0000000000860915
AUTHOR
Markus J. Haapanen
Telomere Length and Frailty: The Helsinki Birth Cohort Study
Objectives: Telomere length is associated with aging-related pathologies. Although the association between telomere length and frailty has been studied previously, only a few studies assessing longitudinal changes in telomere length and frailty exist. Design: Longitudinal cohort study. Setting and participants: A subpopulation of the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study consisting of 1078 older adults aged 67 to 79 years born in Helsinki, Finland, between 1934 and 1944. Measures: Relative leukocyte telomere length (LTL) was measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction at the average ages of 61 and 71 years, and at the latter the participants were assessed for frailty according to …
Early-Life Factors as Predictors of Age-Associated Deficit Accumulation Across 17 Years From Midlife Into Old Age
Abstract Background Early-life exposures have been associated with the risk of frailty in old age. We investigated whether early-life exposures predict the level and rate of change in a frailty index (FI) from midlife into old age. Methods A linear mixed model analysis was performed using data from 3 measurement occasions over 17 years in participants from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study (n = 2 000) aged 57–84 years. A 41-item FI was calculated on each occasion. Information on birth size, maternal body mass index (BMI), growth in infancy and childhood, childhood socioeconomic status (SES), and early-life stress (wartime separation from both parents) was obtained from registers and health ca…
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 …
The utilization of primary healthcare services among frail older adults – findings from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study
Abstract Background The impact of frailty on primary healthcare service use, especially general practice office visits and remote contacts, is currently unknown. Further, little is known about the association of frailty with physiotherapy contacts. Methods We examined the utilization of primary healthcare services among 1064 participants from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study between the years 2013 and 2017. Frailty was assessed based on Fried’s frailty criteria at mean age of 71.0 (2.7 SD) years in clinical examinations between the years 2011 and 2013. General practice office visits and remote contacts, the total number of general practice contacts, physiotherapy contacts, and the total numb…
Retirement as a predictor of physical functioning trajectories among older businessmen
Abstract Background Associations between retirement characteristics and consequent physical functioning (PF) are poorly understood, particularly in higher socioeconomic groups, where postponing retirement has had both positive and negative implications for PF. Methods Multiple assessments of PF, the first of which at the mean age of 73.3 years, were performed on 1709 men who were retired business executives and managers, using the RAND-36/SF-36 instrument, between 2000 and 2010. Questionnaire data on retirement age and type of pension was gathered in 2000. Five distinct PF trajectories were created using latent growth mixture modelling. Mortality- and covariate-adjusted multinomial regressi…
Telomere length and physical performance among older people-The Helsinki Birth Cohort Study.
Telomere length has been suggested a biomarker of aging and is associated with several chronic diseases. However, the association between telomere length and physical performance is not well known. Using both cross-sectional and longitudinal data, we studied 582 women and 453 men from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study at two time-points; a baseline examination in 2001-2004 at a mean age of 61 years and a follow-up examination approximately 10 years later in 2011-2013. Telomere length was measured both at baseline and at follow-up using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Physical performance was evaluated only at follow-up using the Senior Fitness Test (SFT), which assesses stre…
Additional file 1 of Retirement as a predictor of physical functioning trajectories among older businessmen
Additional file 1: Supplementary Table 1. Model Fit Statistics, Group Sizes and Average Latent Class Probabilities for Most Likely Class Membership. Figures. Reproduced with permission from [15]. Supplementary Fig. 1. Individual observations belonging to each of the five identified physical functioning trajectories. Reproduced with permission from [15].
Retirement age and type as predictors of frailty : a retrospective cohort study of older businessmen
ObjectivesTo study the association between retirement characteristics and frailty in a homogenous population of former business executives.DesignCross-sectional cohort study using data from the Helsinki Businessmen Study.SettingHelsinki, Finland.Participants1324 Caucasian men, born in 1919–1934, who had worked as business executives and managers and of whom 95.9% had retired by the year 2000. Questions on age at and type of retirement, lifestyle and chronic conditions were embedded in questionnaires.Primary and secondary outcome measuresFrailty assessed according to a modified phenotype definition at mean age 73.3 years.ResultsMean age at retirement was 61.3 years (SD 4.3) and 37.1% had ret…
Body size at birth and age-related macular degeneration in old age
Purpose To study associations between body size at birth and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in old age. Methods The study sample consists of 1497 community-dwelling individuals (56.1% women) aged 67-89 years with birth data and retinal data collected twice in old age 5 years apart. Birth data (weight, length, birth order) were extracted from original birth records. Digital retinal photographs were graded to determine AMD status. Data on covariates were collected at the baseline physical examination in old age. Multivariable regression analyses were used to study the association between birth data and AMD adjusting for known confounding factors, including birth year cohort effects. R…
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…
Midlife Cardiovascular Status and Old Age Physical Functioning Trajectories in Older Businessmen
Objectives The associations between cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and later physical functioning have been observed, but only a few studies with follow-up into old age are available. We investigated the association between cardiovascular status in midlife and physical functioning trajectories in old age. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Helsinki Businessmen Study. Participants We studied white men born between 1919 and 1934 in the Helsinki Businessmen Study (HBS, initial n = 3490). Measurements Three CVD status groups were formed based on clinical measurements carried out in 1974: signs of CVD (diagnosed clinically or with changes in ECG, chronic disease present or used medicati…