1.Adiposity-related anthropometric parameters, indoles and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in Chinese adults: a prospective cohort study
Jiahui SI ; Si CHENG ; Canqing YU ; Dianjianyi SUN ; Yuanjie PANG ; Pei PEI ; Huaidong DU ; Junshi CHEN ; Zhengming CHEN ; Liming LI ; Jun LYU
Chinese Journal of Epidemiology 2025;46(1):65-72
Objective:To investigate the relationship of several adiposity-related anthropometric parameters, including BMI, waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), body fat percentage (BFP) and indoles in plasma with the incidence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in adults in China.Methods:In China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) study, blood samples were collected from 2 183 participants in the first resurvey in 2008 to detect indoles. Participants' body weight, body height, WC, hip circumference, and BFP were measured at baseline survey in 2004 and resurvey in 2008, the BMI and WHR were calculated with standardized methods. The long-term follow-up of all participants started from the completion of the resurvey in 2008 until the occurrence of incident ASCVD, death, loss to follow-up or until December 31, 2018. CKB ascertained outcome status (incident ASCVD) through death and disease registries and national health insurance databases, supplemented by active follow-up. Multivariate linear regression model was used to estimate the associations of anthropometric measurements at baseline survey and the first resurvey, and changes in these measurements with 3 indoles [indole, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), and indole-3-propionic acid (IPA)]. Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to estimate the associations between indoles and the risk for ASCVD.Results:Anthropometric measurements at baseline survey or the first resurvey were negatively associated with plasma IPA level. The regression coefficient ( β) of baseline BMI (per 1.0 kg/m 2) with 0.1 standard deviation ( SD) IPA was -0.23 (95% CI: -0.36 - -0.10) (false discovery rate=0.004). After adjusting for baseline BMI, the β of baseline WC, WHR and BFP with 0.1 SD IPA were -0.09 (95% CI: -0.18 - -0.01), -0.12 (95% CI: -0.19 - -0.05), and -0.20 (95% CI: -0.32 - -0.08), respectively. The annual change in BMI (difference between BMI in 2008 and 2004 divided by the time interval) was associated with indole and IAA, with β of 1.40 (95% CI: 0.58 - 2.21) and -1.07 (95% CI: -1.91 - -0.23), respectively, at each 0.1 increase of SD. Over a median ( Q1, Q3) follow-up of 10.46 (10.36, 10.53) years after 2008 resurvey, 236 cases of ASCVD were recorded. IAA and IPA levels were negatively associated with the risk for ASCVD, with hazard ratios for one SD increase of IAA and IPA of 0.87 (95% CI: 0.76 - 0.99) and 0.84 (95% CI: 0.73 - 0.96), respectively. Conclusions:Our results suggested that anthropometric measurements and their changing trends affect the levels of plasma imicrobial tryptophan metabolite levels, decreased levels of IAA and IPA levels are associated with increased risk of ASCVD and indoles in plasma including IPA and IAA might be the mediating factors for adiposity-induced ASCVD.
2.Prospective association between liver biomarkers and mortality risk in Chinese middle-aged and elderly populations
Shuyao SONG ; Ting WU ; Canqing YU ; Dianjianyi SUN ; Pei PEI ; Huaidong DU ; Junshi CHEN ; Zhengming CHEN ; Jun LYU ; Liming LI ; Yuanjie PANG
Chinese Journal of Epidemiology 2025;46(4):549-556
Objective:To analyze the prospective associations between liver biomarkers and mortality among Chinese middle-aged and elderly populations and to evaluate the mortality risk predictive value.Methods:A total of 22 758 participants from the 3 rd resurvey of the China Kadoorie Biobank were included. Cox proportional hazard models were used to analyze the prospective associations of 5 liver biomarkers with mortality. These liver biomarkers included two liver imaging biomarkers (liver fat attenuation parameter, liver stiffness measurement) and three serum liver enzyme biomarkers [gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), ALT, and AST]. Restricted cubic spline was used to assess the nonlinear associations between biomarkers and mortality. The area used the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) to evaluate the predictive ability of the models after incorporating liver biomarkers into traditional prediction models for mortality. Results:The mean age of the participants was (65.2±9.1) years, with a median follow-up of 1.5 years, during which 307 deaths occurred. Compared to individuals without hepatic steatosis, those with severe hepatic steatosis had a 79% higher risk of mortality, with a HR of 1.79 (95% CI: 1.06-3.03). Compared to individuals without hepatic fibrosis, those with advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis had higher mortality risks of 48% and 91%, respectively (both P<0.05). For each standard deviation increase in GGT, the mortality risk increased by 10% ( HR=1.10, 95% CI: 1.05-1.15), with the positive association plateauing at higher GGT levels. AST exhibited a U-shaped association with mortality risk. The AUC of the prediction model adding liver biomarkers into traditional prediction factors was 0.718 (95% CI: 0.679-0.757), with an increase of 0.030 ( P<0.001) compared with the traditional model. Conclusions:Severe hepatic steatosis, higher levels of hepatic fibrosis, and elevated GGT levels are significantly associated with higher mortality risk. AST shows a U-shaped nonlinear association with mortality risk. Incorporating liver biomarkers into traditional risk prediction models enhance the ability to predict mortality.
3.Association between body mass index and calcaneus bone mineral density in adults in a cross-sectional study in Tongxiang, Zhejiang Province
Hao WANG ; Kaixu XIE ; Lingli CHEN ; Hao XU ; Zhengjie SHEN ; Jun LYU ; Canqing YU ; Dianjianyi SUN ; Pei PEI ; Jieming ZHONG ; Min YU
Chinese Journal of Epidemiology 2025;46(3):448-454
Objective:To evaluate the association between body mass index (BMI) and bone mineral density of calcaneus in adults.Methods:Data of the second resurvey of China Kadoorie Biobank study from Tongxiang of Zhejiang Province were used. A total of 2 896 participants aged 44-84 years were included in the final analysis. Overweight was defined as 23.0 kg/m 2≤BMI<25.0 kg/m 2, and obesity was defined as BMI ≥25.0 kg/m 2 based on the criteria recommended by WHO/West Pacific Region. Multiple linear regression model was used to evaluate the association between BMI and calcaneus bone mineral density. Restricted cubic splines were used to investigate the dose-response relationship between BMI and calcaneus bone mineral density. Results:The calcaneus bone mineral density in the study subjects were as follow ( x± SE): the broadband ultrasound attenuation was (109.4±12.1) dB/MHz, the speed of ultrasound was (1 545.9±33.8) m/s, and the stiffness index was 85.7±15.8. After adjusting for socio-demographic factors, lifestyle, waist circumference, diabetes and hypertension prevalence, BMI was positively associated with calcaneus stiffness index in non-overweight and non-obese adults, with β of 2.30 (95% CI: 1.11-3.49) for men ( P<0.001) and 1.08 (95% CI: 0.38-1.78) for women ( P=0.003), respectively. In addition, BMI was positively associated with calcaneus stiffness index in overweight and obese women ( β=0.90, 95% CI: 0.38-1.42) ( P<0.001), and null association was found in overweight and obese men ( β=0.06, 95% CI: -0.92-1.04) ( P=0.900). Restricted cubic spline model showed a nonlinear dose-response relationship between BMI and calcaneus stiffness index. Conclusion:Non-linear association was found between BMI with calcaneus bone mineral density in adults.
4.Associations of plasma metabolites with mortality in Chinese adults: a prospective study
Ting WU ; Shuyao SONG ; Yuanjie PANG ; Canqing YU ; Dianjianyi SUN ; Pei PEI ; Huaidong DU ; Junshi CHEN ; Zhengming CHEN ; An PAN ; Jun LYU ; Liming LI
Chinese Journal of Epidemiology 2025;46(4):557-565
Objective:To investigate the prospective associations between plasma metabolites and the risks of all-cause and cause-specific mortality among Chinese adults.Methods:This study analyzed plasma metabolomics data from 2 183 healthy adults in the China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB), measured using targeted mass spectrometry. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to examine the associations between 630 metabolites and the risk of all-cause mortality. Cause-specific hazard regression models evaluated the associations between metabolites and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks, cancer, and other-cause mortality. Stepwise regression was used to identify key metabolites independently associated with all-cause mortality, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was calculated to assess the improvement in predictive performance when these metabolites were added to traditional risk prediction models.Results:The mean age of the participants was (53.2±9.8) years, 65.1% of whom were female. During a median follow-up of 14.5 years, 231 deaths occurred. A total of 44 metabolites were significantly associated with the risk of all-cause mortality [false discovery rate (FDR)-adjusted P<0.05], primarily including triglycerides, ceramides, and amino acids. Additionally, 29 and 15 metabolites were found to be associated with cancer and other-cause mortality, respectively, but no metabolites were significantly associated with CVD mortality after FDR corrections. Adding 14 metabolites independently associated with all-cause mortality into the traditional prediction model significantly improved its predictive performance. Specifically, incorporating metabolites into the traditional model, which already included laboratory biomarkers, increased the AUC to 0.798 (95% CI: 0.755-0.843), an improvement of 0.088 compared to the traditional model ( P<0.001). Conclusions:Multiple metabolites are significantly associated with mortality risk and can substantially improve the accuracy of mortality risk prediction models. These findings provide new insights into the physiological mechanisms of aging and offer valuable clues for personalized health risk assessment.
5.Prevalence and influencing factors of preserved ratio impaired spirometry in adults aged 40 years and above in 10 areas in China
Yongbing LAN ; Xinyi ZHANG ; Dingzhen WU ; Jun LYU ; Dianjianyi SUN ; Pei PEI ; Huaidong DU ; Junshi CHEN ; Zhengming CHEN ; Liming LI ; Canqing YU
Chinese Journal of Epidemiology 2025;46(6):929-934
Objective:To describe the prevalence of preserved ratio impaired spirometry (PRISm) in participants from the China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) and explore the influencing factors.Methods:The CKB project conducted the baseline survey, the first and the second resurvey in 2004-2008, 2008, and 2013-2014, respectively. Based on the lung function tests, the participants were categorized into three groups: regular, PRISm, and airflow obstruction. The prevalence of PRISm was reported by gender, age, and region at the baseline survey. The secular trend in the prevalence of PRISm was described during the three surveys. Finally, we used the multiple logistic regression model to examine the factors related to PRISm in the baseline survey.Results:After standardization for gender, age, and region according to the sixth national census data in 2010, the overall prevalence of PRISm and airflow obstruction among the 434 760 participants at baseline was 24.8% and 6.1%, respectively. The prevalence of PRISm was higher in rural (25.4%) than that in urban areas (24.3%). Of the 10 study regions, Gansu had the highest prevalence of PRISm (56.0%), while Henan had the lowest (15.4%). After standardization for gender, age, and region according to the baseline population, the prevalence of PRISm decreased from 24.9% at baseline to 15.7% in the second resurvey, and the prevalence of airflow obstruction increased from 5.9% to 21.4%. Unmarried status, current smoking, using solid fuels for cooking, low body weight, being overweight, obesity, and central obesity were associated with an increased risk of PRISm. In contrast, higher education attainments, increased household income, and maintaining a specific degree of physical activity were associated with a reduced risk of PRISm.Conclusions:The prevalence of PRISm was high in adults aged 40 years and above in China, and it varied by sociodemographic and lifestyle factors.
6.Association between tobacco smoking and the need for respiratory support and mortality in patients hospitalized with pneumonia
Shan LI ; Yizhen HU ; Yiqian ZHANG ; Canqing YU ; Dianjianyi SUN ; Pei PEI ; Huaidong DU ; Junshi CHEN ; Zhengming CHEN ; Liming LI ; Li WENG ; Jun LYU
Chinese Journal of Epidemiology 2025;46(8):1319-1327
Objective:To explore the impacts of smoking on the need for respiratory support and mortality in patients hospitalized with pneumonia.Methods:A total of 24 367 patients hospitalized with pneumonia from 2009 to 2017 in the China Kadoorie Biobank, were included. Smoking status was self-reported, and data regarding respiratory support during hospitalization and mortality during follow-up were obtained from medical claims and death registries, respectively. OR, HR, and 95% CI were calculated and adjusted for potential confounders using logistic regression models and Cox proportional hazards regression models, respectively. Results:Among males, current smokers or those who quit smoking due to illness had higher risks of requiring respiratory support ( OR=1.15, 95% CI: 1.03-1.29), 1-year mortality ( HR=1.66, 95% CI: 1.32-2.08), and 5-year mortality ( HR=1.32, 95% CI: 1.13-1.54) following pneumonia hospitalization compared to nonsmokers. Male smokers who started smoking at a younger age or with longer smoking duration had the highest mortality risks (trend test both P<0.05). Female current smokers or those who quit smoking due to illness had higher risks of 1-year mortality ( HR=1.62, 95% CI: 1.17-2.23) and 5-year mortality ( HR=1.33, 95% CI: 1.06-1.67). We found no statistically significant difference in 90-day mortality between current smokers/those who quit smoking due to illness and nonsmokers. Conclusions:Smoking was associated with higher risks of requiring respiratory support and mortality in patients hospitalized with pneumonia, especially among males and heavy smokers. These findings highlight the need for targeted strategies to promote smoking cessation in patients hospitalized with pneumonia.
7.Association of age at menarche, age at menopause, and reproductive lifespan with frailty index in Chinese adult women
Pengyu LI ; Si CHENG ; Canqing YU ; Dianjianyi SUN ; Pei PEI ; Huaidong DU ; Junshi CHEN ; Zhengming CHEN ; Liming LI ; Jun LYU
Chinese Journal of Epidemiology 2025;46(8):1337-1346
Objective:To identify individuals with accelerated aging under the frailty index (FI) as a proxy indicator of biological age, and to investigate the associations of age at menarche, age at menopause, and reproductive lifespan with frailty status and multi-timepoint FI trajectories among Chinese adult women.Methods:The current study included 302 471 women from the China Kadoorie Biobank 2004-2008 baseline survey data. Their age at menarche and menopause were self-reported, and the duration of reproductive lifespan was calculated by subtracting the two ages. The baseline FI was constructed using 28 baseline variables, including diseases, symptoms, and anthropometric measurements. Frailty status was categorized into three groups: non-frail (FI≤0.10), pre-frail (0.10
8.A prospective study of impact of spicy food intake on risk for cardio/cerebrovascular disease in residents aged 30-79 years
Ziyang LUO ; Xiaofang CHEN ; Xiaofang CHEN ; Xia WU ; Xiaoyu CHANG ; Zhuo WANG ; Xueli ZHANG ; Jun LYU ; Canqing YU ; Pei PEI ; Dianjianyi SUN ; Xianping WU
Chinese Journal of Epidemiology 2025;46(7):1150-1159
Objective:To explore the association between spicy food intake and the risk for cardio/cerebrovascular diseases.Methods:Data were collected from the China Kadoorie Biobank project conducted in Pengzhou, Sichuan Province. Using the Cox proportional hazards regression model, we analyzed the associations of the frequency of spicy food intake, spicy level, types of spicy food, and the age when regular intake of spicy food began (intake in 1 day/week), with the risk for cardio/cerebrovascular disease. Furthermore, the associations with the risks for ischemic heart disease (IHD) and cerebrovascular diseases, as well as the risk of ischemic stroke (IS) and hemorrhagic stroke (HS) were analyzed.Results:A total of 54 859 study participants were included in the study, in whom 49 320 had spicy food intake (89.90%). In these participants, 37 680 (68.69%) had spicy food intake in 6-7 days/week, 5 036 (9.18%) had spicy food intake in 1-5 days/week, and 6 604 (12.03%) had spicy food intake once a week; 5 539 (10.10%) had never/almost never had spicy food intake. After adjusting for multiple confounding factors, compared with those who never/almost never had spicy food intake, intake of spicy food was associated with reduced risks for IHD (intake in 6-7 days/week: HR=0.86, 95% CI: 0.78-0.95), cerebrovascular diseases (intake in 6-7 days/week: HR=0.88, 95% CI: 0.81-0.96), and IS (intak in 6-7 days/week: HR=0.85, 95% CI: 0.76-0.95). With the increase of spicy food intake frequency, the risk for cardio/cerebrovascular disease decreased (intake in 1-5 days/week: HR=0.91, 95% CI: 0.85-0.98; intake in 6-7 days/week: HR=0.89, 95% CI: 0.84-0.94) (trend test P<0.001). However, no statistical association was found between spicy food intake and the risk for HS. In terms of spicy level, after adjusting for multiple confounding factors, compared with those who never/almost never had spicy food intake, intake of spicy food was associated with reduced risk for cardio/cerebrovascular disease (moderate: HR=0.86, 95% CI: 0.82-0.90) and cerebrovascular disease (moderate: HR=0.90, 95% CI: 0.84-0.97). With the increase of spicy level, the risk for IHD decreased (moderate: HR=0.86, 95% CI: 0.79-0.93; strong: HR=0.84, 95% CI: 0.74-0.95) (trend test P<0.001). After adjusting for multiple confounding factors, compared with those who never/almost never had spicy food intake, intake of any type of spicy food was associated with reduced risk for cardio/cerebrovascular disease, IHD, and cerebrovascular disease. Regulat intake of spicy food from age 0-10 years was associated with reduced risk for cardio/cerebrovascular disease, IHD, and cerebrovascular disease. Regular intake of spicy food from age 11-20 years reduced the risk for cardio/cerebrovascular disease and IHD. There was no significant association between the regular intake of spicy food from age 21-79 years and the risks for cardio/cerebrovascular disease, IHD and cerebrovascular disease. Conclusion:The intake of spicy food could reduced the risk for cardio/cerebrovascular diseases, IHD, cerebrovascular diseases and IS in residents aged 30-79 years in Sichuan.
9.Relationship between ambient air pollution and vitamin D in Chinese adults
Hongjing SHI ; Yating HUANG ; Canqing YU ; Dianjianyi SUN ; Pei PEI ; Huaidong DU ; Junshi CHEN ; Zhengming CHEN ; Liming LI ; Jun LYU
Chinese Journal of Epidemiology 2025;46(8):1328-1336
Objective:To investigate the relationship between individual and combined exposure to ambient air pollutants and vitamin D, as well as the potential role of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) in mediating the relationships.Methods:This study included 6 967 participants from the China Kadoorie Biobank, whose baseline (2004-2008) blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D had been tested. The average monthly concentrations of pollutants (PM 2.5, PM 10, NO 2, O 3) and the UVR estimates in the month of blood sample collection were derived from the ChinaHighAirPollutants and ultraviolet datasets covering China, respectively. Linear models and multinomial logistic regression models were used to analyze the associations of each air pollutant with vitamin D concentrations and groups. Principal component analysis integrated with quantile-based g-computation was applied to evaluate the co-effects and relative contribution weights of air pollutants. Mediation analyses were performed to investigate the potential role of UVR. Results:PM 2.5, PM 10, NO 2, and O 3 were individually associated with vitamin D concentrations, as well as vitamin D groups: insufficiency (20-30 ng/ml) and deficiency (<20 ng/ml). For each 10 μg/m3 increase in monthly PM 2.5, PM 10, NO 2, and O 3, the percentage changes (95% CIs) in vitamin D concentrations were -1.71% (-2.16% - -1.26%), -1.30% (-1.60% - -1.00%), -3.77% (-4.60% - -2.93%), and 1.27% (0.91%-1.63%), respectively, with corresponding ORs (95% CIs) for vitamin D deficiency of 1.17 (1.06-1.29), 1.12 (1.05-1.19), 1.66 (1.38-2.00), and 0.81 (0.74-0.89). The mixture of the first principal component of PM 2.5 and PM 10 (PM), along with NO 2 and O 3, was negatively correlated with vitamin D. The percentage change (95% CI) in vitamin D concentrations for a one-quintile increase in the mixture was -2.20% (-3.56%- -0.82%), with NO 2 contributing the most (83%), followed by PM (17%). UVR-mediated association was 12.2% (95% CI:2.5%-23.0%) for PM 2.5 and 4.9% (95% CI:2.2%-8.0%) for PM 10 with vitamin D concentrations, respectively. Conclusion:Higher concentrations of particulate matter, NO 2, and a mixture of air pollutants were associated with lower vitamin D concentrations in Chinese adults, with reduced UVR acting as a partial mediator in the particulate matter-vitamin D relationship.
10.A prospective study of the effect of physical activity on mortality risk in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Sichuan Province
Ying ZHANG ; Xiaofang CHEN ; Xiaofang CHEN ; Xia WU ; Xiaoyu CHANG ; Zhuo WANG ; Xu HAN ; Jun LYU ; Canqing YU ; Pei PEI ; Dianjianyi SUN ; Xianping WU
Chinese Journal of Epidemiology 2025;46(8):1347-1353
Objective:To investigate the effect of physical activity on mortality risk in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Sichuan Province.Methods:Based on baseline data from 2004 to 2008 from the China Kadoorie Biobank project site in Pengzhou City, Sichuan Province, a total of 8 501 COPD patients aged 30-79 years were enrolled and followed up for a long period to determine mortality outcomes. Quartiles were used to group physical activity levels. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to analyze the effect of physical activity level on mortality outcomes.Results:As of December 31, 2017, the cumulative follow-up of the participants totaled 85 600.58 person-years (mean follow-up duration: 10.07 years). During this period, a total of 2 000 deaths were recorded, yielding a cumulative mortality rate of 23.53%. Among these deaths, 665 were attributed to COPD, corresponding to a cumulative mortality rate of 7.82%; and 1 116 were attributed to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease (CVD), corresponding to a cumulative mortality rate of 13.13%. The Cox proportional hazards regression model analysis revealed that, after adjusting for confounding factors, total physical activity was associated with a reduced risk of mortality from COPD, CVD, and all causes in patients with COPD. Compared with the low-level group of total physical activity, the medium-high-level group had the lowest risk of COPD mortality, with an HR of 0.39 (95% CI: 0.30-0.49). The high-level group had the lowest risk of CVD death and all-cause death, with HRs of 0.46 (95% CI: 0.37-0.56) and 0.55 (95% CI: 0.48-0.64), respectively. The lowest risk of COPD death and CVD death was found in the medium-high level of work-based physical activity group, with HRs of 0.36 (95% CI: 0.28-0.46) and 0.43 (95% CI: 0.36-0.51), respectively; the risk of all-cause mortality was lowest in the medium-high and high-level groups, with HRs values of 0.53 (95% CI: 0.46-0.61) and 0.53 (95% CI: 0.45-0.61). The risk of COPD death was lowest in the high-level transportation physical activity group, with an HR of 0.66 (95% CI: 0.53-0.83), and the risk of CVD and all-cause death was lowest in the medium-high level group, with HRs of 0.63 (95% CI: 0.53-0.76) and 0.73 (95% CI: 0.64-0.84), respectively. The risk of COPD death and CVD death was the lowest in the high-level domestic physical activity group, with HRs of 0.66 (95% CI: 0.49-0.89) and 0.76 (95% CI: 0.61-0.95), respectively, and the risk of all-cause death was the lowest in the medium-high level group, with an HR of 0.82 (95% CI: 0.72-0.94). There is no statistical association between leisure physical activity and the risk of death from three types of diseases. Conclusions:Total physical activity, including work-based, transportation-based, and domestic physical activity, reduced the risk of COPD, CVD, and all-cause mortality in patients with COPD in Sichuan Province. The magnitude of mortality risk was influenced by the type and level of physical activity.

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