Age-Period-Cohort Analysis of Cardiovascular Mortality Attributable to Environmental Risks in China.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to analyze changes in cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality attributable to major environmental risks in China during 1990-2019, and their associations with age, period, and birth cohort. METHODS: Mortality data were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Major environmental risks included ambient particulate matter pollution (APMP), household air pollution from solid fuels (HAP), low temperature, high temperature, and lead exposure. Age-period-cohort modeling was used to estimate the overall annual percentage change in CVD mortality (net drift), annual percentage change for each age group (local drift), expected longitudinal age-specific rate (longitudinal age curve), period and cohort relative risks (RRs, period/cohort effects) between 1990 and 2019. Analyses were conducted in 2021-2022. RESULTS: In China, five major environmental risks led to 1.62 million CVD deaths in 2019. Among these risks, the primary contributor to CVD mortality transited from HAP in 1990 to APMP in 2019. There was also an improvement in attributable CVD mortality rates for low temperature and lead exposure during 1990-2019, while an unfavorable trend was noted for high temperature. The longitudinal age curve demonstrated increased attributable CVD mortality rates with age groups for all environmental risks, with similar patterns for both sexes. Period and cohort RRs suggested generally improved risks of attributable CVD mortality for HAP, low temperature, and lead exposure, but worsening risks for APMP and high temperature in both genders, except for period risks after 2010-2014 for APMP in both sexes, period risks after 2000-2004 for high temperature in females, and cohort risks in cohorts born after 1955 for APMP and high temperature in females. CONCLUSIONS: Over the study period, there was a significant improvement in attributable CVD mortality rates in China for HAP, low temperature and lead exposure, but an unfavorable trend was noted for APMP and high temperature.

The prevalence and severity of insomnia symptoms during COVID-19: A global systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: There have been no previous meta-analytic studies that have looked at the prevalence of insomnia symptoms in different COVID-19 groups using a single assessment instrument to evaluate insomnia symptoms while maintaining data homogeneity. The current review's associated goal is to undertake an individual participant data (IPD) analysis to further investigate past meta-analyses, a method that has been shown to be more robust than standard meta-analyses. MEETHODS: Only studies that used the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) to assess insomnia are used in this analysis. The IPDMA was performed and registered in PROSPERO in compliance with the PRISMA IPD Statement (CRD42021275817). From November 2019 to August 2021, researchers explored seventeen databases and six preprint services for relevant studies. RESULTS: The pooled estimate of insomnia symptoms (subthreshold and clinically significant) was 52.57%. An estimated 16.66% of the population suffered from clinically significant insomnia, of which 13.75% suffered from moderate insomnia, and 2.50% suffered from severe insomnia. The different populations' grouping had no statistically significant differences in the prevalence of insomnia symptoms. Insomnia symptoms did not appear to be associated with age or sex. CONCLUSION: Our findings imply that the COVID-19 pandemic is linked to a significant rise in subthreshold insomnia symptoms, but not to moderate or severe insomnia. Educating people from all walks of life about the importance of sleep and the risk of acquiring insomnia symptoms during this or future pandemics should be a top concern.

Big Data in Cardiology: State-of-Art and Future Prospects.

Cardiological disorders contribute to a significant portion of the global burden of disease. Cardiology can benefit from Big Data, which are generated and released by different sources and channels, like epidemiological surveys, national registries, electronic clinical records, claims-based databases (epidemiological Big Data), wet-lab, and next-generation sequencing (molecular Big Data), smartphones, smartwatches, and other mobile devices, sensors and wearable technologies, imaging techniques (computational Big Data), non-conventional data streams such as social networks, and web queries (digital Big Data), among others. Big Data is increasingly having a more and more relevant role, being highly ubiquitous and pervasive in contemporary society and paving the way for new, unprecedented perspectives in biomedicine, including cardiology. Big Data can be a real paradigm shift that revolutionizes cardiological practice and clinical research. However, some methodological issues should be properly addressed (like recording and association biases) and some ethical issues should be considered (such as privacy). Therefore, further research in the field is warranted.

Global, regional, and national burden of ischaemic heart disease and its attributable risk factors, 1990-2017: results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to estimate the burden and risk factors for ischaemic heart disease (IHD) in 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2017. METHODS AND RESULTS: Data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 were used. Prevalence, incidence, deaths, years lived with disability (YLDs), and years of life lost (YLLs) were metrics used to measure IHD burden. Population attributable fraction was used to estimate the proportion of IHD deaths attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors. Globally, in 2017, 126.5 million [95% uncertainty interval (UI) 118.6 to 134.7] people lived with IHD and 10.6 million (95% UI 9.6 to 11.8) new IHD cases occurred, resulting in 8.9 million (95% UI 8.8 to 9.1) deaths, 5.3 million (95% UI 3.7 to 7.2) YLDs, and 165.0 million (95% UI 162.2 to 168.6) YLLs. Between 1990 and 2017, despite the decrease in age-standardized rates, the global numbers of these burden metrics of IHD have significantly increased. The burden of IHD in 2017 and its temporal trends from 1990 to 2017 varied widely by geographic location. Among all potentially modifiable risk factors, age-standardized IHD deaths worldwide were primarily attributable to dietary risks, high systolic blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, high fasting plasma glucose, tobacco use, and high body mass index in 2017. CONCLUSION: Our results suggested that IHD remains a major public health challenge worldwide. More effective and targeted strategies aimed at implementing cost-effective interventions and addressing modifiable risk factors are urgently needed, particularly in geographies with high or increasing burden.

Global, regional, and national burden of migraine in 204 countries and territories, 1990 to 2019.

ABSTRACT: Data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 were used to report the burden of migraine in 204 countries and territories during the period 1990 to 2019, through a systematic analysis of point prevalence, annual incidence, and years lived with disability (YLD). In 2019, the global age-standardised point prevalence and annual incidence rate of migraine were 14,107.3 (95% Uncertainty Interval [UI] 12,270.3-16,239) and 1142.5 (95% UI 995.9-1289.4) per 100,000, an increase of 1.7% (95% UI 0.7%-2.8%) and 2.1% (95% UI 1.1%-2.8%) since 1990, respectively. Moreover, the global age-standardised YLD rate in 2019 was 525.5 (95% UI 78.8-1194), an increase of 1.5% (95% UI -4.4% to 3.3%) since 1990. The global point prevalence of migraine in 2019 was higher in females and increased by age up to the 40 to 44 age group, then decreased with increased age. Belgium (22,400.6 [95% UI: 19,305.2-26,215.8]), Italy (20,337.7 [95% UI: 17,724.7-23,405.8]), and Germany (19,436.4 [95% UI: 16,806.2-22,810.3]) had the 3 highest age-standardised point prevalence rates for migraine in 2019. In conclusion, there were large intercountry differences in the burden of migraine, and this burden increased significantly across the measurement period. These findings suggest that migraine care needs to be included within the health system to increase population awareness regarding the probable risk factors and treatment strategies especially among young adults and middle-aged women, as well as to increase the data on migraines.

Regional and socioeconomic disparities in cardiovascular disease in Canada during 2005-2016: evidence from repeated nationwide cross-sectional surveys.

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this study is to examine the temporal trends and patterns of regional and socioeconomic disparities in cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Canada during 2005-2016. METHODS: A total of 670 000 adults aged ≥20 years who participated in the Canadian Community Health Surveys between 2005 and 2016 were enrolled for this study. CVD referred to heart disease and stroke in this study. Equivalised household income was used as a proxy of socioeconomic status. Absolute and relative socioeconomic inequalities were measured by slope index of inequality (SII) and relative index of inequality (RII), respectively. RESULTS: In 2015/2016, the overall age-adjusted and sex-adjusted prevalence of heart disease and stroke was 4.80% (95% CI 4.61% to 4.98%) and 1.25% (95% CI 1.13% to 1.36%), respectively. Trend analyses suggested a significant decline in the age-adjusted and sex-adjusted prevalence of heart disease (P for trend <0.001) and a non-significant decline in the age-adjusted and sex-adjusted prevalence of stroke (P for trend=0.058) from 2005 to 2016. Nevertheless, the total number of adults suffering from heart disease and stroke increased by 8.9% and 20.2% over the study period, respectively. Moreover, the age-adjusted and sex-adjusted prevalence of heart disease and stroke varied widely across all health regions, and both of them tended be higher among those with lower income. The SII and RII indicated that there were persistent absolute and relative socioeconomic inequalities in heart disease and stroke across all surveys (eg, SII for heart disease in both sexes, 2005: 0.04 (95% CI 0.03 to 0.04); 2015/2016: 0.03 (95% CI, 0.02 to 0.04); RII for heart disease in both sexes, 2005: 1.99 (95% CI 1.75 to 2.27); 2015/2016: 1.77 (95% CI 1.52 to 2.08). CONCLUSION: Geographical and socioeconomic disparities should be taken into account during the further efforts to strengthen preventive measures and optimise healthcare resources for heart disease and stroke in Canada.

Global, regional, and national burden of Guillain-Barré syndrome and its underlying causes from 1990 to 2019.

BACKGROUND: This article presents the first detailed analysis of the prevalence and disability burden of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) from 1990 to 2019 by cause, age, sex, and Socio-demographic Index (SDI) in 204 countries and territories. METHODS: Data from the Global Burden of Diseases Study (GBD) 2019 were used. GBD 2019 modelled the prevalence of GBS using hospital and claims data. Years lived with disability (YLDs) were estimated as the product of the GBS prevalence and the disability weight. This article also reported proportions in the age-standardised prevalence rate that were due to six underlying causes of GBS. RESULTS: In 2019, there were 150,095 [95% uncertainty intervals (UI) 119,924 to 188,309] total cases of GBS worldwide, which resulted in 44,407 (95% UI 28,016 to 64,777) YLDs. Globally, there was a 6.4% (95% UI 3.6 to 9.5) increase in the age-standardised prevalence of GBS per 100,000 population between 1990 and 2019. High-income Asia Pacific [1.9 (95% UI: 1.5 to 2.4)] and East Asia [0.8 (95% UI: 0.6 to 1.0)] had the highest and lowest age-standardised prevalence rates (per 100,000), respectively, in 2019. Nationally, Japan [6.4 (95% UI: 5.3 to 7.7)] and China [0.8 (95% UI: 0.6 to 1.0)] had the highest and lowest age-standardised prevalence rates (per 100,000). The age-standardised burden of GBS increased with increasing age and was higher in males in all age groups. Furthermore, the age-standardised prevalence of GBS (per 100,000) had a positive association with the level of development, as measured by SDI, although this association was not strong. Upper respiratory infections and unknown causes accounted for the highest proportions of underlying causes. CONCLUSIONS: Globally, the prevalence of GBS continues to increase. Geographical differences and strategies aimed at preventing infectious diseases should be considered in future health policy planning and decision-making processes. This study had several limitations, such as using the same disability weight for all causes and a reliance on hospital- and self-reported data, which should be addressed in future research.

Trends and Regional Variation in Prevalence of Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Association With Socioeconomic Status in Canada, 2005-2016.

Importance: Cardiovascular disease remains the second leading cause of death in Canada. Monitoring and tracking the trends and disparities in major cardiovascular risk factors could provide benchmarks for future cardiovascular health strategies. Objective: To investigate the temporal trends, regional variations, and socioeconomic disparities in major cardiovascular risk factors in Canada from 2005 to 2016. Design, Setting, and Participants: This repeated cross-sectional survey study included adults aged 20 years and older from 6 Canadian Community Health Survey cycles between 2005 and 2016. Cardiovascular risk factors included hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and current smoking. Socioeconomic status was measured using equivalized household income. Data analysis was performed from September 2019 to April 2020. Exposures: A total of 112 health regions and socioeconomic status. Main Outcomes and Measures: Age- and sex-adjusted prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and current smoking by year; health regions; and socioeconomic status. Absolute numbers were rounded to base 100 for confidentiality purposes, and percentages were based on weighted numbers. Slope index of inequality (SII) and relative index of inequality (RII) were calculated to assess absolute and relative socioeconomic inequalities, respectively. Results: A total of 670 000 respondents (329 000 [49.1%] men; 341 000 [50.9%] women) aged 20 years and older from 6 survey cycles were enrolled for this study. The largest age group was those aged 40 to 59 years (eg, 2005 cycle: 40.2% [95% CI, 39.9%-40.6%]). In the 2015/2016 cycle, the overall age- and sex-adjusted prevalence rates of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and current smoking were 20.7% (95% CI, 20.4%-21.1%), 7.2% (95% CI, 7.0%-7.5%), 20.1% (95% CI, 19.7%-20.6%), and 17.8% (95% CI, 17.4%-18.2%), respectively. From 2005 to 2016, there was a significant increase in the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, and obesity (eg, prevalence of diabetes in both sexes, 2005: 5.8% [95% CI, 5.6%-6.0%]; 2015/2016: 7.2% [95% CI, 7.0%-7.5%]; P < .001) but a significant decrease in the prevalence of current smoking (both sexes, 2005: 22.1% [95% CI, 21.7%-22.5%]; 2015/2016: 17.8% [95% CI, 17.4%-18.2%]; P < .001). The prevalence of all the risk factors varied widely across health regions (eg, obesity, Vancouver Health Service Delivery Area: 6.7% [95% CI, 4.5%-9.0%]; Miramichi Area: 36.8% [95% CI, 27.3%-46.3%]). In addition to obesity among men, all risk factors tended to be more common among those with lower income (eg, prevalence of hypertension in both sexes, 2015/2016, lowest income group: 23.2% [95% CI, 22.4%-24.0%]; highest income group: 18.4% [95% CI, 17.7%-19.1%]). The SII and RII indicated consistent absolute and relative socioeconomic inequalities in hypertension, diabetes, and current smoking over time (eg, RII for hypertension in both sexes, 2005: 1.25; 95% CI, 1.18-1.33; 2015/2016: 1.34; 95% CI, 1.26-1.43). However, the phenomenon of absolute and relative socioeconomic inequalities in obesity was only observed among women (eg, RII for 2015/2016 for obesity in women; 1.74 (95% CI, 1.56-1.93); men: 1.09; 95% CI, 0.99-1.21). Conclusions and Relevance: During the study period, the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, and obesity significantly increased, while the prevalence of current smoking significantly decreased. Geographic and socioeconomic gaps should be considered and addressed in future interventions and policies targeted at reducing these cardiovascular risk factors in Canada.

Global, Regional, and National Burden of Myocarditis and Cardiomyopathy, 1990-2017.

Objective: To estimate the burden of myocarditis (MC), alcoholic cardiomyopathy (AC), and other cardiomyopathy (OC) for 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2017. Methods: We collected detailed information on MC, AC, and OC between 1990 and 2017 from the Global Burden of Disease study 2017, which was designed to provide a systematic assessment of health loss due to diseases and injuries in 21 regions, covering 195 countries and territories. Estimates of MC, AC, and OC burden were produced using a standard Cause of Death Ensemble model and a Bayesian mixed-effects meta-regression tool, and included prevalence, deaths, years lived with disability (YLDs), and years of life lost (YLLs). All estimates were presented as counts, age-standardized rates per 100,000 people and percentage change, with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). Results: Worldwide, there were 1.80 million (95% UI 1.64-1.98) cases of MC, 1.62 million (95% UI 1.37-1.90) cases of AC and 4.21 million (95% UI 3.63-4.87) cases of OC, contributing to 46,486 (95% UI 39,709-51,824), 88,890 (95% UI 80,935-96,290), and 233,159 (95% UI 213,677-248,289) deaths in 2017, respectively. Furthermore, globally, there were 131,376 (95% UI 90,113-183,001) YLDs and 1.26 million (95% UI 1.10-1.42) YLLs attributable to MC, 139,087 (95% UI 95,134-196,130) YLDs and 2.84 million (95% UI 2.60-3.07) YLLs attributable to AC, and 353,325 (95% UI 237,907-493,908) YLDs and 5.51 million (95% UI 4.95-5.99) YLLs attributable to OC in 2017. At the national level, the age-standardized prevalence rates varied by 10.4 times for MC, 252.6 times for AC and 38.1 times for OC; the age-standardized death rates varied by 43.9 times for MC, 531.0 times for AC and 43.3 times for OC; the age-standardized YLD rates varied by 12.4 times for MC, 223.7 times for AC, and 34.1 times for OC; and the age-standardized YLL rates varied by 38.4 times for MC, 684.8 times for AC, and 36.2 times for OC. Between 1990 and 2017, despite the decreases in age-standardized rates, the global numbers of prevalent cases, deaths, YLDs, and YLLs have increased for all the diseases. Conclusion: Accurate assessment of the burden of MC, AC, and OC is essential for formulating effective preventative prevention and treatment programs and optimizing health system resource allocation. Our results suggest that MC, AC, and OC remain important global public health problems with increasing numbers of prevalent cases, deaths, YLDs, and YLLs over the past decades, and there are significant geographic variations in the burden of these diseases. Further research is warranted to expand our knowledge of potential risk factors and to improve the prevention, early detection and treatment of these diseases.

Worldwide Trends in Prevalence, Mortality, and Disability-Adjusted Life Years for Hypertensive Heart Disease From 1990 to 2017.

[Figure: see text].

Burden of heart failure and underlying causes in 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2017.

AIMS: To provide the first systematic analysis of the burden and underlying causes of heart failure (HF) in 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2017. METHODS AND RESULTS: We collected detailed information on prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), and underlying causes of HF from the Global Burden of Disease study 2017. Numbers and age-standardized rates of HF prevalence and YLDs were compared by age, sex, socio-demographic index (SDI), and location. The proportions of HF age-standardized prevalence rates due to 23 underlying causes were also presented. Globally, the age-standardized prevalence and YLD rates of HF in 2017 were 831.0 and 128.2 per 100 000 people, a decrease of -7.2% and -0.9% from 1990, respectively. Nevertheless, the absolute numbers of HF prevalent cases and YLDs have increased by 91.9% and 106.0% from 1990, respectively. There is significant geographic and socio-demographic variation in the levels and trends of HF burden from 1990 to 2017. Among all causes of HF, ischaemic heart disease accounted for the highest proportion (26.5%) of age-standardized prevalence rate of HF in 2017, followed by hypertensive heart disease (26.2%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (23.4%). CONCLUSION: HF remains a serious public health problem worldwide, with increasing age-standardized prevalence and YLD rates in countries with relatively low SDI. More geo-specific strategies aimed at preventing underlying causes and improving medical care for HF are warranted to reduce the future burden of this condition.

Global, regional, and national prevalence, incidence, mortality, and risk factors for atrial fibrillation, 1990-2017: results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017.

AIMS: To estimate the prevalence, incidence, mortality, and risk factors for atrial fibrillation (AF) in 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2017. METHODS AND RESULTS: Following the methodologies used in the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017, the prevalence, incidence, and mortality of AF were analysed by age, sex, year, socio-demographic index (SDI), and location. The percentage contributions of major risk factors to age-standardized AF deaths were measured by population attributable fractions. In 2017, there were 37.57 million [95% uncertainty interval (UI) 32.55-42.59] prevalent cases and 3.05 million (95% UI 2.61-3.51) incident cases of AF globally, contributing to 287 241 (95% UI 276 355-304 759) deaths. The age-standardized rates of prevalent cases, incident cases, and deaths of AF in 2017 and their temporal trends from 1990 to 2017 varied significantly by SDI quintile and location. High systolic blood pressure was the leading risk factor for AF age-standardized deaths [34.3% (95% UI 27.4-41.5)] in 2017, followed by high body mass index [20.7% (95% UI 11.5-32.2)] and alcohol use [9.4% (95% UI 7.0-12.2)]. CONCLUSION: Our study has systematically and globally assessed the temporal trends of AF, which remains a major public heath challenge. Although AF mainly occurred in developed countries, the unfavourable trend in countries with lower SDI also deserves particular attention. More effective prevention and treatment strategies aimed at counteracting the increase in AF burden should be established in some countries.

The global burden of disease attributable to high body mass index in 195 countries and territories, 1990-2017: An analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study.

BACKGROUND: Obesity represents an urgent problem that needs to be properly addressed, especially among children. Public and global health policy- and decision-makers need timely, reliable quantitative information to develop effective interventions aimed at counteracting the burden generated by high body mass index (BMI). Few studies have assessed the high-BMI-related burden on a global scale. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Following the methodology framework and analytical strategies used in the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2017, the global deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributable to high BMI were analyzed by age, sex, year, and geographical location and by Socio-demographic Index (SDI). All causes of death and DALYs estimated in GBD 2017 were organized into 4 hierarchical levels: level 1 contained 3 broad cause groupings, level 2 included more specific categories within the level 1 groupings, level 3 comprised more detailed causes within the level 2 categories, and level 4 included sub-causes of some level 3 causes. From 1990 to 2017, the global deaths and DALYs attributable to high BMI have more than doubled for both females and males. However, during the study period, the age-standardized rate of high-BMI-related deaths remained stable for females and only increased by 14.5% for males, and the age-standardized rate of high-BMI-related DALYs only increased by 12.7% for females and 26.8% for males. In 2017, the 6 leading GBD level 3 causes of high-BMI-related DALYs were ischemic heart disease, stroke, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, hypertensive heart disease, and low back pain. For most GBD level 3 causes of high-BMI-related DALYs, high-income North America had the highest attributable proportions of age-standardized DALYs due to high BMI among the 21 GBD regions in both sexes, whereas the lowest attributable proportions were observed in high-income Asia Pacific for females and in eastern sub-Saharan Africa for males. The association between SDI and high-BMI-related DALYs suggested that the lowest age-standardized DALY rates were found in countries in the low-SDI quintile and high-SDI quintile in 2017, and from 1990 to 2017, the age-standardized DALY rates tended to increase in regions with the lowest SDI, but declined in regions with the highest SDI, with the exception of high-income North America. The study's main limitations included the use of information collected from some self-reported data, the employment of cutoff values that may not be adequate for all populations and groups at risk, and the use of a metric that cannot distinguish between lean and fat mass. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we observed that the number of global deaths and DALYs attributable to high BMI has substantially increased between 1990 and 2017. Successful population-wide initiatives targeting high BMI may mitigate the burden of a wide range of diseases. Given the large variations in high-BMI-related burden of disease by SDI, future strategies to prevent and reduce the burden should be developed and implemented based on country-specific development status.

How Big Data and Artificial Intelligence Can Help Better Manage the COVID-19 Pandemic.

SARS-CoV2 is a novel coronavirus, responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic declared by the World Health Organization. Thanks to the latest advancements in the field of molecular and computational techniques and information and communication technologies (ICTs), artificial intelligence (AI) and Big Data can help in handling the huge, unprecedented amount of data derived from public health surveillance, real-time epidemic outbreaks monitoring, trend now-casting/forecasting, regular situation briefing and updating from governmental institutions and organisms, and health facility utilization information. The present review is aimed at overviewing the potential applications of AI and Big Data in the global effort to manage the pandemic.

Associations of sleep problems with health-risk behaviors and psychological well-being among Canadian adults.

OBJECTIVES: Examine the associations of sleep problems with health-risk behaviors and psychological well-being in a representative sample of Canadian adults. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: The 2011-2012 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS, conducted by Statistics Canada). PARTICIPANTS: Of all individuals taking part in the 2011-2012 CCHS, 42,600 participants aged ≥18 years from five provinces/territories (Nova Scotia, Quebec, Manitoba, Alberta, and Yukon) who participated in the sleep survey module were selected for this study. MEASUREMENTS: Health conditions were self-reported. Sleep problems referred to extreme sleep durations (either <5 or ≥10 hours) and insomnia symptom. Health-risk behaviors included physical inactivity, daily smoking, highly sedentary behavior, and insufficient fruit and vegetable consumption. Worse psychological well-being included having worse self-rated general health, worse self-rated mental health, and worse sense of belonging, and being dissatisfied with life. RESULTS: The participants represented 10,614,600 Canadian adults aged ≥18 years from the five abovementioned provinces/territories. A significantly higher prevalence of all health-risk behaviors and worse psychological well-being was found among participants with extreme sleep durations (than those with 7 to <8 hours) and insomnia symptom (than those without insomnia symptom). After multivariate adjustment, extreme sleep durations and insomnia symptom were still independently associated with increased odds of all health-risk behaviors and worse psychological well-being. CONCLUSIONS: Both extreme sleep durations and insomnia symptom were independently associated with health-risk behaviors and worse psychological well-being among Canadian adults.

Elevated triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) ratio increased risk of hyperuricemia: a 4-year cohort study in China.

PURPOSE: Previous studies revealed that high serum uric acid (SUA) levels correlated with increased triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) ratio. However, evidence is lacking regarding whether TG/HDL-C is an independent risk factor or just a simple marker of hyperuricemia. We aimed to investigate the relationship between TG/HDL-C and the risk of hyperuricemia in Chinese population. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study involved 15,198 subjects (43.14 ± 13.13 years, 54.9% men) who were free of hyperuricemia at baseline. The association between TG/HDL-C and the risk of hyperuricemia, in the total sample and stratified by subgroups, was examined by multiple logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: During 4 years follow-up, hyperuricemia occurred in 2365 (15.6%) participants. The cumulative incidence of hyperuricemia was significantly elevated with increasing TG/HDL-C quartiles (5.9, 10.8, 18.4, and 27.5%, respectively). After multivariate adjustment, the odds ratio for hyperuricemia in the highest compared with the lowest quartile of TG/HDL-C was 1.80 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.49, 2.18), and each SD increment of TG/HDL-C ratio caused a 10% additional risk for hyperuricemia. Moreover, subgroup analyses showed that the association between TG/HDL-C and the risk of hyperuricemia was more pronounced in women and normal-weight adults. The results were consistent when analyses were restricted to participants without metabolic syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: TG/HDL-C ratio was positively related to the risk of hyperuricemia in Chinese population, particularly in women and normal-weight individuals. These findings suggested the potential of TG/HDL-C ratio to serve as an independent risk indicator in the prevention of hyperuricemia.

Distinct developmental trajectories of body mass index and diabetes risk: A 5-year longitudinal study of Chinese adults.

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: This longitudinal study aimed to explore whether distinct developmental trajectories of body mass index (BMI) would be predictive of diabetes risk in general Chinese adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 4,519 participants aged >18 years who were free of diabetes in 2011 (baseline of the current analysis) were enrolled in this study. All participants completed a medical examination every year during 2011-2016, and BMI levels were measured two to six (average 5.6) times. Group-based trajectory modeling was applied to identify BMI trajectories over time. New-onset diabetes was confirmed in 2016. RESULTS: During 2011-2016, four distinct BMI trajectories were identified according to BMI range and changing pattern over time: "low" (19.6%), "moderate" (33.4%), "moderate-high" (33.4%) and "high" (13.6%). A total of 168 (3.7%) new-onset diabetes cases were confirmed in 2016. Compared with the "low" BMI trajectory, participants in the "high" BMI trajectory were at significantly higher risk for new-onset diabetes (adjusted relative risk 3.24, 95% confidence interval 1.27-8.24). Notably, BMI trajectories based on the first four or three annual BMI tests yielded similar results. By contrast, no significant correlation was found between categories of baseline BMI and new-onset diabetes in 2016 after multivariate adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: The present results show that distinct BMI trajectories, even identified using just four or three annual BMI tests, are significantly associated with new-onset diabetes. Monitoring BMI trajectories over time might provide an important approach to identify subpopulations at higher risk for developing diabetes.

Epidemiology of physical and mental comorbidity in Canada and implications for health-related quality of life, suicidal ideation, and healthcare utilization: A nationwide cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The substantial burden of physical and mental comorbidity is increasingly gaining attention, but a comprehensive evaluation of this is limited in Canada. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of physical and mental comorbidity and its implications in Canada. METHODS: We used nationally representative data from Canadian Community Health Survey, 2014. We included individuals who were aged ≥18 years and excluded those who had missing information on physical or mental disorders. Chronic diseases referred to both physical and mental disorders. RESULTS: Respondents included in our analysis represented 27,221,856 Canadians aged ≥18 years. Of these, 53.9% (95% CI 53.1-54.6) had one or more chronic diseases, 11.5% (95% CI 11.0-12.0) had mental disorder, and 8.4% (95% CI 8.0-8.8) had physical and mental comorbidity. Compared with those without chronic diseases, people with one or more chronic diseases had higher sex- and age-adjusted prevalence of severe impairment of health-related quality of life (HRQoL), suicidal ideation, and healthcare utilization; and the risks increased consistently with the number of chronic diseases. However, among those with the same number of chronic diseases, people with mental disorder or physical and mental comorbidity were more likely to have these adverse consequences than people with only physical disorders. LIMITATIONS: Our study was based on self-reported data, and included only major chronic diseases rather than all probable chronic diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Physical and mental comorbidity is prevalent in Canada and should be addressed with appropriate interventions considering its excessive adverse impact on HRQoL, suicidal ideation and healthcare utilization.

Association between sleep problems and health-related quality of life in Canadian adults with chronic diseases.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the association between sleep problems and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Canadian adults with chronic diseases, and whether mental illness can mediate the association. METHODS: Data were drawn from the Canadian Community Health Survey, 2015. A total of 10,900 participants aged ≥18 years and diagnosed with chronic diseases were enrolled in this study. RESULTS: Of these participants, 23.6% (95% CI 22.1, 25.2) suffered from severe impairment of HRQoL. Extreme sleep durations, including both short (<5, 5 to <6, and 6 to <7 h) and long (9 to <10, and ≥10 h) sleep durations, were significantly associated with severe impairment of HRQoL (compared to 7 to <8 h). Insomnia was also independently associated with severe impairment of HRQoL when compared to those without insomnia. In the mediation analyses, mental illness was shown to partly mediate the associations of extreme sleep durations and insomnia with severe impairment of HRQoL. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, both extreme sleep durations and insomnia were independently associated with severe impairment of HRQoL in adults with chronic diseases, and mental illness partly mediated the association.

Regulator of G Protein Signaling 6 Facilities Cardiac Hypertrophy by Activating Apoptosis Signal-Regulating Kinase 1-P38/c-JUN N-Terminal Kinase 1/2 Signaling.

Background Regulator of G protein signaling 6 ( RGS 6) is an important member of the RGS family and produces pleiotropic regulatory effects on cardiac pathophysiology. However, the role of RGS 6 protein in cardiomyocytes during angiotensin II - and pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy remain unknown. Methods and Results Here, we used a genetic approach to study the regulatory role of RGS 6 in cardiomyocytes during pathological cardiac hypertrophy. RGS 6 expression was significantly increased in failing human hearts and in hypertrophic murine hearts. The extent of aortic banding-induced cardiac hypertrophy, dysfunction, and fibrosis in cardiac-specific RGS 6 knockout mice was alleviated, whereas the hearts of transgenic mice with cardiac-specific RGS 6 overexpression exhibited exacerbated responses to pressure overload. Consistent with these findings, RGS 6 also facilitated an angiotensin II -induced hypertrophic response in isolated cardiomyocytes. According to the mechanistic studies, RGS 6 mediated cardiac hypertrophy by directly interacting with apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1, which further activates the P38-c- JUN N-terminal kinase 1/2 signaling pathway. Conclusions Based on our findings, RGS 6 aggravates cardiac hypertrophy, and the RGS 6-apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 pathway represents a potential therapeutic target to attenuate pressure overload-driven cardiac remodeling.