Child maltreatment and substances use throughout adolescence and adulthood: Data from a Brazilian Birth Cohort.

Background: Child maltreatment has been associated with substance use later in life, but few studies have used repeated measures.

Objective: To assess the association between child maltreatment and use of psychoactive substances from adolescence to early adulthood, and whether this differs by sex.

Participants And Setting: 3641 participants from the 1993 Pelotas Birth Cohort, Brazil.

The genetic architecture of sporadic and multiple consecutive miscarriage.

Miscarriage is a common, complex trait affecting ~15% of clinically confirmed pregnancies. Here we present the results of large-scale genetic association analyses with 69,054 cases from five different ancestries for sporadic miscarriage, 750 cases of European ancestry for multiple (≥3) consecutive miscarriage, and up to 359,469 female controls. We identify one genome-wide significant association (rs146350366, minor allele frequency (MAF) 1.

Changes in six domains of cognitive function with reproductive and chronological ageing and sex hormones: a longitudinal study in 2411 UK mid-life women.

Background: There may be changes in cognitive function in women going through the menopause. The current evidence remains unclear, however, whether these changes occur over and above those of general ageing. We aimed to evaluate the potential impact of the menopause (assessed by reproductive age and hormone levels) on cognitive function in women in mid-life accounting for the underlying effects of ageing.

A comparison of the associations between adiposity and lipids in Malawi and the United Kingdom.

Background: The prevalence of excess adiposity, as measured by elevated body mass index (BMI) and waist-hip ratio (WHR), is increasing in sub-Saharan African (SSA) populations. This could add a considerable burden of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases for which these populations are currently ill-prepared. Evidence from white, European origin populations shows that higher adiposity leads to an adverse lipid profile; whether these associations are similar in all SSA populations requires further exploration.

Genomic analysis of male puberty timing highlights shared genetic basis with hair colour and lifespan.

The timing of puberty is highly variable and is associated with long-term health outcomes. To date, understanding of the genetic control of puberty timing is based largely on studies in women. Here, we report a multi-trait genome-wide association study for male puberty timing with an effective sample size of 205,354 men.

Adiposity, depression and anxiety: interrelationship and possible mediators.

Objectives: To explore the association between adiposity, major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, and to assess the role of inflammation, diet quality and physical activity in this association.

Methods: We used data from 2,977 individuals from the 1993 Pelotas Cohort (Brazil) who attended the 18- and 22-year follow-ups. We assessed general obesity using body mass index, fat mass index, and abdominal obesity using waist circumference.

Sex and area differences in the association between adiposity and lipid profile in Malawi.

Background: Evidence from high-income countries shows that higher adiposity results in an adverse lipid profile, but it is unclear whether this association is similar in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) populations. This study aimed to assess the association between total and central adiposity measures and lipid profile in Malawi, exploring differences by sex and area of residence (rural/urban).

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, data from 12 096 rural and 12 847 urban Malawian residents were used.

Genome-wide association study of anti-Müllerian hormone levels in pre-menopausal women of late reproductive age and relationship with genetic determinants of reproductive lifespan.

Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is required for sexual differentiation in the fetus, and in adult females AMH is produced by growing ovarian follicles. Consequently, AMH levels are correlated with ovarian reserve, declining towards menopause when the oocyte pool is exhausted. A previous genome-wide association study identified three genetic variants in and around the AMH gene that explained 25% of variation in AMH levels in adolescent males but did not identify any genetic associations reaching genome-wide significance in adolescent females.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Adiposity in Adolescents: A Cross-Cohort Comparison.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and adiposity in adolescents from two cohorts in different socioeconomic contexts.

Methods: Data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC, United Kingdom) and the 1993 Pelotas Cohort (Brazil) were used. Six ACEs were assessed in both cohorts up to age 15.