Infant and childhood growth and frailty in old age : the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study

BackgroundEvidence from life course studies highlights the importance of infant and childhood growth as risk factors for adulthood chronic diseases.MethodsIn this sub-study of the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study, we studied 1078 individuals who had both information on body size from birth to 12 years of age and who were assessed for frailty according to the Fried criteria at the mean age of 71 years.ResultsGreater BMI gain between 2 and 11 years in boys was associated with frailty in old age (age-adjusted RRR 2.36, 95% CI 1.21, 4.63). No similar associations were observed in girls.ConclusionsMen who were frail in old age experienced accelerated BMI gain in childhood compared with those men who …

A blunted diurnal cortisol response in the lower educated does not explain educational differences in coronary heart disease: Findings from the AGES-Reykjavik Study

Lower educational attainment generally is a strong predictor of coronary heart disease (CHD). The underlying mechanisms of this effect are, however, less clear. One hypothesis is that stress related to limitations imposed by lower socioeconomic status elicits changes in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning, which, in turn, increases risk of CHD. In a large cohort study, we examined whether educational attainment was related to risk of fatal and non-fatal CHD and the extent to which salivary cortisol mediated this relation independent of potential confounders, including lifestyles. Data came from 3723 participants aged 66 through 96 from the Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility (A…

Relationship between physical activity and physical performance in later life in different birth weight groups.

There is strong evidence that physical activity (PA) has an influence on physical performance in later life. Also, a small body size at birth has been associated with lower physical functioning in older age and both small and high birth weight have shown to be associated with lower leisure time physical activity. However, it is unknown whether size at birth modulates the association between PA and physical performance in old age. We examined 695 individuals from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study born in Helsinki, Finland between 1934 and 1944. At a mean age of 70.7 years PA was objectively assessed with a multisensory activity monitor and physical performance with the Senior Fitness Test (SFT…

Age-dependency in mortality of Finnish family caregivers: a nationwide register-based study

Abstract Purpose Mortality appears to be lower in family caregivers than in the general population. However, there is lack of knowledge whether the difference in mortality between family caregivers and the general population is dependent on age. The purpose of this study was to analyze all-cause mortality in relation to age in family caregivers and to study their cause-specific mortality using data from multiple Finnish national registers. Methods The data included all individuals, who received family caregiver's allowance in Finland in 2012 (n = 42 256, mean age 67 years, 71% women) and a control population matched for age, sex, and municipality of residence (n = 83 618). Information on da…

Occupational physical heaviness and sitting as predictors of mortality: a 26-year follow-up

Associations of vacation time with lifestyle, long-term mortality and health-related quality of life in old age: The Helsinki Businessmen Study

Abstract Introduction There are few longitudinal studies of relationships between vacation and later health outcomes. We studied these during a 26-year follow-up of the Helsinki Businessmen Study. Methods In 1974, at mean age of 47 years, 2741 members of a cohort of executives and businessmen born 1919–1934 were clinically examined and reported their annual vacation time (dichotomized >21 [n = 2001] vs. ≤21 days [n = 740]), self-rated health (SRH) and perceived physical fitness using a five-step scale. In old age in 2000 (mean age 73 years), the survivors filled in the RAND-36/SF-36 health-related quality of life (HRQoL) questionnaire. Mortality between 1974 and 2000 was retrieved from nati…

Early life determinants of frailty in old age : the Helsinki Birth Cohort Stud

Background there is evidence suggesting that several chronic diseases have their origins in utero and that development taking place during sensitive periods may affect the aging process. We investigated whether early life determinants would be associated with frailty in old age. Methods at a mean age of 71 years, 1,078 participants belonging to the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study were assessed for frailty according to the Fried frailty criteria. Early life measurements (birth weight, length, mother body mass index [BMI] and parity) were obtained from birth, child welfare and school health records. Multinomial regression analysis was used to assess the association between early life determinants…

Early life stress and frailty in old age: the Helsinki birth cohort study

Background: Evidence suggests that early life stress (ELS) may extend its effect into adulthood and predispose an individual to adverse health outcomes. We investigated whether wartime parental separation, an indicator of severe ELS, would be associated with frailty in old age. Methods: Of the 972 participants belonging to the present sub-study of the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study, 117 (12. 0%) had been evacuated abroad unaccompanied by their parents in childhood during World War II. Frailty was assessed at a mean age of 71 years according to Fried's criteria. Results: Thirteen frail men (4 separated and 9 non-separated) and 20 frail women (2 separated and 18 non-separated) were identified. C…

THE HEALTHY NORDIC DIET AMONG OLDER INDIVIDUALS PREDICTS INCIDENT DISABILITY IN A 10-YEAR FOLLOW-UP

We investigated whether adherence to the healthy Nordic diet among older individuals was associated with incident disability 10 years later. We studied 972 participants from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study who were free of disability at baseline. At the mean age of 61 years the Nordic diet score (NDS) was calculated based on a validated food-frequency questionnaire that the participants filled in. Higher scores indicated better adherence to the healthy Nordic diet. At the mean age of 71 years, participants’ incident disability was assessed using a self-reported questionnaire and was based on two levels of disability: mobility difficulty (difficulty in walking 500 m) and self-care dependence…

Childhood growth predicts higher bone mass and greater bone area in early old age: findings among a subgroup of women from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study

Abstract Summary: We examined the associations between childhood growth and bone properties among women at early old age. Early growth in height predicted greater bone area and higher bone mineral mass. However, information on growth did not improve prediction of bone properties beyond that predicted by body size at early old age. Introduction: We examined the associations between body size at birth and childhood growth with bone area, bone mineral content (BMC), and areal bone mineral density (aBMD) in early old age. Methods: A subgroup of women (n = 178, mean 60.4 years) from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study, born 1934–1944, participated in dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measuremen…