Trine Flensborg-Madsen

Preoperative smoking status and postoperative complications: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective:To systematically review and summarize the evidence of an association between preoperative smoking status and postoperative complications elaborated on complication type. Background:The conclusions of studies examining the association between preoperative smoking and postoperative complications are inconsistent, thus there is a need for a review and meta-analysis to summarize the existing evidence. Methods:A systematic review and meta-analysis based on a search in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO. Included were original studies of the association between smoking status and postoperative complications occurring within 30 days of operation. In total, 9354 studies were identified and reviewed for eligibility and data were extracted. Forest plots and summarized relative risks (RR) including 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated for various complication types. Results:Of the 9354 identified studies, 107 studies were included in the meta-analyses and based on these, 157 data sets were extracted. Preoperative smoking was associated with an increased risk of various postoperative complications including general morbidity (RR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.33–1.74), wound complications (RR = 2.15, 95% CI: 1.87–2.49), general infections (RR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.32–1.79), pulmonary complications (RR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.35–2.23), neurological complications (RR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.01–1.88), and admission to intensive care unit (RR = 1.60, 95% CI: 1.14–2.25). Preoperative smoking status was not observed to be associated with postoperative mortality, cardiovascular complications, bleedings, anastomotic leakage, or allograft rejection. Conclusions:Preoperative smoking was found to be associated with an increased risk of the following postoperative complications: general morbidity, wound complications, general infections, pulmonary complications, neurological complications, and admission to the intensive care unit.

Alcohol use disorders increase the risk of completed suicide ― Irrespective of other psychiatric disorders. A longitudinal cohort study

Knowledge of the epidemiology of suicide is a necessary prerequisite for developing prevention programs. The aim of this study was to analyze the risk of completed suicide among individuals with alcohol use disorders (AUD), and to assess the role of other psychiatric disorders in this association. A prospective cohort study was used, containing three updated sets of lifestyle covariates and 26 years follow-up of 18,146 individuals between 20 and 93 years of age from the Copenhagen City Heart Study in Denmark. The study population was linked to four different registers in order to detect: Completed suicide, AUD, Psychotic disorders, Anxiety disorders, Mood disorders, Personality disorders, Drug abuse, and Other psychiatric disorders. Individuals registered with AUD were at significantly increased risk of committing suicide, with a crude hazard ratio (HR) of 7.98 [Confidence interval (CI): 5.27-12.07] compared to individuals without AUD. Adjusting for all psychiatric disorders the risk fell to 3.23 (CI: 1.96-5.33). In the stratified sub-sample of individuals without psychiatric disorders, the risk of completed suicide was 9.69 (CI: 4.88-19.25) among individuals with AUD. The results indicate that individuals registered with AUD are at highly increased risk of completed suicide, and that registered co-morbid psychiatric disorders are neither sufficient nor necessary causes in this association.

Tobacco smoking as a risk factor for depression. A 26-year population-based follow-up study

BACKGROUNDnA key question regarding the documented association between smoking and depression is whether it reflects a causal influence of smoking on depression; however, only a limited number of longitudinal studies exist in the literature, all of which have relatively short time frames. The purpose was to prospectively assess the risk of depression according to daily tobacco consumption in a Danish longitudinal study.nnnMETHODSnA prospective cohort study, the Copenhagen City Heart Study (n = 18,146), was analyzed with up to 26 years of follow-up. It contains three updated data sets on tobacco consumption and potential confounding factors. The study population was linked to Danish hospital registers to detect registrations with depression. Individuals with depression before baseline were excluded.nnnRESULTSnWomen smoking more than 10 g of tobacco per day were at significantly increased risk of depression compared to women who did not smoke. The adjusted risk of depression among women smoking 11-20 g per day was 1.74 (CI:1.33-2.27) and 2.17 (CI:1.45-3.26) among women smoking more than 20 g per day. For men, there was an increased risk of depression for those smoking more than 20 g per day (HR = 1.90; CI:1.05-3.44). All tests for linear trend were significant (all p < 0.01). The estimates remained significant in sensitivity analyses aiming to eliminate reverse causation, and in analyses based on a reduced sample without individuals with chronic diseases or psychiatric disorders other than depression.nnnCONCLUSIONnThe study suggests that smoking is associated with increased risk of developing depression. This underlines the potentially harmful consequences of smoking for mental health and supports efforts to prevent and stop smoking.

A cohort study of leisure time physical activity and depression.

OBJECTIVEnThe objective of the study was to examine the role of leisure time physical activity on the risk of developing depression in a large longitudinal setting.nnnMETHODSnA prospective cohort study was used, comprising three updated measures of leisure time physical activity and covariates and 26 years of follow-up data on 18,146 individuals from the Copenhagen City Heart Study, Denmark. The study population was linked to two Danish hospital registers for information on depression. Data were collected in three rounds, namely, 1976-1978, 1981-1983, and 1991-1994, and analyses were conducted in 2010.nnnRESULTSnCompared to women with a high physical activity level, women with a moderate level had a hazard ratio of 1.07 (95% confidence interval: 0.80-1.44) for developing depression while women with a low level had a hazard ratio of 1.80 (95% confidence interval: 1.29-2.51). Compared to men with a high physical activity level, men with a moderate level had a hazard ratio of 1.11 (95% confidence interval: 0.73-1.68) for developing depression, while men with a low level had a hazard ratio of 1.39 (95% confidence interval: 0.83-2.34).nnnCONCLUSIONnAmong women, a low level of physical activity was significantly associated with a greater risk of depression.

Comorbidity and temporal ordering of alcohol use disorders and other psychiatric disorders: results from a Danish register-based study.

BACKGROUNDnUnderstanding the comorbidity of alcohol use disorders (AUD) and other psychiatric disorders may have important implications for treatment and preventive interventions. However, information on the epidemiology of this comorbidity is lacking. The objective of this study was to present results on lifetime psychiatric comorbidity of AUD in a large Danish community population.nnnMETHODSnA prospective cohort study was used, comprising 3 updated measures of sets of lifestyle covariates and 26 years of follow-up data on 18,146 individuals from the Copenhagen City Heart Study, Denmark. The study population was linked to national Danish hospital registers and a greater Copenhagen alcohol unit treatment register to detect registrations with AUD and other psychiatric disorders.nnnRESULTSnOf the individuals invited to the study, 7.6% were registered with AUD, and among these, 50.3% had a lifetime comorbid psychiatric disorder. Personality disorders were the most common comorbid disorders (24%) together with mood disorders (16.8%) and drug abuse (16.6%). The risk of developing a psychiatric disorder in individuals who were already registered with AUD was larger than the risk of developing AUD in individuals who were already registered with another psychiatric disorder; these differences in risk were especially noticeable for anxiety disorders, personality disorders, and drug abuse.nnnCONCLUSIONSnAUD is frequently comorbid with other psychiatric disorders, and it is likely that AUD is both an etiologic factor in other mental disorders and a consequence of mental disease. However, in interpreting these complex and perhaps circular causal links, it is important to consider that AUD is registered before a comorbid psychiatric diagnosis more often than the reverse temporal order.

Preoperative alcohol consumption and postoperative complications: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To systematically review and summarize the evidence of the association between preoperative alcohol consumption and postoperative complications elaborated on complication type. Background: Conclusions in studies on preoperative alcohol consumption and postoperative complications have been inconsistent. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis based on a search in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO citations. Included were original studies of the association between preoperative alcohol consumption and postoperative complications occurring within 30 days of the operation. In total, 3676 studies were identified and reviewed for eligibility, and data were extracted. Forest plots and pooled relative risks (RRs), including 95% confidence intervals (CIs), were estimated for several complication types. Results: Fifty-five studies provided data for estimates. Preoperative alcohol consumption was associated with an increased risk of various postoperative complications, including general morbidity (RR = 1.56; 95% CI: 1.31–1.87), general infections (RR = 1.73; 95% CI: 1.32–2.28), wound complications (RR = 1.23; 95% CI: 1.09–1.40), pulmonary complications (RR = 1.80; 95% CI: 1.30–2.49), prolonged stay at the hospital (RR = 1.24; 95% CI: 1.18–1.31), and admission to intensive care unit (RR = 1.29; 95% CI: 1.03–1.61). Clearly defined high alcohol consumption was associated with increased risk of postoperative mortality (RR = 2.68; 95% CI: 1.50–4.78). Low to moderate preoperative alcohol consumption and postoperative complications did not seem to be associated; however, very few studies were included in the analyses hereof. Conclusions: Preoperative alcohol consumption was associated with an increased risk of general postoperative morbidity, general infections, wound complications, pulmonary complications, prolonged stay at the hospital, and admission to intensive care unit.

The relationship between cognitive ability and demographic factors in late midlife

Objective: The aim of the article is to analyze associations between sex, age, education, and social class and cognitive ability in late midlife and to evaluate differences in cognitive ability among the three Copenhagen Aging and Midlife Biobank (CAMB) cohorts. Method: The sample comprised 5,417 CAMB participants from three cohorts with scores on the Intelligenz-Struktur-Test 2000 R (I-S-T 2000 R). Results: Independent associations of cognitive ability with age, sex, education, and occupational social class were observed. Particularly, strong associations with cognitive ability were obtained for school education, and consistent sex differences were observed with higher cognitive ability in men. Differences in cognitive ability among the three cohorts were small and primarily reflected demographic differences. Discussion: Late-midlife cognitive ability is associated with a number of demographic factors, and demographic differences may contribute to individual differences in health and early aging. In analyses of cognitive ability, the three CAMB cohorts can be combined provided the relevant demographic variables are included as covariates.

Comparing tailored and untailored text messages for smoking cessation: a randomized controlled trial among adolescent and young adult smokers

The aim was to compare the effectiveness of untailored text messages for smoking cessation to tailored text messages delivered at a higher frequency. From February 2007 to August 2009, 2030 users of an internet-based smoking cessation program with optional text message support aged 15-25 years were consecutively randomized to versions of the program that offered either tailored or untailored text messages. Thirty-day point abstinence from smoking was measured self-reportedly at 12-months follow-up. Response rates were 36.3% and 38.1% in the tailored and untailored group, respectively. We analyzed the entire study population, as well as those opting for text messages (n = 1619). In intention-to-treat analysis with multiple imputation of missing data, the odds ratio for 30-day point abstinence was 1.28 (95% CI 0.91-2.08) for the tailored compared with untailored messages. When restricting the analysis to those who had chosen to receive text messages, the corresponding odds ratio was 1.45 (95% CI 1.01-2.08). The higher long-term quit rates in the group receiving the tailored text messages compared with untailored text messages in the restricted analysis indicated that tailoring and higher frequency of text messages increases quit rates among young smokers.

Personality in Late Midlife: Associations With Demographic Factors and Cognitive Ability

Objectives: To analyze associations in late midlife between sex, age, education and social class, and the Big Five personality traits; to analyze associations between personality traits and cognitive ability in late midlife; and to evaluate how these associations are influenced by demographic factors. Methods: The study sample comprised 5,397 late midlife participants from three cohorts who had completed the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) and a measure of cognitive ability. Results: Associations were demonstrated between the five NEO-FFI personality traits, and all included demographic factors. Cognitive ability and years of education correlated with several NEO-FFI personality traits in analyses adjusting for demographic variables. Cohort differences were observed for Extraversion and Openness. Discussion: Robust sex, educational, and social class differences in personality may contribute to late midlife social gradients in health and early aging. Demographic factors did not fully explain correlations between personality and cognitive ability or cohort differences in personality.

Smoking and risk of liver cirrhosis: a population-based cohort study

Abstract Objective. Alcohol is the most acknowledged risk factor for liver cirrhosis. Smoking is rarely considered to be a cause of liver cirrhosis even though a few studies have suggested the opposite. The aim of this study was to assess the independent effect of smoking on alcoholic liver cirrhosis and liver cirrhosis in general. Materials and methods. The authors used data from the Copenhagen City Heart Study including a cohort of 9889 women and 8590 men from the Danish general population. Smoking and covariates were assessed at four consecutive examinations in 1976–78, 1981–83, 1991–94 and 2001–03. Updated measures were used in the analyses. Information on incident cases of alcoholic liver cirrhosis and liver cirrhosis was obtained from national hospital registries. Data were analyzed by means of Cox regression. Results. A total of 225 cases of alcoholic liver cirrhosis and 431 cases of liver cirrhosis occurred during follow-up. The hazard ratios (HR) of alcoholic liver cirrhosis was 3.9, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.6, 9.4 for women and 1.6, 95% CI: 0.9, 3.0 for men smoking >10 g of tobacco per day compared with never-smokers. For liver cirrhosis, corresponding HRs were 2.2, 95% CI: 1.4, 3.4 for women and 1.4, 95% CI: 0.9, 2.2 for men. The HRs were adjusted for age, alcohol intake, education and body mass index. Conclusions. Smoking was associated with an increased risk of liver cirrhosis independent of alcohol intake.