Brain change trajectories in healthy adults correlate with Alzheimer's related genetic variation and memory decline across life.

Throughout adulthood and ageing our brains undergo structural loss in an average pattern resembling faster atrophy in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Using a longitudinal adult lifespan sample (aged 30-89; 2-7 timepoints) and four polygenic scores for AD, we show that change in AD-sensitive brain features correlates with genetic AD-risk and memory decline in healthy adults. We first show genetic risk links with more brain loss than expected for age in early Braak regions, and find this extends beyond APOE genotype.

Genetic evidence for the causal effects of C-reactive protein on self-reported habitual sleep duration.

Inflammatory responses to acute stimuli are proposed to regulate sleep, but the relationship between chronic inflammation and habitual sleep duration is elusive. Here, we study this relation using genetically predicted level of chronic inflammation, indexed by CRP and IL6 signaling, and self-reported sleep duration. By Mendelian randomization analysis, we show that elevated CRP level within <10 mg/L has a homeostatic effect that facilitates maintaining 7-8 h sleep duration per day - making short-sleepers sleep longer (p = 2.

Genetic evidence for causal effects of immune dysfunction in psychiatric disorders: where are we?

The question of whether immune dysfunction contributes to risk of psychiatric disorders has long been a subject of interest. To assert this hypothesis a plethora of correlative evidence has been accumulated from the past decades; however, a variety of technical and practical obstacles impeded on a cause-effect interpretation of these data. With the advent of large-scale omics technology and advanced statistical models, particularly Mendelian randomization, new studies testing this old hypothesis are accruing.

Machine-learning-derived heart and brain age are independently associated with cognition.

Background And Purpose: A heart age biomarker has been developed using deep neural networks applied to electrocardiograms. Whether this biomarker is associated with cognitive function was investigated.

Methods: Using 12-lead electrocardiograms, heart age was estimated for a population-based sample (N = 7779, age 40-85 years, 45.

Genetic architecture of brain age and its causal relations with brain and mental disorders.

The difference between chronological age and the apparent age of the brain estimated from brain imaging data-the brain age gap (BAG)-is widely considered a general indicator of brain health. Converging evidence supports that BAG is sensitive to an array of genetic and nongenetic traits and diseases, yet few studies have examined the genetic architecture and its corresponding causal relationships with common brain disorders. Here, we estimate BAG using state-of-the-art neural networks trained on brain scans from 53,542 individuals (age range 3-95 years).

Comparing prevalence of chronic kidney disease and its risk factors between population-based surveys in Russia and Norway.

Background: Little data exists on the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the Russian population. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of CKD in a population-based study in Russia, compare with a similar study in Norway, and investigate whether differences in risk factors explained between-study differences in CKD.

Methods: We compared age- and sex-standardised prevalence of reduced eGFR (< 60 ml/min/1.

Heavy alcohol drinking and subclinical echocardiographic abnormalities of structure and function.

Objective: The aim of the study is to assess changes in heart structure and function associated with heavy alcohol use by comparing echocardiographic indices in a population-based sample to those in patients admitted to an inpatient facility with severe alcohol problems.

Methods And Results: We used data from the Know Your Heart study (2015-2017) which is a cross-sectional study that recruited 2479 participants aged 35-69 years from the general population of the city of Arkhangelsk in Northwest Russia and 278 patients from the Arkhangelsk Regional Psychiatric Hospital with a primary diagnosis related to chronic alcohol use (narcology clinic subsample). The drinking patterns of the population-based sample were characterised in detail.

What factors explain the much higher diabetes prevalence in Russia compared with Norway? Major sex differences in the contribution of adiposity.

Introduction: Compared with many other countries Russia has a high prevalence of diabetes in men and women. However, contrary to what is found in most other populations, the risk is greater among women than men. The reasons for this are unclear.

Quantifying the contribution of established risk factors to cardiovascular mortality differences between Russia and Norway.

Surprisingly few attempts have been made to quantify the simultaneous contribution of well-established risk factors to CVD mortality differences between countries. We aimed to develop and critically appraise an approach to doing so, applying it to the substantial CVD mortality gap between Russia and Norway using survey data in three cities and mortality risks from the Emerging Risk Factor Collaboration. We estimated the absolute and relative differences in CVD mortality at ages 40-69 years between countries attributable to the risk factors, under the counterfactual that the age- and sex-specific risk factor profile in Russia was as in Norway, and vice-versa.

Pharmacological management of modifiable cardiovascular risk factors (blood pressure and lipids) following diagnosis of myocardial infarction, stroke and diabetes: comparison between population-based studies in Russia and Norway.

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality is substantially higher in Russia than in neighbouring Norway. We aimed to compare blood pressure- and lipid-lowering medication use and proportion meeting treatment targets between general population samples in the two countries in those with CVD and diabetes.

Methods: The study population was adults aged 40-69 years reporting a diagnosis of myocardial infarction (MI), stroke and/or diabetes participating in cross-sectional population-based studies in Russia (Know Your Heart (KYH) 2015-18 N = 626) and Norway (The Tromsø Study 2015-16 (Tromsø 7) N = 1353).

Evidence for a Direct Harmful Effect of Alcohol on Myocardial Health: A Large Cross-Sectional Study of Consumption Patterns and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Biomarkers From Northwest Russia, 2015 to 2017.

Background Alcohol drinking is an increasingly recognized risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, there are few studies of the impact of harmful and hazardous drinking on biomarkers of myocardial health. We conducted a study in Russia to investigate the impact of heavy drinking on biomarkers of cardiac damage and inflammation.

Hepatitis C virus status awareness and test results confirmation among people who inject drugs in Ukraine.

Background: Among the estimated 340,000 people who inject drugs (PWID) in Ukraine, HCV prevalence is approximately 70%. As HCV treatment availability increases, an assessment of the HCV treatment cascade is needed to guide HCV prevention and treatment strategies.

Methods: Opioid dependent PWID were interviewed and tested for HIV and HCV in five Ukrainian cities from January 2014 to March 2015.

Correlates of HIV and Inconsistent Condom Use Among Female Sex Workers in Ukraine.

While female sex workers (FSWs) carry one of the highest risks of HIV transmission, little is known about predictors of HIV and risky behavior of FSWs in Ukraine. In this study of 4806 Ukrainian FSWs, the prevalence of HIV was 5.6 %.

The impact of early life stress on risk of tobacco smoking initiation by adolescents.

Aims: Our study aimed to examine the association between early life stress and early initiation of alcohol and tobacco use.

Design: This prospective cohort study of women and children belongs to the Ukrainian component of the European Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood.

Setting: Dniprodzerzhynsk, a city of some 250,000 inhabitants in south central Ukraine.