Flu advice in the U.S. news media changed during the COVID-19 pandemic but not the evidence
(Source: European Journal of Epidemiology)
Source: European Journal of Epidemiology - September 12, 2023 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

A comprehensive analysis of all-cause and cause-specific excess deaths in 30 countries during 2020
This study analysed cause-of-death data provided by the World Health Organization from 2011 to 2019 to estimate excess deaths in 2020 in 30 countries. Over-dispersed Poisson regression models were used to estimate the number of deaths that would have been expected if the pandemic had not occurred, separately for men and women. The models included year and age categories to account for temporal trends and changes in size and age structure of the populations. Excess deaths were calculated by subtracting observed deaths  from expected ones. Our analysis revealed significant excess deaths from ischemic heart diseases (IHD) (i...
Source: European Journal of Epidemiology - September 8, 2023 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

Gains in life expectancy from decreasing cardiovascular disease and cancer mortality – an analysis of 28 european countries 1995–2019
ConclusionThis study underscores the continued existence of an East-West divide in life expectancy across the EU27  + 1, evident on benchmarking the founding vs. A10 countries. In EU founding countries, continuous economic growth alongside improved health care, health promotion and protection policies have contributed to steady declines in mortality from chronic diseases, leading to increases in life expecta ncy. In contrast, less favourable mortality trends in the EU A10 countries indicate greater economic and health care challenges, and a failure to implement effective health policies. (Source: European Journal of Epidemiology)
Source: European Journal of Epidemiology - September 7, 2023 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

Conventional and genetic associations of adiposity with 1463 proteins in relatively lean Chinese adults
We examined the associations of adiposity with plasma levels of 1463 proteins in 3977 Chinese adults, using measured and genetically-instrumented BMI. We further used two-sample bi-directional MR analyses to assess if certain proteins influenced adiposity, along with other (e.g. enrichment) analyses to clarify possible mechanisms underlying the observed associations. Overall, the mean (SD) baseline BMI was 23.9 (3.3)  kg/m2, with only 6% being obese (i.e. BMI  ≥ 30 kg/m2). Measured and genetically-instrumented BMI was significantly associated at FDR  <  0.05 with levels of 1096 (positive/inverse: 826/270) an...
Source: European Journal of Epidemiology - September 7, 2023 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

Gains in life expectancy from decreasing cardiovascular disease and cancer mortality – an analysis of 28 european countries 1995–2019
ConclusionThis study underscores the continued existence of an East-West divide in life expectancy across the EU27  + 1, evident on benchmarking the founding vs. A10 countries. In EU founding countries, continuous economic growth alongside improved health care, health promotion and protection policies have contributed to steady declines in mortality from chronic diseases, leading to increases in life expecta ncy. In contrast, less favourable mortality trends in the EU A10 countries indicate greater economic and health care challenges, and a failure to implement effective health policies. (Source: European Journal of Epidemiology)
Source: European Journal of Epidemiology - September 7, 2023 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

Conventional and genetic associations of adiposity with 1463 proteins in relatively lean Chinese adults
We examined the associations of adiposity with plasma levels of 1463 proteins in 3977 Chinese adults, using measured and genetically-instrumented BMI. We further used two-sample bi-directional MR analyses to assess if certain proteins influenced adiposity, along with other (e.g. enrichment) analyses to clarify possible mechanisms underlying the observed associations. Overall, the mean (SD) baseline BMI was 23.9 (3.3)  kg/m2, with only 6% being obese (i.e. BMI  ≥ 30 kg/m2). Measured and genetically-instrumented BMI was significantly associated at FDR  <  0.05 with levels of 1096 (positive/inverse: 826/270) an...
Source: European Journal of Epidemiology - September 7, 2023 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

Addressing the longitudinal components of surgical treatments
AbstractDespite their pre- and postoperative components, surgical treatment strategies have typically been cast as point interventions in causal inference research. When longitudinal perioperative components affect outcomes of interest, leaving them unspecified or failing to measure adherence to them complicates the interpretation of effect estimates. Inspired by two recent landmark trials that assessed the risk of stroke or death after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) compared with surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), the PARTNER 3 trial and the Evolut Low Risk trial, we discuss possible ways that differ...
Source: European Journal of Epidemiology - September 4, 2023 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

Interpreting epidemiologic studies of colonoscopy screening for colorectal cancer prevention: understanding the mechanisms of action is key
(Source: European Journal of Epidemiology)
Source: European Journal of Epidemiology - September 4, 2023 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

Falsification of the instrumental variable conditions in Mendelian randomization studies in the UK Biobank
AbstractMendelian randomization (MR) is an increasingly popular approach to estimating causal effects. Although the assumptions underlying MR cannot be verified, they imply certain constraints, the instrumental inequalities, which can be used to falsify the MR conditions. However, the instrumental inequalities are rarely applied in MR. We aimed to explore whether the instrumental inequalities could detect violations of the MR conditions in case studies analyzing the effect of commonly studied exposures on coronary artery disease risk.Using 1077 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we applied the instrumental inequalitie...
Source: European Journal of Epidemiology - September 1, 2023 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

Interpreting epidemiologic studies of colonoscopy screening for colorectal cancer prevention: understanding the mechanisms of action is key
(Source: European Journal of Epidemiology)
Source: European Journal of Epidemiology - September 1, 2023 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research

From complexity to clarity: how directed acyclic graphs enhance the study design of systematic reviews and meta-analyses
AbstractWhile frameworks to systematically assess bias in systematic reviews and meta-analyses (SRMAs) and frameworks on causal inference are well established, they are less frequently integrated beyond the data analysis stages. This paper proposes the use of Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAGs) in the design stage of SRMAs. We hypothesize that DAGs created and registered a priori can offer a useful approach to more effective and efficient evidence synthesis. DAGs provide a visual representation of the complex assumed relationships between variables within and beyond individual studies prior to data analysis, facilitating discus...
Source: European Journal of Epidemiology - August 31, 2023 Category: Epidemiology Source Type: research