Research Projects
Aetiological Epidemiology
Heart disease, stroke and cancer are very common diseases in the UK and many other countries. In order to prevent them, we first need to understand their causes. In middle-aged and older men and women we have made a great deal of progress in identifying what might increase a person’s chances of getting these illnesses, such as smoking, heavy drinking, high stress, being overweight or having high blood pressure. However, these variables do not completely explain disease risk. One possibility is that risk factors measured in younger populations may also play a role.
We investigate this question by using studies from both developed and developing countries which are already available. This research is potentially important because its findings could be used to design interventions in children and young people that might reduce the burden of serious disease in later life.
Our work has the 3 broad objectives:
- To examine the influence of childhood exposures on later cardiovascular disease and cancer risk
- To examine the influence of early adult exposures on later cardiovascular disease and cancer risk
- To examine trans-generational influences on cardiovascular disease and cancer risk
Our data come from a variety of studies in the UK and elsewhere, including (collaborator, where applicable, named in parentheses):
• 1982 Pelotas Birth Cohort Study, Brazil (Cesar Victora)
• 1978/79 Ribeirao Preto Birth Cohort study, Brazil (M. Barbieri)
• Swedish Conscripts Study (Finn Rasmussen)
• College Alumni Health Study, US (I-Min Lee)
• Johns Hopkins Precursors Study, US (Michael Klag)
• National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, US (Demetrius Albanes)
• National Longitudinal Study of Youth, US (Ian Deary)
• Vietnam Experience Study, US (Ian Deary, Laust Mortensen)
• Midspan cohorts, Scotland (George Davey Smith, Graham Watt)
• Psychosocial and Biological Determinants of Disease, Scotland (Chris Packard)
• Aberdeen Children of the 1950s (ACONF) study
This work is funded by the award of a Wellcome Trust Research Career Development Fellowship.
Glossary
- Aetiology The study of causation, or origination of disease.
- Blood pressure Blood pressure refers to the pressure exerted by the blood against the walls of the blood vessels, especially the arteries. Blood pressure is usually expressed as a ratio, normal blood pressure being below 120/80. The systolic blood pressure, which is the top number, represents the pressure in the arteries as the heart contracts and pumps blood into the arteries. The diastolic pressure, which is the bottom number, represents the pressure in the arteries as the heart relaxes after the contraction. The diastolic pressure, therefore, reflects the minimum pressure to which the arteries are exposed.
- cardiovascular disease Those diseases that affect the heart or blood vessels
- cohort age group
- Epidemiology Epidemiology is the study of the link between social (e.g lifestyle, economic disadvantage), biological (e.g cholesterol levels) and genetic influences and causes and distribution of diseases in populations
