There is an ongoing debate as to what extent antimicrobial resistance (AMR) can be transmitted from animals to humans via the consumption of animal products. Because epidemiological data on the role ...of diet in AMR in humans are lacking, we investigated this association between diet and AMR for different antimicrobial drugs in Escherichia coli (E. coli) in urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Susceptibility of E. coli in urinary cultures and information on diet (with food frequency questionnaires) were obtained from participants of the Rotterdam study, a population-based prospective cohort study. The association between intake of several food groups (meat, seafood, eggs, dairy products, crops) and resistance of E. coli to several antimicrobial drugs (amoxicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, trimethoprim, sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, first-generation cephalosporins, cefotaxime, nitrofurantoin, norfloxacin) was studied.
Urinary cultures with E. coli were obtained from 612 individuals, of whom 481 (78.6%) were women. Resistance rates varied from 246/611 (40.3%) for amoxicillin and 167/612 (27.3%) for trimethoprim to only 29/612 (4.7%) for nitrofurantoin and 16/462 (3.5%) for cefotaxime. A higher intake of chicken was associated with cefotaxime resistance (OR 2.18; 95% CI 1.05–4.51 per tertile increase); a higher intake of pork was associated with norfloxacin resistance (OR 1.42; 95% CI 1.04–1.95 per quartile increase). In contrast, a higher intake of cheese was associated with lower AMR to amoxicillin (OR 0.84; 95% CI 0.72–0.99 per quartile increase) and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (OR 0.67; 95% CI 0.53–0.86 per quartile increase).
These findings support the hypothesis that diet may play a role in the AMR of E. coli in UTIs.
The prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing globally and is an established risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Our objective was to evaluate the impact of overweight and obesity ...on life expectancy and years lived with and without CVD in older adults.
The study included 6636 individuals (3750 women) aged 55 years and older from the population-based Rotterdam Study. We developed multistate life tables by using prevalence, incidence rate and hazard ratios (HR) for three transitions (free-of-CVD-to-CVD, free-of-CVD-to-death and CVD-to-death), stratifying by the categories of body mass index (BMI) at baseline and adjusting for confounders.
During 12 years of follow-up, we observed 1035 incident CVD events and 1902 overall deaths. Obesity was associated with an increased risk of CVD among men (HR 1.57 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.17, 2.11)) and women (HR 1.49 (95% CI 1.19, 1.86)), compared with normal weight individuals. Overweight and obesity were not associated with mortality in men and women without CVD. Among men with CVD, obesity compared with normal weight, was associated with a lower risk of mortality (HR 0.67 (95% CI 0.49, 0.90)). Overweight and obesity did not influence total life expectancy. However, obesity was associated with 2.6 fewer years (95% CI -4.8, -0.4) lived free from CVD in men and 1.9 (95% CI -3.3, -0.9) in women. Moreover, men and women with obesity lived 2.9 (95% CI 1.1, 4.8) and 1.7 (95% CI 0.6, 2.8) more years suffering from CVD compared with normal weight counterparts.
Obesity had no effect on total life expectancy in older individuals, but increased the risk of having CVD earlier in life and consequently extended the number of years lived with CVD. Owing to increasing prevalence of obesity and improved treatment of CVD, we might expect more individuals living with CVD and for a longer period of time.
General cognitive function is a prominent and relatively stable human trait that is associated with many important life outcomes. We combine cognitive and genetic data from the CHARGE and COGENT ...consortia, and UK Biobank (total N = 300,486; age 16-102) and find 148 genome-wide significant independent loci (P < 5 × 10
) associated with general cognitive function. Within the novel genetic loci are variants associated with neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders, physical and psychiatric illnesses, and brain structure. Gene-based analyses find 709 genes associated with general cognitive function. Expression levels across the cortex are associated with general cognitive function. Using polygenic scores, up to 4.3% of variance in general cognitive function is predicted in independent samples. We detect significant genetic overlap between general cognitive function, reaction time, and many health variables including eyesight, hypertension, and longevity. In conclusion we identify novel genetic loci and pathways contributing to the heritability of general cognitive function.
Plasma amyloid-β (Aβ) levels are increasingly studied as a potential accessible marker of cognitive impairment and dementia. However, it remains underexplored whether plasma Aβ levels including the ...novel Aβ peptide 1-38 (Aβ
) relate to preclinical markers of neurodegeneration and risk of dementia. We investigated the association of plasma Aβ
, Aβ
, and Aβ
levels with imaging markers of neurodegeneration and risk of dementia in a prospective population-based study.
We analyzed plasma Aβ levels in 458 individuals from the Rotterdam Study. Brain volumes, including gray matter, white matter, and hippocampus, were computed on the basis of 1.5-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Dementia and its subtypes were defined on the basis of internationally accepted criteria.
A total of 458 individuals (mean age, 67.8 ± 7.7 yr; 232 50.7% women) with baseline MRI scans and incident dementia were included. The mean ± SD values of Aβ
, Aβ
, and Aβ
(in pg/ml) were 19.4 ± 4.3, 186.1 ± 35.9, and 56.3 ± 6.2, respectively, at baseline. Lower plasma Aβ
levels were associated with smaller hippocampal volume (mean difference in hippocampal volume per SD decrease in Aβ
levels, - 0.13; 95% CI, - 0.23 to - 0.04; p = 0.007). After a mean follow-up of 14.8 years (SD, 4.9; range, 4.1-23.5 yr), 79 persons developed dementia, 64 of whom were diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Lower levels of Aβ
and Aβ
were associated with increased risk of dementia, specifically AD (HR for AD per SD decrease in Aβ
levels, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.00-2.16; HR for AD per SD decrease in Aβ
levels, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.05-1.75) after adjustment for age, sex, education, cardiovascular risk factors, apolipoprotein E ε4 allele carrier status, and other Aβ isoforms.
Our results show that lower plasma Aβ levels were associated with risk of dementia and incident AD. Moreover, lower plasma Aβ
levels were related to smaller hippocampal volume. These results suggest that plasma Aβ
and Aβ
maybe useful biomarkers for identification of individuals at risk of dementia.
Genome-wide association studies have revealed multiple common variants associated with known risk factors for ischemic stroke (IS). However, their aggregate effect on risk is uncertain. We aimed to ...generate a multilocus genetic risk score (GRS) for IS based on genome-wide association studies data from clinical-based samples and to establish its external validity in prospective population-based cohorts.
Three thousand five hundred forty-eight clinic-based IS cases and 6399 controls from the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium 2 were used for derivation of the GRS. Subjects from the METASTROKE consortium served as a replication sample. The validation sample consisted of 22 751 participants from the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology consortium. We selected variants that had reached genome-wide significance in previous association studies on established risk factors for IS.
A combined GRS for atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, hypertension, and systolic blood pressure significantly associated with IS both in the case-control samples and in the prospective population-based studies. Subjects in the top quintile of the combined GRS had >2-fold increased risk of IS compared with subjects in the lowest quintile. Addition of the combined GRS to a simple model based on sex significantly improved the prediction of IS in the combined clinic-based samples but not in the population-based studies, and there was no significant improvement in net reclassification.
A multilocus GRS based on common variants for established cardiovascular risk factors was significantly associated with IS both in clinic-based samples and in the general population. However, the improvement in clinical risk prediction was found to be small.
Aims/hypothesis
The aim of this work was to investigate whether measurement of the mean common carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) improves cardiovascular risk prediction in individuals with ...diabetes.
Methods
We performed a subanalysis among 4,220 individuals with diabetes in a large ongoing individual participant data meta-analysis involving 56,194 subjects from 17 population-based cohorts worldwide. We first refitted the risk factors of the Framingham heart risk score on the individuals without previous cardiovascular disease (baseline model) and then expanded this model with the mean common CIMT (CIMT model). The absolute 10 year risk for developing a myocardial infarction or stroke was estimated from both models. In individuals with diabetes we compared discrimination and calibration of the two models. Reclassification of individuals with diabetes was based on allocation to another cardiovascular risk category when mean common CIMT was added.
Results
During a median follow-up of 8.7 years, 684 first-time cardiovascular events occurred among the population with diabetes. The C statistic was 0.67 for the Framingham model and 0.68 for the CIMT model. The absolute 10 year risk for developing a myocardial infarction or stroke was 16% in both models. There was no net reclassification improvement with the addition of mean common CIMT (1.7%; 95% CI −1.8, 3.8). There were no differences in the results between men and women.
Conclusions/interpretation
There is no improvement in risk prediction in individuals with diabetes when measurement of the mean common CIMT is added to the Framingham risk score. Therefore, this measurement is not recommended for improving individual cardiovascular risk stratification in individuals with diabetes.
Alzheimer's disease is one of the most heritable diseases in elderly people and the most common type of dementia. In addition to the major genetic determinant of Alzheimer's disease, the APOE gene, ...23 genetic variants have been associated with the disease. We assessed the effects of these variants and APOE on cumulative risk and age at onset of Alzheimer's disease and all-cause dementia.
We studied incident dementia in cognitively healthy participants (aged >45 years) from the community-based Rotterdam Study, an ongoing prospective cohort study based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, focusing on neurological, cardiovascular, endocrine, and ophthalmological disorders, and other diseases in elderly people. The Rotterdam Study comprises participants in three baseline cohorts (initiated in 1990, 2000, and 2006), who are re-invited to the research centre every 3–4 years, and continuously monitored by records from general practitioners and medical specialists. Cumulative incidence curves up to age 100 years were calculated for Alzheimer's disease and dementia, taking into account mortality as a competing event. These risk curves were stratified by APOE genotypes, tertiles of a weighted genetic risk score (GRS) of 23 Alzheimer's disease-associated genetic variants, and parental history of dementia.
12 255 of 14 926 participants (58·5% women) from the Rotterdam Study were included in this study. During a median follow-up of 11·0 years (IQR 4·9–15·9; 133 123 person years), 1609 participants developed dementia, of whom 1262 (78%) were classified as having Alzheimer's disease; 3310 people died of causes other than dementia. Both APOE and the GRS significantly modified the risks of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. There was evidence for a significant interaction between APOE genotypes and the GRS for the association with Alzheimer's disease (p=0·03) and dementia (p=0·04); the risk for carriers homozygous for APOE ε4 was modified most by the GRS. In carriers homozygous for APOE ε4, the difference between the high-risk tertile and the low-risk tertile by age 85 years was 27·0% for Alzheimer's disease (p=8·5 × 10−3) and 37·2% for dementia (p=2·2 × 10−4), which translates to a 7–10 year difference in age at onset. Comparing the risk extremes, which were carriers homozygous for APOE ε2 or heterozygous with one copy each of the ε2 and ε3 alleles in the low-risk tertile of the GRS versus carriers homozygous for APOE ε4 in the high-risk tertile of the GRS, the difference in risk by age 85 years was 58·6% (4·1% vs 62·7%; p=6·2 × 10−13) for Alzheimer's disease, and 70·3% (7·2% vs 77·5%; p=3·0 × 10−23) for dementia. These risk differences translate into an 18–29 years difference in age at onset for Alzheimer's disease and an 18–23 year difference in age at onset dementia. This difference becomes more pronounced when parental history of dementia is considered (difference in risk 83·8%; p=1·1 × 10−20).
Common variants with small individual effects jointly modify the risk and age at onset of Alzheimer's disease and dementia, particularly in APOE ε4 carriers. These findings highlight the potential of common variants in determining Alzheimer's disease risk.
None.
Background and purpose
Amino‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) is a predictor of heart disease. It has also been related to stroke, but its association with transient ischaemic ...attacks (TIAs) is unclear. Moreover, it is unknown how clinical heart disease influences this relation. Within the prospective population‐based Rotterdam Study, the association of NT‐proBNP with stroke and TIA was examined and the role of heart disease on this association was investigated.
Methods
NT‐proBNP was measured in 1997–2001 in 5611 participants (mean age 68.7 years; 57.7% women) without a history of stroke, TIA or heart failure. Follow‐up for stroke and TIA finished in 2012. Models were adjusted for age and cardiovascular risk factors, and were stratified by sex.
Results
During 22 058 person‐years 195 men suffered a stroke and 118 a TIA. During 31 825 person‐years 230 women suffered a stroke and 187 a TIA. Higher NT‐proBNP was associated with a higher risk of stroke in men hazard ratio (HR) per SD increase 1.50; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.29–1.76 and in women (HR 1.24; 95% CI 1.05–1.46). Associations with TIA were only present in women (HR 1.51; 95% CI 1.26–1.82) but not in men (HR 1.02; 95% CI 0.83–1.26). Excluding persons with a history of clinical coronary heart disease, heart failure or atrial fibrillation and censoring for clinical heart disease during follow‐up did not change the associations.
Conclusions
Higher NT‐proBNP is associated with incident stroke in men and women and with incident TIA only in women. These associations are independent of clinical heart disease preceding cerebrovascular disease.
Chromium (Cr) contamination in soil poses a serious hazard because it hinders plant growth, which eventually reduces crop yield and raises the possibility of a food shortage. Cr's harmful effects ...interfere with crucial plant functions like photosynthesis and respiration, reducing energy output, causing oxidative stress, and interfering with nutrient intake. In this study, the negative effects of Cr on mung beans are examined, as well as investigate the effectiveness of Azospirillum brasilense and salicylic acid in reducing Cr-induced stress. We investigated how different Cr levels (200, 300, and 400 mg/kg soil) affected the growth of mung bean seedlings with the use of Azospirillum brasilense and salicylic acid. Experiment was conducted with randomized complete block design with 13 treatments having three replications. Significant growth retardation was caused by Cr, as were important factors like shoot and root length, plant height, dry weight, and chlorophyll content significantly reduced. 37.15% plant height, 71.85% root length, 57.09% chlorophyll contents, 82.34% crop growth rate was decreased when Cr toxicity was @ 50 microM but this decrease was remain 27.80%, 44.70%, 38.97% and 63.42%, respectively when applied A. brasilense and Salicylic acid in combine form. Use of Azospirillum brasilense and salicylic acid significantly increased mung bean seedling growth (49%) and contributed to reducing the toxic effect of Cr stress (34% and 14% in plant height, respectively) due to their beneficial properties in promoting plant growth. Mung bean seedlings are severely damaged by Cr contamination, which limits their growth and physiological characteristics. Using Azospirillum brasilense and salicylic acid together appears to be a viable way to combat stress brought on by Cr and promote general plant growth. Greater nutrient intake, increased antioxidant enzyme activity, and greater root growth are examples of synergistic effects. This strategy has the ability to reduce oxidative stress brought on by chromium, enhancing plant resistance to adverse circumstances. The study offers new perspectives on sustainable practices that hold potential for increasing agricultural output and guaranteeing food security.
Abstract
Background
Low serum sodium may be associated with cognitive impairment and dementia in the general population, but the data remain inconclusive. Therefore, we aimed to determine the ...association of low serum sodium with cognitive function and incident dementia in the general population.
Methods
Participants from a prospective population-based cohort were eligible if data on serum sodium (collected between 1997 and 2008), dementia prevalence and dementia incidence were available (follow-up until 2018). Global cognitive function was assessed with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the general cognitive factor (G-factor, derived from principal component analysis of individual tests). Linear regression and Cox proportional-hazards models were used to assess associations of standardised continuous and categorised low serum sodium (mean − 1.96*SD: cut-off of 137 mmol/L) with overall cognitive function and incident dementia, respectively.
Results
In all, 8,028 participants free of dementia at baseline (mean age 63.6 years, 57% female, serum sodium 142 ± 2 mmol/L), including 217 participants with low serum sodium, were included. Cross-sectionally, continuous serum sodium and/or low serum sodium were not associated with the MMSE or G-factor. However, participants with low serum sodium performed worse on the Stroop and Purdue Pegboard tests. During a median follow-up of 10.7 years, 758 subjects developed dementia. Continuous serum sodium (hazard ratio (HR) 0.98, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.92;1.05) and low serum sodium (HR 1.27, 95% CI 0.90;1.79) were not associated with a higher risk of incident dementia.
Conclusion
We identified no significant associations of low serum sodium with overall cognitive functioning and risk of dementia. However, low serum sodium—including levels above the clinical cut-off for hyponatremia—was associated with impairments in selected cognitive domains including attention and psychomotor function.
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