Cardiovascular health declines with age, increasing the risk of hypertension and elevated heart rate in middle and old age. Here, we used multivariate techniques to investigate the associations between cardiovascular health (diastolic blood pressure, systolic blood pressure, and heart rate) and white matter macrostructure (lesion volume and number) and microstructure (as measured by diffusion-weighted imaging) in the cross-sectional, population-based Cam-CAN cohort (N = 667, aged 18-88). We found that cardiovascular health and age made approximately similar contributions to white matter health and explained up to 56% of variance therein. Lower diastolic blood pressure, higher systolic blood pressure, and higher heart rate were each strongly, and independently, associated with white matter abnormalities on all indices. Body mass and exercise were associated with white matter health, both directly and indirectly via cardiovascular health. These results highlight the importance of cardiovascular risk factors for white matter health across the adult lifespan and suggest that systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate affect white matter health via separate mechanisms. ; DF, DN, JBR, DP and RAK are supported by the UK Medical Research Council. The Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience (Cam-CAN) was supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (grant number BB/H008217/1). RAK is supported by the Sir Henry Wellcome Trust (grant number 107392/Z/15/Z) and MRC Programme Grant MC-A060-5PR60. This project has also received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement number 732592).
In: Gao , Y , Wang , T , Yu , X , Ferrari , R , Hernandez , D G , Nalls , M A , Rohrer , J D , Ramasamy , A , Kwok , J B J , Dobson-Stone , C , Brooks , W S , Schofield , P R , Halliday , G M , Hodges , J R , Piguet , O , Bartley , L , Thompson , E , Haan , E , Hernández , I , Ruiz , A , Boada , M , Borroni , B , Padovani , A , Cruchaga , C , Cairns , N J , Benussi , L , Binetti , G , Ghidoni , R , Forloni , G , Albani , D , Galimberti , D , Fenoglio , C , Serpente , M , Scarpini , E , Clarimón , J , Lleó , A , Blesa , R , Waldö , M L , Nilsson , K , Nilsson , C , Mackenzie , I R A , Hsiung , G Y R , Mann , D M A , Grafman , J , Morris , C M , Attems , J , Griffiths , T D , Rowe , J B , Nielsen , J E , Hjermind , L E & International FTD-Genomics Consortium (IFGC) 2020 , ' Mendelian randomization implies no direct causal association between leukocyte telomere length and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ' , Scientific Reports , vol. 10 , no. 1 , 12184 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-68848-9
We employed Mendelian randomization (MR) to evaluate the causal relationship between leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) with summary statistics from genome-wide association studies (n = ~ 38,000 for LTL and ~ 81,000 for ALS in the European population; n = ~ 23,000 for LTL and ~ 4,100 for ALS in the Asian population). We further evaluated mediation roles of lipids in the pathway from LTL to ALS. The odds ratio per standard deviation decrease of LTL on ALS was 1.10 (95% CI 0.93–1.31, p = 0.274) in the European population and 0.75 (95% CI 0.53–1.07, p = 0.116) in the Asian population. This null association was also detected between LTL and frontotemporal dementia in the European population. However, we found that an indirect effect of LTL on ALS might be mediated by low density lipoprotein (LDL) or total cholesterol (TC) in the European population. These results were robust against extensive sensitivity analyses. Overall, our MR study did not support the direct causal association between LTL and the ALS risk in neither population, but provided suggestive evidence for the mediation role of LDL or TC on the influence of LTL and ALS in the European population.
The Dementias Platform UK Data Portal is a data repository facilitating access to data for 3 370 929 individuals in 42 cohorts. The Data Portal is an end-to-end data management solution providing a secure, fully auditable, remote access environment for the analysis of cohort data. All projects utilising the data are by default collaborations with the cohort research teams generating the data. The Data Portal uses UK Secure eResearch Platform infrastructure to provide three core utilities: data discovery, access, and analysis. These are delivered using a 7 layered architecture comprising: data ingestion, data curation, platform interoperability, data discovery, access brokerage, data analysis and knowledge preservation. Automated, streamlined, and standardised procedures reduce the administrative burden for all stakeholders, particularly for requests involving multiple independent datasets, where a single request may be forwarded to multiple data controllers. Researchers are provided with their own secure 'lab' using VMware which is accessed using two factor authentication. Over the last 2 years, 160 project proposals involving 579 individual cohort data access requests were received. These were received from 268 applicants spanning 72 institutions (56 academic, 13 commercial, 3 government) in 16 countries with 84 requests involving multiple cohorts. Projects are varied including multi-modal, machine learning, and Mendelian randomisation analyses. Data access is usually free at point of use although a small number of cohorts require a data access fee.
In: Bauermeister , S , Orton , C , Thompson , S , Barker , R A , Bauermeister , J R , Ben-Shlomo , Y , Brayne , C , Burn , D , Campbell , A , Calvin , C , Chandran , S , Chaturvedi , N , Chêne , G , Chessell , I P , Corbett , A , Davis , D H J , Denis , M , Dufouil , C , Elliott , P , Fox , N , Hill , D , Hofer , S M , Hu , M T , Jindra , C , Kee , F , Kim , C H , Kim , C , Kivimaki , M , Koychev , I , Lawson , R A , Linden , G J , Lyons , R A , Mackay , C , Matthews , P M , McGuiness , B , Middleton , L , Moody , C , Moore , K , Na , D L , O'Brien , J T , Ourselin , S , Paranjothy , S , Park , K S , Porteous , D J , Richards , M , Ritchie , C W , Rohrer , J D , Rossor , M N , Rowe , J B , Scahill , R , Schnier , C , Schott , J M , Seo , S W , South , M , Steptoe , M , Tabrizi , S J , Tales , A , Tillin , T , Timpson , N J , Toga , A W , Visser , P J , Wade-Martins , R , Wilkinson , T , Williams , J , Wong , A & Gallacher , J E J 2020 , ' The Dementias Platform UK (DPUK) Data Portal ' , European Journal of Epidemiology , vol. 35 , no. 6 , pp. 601-611 . https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-020-00633-4
The Dementias Platform UK Data Portal is a data repository facilitating access to data for 3 370 929 individuals in 42 cohorts. The Data Portal is an end-to-end data management solution providing a secure, fully auditable, remote access environment for the analysis of cohort data. All projects utilising the data are by default collaborations with the cohort research teams generating the data. The Data Portal uses UK Secure eResearch Platform infrastructure to provide three core utilities: data discovery, access, and analysis. These are delivered using a 7 layered architecture comprising: data ingestion, data curation, platform interoperability, data discovery, access brokerage, data analysis and knowledge preservation. Automated, streamlined, and standardised procedures reduce the administrative burden for all stakeholders, particularly for requests involving multiple independent datasets, where a single request may be forwarded to multiple data controllers. Researchers are provided with their own secure 'lab' using VMware which is accessed using two factor authentication. Over the last 2 years, 160 project proposals involving 579 individual cohort data access requests were received. These were received from 268 applicants spanning 72 institutions (56 academic, 13 commercial, 3 government) in 16 countries with 84 requests involving multiple cohorts. Projects are varied including multi-modal, machine learning, and Mendelian randomisation analyses. Data access is usually free at point of use although a small number of cohorts require a data access fee.
In: Bauermeister , S , Orton , C , Thompson , S , Barker , R A , Bauermeister , J R , Ben-Shlomo , Y , Brayne , C , Burn , D , Campbell , A , Calvin , C , Chandran , S , Chaturvedi , N , Chêne , G , Chessell , I P , Corbett , A , Davis , D H J , Denis , M , Dufouil , C , Elliott , P , Fox , N , Hill , D , Hofer , S M , Hu , M T , Jindra , C , Kee , F , Kim , C H , Kim , C , Kivimaki , M , Koychev , I , Lawson , R A , Linden , G J , Lyons , R A , Mackay , C , Matthews , P M , McGuiness , B , Middleton , L , Moody , C , Moore , K , Na , D L , O'Brien , J T , Ourselin , S , Paranjothy , S , Park , K S , Porteous , D J , Richards , M , Ritchie , C W , Rohrer , J D , Rossor , M N , Rowe , J B , Scahill , R , Schnier , C , Schott , J M , Seo , S W , South , M , Steptoe , M , Tabrizi , S J , Tales , A , Tillin , T , Timpson , N J , Toga , A W , Visser , P J , Wade-Martins , R , Wilkinson , T , Williams , J , Wong , A & Gallacher , J E J 2020 , ' The Dementias Platform UK (DPUK) Data Portal ' , European Journal of Epidemiology , vol. 35 , no. 6 , pp. 601-611 . https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-020-00633-4
The Dementias Platform UK Data Portal is a data repository facilitating access to data for 3 370 929 individuals in 42 cohorts. The Data Portal is an end-to-end data management solution providing a secure, fully auditable, remote access environment for the analysis of cohort data. All projects utilising the data are by default collaborations with the cohort research teams generating the data. The Data Portal uses UK Secure eResearch Platform infrastructure to provide three core utilities: data discovery, access, and analysis. These are delivered using a 7 layered architecture comprising: data ingestion, data curation, platform interoperability, data discovery, access brokerage, data analysis and knowledge preservation. Automated, streamlined, and standardised procedures reduce the administrative burden for all stakeholders, particularly for requests involving multiple independent datasets, where a single request may be forwarded to multiple data controllers. Researchers are provided with their own secure 'lab' using VMware which is accessed using two factor authentication. Over the last 2 years, 160 project proposals involving 579 individual cohort data access requests were received. These were received from 268 applicants spanning 72 institutions (56 academic, 13 commercial, 3 government) in 16 countries with 84 requests involving multiple cohorts. Projects are varied including multi-modal, machine learning, and Mendelian randomisation analyses. Data access is usually free at point of use although a small number of cohorts require a data access fee.
In: Gao , Y , Wang , T , Yu , X , Ferrari , R , Hernandez , D G , Nalls , M A , Rohrer , J D , Ramasamy , A , Kwok , J B J , Dobson-Stone , C , Brooks , W S , Schofield , P R , Halliday , G M , Hodges , J R , Piguet , O , Bartley , L , Thompson , E , Haan , E , Hernández , I , Ruiz , A , Boada , M , Borroni , B , Padovani , A , Cruchaga , C , Cairns , N J , Benussi , L , Binetti , G , Ghidoni , R , Forloni , G , Albani , D , Galimberti , D , Fenoglio , C , Serpente , M , Scarpini , E , Clarimón , J , Lleó , A , Blesa , R , Waldö , M L , Nilsson , K , Nilsson , C , Mackenzie , I R A , Hsiung , G Y R , Mann , D M A , Grafman , J , Morris , C M , Attems , J , Griffiths , T D , McKeith , I G , Thomas , A J , Pietrini , P , Huey , E D , Wassermann , E M , Baborie , A , Jaros , E , Tierney , M C , Pastor , P , Razquin , C , Ortega-Cubero , S , Alonso , E , Perneczky , R , Diehl-Schmid , J , Alexopoulos , P , Kurz , A , Rainero , I , Rubino , E , Pinessi , L , Rogaeva , E , George-Hyslop , P S , Rossi , G , Tagliavini , F , Giaccone , G , Rowe , J B , Schlachetzki , J C M , Uphill , J , Collinge , J , Mead , S , Danek , A , Van Deerlin , V M , Grossman , M , Trojanowski , J Q , van der Zee , J , Cruts , M , Van Broeckhoven , C , Cappa , S F , Leber , I , Hannequin , D , Golfier , V , Vercelletto , M , Brice , A , Nacmias , B , Sorbi , S , Bagnoli , S , Piaceri , I , Nielsen , J E , Hjermind , L E , Riemenschneider , M , Mayhaus , M , Ibach , B , Gasparoni , G , Pichler , S , Gu , W , Rossor , M N , Fox , N C , Warren , J D , Spillantini , M G , Morris , H R , Rizzu , P , Heutink , P , Snowden , J S , Rollinson , S , Richardson , A , Gerhard , A , Bruni , A C , Maletta , R , Frangipane , F , Cupidi , C , Bernardi , L , Anfossi , M , Gallo , M , Conidi , M E , Smirne , N , Rademakers , R , Baker , M , Dickson , D W , Graff-Radford , N R , Petersen , R C , Knopman , D , Josephs , K A , Boeve , B F , Parisi , J E , Seeley , W W , Miller , B L , Karydas , A M , Rosen , H , van Swieten , J C , Dopper , E G P , Seelaar , H , Pijnenburg , Y A L , Scheltens , P , Logroscino , G , Capozzo , R , Novelli , V , Puca , A A , Franceschi , M , Postiglione , A , Milan , G , Sorrentino , P , Kristiansen , M , Chiang , H H , Graff , C , Pasquier , F , Rollin , A , Deramecourt , V , Lebouvier , T , Kapogiannis , D , Ferrucci , L , Pickering-Brown , S , Singleton , A B , Hardy , J , Momeni , P , Zhao , H , Zeng , P & International FTD-Genomics Consortium (IFGC) 2020 , ' Mendelian randomization implies no direct causal association between leukocyte telomere length and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ' , Scientific Reports , vol. 10 , no. 1 , 12184 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-68848-9
We employed Mendelian randomization (MR) to evaluate the causal relationship between leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) with summary statistics from genome-wide association studies (n = ~ 38,000 for LTL and ~ 81,000 for ALS in the European population; n = ~ 23,000 for LTL and ~ 4,100 for ALS in the Asian population). We further evaluated mediation roles of lipids in the pathway from LTL to ALS. The odds ratio per standard deviation decrease of LTL on ALS was 1.10 (95% CI 0.93–1.31, p = 0.274) in the European population and 0.75 (95% CI 0.53–1.07, p = 0.116) in the Asian population. This null association was also detected between LTL and frontotemporal dementia in the European population. However, we found that an indirect effect of LTL on ALS might be mediated by low density lipoprotein (LDL) or total cholesterol (TC) in the European population. These results were robust against extensive sensitivity analyses. Overall, our MR study did not support the direct causal association between LTL and the ALS risk in neither population, but provided suggestive evidence for the mediation role of LDL or TC on the influence of LTL and ALS in the European population.