Bingqing Liu

Height and prevalence of hypertension in a middle-aged and older Chinese population

Evidence from epidemiological studies reported that height was inversely associated with cardiovascular diseases, but the association between height and hypertension was unclear. The purpose of this study was to explore the association between height and blood pressure or prevalence of hypertension in a middle-aged and older Chinese population. A total of 33,197 participants aged 37 to 94 years were recruited from the Dongfeng-Tongji cohort study in Hubei province, China. All participants completed baseline questionnaires, medical examinations and provided blood samples. Hypertension was define as a systolic blood pressure (SBP) over 140 mmHg or/and a diastolic blood pressure (DBP) over 90 mmHg, or current use of antihypertensive medication, or participants with self-reported physician diagnosis of hypertension. Multivariate linear and logistic regression models were used. The prevalence of hypertension was 69.1% for men and 58.0% for women. Pulse pressure (PP) and SBP, but not DBP decreased linearly with increasing height among men and women. Comparing the highest with the shortest quartile of height, the multivariate-adjusted odds ratios were 0.80 (95% confidence interval, 0.71, 0.91) for men and 0.83 (0.74, 0.92) for women. In conclusion, height was associated with reduced SBP, PP and prevalence of hypertension in a middle-aged and older Chinese population.

Early age at menarche and gestational diabetes mellitus risk: Results from the Healthy Baby Cohort study

AIM Early age at menarche has been reported to increase type 2 diabetes risk, but little is known of its impact on gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) risk. The aim of this study was to examine the association between age at menarche and plasma glucose levels as well as GDM risk. METHODS A total of 6900 pregnant women from the Healthy Baby Cohort Study were included in our analysis. Age at menarche was self-reported and categorized into five groups (9-11, 12, 13, 14 and 15-18 years of age). GDM was diagnosed using the International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups criteria. Comparisons of plasma glucose levels according to age at menarche categories were performed using analysis of covariance. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between age at menarche and GDM risk. RESULTS Of our 6900 participants, 1015 (14.7%) were diagnosed with GDM. Mean age at menarche was 13.1±1.2 years. Early age at menarche (9-11 years) was associated with higher fasting, 1-h and 2-h plasma glucose levels (all P<0.05) compared with menarche at age 13 years. Furthermore, early age at menarche was linked to increased GDM risk after adjusting for potential confounders (OR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.06-1.87). CONCLUSION Early age at menarche is an independent risk factor for GDM and, as such, may help to identify women at higher GDM risk who would benefit from early preventative strategies.

Association between earlier age at natural menopause and risk of diabetes in middle-aged and older Chinese women: The Dongfeng–Tongji cohort study

AIM Age at menopause is associated with cardiovascular disease, but little is known of its relationship with diabetes, and previous findings are controversial. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between earlier menopause (at age ≤45 years) and the prevalence of diabetes in the Chinese population. METHODS A total of 16,299 postmenopausal women, aged 42.0-94.3 years, who completed the study questionnaires, underwent medical examinations and provided blood samples, were included in our analysis. Participants self-reported their age at menopause and were then divided into three age groups (≤45, 46-52, ≥53years). Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS Of the study participants, 2811 (17.2%) had diabetes. The average age at menopause was 49.5±3.3 years. For each 1-year delay in menopausal age, the presence of diabetes was reduced by 2% (OR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.97-0.99) after adjusting for potential confounding factors. Compared with those whose menopausal age was 46-52 years, the OR for diabetes was 1.20 (95% CI: 1.03-1.39) for those with an earlier menopausal age (≤45years). CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that earlier menopause may be independently associated with an increased prevalence of diabetes. Future prospective studies are needed to verify this relationship.

Socio-economic status and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus among Chinese women

The relationship between socio‐economic status and gestational diabetes mellitus has received little attention. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between socio‐economic status and risk of gestational diabetes.

Effects of early age at natural menopause on coronary heart disease and stroke in Chinese women

BACKGROUND Menopause is identified as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease because of the change of estrogen. The objective of the study was to explore the associations between early age at natural menopause (menopause at an age≤45years) and the presence of CHD and stroke. METHODS The study subjects were from the first follow-up survey of the Dongfeng-Tongji cohort study. A total of 16,515 postmenopausal women were included for the analysis. Logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between age at natural menopause (≤45, 45-52, >52years) and the presence of CHD and stroke adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, reproductive history and metabolic factors. RESULTS In the fully adjusted model, for each 1-year delay in menopausal age, the prevalence of CHD and stroke was reduced by 3% (OR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.95-0.98) and 5% (OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.92-0.98), respectively. Women with early menopause (≤45years) had a higher prevalence of CHD (OR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.13-1.57) compared with those with menopause at ages 45-52years. Similarly, women with early menopause (≤45years) was associated with higher prevalence of stroke (OR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.25-2.30) compared with those with menopause at ages 45-52years. CONCLUSIONS Early age at natural menopause is significantly associated with the presence of CHD and stroke among Chinese women.

Age at menarche and prevalence of preterm birth: Results from the Healthy Baby Cohort study

Little is known about the impact of age at menarche on preterm birth. The aim of this study was to examine the association between age at menarche and preterm birth. A total of 11,016 Chinese women who gave birth to live singleton infants were recruited from the Healthy Baby Cohort between 2012 and 2014 in the province of Hubei, China. Age at menarche was reported via face-to-face interviews and was categorized into five groups (≤11, 12, 13, 14 and ≥15 years). Gestational age was estimated using maternal last menstrual period. Preterm birth was defined as delivering a live singleton infant at <37 weeks’ gestational age. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Earlier menarche (≤11 years) was associated with an increased prevalence of preterm birth (OR: 1.67, 95% CI: 1.18, 2.36) compared with menarche age at 13 years after controlling for the potential confounders. The findings of our study suggested that a history of earlier menarche might be useful for identifying women at higher risk of preterm birth.

Height and Risk of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Results from the Healthy Baby Cohort Study

Background The aim of this study was to examine the association between height and plasma glucose level, as well as risk of GDM among Chinese women. Methods A total of 6941 pregnant Chinese women were recruited from the Healthy Baby Cohort study in Hubei Province, China, in 2012–2014. Measured height was categorized into four groups according to the quartile distribution (≤158.0 cm, 158.1–161.0 cm, 161.1–164.0 cm, and >164.0 cm). GDM was defined based on the International Association of the Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Group criteria. Linear regression was used to estimate the association between height and plasma glucose levels. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between height and GDM. Results The prevalence of GDM was 14.7% in our study. Height was inversely associated with the 1 h and 2h plasma glucose levels (all P value for trend < 0.05), but not with fasting plasma glucose levels. A significant negative trend was found between height and risk of GDM (P value for trend < 0.05), and each centimeter increase in height was associated with 2% (OR: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.96, 0.99) lower risk of GDM. Women in the highest quartile of height (>164.0 cm) had 23% (OR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.64, 0.94) lower risk of developing GDM than those in the shortest quartile of height (≤158.0 cm), after adjusting for potential confounders. Conclusions Our findings suggested that height was negatively associated with risk of GDM among Chinese women. The difference in plasma glucose levels is present in the 1 h and 2 h plasma glucose, but not with fasting plasma glucose.

History of spontaneous miscarriage and the risk of diabetes mellitus among middle-aged and older Chinese women

AbstractAimsEpidemiological studies of the long-term maternal health outcomes of spontaneous miscarriages have been sparse and inconsistent. The objective of our study is to examine the association between spontaneous miscarriages and diabetes among middle-aged and older Chinese women. MethodsA total of 19,539 women from the Dongfeng–Tongji cohort study who completed a questionnaire and had medical examinations performed on were included in the analysis. History of spontaneous miscarriage was obtained by self-reporting in the first follow-up questionnaire interview. The presence of diabetes was determined by a fasting plasma glucose level, self-reported physician diagnosis and use of antidiabetic medication. A series of multivariate logistic regression models were used to calculate the odds ratios and 95% CI across spontaneous miscarriage categories (0, 1, 2, ≥ 3) after adjustment for potential confounding factors.ResultsThe prevalence rate of diabetes was 18.8% among the participants. In the fully adjusted logistic regression model, women who had 1, 2 or ≥ 3 spontaneous miscarriages had 0.86 times (95% CI 0.68, 1.08), 1.30 times (95% CI 0.82, 2.04) and 2.11 times (95% CI 1.08, 4.11) higher risk of diabetes, respectively, compared with women who had no history of spontaneous miscarriage.ConclusionsThere is an increased risk of diabetes among women with a history of a higher number of spontaneous miscarriages. History of multiple spontaneous miscarriages should be taken into consideration when assessing the risk of diabetes.

Maternal Habitual Midday Napping Duration and Frequency are Associated with High Birthweight

Habitual midday napping is a common habit in China, especially for pregnant women. The purpose of this study was to examine whether duration and frequency of maternal habitual midday napping were associated with high birthweight (HBW). A total of 10,482 participants from Healthy Baby Cohort were include in our analysis. The information of the mothers and their infants were abstracted from medical records, or obtained from questionnaire. Logistic regression models were used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of habitual midday napping duration and frequency with HBW. Of the participants, 8,705 (83.0%) reported having habitual midday napping. Duration and frequency of napping had a positive association with HBW without adjustment. After controlling for potential confounders, increasing risk of HBW was observed in participants who napped 1.5–2 hours (OR, 1.50, 95% CI, 1.14, 1.98), and ≥2 hours (OR, 1.35, 95% CI, 1.03, 1.78) compared with no habitual midday napping. Participants who took naps ≥5 days/week had a higher risk of HBW (OR, 1.37, 95% CI, 1.07, 1.77) compared with the women without naps. This suggests that longer (≥1.5 hours) and more frequent (≥5 days/week) maternal habitual midday napping were associated with an increased risk of HBW.

Association between nighttime sleep duration, sleep timing and falls among middle-aged and older Chinese population: A cross-sectional analysis from the Dongfeng-Tongji cohort study, China: Association between sleep and falls

To examine the association between nighttime sleep duration, sleep timing, and their interactive effect on falls among middle‐aged and older Chinese adults.