We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis on prospective studies that provided risk estimates for the impact of 3 different MRI markers of small vessel disease (SVD), namely white matter... Show moreWe performed a systematic review and meta-analysis on prospective studies that provided risk estimates for the impact of 3 different MRI markers of small vessel disease (SVD), namely white matter hyperintensities (WMH), cerebral microbleeds (CMB) and lacunes, on cognitive decline in relatively healthy older adults without cognitive deficits at baseline. A total of 23 prospective studies comprising 11,486 participants were included for analysis. Extracted data was pooled, reviewed and meta-analysed separately for global cognition, executive function, memory and attention. The pooled effect size for the association between cerebral SVD and cognitive decline was for global cognition -0.10 [-0.14; -0.05], for executive functioning -0.18 [-0.24; - 0.11], for memory -0.12 [-0.17; -0.07], and for attention -0.17 [-0.23; -0.11]. Results for the association of individual MRI markers of cerebral SVD were statistically significant for WMH and global cognition -0.15 [-0.24; -0.06], WMH and executive function -0.23 [-0.33; -0.13], WMH and memory -0.19 [-0.29; -0.09], WMH and attention -0.24 [-0.39; -0.08], CMB and executive function -0.07 [-0.13; -0.02], CMB and memory -0.11 [-0.21; -0.02] and CMB and attention -0.13 [-0.25; -0.02]. In conclusion, presence of MRI markers of cerebral SVD were found to predict an increased risk of cognitive decline in relatively healthy older adults. While WMH were found to significantly affect all cognitive domains, CMB influenced decline in executive functioning over time as well as (in some studies) decline in memory and attention. Show less
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widely used and persistent chemicals, leading to ubiquitous exposure. Although high PFAS levels have been associated with an adverse cardiovascular... Show morePer- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widely used and persistent chemicals, leading to ubiquitous exposure. Although high PFAS levels have been associated with an adverse cardiovascular risk profile, the distribution of levels and relations with cardio-metabolic risk markers in the general population have not been fully characterized. We assessed the association between blood levels of perfluorooctaneic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), and perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) and a range of lipoproteins and metabolites as well as clinical lipid measurements. We used data from participants of the Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity study (NEO) (n = 584) and the Rhineland Study (n = 1962), jointly spanning an age range of 30 to 89 years. PFAS were measured with the Metabolon HD4 platform, and lipoprotein and metabolite profiles were measured using Nightingale's nuclear magnetic resonance-spectroscopy platform, and mainly comprised lipoprotein markers. Using linear regression analyses, we quantified age-, sex-, and education-adjusted associations of PFOA, PFOS, and PFHxS with clinical lipid measurements and 224 lipoproteins and metabolites. Higher levels of PFAS, particularly PFOS and PFHxS, were associated with higher concentrations of total lipid, cholesterol and phospholipid content in most HDL, IDL, LDL, and VLDL subclasses. The effect sizes were age-dependent for the majority of the associations, with the deleterious effects of PFAS being generally stronger in people below compared to those above median age. Our observation that in the general population even low PFAS concentrations are associated with an unfavorable lipid profile, calls for further critical regulation of PFAS substances. Show less
Martens, L.G.; Hamersveld, D. van; Cessie, S. le; Dijk, K.W. van; Heemst, D. van; Noordam, R. 2023
Objectives: Low socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with cardiovascular risk factors and increased coronary artery disease (CAD) risk. We tested whether SES is an effect modifier of the... Show moreObjectives: Low socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with cardiovascular risk factors and increased coronary artery disease (CAD) risk. We tested whether SES is an effect modifier of the association between classical cardiovascular risk factors and CAD using SES-stratified Mendelian Randomization in European-ancestry participants from UK Biobank.Study Design and Setting: We calculated weighted genetic risk scores (GRS) for the risk factors body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides. Participants were stratified by Townsend deprivation index score. Lo-gistic regression models were used to investigate associations between GRSs and CAD occurrence. Additionally, stratification based on GRS-adjusted Townsend deprivation index residuals was conducted to correct for possible collider-stratification bias.Results: In a total sample size of N 5 446,485, with 52,946 cases, the risk for CAD per standard deviation increase in genetically influenced BMI was highest in the group with the lowest 25% SES (odds ratio: 1.126, 95% confidence interval: 1.106-1.145; odds ratio: 1.081, 95% confidence interval: 1.059-1.103 in high SES), remaining similar after controlling for possible collider-stratification bias. The effects of genetically influenced systolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride on CAD were similar between SES groups.Conclusion: CAD risk attributable to increased BMI is not homogenous and could be modified by SES. This emphasizes the need of tailor-made approaches for BMI-associated CAD risk reduction. & COPY; 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Show less
PHARMACOM-EPI is a novel framework to predict plasma concentrations of drugs at the time of occurrence of clinical outcomes. In early 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a... Show morePHARMACOM-EPI is a novel framework to predict plasma concentrations of drugs at the time of occurrence of clinical outcomes. In early 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning on the anti-seizure drug lamotrigine claiming that it has the potential to increase the risk of arrhythmias and related sudden cardiac death due to a pharmacological sodium channel-blocking effect. We hypothesized that the risk of ar-rhythmias and related death is due to toxicity. We used the PHARMACOM-EPI framework to investigate the relationship between lamotrigine's plasma concentrations and the risk of death in older patients using real-world data. Danish nationwide administrative and healthcare registers were used as data sources and individuals aged 65 years or older during the period 1996 - 2018 were included in the study. According to the PHARMACOM-EPI framework, plasma concentrations of lamotrigine were predicted at the time of death and patients were cate-gorized into non-toxic and toxic groups based on the therapeutic range of lamotrigine (3-15 mg/L). Over 1 year of treatment, the incidence rate ratio (IRR) of all-cause mortality was calculated between the propensities score matched toxic and non-toxic groups. In total, 7286 individuals were diagnosed with epilepsy and were exposed to lamotrigine, 432 of which had at least one plasma concentration measurement The pharmacometric model by Chavez et al. was used to predict lamotrigine's plasma concentrations considering the lowest absolute percentage error among identified models (14.25 %, 95 % CI: 11.68-16.23). The majority of lamotrigine associated deaths were cardiovascular-related and occurred among individuals with plasma concentrations in the toxic range. The IRR of mortality between the toxic group and non-toxic group was 3.37 [95 % CI: 1.44-8.32] and the cumulative incidence of all-cause mortality exponentially increased in the toxic range. Application of our novel framework PHARMACOM-EPI provided strong evidence to support our hypothesis that the increased risk of all-cause and cardiovascular death was associated with a toxic plasma concentration level of lamotrigine among older lamo-trigine users. Show less
Ao, L.J.; Dijk, K.W. van; Heemst, D. van; Noordam, R. 2023
ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate whether independent dimensions of metabolic syndrome (MetS) components are associated differentially with incident cardiometabolic diseases.... Show moreObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate whether independent dimensions of metabolic syndrome (MetS) components are associated differentially with incident cardiometabolic diseases. MethodsPrincipal components analysis was performed using the five MetS components from 153,073 unrelated European-ancestry participants (55% women) from the UK Biobank. The associations of the principal components (PCs) with incident type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), coronary artery disease (CAD), and (ischemic) stroke were analyzed using multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models in groups stratified by sex and baseline age. ResultsPC1 (40.5% explained variance; increased waist circumference with dyslipidemia) and PC2 (22.7% explained variance; hyperglycemia) were both associated with incident cardiometabolic disease. Hazard ratios (HR [95% CI]) for CAD and T2D were higher for PC1 than for PC2 (1.27 [95% CI: 1.25-1.29] vs. 1.06 [95% CI: 1.03-1.08] and 2.09 [95% CI: 2.03-2.16] vs. 1.39 [95% CI: 1.34-1.44], respectively). Furthermore, the association of PC1 with T2D was slightly higher for women than for men, and especially the HRs of PC1 with CAD and T2D attenuated with increasing age (p values for heterogeneity test among subgroups < 0.05). ConclusionsMetS can be dissected into two distinct presentations characterized by differential sex- and age-associated cardiometabolic disease risk, confirming the loss of information using the dichotomous MetS. Show less
Noordam, R.; Brochard, T.A.G.; Drewes, Y.M.; Gussekloo, J.; Mooijaart, S.P.; Dijk, K.W. van; ... ; Heemst, D. van 2023
Background and aims: Mendelian randomization confirmed multiple risk factors for primary events of coronary artery disease (CAD), but no such studies have been performed on recurrent major coronary... Show moreBackground and aims: Mendelian randomization confirmed multiple risk factors for primary events of coronary artery disease (CAD), but no such studies have been performed on recurrent major coronary events despite interesting insights derived from other designs. We examined the associations between genetically-influenced classical cardiovascular risk factors and the risk of recurrent major coronary events in a cohort of CAD patients. Methods: We included all first-time CAD cases (defined as angina pectoris, chronic ischemic heart disease or acute myocardial infarction) of European ancestry from the UK Biobank. Cases were followed till the end of follow-up, death or when they developed a recurrent major coronary event (chronic ischemic heart disease or acute myocardial infarction). Standardized weighted genetic risk scores were calculated for body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Results: From a total of 22,949 CAD patients (mean age at first diagnosis 59.8 (SD 7.3) years, 71.1% men), 12,539 (54.6%) reported a recurrent major coronary event within a period of maximum 17.8 years. One standard de-viation higher genetically-determined LDL cholesterol was associated with a higher risk of a recurrent major coronary event (odds ratio: 1.08 [95% confidence interval: 1.05, 1.11]). No associations were observed for genetically-influenced BMI (1.00 [0.98, 1.03]), systolic blood pressure (1.01 [0.98, 1.03]) and triglycerides (1.02 [0.995, 1.05]). Conclusions: Despite the use risk-reducing medications following a first coronary event, this study provided ge-netic evidence that, of the classical risk factors, mainly high LDL cholesterol was associated with a higher risk of developing recurrent major coronary events. Show less
Background and Aims Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by the pathological accumulation of triglycerides in hepatocytes and is associated with insulin resistance,... Show moreBackground and Aims Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by the pathological accumulation of triglycerides in hepatocytes and is associated with insulin resistance, atherogenic dyslipidaemia and cardiometabolic diseases. Thus far, the extent of metabolic dysregulation associated with hepatic triglyceride accumulation has not been fully addressed. In this study, we aimed to identify metabolites associated with hepatic triglyceride content (HTGC) and map these associations using network analysis. Methods: To gain insight in the spectrum of metabolites associated with hepatic triglyceride accumulation, we performed a comprehensive plasma metabolomics screening of 1363 metabolites in apparently healthy middle aged (age 45-65) individuals (N = 496) in whom HTGC was measured by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. An atlas of metabolite-HTGC associations, based on univariate results, was created using correlation-based Gaussian graphical model (GGM) and genome scale metabolic model network analyses. Pathways associated with the clinical prognosis marker fibrosis 4 (FIB-4) index were tested using a closed global test. Results: Our analyses revealed that 118 metabolites were univariately associated with HTGC (p-value <6.59 x 10(-5)), including 106 endogenous, 1 xenobiotic and 11 partially characterized/uncharacterized metabolites. These associations were mapped to several biological pathways including branched amino acids (BCAA), diglycerols, sphingomyelin, glucosyl-ceramide and lactosyl-ceramide. We also identified a novel possible HTGC-related pathway connecting glutamate, metabolonic lactone sulphate and X-15245 using the GGM network. These pathways were confirmed to be associated with the FIB-4 index as well. The full interactive metabolite-HTGC atlas is provided online: . Conclusions: The combined network and pathway analyses indicated extensive associations between BCAA and the lipids pathways with HTGC and the FIB-4 index. Moreover, we report a novel pathway glutamate-metabolonic lactone sulphate-X-15245 with a potential strong association with HTGC. These findings can aid elucidating HTGC metabolomic profiles and provide insight into novel drug targets for fibrosis-related outcomes. Show less
Luo, J.; Noordam, R.; Jukema, J.W.; Dijk, K.W. van; Hagg, S.; Grassmann, F.; ... ; Heemst, D. van 2022
Aim: Mitochondrial DNA dysfunction has been implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. We aimed to investigate the associations between leukocyte mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) abundance... Show moreAim: Mitochondrial DNA dysfunction has been implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. We aimed to investigate the associations between leukocyte mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) abundance, as a proxy of mitochondrial function, and coronary artery disease (CAD) and heart failure (HF) in a cohort study and approximate the causal nature of these relationships using Mendelian randomization (MR) in genetic studies. Methods and results: Multivariable-adjusted Cox regression analyses were conducted in 273 619 unrelated participants of European ancestry from the UK Biobank (UKB). For genetic studies, we first performed MR analyses with individual-level data from the UKB using a weighted genetic risk score (GRS); two-sample MR analyses were subsequently performed using summary-level data from the publicly available three consortia/biobank for CAD and two for HF. MR analyses were performed per database separately and results were subsequently meta-analysed using fixed-effects models. During a median follow-up of 11.8 years, restricted cubic spline Cox regression analyses showed associations between lower mtDNA abundance and higher risk of CAD and HF. Hazard ratios for participants in the lowest quintile of mtDNA abundance compared with those in the highest quintile were 1.08 (95% confidence interval: 1.03, 1.14) and 1.15 (1.05, 1.24) for CAD and HF. Genetically, no evidence was observed for a possible non-linear causal effect using individual-level weighted genetic risk scores calculated in the UKB on the study outcomes; the pooled odds ratios (95% confidence interval) from two-sample MR of genetically predicted per one-SD decrease in mtDNA abundance were 1.09 (1.03, 1.16) for CAD and 0.99 (0.92, 1.08) for HF, respectively. Conclusion: Our findings support a possible causal role of lower leukocyte mtDNA abundance in higher CAD risk, but not in HF. Show less
Luo, J.; Noordam, R.; Jukema, J.W.; Dijk, K.W. van; Hägg, S.; Grassmann, F.; ... ; Heemst, D. van 2022
AimMitochondrial DNA dysfunction has been implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. We aimed to investigate the associations between leukocyte mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) abundance,... Show moreAimMitochondrial DNA dysfunction has been implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. We aimed to investigate the associations between leukocyte mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) abundance, as a proxy of mitochondrial function, and coronary artery disease (CAD) and heart failure (HF) in a cohort study and approximate the causal nature of these relationships using Mendelian randomization (MR) in genetic studies.Methods and resultsMultivariable-adjusted Cox regression analyses were conducted in 273 619 unrelated participants of European ancestry from the UK Biobank (UKB). For genetic studies, we first performed MR analyses with individual-level data from the UKB using a weighted genetic risk score (GRS); two-sample MR analyses were subsequently performed using summary-level data from the publicly available three consortia/biobank for CAD and two for HF. MR analyses were performed per database separately and results were subsequently meta-analysed using fixed-effects models. During a median follow-up of 11.8 years, restricted cubic spline Cox regression analyses showed associations between lower mtDNA abundance and higher risk of CAD and HF. Hazard ratios for participants in the lowest quintile of mtDNA abundance compared with those in the highest quintile were 1.08 (95% confidence interval: 1.03, 1.14) and 1.15 (1.05, 1.24) for CAD and HF. Genetically, no evidence was observed for a possible non-linear causal effect using individual-level weighted genetic risk scores calculated in the UKB on the study outcomes; the pooled odds ratios (95% confidence interval) from two-sample MR of genetically predicted per one-SD decrease in mtDNA abundance were 1.09 (1.03, 1.16) for CAD and 0.99 (0.92, 1.08) for HF, respectively.ConclusionOur findings support a possible causal role of lower leukocyte mtDNA abundance in higher CAD risk, but not in HF. Show less
Meulmeester, F.L.; Luo, J.; Martens, L.G.; Mills, K.; Heemst, D. van; Noordam, R. 2022
Oxidative stress has been proposed as a key contributor to lifestyle- and age-related diseases. Because free radicals play an important role in various processes such as immune responses and... Show moreOxidative stress has been proposed as a key contributor to lifestyle- and age-related diseases. Because free radicals play an important role in various processes such as immune responses and cellular signaling, the body possesses an arsenal of different enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant defense mechanisms. Oxidative stress is, among others, the result of an imbalance between the production of various reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant defense mechanisms including vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) as a non-enzymatic antioxidant. Dietary vitamins, such as vitamin C and E, can also be taken in as supplements. It has been postulated that increasing antioxidant levels through supplementation may delay and/or ameliorate outcomes of lifestyle- and age-related diseases that have been linked to oxidative stress. Although supported by many animal experiments and observational studies, randomized clinical trials in humans have failed to demonstrate any clinical benefit from antioxidant supplementation. Nevertheless, possible explanations for this discrepancy remain underreported. This review aims to provide an overview of recent developments and novel research techniques used to clarify the existing controversy on the benefits of antioxidant supplementation in health and disease, focusing on alpha-tocopherol as antioxidant. Based on the currently available literature, we propose that examining the difference between antioxidant activity and capacity, by considering the catabolism of antioxidants, will provide crucial knowledge on the preventative and therapeutical use of antioxidant supplementation in oxidative stress-related diseases. Show less
Albalak, G.; Stijntjes, M.; Bodegom, D. van; Jukema, J.W.; Atsma, D.E.; Heemst, D. van; Noordam, R. 2022
Aims Little is known about the impact of daily physical activity timing (here referred to as 'chronoactivity') on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. We aimed to examined the associations between... Show moreAims Little is known about the impact of daily physical activity timing (here referred to as 'chronoactivity') on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. We aimed to examined the associations between chronoactivity and multiple CVD outcomes in the UK Biobank. Methods and results physical activity data were collected in the UK-Biobank through triaxial accelerometer over a 7-day measurement period. We used K-means clustering to create clusters of participants with similar chronoactivity irrespective of the mean daily intensity of the physical activity. Multivariable-adjusted Cox-proportional hazard models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) comparing the different clusters adjusted for age and sex (model 1), and baseline cardiovascular risk factors (model 2). Additional stratified analyses were done by sex, mean activity level, and self-reported sleep chronotype. We included 86 657 individuals (58% female, mean age: 61.6 [SD: 7.8] years, mean BMI: 26.6 [4.5] kg/m(2)). Over a follow-up period of 6 years, 3707 incident CVD events were reported. Overall, participants with a tendency of late morning physical activity had a lower risk of incident coronary artery disease (HR: 0.84, 95%CI: 0.77, 0.92) and stroke (HR: 0.83, 95%CI: 0.70, 0.98) compared to participants with a midday pattern of physical activity. These effects were more pronounced in women (P-value for interaction = 0.001). We did not find evidence favouring effect modification by total activity level and sleep chronotype. Conclusion Irrespective of total physical activity, morning physical activity was associated with lower risks of incident cardiovascular diseases, highlighting the potential importance of chronoactivity in CVD prevention. Show less
Wiersema, J.M.; Kamphuis, A.E.P.; Rohling, J.H.T.; Kervezee, L.; Akintola, A.A.; Jansen, S.W.; ... ; Spoel, E. van der 2022
Aging is associated with changes in heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), and 24-h rhythms in HR. Longevity has been linked to lower resting HR, while a higher resting HR and a decreased... Show moreAging is associated with changes in heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), and 24-h rhythms in HR. Longevity has been linked to lower resting HR, while a higher resting HR and a decreased HRV were linked to cardiovascular events and increased mortality risk. HR and HRV are often investigated during a short electrocardiogram (ECG) measurement at a hospital. In this study, we aim to investigate the relationship between HR parameters with familial longevity and chronological age derived from continuous ambulatory ECG measurements collected over a period of 24 to 90 hours. We included 73 middle-aged participants (mean (SD) age: 67.0 (6.16) years), comprising 37 offspring of long-lived families, 36 of their partners, and 35 young participants (22.8 (3.96) years). We found no association with familial longevity, but middle-aged participants had lower 24-h HR (average and maximum HR, not minimum HR), lower amplitudes, and earlier trough and peak times than young participants. Associations in HR with chronological age could be caused by the aging process or by differences in environmental factors. Interestingly, middle-aged participants had a less optimal HRV during long-term recordings in both the sleep and awake periods, which might indicate that their heart is less adaptable than that of young participants. This could be a first indication of deteriorated cardiovascular health in middle-aged individuals. Show less
Meulmeester, F.L.; Dijk, K.W. van; Mooijaart, S.P.; Heemst, D. van; Noordam, R. 2022
While obesity increases the risk of developing cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs), these associations seem to attenuate with increasing age, albeit studied poorly. The present study aimed to... Show moreWhile obesity increases the risk of developing cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs), these associations seem to attenuate with increasing age, albeit studied poorly. The present study aimed to investigate the associations between adiposity and CMDs in sex-specific groups of chronological age and leukocyte telomere length (LTL) as a measure of biological age. We investigated the associations between BMI, a body shape index, waist-to-hip ratio (adjusted for BMI) and total body fat, and incident coronary artery disease (CAD), type 2 diabetes (T2D) and ischemic stroke (IS) in 413,017 European-ancestry participants of the UK Biobank without CMD at baseline. We assessed the change in the associations between adiposity and CMD over strata of increasing chronological age or decreasing LTL. Participants (56% women) had a median (IQR) age of 57.0 (50.0-63.0) years. The median follow-up time was 12 years. People with higher BMI had a higher risk of incident CAD (HR 1.14 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13, 1.16)), T2D (HR 1.70 (95% CI 1.68, 1.72)) and IS (HR 1.09 (95% CI 1.06, 1.12)). In groups based on chronological age and LTL, adiposity measures were associated with higher risk of CAD and T2D in both men and women, but these associations attenuated with increasing chronological age (P-interactions < 0.001), but not with decreasing LTL (P-interaction men = 0.85; P-interaction women = 0.27). Increased (abdominal) adiposity was associated with higher risk of incident CMDs, which attenuated with increasing chronological age but not with decreasing LTL. Future research may validate these findings using different measures of biological age. Show less
Martens, L.G.; Luo, J.; Wermer, M.J.H.; Dijk, K.W. van; Hagg, S.; Grassmann, F.; ... ; Heemst, D. van 2022
Background and aims: Mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are thought to drive disease risk, including stroke. We investigated the association... Show moreBackground and aims: Mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are thought to drive disease risk, including stroke. We investigated the association between mtDNA abundance, as a proxy measure of mitochondrial function, and incident stroke, using multivariable-adjusted survival and Mendelian Randomization (MR) analyses. Methods: Cox-proportional hazard model analyses were conducted to assess the association between mtDNA abundance, and incident ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke over a maximum of 14-year follow-up in European -ancestry participants from UK Biobank. MR was conducted using independent (R-2 < 0.001) lead variants for mtDNA abundance (p < 5 x 10(-8)) as instrumental variables. Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-ischemic stroke associations were derived from three published open source European-ancestry results databases (cases/ controls): MEGASTROKE (60,341/454,450), UK Biobank (2404/368,771) and FinnGen (10,551/202,223). MR was performed per study, and results were subsequently meta-analyzed. Results: In total, 288,572 unrelated participants (46% men) with mean (SD) age of 57 (8) years were included in the Cox-proportional hazard analyses. After correction for considered confounders (BMI, hypertension, cholesterol, T2D), no association was found between low versus high mtDNA abundance and ischemic (HR: 1.06 [95% CI: 0.95, 1.18]) or hemorrhagic (HR: 0.97 [95% CI: 0.82, 1.15]) stroke. However, in the MR analyses after removal of platelet count-associated SNPs, we found evidence for an association between genetically-influenced mtDNA abundance and ischemic stroke (odds ratio, 1.17; confidence interval, 1.03, 1.32). Conclusions: Although the results from both multivariable-adjusted prospective and basis MR analyses did not show an association between low mtDNA and increased risk of ischemic stroke, in-depth MR sensitivity analyses may suggest evidence for a causal relationship. Show less
Buchi, A.E.; Feller, M.; Netzer, S.; Blum, M.R.; Rodriguez, E.G.; Collet, T.H.; ... ; Aeberli, D. 2022
The effect of levothyroxine (LT4) therapy for subclinical hypothyroidism (SHypo) on appendicular bone geometry and volumetric density has so far not been studied. In a nested study within the... Show moreThe effect of levothyroxine (LT4) therapy for subclinical hypothyroidism (SHypo) on appendicular bone geometry and volumetric density has so far not been studied. In a nested study within the randomized, placebocontrolled Thyroid Hormone Replacement for Subclinical Hypothyroidism (TRUST) trial, we assessed the effect of LT4 therapy on bone geometry as measured by peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT). In the TRUST trial, community-dwelling adults aged >= 65 years with SHypo were randomized to LT4 with dose titration vs. placebo with mock titration. We analyzed data from participants enrolled at the TRUST site in Bern, Switzerland who had bone pQCT measured at baseline and at 1 to 2 years follow-up. The primary outcomes were the annual percentage changes of radius and tibia epi- and diaphysis bone geometry (total and cortical crosssectional area (CSA) and cortical thickness), and of volumetric bone mineral density (bone mineral content (BMC) and total, trabecular and cortical volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD)). We performed linear regression of the annual percentage changes adjusted for sex, LT4 dose at randomization and muscle crosssectional area. The 98 included participants had a mean age of 73.9 (+/- SD 5.4) years, 45.9% were women, and 12% had osteoporosis. They were randomized to placebo (n = 48) or LT4 (n = 50). Annual changes in BMC and vBMD were similar between placebo and LT4-treated groups, without significant difference in bone geometry or volumetric bone mineral density changes, neither at the diaphysis, nor at the epiphysis. For example, in the placebo group, epiphyseal BMC (radius) decreased by a mean 0.2% per year, with a similar decrease of 0.5% per year in the LT4 group (between-group difference in %Delta BMC 0.3, 95% CI -0.70 to 1.21, p = 0.91). Compared to placebo, LT4 therapy for an average 14 months had no significant effect on bone mass, bone geometry and volumetric density in older adults with subclinical hypothyroidism. Trial registration: The trial was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov numbers NCT01660126 (TRUST Thyroid trial) and NCT02491008 (Skeletal outcomes). Show less
Lyko, C.; Blum, M.R.; Abolhassani, N.; Stuber, M.J.; Giovane, C. del; Feller, M.; ... ; Rodondi, N. 2022
Background Antithyroid antibodies increase the likelihood of developing overt hypothyroidism, but their clinical utility remains unclear. No large randomized controlled trial (RCT) has assessed... Show moreBackground Antithyroid antibodies increase the likelihood of developing overt hypothyroidism, but their clinical utility remains unclear. No large randomized controlled trial (RCT) has assessed whether older adults with subclinical hypothyroidism (SHypo) caused by autoimmune thyroid disease derive more benefits from levothyroxine treatment (LT4). Objective To determine whether older adults with SHypo and positive antibodies derive more clinical benefits from LT4 than those with negative antibodies. Methods We pooled individual participant data from two RCTs, Thyroid Hormone Replacement for Untreated Older Adults with Subclinical Hypothyroidism and IEMO 80+. Participants with persistent SHypo were randomly assigned to receive LT4 or placebo. We compared the effects of LT4 versus placebo in participants with and without anti-thyroid peroxidase (TPO) at baseline. The two primary outcomes were 1-year change in Hypothyroid Symptoms and Tiredness scores on the Thyroid-Related Quality-of-Life Patient-Reported Outcome Questionnaire. Results Among 660 participants (54% women) >= 65 years, 188 (28.5%) had positive anti-TPO. LT4 versus placebo on Hypothyroid Symptoms lead to an adjusted between-group difference of -2.07 (95% confidence interval: -6.04 to 1.90) for positive antibodies versus 0.89 (-1.76 to 3.54) for negative antibodies (p for interaction = 0.31). Similarly, there was no treatment effect modification by baseline antibody status for Tiredness scores-adjusted between-group difference 1.75 (-3.60 to 7.09) for positive antibodies versus 1.14 (-1.90 to 4.19) for negative antibodies (p for interaction = 0.98). Positive anti-TPO were not associated with better quality of life, improvement in handgrip strength, or fewer cardiovascular outcomes with levothyroxine treatment. Conclusions Among older adults with SHypo, positive antithyroid antibodies are not associated with more benefits on clinical outcomes with LT4. Show less
Aims/hypothesis: Mitochondrial dysfunction, which can be approximated by blood mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNACN), has been implicated in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Thus far... Show moreAims/hypothesis: Mitochondrial dysfunction, which can be approximated by blood mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNACN), has been implicated in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Thus far, however, insights from prospective cohort studies and Mendelian randomisation (MR) analyses on this relationship are limited. We assessed the association between blood mtDNA-CN and incident type 2 diabetes using multivariable-adjusted regression analyses, and the associations between blood mtDNA-CN and type 2 diabetes and BMI using bi-directional MR .Methods: Multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the association between blood mtDNA-CN and incident type 2 diabetes in 285,967 unrelated European individuals from UK Biobank free of type 2 diabetes at baseline. Additionally, a cross-sectional analysis was performed to investigate the association between blood mtDNA-CN and BMI. We also assessed the potentially causal relationship between blood mtDNA-CN and type 2 diabetes (N=898,130 from DIAG RAM, N=215,654 from FinnGen) and BMI (N=681,275 from GIANT) using bi-directional two-sample MR. Results: During a median follow-up of 11.87 years, 15,111 participants developed type 2 diabetes. Participants with a higher level of blood mtDNA-CN are at lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes (HR 0.90 [95% CI 0.89, 0.92]). After additional adjustment for BMI and other confounders, these results attenuated moderately and remained present. The multivariable-adjusted crosssectional analyses showed that higher blood mtDNA-CN was associated with lower BMI (-0.12 [95% CI -0.14, -0.10]) kg/m(2). In the bi-directional MR analyses, we found no evidence for causal associations between blood mtDNA-CN and type 2 diabetes, and blood mtDNA-CN and BMI in either direction. Conclusions/interpretation: The results from the present study indicate that the observed association between low blood mtDNACI\ and higher risk of type 2 diabetes is likely not causal. Show less
Luo, J.; Cessie, S. le; Blauw, G.J.; Franceschi, C.; Noordam, R.; Heemst, D. van 2022
Observational studies have implied associations between multiple cytokines and cognitive decline, anti-inflammatory drugs however did not yield any protective effects on cognitive decline. We aimed... Show moreObservational studies have implied associations between multiple cytokines and cognitive decline, anti-inflammatory drugs however did not yield any protective effects on cognitive decline. We aimed to assess the associations of systemic inflammation, as measured by multiple cytokine and growth factor, with cognitive performance and brain atrophy using two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR). Independent genetic instruments (p < 5e - 8 and p < 5e - 6) for 41 systemic inflammatory markers were retrieved from a genome-wide association study conducted in 8293 Finnish participants. Summary statistics for gene-outcome associations were obtained for cognitive performance (N=257,841) and for brain atrophy measures of cerebral cortical surface area and thickness (N=51,665) and hippocampal volume (N= 33,536). To rule out the heterogeneity in the cognitive performance, we additionally included three domains: the fluid intelligence score (N=108,818), prospective memory result (N=111,099), and reaction time (N=330,069). Main results were computed by inverse-variance weighting; sensitivity analyses taking pleiotropy and invalid instruments into account were performed by using weighted-median estimator, MR-Egger, and MR PRESSO. After correcting for multiple testing using false discovery rate, only genetically predicted (with p < 5e - 6 threshold) per-SD (standard deviation) higher IL-8 was associated with -0.103 (- 0.155, - 0.051, P-adjusted = 0.004) mm(3) smaller hippocampal volume and higher intelligence fluid score [beta: 0.103 SD (95% CI: 0.042, 0.165), P-adjusted =0.041]. Sensitivity analyses generally showed similar results, and no pleiotropic effect, heterogeneity, or possible reverse causation was detected. Our results suggested a possible causal association of high IL-8 levels with better cognitive performance but smaller hippocampal volume among the general healthy population, highlighting the complex role of inflammation in dementia-related phenotypes. Further research is needed to elucidate mechanisms underlying these associations. Show less
Wang, W.Y.; Tesfay, E.B.; Klinken, J.B. van; Dijk, K.W. van; Bartke, A.; Heemst, D. van; Noordam, R. 2022
Background: There is inconsistent evidence for the causal role of serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) concentration in the pathogenesis of human age-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes ... Show moreBackground: There is inconsistent evidence for the causal role of serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) concentration in the pathogenesis of human age-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes (T2D). Here, we investigated the association between IGF-1 and T2D using (clustered) Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses in the UK Biobank. Methods: We conducted Cox proportional hazard analyses in 451 232 European-ancestry individuals of the UK Biobank (55.3% women, mean age at recruitment 56.6 years), among which 13 247 individuals developed type 2 diabetes during up to 12 years of follow-up. In addition, we conducted two-sample MR analyses based on independent single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with IGF-1. Given the heterogeneity between the MR effect estimates of individual instruments (P-value for Q statistic = 4.03e-145), we also conducted clustered MR analyses. Biological pathway analyses of the identified clusters were performed by over-representation analyses. Results: In the Cox proportional hazard models, with IGF-1 concentrations stratified in quintiles, we observed that participants in the lowest quintile had the highest relative risk of type 2 diabetes [hazard ratio (HR): 1.31; 95% CI: 1.23-1.39). In contrast, in the two-sample MR analyses, higher genetically influenced IGF-1 was associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. Based on the heterogeneous distribution of MR effect estimates of individual instruments, six clusters of genetically determined IGF-1 associated either with a lower or a higher risk of type 2 diabetes were identified. The main clusters in which a higher IGF-1 was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes consisted of instruments mapping to genes in the growth hormone signalling pathway, whereas the main clusters in which a higher IGF-1 was associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes consisted of instruments mapping to genes in pathways related to amino acid metabolism and genomic integrity. Conclusions: The IGF-1-associated SNPs used as genetic instruments in MR analyses showed a heterogeneous distribution of MR effect estimates on the risk of type 2 diabetes. This was likely explained by differences in the underlying molecular pathways that increase IGF-1 concentration and differentially mediate the effects of IGF-1 on type 2 diabetes. Show less
Puy, R.S. du; Poortvliet, R.K.E.; Mooijaart, S.P.; Stott, D.J.; Quinn, T.; Sattar, N.; ... ; Elzen, W.P.J. den 2022
Context Subclinical thyroid dysfunction and anemia are common disorders, and both have increasing prevalence with advancing age. Objective The aim of this study was to assess whether levothyroxine... Show moreContext Subclinical thyroid dysfunction and anemia are common disorders, and both have increasing prevalence with advancing age. Objective The aim of this study was to assess whether levothyroxine treatment leads to a rise in hemoglobin levels in older persons with subclinical hypothyroidism. Methods This preplanned combined analysis of 2 randomized controlled trials included community-dwelling persons aged 65 years and older with subclinical hypothyroidism who were randomly assigned to levothyroxine or placebo treatment. The levothyroxine dose was periodically titrated aiming at thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level within the reference range, with mock titrations in the placebo group. The main outcome measure was the change in hemoglobin level after 12 months. Results Analyses included 669 participants (placebo n = 337, levothyroxine n = 332) with a median age of 75 years (range, 65-97) and mean baseline hemoglobin of 13.8 +/- 1.3 g/dL. Although levothyroxine treatment resulted in a reduction in TSH from baseline after 12 months of follow-up compared with placebo, the change in hemoglobin level was not different between the levothyroxine and the placebo groups (-0.03 g/dL [95% CI, -0.16 to 0.11]). Similar results were found in stratified analyses including sex, age, or TSH levels. No difference in change of hemoglobin levels after 12 months was identified in 69 participants with anemia at baseline (-0.33 g/dL [95% CI, -0.87 to 0.21]). Conclusion In persons aged 65 years and older with subclinical hypothyroidism, treatment with levothyroxine does not lead to a rise in hemoglobin levels, regardless of the presence of anemia. Show less