Air Pollution Is Associated with Cognitive Deterioration of Alzheimer’s Disease

Gerontology ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Feng Cheng Lin ◽  
Chih Yin Chen ◽  
Chung Wei Lin ◽  
Ming Tsang Wu ◽  
Hsuan Yu Chen ◽  
...  

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Dementia is one of the major causes of disability and dependency among older people worldwide. Alz­heimer’s disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia among the elderly, has great impact on the health-care system of developed nations. Several risk factors are suggestive of an increased risk of AD, including APOE-ε4, male, age, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and low social engagement. However, data on risk factors of AD progression are limited. Air pollution is revealed to be associated with increasing dementia incidence, but the relationship between air pollution and clinical AD cognitive deterioration is unclear. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We conducted a case-control and city-to-city study to compare the progression of AD patients in different level of air-polluted cities. Clinical data of a total of 704 AD patients were retrospectively collected, 584 residences in Kaohsiung and 120 residences in Pingtung between 2002 and 2018. An annual interview was performed with each patient, and the Clinical Dementia Rating score (0 [normal] to 3 [severe stage]) was used to evaluate their cognitive deterioration. Air pollution data of Kaohsiung and Pingtung city for 2002–2018 were retrieved from Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration. Annual Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) and concentrations of particulate matter (PM<sub>10</sub>), sulfur dioxide (SO<sub>2</sub>), ozone (O<sub>3</sub>), nitrogen dioxide (NO<sub>2</sub>), and carbon monoxide (CO) were obtained. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The PSI was higher in Kaohsiung and compared with Pingtung patients, Kaohsiung patients were exposed to higher average annual concentrations of CO, NO<sub>2</sub>, PM<sub>10</sub>, and SO<sub>2</sub>. AD patients living in Kaohsiung suffered from faster cognitive deterioration in comparison with Pingtung patients (log-rank test: <i>p</i> = 0.016). When using multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, higher levels of CO, NO<sub>2</sub>, PM<sub>10</sub>, and SO<sub>2</sub> exposure were associated with increased risk of AD cognitive deterioration. Among all these air pollutants, high SO<sub>2</sub> exposure has the greatest impact while O<sub>3</sub> has a neutral effect on AD cognitive deterioration. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Air pollution is an environment-related risk factor that can be controlled and is associated with cognitive deterioration of AD. This finding could contribute to the implementation of public intervention strategies of AD.

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 00543-2020
Author(s):  
Balázs Csoma ◽  
András Bikov ◽  
Ferenc Tóth ◽  
György Losonczy ◽  
Veronika Müller ◽  
...  

Background and objectiveThe relationship between hospitalisation with an eosinophilic acute exacerbation of COPD (AE-COPD) and future relapses is unclear. We aimed to explore this association by following 152 patients for 12 months after hospital discharge or until their first moderate or severe flare-up.MethodsPatients hospitalised with AE-COPD were divided into eosinophilic and non-eosinophilic groups based on full blood count results on admission. All patients were treated with a course of systemic corticosteroid. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to study the association with the time to first re-exacerbation; a generalised linear regression model was applied to identify clinical variables related to the recurrence of relapses.ResultsWe did not find a difference in the time to the next moderate or severe exacerbation between the eosinophilic (≥2% of total leukocytes and/or ≥200 eosinophils·µL−1, n=51, median (interquartile range): 21 (10–36) weeks) and non-eosinophilic groups (n=101, 17 (9–36) weeks, log-rank test: p=0.63). No association was found when other cut-off values (≥3% of total leukocytes and/or ≥300 eosinophils·µL−1) were used for the eosinophilic phenotype. However, the higher number of past severe exacerbations, a lower forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) at discharge and higher pack-years were related to shorter exacerbation-free time. According to a subgroup analysis (n=73), 48.1% of patients with initial eosinophilic exacerbations had non-eosinophilic relapses on readmission.ConclusionsOur data do not support an increased risk of earlier recurring moderate or severe relapses in patients hospitalised with eosinophilic exacerbations of COPD. Eosinophilic severe exacerbations present a variable phenotype.


2007 ◽  
Vol 25 (18_suppl) ◽  
pp. 4048-4048
Author(s):  
Y. Yeh ◽  
Q. Cai ◽  
J. Chao ◽  
M. Russell

4048 Background: NCCN guidelines recommend assessment of =12 lymph nodes (LN) to improve accuracy in colorectal cancer (CRC) staging. Previous studies have used various cut-points to assess the relationship between the number of LN sampled and survival. The association between NCCN guideline-compliant nodal sampling and survival is assessed, while controlling for other risk factors. Methods: We selected 145,485 adult patients newly diagnosed with stage II or III from SEER during 1990–2003. Kaplan-Meier curves were compared using the log-rank test. Cox proportional hazards models were constructed to determine the effect of sampling ≥ 12 LN on survival. Results: Median patient follow-up was 5.7 years. The table shows overall survival rates in CRC patients with < 12 versus =12 LN assessed: After adjusting for age, sex, tumor size and grade, sampling ≥ 12 LN was independently associated with improved survival. For patients with =12 versus <12 LN assessed, survival increased by 13% for stage IIa [HR=0.75; 95%CI 0.72–0.78; p< .001], 16% for stage IIb [HR=0.69; 95%CI 0.67- 0.71; p< .001], 12% for stage IIIb [HR=0.75; 95%CI 0.72–0.77], and 10% for stage IIIc [HR=0.85, 95%CI 0.81–0.89]. The association was not statistically significant for stage IIIa patients. Conclusion: Consistent with previous reports, this analysis found that optimal nodal sampling increased survival across stage II and III, specifically when ≥ 12 LN are sampled and when controlling for other risk factors. Furthermore, the results underscore the need for adhering to the NCCN guidelines. The lack of a statistically significant association in stage IIIa patients may be due to small cohort size. [Table: see text] [Table: see text]


2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 76s-76s ◽  
Author(s):  
Elysia Alvarez ◽  
Midori Seppa ◽  
Kevin Messacar ◽  
John Kurap ◽  
E. Alejandro Sweet-Cordero ◽  
...  

Abstract 59 Background: Abandonment of therapy is a major cause of therapeutic failure in the treatment of childhood cancer in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMIC). This study examines factors associated with increased risk of therapy abandonment in Guatemalan children with cancer and the rates of therapy abandonment before and after implementation of a multidisciplinary psychosocial intervention program. Methods: A retrospective population-based study was performed to identify risk factors for abandonment of therapy in Guatemalan children, ages 0-18, with cancer who were seen at UNOP from 2001-2008. Patient data was collected from the Pediatric Oncology Networked Database (POND4Kids). Abandonment was defined as a lapse of 4 weeks in planned treatment or failure to begin treatment for a potentially curable cancer. Cox proportional hazards analysis identified the effect of age, sex, year of diagnosis, distance travelled to UNOP, ethnicity, and principal diagnosis on abandonment of therapy. Kaplan Meier analysis was used to evaluate survival. Results: A retrospective analysis of 1,789 charts was performed and 367 patients abandoned therapy. The rate of abandonment decreased from 27% in 2001 to 7% in 2008 following a multidisciplinary psychosocial intervention program. Greater distance to UNOP (p = 0.00), younger age (p = 0.02) and earlier year of diagnosis (p = 0.00) were associated with increased risk of abandonment. Abandonment of therapy correlated with decreased survival. The cumulative survival at 8.3 years was 0.57 ± 0.02 (survival±SE) for those who completed therapy vs 0.06 ± 0.02 for those who abandoned and refused therapy (p=0.000) in an abandonment sensitive analysis. Conclusion: This study identified distance, age, and year of diagnosis as risk factors for abandonment of therapy for pediatric cancer in Guatemala. This study highlights risk factors for abandonment of therapy and the role of targeted interventions in altering rates of abandonment that could be replicated in other LMIC countries. AUTHORS' DISCLOSURES OF POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: No COIs from the authors.


Stroke ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew A Mercuri ◽  
Alexander E Merkler ◽  
Neal S Parikh ◽  
Michael E Reznik ◽  
Hooman Kamel

Background: Vascular brain injury can result in epilepsy. It is posited that seizures in elderly patients might reflect subclinical vascular disease and thus herald future clinical vascular events. Hypothesis: Seizures in elderly patients are associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke or myocardial infarction (MI). Methods: We obtained inpatient and outpatient claims data from 2008-2014 on a 5% sample of Medicare beneficiaries ≥66 years of age. The predictor variable was epilepsy, defined as two or more inpatient or outpatient claims with a diagnosis of seizure. The primary outcome was a composite of ischemic stroke or acute MI. The predictors and outcomes were all ascertained with previously validated ICD-9-CM code algorithms. Survival statistics and Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the relationship between epilepsy and incident ischemic stroke or MI while adjusting for demographic characteristics and vascular risk factors. Patients were censored at the first occurrence of a stroke or MI, at the time of death, or on December 31, 2014. Results: Among 1,548,556 beneficiaries with a mean follow-up of 4.4 (±1.8) years, 15,055 (1.0%) developed epilepsy and 121,866 (7.9%) experienced an ischemic stroke or acute MI. Patients with seizures were older (76.1 versus 73.7 years) and had a significantly higher burden of vascular comorbidities than the remainder of the cohort. The annual incidence of stroke or acute MI was 3.28% (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.10-3.47%) in those with seizures versus 1.79% (95% CI, 1.78-1.80%) in those without (unadjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.89; 95% CI, 1.78-2.00). After adjustment for demographics and risk factors, epilepsy had a weak association with the composite outcome (adjusted HR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.29-1.44), a stronger association with ischemic stroke (adjusted HR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.65-1.90), and no association with acute MI (adjusted HR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.86-1.04). Conclusions: We found an association between epilepsy in elderly patients and future ischemic stroke but not acute MI. Therefore, seizures might signify occult cerebrovascular disease but not necessarily occult disease in other vascular beds.


2018 ◽  
Vol 75 (7) ◽  
pp. 1414-1422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelina R Sutin ◽  
Yannick Stephan ◽  
Martina Luchetti ◽  
Antonio Terracciano

Abstract Objective The present study tests whether loneliness is associated with risk of dementia in the largest sample to date and further examines whether the association is independent of social isolation, a related but independent component of social integration, and whether it varies by demographic factors and genetic vulnerability. Method Participants from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 12,030) reported on their loneliness, social isolation, and had information on clinical, behavioral, and genetic risk factors. Cognitive status was assessed at baseline and every 2 years over a 10-year follow-up with the modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICSm). A TICSm score of 6 or less was indicative of dementia. Results Cox proportional hazards regression indicated that loneliness was associated with a 40% increased risk of dementia. This association held controlling for social isolation, and clinical, behavioral, and genetic risk factors. The association was similar across gender, race, ethnicity, education, and genetic risk. Discussion Loneliness is associated with increased risk of dementia. It is one modifiable factor that can be intervened on to reduce dementia risk.


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob S. Lefler ◽  
Joshua D. Higbee ◽  
Richard T. Burnett ◽  
Majid Ezzati ◽  
Nathan C. Coleman ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Cohort studies have documented associations between fine particulate matter air pollution (PM2.5) and mortality risk. However, there remains uncertainty regarding the contribution of co-pollutants and the stability of pollution-mortality associations in models that include multiple air pollutants. Furthermore, it is unclear whether the PM2.5-mortality relationship varies spatially, when exposures are decomposed according to scale of spatial variability, or temporally, when effect estimates are allowed to change between years. Methods A cohort of 635,539 individuals was compiled using public National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data from 1987 to 2014 and linked with mortality follow-up through 2015. Modelled air pollution exposure estimates for PM2.5, other criteria air pollutants, and spatial decompositions (< 1 km, 1–10 km, 10–100 km, > 100 km) of PM2.5 were assigned at the census-tract level. The NHIS samples were also divided into yearly cohorts for temporally-decomposed analyses. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) in regression models that included up to six criteria pollutants; four spatial decompositions of PM2.5; and two- and five-year lagged mean PM2.5 exposures in the temporally-decomposed cohorts. Meta-analytic fixed-effect estimates were calculated using results from temporally-decomposed analyses and compared with time-independent results using 17- and 28-year exposure windows. Results In multiple-pollutant analyses, PM2.5 demonstrated the most robust pollutant-mortality association. Coarse fraction particulate matter (PM2.5–10) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) were also associated with excess mortality risk. The PM2.5-mortality association was observed across all four spatial scales of PM2.5, with higher but less precisely estimated HRs observed for local (< 1 km) and neighborhood (1–10 km) variations. In temporally-decomposed analyses, the PM2.5-mortality HRs were stable across yearly cohorts. The meta-analytic HR using two-year lagged PM2.5 equaled 1.10 (95% CI 1.07, 1.13) per 10 μg/m3. Comparable results were observed in time-independent analyses using a 17-year (HR 1.13, CI 1.09, 1.16) or 28-year (HR 1.09, CI 1.07, 1.12) exposure window. Conclusions Long-term exposures to PM2.5, PM2.5–10, and SO2 were associated with increased risk of all-cause and cardiopulmonary mortality. Each spatial decomposition of PM2.5 was associated with mortality risk, and PM2.5-mortality associations were consistent over time.


2021 ◽  
pp. 089686082110189
Author(s):  
Mu-Chi Chung ◽  
Tung-Min Yu ◽  
Ming-Ju Wu ◽  
Ya-Wen Chuang ◽  
Chih-Hsin Muo ◽  
...  

Background: The impact of peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis (PD peritonitis) on long-term outcomes is uncertain. This nationwide retrospective study was conducted in Taiwan to understand the incidence, risk factors and long-term outcomes of PD peritonitis. Methods: A total of 11,202 incident adult peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients from 2000 to 2010 were collected from a Longitudinal Health Insurance Database and followed up until the end of 2011. Definition of peritonitis, the primary outcome, simultaneously met the diagnosis of peritonitis (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification 567) and antibiotic use. Secondary outcomes included the impact of peritonitis on PD discontinuation and survival. Cox proportional hazards models with and without time-dependent variables were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: There were 7634 peritonitis episodes in 4245 patients during the follow-up period. The overall incidence of peritonitis was 0.18 episodes per patient-year. Peritonitis-associated risk factors included older age, female gender, chronic heart failure, cerebrovascular disease, liver cirrhosis and lower monthly income. In an adjusted Cox hazard proportional regression with the time-dependent model, peritonitis patients had a higher risk of PD discontinuation (HR 2.71, 95% CI 2.52–2.92) and mortality (HR 1.68, 95% CI 1.57–1.81) compared to patients without peritonitis. The adjusted HRs for mortality increased with each prior episode: one episode, two episodes and more than two episodes (all p < 0.05). The adjusted HRs for PD discontinuation also increased with the frequency of peritonitis. These negative effects were greatest during the first year and persisted significantly after 5 years. In a sensitivity analysis in which peritonitis within 30 days of death or PD discontinuation was excluded, peritonitis patients still had significantly increased risk of PD discontinuation and mortality compared to patients without peritonitis. Conclusions: Although peritonitis incidence was low, our findings reveal that peritonitis carried acute and long-term sequelae of higher PD discontinuation and lower patient survival.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean Clouston ◽  
Benjamin J Luft ◽  
Edward Sun

Background: The goal of the present work was to examine risk factors for mortality in a 1,387 COVID+ patients admitted to a hospital in Suffolk County, NY. Methods: Data were collated by the hospital epidemiological service for patients admitted from 3/7/2020-9/1/2020. Time until final discharge or death was the outcome. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate time until death among admitted patients. Findings: In total, 99.06% of cases had resolved leading to 1,179 discharges and 211 deaths. Length of stay was significantly longer in those who died as compared to those who did not p=0.007). Of patients who had been discharged (n=1,179), 54 were readmitted and 9 subsequently died. Multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression revealed that in addition to older age, male sex, and heart failure, a history of premorbid depression was a risk factor for COVI-19 mortality. Interpretation: While an increasing number of studies have shown effects linking cardiovascular risk factors with increased risk of mortality in COVID+ patients, this study reports that history of depression is a risk factor for COVID mortality.


Stroke ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Ma ◽  
Yu Chen ◽  
Yuanli Zhao

Instruction: Children with brain arteriovenous malformations (bAVM) are at risk of life-threatening hemorrhage in their early lives. Our aim was to analyze various angiographic features of bAVM in conjunction with other morphological risk factors to predict the risk of subsequent hemorrhage during follow-up in children. Methods: We identified all consecutive children admitted to our institution for bAVMs between July 2009 and September 2015. Children with at least 1 month of treatment-free follow-up after diagnosis were included in further analysis. The effects of bAVM features on hemorrhagic presentation were studied. Annual rates of AVM rupture as well as several potential risk factors for subsequent hemorrhage were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier analyses and Cox proportional hazards regression models. Results: We identified 110 patients with a mean follow-up period of 2.1 years (range, 1 month-15.4 years). The average annual risk of hemorrhage from untreated AVMs was 4.3%. Risk factors predicting hemorrhagic presentation in multivariable analysis were no generalized venous ectasia, deep venous drainage, fast arteriovenous shunt, and deep location. No generalized venous ectasia in conjunction with fast arteriovenous shunt was predictive of subsequent hemorrhage (RR, 7.55; 95%CI, 1.96-29.06). The annual rupture risk was 11.1% in bAVMs without generalized venous ectasia but with fast arteriovenous shunt. Conclusions: bAVM angiographic features suggesting unbalanced inflow and outflow might be helpful to identify children at higher risk for hemorrhage. No generalized venous ectasia and fast artriovenous shunt might be associated with an increased risk for hemorrhagic presentation and subsequent hemorrhage in pediatric patients with untreated bAVM.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Michael C. Jin ◽  
Jonathon J. Parker ◽  
Michael Zhang ◽  
Zack A. Medress ◽  
Casey H. Halpern ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVE Status epilepticus (SE) is associated with significant mortality, cost, and risk of future seizures. In one of the first studies of SE after neurosurgery, the authors assess the incidence, risk factors, and outcome of postneurosurgical SE (PNSE). METHODS Neurosurgical admissions from the MarketScan Claims and Encounters database (2007 through 2015) were assessed in a longitudinal cross-sectional sample of privately insured patients who underwent qualifying cranial procedures in the US and were older than 18 years of age. The incidence of early (in-hospital) and late (postdischarge readmission) SE and associated mortality was assessed. Procedural, pathological, demographic, and anatomical covariates parameterized multivariable logistic regression and Cox models. Multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models were used to study the incidence of early and late PNSE. A risk-stratification simulation was performed, combining individual predictors into singular risk estimates. RESULTS A total of 197,218 admissions (218,217 procedures) were identified. Early PNSE occurred during 637 (0.32%) of 197,218 admissions for cranial neurosurgical procedures. A total of 1045 (0.56%) cases of late PNSE were identified after 187,771 procedure admissions with nonhospice postdischarge follow-up. After correction for comorbidities, craniotomy for trauma, hematoma, or elevated intracranial pressure was associated with increased risk of early PNSE (adjusted OR [aOR] 1.538, 95% CI 1.183–1.999). Craniotomy for meningioma resection was associated with an increased risk of early PNSE compared with resection of metastases and parenchymal primary brain tumors (aOR 2.701, 95% CI 1.388–5.255). Craniotomies for infection or abscess (aHR 1.447, 95% CI 1.016–2.061) and CSF diversion (aHR 1.307, 95% CI 1.076–1.587) were associated with highest risk of late PNSE. Use of continuous electroencephalography in patients with early (p < 0.005) and late (p < 0.001) PNSE rose significantly over the study time period. The simulation regression model predicted that patients at high risk for early PNSE experienced a 1.10% event rate compared with those at low risk (0.07%). Similarly, patients predicted to be at highest risk for late PNSE were significantly more likely to eventually develop late PNSE than those at lowest risk (HR 54.16, 95% CI 24.99–104.80). CONCLUSIONS Occurrence of early and late PNSE was associated with discrete neurosurgical pathologies and increased mortality. These data provide a framework for prospective validation of clinical and perioperative risk factors and indicate patients for heightened diagnostic suspicion of PNSE.


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