Self-reported Disease History Research Articles

Abstract 4125581: Association Between Life’s Essential 8 and Premature Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: A Cross-sectional Study Among Young Adults in the United States

Background: Among patients presenting with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), the proportion of young individuals has increased in recent years. Life’s Essential 8 (LE8), containing two domains of health behaviors and health factors, is an updated monitoring measurement of cardiovascular health by assessing 8 modifiable risk factors. Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the potential relationship between the LE8 score and a history of premature ASCVD among young adults residing in the United States. Methods: This population-based cross-sectional study utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey spanning 2005 to 2018, focusing specifically on adults aged 20 to 45. LE8 score was measured and categorized into low (0-49), moderate (50-79), and high (80-100) levels (Figure 1). Premature ASCVD status was determined by interviews conducted at enrollment, encompassing a self-reported composite disease history of coronary heart disease, angina pectoris, heart attack, and stroke. Following descriptive statistics, weighted multivariable logistic regression and restricted cubic spline models were employed to evaluate the associations between the LE8 score and premature ASCVD. Additionally, subscale and subgroup analysis were developed. Results: Among 17,499 participants, 9846 were eligible for analysis (weighted mean age, 32.7 years; male, 50.3%), and 167 had premature ASCVD history (weighted percentage, 1.46%). The weighted mean LE8 score of the study population was 71.99 (0.3). Following the adjustment for potential confounders, individuals with higher LE8 scores exhibited a reduced risk of developing premature ASCVD (Table 1). A nonlinear relationship was observed and similar patterns were also identified in the association of health behaviors and health factors scores with premature ASCVD (Figure 2). This inverse association was consistently observed across various subgroups, including sex, age strata, ethnicity, education, and income levels, with no significant interactions identified. Conclusions: The LE8 score and its subscale scores exhibited a negative, nonlinear association with premature ASCVD. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and controlling modifiable risk factors are crucial in preventing premature ASCVD in the younger demographic. Further studies, encompassing prospective cohorts, are needed to confirm this finding.

The Cumulative and Single Effect of 12 Aldehydes Concentrations on Cardiovascular Diseases: An Analysis Based on Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression and Weighted Logistic Regression.

This study investigates the individual and cumulative effects of 12 aldehydes concentrations on cardiovascular disease (CVD). A total of 1529 individuals from the 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were enrolled. We assessed serum concentrations of 12 aldehydes, including benzaldehyde, butyraldehyde, crotonaldehyde, decanaldehyde, heptanaldehyde, hexanaldehyde, isopentanaldehyde, nonanaldehyde, octanaldehyde, o-tolualdehyde, pentanaldehyde, and propanaldehyde. CVD patients were identified based on self-reported disease history from questionnaires. The Bayesian kernel machine regression was used to evaluate the cumulative effect of 12 aldehyde concentrations on CVD. Both weighted and unweighted logistic regression were used to assess the association of serum aldehyde concentrations with CVD, presenting effect sizes as odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Additionally, a restricted cubic spline analysis was also conducted to explore the relationship between benzaldehyde and CVD. Among the participants, 111 (7.3%) were identified as having CVD. Isopentanaldehyde concentrations were notably higher in CVD patients compared to those without CVD. Bayesian kernel machine regression indicated no cumulative effect of aldehydes on CVD. Unweighted logistic regression revealed a positive association between benzaldehyde and CVD when adjusting for age and sex (OR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.03-1.21). This association persisted after adjusting for age, sex, race, education, hypertension, diabetes, alcohol consumption, and smoking, with an OR of 1.12 (95% CI = 1.02-1.22). The restricted cubic spline showed a linear association between benzaldehyde and CVD. In the weighted logistic model, the association between benzaldehyde and CVD remains significant (OR = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.06-1.29). However, no significant association was found between other aldehydes and CVD. Our study reveals the potential contributing role of benzaldehyde to CVD. Future studies should further validate these findings in diverse populations and elucidate the underlying biological mechanisms.

Racial Differences in Over-the-Counter Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug Use Among Individuals at Risk of Adverse Cardiovascular Events.

Black Americans are disproportionately affected by adverse cardiovascular events (ACEs). Over-the-counter (OTC) non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) confer increased risk for ACEs, yet racial differences in the use of these products remain understudied. This study sought to determine racial differences in OTC NSAID and high-potency powdered NSAID (HPP-NSAID) use. This retrospective analysis examined participants at risk of ACEs (defined as those with self-reported hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, or smoking history ≥ 20years) from the North Carolina Colon Cancer Study, a population-based case-control study. We used multivariable logistic regression models to assess the independent associations of race with any OTC NSAID use, HPP-NSAID use, and regular use of these products. Of the 1286 participants, 585 (45%) reported Black race and 701 (55%) reported non-Black race. Overall, 665 (52%) reported any OTC NSAID use and 204 (16%) reported HPP-NSAID use. Compared to non-Black individuals, Black individuals were more likely to report both any OTC NSAID use (57% versus 48%) and HPP-NSAID use (22% versus 11%). In multivariable analyses, Black (versus non-Black) race was independently associated with higher odds of both NSAID use (OR 1.4, 95% CI (1.1, 1.8)) and HPP-NSAID use (OR 1.8 (1.3, 2.5)). Black individuals at risk of ACEs had higher odds of any OTC NSAID and HPP-NSAID use than non-Black individuals, after controlling for pain and socio-economic status. Further research is necessary to identify potential mechanisms driving this increased use.

Development and validation of a risk prediction model for visual impairment in older adults

ObjectivesThis study aimed to determine the risk factors that affect visual impairment in older adults for developing and evaluating a visual impairment risk prediction model. MethodsIn this hospital-based unmatched case-control design study, we enrolled 586 participants (411 in the training set and 175 in the internal test set) from the ophthalmology clinic and physical examination center of a teaching hospital in Liaoning Province, China, from June to December 2020. Visual impairment was defined as best-corrected visual acuity <6/18 (The WHO definition). Possible influencing factors of visual impairment were assessed, including demographic factors, socioeconomic factors, disease and medication factors, and lifestyle. A visual impairment risk prediction model was developed using binary logistic regression analysis. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed prediction model. ResultsSix independent influencing factors of visual impairment in older adults were identified: age, systolic blood pressure, physical activity scores, diabetes, self-reported ocular disease history, and education level. A visual impairment risk prediction model for older adults was developed, showing powerful predictive ability in the training set and internal test set with AUCs of 0.87 (95%CI 0.83–0.90) and 0.81 (95%CI 0.74–0.88), respectively. ConclusionsThe risk prediction model for visual impairment in older adults had high predictive power. Identifying older adults at risk for developing visual impairment can help healthcare workers to adopt appropriate targeted programs for early education and intervention to prevent or delay visual impairment and prevent injuries due to visual impairment in older adults.

Agreement between self-report and administrative health data on occurrence of non-cancer chronic disease among participants of the BC generations project.

Population-based studies of non-cancer chronic disease often rely on self-reported data for disease diagnosis, which may be incomplete, unreliable and suffer from bias. Recently, the British Columbia Generations Project (BCGP; n = 29,736) linked self-reported chronic disease history data to a Chronic Disease Registry (CDR) that applied algorithms to administrative health data to ascertain diagnoses of multiple chronic diseases in the Province of British Columbia. For the 10 diseases captured by both self-report and the CDR, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, hypertension, multiple sclerosis, myocardial infarction, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and stroke, we calculated Cohen's kappa coefficient to examine concordance of chronic disease status (i.e., ever/never diagnosed) between the data sources. Using CDR data as the gold standard, we also calculated sensitivity, specificity, and positive-predictive value (PPV) for self-reported chronic disease occurrence. The prevalence of each chronic disease was similar across both data sources. Substantial levels of concordance (0.66-0.73) and moderate to high sensitivities (0.64-0.92), specificities (0.98-0.99) and PPVs (0.55-0.84) were observed for diabetes, hypertension, multiple sclerosis, and myocardial infarction. We did observe degree of concordance to vary by age, sex, body mass index (BMI), health perception, and ethnicity across most of the chronic diseases that were evaluated. While administrative health data are imperfect, they are less likely to suffer from bias, making them a reasonable gold standard. Our results demonstrate that for at least some chronic diseases, self-report may be a reasonable method for case ascertainment. However, characteristics of the study population will likely have impacts on the quality of the data.

SARS-CoV-2 Serology and Self-Reported Infection Among Adults - National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, United States, August 2021-May 2022.

CDC COVID-19 surveillance systems monitor SARS-CoV-2 antibody prevalence to collect information about asymptomatic, undiagnosed, and unreported disease using national convenience samples of blood donor data from commercial laboratories (1,2). However, nonrandom sampling of data from these systems could affect prevalence estimates (1-3). The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) collects SARS-CoV-2 serology data among a sample of the general U.S. civilian population (4). In addition, NHANES collects self-reported COVID-19 vaccination and disease history, and its statistical sampling design is not based on health care access or blood donation. Therefore, NHANES data can be used to better quantify asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection prevalence and seropositivity attained through infection without vaccination. Preliminary NHANES 2021-2022 results indicated that 41.6% of adults aged ≥18 years had serology indicative of past infection and that 43.7% of these adults, including 57.1% of non-Hispanic Black or African American (Black) adults, reported never having had COVID-19, possibly representing asymptomatic infection. In addition, 25.5% of adults whose serology indicated past infection reported never having received COVID-19 vaccination. Prevalences of seropositivity in the absence of vaccination were higher among younger adults and Black adults, reflecting the lower observed vaccination rates among these groups (5). These findings raise health equity concerns given the disparities observed in SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination. Results from NHANES 2021-2022 can guide ongoing efforts to achieve vaccine equity in COVID-19 primary vaccination series and booster dose coverage.

Abstract EP66: Racial Differences In The Use Of Over-the-counter Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs Among Individuals At Risk Of Adverse Cardiovascular Events

Introduction: Over-the-counter (OTC) non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used despite conferring risk for adverse cardiovascular events (ACEs). ACEs disproportionately affect Black individuals, yet patterns of OTC NSAID and high-potency powder NSAID (HPP-NSAID) use among different racial groups remains understudied. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that use of OTC NSAIDs and HPP-NSAIDs is higher among Black individuals. Methods: We analyzed data from the North Carolina Colon Cancer study, a population-based case-control study in 1996-2000. Participants at risk of ACEs, defined as self-reported hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, or smoking history ≥ 20 years, were included in our analysis. Primary outcomes were any OTC NSAID use and HPP-NSAID use. Secondary outcomes included regular use of the primary outcome variables. Using multivariable logistic regression, we quantified the independent association of the outcomes with race after adjusting for age, sex, education, poverty, and pain interfering with daily activities. We investigated the effect modifications of poverty status and educational attainment separately on the noted associations. Results: Of the 1286 participants at risk for ACEs, 583 (45%) reported Black, 695 (54%) White, and 8 (&lt;1%) Other race. Overall, 665 (52%) reported any NSAID use and 204 (16%) reported HPP-NSAID use. Any NSAID use was reported by 329 (57%) Black participants compared to 332 (48%) White participants. HPP-NSAID use was reported by 126 (22%) Black participants compared to 76 (11%) White participants. Of users, 174 (26%) reported regular NSAID use and 37 (18%) reported regular HPP-NSAID use; this pattern was similar across race. In multivariable analysis, Black (versus White) race was independently associated with higher odds of NSAID use (odds ratio [OR] 1.4 95% confidence interval [1.1, 1.8]). Pain interfering with daily activities (OR 1.4 [1.1, 1.8]) was also associated with NSAID use and older age was negatively associated with NSAID use (OR 0.96 [0.95, 0.97]). After adjustment, Black race was associated with HPP-NSAID use (OR 1.8 [1.3, 2.6]). Male sex (OR 1.6 [1.2, 2.3]) and being in or near poverty (OR 1.6 [1.0, 2.3]) were also independently associated with HPP-NSAID use and older age (OR 0.96 [0.94, 0.97]) and educational attainment of some college or greater (OR 0.5 [0.3, 0.7]) were negatively associated with HPP-NSAID use. The associations between race and either outcome were not significantly moderated by educational attainment nor poverty status. Conclusions: In this population-based study, Black individuals at risk of ACEs had higher odds of any NSAID and HPP-NSAID use than White participants, even after controlling for pain and socio-economic status. Further research is necessary to determine the impact of this differential use on established inequities in cardiovascular outcomes.

Sleep health composites are associated with the risk of heart disease across sex and race

We examined whether subjectively and objectively measured sleep health composites have a relationship with heart disease. 6,820 adults (Mage = 53.4 years) from the Midlife in the United States study provided self-reported sleep characteristics and heart disease history. A smaller sample (n = 663) provided actigraphy sleep data. We tested two sleep health composites, based on self-report only and both self-report and actigraphy, across multiple sleep dimensions. We used a weighted sum approach, where higher scores indicated more sleep health problems. Modified Poisson regressions adjusted for sociodemographics and known risk factors. Having more sleep health problems was associated with a higher risk of heart disease using the self-report sleep health composite (aRR = 54%, P < .001) and the actigraphy/self-report composite (aRR = 141%, P < .001). Individual sleep dimensions of satisfaction, alertness, and efficiency (from the self-report composite) and regularity, satisfaction, and timing (from the actigraphy/self-report composite) were associated with the risk of heart disease. The effect size of each sleep health composite was larger than the individual sleep dimensions. Race moderated the association between the actigraphy/self-report sleep health composite and heart disease. There was no significant moderation by sex. Findings suggest poorer sleep health across multiple dimensions may contribute to heart disease risk among middle-aged adults.

Thirty-Year Trends in Complications in U.S. Adults With Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes

OBJECTIVETo assess the prevalence of and trends in complications among U.S. adults with newly diagnosed diabetes.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSWe included 1,486 nonpregnant adults (aged ≥20 years) with newly diagnosed diabetes (diagnosed within the past 2 years) from the 1988–1994 and 1999–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We estimated trends in albuminuria (albumin-to-creatinine ratio ≥30 mg/g), reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2), retinopathy (any retinal microaneurysms or blot hemorrhages), and self-reported cardiovascular disease (history of congestive heart failure, heart attack, or stroke).RESULTSFrom 1988–1994 to 2011–2018, there was a significant decrease in the prevalence of albuminuria (38.9 to 18.7%, P for trend <0.001) but no change in the prevalence of reduced eGFR (7.5 to 9.9%, P for trend = 0.30), retinopathy (1988–1994 to 1999–2008 only; 13.2 to 12.1%, P for trend = 0.86), or self-reported cardiovascular disease (19.0 to 16.5%, P for trend = 0.64). There were improvements in glycemic, blood pressure, and lipid control in the population, and these partially explained the decline in albuminuria. Complications were more common at the time of diabetes diagnosis for adults who were older, lower income, less educated, and obese.CONCLUSIONSOver the past three decades, there have been encouraging reductions in albuminuria and risk factor control in adults with newly diagnosed diabetes. However, the overall burden of complications around the time of the diagnosis remains high.

Cognitive Function Among Elderly Survivors Prenatally Exposed to Atomic Bombings

BackgroundA cohort of children prenatally exposed to the 1945 atomic bombings in Japan revealed harmful effects of ionizing radiation in a variety of measures of cognitive function, including mental retardation. Here we examined cognitive function in the non-affected, now elderly, cohort. MethodsFrom 2011-2015, using the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument and a maternal uterine radiation dose estimated with the 2002 dosimetry system, we evaluated 303 prenatally exposed subjects and their non-exposed controls from the Adult Health Study of the Radiation Effects Research Foundation, excluding those who had shown marked cognitive effects earlier. About 11% of the subjects were exposed to more than 250 mGy. We examined a self-reported disease history and, using regression analysis, evaluated the relationship between cognitive function and radiation exposures, adjusting for demographic factors. ResultsNone of the subjects reported a history of dementia. We also did not find a significant radiation effect on cognitive function overall or in any gestational-week group. Education was associated with a significant effect, but educational level was not associated with radiation dose. ConclusionWe found no significant radiation effect on cognitive function among 65- to 70-year-old subjects who were prenatally exposed to the bombings and did not have marked childhood cognitive function deterioration. The limitations of this study include a small sample size and potential bias pertaining to non-participation in the Adult Health Study or refusal of Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument evaluation. Further investigations using various endpoints in other populations prenatally exposed to radiation are warranted.

Association of serum ferritin with metabolic syndrome in eight cities in China.

ObjectiveThis study aims to evaluate the cross‐sectional association of serum ferritin (SF) and the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components among adults in eight cities in China.MethodsSubjects were recruited using a combination of systematic cluster random sampling and purposive sampling in eight cities in China. The sociodemographic characteristics, data of lifestyle factors, self‐reported disease history, and 24‐hr dietary intake were obtained using a validated questionnaire. Anthropometry was performed, and fasting blood was collected to test the SF, fasting blood glucose (FBG), insulin, high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hs‐CRP), triglycerides (TG), and cholesterols. Logistic and linear regression analyses were conducted to investigate the associations, adjusting for age, city level, smoking, drinking, weekly moderate‐to‐vigorous activity, dietary factors, hs‐CRP, and BMI.ResultsSerum ferritin level is positively correlated with total cholesterol, TG, FBG, HOMA‐IR, and hs‐CRP after adjusting for age and BMI. The odds ratio (OR) for MetS in the highest quartile of SF was 2.23 (1.32, 3.77) after adjusting for men, compared with the lowest quartile. An elevated ferritin concentration was significantly related to hypertriglyceridemia (p < .001) and elevated glucose (p = .013) among men, but not among women. Furthermore, compared with Q1, the OR for insulin resistance in the ferritin Q4 group was 3.08 (1.50, 6.32) among men and 1.96 (1.19, 3.24) among women.ConclusionA positive association between elevated SF and MetS and its components including hypertriglyceridemia and elevated glucose was found in multivariate analyses among men, and SF levels are independently associated with IR.

Validity of Self-reported Stroke and Myocardial Infarction in Korea: The Health Examinees (HEXA) Study.

ObjectivesSelf-reported disease history is often used in epidemiological studies. In this study, we acquired the hospital records of subjects who self-reported stroke or myocardial infarction (MI) and evaluated the validity of the participants’ self-reported disease history. We also determined the level of agreement between specialists and non-specialists.MethodsAmong the participants in the Health Examinees study, 1488 subjects self-reported stroke or MI during 2012-2017, and medical records were acquired for the 429 subjects (28.8%) who agreed to share their medical information. Each record was independently assigned to 2 medical doctors for review. The records were classified as ‘definite,’ ‘possible,’ or ‘not’ stroke or MI. If the doctors did not agree, a third doctor made the final decision. The positive predictive value (PPV) of self-reporting was calculated with the doctors’ review as the gold standard. Kappa statistics were used to compare the results between general doctors and neurologists or cardiologists.ResultsMedical records from 208 patients with self-reported stroke and 221 patients with self-reported MI were reviewed. The PPV of self-reported disease history was 51.4% for stroke and 32.6% for MI. If cases classified as ‘possible’ were counted as positive diagnoses, the PPV was 59.1% for stroke and 33.5% for MI. Kappa statistics showed moderate levels of agreement between specialists and non-specialists for both stroke and MI.ConclusionsThe validity of self-reported disease was lower than expected, especially in those who reported having been diagnosed with MI. Proper consideration is needed when using these self-reported data in further studies.

Gaps in awareness and control of hypertension: a cross-sectional study in Chinese urban adults.

Hypertension is a serious public health threat worldwide. This study sought to explore gaps in urban Chinese adults' awareness and control of hypertension. A cross-sectional study was carried out in eight Chinese cities in 2016. Participants were organized into four groups on the basis of blood pressure (BP) and self-reported disease history: healthy group (63.0%), well-controlled BP group (9.1%), unaware hypertension group (14.0%), and poorly controlled BP group (13.9%). Multinomial logistic regression with the healthy group as the reference group showed that younger age and body mass index <24 kg/m2 were negatively associated with lack of awareness of hypertension and poor control of BP. Lower salt intake, but not sodium intake, was associated with poor control of BP. Other factors associated with lack of awareness of hypertension included low fish and seafood intake. Low sodium intake contributed to good control of BP. In conclusion, there are gaps in urban Chinese adults' awareness and control of hypertension. A comprehensive strategy for enhancing awareness of hypertension and changing behaviors associated with the condition should be developed and implemented.

Presence and Types of Systemic Diseases among Patients with Periodontitis in Suva, Fiji

Objectives: Periodontitis is an infection which is caused by micro-organisms like Porphyromonas gingivalis. Periodontitis patients can have one or more systemic diseases such as heart diseases, diabetes, renal diseases, respiratory diseases etc. Due to lack of study in Fiji, this study is aimed to determine the presence and types of systemic diseases among patients with periodontitis in Suva, Fiji. Methods: This is a descriptive study on periodontitis patients with complete self-reported systemic disease history carried out in two dental clinics operated by the Fiji National University. Periodontitis patients with or without self-reported systemic disease history were included in this study. Patients without periodontitis were excluded from this study. The patient clinical records are recorded from 1st January 2013 to 31st December 2014. SPSS was used to analysis the data and all the categorical variables were presented by numbers and percentages. Results: The total number of periodontitis patients who reported having at least one type of systemic diseases was 35.5% (n=131). The most common types of diseases were heart disease 55.7% ~ 56% (n=73) and diabetes 45% (n=59). The age group 40-64-year-old periodontitis patients showed the highest number of heart diseases and diabetes, (68.1%) and (79.3%), respectively. Amongst all the ethnic groups, the Fijians of Indian Descent showed the highest number of heart diseases (49.1%), and the I-Taukei Fijians showed highest number of diabetes (42.4%). The use of tobacco was 39.7%, alcohol was 38.4% and betel-nut was 5.6% among periodontitis patients with heart diseases. And the use of tobacco was 33.9%, alcohol was 39% and betel-nut was 3.4% among periodontitis patients with diabetes mellitus. Severe periodontitis patients showed high percentages of diabetes (50.9%) among the mild periodontitis and moderate periodontitis patients. However, the occurrence of heart diseases was the same, (40.6%) among moderate and severe periodontitis patients. Conclusion: The study concluded that the number of periodontitis patients with any one type of systemic disease was 35.5%. And the most common types of systemic diseases seen among the periodontitis patients were heart disease and diabetes. Further research studies in future will provide more insight to the association of periodontitis and systemic diseases.

Presence of Behavioural Risk Factors Among Periodontitis Patients in Suva, Fiji

Periodontitis is a chronic infectious inflammatory disease of the gingiva and supporting structures of the teeth caused by specific bacteria such as Porphyromonas gingivalis. Periodontitis patients can have one or more systemic diseases. Both periodontal diseases and systemic diseases share mutual risk factors including alcohol consumption, smoking of tobacco etc. Due to lack of previous study, this descriptive study is aimed to identify the presence of behavioural risk factors among periodontitis patients with and without systemic disease in Suva, Fiji. This is a descriptive study on periodontitis patients with complete self-reported systemic disease history carried out in two dental clinics operated by the Fiji National University (FNU). Periodontitis patients with or without selfreported systemic disease history were included in this study. Patients without periodontitis were excluded from this study. The patient clinical records are recorded from 1st January 2013 to 31st December 2014. Chi square test was used to determine use of behavioural risk factors (such as use of tobacco, use of alcohol and the use of betel-nut), among the periodontitis patients with and without systemic disease. And Binary logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratio with their 95% Confidence Intervals to define any association between dependent variable and independent variables. A p-value less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Majority of patients aged 40-64 years old and 57% were female. The present study did not show any statistically significant association between use of tobacco and use of betel-nut among periodontitis patients with and without systemic disease, however, use of alcohol among the periodontitis patients with and without systemic disease was statistically significant (p=0.022). Among all the other behavioural risk factors such as use of tobacco and betel-nut, only the use of alcohol among periodontitis patients with and without systemic diseases was statistically significant.

Determinants of Systemic Diseases amongst Periodontitis Patients in Suva, Fiji

Introduction: Periodontitis develops through opportunistic infection which usually occurs when there is an imbalance between the oral biofilm and host defense’s and has been connected with various systemic diseases such as heart diseases, diabetes, renal diseases, respiratory diseases etc. Due to lack of previous study, this study is aimed to describe the determinants of systemic diseases amongst periodontitis patients in Suva, Fiji. Methodology: This retrospective descriptive study was carried out in the FNU Dental Clinics, Suva, Fiji using the periodontitis patient clinical records from 1st January 2013 to 31st December 2014. Periodontitis patients with or without self-reported systemic disease history were included in this study. Patient demographic variables were collected and Binary logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratio with their 95% Confidence Intervals to define any association between dependent variable and independent variables. A p-value<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The results of the study showed that the odds of having systemic disease were 3.5 times higher in 40-64- year-old patients than in the 15-39-year-old periodontitis patients (OR 3.5, 95% CI 1.98-6.09, p=<0.001). Male periodontitis patients reported with 42% systemic disease and females reported with 58% systemic disease. Systemic disease was higher in females than males; however, this was not statistically significant. The odds of having systemic disease were 1.9 times higher in the Fijians of Indian Descent than among the I-Taukei Fijians (OR 1.9, 95% CI: 1.17-3.11, p=0.026). Conclusion: The study concluded that systemic disease was the most in 40-64-year-old Fijians of Indian decent periodontitis patients, this was statistically significant. Female periodontitis patients showed higher presence of systemic diseases than the male periodontitis patients; however this was not statistically significant.

Epidemiology of hypertension in Northern Tanzania: a community-based mixed-methods study

IntroductionSub-Saharan Africa is particularly vulnerable to the growing global burden of hypertension, but epidemiological studies are limited and barriers to optimal management are poorly understood. Therefore, we undertook a community-based...

Abstract P100: Heritability of Atrial Fibrillation

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common and heritable arrhythmia associated with substantial morbidity. Previous reports have implicated over 30 genes and 16 loci in the pathogenesis of AF, but the genetic architecture of the arrhythmia has not been systematically characterized. Methods: We assessed AF heritability in 120,286 unrelated individuals of European ancestry (2,981 with AF) from the population-based UK Biobank. We ascertained AF based on self-reported disease history and/or billing codes from medical record data. To validate the phenotype definition, we examined genetic associations with AF for variants at known susceptibility loci reported in prior independent genome-wide association studies. We then estimated the proportion of AF variance explained by additive genetic variation (heritability) using a variance components method (BOLT-REML) based on ~800,000 independent high quality imputed variants with minor allele frequencies (MAF) ≥ 1%. We further evaluated the heritability of AF by sex, allele frequency, and established AF loci from association studies (+/- 500 kb of a top associated variant). All analyses were adjusted for baseline age, sex, array, and 15 principal components of ancestry. Results: The average age was higher in AF cases than in referents (62.3 years vs. 56.8 years), and more AF cases were male (69% vs. 47%). We observed expected associations between genetic variation and AF, validating our AF definition. The heritability of AF was 22.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 15.8%-28.8%), and no substantive difference was observed between males and females. We observed that the AF variance was mainly explained by common variants with MAF ≥ 5% (20.6%, 95%CI 15.2%-25.9%) rather than low-frequency variants with MAF between 1%-&lt;5% (0%, 95%CI 0.0%-0.06%). Only 4.7% (95%CI 3.7%-5.7%) of AF variance was explained by known AF susceptibility loci. Conclusions: Using a population-based sample of European ancestry, we observed that a substantial proportion of variance in AF risk is attributable to additive genetic variation. AF variance is predominantly accounted for by common variants. Only a small proportion of AF variance is attributable to known AF loci. Our findings suggest that further genetic discovery, with an emphasis on common variation, is warranted to understand the causal genetic basis of AF.

Gait speed as on indicator for vigorous elders in comprehensive geriatrics assessment

Objective To analyze the health status in the elderly with fast gait speed, in order to provide the positive factor for maintenance and intervention of physical function in the elderly. Methods A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted. Information including demographic data, self-reported disease history, living habits, sensory motor ability was obtained by the standard questionnaire. Walking speed was measured over a distance of 6 meters. With the highest quartile of gait speed as the standard for fast gait speed in the elderly, the relationship of gait speed with health status and its influencing factors were further analyzed. Results The 1.39 m/s for gait speed was considered as the referenced cut-off value for fast gait speed. The elderly with fast gait speed were superior to those with normal gait speed in the somatic motor function and in the reduced prevalence of stroke. Logistic regression analysis showed that education, self-health status assessment, physical ability and life attitude were associated with the maintenance of fast gait speed. Conclusions Fast gait speed indicates that the health status of the elderly is better. The cut-off value for fast gait speed could be an easy and available indicator for vigorous elders in geriatrics comprehensive assessment. Key words: Health status; Gait

Health Information-Seeking Behavior Among Hypothyroid Patients at Saveetha Medical College and Hospital.

Hypothyroidism causes considerable morbidity. Low knowledge coupled with inadequate health literacy may lead to poor prevention and management. This study aimed to assess health information-seeking behavior and hypothyroid knowledge among South Indian hypothyroid patients. This cross-sectional study was conducted in October 2013 in Saveetha Medical College, Chennai, India. Hundred clinically diagnosed hypothyroid patients ≥18 years were interviewed in a hospital using a 57-item questionnaire to gather information on their socio-demographics, self-reported disease history, hypothyroid-related knowledge, health information sources, health literacy and health information-seeking behavior. Hypothyroidism was assessed by free T3 and T4 levels. Mean age of participants was 38 years (SD=12) with median age of 39.5 years, majority of the participants being females (77%) and living in urban setting (52%). Mean free T3 level was 0.0137ng/dl (SD= 0.003) and mean free T4 was 0.7ng/dl (SD= 0.06). Ninety three percent of the participants received initial hypothyroidism education from their physicians at the time of diagnosis. Half of the participants had incorrect hypothyroidism-related knowledge; similar between both genders. Participants with inadequate health literacy had poor knowledge about the hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism-related health information was sought almost exclusively from health professionals, predominantly regarding treatment, linked to their faith in qualified medical assistance. Economic status primarily determined healthcare-seeking behavior. Marital status, education level, annual household income and health literacy were significantly associated with knowledge. Participants having higher educational qualification, higher annual household income and adequate health literacy had considerable knowledge about hypothyroidism. Developing multi-factorial and tailored health education for patients with marginal or inadequate health literacy is needed. Exploring healthcare institutions as a medium for delivery of such education should be explored.