High Genetic Risk Research Articles

Associations of combined genetic and lifestyle risks with hypertension and home hypertension

No study, to our knowledge, has constructed a polygenic risk score based on clinical blood pressure and investigated the association of genetic and lifestyle risks with home hypertension. We examined the associations of combined genetic and lifestyle risks with hypertension and home hypertension. In a cross-sectional study of 7027 Japanese individuals aged ≥20 years, we developed a lifestyle score based on body mass index, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and sodium-to-potassium ratio, categorized into ideal, intermediate, and poor lifestyles. A polygenic risk score was constructed with the target data (n = 1405) using publicly available genome-wide association study summary statistics from BioBank Japan. Using the test data (n = 5622), we evaluated polygenic risk score performance and examined the associations of combined genetic and lifestyle risks with hypertension and home hypertension. Hypertension and home hypertension were defined as blood pressure measured at a community-support center ≥140/90 mmHg or at home ≥135/85 mmHg, respectively, or self-reported treatment for hypertension. In the test data, 2294 and 2322 participants had hypertension and home hypertension, respectively. Both polygenic risk and lifestyle scores were independently associated with hypertension and home hypertension. Compared with those of participants with low genetic risk and an ideal lifestyle, the odds ratios for hypertension and home hypertension in the low genetic risk and poor lifestyle group were 1.94 (95% confidence interval, 1.34–2.80) and 2.15 (1.60–2.90), respectively. In summary, lifestyle is important to prevent hypertension; nevertheless, participants with high genetic risk should carefully monitor their blood pressure despite a healthy lifestyle.

Associations between frailty, genetic predisposition, and chronic kidney disease risk in middle-aged and older adults: A prospective cohort study

ObjectivesCross-sectional evidence has shown that frailty is highly prevalent in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, there is limited evidence of the longitudinal associations between frailty, genetic predisposition to CKD, and the risk of CKD in the general population. Therefore, this study aimed to examine such associations among participants in the UK Biobank. Study designThis is a prospective cohort study included 370,965 middle-aged and older adults from the UK Biobank. Physical frailty was assessed using a modified version of the Fried phenotype classification. A weighted genetic risk score was built using 263 variants associated with estimated glomerular filtration rate. Main outcome measuresIncident CKD was identified from hospital inpatient records. ResultsOver a median follow-up of 12.3 years, we documented a total of 11,121 incident CKD cases. Time-dependent Cox proportional hazards regression models indicated that individuals with frailty (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.94, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.81–2.08) and pre-frailty (HR: 1.27, 95 % CI: 1.22–1.33) had an increased risk of developing CKD, compared with non-frail individuals. No significant interaction between frailty and genetic risk score was observed (P for interaction = 0.41). The highest risk was observed among the individuals with high genetic risk and frailty (HR: 2.31, 95 % CI: 2.00–2.68). ConclusionOur results demonstrated that frailty and pre-frailty were associated with increased risk of incident CKD in middle-age and older adults, regardless of genetic risk of CKD. Our study underscores the importance of frailty screening and intervention as a potential strategy to prevent CKD. Future clinical trials are needed to validate our findings.

Childhood maltreatment, genetic risk, and subsequent risk of arrhythmias: a prospective cohort study

ABSTRACT Background: Emerging evidence has linked childhood maltreatment with cardiovascular disease risk; however, the association between childhood maltreatment and cardiac arrhythmias remains unclear. Moreover, any genetic predispositions to atrial fibrillation (AF), a common cardiac arrhythmia associated with an elevated risk of stroke, heart failure, and mortality, that modify such associations have been undocumented. Purpose: To examine the associations between childhood maltreatment and incident arrhythmias, and whether a genetic predisposition to arrhythmias modifies these associations. Methods: This prospective analysis included 151,741 participants from the UK Biobank (mean age 55.8 years, 43.4% male). Childhood maltreatment, including five types, was measured using the Childhood Trauma Screener (CTS). Incident arrhythmias (AF, ventricular arrhythmias [VA], and bradyarrhythmia [BA]) were documented through linked hospital admission and death registry. Weighted AF genetic risk score was calculated. Cox proportional hazard models were conducted to test for associations between childhood maltreatment and incident arrhythmias. Results: During a median follow-up of 12.21 years (interquartile range, 11.49–12.90 years), 6,588 AF, 2,093 BA, and 742 VA events occurred. Compared with the absence of childhood maltreatment, having 3–5 types of childhood maltreatment was associated with an increased risk of incident AF (HR, 1.23; 95%CI 1.09–1.37), VA (HR, 1.39; 95%CI 1.03–1.89), and BA (HR, 1.32; 95%CI 1.09–1.61) after adjusting demographic, socioeconomic and lifestyle factors. The associations between cumulative type of childhood maltreatment and the risk of AF (P overall < .001; P nonlinear = .674) and BA (P overall = .007; P nonlinear = .377) demonstrated a linear pattern. There was a gradient association between childhood maltreatment and AF risks across the intermediate and high genetic risk groups (both P trend < .05) but not within the low genetic risk group (P trend = .378), irrespective of non-significant interaction effect (P interaction = .204). Conclusion: Childhood maltreatment was associated with higher risks of incident arrhythmias, especially AF and BA. Genetic risk of AF did not modify these associations.

Plasma metals, genetic risk, and rapid kidney function decline among type 2 diabetes

BackgroundRapid kidney function decline (RKFD) is a main clinical feature of early chronic kidney disease (CKD) in type 2 diabetes (T2D). Environmental and genetic factors influencing RKFD remain inadequately elucidated. ObjectivesThis study aimed to examine the associations of metals with RKFD among T2D and to further investigate the effect of metal mixtures on RKFD with the modifying effect of genetic susceptibility. MethodsThis study included 2209 people with T2D (1942 had genotyping data) free of CKD at baseline from the Dongfeng-Tongji cohort. We used inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to measure 23 metals in baseline plasma. Using elastic net (ENET), multivariate logistic regression, and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) model, we examined independent associations of multiple metals with RKFD. We calculated the environmental risk score (ERS) to assess the effects of metal mixtures on RKFD and the genetic risk score (GRS) to assess genetic susceptibility. RKFD was defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) loss > 3 mL/min/1.73 m2/year. ResultsDuring a median of 9.8 years follow-up, 262 participants developed RKFD. Aluminum, vanadium, zinc, selenium, rubidium, tin, barium, and tungsten were screened from ENET. In multivariate logistic models, vanadium, selenium, and tungsten were negatively associated with RKFD, while zinc, tin, and rubidium were positively associated. The BKMR showed a nonlinear association of vanadium and rubidium with RKFD and interactions between metals (barium‑vanadium, barium‑rubidium). The ERS was positive associated with RKFD (per SD increase in ERS, OR = 1.94, 95% CI: 1.66, 2.27). No significant interaction between ERS and GRS was observed on RKFD, however, participants in the highest ERS and GRS group had the highest RKFD risk. ConclusionVanadium and rubidium were associated with RKFD in T2D. Metal mixtures was associated with an increased risk of RKFD in T2D, particularly in those at high genetic risk.

The impact of family-genetic risk scores on social functioning in individuals affected with six major psychiatric and substance use disorders in a Swedish National Sample.

To examine whether the level of genetic risk in psychiatric disorders impacts the social functioning of affected individuals, we examine the relationship between genetic risk factors for major depression (MD), anxiety disorders (AD), bipolar disorder (BD), non-affective psychosis (NAP), alcohol use disorder (AUD), and drug use disorder (DUD) in disordered individuals and five adverse social outcomes: unemployment, residence in areas of social deprivation, social welfare, early retirement, and divorce. We examine all cases with registration for these disorders from 1995 to 2015 in individuals born in Sweden. Genetic risk was assessed by the family genetic risk score (FGRS) and statistical estimates by Cox proportional hazard models. High genetic risk was significantly and modestly associated with poorer social outcomes in 23 of 30 analyses. Overall, genetic risk for MD, AD, AUD, and DUD impacted social functioning more strongly in affected individuals than did genetic risk for BD and NAP. Social welfare had the strongest associations with genetic risk, and residence in areas of high deprivation had the weakest. In individuals suffering from psychiatric and substance use disorders, high levels of genetic risk impact not only clinical features but also diverse measures of social functioning.

Effects of genetic risk on incident type 2 diabetes and glycemia: the T2D-GENE lifestyle intervention trial.

Lifestyle intervention prevents or delays type 2 diabetes (T2D) in subjects at a high risk of T2D. However, it is not known whether genetic variants modify the effect on incident T2D during lifestyle intervention. To investigate whether a low or high genetic risk has effects on incident T2D in a group-based lifestyle intervention study. The T2D-GENE trial involved 973 men from the Metabolic Syndrome in Men (METSIM) cohort, aged 50-75 years, body mass index ≥25 kg/m2, fasting plasma glucose 5.6-6.9 mmol/l, and HbA1c <48 mmol/mol and either a low or high genetic risk score for T2D. There were two intervention groups, a low (n=315) and high genetic risk for T2D (n=313). They were provided with a 3-year group-based intervention with access to a web portal focused on healthy diet and physical activity. There were also corresponding population-based control groups at low (n=196), and high genetic risk for T2D (n=149) who had two laboratory visits (0 and 3 years) and general health advice as a part of their METSIM cohort protocol. The primary outcome was incident T2D, and a secondary outcome glycemia. The intervention significantly lowered the risk of T2D among the participants with a high genetic risk for T2D (HR 0.30, 95% CI 0.16-0.56, p<0.001) whereas in the low genetic risk group the effect was not significant (HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.36-1.32, p=0.262). The intervention effect was not significantly different between the high and low genetic risk groups (p=0.135). The intervention significantly ameliorated the worsening of glycemia and decreased weight both in the low and high genetic risk groups. Our results showed that individuals with a high genetic risk for T2D benefited from a low-cost group-based intervention focusing on healthy diet and physical activity. Therefore, all individuals at risk of T2D should be encouraged to make lifestyle changes regardless of genetic risk.

Sleep patterns, genetic susceptibility, and risk of cirrhosis among individuals with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

The associations between sleep patterns or behaviors and the risk of cirrhosis and the influence of genetic susceptibility on these associations among NAFLD participants remain inadequately elucidated. This study conducted a prospective follow-up of 112,196 NAFLD participants diagnosed at baseline from the UK Biobank cohort study. Five sleep behaviors were collected to measure a healthy sleep score. Five genetic variants were used to construct a polygenic risk score. We used Cox proportional hazard model to assess hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for incidence of cirrhosis. During the follow-up, 592 incident cirrhosis cases were documented. Healthy sleep pattern was associated with reduced risk of cirrhosis in a dose-response manner (ptrend < 0.001). Participants with favourable sleep score (versus unfavourable sleep score) had an HR of 0.55 for cirrhosis risk (95% CI 0.39-0.78). Multivariable-adjusted HRs (95% CIs) of cirrhosis incidence for NAFLDs with no frequent insomnia, sleeping for 7-8h per day, and no excessive daytime dozing behaviors were 0.73 (0.61-0.87), 0.79 (0.66-0.93), and 0.69 (0.50-0.95), respectively. Compared with participants with favourable sleep pattern and low genetic risk, those with unfavourable sleep pattern and high genetic risk had higher risks of cirrhosis incidence (HR 3.16, 95% CI 1.88-5.33). In addition, a significant interaction between chronotype and genetic risk was detected for the incidence of cirrhosis (p for multiplicative interaction = 0.004). An association was observed between healthy sleep pattern and decreased risk of cirrhosis among NAFLD participants, regardless of low or high genetic risk.

Physical frailty, genetic predisposition, and the risks of severe non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and cirrhosis: a cohort study.

Frailty, defined as a phenotype of decreased physiological reserves and diminished ability to respond to stressors, has been linked to the development of chronic diseases. Epidemiological evidence connecting frailty to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and cirrhosis risks remain sparse. We aimed to assess the longitudinal associations of frailty with the risks of severe NAFLD and cirrhosis in middle-aged to older adults and further explore the modification role of genetic risk on these associations. This study included a total of 398386 participants from the UK Biobank. Incident cases of severe NAFLD and cirrhosis were ascertained through linked hospital records and death registries. Frailty status was assessed by a modified version of the frailty phenotype, encompassing five key components: weight loss, tiredness, physical activity, gait speed, and grip strength. Participants were classified as pre-frailty if they met one or two of these criteria, and as frailty if they met three or more. Genetic predisposition to NAFLD and cirrhosis was estimated by genetic risk score (GRS) and further categorized into high, intermediate, and low genetic risk levels according to tertiles of GRSs. Cox proportional hazards regression model was employed to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for their associations. The mean (standard deviation) age of the study population was 56.6 (8.03) years. 214408 (53.8%) of the participants was female; 14924 (3.75%) of participants met the criteria for frailty, 170498 (42.8%) for pre-frailty, and 212964 (53.5%) for non-frailty. Over a median follow-up of 12.0years, we documented 4439 incident severe NAFLD and 3323 incident cirrhosis cases, respectively. Compared with non-frailty, both pre-frailty (HR: 1.50; 95% CI: 1.40-1.60) and frailty (HR: 1.98; 95% CI: 1.77-2.21) were associated with increased risk of NAFLD. Similar associations were observed for cirrhosis, the corresponding HRs (95% CIs) for non-frailty, pre-frailty, and frailty were 1.00 (reference), 1.29 (1.20, 1.38), and 1.90 (1.66, 2.18). Such associations were consistent across all genetic risk levels, with no observed interactions between frailty and GRSs (all P for interactions ≥0.10). Compared with participants with frailty and a low level of genetic risk, the greatest risk increasement in developing severe NAFLD (HR: 3.36; 95% CI: 2.83-3.99) and cirrhosis (HR: 2.81; 95% CI: 2.29-3.44) was both observed in those with frailty and a high level of genetic risk. Our findings indicate that frailty is a significant predictor of severe NAFLD and cirrhosis, irrespective of genetic predisposition.

Joint effects of air pollution and genetic susceptibility on incident primary open-angle glaucoma

BackgroundAir pollutants are important exogenous stimulants to eye diseases, but knowledge of associations between long-term exposure to air pollutants and the risk of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is limited. This study aimed to determine whether long-term exposure to air pollutants, genetic susceptibility, and their joint effects lead to an elevated risk of incident POAG. MethodsThis is a population-based prospective cohort study from UK Biobank participants with complete measures of air pollution exposure and polygenetic risk scores. Cox proportional hazard models were fitted to assess the individual and joint effects of long-term exposure to air pollutants and genetics on the risk of POAG. In addition, the effect modification of genetic susceptibility was examined on an additive or multiplicative scale. ResultsAmong 434,290 participants with a mean (SD) age of 56.5 (8.1) years, 6651 (1.53 %) were diagnosed with POAG during a median follow-up of 13.7 years. Long-term exposure to air pollutants was associated with an increased risk of POAG. The hazard ratios associated with per interquartile range increase in PM2.5, PM2.5 absorbance, PM10, NO2, and NOX individually ranged from 1.027 (95 % CI: 1.001–1.054) to 1.067 (95 % CI: 1.035–1.099). Compared with individuals residing in low-pollution areas and having low polygenic risk scores, the risk of incident POAG increased by 105.5 % (95 % CI: 78.3 %–136.9 %), 79.7 % (95 % CI: 56.5 %–106.5 %), 103.2 % (95 % CI: 76.9 %–133.4 %), 89.4 % (95 % CI: 63.9 %–118.9 %), and 90.2 % (95 % CI: 64.8 %–119.5 %) among those simultaneously exposed to high air pollutants levels and high genetic risk, respectively. Genetic susceptibility interacted with PM2.5 absorbance and NO2 in an additive manner, while no evidence of multiplicative interaction was found in this study. Stratification analyses revealed stronger effects in Black people and the elderly. ConclusionLong-term air pollutant exposure was associated with an increased risk of POAG incidence, particularly in the population with high genetic predisposition.

Healthy lifestyle and prostate cancer risk in the Million Veteran Program.

This study aims to assess the impact of healthy lifestyle on prostate cancer (PCa) risk in a diverse population. Data for 281,923 men from the Million Veteran Program (MVP), a nationwide, health system-based cohort study, were analyzed. Self-reported information at enrollment included smoking status, exercise, diet, family history of PCa, and race/ethnicity. Body mass index (BMI) was obtained from clinical records. Genetic risk was assessed via a validated polygenic score. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess associations with PCa outcomes. After accounting for ancestry, family history, and genetic risk, smoking was associated with an increased risk of metastatic PCa (hazard ratio [HR], 1.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.64-2.02; p<10-16) and fatal PCa (HR, 2.73; 95% CI, 2.36-3.25; p<10-16). Exercise was associated with a reduced risk of fatal PCa (HR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.76-0.98; p=.03). Higher BMI was associated with a slightly reduced risk of fatal PCa, and diet score was not independently associated with any end point. Association with exercise was strongest among those who had nonmetastatic PCa at MVP enrollment. Absolute reductions in the risk of fatal PCa via lifestyle factors were greatest among men of African ancestry (1.7% for nonsmokers vs. 6.1% for smokers) or high genetic risk (1.4% for nonsmokers vs. 4.3% for smokers). Healthy lifestyle is minimally related to the overall risk of developing PCa but is associated with a substantially reduced risk of dying from PCa. In multivariable analyses, both exercise and not smoking remain independently associated with reduced metastatic and fatal PCa.

Combined effects of genetic predisposition and sleep quality on acceleration of biological ageing: Findings from the UK biobank cohort

ObjectiveGenetic risks can accelerate ageing, yet better quality sleep may slow down it. We thus examined the interaction and combined effects of genetic predisposition and sleep quality on the risk of accelerate aging. MethodsThis study included 407,027 participants from the UK Biobank. Sleep index of each participant was retrieved from the following seven sleep behaviors: snoring, chronotype, daytime sleepiness, sleep duration, insomnia, nap and difficulties in getting up. The biological age (PhenoAge) were estimated by corresponding algorithms based on clinical traits, and their residual discrepancies with chronological age were defined as the age accelerations (PhenoAgeaccel). We explored the interaction and combined effects of genetic risk and sleep quality on accelerated ageing by constructing a linear model. ResultsCompared with participants in low sleep quality group, those in medium and high sleep quality group decreased 0.727 (95%CI, 0.653 to 0.801) and 1.056 (95%CI, 0.982 to 1.130) years of PhenoAgeaccel, respectively. Compared with participants in low genetic risk group, those in medium and high genetic risk group increased 0.833 (95%CI, 0.792 to 0.874) and 1.543 (95%CI, 1.494 to 1.592) years of PhenoAgeaccel, respectively. There was interaction between the genetic risk and sleep quality (P-interaction<0.001). For combined effect, compared to the group with high sleep quality and lower genetic risk, people with low sleep quality and high genetic risk had 2.747 (95%CI, 2.602 to 2.892) years higher PhenoAgeaccel. ConclusionOur findings elucidate that better sleep quality could lessen accelerated biological ageing especially among population with high genetic risk.

Personal light exposure patterns and incidence of type 2 diabetes: analysis of 13 million hours of light sensor data and 670,000 person-years of prospective observation

Light at night disrupts circadian rhythms, and circadian disruption is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Whether personal light exposure predicts diabetes risk has not been demonstrated in a large prospective cohort. We therefore assessed whether personal light exposure patterns predicted risk of incident type 2 diabetes in UK Biobank participants, using ∼13 million hours of light sensor data. Participants (N=84,790, age (M ± SD)=62.3±7.9 years, 58% female) wore light sensors for one week, recording day and night light exposure. Circadian amplitude and phase were modeled from weekly light data. Incident type 2 diabetes was recorded (1997 cases; 7.9±1.2 years follow-up; excluding diabetes cases prior to light-tracking). Risk of incident type 2 diabetes was assessed as a function of day and night light, circadian phase, and circadian amplitude, adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic and lifestyle factors, and polygenic risk. Compared to people with dark nights (0-50th percentiles), diabetes risk was incrementally higher across brighter night light exposure percentiles (50-70th: multivariable-adjusted HR=1.29 [1.14-1.46]; 70-90th: 1.39 [1.24-1.57]; and 90-100th: 1.53 [1.32-1.77]). Diabetes risk was higher in people with lower modeled circadian amplitude (aHR=1.07 [1.03-1.10] per SD), and with early or late circadian phase (aHR range: 1.06-1.26). Nightlight and polygenic risk independently predicted higher diabetes risk. The difference in diabetes risk between people with bright and dark nights was similar to the difference between people with low and moderate genetic risk. Type 2 diabetes risk was higher in people exposed to brighter night light, and in people exposed to light patterns that may disrupt circadian rhythms. Avoidance of light at night could be a simple and cost-effective recommendation that mitigates risk of diabetes, even in those with high genetic risk. Australian Government Research Training Program.

The psychosocial impact of prostate cancer screening for BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers.

To report the long-term outcomes from a longitudinal psychosocial study that forms part of the 'Identification of Men with a genetic predisposition to ProstAte Cancer: Targeted Screening in men at higher genetic risk and controls' (IMPACT) study. The IMPACT study is a multi-national study of targeted prostate cancer (PrCa) screening in individuals with a known germline pathogenic variant (GPV) in either the BReast CAncer gene 1 (BRCA1) or the BReast CAncer gene 2 (BRCA2). Participants enrolled in the IMPACT study were invited to complete a psychosocial questionnaire prior to each annual screening visit for a minimum of 5 years. The questionnaire included questions on sociodemographics and the following measures: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Impact of Event Scale, 36-item Short-Form Health Survey, Memorial Anxiety Scale for PrCa, Cancer Worry Scale, risk perception and knowledge. A total of 760 participants completed questionnaires: 207 participants with GPV in BRCA1, 265 with GPV in BRCA2 and 288 controls (non-carriers from families with a known GPV). We found no evidence of clinically concerning levels of general or cancer-specific distress or poor health-related quality of life in the cohort as a whole. Individuals in the control group had significantly less worry about PrCa compared with the carriers; however, all mean scores were low and within reported general population norms, where available. BRCA2 carriers with previously high prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels experience a small but significant increase in PrCa anxiety (P = 0.01) and PSA-specific anxiety (P < 0.001). Cancer risk perceptions reflected information provided during genetic counselling and participants had good levels of knowledge, although this declined over time. This is the first study to report the longitudinal psychosocial impact of a targeted PrCa screening programme for BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers. The results reassure that an annual PSA-based screening programme does not have an adverse impact on psychosocial health or health-related quality of life in these higher-risk individuals. These results are important as more PrCa screening is targeted to higher-risk groups.

Higher Genetic Risk for Type 2 Diabetes Is Associated With a Faster Decline of β-Cell Function in an East Asian Population.

While most genetic variants of type 2 diabetes (T2D) are suggested to be associated with β-cell dysfunction cross sectionally, their association with the longitudinal change of β-cell function remains largely unknown. We analyzed data from 6,311 participants without T2D at baseline (mean [SD] age 51.6 [8.7] years) from a community-based prospective cohort in Korea. Participants underwent biennial 2-h 75-g oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs) during 14 years of follow-up, and the OGTT-derived disposition index (DI) was used as a marker for β-cell function. Genetic risk was quantified using the genome-wide polygenic risk score (PRS) and was stratified into low (1st quintile), intermediate (2nd-4th quintiles), and high (5th quintile) genetic risk. Lifestyle was assessed according to Life's Essential 8. During a mean follow-up of 10.9 years, 374 (29.6%), 851 (22.5%), and 188 (14.9%) participants developed T2D in the high, intermediate, and low genetic risk groups, respectively. Compared with the low genetic risk group, participants in the high genetic risk group had a 25% lower DI at baseline. Furthermore, in longitudinal analysis, we observed a 1.83-fold faster decline in log2-transformed DI per year (-0.034 vs. -0.019, P = 2.1 × 10-3; per 1-SD increase in T2D PRS, P = 1.2 × 10-4). Healthy lifestyle attenuated the rate of decline in DI across all genetic risk groups. Individuals with a higher genetic risk for T2D exhibited not only a lower OGTT-derived β-cell function at baseline but also a notably more rapid decline during follow-up. This information could be used to enable a focused precision prevention with lifestyle intervention.

Hospital-treated infectious diseases, genetic susceptibility and risk of type 2 diabetes: A population-based longitudinal study

BackgroundThe longitudinal association between infectious diseases and the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) remains unclear. MethodsBased on the UK Biobank, the prospective cohort study included a total of 396,080 participants without diabetes at baseline. We determined the types and sites of infectious diseases and incident T2D using the International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision codes (ICD-10). Time-varying Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess the association. Infection burden was defined as the number of infection episodes over time and the number of co-occurring infections. Genetic risk score (GRS) for T2D consisted of 424 single nucleotide polymorphisms. ResultsDuring a median of 9.04 [IQR, 8.3–9.7] years of follow-up, hospital-treated infectious diseases were associated with a greater risk of T2D (adjusted HR [aHR] 1.54 [95 % CI 1.46–1.61]), with risk difference per 10,000 individuals equal to 154.1 [95 % CI 140.7–168.2]. The heightened risk persisted after 5 years following the index infection. Bacterial infection with sepsis had the strongest risk of T2D (aHR 2.95 [95 % CI 2.53–3.44]) among different infection types. For site-specific analysis, bloodstream infections posed the greatest risk (3.01 [95 % CI 2.60–3.48]). A dose-response association was observed between infection burden and T2D risk within each GRS tertile (p-trend <0.001). High genetic risk and infection synergistically increased the T2D risk. ConclusionInfectious diseases were associated with an increased risk of subsequent T2D. The risk showed specificity according to types, sites, severity of infection and the period since infection occurred. A potential accumulative effect of infection was revealed.

Adding salt to foods and risk of psoriasis: A prospective cohort study

BackgroundHigh salt intake may play a critical role in the etiology of psoriasis. Yet, evidence on the association of high salt intake with risk of psoriasis is limited. ObjectiveTo estimate the association between frequency of adding salt to foods and risk of psoriasis. MethodsWe conducted a prospective cohort study of 433,788 participants from the UK Biobank. Hazard ratios (HRs) and their 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) for risk of psoriasis in relation to frequency of adding salt to foods were estimated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. We further evaluated the joint association of adding salt to foods and genetic susceptibility with risk of psoriasis. We conducted a mediation analysis to assess how much of the effect of adding salt to foods on risk of psoriasis was mediated through several selected mediators. ResultsDuring a median of 14.0 years of follow-up, 4279 incident cases of psoriasis were identified. In the multivariable-adjusted model, a higher frequency of adding salt to foods was significantly associated with an increased risk of psoriasis (“always” versus “never/rarely” adding salt to foods, HR = 1.25, 95 % CI: 1.10, 1.41). The observed positive association was generally similar across subgroups. In the joint association analysis, we observed that participants with a high genetic risk (above the second tertile) and the highest frequency of adding salt to foods experienced 149 % higher risk of psoriasis, when compared with participants with a low genetic risk (below the first tertile) and the lowest frequency of adding salt to foods (HR = 2.49, 95 % CI: 2.05, 3.02). Mediation analysis revealed that 1.8 %–3.2 % of the positive association between frequency of adding salt and risk of psoriasis was statistically significantly mediated by obesity and inflammatory biomarkers such as C-reactive protein and systemic immune-inflammation index (all P values < 0.004). ConclusionsOur study demonstrated a positive association between frequency of adding salt to foods and risk of psoriasis. The positive association was independent of multiple other risk factors, and may be partially mediated through obesity and inflammation.

Association of germline polygenic risk for thyroid autoimmunity with overall survival in the I-SPY2 Trial.

10600 Background: Germline genetic variation influences immune activity and risk of autoimmunity, and has been hypothesized to play a role in response to cancer therapeutics and survival. Prior studies of breast cancer have reported associations between genetic variation in thyroid autoimmunity and overall survival (OS). Here, we aim to investigate the association between a polygenic risk score for hypothyroidism (PRS-H) and response to therapy in women with early-stage breast cancer, and hypothesize that high PRS-H will be associated with better treatment response and survival. Methods: This study includes 1,368 women aged 18 years and above with stage II-III breast cancer of size &gt; 2.5cm by clinical exam, with germline data available. It is an approved biomarker analysis of the I-SPY 2 trial, which is a phase II, adaptive, randomized platform trial across multiple sites studying novel cancer therapeutics across multiple arms for use as neoadjuvant chemotherapy for early-stage breast cancer. The outcome of survival is defined as alive at the most recent follow-up. Using the Cox proportional hazards model, we evaluate the association between a previously published PRS-H and overall survival. Models are adjusted for age at screening, immunotherapy status, and five principal components. Results: Among 1,368 early-stage breast cancer women, 33% (n=447) had pCR, and 85% (n=1,157) were alive at the last follow-up. Additionally, 16% (n=219) of women received immunotherapy. We observe a significant association between PRS-H and OS (HR = 0.78, 95% CI 0.66-0.92, p=0.004). Individuals in the top 10th percentile of the PRS-H (highest genetic risk) have improved survival (log rank p=0.04). Conclusions: Germline genetic variation in thyroid autoimmunity proclivity is associated with improved overall survival in our cohort of women with early-stage breast cancer receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Our findings suggest that the genetic risk for autoimmunity may be important for long-term survival. We will expand this analysis to include the entire I SPY 2 population when all patients have completed genotyping. We plan to further characterize the role of germline autoimmunity profiles and survival. Clinical trial information: NCT01042379 .

Time-to-diagnosis and peri-diagnostic healthcare utilization between screen- and non-screen detected cancers: Evidence from SEER-Medicare.

11135 Background: Cancer screening programs can improve outcomes and may reduce treatment cost and utilization by shifting cancers to earlier, more curable stages at diagnosis (Dx). Few studies have evaluated the impact of screening on outcomes prior to diagnosis. Such information is needed to better understand the potential impact of newer blood-based multicancer early detection technologies. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using SEER cancer registry data linked with Medicare claims. Patients with a breast cancer (BC) or colorectal cancer (CRC) Dx between 2010-2019 were included if they were 65-74 years old at Dx, continuously enrolled in Medicare Parts A&amp;B, had a Charlson Comorbidity Index of ≤2, and no cancer for ≥12 months prior to Dx. Those enrolled in an HMO or with high genetic risk for BC (in BC cohort) were excluded. Patients were assigned to screening groups prior to Dx; screening was defined as ≥1 screening procedure in the 6 months prior to Dx using CPT/HCPCS codes. Screening included FIT/FOBT, sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, CT colonography, mt-sDNA (CRC), and mammography (BC). Screened and not screened groups were compared for statistical significance using chi-squared for categorical variables, Wilcoxon rank-sum test for continuous variables. Results: Screening procedures were more prevalent in the BC cohort (68%) than the CRC cohort (44%) (table). Both screened subgroups (vs non-screened subgroups) had significantly lower proportions of patients diagnosed at stage 4 (2% vs 10% BC, 16% vs 27% CRC) and shorter times from first screening or imaging procedure to confirmed diagnosis (BC: 33 vs 227 days, CRC: 14 vs 29 days). Screened patients in both cancer cohorts had a similar number of average procedures prior to treatment initiation as non-screened (BC: 4.8 vs 4.2, CRC: 3.3 vs 3.3 respectively, including screening procedures). Conclusions: Individuals diagnosed with BC and CRC through screening exhibit earlier stage diagnoses and shorter intervals to diagnosis. Novel screening technologies such as MCED tests can potentially improve peri-diagnostic outcomes in cancers lacking existing or widely adopted screening methods. [Table: see text]

Helicobacter pylori Treatment and Gastric Cancer Risk Among Individuals With High Genetic Risk for Gastric Cancer

Helicobacter pylori treatment and nutrition supplementation may protect against gastric cancer (GC), but whether the beneficial effects only apply to potential genetic subgroups and whether high genetic risk may be counteracted by these chemoprevention strategies remains unknown. To examine genetic variants associated with the progression of gastric lesions and GC risk and to assess the benefits of H pylori treatment and nutrition supplementation by levels of genetic risk. This cohort study used follow-up data of the Shandong Intervention Trial (SIT, 1989-2022) and China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB, 2004-2018) in China. Based on the SIT, a longitudinal genome-wide association study was conducted to identify genetic variants for gastric lesion progression. Significant variants were examined for incident GC in a randomly sampled set of CKB participants (set 1). Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) combining independent variants were assessed for GC risk in the remaining CKB participants (set 2) and in an independent case-control study in Linqu. H pylori treatment and nutrition supplementation. Primary outcomes were the progression of gastric lesions (in SIT only) and the risk of GC. The associations of H pylori treatment and nutrition supplementation with GC were evaluated among SIT participants with different levels of genetic risk. Our analyses included 2816 participants (mean [SD] age, 46.95 [9.12] years; 1429 [50.75%] women) in SIT and 100 228 participants (mean [SD] age, 53.69 [11.00] years; 57 357 [57.23%] women) in CKB, with 147 GC cases in SIT and 825 GC cases in CKB identified during follow-up. A PRS integrating 12 genomic loci associated with gastric lesion progression and incident GC risk was derived, which was associated with GC risk in CKB (highest vs lowest decile of PRS: hazard ratio [HR], 2.54; 95% CI, 1.80-3.57) and further validated in the analysis of 702 case participants and 692 control participants (mean [SD] age, 54.54 [7.66] years; 527 [37.80%] women; odds ratio, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.11-3.05). H pylori treatment was associated with reduced GC risk only for individuals with high genetic risk (top 25% of PRS: HR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.25-0.82) but not for those with low genetic risk (HR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.50-1.34; P for interaction = .03). Such effect modification was not found for vitamin (P for interaction = .93) or garlic (P for interaction = .41) supplementation. The findings of this cohort study indicate that a high genetic risk of GC may be counteracted by H pylori treatment, suggesting primary prevention could be tailored to genetic risk for more effective prevention.

Association of Mosaic Chromosomal Alterations and Genetic Factors with the Risk of Cirrhosis.

Age-related mosaic chromosomal alterations (mCAs) detected from genotyping of blood-derived DNA are structural somatic variants that indicate clonal hematopoiesis. This study aimed to investigate whether mCAs contribute to the risk of cirrhosis and modify the effect of a polygenic risk score (PRS) on cirrhosis risk prediction. mCA call sets of individuals with European ancestry were obtained from the UK Biobank. The PRS was constructed based on 12 susceptible single-nucleotide polymorphisms for cirrhosis. Cox proportional hazard models were applied to evaluate the associations between mCAs and cirrhosis risk. Among 448,645 individuals with a median follow-up of 12.5 years, we identified 2,681 cases of cirrhosis, 1,775 cases of compensated cirrhosis, and 1,706 cases of decompensated cirrhosis. Compared to non-carriers, individuals with copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity mCAs had a significantly increased risk of cirrhosis (hazard ratio (HR) 1.42, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.12-1.81). This risk was higher in patients with expanded cell fractions of mCAs (cell fractions ≥10% vs. cell fractions <10%), especially for the risk of decompensated cirrhosis (HR 2.03 [95% CI 1.09-3.78] vs. 1.14 [0.80-1.64]). In comparison to non-carriers of mCAs with low genetic risk, individuals with expanded copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity and high genetic risk showed the highest cirrhosis risk (HR 5.39 [95% CI 2.41-12.07]). The presence of mCAs is associated with increased susceptibility to cirrhosis risk and could be combined with PRS for personalized cirrhosis risk stratification.