Browsing by Author "Klein, Ronald"

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Atherosclerosis, Inflammation and Decline in Contrast Sensitivity: The Beaver Dam Offspring Study
(2013-06-01)
Cruickshanks, Karen
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Nondahl, David
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Dalton, Dayna
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Huang, Guan-Hua
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Klein, Barbara
Cadmium, obesity, and education, and the 10-year incidence of hearing impairment: The beaver dam offspring study
(1970-01-01)
Dalton, Dayna S.
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Schubert, Carla R.
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Pinto, Alex
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Fischer, Mary E.
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Huang, Guan-Hua
Objectives/Hypothesis To determine the 10-year incidence of hearing impairment (HI) and associated risk factors in the Beaver Dam Offspring Study (BOSS; 2004-present), a large middle-aged cohort followed for 10 years. Study Design Prospective cohort study. Methods Hearing thresholds were measured at baseline (2005-2008) and 5- (2010-2013) and 10-year (2015-2017) follow-up examinations. HI was defined as a pure-tone average >25 dB HL in either ear. BOSS participants free of HI at baseline with at least one follow-up examination (N = 2,065) were included. Potential risk factors evaluated included cardiovascular measures, health history, lifestyle factors, inflammatory markers, vitamins D and B12, lead, and cadmium. Results Participants were 21 to 79 years (mean age = 47.9 years) at baseline. The 10-year cumulative HI incidence was 17.4% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 15.7-19.2) and was twice as likely in men (24.4%, 95% CI: 21.5-27.7) than in women (12.2%, 95% CI: 10.3-14.3). In a multivariable adjusted model, age (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.38-1.59, per 5 years), male sex (HR = 2.47, 95% CI: 1.91-3.18), less than a college education (HR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.02-1.79), body mass index (HR = 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01-1.05, per kg/m(2)), and higher cadmium levels (HR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.05-1.92, quintile 5 vs. quintiles 1-4) were associated with the 10-year cumulative incidence of HI. There was no association between high lead levels, vitamins D or B12, and 10-year incidence of HI. Conclusions In addition to age and sex, obesity, education, and blood cadmium levels were associated with increased incidence of HI. These prospective results add to evidence that age-related HI is a multifactorial preventable disorder. Level of Evidence 2b Laryngoscope, 2019
Carotid atherosclerosis and cognitive function in midlife: The beaver dam offspring study
(2011-11-01)
Zhong, Wenjun
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Cruickshanks, Karen J.
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Huang, Guan-Hua
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Klein, Barbara E. K.
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Klein, Ronald
Background: Atherosclerosis may be associated with cognitive function; however the studies are few, especially among midlife adults. Methods: Participants in the beaver dam offspring study who had cognitive test data and gradable carotid artery ultrasound scans were included (n = 2794, mean age: 49 years). Atherosclerosis was measured by carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and the presence of plaque. Cognitive function was measured by the trail making test (TMT), grooved pegboard test (GPT) and mini-mental state examination (MMSE). Generalized cognitive function was defined by a summary score calculated from the TMT and GPT. Linear regression was used to evaluate the associations between carotid atherosclerosis and cognitive function tests. Results: Larger IMT was associated with lower GPT, MMSE and the summary score adjusting for multiple factors, the coefficients were: 13.8s (p < 0.0001), -0.6 (p = 0.007), and 0.47 (p = 0.01), respectively for 1 mm increase in IMT. Plaque scores were significantly associated with TMT-B, GPT, MMSE, and the summary score adjusting for age, sex and education. The associations remained statistically significant after further adjustments except for the association with TMT-B, which was attenuated and no longer significant. Conclusions: Our results show the significant associations between markers of carotid atherosclerosis and cognitive function in a cohort of persons aged 21-84 years. Longitudinal studies are needed to further examine these associations. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Carotid Intima Media Thickness, Atherosclerosis, and 5-Year Decline in Odor Identification: The Beaver Dam Offspring Study
(2015-07-01)
Schubert, Carla R.
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Cruickshanks, Karen J.
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Fischer, Mary E.
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Huang, Guan-Hua
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Klein, Ronald
Background. The purpose of this study was to determine if subclinical markers of atherosclerosis are associated with a decline in olfactory function. Methods. The San Diego Odor Identification Test was administered to 2,302 participants (age 21-84 years) at the baseline (2005-2008) and 5-year follow-up (2010-2013) examinations of the Beaver Dam Offspring Study. A decline in odor identification was defined as a decrease in San Diego Odor Identification Test score of 2 or more (range 0-8) from Beaver Dam Offspring Study 1 to Beaver Dam Offspring Study 2. Carotid intima media thickness and plaque, blood pressure, pulse wave velocity, and body mass index were measured and other risk factor data were obtained by interview. Results. Overall 3.2% of participants had a decline in San Diego Odor Identification Test score at 5 years. In age-and sex-adjusted models, mean intima media thickness (odds ratio = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.01, 1.34, per 0.1 mm) and number of sites (range 0-6) with carotid artery plaque (odds ratio = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.11, 1.65, per site) at baseline were associated with an increased risk for decline. Plaque score (odds ratio = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.01, 1.53) remained a significant independent predictor of olfactory decline in a model that included age, sex, hypertension, body mass index, alcohol, and smoking. Conclusions. Subclinical atherosclerosis was associated with an increased risk for olfactory decline indicating that atherosclerosis may be one of the risk factors for the decline in olfactory function seen with aging. Strategies to improve vascular health may also benefit olfactory health.
Dry Eye in the Beaver Dam Offspring Study: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Health-Related Quality of Life
(2014-04-01)
Paulsen, Adam J.
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Cruickshanks, Karen J.
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Fischer, Mary E.
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Huang, Guan-Hua
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Klein, Barbara E. K.
PURPOSE: To estimate dry eye prevalence in the Beaver Dam Offspring Study (BOSS), including a young adult population, and investigate associated risk factors and impact on health-related quality of life. DESIGN: Cohort study. METHODS: The BOSS (2005-2008) is a study of aging in the adult offspring of the population-based Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study cohort. Questionnaire data on health history, medication use, risk factors, and quality of life were available for 3275 participants. Dry eye was determined by self-report of frequency of symptoms and the intensity of those symptoms. Associations between dry eye and risk factors were analyzed using logistic regression. RESULTS: The prevalence of dry eye in the BOSS was 14.5%: 17.9% of women and 10.5% of men. In a multivariate model, statistically significant associations were found with female sex (odds ratio [OR], 1.68; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.33-2.11), current contact lens use (OR, 2.01; 95% CI, 1.53-2.64), allergies (OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.22-2.08), arthritis (OR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.12-1.85), thyroid disease (OR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.02-1.99), antihistamine use (OR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.18-2.02), and steroid use (OR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.16-2.06). Dry eye was also associated with lower scores on the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 (beta = -3.9, P < .0001) as well as on the National Eye Institute 25-Item Visual Function Questionnaire (NET VFQ-25) (beta = -3.4, P < .0001) when controlling for age, sex, and comorbid conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of dry eye and its associated risk factors in the BOSS were similar to previous studies. In this study, dry eye was associated with lower quality of life on a health-related quality-of-life instrument and the vision-specific NEI VFQ-25. (C) 2014 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Factors Related to Fungiform Papillae Density: The Beaver Dam Offspring Study
(2013-10-01)
Fischer, Mary E.
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Cruickshanks, Karen J.
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Schubert, Carla R.
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Pinto, Alex
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Klein, Ronald
The distribution of fungiform papillae density and associated factors were examined in the Beaver Dam Offspring Study. Data were from 2371 participants (mean age 48.8 years, range 2184 years) with 1108 males and 1263 females. Fungiform papillae were highlighted with blue food coloring and the number of fungiform papillae within a standard 6-mm circle was counted. Whole mouth suprathreshold taste intensity was measured. The mean fungiform papillae density was 103.5 papillae/cm(2) (range 0212.2 papillae/cm(2)). For each 5-year increase in age, the mean fungiform papillae density was 2.8 papillae/cm(2) lower and the mean density for males was 10.2 papillae/cm(2) lower than for females. Smokers had significantly lower mean densities (former smokers: 5.1 papillae/cm(2); current smokers: 9.3 papillae/cm(2)) than nonsmokers, and heavy alcohol drinkers had a mean density that was 4.7 papillae/cm(2) lower than nonheavy drinkers. Solvent exposure was related to a significantly higher density (6.8 papillae/cm(2)). The heritability estimate for fungiform papillae density was 40.2%. Propylthiouracil taster status, TAS2R38 haplotype, and perceived taste intensity were not related to density. In summary, wide variability in fungiform papillae density was observed and a number of related factors were found including the modifiable factors of smoking and alcohol consumption.
Familial Aggregation of Age-Related Hearing Loss in an Epidemiological Study of Older Adults
(2009-12-01)
Raynor, Laura A.
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Pankow, James S.
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Miller, Michael B.
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Huang, Guan-Hua
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Dalton, Dayna
Purpose: To estimate the genetic contributions to presbycusis. Method: Presbycusis was assessed by audiometric measurements at 3 waves of the population-based Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study (EHLS). Measurements from the most recent hearing examination were used, at which time the subjects (3,510 participants from the EHLS study) were between 48 and 100 years of age. Heritability of presbycusis was estimated using maximum likelihood methods in 973 biological relative pairs from 376 families. Familial aggregation was also evaluated by tetrachoric correlations, odds ratios, and lambda statistics in 594 sibling pairs from 373 sibships. Results: The prevalence of presbycusis conformed to previous research, increasing with age and male sex. Heritability estimates for presbycusis adjusted for age, sex, education level, and exposure to work noise exceeded 50%, and siblings of an affected relative were at 30% higher risk. When stratified by sex, estimates of familial aggregation were higher in women than men. Conclusions: There is evidence that genetic factors contribute to age-related hearing loss in this population-based sample. The familial aggregation is stronger in women than in men.
Familial Aggregation of Olfactory Impairment and Odor Identification in Older Adults
(2010-08-01)
Raynor, Laura A.
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Pankow, James S.
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Cruickshanks, Karen J.
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Schubert, Carla R.
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Miller, Michael B.
Objectives/Hypothesis: The objective of this analysis was to estimate the genetic contributions to olfactory impairment. Study Design: Population based. Methods: Olfactory impairment was measured using the San Diego Odor Identification Test at the 5-year follow-up examination for the population-based Epidemiology of Hearing Loss study. Subjects were classified as impaired if they correctly identified fewer than six out of eight odorants. To reduce confounding by age, analysis was restricted to subjects who were 60 to 79 years of age. Familial aggregation was evaluated by heritability estimates, tetrachoric correlations, and odds ratios in 207 sibling pairs from 135 sibships. Results: The prevalence of olfactory impairment was 20.2% overall and was higher in men. After adjustment for sex, age, and smoking, heritability of olfactory impairment was moderate (h(2) = 0.55), although not statistically significantly different from 0 (P = .09). By contrast, the adjusted heritability estimate for bubble gum, one of the individual odorants, was significant (h(2) = 0.51; P = .01). Conclusions: Genetic factors might contribute to general olfactory impairment in older adults, but the strength of familial aggregation differs for individual odorants, a finding consistent with prior research.
Generational Differences in the 10-year Incidence of Impaired Contrast Sensitivity
(1970-01-01)
Paulsen, Adam J.
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Pinto, Alex
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Fischer, Mary E.
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Chen, Yanjun
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Huang, Guan-Hua
Purpose To determine if incidence of contrast sensitivity (CS) impairment differs by generation and identify factors to explain these differences. Methods The Beaver Dam Eye Study (BDES) and Beaver Dam Offspring Study (BOSS) are cohort studies of aging adults in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. Baseline examinations occurred from 1993 to 1995 (BDES) and 2005-2008 (BOSS). Follow-up examinations occurred in five-year intervals. CS testing was conducted with Pelli-Robson letter sensitivity charts; Incident impairment was a log CS score <1.55 in either eye at follow-up. Associations of incidence with generation were investigated using estimated hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results Participants (N = 3185) had a mean age of 51.9 years at baseline (standard deviation = 9.9) and 51.9% were female. Ten-year cumulative incidence of CS impairment was 40.1%, was higher among women (41.7%) than men (38.8%), and increased by age group. The risk of incident CS impairment decreased by 39% per generation. In multivariable models, the Baby Boom Generation (HR = 0.42, 95%CI = 0.31, 0.58) and Generation X (HR = 0.56, 95%CI = 0.34, 0.91) had a significantly decreased risk of CS impairment compared to the Greatest Generation. Results were similar in sensitivity analyses excluding those with cataract, age-related macular degeneration, or visual acuity impairment. Conclusion The risk of incident CS impairment decreased by birth cohort, with the greatest reduction in the Baby Boom Generation. The difference in risk suggests that there are unknown modifiable risk factors that may help to further explain the etiology of CS impairment and provide potential pathways for prevention in the future.
Generational Differences in the 5-Year Incidence of Age-Related Macular Degeneration
(2017-12-01)
Cruickshanks, Karen J.
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Nondahl, David M.
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Johnson, Lauren J.
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Dalton, Dayna S.
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Fisher, Mary E.
IMPORTANCE Whether a reported decline in the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD) continued for people born during the Baby Boom years (1946-1964) or later is unknown. These data are important to plan for ocular health care needs in the 21st century. OBJECTIVES To determine whether the 5-year risk for AMD declined by generation and to identify factors that contributed to improvement in risk. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Data came from the longitudinal cohort Beaver Dam Eye Study (March 1, 1988, through September 15, 1990, and March 1, 1993, through June 15, 1995) and the Beaver Dam Offspring Study (June 8, 2005, through August 4, 2008, and July 12, 2010, through March 21, 2013). These population-based studies examined residents of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, aged 43 to 84 years in 1987 through 1988 and their adult offspring aged 21 to 84 years in 2005 through 2008. A total of 4819 participants were at risk for developing AMD based on fundus images obtained at baseline visits. Data were analyzed from February 18, 2016, through June 22, 2017, with additional analyses ending September 22, 2017. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Fundus images were graded for AMD using the Wisconsin Age-related Maculopathy Grading System. The incidence of AMD was defined as the presence at the 5-year follow-up examination of pure geographic atrophy or exudative macular degeneration, any type of drusen with pigmentary abnormalities, or soft indistinct drusen without pigmentary abnormalities. RESULTS Among the 4819 participants, the mean (SD) baseline age of the cohort was 54 (11) years; 2117 were men (43.9%) and 2702 were women (56.1%). The 5-year age-and sex-adjusted incidence of AMD was 8.8% in the Greatest Generation (born during 1901-1924), 3.0% in the Silent Generation (born during 1925-1945), 1.0% in the Baby Boom Generation (born during 1946-1964), and 0.3% in Generation X (born during 1965-1984). Adjusting for age and sex, each generation was more than 60% less likely to develop AMD than the previous generation (relative risk, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.24-0.46). The generational association (relative risk, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.28 to 0.57) remained significant after adjusting for age, sex, smoking, educational attainment, exercise, levels of non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, statins, and multivitamins. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The 5-year risk for AMD declined by birth cohorts throughout the 20th century. Factors that explain this decline in risk are not known. However, this pattern is consistent with reported declines in risks for cardiovascular disease and dementia, suggesting that aging Baby Boomers may experience better retinal health at older ages than did previous generations.
Generational Differences in the Prevalence of Hearing Impairment in Older Adults
(2010-01-15)
Zhan, Weihai
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Cruickshanks, Karen J.
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Klein, Barbara E. K.
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Klein, Ronald
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Huang, Guan-Hua
There were significant changes in health and lifestyle throughout the 20th century which may have changed temporal patterns of hearing impairment in adults. In this study, the authors aimed to assess the effect of birth cohort on the prevalence of hearing impairment in an adult population aged 45-94 years, using data collected between 1993 and 2008 from 3 cycles of the Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study (n = 3,753; ages 48-92 years at baseline) and a sample of participants from the Beaver Dam Offspring Study (n = 2,173; ages >= 45 years). Hearing impairment was defined as a pure-tone average of thresholds at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz greater than 25-dB HL [hearing level]. Descriptive analysis, generalized additive models, and alternating logistic regression models were used to examine the birth cohort effect. Controlling for age, with every 5-year increase in birth year, the odds of having hearing impairment were 13% lower in men (odds ratio = 0.87, 95% confidence interval: 0.83, 0.92) and 6% lower in women (odds ratio = 0.94, 95% confidence interval: 0.89, 0.98). These results suggest that 1) older adults may be retaining good hearing longer than previous generations and 2) modifiable factors contribute to hearing impairment in adults.
Generational Differences in the Reporting of Tinnitus
(2012-09-01)
Nondahl, David M.
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Cruickshanks, Karen J.
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Huang, Guan-Hua
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Klein, Barbara E. K.
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Klein, Ronald
Objectives: Recent research suggests that hearing impairment is declining among older adults compared with earlier generations of the same age. Tinnitus is often associated with hearing impairment, so one might hypothesize that the prevalence of tinnitus is declining in a similar manner. The purpose of this study was to use multigenerational data with repeated measures to determine whether the prevalence of tinnitus is declining among more recent generations. Design: Using data from the Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study (1993-1995, 1998-2000, 2003-2005, and 2009-2010) and the Beaver Dam Offspring Study (2005-2008), the authors examined birth cohort patterns in the report of tinnitus for adults aged 45 years and older (n = 12,689 observations from 5764 participants). Participants were classified as having tinnitus if they reported tinnitus in the past year of at least moderate severity or that caused difficulty falling asleep. A low-frequency (500, 1000, and 2000 Hz) and high-frequency (3000, 4000, 6000, and 8000 Hz) pure tone average from the worse ear was used to summarize hearing status. Other potential risk factors for tinnitus were also explored to determine if changes in the prevalence of these factors over time could explain any observed birth cohort differences in the prevalence of tinnitus. These included the following: education, history of head injury, history of doctor-diagnosed ear infections, history of cardiovascular disease (myocardial infarction, stroke, or angina), current noisy job, longest-held job, target shooting in the past year, number of concerts ever attended, alcohol use in the past year, doctor diagnosis of arthritis, current aspirin use, regular exercise, and consulting with a physician in the past year about any hearing/ear problem. Birth cohort effects were modeled with alternating logistic regression models which use generalized estimating equations to adjust for correlation among repeated measurements over time that are nested within families. Results: The report of tinnitus tended to increase with more recent birth cohorts compared with earlier birth cohorts. For example, at ages 55 to 59 years, 7.6% of participants born between 1935 and 1939 reported tinnitus, compared with 11.0% of those born in 1940 to 1944, 13.6% of those born between 1945 and 1949, and 17.5% of those born between 1950 and 1954. Similarly, at ages 65 to 69 years, 7.9% of participants born between 1925 and 1929 reported tinnitus, compared with 10.0% of those born between 1930 and 1934, 11.9% of those born between 1935 and 1939, and 13.7% of those born between 1940 and 1944. Final alternating logistic regression model results indicated that, on average, after adjusting for age and other factors, participants in a given generation were significantly more likely to report tinnitus than participants from a generation 20 years earlier (odds ratio = 1.78, 95% confidence interval = 1.44, 2.21). Conclusions: Increased reports of tinnitus may reflect increased prevalence of symptoms, increased awareness of symptoms, or higher health expectations among more recent generations of adults. Regardless of the reasons, the increasing prevalence of tinnitus suggests that health care providers may see an increased number of patients bothered by this common but little understood symptom.
Intensity of 6-n-Propylthiouracil (PROP) Taste, Food Preferences, and Obesity: The Beaver Dam Offspring Study
(2009-09-01)
Cruickshanks, Karen J.
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Schubert, Carla R.
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Snyder, Derek J.
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Bartoshuk, Linda M.
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Huang, Guan-Hua
Measuring Refraction in Adults in Epidemiological Studies
(2010-01-01)
Krantz, Elizabeth M.
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Cruickshanks, Karen J.
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Klein, Barbara E. K.
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Klein, Ronald
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Huang, Guan-Hua
Objective: To compare refraction measured before and after pharmacologic cycloplegia. Methods: This study used preliminary data from the Beaver Dam Offspring Study, which includes adult children of participants in the population-based Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study of older adults living in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. Data were available for 5018 eyes of 2529 participants. Refraction was defined by the spherical equivalent (SE), using autorefractor readings. Differences were calculated as the SE after drops were administered minus the SE before drops were administered. Myopia was defined as SE of -1 diopter (D) or less; emmetropia, as SE more than -1 D and less than 1 D; and hyperopia, as SE of 1 D or more. Results: The mean age was 48 years (range, 22-84 years). The mean difference in SE between measurements before and after cycloplegia was 0.29 D (95% confidence interval, 0.28-0.31). The difference decreased with age and varied by refractive status for participants younger than 50 years, with the largest differences observed among young persons with hyperopic refractive errors. Across all age groups, agreement on classifications of refraction was high (84%-92%). Conclusions: Overall, clinically inconsequential differences were observed between SEs beforeandafter pharmacologic cycloplegia, suggesting that cycloplegia may not be necessary in epidemiological studies of refraction in adults.
Measuring Taste Impairment in Epidemiologic Studies The Beaver Dam Offspring Study
(2008-10-01)
Cruickshanks, Karen J.
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Schubert, Carla R.
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Snyder, Derek J.
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Bartoshuk, Linda M.
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Acher, Charles W.
Meta-analysis of Dense Genecentric Association Studies Reveals Common and Uncommon Variants Associated with Height
(2011-01-07)
Lanktree, Matthew B.
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Guo, Yiran
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Murtaza, Muhammed
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Glessner, Joseph T.
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Bailey, Swneke D.
Height is a classic complex trait with common variants in a growing list of genes known to contribute to the phenotype. Using a genecentric genotyping array targeted toward cardiovascular-related loci, comprising 49,320 SNPs across approximately 2000 loci, we evaluated the association of common and uncommon SNPs with adult height in 114,223 individuals from 47 studies and six ethnicities. A total of 64 loci contained a SNP associated with height at array-wide significance (p < 2.4 x 10(-6)), with 42 loci surpassing the conventional genome-wide significance threshold (p < 5 x 10(-8)). Common variants with minor allele frequencies greater than 5% were observed to be associated with height in 37 previously reported loci. In individuals of European ancestry, uncommon SNPs in IL11 and SMAD3, which would not be genotyped with the use of standard genome-wide genotyping arrays, were strongly associated with height (p < 3 x 10(-11)). Conditional analysis within associated regions revealed five additional variants associated with height independent of lead SNPs within the locus, suggesting allelic heterogeneity. Although underpowered to replicate findings from individuals of European ancestry, the direction of effect of associated variants was largely consistent in African American, South Asian, and Hispanic populations. Overall, we show that dense coverage of genes for uncommon SNPs, coupled with large-scale meta-analysis, can successfully identify additional variants associated with a common complex trait.
Modifiable determinants of hearing impairment in adults
(2011-10-01)
Zhan, Weihai
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Cruickshanks, Karen J.
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Klein, Barbara E. K.
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Klein, Ronald
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Huang, Guan-Hua
Objective. To identify factors contributing to the declining prevalence of hearing impairment in more recent generations. Methods. We used data on hearing thresholds and potential risk factors of hearing impairment collected from studies in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, the Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study (1993-1995, n=3753; 1998-2000, n = 2800 and 2003-2005, n=2395), the concurrent Beaver Dam Eye Study on the same cohort, and a subgroup (n = 2173) of the Beaver Dam Offspring Study (2005-2008). Results. Educational attainment significantly reduced the odds ratio (OR) of the birth cohort effect on hearing impairment from 0.90 to 0.93, while a history of ear infection had a reverse effect on the decreasing trend (significantly changing the OR from 0.93 to 0.94). Occupational noise exposure, smoking, and a history of cardiovascular disease, while associated with hearing impairment, did not attenuate the cohort effect. The cohort effect remained significant after known risk factors were adjusted (OR = 0.93; 95% confidence interval, 0.89-0.97). Conclusion. These data provide strong evidence that environmental, lifestyle, or other modifiable factors contribute to the etiology of hearing impairment and add support to the idea that hearing impairment in adults may be prevented or delayed. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
OBESITY AND DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS IN THE BEAVER DAM OFFSPRING STUDY POPULATION
(2010-09-01)
Zhong, Wenjun
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Cruickshanks, Karen J.
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Schubert, Carla R.
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Nieto, F. Javier
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Huang, Guan-Hua
Background: Depression and obesity are both important public health problems. However, it is not clear whether obesity contributes to depression. Our study aims to evaluate the association between obesity and possible depression. Methods: During the Beaver Dam Offspring Study examination, participants' body weight and height were measured with a Detecto 758C digital scale with height bar, and depression symptoms were measured with the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) Scale. Other relevant information, such as demographic factors, lifestyle factors, comorbidities, and use of antidepressants, was also collected during the examination. There were 2,641 participants included in the analyses. Results: Obesity was associated with possible depression measured by CES-D Scale (OR= 1.6, 95% CI: 1.3-2.0) after controlling for age and gender. The association remained similar after further adjustments. Obesity was significantly associated with all four domains measured by CES-D Scale after controlling for age and sex, with the largest effect on "Somatic Complaints" domain (beta .15, 95% CI: 0.0836-0.223). The association with "Interpersonal Difficulties" was not significant after further adjustments. Conclusions: Obesity was associated with a higher risk of possible depression and had different influences on specific domains of depression symptoms measured by CES-D Scale. These findings suggest the need for longitudinal studies on the effects of obesity on specific depression symptoms. Depression and Anxiety 27:846-851, 2010. (C) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Odor identification and cognitive function in the Beaver Dam Offspring Study
(2013-08-19)
Schubert, Carla R.
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Cruickshanks, Karen J.
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Fischer, Mary E.
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Huang, Guan-Hua
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Klein, Ronald
Olfactory impairment is associated with cognitive impairment in older adults but less is known about the association of olfactory impairment and cognitive function in middle-aged adults. The association between olfactory impairment and cognitive function tests of attention, processing speed, and executive and psychomotor function was explored in 2837 participants (21-84 years; mean age 49 years) in the Beaver Dam Offspring Study. Among middle-aged participants (aged 35-64 years), those with impairment on an odor identification test took significantly longer to complete the Trail Making Test (TMT-A and TMT-B) and the Grooved Peg Board (GPB) test, than those without olfactory impairment in regression models adjusted for multiple factors. Similar results were found for the TMT-A and TMT-B, but not the GPB, in the whole cohort. Olfactory impairment was associated with poorer performance on cognitive function tests in a primarily middle-aged cohort.
Olfactory Impairment in Adults The Beaver Dam Experience
(2009)
Schubert, Carla R.
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Cruickshanks, Karen J.
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Murphy, Claire
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Huang, Guan-Hua
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Klein, Barbara E. K.
Olfactory function maybe important for environmental and nutritional safety and enjoyment. Population-based epidemiological studies of olfaction are needed to understand the magnitude of the health burden, identify modifiable risk factors, and develop and test prevention and treatment strategies for olfactory impairment. However, measuring olfaction in large studies is challenging, requiring repeatable, efficient methods that can measure change over time. Two large cohort studies, the Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study (EHLS) and the Beaver Dam Offspring Study (BOSS), included olfactory testing. In both studies, the San Diego Odor Identification Test (SDOIT) was used to measure olfaction. Subjects were asked to identify eight common household odors (such as coffee and chocolate). Olfactory impairment was defined as correctly identifying fewer than six out of eight odorants after two trials. The EHLS participants were age 53-95 years at the time of the first measurement (1998-2000), and participants in the BOSS were age 21-84 years. The prevalence of olfactory impairment in the EHLS was 25% overall, more common in men than women, and increased with age. Five years later olfaction was measured a second time and the majority (84%) of the EHLS participants were classified the same. Among those with impairment at the base line nearly one-third (31%) improved to unimpaired. This heterogeneity in olfactory impairment has unique implications for data analyses and predicting outcomes and associations. Preliminary data from the BOSS suggest the prevalence of olfactory impairment may be lower in younger generations. All these factors point to a continuing need for epidemiological studies of olfaction.