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Early life factors for myopia in the British Twins Early Development Study.

ABSTRACT: PURPOSE:Myopia is an increasingly prevalent condition globally. A greater understanding of contemporaneous, early life factors associated with myopia risk is urgently required, particularly in younger onset myopia as this correlates with higher severity and increased complications in adult life. METHODS:Analysis of a subset of the longitudinal, UK-based Twins Early Development Study (n=1991) recruited at birth between 1994 and 1996. Subjective refraction was obtained from the twin's optometrists; mean age 16.3 years (SD 1.7). Myopia was defined as mean spherical equivalent ?-0.75 dioptres. A life course epidemiology approach was used to appropriately weight candidate myopia risk factors during critical periods of eye growth. Adjusted ORs for myopia were estimated using multivariable logistic regression models at each life stage, together with variance explained (r2) and area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUROC) statistic of predictive models. RESULTS:Factors significantly associated with myopia included level of maternal education (OR 1.33, 95%?CI 1.11 to 1.59), fertility treatment (OR 0.63, 95%?CI 0.43 to 0.92), summer birth (OR 1.93, 95%?CI 1.28 to 2.90) and hours spent playing computer games (OR 1.03, 95%?CI 1.01 to 1.06). The total variance explained by this model was 4.4 % (p<0.001) and the AUROC was 0.68 (95% CI 0.64 to 0.72). Consistent associations were observed with socioeconomic status, educational attainment, reading enjoyment and cognitive variables, particularly verbal cognition, at multiple points over the life course. CONCLUSIONS:This study identifies known and novel associations with myopia during childhood development; associated factors identified in early life reflect sociological and lifestyle trends such as rates of maternal education, fertility treatment, early schooling and computer games.

SUBMITTER: Williams KM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6661230 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Early life factors for myopia in the British Twins Early Development Study.

Williams Katie M KM Kraphol Eva E Yonova-Doing Ekaterina E Hysi Pirro G PG Plomin Robert R Hammond Christopher J CJ

The British journal of ophthalmology 20181106 8

<h4>Purpose</h4>Myopia is an increasingly prevalent condition globally. A greater understanding of contemporaneous, early life factors associated with myopia risk is urgently required, particularly in younger onset myopia as this correlates with higher severity and increased complications in adult life.<h4>Methods</h4>Analysis of a subset of the longitudinal, UK-based Twins Early Development Study (n=1991) recruited at birth between 1994 and 1996. Subjective refraction was obtained from the twin ...[more]

PMID: 30401676

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Project description:BackgroundFew studies have examined the impact of childhood obesity on later kidney disease, and consequently, our understanding is very limited.Study designLongitudinal population-based cohort.Setting & participantsThe Medical Research Council National Survey of Health and Development, a socially stratified sample of 5,362 singletons born in 1 week in March 1946 in England, Scotland, and Wales, of which 4,340 were analyzed.PredictorEarly-life overweight latent classes (never, prepubertal only, pubertal onset, or always), derived from repeated measurements of body mass index between ages 2 and 20 years.Outcomes & measurementsThe primary outcome was chronic kidney disease (CKD), defined as creatinine- or cystatin C-based estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFRcr and eGFRcys, respectively) <60 mL/min/1.73 m² or urine albumin-creatinine ratio (UACR) ≥3.5 mg/mmol measured at age 60-64 years. Associations were explored through regression analysis, with adjustment for socioeconomic position, smoking, physical activity level, diabetes, hypertension, and overweight at ages 36 and 53 years.Results2.3% of study participants had eGFRcr <60 mL/min/1.73 m², 1.7% had eGFRcys <60 mL/min/1.73 m², and 2.9% had UACR ≥3.5 mg/mmol. Relative to being in the never-overweight latent class, being in the pubertal-onset- or always-overweight latent classes was associated with eGFRcys-defined CKD (OR, 2.04; 95% CI, 1.09-3.82). Associations with CKD defined by eGFRcr (OR, 1.27; 95% CI, 0.71-2.29) and UACR (OR, 1.33; 95% CI, 0.70-2.54) were less marked, but in the same direction. Adjustment for lifestyle and health factors had little impact on effect estimates.LimitationsA low prevalence of CKD resulted in low statistical power. No documentation of chronicity for outcomes. All-white study population restricts generalizability.ConclusionsBeing overweight in early life was found to be associated with eGFRcys-defined CKD in later life. The associations with CKD defined by eGFRcr and UACR were less marked, but in the same direction. Reducing or preventing overweight in the early years of life may significantly reduce the burden of CKD in the population.

Project description:Infant gut microbiota plays a vital role in immune response, mediates neurobehavioral development and health maintenance. Studies of twins' gut microbiota found that gut microbiota composition and diversity tend to be mature and stable with increasing postnatal age (PNA). Preterm infant gut microbiome shifts dramatically when they were staying in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Compositions and shifting characteristics of gut microbiota among neonatal preterm twins and triplets during their early life are still unknown, which impedes a better understanding of the mechanism underpinning neurobehavioral development and precise intervention/health of preterm neonates. This longitudinal cohort study used a twins/triplets design to investigate the interaction of genetic (e.g., male vs. female) and environmental factors influencing the development of the gut microbiome in early life. We included 39 preterm infants, 12 were Female twins/triplets (Female T/T) including 3 twins pairs and 2 triplets, 12 were male twins (Male T) including 6 twins pairs, and 15 were mixed-sex twins/triplets (Mix T/T) including 6 twins pairs and 1 triplet (8 females and 7 males) during the first four weeks of NICU stay. Weekly gut microbiota patterns between females and males were compared by linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size (LEfSe). Metagenomics function of gut microbiota was predicted by using Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt). Weekly function (KEGG pathways) differences between females and males were detected by using Statistical Analysis of Metagenomic Profiles (STAMP). Results found that female pairs and male pairs were significantly different in gut microbiome diversity, compositions, and predicted metabolic profiles, importantly, females and males were also significantly dissimilar within their co-twin/triplet pairs of the mixed-sex group, infants of co-twins/triplets shared more similar features than un-related infants from different twins' pair. Future research developing personalized interventions for vulnerable high-risk infants should consider sex, and the interaction of sex and environmental factors.

Project description:This study aimed to explore the association between screen exposure in early life and preschool myopia. During the baseline survey of the Longhua Child Cohort Study (LCCS), data of 29,595 preschoolers were collected via a caregiver-reported questionnaire regarding children's socio-demographic characteristics, visual status, screen exposure and relevant parental information. Data of 26,433 preschoolers with normal eyesight or myopia were included in the analysis and cox regression modelling was employed to assess the associations. Results suggested the hypothesis that screen exposure in early life could be significantly and positively associated with preschool myopia, and in agreement with this hypothesis was the association being strengthened with the increasing daily exposure duration and total years of exposure; in the stratification analysis based on the presence of parental myopia, these associations still existed, and the strength of associations was stronger in preschoolers with myopic parents than those without. Moreover, a statistically significant association was only observed between initial screen exposure that occurred during 0-1-years old and myopia for preschoolers without myopic parents, while the significant associations were observed between initial screen exposure that occurred during 0-1, 1-2, 2-3, and after 3 years old and myopia for preschoolers who had myopic parents, with the strongest association found in the group of children initially exposed to electronic screens during 0-1 year old. Thus our findings indicated the hypothesis that screen exposure in early life might be associated with the occurrence of preschool myopia, and that the postnatal first year might be the sensitive period for the association. However, it is premature to conclude that early screen time leads to myopia with current data. Further longitudinal studies performed with cycloplegia are necessary to verify the hypothesis and shed light on the more urgent question whether early screen exposure contributes to the later myopia epidemic of school-aged children.

Project description:ObjectivesThis research investigates the associations between body mass index (BMI) at 21, 40-59, 60-79 years of age on cardiometabolic risk markers at 60-79 years.MethodsA prospective study of 3464 British men with BMI measured at 40-59 and 60-79 years, when cardiometabolic risk was assessed. BMI at 21 years was ascertained from military records, or recalled from middle-age (adjusted for reporting bias); associations between BMI at different ages and later cardiometabolic risk markers were examined using linear regression. Sensitive period, accumulation and mobility life course models were devised for high BMI (defined as BMI≥75th centile) and compared with a saturated BMI trajectory model.ResultsAt ages 21, 40-59 and 60-79 years, prevalences of overweight (BMI≥25 kg/m2) were 12%, 53%, 70%, and obesity (≥30 kg/m2) 1.6%, 6.6%, and 17.6%, respectively. BMI at 21 years was positively associated with serum insulin, blood glucose, and HbA1c at 60-79 years, with increases of 1.5% (95%CI 0.8,2.3%), 0.4% (0.1,0.6%), 0.3% (0.1,0.4%) per 1 kg/m2, respectively, but showed no associations with blood pressure or blood cholesterol. However, these associations were modest compared to those between BMI at 60-79 years and serum insulin, blood glucose and HbA1c at 60-79 years, with increases of 8.6% (8.0,9.2%), 0.7% (0.5,0.9%), and 0.5% (0.4,0.7%) per 1 kg/m2, respectively. BMI at 60-79 years was also associated with total cholesterol and blood pressure. Associations for BMI at 40-59 years were mainly consistent with those of BMI at 60-79 years. None of the life course models fitted the data as well as the saturated model for serum insulin. A sensitive period at 50 years for glucose and HbA1c and sensitive period at 70 years for blood pressure were identified.ConclusionsIn this cohort of men who were thin compared to more contemporary cohorts, BMI in later life was the dominant influence on cardiovascular and diabetes risk. BMI in early adult life may have a small long-term effect on diabetes risk.

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Project description:IntroductionDespite its associations with falls, disability, and mortality, balance is an under-recognized and frequently overlooked aspect of aging. Studies investigating associations between factors across life and balance are limited. Understanding the factors related to balance performance could help identify protective factors and appropriate interventions across the life course. This study aimed to: (i) identify socioeconomic, anthropometric, behavioral, health, and cognitive factors that are associated with one-legged balance performance; and (ii) explore how these associations change with age.MethodsData came from 3,111 members of the MRC National Survey of Health and Development, a British birth cohort study. Multilevel models examined how one-legged standing balance times (assessed at ages 53, 60-64, and 69) were associated with 15 factors across life: sex, maternal education (4 years), paternal occupation (4 years), own education (26 years), own occupation (53 years), and contemporaneous measures (53, 60-64, 69 years) of height, BMI, physical activity, smoking, diabetes, respiratory symptoms, cardiovascular events, knee pain, depression and verbal memory. Age and sex interactions with each variable were assessed.ResultsMen had 18.8% (95%CI: 13.6, 23.9) longer balance times than women at age 53, although this difference decreased with age (11.8% at age 60-64 and 7.6% at age 69). Disadvantaged socioeconomic position in childhood and adulthood, low educational attainment, less healthy behaviors, poor health status, lower cognition, higher body mass index (BMI), and shorter height were associated with poorer balance at all three ages. For example, at age 53, those from the lowest paternal occupational classes had 29.6% (22.2, 38.8) worse balance than those from the highest classes. Associations of balance with socioeconomic indicators, cognition and physical activity became smaller with age, while associations with knee pain and depression became larger. There were no sex differences in these associations. In a combined model, the majority of factors remained associated with balance.DiscussionThis study identified numerous risk factors across life that are associated with one-legged balance performance and highlighted diverse patterns of association with age, suggesting that there are opportunities to intervene in early, mid and later life. A multifactorial approach to intervention, at both societal and individual levels, may have more benefit than focusing on a single risk factor.

Dataset Information

Early life factors for myopia in the British Twins Early Development Study.

Publications

Early life factors for myopia in the British Twins Early Development Study.

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