Subclinical atherosclerosis in young adults predicting cardiovascular disease: The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study.

Background And Aims: Atherosclerosis is accompanied by pre-clinical vascular changes that can be detected using ultrasound imaging. We examined the value of such pre-clinical features in identifying young adults who are at risk of developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).

Methods: A total of 2641 individuals free of ASCVD were examined at the mean age of 32 years (range 24-45 years) for carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) and carotid plaques, carotid artery elasticity, and brachial artery flow-mediated endothelium-dependent vasodilation (FMD).

Sleep disturbances in late pregnancy: associations with induction of labor.

Purpose: Sleep disturbances, which are common during pregnancy, may compromise labor. Nevertheless, little is known about associations between sleep disturbances and the likelihood of ending up induction of labor (IOL). Accordingly, we aimed to evaluate the connections between sleep disturbances during pregnancy and IOL.

Exploring the Implementation of Shared Decision-Making Involving Health Coaches for Diabetes and Hypertension Self-Management: Qualitative Study.

Background: An emerging focus on person-centered care has prompted the need to understand how shared decision-making (SDM) and health coaching could support self-management of diabetes and hypertension.

Objective: This study aims to explore preferences for the scope of involvement of health coaches and health care professionals (HCPs) in SDM and the factors that may influence optimal implementation of SDM from the perspectives of patients and HCPs.

Methods: We conducted focus group discussions with 39 patients with diabetes and hypertension and 45 HCPs involved in their care.

Tracking of serum lipid levels from childhood to adulthood: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background And Aims: The utility of lipid screening in pediatric settings for preventing adult atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases partly depends on the lifelong tracking of lipid levels. This systematic review aimed to quantify the tracking of lipid levels from childhood and adolescence to adulthood.

Methods: We systematically searched MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar in March 2022.

Two-Year Trajectories of Dental Anxiety in Parents and Their Association with Parents' and Children's Oral Healthcare Procedures in FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study.

We aimed to identify parents' dental anxiety trajectories and the association of the trajectories with the number of parents' and their children's oral healthcare procedures in the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study. Dental anxiety was measured with the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale at gestational weeks (gw) 14 and 34, as well as 3 and 24 months (mo) after childbirth. Oral healthcare procedures from gw14 to 24 mo were obtained from the national patient data register and categorized as preventive and treatment.

Concordance of Fathers and Mothers in the Assessment of Their 5-Year-Old Child's Dental Fear.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the concordance of parents' assessments of their child's dental fear. Cross-sectional secondary analysis used data from the multidisciplinary FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study. Child dental fear was assessed at age 5 with the Finnish translation of the modified Children's Fear Survey Schedule Dental Subscale (CFSS-M) by both fathers (n = 588) and mothers (n = 1100).

Cryptorchidism and puberty.

Cryptorchidism is the condition in which one or both testes have not descended adequately into the scrotum. The congenital form of cryptorchidism is one of the most prevalent urogenital anomalies in male newborns. In the acquired form of cryptorchidism, the testis that was previously descended normally is no longer located in the scrotum.

Associations between maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and infant striatal mean diffusivity.

Background: It is well-established that parental obesity is a strong risk factor for offspring obesity. Further, a converging body of evidence now suggests that maternal weight profiles may affect the developing offspring's brain in a manner that confers future obesity risk. Here, we investigated how pre-pregnancy maternal weight status influences the reward-related striatal areas of the offspring's brain during in utero development.

Maternal prenatal depressive symptoms and child brain responses to affective touch at two years of age.

Background: Touch is an essential form of mother-child interaction, instigating better social bonding and emotional stability.

Methods: We used diffuse optical tomography to explore the relationship between total haemoglobin (HbT) responses to affective touch in the child's brain at two years of age and maternal self-reported prenatal depressive symptoms (EPDS). Affective touch was implemented via slow brushing of the child's right forearm at 3 cm/s and non-affective touch via fast brushing at 30 cm/s and HbT responses were recorded on the left hemisphere.

Deteriorating Semen Quality: The Role of the Environment.

Since the end of the last century, several reports have suggested that semen quality is declining, especially in Western countries. Furthermore, cross-sectional studies using similar protocols have suggested regional differences in semen quality of young and fertile men. Reasons for these regional differences and local adverse trends in semen quality are unknown, but environmental factors are suspected to have a role.

A Large-Scale Genome-Wide Study of Gene-Sleep Duration Interactions for Blood Pressure in 811,405 Individuals from Diverse Populations.

Although both short and long sleep duration are associated with elevated hypertension risk, our understanding of their interplay with biological pathways governing blood pressure remains limited. To address this, we carried out genome-wide cross-population gene-by-short-sleep and long-sleep duration interaction analyses for three blood pressure traits (systolic, diastolic, and pulse pressure) in 811,405 individuals from diverse population groups. We discover 22 novel gene-sleep duration interaction loci for blood pressure, mapped to genes involved in neurological, thyroidal, bone metabolism, and hematopoietic pathways.

Pubertal testicular volume references for ruler, orchidometer, and ultrasonography measurements based on a longitudinal follow-up.

Background: Testicular volume is a marker of male pubertal development. Various clinical conditions and their treatments may influence testicular growth.

Objectives: To create ruler-based age-dependent pubertal testicular volume references that enable calculation of standard deviation (SD) scores.

Are changes in sleep problems associated with changes in life satisfaction during the retirement transition?

Retirement reduces sleep problems, but changes in life satisfaction during the retirement transition are multifactorial and partly unknown. The aim of this prospective cohort study was to examine whether changes in sleep problems are associated with changes in total and domain-specific life satisfaction during the retirement transition (on average 0.5 years before and 0.

Association of childhood socioeconomic status with adulthood maximal exercise blood pressure: the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study.

Purpose: Socioeconomic status has been related to resting blood pressure (BP) levels at different stages of life. However, the association of childhood socioeconomic status (SES) and adulthood exercise BP is largely unknown. Therefore, we studied the association of childhood SES with adulthood maximal exercise BP.

Acceptability of Mobile App-Based Motivational Interviewing and Preferences for App Features to Support Self-Management in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: Qualitative Study.

Background: Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) experience multiple barriers to improving self-management. Evidence suggests that motivational interviewing (MI), a patient-centered communication method, can address patient barriers and promote healthy behavior. Despite the value of MI, existing MI studies predominantly used face-to-face or phone-based interventions.

Intergenerational continuity of loneliness and potential mechanisms: Young Finns Multigenerational Study.

Evidence on the intergenerational continuity of loneliness and on potential mechanisms that connect loneliness across successive generations is limited. We examined the association between loneliness of (G0) parents (859 mothers and 570 fathers, mean age 74 years) and their children (G1) (433 sons and 558 daughters, mean age 47 years) producing 991 parent-offspring pairs and tested whether these associations were mediated through subjective socioeconomic position, temperament characteristics, cognitive performance, and depressive symptoms. Mean loneliness across parents had an independent effect on their adult children's experienced loneliness (OR = 1.

A healthy lifestyle can support future sexual satisfaction: results from a 9-year longitudinal survey.

Background: Previous follow-up studies have demonstrated the association between good health behavior and good sexual functioning for men, but the longitudinal relationship between multiple health behaviors and satisfaction with sex life remains understudied.

Aim: The aim of the study was to explore whether good health behavior associates with improved satisfaction with sex life for men and women in a follow-up of 9 years.

Methods: This cohort study utilized survey data from the population-based Health and Social Support study.

Intake of B vitamins and the risk of developing islet autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes in the TEDDY study.

Purpose: The aim was to study the association between dietary intake of B vitamins in childhood and the risk of islet autoimmunity (IA) and progression to type 1 diabetes (T1D) by the age of 10 years.

Methods: We followed 8500 T1D-susceptible children born in the U.S.

Empowering patients with comorbid diabetes and hypertension through a multi-component intervention of mobile app, health coaching and shared decision-making: Protocol for an effectiveness-implementation of randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Diabetes and hypertension are prevalent and costly to the health system. We have developed a mobile app (EMPOWER app) which enables remote monitoring and education through personalised nudges. We aim to study the effectiveness of a multi-component intervention comprising the EMPOWER mobile app with health coaching and shared decision-making for diabetes and hypertension.

Effect of weight on depression using multiple genetic instruments.

A striking global health development over the past few decades has been the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity. At the same time, depression has become increasingly common in almost all high-income countries. We investigated whether body weight, measured by body mass index (BMI), has a causal effect on depression symptoms in Finland.

Antecedents of maternal pregnancy-related anxiety trajectories: The FinnBrain birth cohort study.

Objective: Little is known about the normative courses of pregnancy-related anxiety throughout pregnancy and their antecedents. We examined in a large scale pregnancy cohort which potentially distinct trajectories of pregnancy-related anxiety across pregnancy can be identified, and which factors predict these trajectories.

Methods: A general sample of pregnant women (n = 2928) from the FinnBrain Birth Cohort participated in this study.