Publications by authors named "Ellen E Freeman"
Vitamin C is an essential nutrient. Sex differences in serum vitamin C concentrations have been observed but are not fully known. Investigation of levels of metabolites may help shed light on how dietary and other environmental exposures interact with molecular processes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To examine the employment status of those with and without visual impairment and eye disease and to examine the association between visual impairment and eye disease and a reduction in income over a 3-year period.
Design: Population-based prospective cohort study.
Participants: A total of 12,174 nonretired participants aged 45-64 years old in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.
Purpose: To determine whether self-reported race/ethnicity is associated with intraocular pressure (IOP) and glaucoma and to explore whether any associations are due to social, behavioral, genetic, or health differences.
Design: Cross-sectional analysis of population-based data.
Methods: We used the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging Comprehensive Cohort, which consists of 30,097 adults aged 45-85 years.
The COVID-19 pandemic had significant impacts on the mental and visual health of patients. This cross-sectional, survey-based, multicentric study evaluates the state of mental and visual health among patients with chronic ocular diseases such as glaucoma, neovascular age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, or chronic uveitis during the lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mental health was assessed using three questionnaires: the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire-25 (VFQ-25).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the association of alcohol consumption with intraocular pressure (IOP) and glaucoma and to assess whether any associations are modified by a glaucoma polygenic risk score (PRS).
Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging Comprehensive Cohort, consisting of 30,097 adults ages 45 to 85 years, was done. Data were collected from 2012 to 2015.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic disrupted the practice of medicine, causing stress and uncertainty among ophthalmologists. This cross-sectional, survey-based study of Canadian Ophthalmological Society members ( = 1152) aims to report on Canadian ophthalmologists' mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Four questionnaires were administered between December 2020 and May 2021: the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), the 7-item Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: We synthesized the literature on the association between systemic antihypertensive medications with intraocular pressure (IOP) and glaucoma. Antihypertensive medications included β-blockers, calcium channel blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, and diuretics.
Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.
Summary: Founder populations with deep genealogical data are well suited for investigating genetic variants contributing to diseases. Here, we present a major update of the genealogical analysis R package GENLIB, centered around a new function which can simulate the transmission of haplotypes from founders to probands along very large and complex user-specified genealogies.
Availability And Implementation: The latest update of the GENLIB package (v1.
Air pollution and the onset of balance problems: The Canadian longitudinal study on aging.
Int J Hyg Environ Health
March 2023
Purpose: To understand the relationship between ambient air pollution and the onset of balance problems.
Design: Population-based prospective cohort study.
Methods: Baseline and 3-year follow-up data were used from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.
Purpose: Studies examining the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele and glaucoma are inconsistent, which could be due to interactions with other factors. We examined the relationship between the APOE ε4 allele and glaucoma and intraocular pressure in a large, population-based random sample and explored whether the APOE ε4 allele interacted with systemic hypertension.
Methods: Data came from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, a population-based study that included 24,655 adults ages 45 to 85 years old in the European ancestry cohort.
Ambient Air Pollution and Age-Related Eye Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci
August 2022
Purpose: To compare the burden of age-related eye diseases among adults exposed to higher versus lower levels of ambient air pollutants.
Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Scopus were searched for relevant articles until September 30, 2021. Inclusion criteria included studies of adults, aged 40+ years, that provided measures of association between the air pollutants (nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide [CO], sulfur dioxide, ozone [O3], particulate matter [PM] less than 2.
Article Synopsis
- Research mainly concentrates on how genes add together to influence complex traits, but animal studies highlight the importance of non-additive effects, especially homozygosity effects.
- Homozygosity by descent (HBD) is challenging to study in human populations due to limited variation, but it's more prevalent in founder populations with rich genealogical data.
- The study utilized simulations to investigate the relationship between genomic and genealogical measures of HBD, finding that genomic estimates align well with traditional genealogical methods in a French-Canadian founder population.
Purpose: To examine the longitudinal association between vision-related variables and the 3-year change in cognitive test scores in a community-dwelling sample of adults and to explore whether sex, education, or hearing loss act as effect modifiers.
Methods: Data came from two waves of a 3-year population-based prospective cohort study (Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging), which consisted of 30,097 randomly selected people aged 45-85 years from 7 Canadian provinces. Visual impairment (VI) was defined as binocular presenting visual acuity worse than 20/40.
Purpose: To determine the relationship between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ocular outcomes such as visual impairment and age-related eye disease.
Methods: Baseline data were used from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to explore how visual impairment and self-reported eye diseases relate to balance issues in adults aged 45 to 85.
- Using data from a Canadian population-based study, researchers measured participants' balance and visual acuity, finding that many experienced declines in balance over three years.
- Results showed that worse visual acuity is significantly linked to higher odds of balance problems, particularly in those with cataracts, highlighting the need for initiatives to prevent vision loss and improve balance in affected individuals.
Objective: Determine the 3-year incidence of visual impairment (VI) in Canada and its risk factors.
Design: Prospective 3-year cohort study PARTICIPANTS: Data from 23 973 adults taking part in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging Comprehensive Cohort baseline and 3-year follow-up exams were included.
Methods: Inclusion criteria were 45 to 85 years of age, community-dwelling, and living near one of the 11 data collection sites across 7 Canadian provinces.
: Confounding is an important problem in observational research. Improper modeling of the confounder will lead to residual confounding that may distort results and impact inferences. An example of this will be presented from research on age-related macular degeneration and depression.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Our goal was to explore the longitudinal association between vision-related variables and incident depressive symptoms in a community-dwelling sample of older adults and to examine whether sex, education, or hearing loss act as effect modifiers.
Methods: A 3-year prospective cohort study was performed using data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging consisting of 30,097 individuals aged 45-85 years. Visual acuity was evaluated with habitual distance correction using an illuminated Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study chart.
Objective: We investigated whether postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) use interacts with diabetes, a risk factor for several age-related eye diseases.
Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of women involved in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging was performed. The random sample comprised of 15,320 community-dwelling women between ages 45 and 85 years old sampled from areas adjacent to 11 data collection centers across Canada.
Purpose: Age-related eye disease may be associated with cognitive decline, but the scientific literature has not been consistent. Furthermore, no studies have been able to explain the relationship. Our objective was to assess whether older adults with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) or glaucoma performed worse on 6 cognitive tests compared with older adults with normal vision and, if so, to understand why.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To determine the use of home care services in those with and without visual impairment in Canada.
Design: Population-based cross-sectional study.
Participants: Participants came from the baseline examination of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging Comprehensive Cohort.
Objectives: To determine whether visual acuity is related to balance in older adults with peripheral vascular disease (PVD) or diabetes mellitus.
Design: Cross-sectional analysis.
Setting: Canada.