according to BA; sex differences were obvious. Most significant were BA-related differences in inflammatory and anthropometry parameters. CONCLUSIONS The results support the assumption that risk profiles aggregated in BA constitute a characteristic susceptibility pattern unique to each individual, common to both systemic and periodontal diseases. Although BA was constructed exclusively from systemic measures at baseline, BA reflects the oral conditions at follow-up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Meisel
- Dental Clinics, Department of Periodontology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Matthias Nauck
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Diagnostics, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Thomas Kocher
- Dental Clinics, Department of Periodontology, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
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33
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Spake L, Hoppa RD, Blau S, Cardoso HFV. Lack of biological mortality bias in the timing of dental formation in contemporary children: Implications for the study of past populations. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2021; 174:646-660. [PMID: 33393681 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 12/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Biological mortality bias is the idea that individuals who perish (non-survivors) are biologically distinct from those who survive (survivors). If biological mortality bias is large enough, bioarchaeological studies of nonsurvivors (skeletal samples) cannot accurately represent the experiences of the survivors of that population. This effect is particularly problematic for the study of juvenile individuals, as growth is particularly sensitive to environmental insults. In this study, we test whether biological mortality bias exists in one dimension of growth, namely dental development. MATERIALS AND METHODS Postmortem computed tomography scans of 206 children aged 12 years and younger at death were collected from two institutions in the United States and Australia. The sample was separated into children dying from natural causes as proxies for non-survivors and from accidental causes as proxies for survivors. Differences in the timing of dental development were assessed using sequential logistic regressions between dental formation stages and residual analysis of dental minus chronological age. RESULTS No consistent delay in age of attainment of dental stages was documented between survivors and non-survivors. Delays between survivors and non-survivors in dental relative to chronological age were greatest for infants, and were greater for females than for males. DISCUSSION Lack of biological mortality bias in dental development reinforces confidence in juvenile age estimates and therefore in skeletal growth profiles and growth studies. As dental development is known to be less environmentally sensitive than skeletal growth and development, further studies should examine biological mortality bias in long bone length.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laure Spake
- Religion Programme and Centre for Research on Evolution, Belief and Behaviour, University of Otago, Dunedinm, New Zealand
| | - Robert D Hoppa
- Department of Anthropology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Soren Blau
- Forensic Services, Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, Southbank, Australia.,Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Hugo F V Cardoso
- Department of Archaeology and Centre for Forensic Research, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
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34
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McDade TW, Miller A, Tran TT, Borders AEB, Miller G. A highly sensitive multiplex immunoassay for inflammatory cytokines in dried blood spots. Am J Hum Biol 2021; 33:e23558. [PMID: 33382166 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Inflammatory cytokines are key regulators of inflammation, but current measurement approaches require venous blood to quantify low circulating concentrations associated with chronic, low-grade inflammation. This article describes a highly sensitive multiplex immunoassay protocol for the measurement of IL6, IL8, IL10, and TNFα in finger stick dried blood spot (DBS) samples. METHODS The protocol uses a multiplex electrochemiluminescent immunoassay platform. The following measures of assay performance were evaluated: reliability (inter-assay percent coefficient of variation; %CV), precision (intra-assay %CV), lower limit of detection (LLD), linearity of dilution, and agreement with results from matched plasma samples. RESULTS Analysis of three control samples across the assay range indicated an acceptable level of precision and reliability for each cytokine. Linearity of dilution returned average values that ranged from 104.1 to 127.6% of expected. Lower limits of detection for IL6, IL8, and IL10 were <0.5, and <1.0 pg/ml for TNFα. Level of agreement in results between matched DBS and plasma samples was high for all cytokines except for IL8. CONCLUSIONS Finger stick DBS sampling provides a viable alternative to venipuncture for the quantification of IL6, IL10, and TNFα at low concentrations associated with chronic inflammation. The presence of red blood cells may interfere with the quantification of IL8 in DBS. In facilitating blood collection in nonclinical settings this method can advance scientific understandings of how social and ecological contexts shape immune function and health over the life course.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W McDade
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA.,Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Aaron Miller
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Tina T Tran
- Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Ann E B Borders
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, NorthShore University Health System, Evanston, Illinois, USA.,Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Greg Miller
- Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA.,Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
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35
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McDade TW, Koning SM. Early origins of socioeconomic inequalities in chronic inflammation: Evaluating the contributions of low birth weight and short breastfeeding. Soc Sci Med 2021; 269:113592. [PMID: 33360022 PMCID: PMC7780588 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The United States is characterized by persistent and widening social inequities in a wide range of adult health outcomes. A life course approach challenges us to consider if, and how, these inequities trace back to early life conditions, and chronic inflammation represents a potentially important mechanism through which early environments may have lasting effects on health in adulthood. Low birth weight (LBW) and shorter durations of breastfeeding both predict increased inflammation in adulthood, which is associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and all-cause mortality. Using data from a large representative sample of young adults in the US (National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health)), we document the socioeconomic status (SES) gradient in chronic inflammation, as indicated by concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP). Using a nested set of structural equation models and marginal standardization techniques, we investigate the extent to which this gradient is explained by patterns of LBW and breastfeeding in infancy. Findings reveal a particularly important role for breastfeeding duration: Based on model predictive margins, increasing breastfeeding duration to three or more months corresponds to a flattening of the SES gradient by 80%, and 83% when LBW is eliminated. This study expands current understandings of the consequential role of developmental environments for population health and for addressing health inequities in future generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W McDade
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA; Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Child and Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1Z8, Canada.
| | - Stephanie M Koning
- Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
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Kraft TS, Stieglitz J, Trumble BC, Garcia AR, Kaplan H, Gurven M. Multi-system physiological dysregulation and ageing in a subsistence population. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190610. [PMID: 32951553 PMCID: PMC7540955 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans have the longest post-reproductive lifespans and lowest rates of actuarial ageing among primates. Understanding the links between slow actuarial ageing and physiological change is critical for improving the human 'healthspan'. Physiological dysregulation may be a key feature of ageing in industrialized populations with high burdens of chronic 'diseases of civilization', but little is known about age trajectories of physiological condition in subsistence populations with limited access to public health infrastructure. To better characterize human physiological dysregulation, we examined age trajectories of 40 biomarkers spanning the immune (n = 13 biomarkers), cardiometabolic (n = 14), musculoskeletal (n = 6) and other (n = 7) systems among Tsimane forager-horticulturalists of the Bolivian Amazon using mixed cross-sectional and longitudinal data (n = 22 115 observations). We characterized age-related changes using a multi-system statistical index of physiological dysregulation (Mahalanobis distance; Dm) that increases with age in both humans and other primates. Although individual biomarkers showed varied age profiles, we found a robust increase in age-related dysregulation for Tsimane (β = 0.17-0.18) that was marginally faster than that reported for an industrialized Western sample (β = 0.14-0.16), but slower than that of other non-human primates. We found minimal sex differences in the pace or average level of dysregulation for Tsimane. Our findings highlight some conserved patterns of physiological dysregulation in humans, consistent with the notion that somatic ageing exhibits species-typical patterns, despite cross-cultural variation in environmental exposures, lifestyles and mortality. This article is part of the theme issue 'Evolution of the primate ageing process'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas S. Kraft
- Integrative Anthropological Sciences Unit, Department of Anthropology, University of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | | | - Benjamin C. Trumble
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Angela R. Garcia
- Integrative Anthropological Sciences Unit, Department of Anthropology, University of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Hillard Kaplan
- Economic Science Institute, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, CA 92866, USA
| | - Michael Gurven
- Integrative Anthropological Sciences Unit, Department of Anthropology, University of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
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37
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Garcia AR, Blackwell AD, Trumble BC, Stieglitz J, Kaplan H, Gurven MD. Evidence for height and immune function trade-offs among preadolescents in a high pathogen population. Evol Med Public Health 2020; 2020:86-99. [PMID: 32983534 PMCID: PMC7502263 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoaa017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In an energy-limited environment, caloric investments in one characteristic should trade-off with investments in other characteristics. In high pathogen ecologies, biasing energy allocation towards immune function over growth would be predicted, given strong selective pressures against early-life mortality. METHODOLOGY In the present study, we use flow cytometry to examine trade-offs between adaptive immune function (T cell subsets, B cells), innate immune function (natural killer cells), adaptive to innate ratio and height-for-age z scores (HAZ) among young children (N = 344; aged 2 months-8 years) in the Bolivian Amazon, using maternal BMI and child weight-for-height z scores (WHZ) as proxies for energetic status. RESULTS Markers of adaptive immune function negatively associate with child HAZ, a pattern most significant in preadolescents (3+ years). In children under three, maternal BMI appears to buffer immune and HAZ associations, while child energetic status (WHZ) moderates relationships in an unexpected direction: HAZ and immune associations are greater in preadolescents with higher WHZ. Children with low WHZ maintain similar levels of adaptive immune function, but are shorter compared to high WHZ peers. CONCLUSIONS Reduced investment in growth in favor of immunity may be necessary for survival in high pathogen contexts, even under energetic constraints. Further, genetic and environmental factors are important considerations for understanding variation in height within this population. These findings prompt consideration of whether there may be a threshold of investment into adaptive immunity required for survival in high pathogen environments, and thus question the universal relevance of height as a marker of health. LAY SUMMARY Adaptive immune function is negatively associated with child height in this high pathogen environment. Further, low weight-for-height children are shorter but maintain similar immune levels. Findings question the relevance of height as a universal health marker, given that costs and benefits of height versus immunity may be calibrated to local ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela R Garcia
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, 427 E Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, 427 E Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Aaron D Blackwell
- Department of Anthropology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99163, USA
| | - Benjamin C Trumble
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, 427 E Tyler Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, 900 Cady Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Jonathan Stieglitz
- Université Toulouse 1 Capitole, espanade de l’Université 21, Allée de Brienne, Toulouse Cedex 06 31080, France
- Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, espanade de l’Université 21, Allée de Brienne, Toulouse Cedex 06 31080, France
| | - Hillard Kaplan
- Economic Science Institute, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, CA 92866, USA
| | - Michael D Gurven
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
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Fernández-Prada M, López Trigo JA, Bayas JM, Cambronero MDR. [Quo vadis in vaccines: From the empirical approach to the new wave of technology]. Rev Esp Geriatr Gerontol 2020; 55:160-168. [PMID: 32014265 DOI: 10.1016/j.regg.2019.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Revised: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The development of vaccines is a multifactorial process that has evolved and expanded, particularly over the last decades. The search for immunogenic vaccines that are also acceptably safe and tolerable enacted continuous technological advances in this field. In this regard, the technology applied to vaccines can historically be divided into 3 approaches: the empirical approach, the modern approach, and the new technological wave. The empirical approach for vaccine development includes whole micro-organisms, attenuation, inactivation, cell cultures and sub-unit vaccines. The modern approach contributed to leaps and bounds to vaccine development using chemical conjugation, as well as recombinant protein DNA technology and reverse vaccinology. Lastly, the new technological wave includes, among others, bioconjugation, viral vectors, synthetic biology, self-amplification of messenger RNA, generalized modules for membrane antigens, structural vaccinology and the new adjuvants.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Fernández-Prada
- Servicio de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Hospital Vital Álvarez Buylla, Mieres, España
| | | | - José M Bayas
- Departamento Médico, GSK, Tres Cantos, Madrid, España
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Wells JC, Sawaya AL, Wibaek R, Mwangome M, Poullas MS, Yajnik CS, Demaio A. The double burden of malnutrition: aetiological pathways and consequences for health. Lancet 2020; 395:75-88. [PMID: 31852605 PMCID: PMC7613491 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(19)32472-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 399] [Impact Index Per Article: 99.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Malnutrition has historically been researched and addressed within two distinct silos, focusing either on undernutrition, food insecurity, and micronutrient deficiencies, or on overweight, obesity, and dietary excess. However, through rapid global nutrition transition, an increasing proportion of individuals are exposed to different forms of malnutrition during the life course and have the double burden of malnutrition (DBM) directly. Long-lasting effects of malnutrition in early life can be attributed to interconnected biological pathways, involving imbalance of the gut microbiome, inflammation, metabolic dysregulation, and impaired insulin signalling. Life-course exposure to early undernutrition followed by later overweight increases the risk of non-communicable disease, by imposing a high metabolic load on a depleted capacity for homoeostasis, and in women increases the risk of childbirth complications. These life-course trajectories are shaped both by societal driving factors-ie, rapidly changing diets, norms of eating, and physical activity patterns-and by broader ecological factors such as pathogen burden and extrinsic mortality risk. Mitigation of the DBM will require major societal shifts regarding nutrition and public health, to implement comprehensive change that is sustained over decades, and scaled up into the entire global food system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan C Wells
- Childhood Nutrition Research Centre, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK.
| | - Ana Lydia Sawaya
- Department of Physiology, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rasmus Wibaek
- Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Clinical Epidemiology, Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Martha Mwangome
- Kenya Medical Research Institute Wellcome Trust Research Program, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Marios S Poullas
- Childhood Nutrition Research Centre, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | | | - Alessandro Demaio
- School of Global Health, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; EAT Foundation, Oslo, Norway; Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; VicHealth, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Wells JCK, Stock JT. Life History Transitions at the Origins of Agriculture: A Model for Understanding How Niche Construction Impacts Human Growth, Demography and Health. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2020; 11:325. [PMID: 32508752 PMCID: PMC7253633 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.00325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Over recent millennia, human populations have regularly reconstructed their subsistence niches, changing both how they obtain food and the conditions in which they live. For example, over the last 12,000 years the vast majority of human populations shifted from foraging to practicing different forms of agriculture. The shift to farming is widely understood to have impacted several aspects of human demography and biology, including mortality risk, population growth, adult body size, and physical markers of health. However, these trends have not been integrated within an over-arching conceptual framework, and there is poor understanding of why populations tended to increase in population size during periods when markers of health deteriorated. Here, we offer a novel conceptual approach based on evolutionary life history theory. This theory assumes that energy availability is finite and must be allocated in competition between the functions of maintenance, growth, reproduction, and defence. In any given environment, and at any given stage during the life-course, natural selection favours energy allocation strategies that maximise fitness. We argue that the origins of agriculture involved profound transformations in human life history strategies, impacting both the availability of energy and the way that it was allocated between life history functions in the body. Although overall energy supply increased, the diet composition changed, while sedentary populations were challenged by new infectious burdens. We propose that this composite new ecological niche favoured increased energy allocation to defence (immune function) and reproduction, thus reducing the allocation to growth and maintenance. We review evidence in support of this hypothesis and highlight how further work could address both heterogeneity and specific aspects of the origins of agriculture in more detail. Our approach can be applied to many other transformations of the human subsistence niche, and can shed new light on the way that health, height, life expectancy, and fertility patterns are changing in association with globalization and nutrition transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan C. K. Wells
- Childhood Nutrition Research Centre, Population, Policy and Practice Programme, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Jonathan C. K. Wells
| | - Jay T. Stock
- Department of Anthropology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany
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Kemp B, Karas Montez J. Why does the importance of education for health differ across the United States? SOCIUS : SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH FOR A DYNAMIC WORLD 2020; 6. [PMID: 32206726 DOI: 10.1177/2378023119899545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The positive association between educational attainment and adult health ("the gradient") is stronger in some areas of the United States than in others. Explanations for the geographic pattern have not been rigorously investigated. Grounded in a contextual and life course perspective, this study assesses childhood circumstances (e.g., childhood health, compulsory schooling laws) and adult circumstances (e.g., wealth, lifestyles, economic policies) as potential explanations. Using data on US-born adults aged 50-59 at baseline (N=13,095) and followed for up to 16 years across the 1998-2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, this study examined how and why educational gradients in morbidity, functioning, and mortality vary across nine U.S. regions. The findings indicate that the gradient is stronger in some areas than others partly because of geographic differences in childhood socioeconomic conditions and health, but mostly because of geographic differences in adult circumstances such as wealth, lifestyles, and economic and tobacco policies.
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Zhang Y, Devore EE, Strohmaier S, Grodstein F, Schernhammer ES. Birth month, birth season, and overall and cardiovascular disease mortality in US women: prospective cohort study. BMJ 2019; 367:l6058. [PMID: 31852664 PMCID: PMC7190053 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.l6058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the associations between birth month, birth season, and overall and cardiovascular disease mortality, and to examine the role of familial and socioeconomic factors in these associations. DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SETTING Nurses' Health Study, established in 1976, an ongoing prospective cohort study in the United States. PARTICIPANTS Female registered nurses who reported information on date of birth at study enrolment (n=116 911, 1976-2014, followed for 38 years). EXPOSURE Birth month and astronomical birth season (based on solstices and equinoxes as boundaries of the season categories). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Age and various multivariable adjusted hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for the association between birth months (using November as the reference), astronomical birth season (using autumn as the reference), and overall and cardiovascular disease specific mortality were assessed using Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS Among study participants, 43 248 overall deaths were documented during 4 136 364 person years of follow-up since enrolment, including 8360 cardiovascular disease related deaths. In fully adjusted multivariable analyses, no significant association was observed between birth month, birth season, and overall mortality. Compared with women born in November, increased cardiovascular disease mortality was observed among those born from March to July (hazard ratio for March, 1.09, 95% confidence interval 0.98 to 1.21; April, 1.12, 1.00 to 1.24; May, 1.08, 0.98 to 1.20; June, 1.07, 0.96 to 1.19; and July 1.08, 0.98 to 1.20). Those born in April had the highest cardiovascular disease mortality, and those born in December had the lowest (December, 0.95, 0.85 to 1.06). The relative difference between the lowest and highest risk month was 17.89%. Women born in spring (1.10, 1.04 to 1.17) and summer (1.09, 1.03 to 1.16) had a higher cardiovascular disease mortality than women born in the autumn. Adjustment for familial and socioeconomic factors did not change these results. The relative difference between the lowest and highest risk season was 10.00%. CONCLUSION Participants born in the spring and summer (especially those born in March-July) had a slight but significant increase in cardiovascular disease specific mortality. However, no seasonal birth month effect was observed among women for overall mortality. Familial and socioeconomic factors did not appear to alter these associations. Further studies are required to confirm these findings and reveal mechanisms of these seasonal birth month effects in cardiovascular disease mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Zhang
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elizabeth E Devore
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Susanne Strohmaier
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Francine Grodstein
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Eva S Schernhammer
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Centre for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Nobles J, Hamoudi A. Detecting the Effects of Early-Life Exposures: Why Fecundity Matters. POPULATION RESEARCH AND POLICY REVIEW 2019; 38:783-809. [PMID: 33408430 PMCID: PMC7785096 DOI: 10.1007/s11113-019-09562-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal exposures have meaningful effects on health across the lifecourse. Innovations in causal inference have shed new light on these effects. Here, we motivate the importance of innovation in the characterization of fecundity, and prenatal selection in particular. We argue that such innovation is crucial for expanding knowledge of the fetal origins of later life health. Pregnancy loss is common, responsive to environmental factors, and closely related to maternal and fetal health outcomes. As a result, selection into live birth is driven by many of the same exposures that shape the health trajectories of survivors. Lifecourse effects that are inferred without accounting for these dynamics may be significantly distorted by survival bias. We use a set of Monte Carlo simulations with realistic parameters to examine the implications of prenatal survival bias. We find that even in conservatively specified scenarios, true fetal origin effects can be underestimated by 50% or more. In contrast, effects of exposures that reduce the probability of prenatal survival but improve the health of survivors will be overestimated. The absolute magnitude of survival bias can even exceed small effect sizes, resulting in inferences that beneficial exposures are harmful or vice-versa. We also find reason for concern that moderately sized true effects, underestimated due to failure to account for selective survival, are missing from scientific knowledge because they do not clear statistical significance filters. This bias has potential real-world costs; policy decisions about interventions to improve maternal and infant health will be affected by underestimated program impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna Nobles
- University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1180 Observatory Drive Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - Amar Hamoudi
- University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1180 Observatory Drive Madison, Wisconsin 53706
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Trumble BC, Finch CE. THE EXPOSOME IN HUMAN EVOLUTION: FROM DUST TO DIESEL. THE QUARTERLY REVIEW OF BIOLOGY 2019; 94:333-394. [PMID: 32269391 PMCID: PMC7141577 DOI: 10.1086/706768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Global exposures to air pollution and cigarette smoke are novel in human evolutionary history and are associated with about 16 million premature deaths per year. We investigate the history of the human exposome for relationships between novel environmental toxins and genetic changes during human evolution in six phases. Phase I: With increased walking on savannas, early human ancestors inhaled crustal dust, fecal aerosols, and spores; carrion scavenging introduced new infectious pathogens. Phase II: Domestic fire exposed early Homo to novel toxins from smoke and cooking. Phases III and IV: Neolithic to preindustrial Homo sapiens incurred infectious pathogens from domestic animals and dense communities with limited sanitation. Phase V: Industrialization introduced novel toxins from fossil fuels, industrial chemicals, and tobacco at the same time infectious pathogens were diminishing. Thereby, pathogen-driven causes of mortality were replaced by chronic diseases driven by sterile inflammogens, exogenous and endogenous. Phase VI: Considers future health during global warming with increased air pollution and infections. We hypothesize that adaptation to some ancient toxins persists in genetic variations associated with inflammation and longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin C Trumble
- School of Human Evolution & Social Change and Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University Tempe, Arizona 85287 USA
| | - Caleb E Finch
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and Dornsife College, University of Southern California Los Angeles, California 90089-0191 USA
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van Dijk IK, Janssens A, Smith KR. The Long Harm of Childhood: Childhood Exposure to Mortality and Subsequent Risk of Adult Mortality in Utah and The Netherlands. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF POPULATION = REVUE EUROPEENNE DE DEMOGRAPHIE 2019; 35:851-871. [PMID: 31832028 PMCID: PMC6882779 DOI: 10.1007/s10680-018-9505-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
How do early-life conditions affect adult mortality? Research has yielded mixed evidence about the influence of infant and child mortality in birth cohorts on adult health and mortality. Studies rarely consider the specific role of mortality within the family. We estimated how individuals' exposure to mortality as a child is related to their adult mortality risk between ages 18 and 85 in two historical populations, Utah (USA) 1874-2015 and Zeeland (The Netherlands) 1812-1957. We examined these associations for early community-level exposure to infant and early (before sixth birthday) and late (before eighteenth birthday) childhood mortality as well as exposure during these ages to sibling deaths. We find that that exposure in childhood to community mortality and sibling deaths increases adult mortality rates. Effects of sibling mortality on adult all-cause mortality risk were stronger in Utah, where sibling deaths were less common in relation to Zeeland. Exposure to sibling death due to infection was related to the surviving siblings' risk of adult mortality due to cardiovascular disease (relative risk: 1.06) and metabolic disease (relative risk: 1.42), primarily diabetes mellitus, a result consistent with an inflammatory immune response mechanism. We conclude that early-life conditions and exposure to mortality in early life, especially within families of origin, contribute to adult mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid K. van Dijk
- Department of History, Radboud University Nijmegen, Erasmusplein 1, 6500 HD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Angelique Janssens
- Department of History, Radboud University Nijmegen, Erasmusplein 1, 6500 HD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Ken R. Smith
- Department of Family and Consumer Studies and Population Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA
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Anitha S, Muzanila Y, Tsusaka TW, Kachulu L, Kumwenda N, Musoke M, Swai E, Shija J, Siambi M, Monyo ES, Bekunda M, Okori P. Reducing Child Undernutrition through Dietary Diversification, Reduced Aflatoxin Exposure, and Improved Hygiene Practices: The Immediate Impacts in Central Tanzania. Ecol Food Nutr 2019; 59:243-262. [DOI: 10.1080/03670244.2019.1691000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Seetha Anitha
- Department of Strategic Marketing and communication, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, Hyderabad, India
- Department of plant breeding, ICRISAT, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Yasinta Muzanila
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
| | | | | | | | - Mike Musoke
- Department of plant breeding, ICRISAT, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Elirehema Swai
- Agricultural Research Institute, Hombolo, Central Zone Crop Research, Dodoma, Tanzania
| | - Jackson Shija
- District Agriculture and Irrigation department, Kongwa District Council, Dodoma, Tanzania
| | | | | | - Mateete Bekunda
- Africa RISING East & Southern Africa, International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Patrick Okori
- Department of plant breeding, ICRISAT, Lilongwe, Malawi
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Miranda JJ, Barrientos-Gutiérrez T, Corvalan C, Hyder AA, Lazo-Porras M, Oni T, Wells JCK. Understanding the rise of cardiometabolic diseases in low- and middle-income countries. Nat Med 2019; 25:1667-1679. [PMID: 31700182 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-019-0644-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 177] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Increases in the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), particularly cardiometabolic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, stroke and diabetes, and their major risk factors have not been uniform across settings: for example, cardiovascular disease mortality has declined over recent decades in high-income countries but increased in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The factors contributing to this rise are varied and are influenced by environmental, social, political and commercial determinants of health, among other factors. This Review focuses on understanding the rise of cardiometabolic diseases in LMICs, with particular emphasis on obesity and its drivers, together with broader environmental and macro determinants of health, as well as LMIC-based responses to counteract cardiometabolic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Jaime Miranda
- CRONICAS Center of Excellence in Chronic Diseases, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru.
- School of Medicine, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru.
| | | | - Camila Corvalan
- Unit of Public Health, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Adnan A Hyder
- Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Maria Lazo-Porras
- CRONICAS Center of Excellence in Chronic Diseases, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
- Division of Tropical and Humanitarian Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Tolu Oni
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Research Initiative for Cities Health and Equity (RICHE), Division of Public Health Medicine, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jonathan C K Wells
- Childhood Nutrition Research Centre, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
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Farmer HR, Wray LA, Xian Y, Xu H, Pagidipati N, Peterson ED, Dupre ME. Racial Differences in Elevated C-Reactive Protein Among US Older Adults. J Am Geriatr Soc 2019; 68:362-369. [PMID: 31633808 DOI: 10.1111/jgs.16187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate racial differences in elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) and the potential factors contributing to these differences in US older men and women. DESIGN Nationally representative cohort study. SETTING Health and Retirement Study, 2006 to 2014. PARTICIPANTS Noninstitutionalized non-Hispanic black and white older adults living in the United States (n = 13 517). MEASUREMENTS CRP was categorized as elevated (>3.0 mg/L) and nonelevated (≤3.0 mg/L) as the primary outcome. Measures for demographic background, socioeconomic status, psychosocial factors, health behaviors, and physiological health were examined as potential factors contributing to race differences in elevated CRP. RESULTS Median CRP levels (interquartile range) were 1.67 (3.03) mg/L in whites and 2.62 (4.95) mg/L in blacks. Results from random effects logistic regression models showed that blacks had significantly greater odds of elevated CRP than whites (odds ratio = 2.58; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.20-3.02). Results also showed that racial difference in elevated CRP varied significantly by sex (predicted probability [PP] [white men] = 0.28 [95% CI = 0.27-0.30]; PP [black men] = 0.38 [95% CI = 0.35-0.41]; PP [white women] = 0.35 [95% CI = 0.34-0.36]; PP [black women] = 0.49 [95% CI = 0.47-0.52]) and remained significant after risk adjustment. In men, the racial differences in elevated CRP were attributable to a combination of socioeconomic (12.3%) and behavioral (16.5%) factors. In women, the racial differences in elevated CRP were primarily attributable to physiological factors (40.0%). CONCLUSION In the US older adult population, blacks were significantly more likely to have elevated CRP than whites; and the factors contributing to these differences varied in men and women. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:362-369, 2020.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather R Farmer
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.,Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Linda A Wray
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
| | - Ying Xian
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.,Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Hanzhang Xu
- Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.,Duke School of Nursing, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Neha Pagidipati
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.,Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Eric D Peterson
- Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.,Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Matthew E Dupre
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.,Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.,Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.,Department of Sociology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
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50
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Said-Mohamed R, Stein AD, Pettifor JM, Norris SA. Sanitation and diarrhoea in infancy and CRP level at 18 years: the birth-to-twenty plus cohort. Ann Hum Biol 2019; 46:415-424. [DOI: 10.1080/03014460.2019.1657496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rihlat Said-Mohamed
- SA MRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Aryeh D. Stein
- SA MRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - John M. Pettifor
- SA MRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Shane A. Norris
- SA MRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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