ORCID Profile
0000-0002-3048-4961
Current Organisation
University of Southampton
Does something not look right? The information on this page has been harvested from data sources that may not be up to date. We continue to work with information providers to improve coverage and quality. To report an issue, use the Feedback Form.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 27-09-2018
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 28-11-2011
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 17-01-2022
DOI: 10.1186/S12889-022-12541-1
Abstract: Lower birth rates and increasing longevity have resulted in ageing populations in European countries. These demographic changes place challenges on pension provision as numbers of those who are economically inactive and retired increase relative to those in paid work. Therefore, governments need workers to postpone retirement and work to older ages. Whilst health and wealth are important in retirement decision-making, considerably less is known about the effects of workplace factors. The aim of this study was to explore the views of recent UK retirees about the role that work-related factors played in their decision to retire. This qualitative study was nested within the Health and Employment After Fifty (HEAF) cohort. People who had retired 3-6 years previously (not for health reasons) were purposively s led to obtain the views of men and women from a range of socio-economic backgrounds and jobs. Semi-structured interviews were carried out by telephone using a pre-defined topic guide. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically. Seventeen interviews were conducted. Thematic analysis showed that retirement decisions were complex and multi-factorial but that work-related factors contributed to decision-making in two main ways. First, some work factors pushed participants towards retirement. These were perceptions that: workplace change had affected the way they were valued or increased pressure on them work demands, including commuting, had intruded excessively on personal time, effects that were exacerbated by modern technology work was draining, isolating or under-appreciated and /or that work was causing physical strain or discomfort relative to their perception of their capacity. In contrast, work factors could also cause participants to pull back towards work, particularly: autonomy supportive work colleagues a sense of being appreciated and perceived job flexibility. Recent retirees explained that their decision to retire was multi-factorial but work-related factors contributed importantly. Potentially, employers could: review workers’ perceptions about their work their capacity in relation to job demands increase flexibility and facilitate a supportive work community to encourage longer working lives.
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 25-05-2011
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 11-03-2014
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-2002
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2016
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2023
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-06-2020
DOI: 10.1038/S41586-020-2338-1
Abstract: High blood cholesterol is typically considered a feature of wealthy western countries 1,2 . However, dietary and behavioural determinants of blood cholesterol are changing rapidly throughout the world 3 and countries are using lipid-lowering medications at varying rates. These changes can have distinct effects on the levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol, which have different effects on human health 4,5 . However, the trends of HDL and non-HDL cholesterol levels over time have not been previously reported in a global analysis. Here we pooled 1,127 population-based studies that measured blood lipids in 102.6 million in iduals aged 18 years and older to estimate trends from 1980 to 2018 in mean total, non-HDL and HDL cholesterol levels for 200 countries. Globally, there was little change in total or non-HDL cholesterol from 1980 to 2018. This was a net effect of increases in low- and middle-income countries, especially in east and southeast Asia, and decreases in high-income western countries, especially those in northwestern Europe, and in central and eastern Europe. As a result, countries with the highest level of non-HDL cholesterol—which is a marker of cardiovascular risk—changed from those in western Europe such as Belgium, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Malta in 1980 to those in Asia and the Pacific, such as Tokelau, Malaysia, The Philippines and Thailand. In 2017, high non-HDL cholesterol was responsible for an estimated 3.9 million (95% credible interval 3.7 million–4.2 million) worldwide deaths, half of which occurred in east, southeast and south Asia. The global repositioning of lipid-related risk, with non-optimal cholesterol shifting from a distinct feature of high-income countries in northwestern Europe, north America and Australasia to one that affects countries in east and southeast Asia and Oceania should motivate the use of population-based policies and personal interventions to improve nutrition and enhance access to treatment throughout the world.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2020
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2020
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-2022
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 28-06-2022
Publisher: American Medical Association (AMA)
Date: 20-09-2019
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 29-01-2019
DOI: 10.1002/ACR.23596
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 14-12-2008
DOI: 10.1038/NG.287
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-2017
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-2005
DOI: 10.1111/J.1365-2265.2005.02281.X
Abstract: Cortisone is an endogenous corticosteroid that has negligible intrinsic glucocorticoid activity but can be converted to the active corticosteroid cortisol by the enzyme 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11beta-HSD1). 11beta-HSD1 is expressed in osteoblasts and may play a role in determining susceptibility to glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis. In intact osteoblasts enzyme activity, and thus cortisol generation, is dependent on substrate concentration with an almost linear increase in activity across the physiological range. We have therefore attempted to measure the impact of 11beta-HSD1 activity on bone in vivo by examining the association of circulating cortisone with bone markers, bone mineral density (BMD) and bone loss in a cohort of women and men. Baseline cross-sectional association study involving 135 women and 171 men aged 61-73 years from the Hertfordshire Cohort Study and a 4 year follow-up study examining changes in BMD. Serum cortisone, cortisol and osteocalcin, and urinary type I collagen cross-linked N-telopeptide (NTX) were measured at baseline. BMD at spine and hip was measured at baseline and 4 years later. In men serum cortisone levels were negatively correlated with serum osteocalcin (r = -0.20, P = 0.01) a similar relationship was seen in women (r = -0.16, P = 0.06). No correlation was seen between serum cortisone and urinary NTX (r = 0.03, P = 0.74 for women r = -0.03, P = 0.72 for men). A negative correlation was observed between serum cortisone and spine BMD in women (r = -0.18, P = 0.04) a similar relationship was also seen in men (r =-0.14, P = 0.07). However, cortisone did not correlate with BMD at the femoral neck or total hip or changes in BMD at any site over time. In analyses adjusted for adiposity, osteoarthritis grade and a range of life-style variables, these relationships did not change substantially. All these relationships were independent of cortisol concentrations. The most plausible explanation for the association of circulating cortisone levels with osteocalcin is the presence of 11beta-HSD1 activity within osteoblasts. The measurement of serum cortisone may independently give insights into the action of glucocorticoids on bone.
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 03-05-2022
DOI: 10.3389/FENDO.2022.882399
Abstract: Physical activity, nutrition and other lifestyle factors play important roles in maintaining musculoskeletal health. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) originated in late 2019, spread globally to be declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation in March 2020, and led to widespread behaviour change. The aim of this study was to use two existing cohorts, the Hertfordshire Cohort Study (HCS) and Health and Employment After Fifty Study (HEAF), to understand how wave one of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted lifestyle factors associated with musculoskeletal health in the UK. 125 eligible participants, 65 males and 60 females (drawn from the HCS study, median (IQR) age 84.3 (82.4-86.6) years, all Caucasian, and community dwelling) were contacted by telephone and asked to complete a questionnaire administered by a trained researcher. Data collection occurred over the period July 2020 to February 2021. 2469 participants, 1086 men and 1383 women (drawn from the HEAF study, median age 65.7 (62.0-69.3) years, mostly Caucasian and community dwelling) completed an online questionnaire in March 2021. In HCS, 47% respondents reported being less physically active than before the pandemic (and only 5% more so), 27% said they consumed less alcohol compared to pre-pandemic times (and only 3% more so), and 18% reported eating less than before, although quality of diet was generally unchanged over this timeframe surveyed. In HEAF, 44% participants said they were less active than before the pandemic, while 17% reported being more active. The majority of participants reported no changes in alcohol consumption and diet however, 19% said they drank more than before (32% of which was above recommended levels), 16% said their diet was less healthy, and 19% reported eating more than before. We have reported the experience of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic among participants of two Caucasian community dwelling UK cohorts, highlighting the impact of the pandemic on lifestyle factors associated with musculoskeletal health. Changed physical activity levels were reported in a high proportion of respondents in both studies an investigation of reversibility of these changes is required.
Publisher: eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd
Date: 09-03-2021
DOI: 10.7554/ELIFE.60060
Abstract: From 1985 to 2016, the prevalence of underweight decreased, and that of obesity and severe obesity increased, in most regions, with significant variation in the magnitude of these changes across regions. We investigated how much change in mean body mass index (BMI) explains changes in the prevalence of underweight, obesity, and severe obesity in different regions using data from 2896 population-based studies with 187 million participants. Changes in the prevalence of underweight and total obesity, and to a lesser extent severe obesity, are largely driven by shifts in the distribution of BMI, with smaller contributions from changes in the shape of the distribution. In East and Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, the underweight tail of the BMI distribution was left behind as the distribution shifted. There is a need for policies that address all forms of malnutrition by making healthy foods accessible and affordable, while restricting unhealthy foods through fiscal and regulatory restrictions.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2021
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 19-02-2007
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 31-08-2017
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-11-2015
DOI: 10.1038/GENE.2015.49
Abstract: Acute anterior uveitis (AAU) involves inflammation of the iris and ciliary body of the eye. It occurs both in isolation and as a complication of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). It is strongly associated with HLA-B*27, but previous studies have suggested that further genetic factors may confer additional risk. We sought to investigate this using the Illumina Exomechip microarray, to compare 1504 cases with AS and AAU, 1805 with AS but no AAU and 21 133 healthy controls. We also used a heterogeneity test to test the differences in effect size between AS with AAU and AS without AAU. In the analysis comparing AS+AAU+ cases versus controls, HLA-B*27 and HLA-A*02:01 were significantly associated with the presence of AAU (P<10(-300) and P=6 × 10(-8), respectively). Secondary independent association with PSORS1C3 (P=4.7 × 10(-5)) and TAP2 (P=1.1 × 10(-5)) were observed in the major histocompatibility complex. There was a new suggestive association with a low-frequency variant at zinc-finger protein 154 in the AS without AAU versus control analysis (zinc-finger protein 154 (ZNF154), P=2.2 × 10(-6)). Heterogeneity testing showed that rs30187 in ERAP1 has a larger effect on AAU compared with that in AS alone. These findings also suggest that variants in ERAP1 have a differential impact on the risk of AAU when compared with AS, and hence the genetic risk for AAU differs from AS.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-01-2023
DOI: 10.1002/JCSM.13160
Abstract: The 2019 European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP2) and the Sarcopenia Definitions and Outcomes Consortium (SDOC) have recently proposed sarcopenia definitions. However, comparisons of the performance of these approaches in terms of thresholds employed, concordance in in iduals and prediction of important health‐related outcomes such as death are limited. We addressed this in a large multinational assembly of cohort studies that included information on lean mass, muscle strength, physical performance and health outcomes. White men from the Health Aging and Body Composition (Health ABC) Study, Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) Study cohorts (Sweden, USA), the Hertfordshire Cohort Study (HCS) and the Sarcopenia and Physical impairment with advancing Age (SarcoPhAge) Study were analysed. Appendicular lean mass (ALM) was ascertained using DXA muscle strength by grip dynamometry and usual gait speed over courses of 2.4–6 m. Deaths were recorded and verified. Definitions of sarcopenia were as follows: EWGSOP2 (grip strength kg and ALM index .0 kg/m 2 ), SDOC (grip strength .5 kg and gait speed .8 m/s) and Modified SDOC (grip strength .5 kg and gait speed .0 m/s). Cohen's kappa statistic was used to assess agreement between original definitions (EWGSOP2 and SDOC). Presence versus absence of sarcopenia according to each definition in relation to mortality risk was examined using Cox regression with adjustment for age and weight estimates were combined across cohorts using random‐effects meta‐analysis. Mean (SD) age of participants ( n = 9170) was 74.3 (4.9) years 5929 participants died during a mean (SD) follow‐up of 12.1 (5.5) years. The proportion with sarcopenia according to each definition was EWGSOP2 (1.1%), SDOC (1.7%) and Modified SDOC (5.3%). Agreement was weak between EWGSOP2 and SDOC (κ = 0.17). Pooled hazard ratios (95% CI) for mortality for presence versus absence of each definition were EWGSOP2 [1.76 (1.42, 2.18), I 2 : 0.0%] SDOC [2.75 (2.28, 3.31), I 2 : 0.0%] and Modified SDOC [1.93 (1.54, 2.41), I 2 : 58.3%]. There was low prevalence and poor agreement among recent sarcopenia definitions in community‐dwelling cohorts of older white men. All indices of sarcopenia were associated with mortality. The strong relationship between sarcopenia and mortality, regardless of the definition, illustrates that identification of appropriate management and lifecourse intervention strategies for this condition is of paramount importance.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 29-03-2023
DOI: 10.1038/S41586-023-05772-8
Abstract: Optimal growth and development in childhood and adolescence is crucial for lifelong health and well-being 1–6 . Here we used data from 2,325 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight from 71 million participants, to report the height and body-mass index (BMI) of children and adolescents aged 5–19 years on the basis of rural and urban place of residence in 200 countries and territories from 1990 to 2020. In 1990, children and adolescents residing in cities were taller than their rural counterparts in all but a few high-income countries. By 2020, the urban height advantage became smaller in most countries, and in many high-income western countries it reversed into a small urban-based disadvantage. The exception was for boys in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa and in some countries in Oceania, south Asia and the region of central Asia, Middle East and north Africa. In these countries, successive cohorts of boys from rural places either did not gain height or possibly became shorter, and hence fell further behind their urban peers. The difference between the age-standardized mean BMI of children in urban and rural areas was .1 kg m –2 in the vast majority of countries. Within this small range, BMI increased slightly more in cities than in rural areas, except in south Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and some countries in central and eastern Europe. Our results show that in much of the world, the growth and developmental advantages of living in cities have diminished in the twenty-first century, whereas in much of sub-Saharan Africa they have lified.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 22-11-2022
DOI: 10.1002/JBM4.10696
Abstract: We investigated the predictive performance of peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) measures of both calf muscle density (an established surrogate for muscle adiposity, with higher values indicating lower muscle adiposity and higher muscle quality) and size (cross‐sectional area [CSA]) for incident fracture. pQCT (Stratec XCT2000/3000) measurements at the tibia were undertaken in Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) United States (US), Hong Kong (HK), and Swedish (SW) cohorts. Analyses were by cohort and synthesized by meta‐analysis. The predictive value for incident fracture outcomes, illustrated here for hip fracture (HF), using an extension of Poisson regression adjusted for age and follow‐up time, was expressed as hazard ratio (HR) per standard deviation (SD) increase in exposure (HR/SD). Further analyses adjusted for femoral neck (fn) bone mineral density (BMD) T ‐score, Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX) 10‐year fracture probability (major osteoporotic fracture) and prior falls. We studied 991 (US), 1662 (HK), and 1521 (SW) men, mean ± SD age 77.0 ± 5.1, 73.9 ± 4.9, 80 ± 3.4 years, followed for a mean ± SD 7.8 ± 2.2, 8.1 ± 2.3, 5.3 ± 2.0 years, with 31, 47, and 78 incident HFs, respectively. Both greater muscle CSA and greater muscle density were associated with a lower risk of incident HF [HR/SD: 0.84 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.72–1.0 and 0.78 95% CI, 0.66–0.91, respectively]. The pattern of associations was not materially changed by adjustment for prior falls or FRAX probability. In contrast, after inclusion of fn BMD T ‐score, the association for muscle CSA was no longer apparent (1.04 95% CI, 0.88–1.24), whereas that for muscle density was not materially changed (0.69 95% CI, 0.59–0.82). Findings were similar for osteoporotic fractures. pQCT measures of greater calf muscle density and CSA were both associated with lower incidence of fractures in older men, but only muscle density remained an independent risk factor for fracture after accounting for fn BMD. These findings demonstrate a complex interplay between measures of bone, muscle size, and quality, in determining fracture risk. © 2022 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-2019
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 25-02-2022
DOI: 10.1007/S00223-022-00953-5
Abstract: As muscle strength and function decline with age the optimal high-impact physical activity (PA) required for bone remodelling is rarely achievable in older adults. This study aimed to explore the activity profiles of community-dwelling older men and women and to assess the relationship between in idual PA profiles and lower limb bone parameters. Participants from the Hertfordshire Cohort Study wore triaxial accelerometers for 7 days and counts of low (0.5–1.0 g), medium (1.0–1.5 g), and high ( 1.5 g) vertical-impact activity were calculated. Two years later, participants underwent a pQCT scan of the tibia (4% and 38% sites) to obtain measures of bone mineral density and bone geometry. Linear regression was used to quantify associations between bone and PA loading profiles adjusting for age, sex, loading category, and BMI. Results are presented as β [95% confidence interval]. Bone and PA data were available for 82 participants. The mean (SD) age at follow-up was 81.4(2.7) years, 41.5% ( n = 34) were women. The median low-impact PA count was 5281 (Inter-quartile range (IQR) 2516–12,977), compared with a median of only 189 (IQR 54–593) in medium, and 39 (IQR 9–105) in high-impact counts. Positive associations between high-impact PA and cortical area (mm 2 ), polar SSI (mm 3 ), and total area (mm 2 ) at the 38% slice (6.21 [0.88, 11.54] 61.94 [25.73, 98.14] 10.09 [3.18, 16.99], respectively). No significant associations were found at distal tibia. These data suggest that maintaining high ( 1.5 g)-impact activity is difficult for older adults to achieve however, even small amounts of high-impact PA are positively associated with selected cortical bone parameters 2 years later.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2021
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 28-06-2022
DOI: 10.1007/S11657-022-01117-6
Abstract: The IOF Epidemiology and Quality of Life Working Group has reviewed the potential role of population screening for high hip fracture risk against well-established criteria. The report concludes that such an approach should strongly be considered in many health care systems to reduce the burden of hip fractures. The burden of long-term osteoporosis management falls on primary care in most healthcare systems. However, a wide and stable treatment gap exists in many such settings most of which appears to be secondary to a lack of awareness of fracture risk. Screening is a public health measure for the purpose of identifying in iduals who are likely to benefit from further investigations and/or treatment to reduce the risk of a disease or its complications. The purpose of this report was to review the evidence for a potential screening programme to identify postmenopausal women at increased risk of hip fracture. The approach took well-established criteria for the development of a screening program, adapted by the UK National Screening Committee, and sought the opinion of 20 members of the International Osteoporosis Foundation’s Working Group on Epidemiology and Quality of Life as to whether each criterion was met (yes, partial or no). For each criterion, the evidence base was then reviewed and summarized. The report concludes that evidence supports the proposal that screening for high fracture risk in primary care should strongly be considered for incorporation into many health care systems to reduce the burden of fractures, particularly hip fractures. The key remaining hurdles to overcome are engagement with primary care healthcare professionals, and the implementation of systems that facilitate and maintain the screening program.
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
No related grants have been discovered for Elaine Dennison.