Modeling Chronic Disease Mortality by Methods From Accelerated Life Testing.

We propose a parametric model for describing chronic disease mortality from cohort data and illustrate its use for Type 2 diabetes. The model uses ideas from accelerated life testing in reliability theory and conceptualizes the occurrence of a chronic disease as putting the observational unit to an enhanced stress level, which is supposed to shorten its lifetime. It further addresses the issue of semi-competing risk, that is, the asymmetry of death and diagnosis of disease, where the disease can be diagnosed before death, but not after.

Associations of occupational and leisure-time physical activity with all-cause mortality: an individual participant data meta-analysis.

Objective: Health effects of different physical activity domains (ie, during leisure time, work and transport) are generally considered positive. Using data, we assessed independent associations of occupational and leisure-time physical activity (OPA and LTPA) with all-cause mortality.

Design: Two-stage individual participant data meta-analysis.

Impact of QRS misclassifications on heart-rate-variability parameters (results from the CARLA cohort study).

Background: Heart rate variability (HRV), an important marker of autonomic nervous system activity, is usually determined from electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings corrected for extrasystoles and artifacts. Especially in large population-based studies, computer-based algorithms are used to determine RR intervals. The Modular ECG Analysis System MEANS is a widely used tool, especially in large studies.

The association between the child's age and mothers' physical activity: results from the population-based German National Cohort study.

Background: Since physical activity is an important determinant of physical and mental health, lower levels of physical activity among mothers reported in previous research are concerning. The aim of this study was to examine whether physical activity levels differ among mothers depending on the age of the youngest child.

Methods: Cross-sectional data from the German National Cohort study, comprising 3959 mothers aged 22-72 years with offspring aged 0-54 years (grouped into 0-5, 6-11, 12-17, 18-29 and > 30 years) was used.

ER stress inhibition enhances formation of triacylglcerols and protects endothelial cells from lipotoxicity.

Elevated concentrations of palmitate in serum of obese individuals can impair endothelial function, contributing to development of cardiovascular disease. Although several molecular mechanisms of palmitate-induced endothelial dysfunction have been proposed, there is no consensus on what signaling event is the initial trigger of detrimental palmitate effects. Here we report that inhibitors of ER stress or ceramid synthesis can rescue palmitate-induced autophagy impairment in macro- and microvascular endothelial cells.

Large-scale assessment of physical activity in a population using high-resolution hip-worn accelerometry: the German National Cohort (NAKO).

Large population-based cohort studies utilizing device-based measures of physical activity are crucial to close important research gaps regarding the potential protective effects of physical activity on chronic diseases. The present study details the quality control processes and the derivation of physical activity metrics from 100 Hz accelerometer data collected in the German National Cohort (NAKO). During the 2014 to 2019 baseline assessment, a subsample of NAKO participants wore a triaxial ActiGraph accelerometer on their right hip for seven consecutive days.

Changes in physical activity and sedentary behavior during the first COVID-19 pandemic- restrictions in Germany: a nationwide survey : Running head: physical activity during the COVID-19 restrictions.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic restrictions posed challenges to maintaining healthy lifestyles and physical well-being. During the first mobility restrictions from March to mid-July 2020, the German population was advised to stay home, except for work, exercise, and essential shopping. Our objective was to comprehensively assess the impact of these restrictions on changes in physical activity and sedentary behavior to identify the most affected groups.

Association of subendocardial viability ratio and mortality in the elderly population: results from the CARdiovascular disease, Living and Ageing in Halle study.

Objectives: The subendocardial viability ratio (SEVR) reflects the balance of myocardial oxygen supply and demand. Low SEVR indicates a reduced subendocardial perfusion and has been shown to predict mortality in patients with kidney disease and diabetes. The aim of this study is to investigate the association of SEVR and mortality in the elderly population.

Association between vitamin D status and eryptosis-results from the German National Cohort Study.

Vitamin D, besides its classical effect on mineral homeostasis and bone remodeling, can also modulate apoptosis. A special form of apoptosis termed eryptosis appears in erythrocytes. Eryptosis is characterized by cell shrinkage, membrane blebbing, and cell membrane phospholipid disorganization and associated with diseases such as sepsis, malaria or iron deficiency, and impaired microcirculation.

60 years of healthy aging: On definitions, biomarkers, scores and challenges.

Background And Objective: As the proportion of aging people in our population increases steadily, global strategies accompanied by extensive research are necessary to tackle society and health service challenges. The World Health Organization recently published an action plan: "Decade of healthy aging 2020-2030", which calls for concerted collaboration to prevent poverty of older people to provide quality education, job opportunities, and an age-inclusive infrastructure. However, scientists worldwide still struggle to find definitions and appropriate measurements of aging per se and healthy aging in particular.

Grip strength values and cut-off points based on over 200,000 adults of the German National Cohort - a comparison to the EWGSOP2 cut-off points.

Background: The European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) updated in 2018 the cut-off points for low grip strength to assess sarcopenia based on pooled data from 12 British studies.

Objective: Comparison of the EWGSOP2 cut-off points for low grip strength to those derived from a large German sample.

Methods: We assessed the grip strength distribution across age and derived low grip strength cut-off points for men and women (peak mean -2.

Physical activity trajectories at older age and all-cause mortality: A cohort study.

Background: A physically active lifestyle is recognized as a precondition of healthy aging. However, the majority of studies exploring its association with mortality in cohorts of adults used single-time physical activity (PA) estimate, which do not consider its dynamic nature with changes that occur with aging. The aim of the present study is to explore the presence of different PA trajectories in a population-based cohort and their association with mortality.

Framework and baseline examination of the German National Cohort (NAKO).

The German National Cohort (NAKO) is a multidisciplinary, population-based prospective cohort study that aims to investigate the causes of widespread diseases, identify risk factors and improve early detection and prevention of disease. Specifically, NAKO is designed to identify novel and better characterize established risk and protection factors for the development of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases, musculoskeletal diseases, respiratory and infectious diseases in a random sample of the general population. Between 2014 and 2019, a total of 205,415 men and women aged 19-74 years were recruited and examined in 18 study centres in Germany.

Birth Order, Caesarean Section, or Daycare Attendance in Relation to Child- and Adult-Onset Type 1 Diabetes: Results from the German National Cohort.

(1) Background: Global incidence of type 1 diabetes (T1D) is rising and nearly half occurred in adults. However, it is unclear if certain early-life childhood T1D risk factors were also associated with adult-onset T1D. This study aimed to assess associations between birth order, delivery mode or daycare attendance and type 1 diabetes (T1D) risk in a population-based cohort and whether these were similar for childhood- and adult-onset T1D (cut-off age 15); (2) Methods: Data were obtained from the German National Cohort (NAKO Gesundheitsstudie) baseline assessment.

The bias from heaping on risk estimation: effect of age at diagnosis of hypertension on risk of subsequent cardiovascular comorbidities.

Purpose: To investigate (1) the bias in effect estimation due to heaping or digit preference, (2) the association between age at hypertension diagnosis and risk of cardiovascular comorbidities, and (3) the influence of heaping on risk estimates.

Methods: We performed a simulation study with various scenarios, binary outcome, and normal or lognormal distributed covariables. We calculated mean logistic coefficients under the original and heaped data and their relative deviation.

The relationship of skin autofluorescence with diastolic function and HFA-PEFF score in a general population of older people.

Background And Aims: Advanced glycation end-products accumulation in tissue as measured by Skin autofluorescence (SAF) is related to diastolic function in specific patient populations. This analysis aims at investigating this relationship in a general population of older persons.

Methods And Results: Based on data from the CARLA cohort at first follow-up, 245 subjects were analyzed and stratified according to cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF).

Association of arterial stiffness and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in the elderly population - results from the CARLA study.

Arterial stiffness has been suspected as a cause of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction and may thereby contribute to the development of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). However, this association is derived from a small number of studies and application of outdated criteria to diagnose HFpEF. This study aimed to investigate the association of arterial stiffness measured by the augmentation index (AIx) and criteria for diagnosing HFpEF according to the recommended HFA-PEFF score.

Association between Parenthood and Health Behaviour in Later Life-Results from the Population-Based CARLA Study.

Previous research has focused on comparing health behaviour between parents and non-parents at younger ages, while little is known about the impact of being a parent on health behaviours in later life. We studied whether parenthood is associated with later physical activity (PA), dietary pattern, smoking status and alcohol consumption in German adults of middle and old age. We used data from the baseline examination of the population-based CARLA-study in Halle (Saale), comprising 1779 adults aged 45-83.

The effect of home visits as an additional recruitment step on the composition of the final sample: a cross-sectional analysis in two study centers of the German National Cohort (NAKO).

Background: Participation in epidemiologic studies has been declining over the last decades. In addition to postal invitations and phone calls, home visits can be conducted to increase participation. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate the effects of home visits in terms of response increase and composition of the additionally recruited and final sample.

Effect of Additional Pain Neuroscience Education in Interdisciplinary Multimodal Pain Therapy on Current Pain. A Non-Randomized, Controlled Intervention Study.

Purpose: Interdisciplinary multimodal pain therapy (IMPT) programs for chronic back pain are effective and recommended. The patient-centered and biopsychosocial nature of IMPT is grounded in contemporary understanding that chronic pain states reflect heightened sensitization of the nervous system rather than an issue in the tissue. Teaching patients about pain is part of IMPT programs, though a clinical guideline is lacking.