Publications by authors named "Mary Haan"
Article Synopsis
- Previous studies suggest that using antihypertensive medication in older adults may lower the overall risk of dementia, but the effects on different types of dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease (AD), are still uncertain.
- This research analyzed data from over 31,000 participants across multiple countries, focusing on how history of hypertension and blood pressure levels impact the risk of developing AD and non-AD types of dementia.
- The findings indicated that untreated hypertension significantly increases the risk of developing AD and non-AD dementia compared to healthy individuals, while treated hypertension showed a similar risk for non-AD but not a significant difference between treated and untreated groups.
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Alzheimers Dement
June 2024
Introduction: The LIfestyle for BRAin Health (LIBRA) index yields a dementia risk score based on modifiable lifestyle factors and is validated in Western samples. We investigated whether the association between LIBRA scores and incident dementia is moderated by geographical location or sociodemographic characteristics.
Methods: We combined data from 21 prospective cohorts across six continents (N = 31,680) and conducted cohort-specific Cox proportional hazard regression analyses in a two-step individual participant data meta-analysis.
Background: Nurse professional development practitioners (NPDPs) support licensed nurses as they transition into practice. The NPDPs themselves benefit from opportunities to grow professionally in their role as educators.
Method: A nursing school and hospital leadership pilot initiative was conducted to support staff development for NPDPs at a Midwestern health system.
Importance: The utility of antihypertensives and ideal blood pressure (BP) for dementia prevention in late life remains unclear and highly contested.
Objectives: To assess the associations of hypertension history, antihypertensive use, and baseline measured BP in late life (age >60 years) with dementia and the moderating factors of age, sex, and racial group.
Data Source And Study Selection: Longitudinal, population-based studies of aging participating in the Cohort Studies of Memory in an International Consortium (COSMIC) group were included.
Background: Both air pollution and noise exposures have separately been shown to affect cognitive impairment. Here, we examine how air pollution and noise exposures interact to influence the development of incident dementia or cognitive impairment without dementia (CIND).
Methods: We used 1,612 Mexican American participants from the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging conducted from 1998 to 2007.
Introduction: Sex differences in dementia risk, and risk factor (RF) associations with dementia, remain uncertain across diverse ethno-regional groups.
Methods: A total of 29,850 participants (58% women) from 21 cohorts across six continents were included in an individual participant data meta-analysis. Sex-specific hazard ratios (HRs), and women-to-men ratio of hazard ratios (RHRs) for associations between RFs and all-cause dementia were derived from mixed-effect Cox models.
Purpose: To investigate the relationships between optic nerve cupping and total and regional brain volumes.
Design: Secondary analysis of randomized clinical trial data.
Methods: Women 65 to 79 years of age without glaucoma with cup-to-disc ratio (CDR) measurements from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Sight Examination study and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based total and regional brain volumes from the WHI Memory Study MRI-1 were included.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to determine if dietary modification (DM) affected the risk of developing primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) among participants.
- Researchers analyzed data from 45,203 women in a dietary modification trial, with 9,340 women on a low-fat, fruit, and vegetable-rich diet, while 13,877 followed their usual diet.
- The findings showed no significant difference in the incidence of POAG between the DM and control groups, indicating that dietary changes did not reduce the risk of developing this condition.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to see if a genetic risk score (GRS) for cup-to-disc ratio (CDR) affects the relationship between large CDR and cognitive function in women.
- It's a retrospective analysis using data from the Women's Health Initiative, focusing on 1,196 White women aged about 70.
- The findings showed that women with large CDR had significantly lower cognitive function regardless of their genetic risk score, indicating a clear association between large CDR and cognitive decline.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to analyze the relationship between alcohol use and the risk of dementia, including data from low- and middle-income countries, using a meta-analysis of 15 international cohort studies.
- The research included nearly 25,000 older adults over 60 years old and found that light to moderate alcohol consumption was associated with a lower risk of developing dementia compared to abstaining entirely.
- Results showed that moderate drinkers had a reduced dementia risk, while lifetime abstainers and former drinkers showed no significant differences, and variations in findings existed across different continents.
Article Synopsis
- Physical activity appears to help delay the onset of dementia, but the specific amount and duration needed are not fully established.
- A study analyzing data from nearly 12,000 older adults found that engaging in 3.1 to 6.0 hours of physical activity per week significantly lowers dementia risk.
- The findings suggest that people may benefit from 9.1 to 18.0 MET-hours of activity weekly, but beyond this threshold, further activity does not significantly decrease risk.
Purpose: To evaluate the relationship between red blood cell (RBC) polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) levels, and dietary PUFA and fish intake, with prevalent and incident age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in a US cohort of postmenopausal women.
Methods: This analysis included 1456 postmenopausal women from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Clinical Trials. RBC PUFAs were measured from fasting serum samples collected at WHI baseline.
Background: The etiology of dementias and cognitive decline remain largely unknown. It is widely accepted that inflammation in the central nervous system plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of dementia. However, less is known about the role of the peripheral immune system and interactions with cortisol, though evidence suggests that these, too, may play a role.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Diabetes and depression are risk factors for cardiovascular disease, but the evidence about their interaction effect on long-term health outcomes among Latinos is lacking. We aimed to investigate the joint association of diabetes and subsequent depressive symptoms with mortality among older Latinos, an understudied racial/ethnic group with high prevalence of diabetes.
Methods: This study included 1,495 adults from the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging.
Background: Type 2 diabetes is a leading contributor to the global burden of morbidity and mortality. Ozone () exposure has previously been linked to diabetes.
Objective: We studied the impact of exposure on incident diabetes risk in elderly Mexican Americans and investigated whether outdoor physical activity modifies the association.
Purpose: Migrating from Mexico to the U.S. is a major, stressful life event with potentially profound influences on mental health.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: United States (US) Latinos have the lowest educational attainment of any US racial/ethnic group, which may contribute to their disparate burden of Type 2 Diabetes. Herein, we aimed to examine the association between intergenerational educational mobility and Type 2 Diabetes among US Latino adults.
Methods: We used data from the Niños Lifestyle and Diabetes Study (2013-2014) and the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging (1998-1999) to link 616 adult Latino children to their parents.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the link between intergenerational educational attainment (IEA) and the prevalence of obesity and metabolic dysfunction in Hispanic/Latino individuals in the U.S.
- Data were collected from 392 adults, comparing their obesity and metabolic syndrome rates with those of their parents, revealing that higher educational levels in offspring correlated with lower rates of these health issues.
- The findings emphasize that promoting higher education can significantly improve cardiometabolic health in this population, benefiting future generations.
Unlabelled: Cognitive impairment has been linked to traffic-related air pollution and noise exposure as well as to metabolic syndrome or some of its individual components. Here, we investigate whether the presence of metabolic dysfunction modifies associations between air pollution or noise exposures and incident dementia or cognitive impairment without dementia (CIND).
Methods: For 1,612 elderly Mexican-American participants of the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging (SALSA) followed for up to 10 years, we estimated residential-based local traffic-related exposures relying on the California Line Source Dispersion Model version 4 (CALINE4) for nitrogen oxides (NOx) and the SoundPLAN software package (Version 8.
Background: Recently, it has been suggested that environmental exposures from traffic sources including noise may play a role in cognitive impairment in the elderly. The objective of the study was to investigate the association between local traffic-related noise pollution and incident dementia or cognitive impairment without dementia (CIND) during a 10-year follow-up period.
Methods: 1612 Mexican-American participants from the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging (SALSA) were followed every 12-15 months via home visits from 1998 to 2007.
Introduction: Depression commonly accompanies Alzheimer's disease, but the nature of this association remains uncertain.
Methods: Longitudinal data from the COSMIC consortium were harmonized for eight population-based cohorts from four continents. Incident dementia was diagnosed in 646 participants, with a median follow-up time of 5.
Background: We examined how the relationship between education and latelife cognitive impairment (defined as a Mini Mental State Examination score below 24) is influenced by age, sex, ethnicity, and Apolipoprotein E epsilon 4 (APOE*4).
Methods: Participants were 30,785 dementia-free individuals aged 55-103 years, from 18 longitudinal cohort studies, with an average follow-up ranging between 2 and 10 years. Pooled hazard ratios were obtained from multilevel parametric survival analyses predicting cognitive impairment (CI) from education and its interactions with baseline age, sex, APOE*4 and ethnicity.
Background: Ambient air pollution exposure has been associated with dementia. Additionally, epidemiologic evidence supports associations between air pollution and diabetes as well as diabetes and dementia. Thus, an indirect pathway between air pollution and dementia may exist through metabolic dysfunction.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- US Latinos, particularly older adults from low socioeconomic backgrounds, face higher risks of cognitive decline and dementia, highlighting a need for tailored interventions.
- A study involving 1,418 Latinos in Sacramento found that those with higher US acculturation experienced better cognitive performance, although this did not affect the rates of cognitive decline or dementia risk over time.
- The results suggest that embracing US cultural practices may enhance cognitive function in low-SEP Latino populations, indicating a potential area for future research on diverse groups and long-term impacts.