Publications by authors named "E Melen"
Introduction: By recent estimates, 40% of children worldwide are exposed to second-hand smoke (SHS), which has been associated with adverse health outcomes. While numerous studies have linked maternal smoking during pregnancy (MSDP) to widespread differences in child blood DNA methylation (DNAm), research specifically examining postnatal SHS exposure remains sparse. To address this gap, we conducted epigenome-wide meta-analyses to identify associations of postnatal SHS and child blood DNAm.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Asthma is associated with impaired lung function; however, it is uncertain if a lower childhood lung function is associated with asthma onset and persistence during adolescence. The aims of the present study were to investigate the association between childhood lung function and onset and persistence of asthma during adolescence.
Methods: In the population-based BAMSE (Sweden), PIAMA (Netherlands) and MAAS (UK) birth cohorts, we analysed the association of forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV), forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV/FVC and forced expiratory volume at 75% of FVC at age 8 years with asthma onset and persistence in adolescence (age 12-16 years) using cohort-specific logistic regression analysis followed by meta-analysis.
Article Synopsis
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can be influenced by genetic factors and may stem from reduced lung growth during childhood, leading to lower lung function throughout life.
- A polygenic risk score (PRS) was calculated using data from a large genome-wide association study and tested for its correlation with lung function in individuals aged 4-50 from multiple research cohorts.
- Results indicated that higher PRS scores were associated with significantly lower lung function, measured by key indicators, starting from childhood and continuing into adulthood, regardless of smoking, sex, or asthma diagnosis.
Article Synopsis
- The study explored how levels of omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the blood affect the risk of developing allergic diseases, like rhinitis, from childhood through young adulthood.
- The research involved 933 participants from the BAMSE cohort, analyzing PUFA levels at ages 8 and 16, and assessing their association with allergic reactions by age 24.
- Findings indicated that higher levels of certain PUFA, particularly omega-3 and arachidonic acid, at age 8 were linked to lower risks of rhinitis and allergic sensitization; however, these relationships might be influenced by pre-existing conditions in childhood rather than new cases that develop later.
Introduction: Snus is suggested as a risk factor for cardiometabolic disease, but little is known about health effects in young populations, particularly in women. We aimed to investigate associations between snus and cardiometabolic health markers among young men and women.
Method: This study was conducted within the BAMSE birth cohort and included participants followed up around 24 years (n=2256) and 26 years (n=1011).