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Spieker J, Vetter VM, Drewelies J, Spira D, Steinhagen-Thiessen E, Regitz-Zagrosek V, Buchmann N, Demuth I. Diabetes Type 2 in the Berlin Aging Study II: Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Data on Prevalence, Incidence and Severity Over on Average Seven Years of Follow-up. Diabet Med 2023:e15104. [PMID: 37012605 DOI: 10.1111/dme.15104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
AIM Aim of the current study was to describe the prevalence, incidence, and severity of T2D in a cohort of older men and women aged 60 years and above over the course of on average seven years, since longitudinal data on this topic are scarce for this age group in Germany. METHODS Baseline data of 1,671 participants of the Berlin Aging Study II (68.8 ±3.7 years) and follow-up data assessed 7.4 ±1.5 years later were analysed. The Berlin Aging study II is an exploratory, observational study on cross-sectional and longitudinal data of an older population. T2D was diagnosed based on self-report, antidiabetic medication use and laboratory parameters. T2D severity was determined by the diabetes complications severity index (DCSI). Prognostic capacity of laboratory parameters was evaluated. RESULTS The proportion of participants with T2D increased from 12.9% (37.3% women) at baseline to 17.1% (41.1% women) with 74 incident cases and 22.2% not being aware of the disease at follow-up. The incidence rate is 10.7 new T2D diagnoses per 1000 person-years. More than half of the 41 newly identified incident T2D cases were diagnosed solely by the 2h-plasma glucose test (OGTT) and diagnosis based on OGTT as the only criterion among incident cases was found more frequently in women (p=0.028). T2D severity expressed by the DCSI significantly increased from baseline to follow-up (mean DCSI 1.1 ±1.2 vs. 2.0 ±1.8; range 0-5 vs. 0-6). Cardiovascular complications having the highest impact (43.2% at baseline and 67.6% at follow-up). CONCLUSIONS A comprehensive picture of T2D with respect to prevalence, incidence, and severity in older people of the Berlin Aging Study II is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanne Spieker
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases (including Division of Lipid Metabolism), Biology of Aging working group, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Valentin Max Vetter
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases (including Division of Lipid Metabolism), Biology of Aging working group, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Johanna Drewelies
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dominik Spira
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases (including Division of Lipid Metabolism), Biology of Aging working group, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Steinhagen-Thiessen
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases (including Division of Lipid Metabolism), Biology of Aging working group, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Vera Regitz-Zagrosek
- Berlin Institute for Gender in Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nikolaus Buchmann
- Department of Cardiology, Charité - University Medicine Berlin Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ilja Demuth
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases (including Division of Lipid Metabolism), Biology of Aging working group, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
- BCRT -, Berlin Institute of Health Center for Regenerative Therapies, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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Banszerus VL, König M, Landmesser U, Vetter VM, Demuth I. Epigenetic aging in patients diagnosed with coronary artery disease: results of the LipidCardio study. Clin Epigenetics 2023; 15:16. [PMID: 36721243 PMCID: PMC9887837 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-023-01434-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION People age biologically at different rates. Epigenetic clock-derived DNA methylation age acceleration (DNAmAA) is among the most promising markers proposed to assess the interindividual differences in biological age. Further research is needed to evaluate the characteristics of the different epigenetic clock biomarkers available with respect to the health domains they reflect best. METHODS In this study, we have analyzed 779 participants of the LipidCardio study (mean chronological age 69.9 ± 11.0 years, 30.6% women) who underwent diagnostic angiography at the Charité University Hospital in Berlin, Germany. DNA methylation age (DNAm age) was measured by methylation-sensitive single nucleotide primer extension (MS-SNuPE) and calculated with the 7-CpG clock. We compared the biological age as assessed as DNAmAA of participants with an angiographically confirmed coronary artery disease (CAD, n = 554) with participants with lumen reduction of 50% or less (n = 90) and patients with a normal angiogram (n = 135). RESULTS Participants with a confirmed CAD had on average a 2.5-year higher DNAmAA than patients with a normal angiogram. This association did not persist after adjustment for sex in a logistic regression analysis. High-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, lipoprotein (a), estimated glomerular filtration rate, physical activity, BMI, alcohol consumption, and smoking were not associated with DNAmAA. CONCLUSION The association between higher DNAmAA and angiographically confirmed CAD seems to be mainly driven by sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verena Laura Banszerus
- grid.6363.00000 0001 2218 4662Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases (Including Division of Lipid Metabolism), Biology of Aging Working Group, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Maximilian König
- grid.6363.00000 0001 2218 4662Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases (Including Division of Lipid Metabolism), Biology of Aging Working Group, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ulf Landmesser
- grid.6363.00000 0001 2218 4662Department of Cardiology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin (CBF), Berlin, Germany ,grid.484013.a0000 0004 6879 971XBerlin Institute of Health (BIH), Deutsches Zentrum Für Herzkreislaufforschung (DZHK), Partner Site Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Valentin Max Vetter
- grid.6363.00000 0001 2218 4662Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases (Including Division of Lipid Metabolism), Biology of Aging Working Group, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ilja Demuth
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases (Including Division of Lipid Metabolism), Biology of Aging Working Group, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany. .,BCRT - Berlin Institute of Health Center for Regenerative Therapies, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
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Vetter VM, Kalies CH, Sommerer Y, Bertram L, Demuth I. Seven-CpG DNA Methylation Age Determined by Single Nucleotide Primer Extension and Illumina's Infinium MethylationEPIC Array Provide Highly Comparable Results. Front Genet 2022; 12:759357. [PMID: 35111197 PMCID: PMC8802213 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.759357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation age (DNAm age, epigenetic clock) is a novel and promising biomarker of aging. It is calculated from the methylation fraction of specific cytosine phosphate guanine sites (CpG sites) of genomic DNA. Several groups have proposed epigenetic clock algorithms and these differ mostly regarding the number and location of the CpG sites considered and the method used to assess the methylation status. Most epigenetic clocks are based on a large number of CpGs, e.g. as measured by DNAm microarrays. We have recently evaluated an epigenetic clock based on the methylation fraction of seven CpGs that were determined by methylation-sensitive single nucleotide primer extension (MS-SNuPE). This method is more cost-effective when compared to array-based technologies as only a few CpGs need to be examined. However, there is only little data on the correspondence in epigenetic age estimation using the 7-CpG clock and other algorithms. To bridge this gap, in this study we measured the 7-CpG DNAm age using two methods, via MS-SNuPE and via the MethylationEPIC array, in a sample of 1,058 participants of the Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II), assessed as part of the GendAge study. On average, participants were 75.6 years old (SD: 3.7, age range: 64.9-90.0, 52.6% female). Agreement between methods was assessed by Bland-Altman plots. DNAm age was highly correlated between methods (Pearson's r = 0.9) and Bland-Altman plots showed a difference of 3.1 years. DNAm age by the 7-CpG formula was 71.2 years (SD: 6.9 years, SNuPE) and 68.1 years (SD: 6.4 years, EPIC array). The mean of difference in methylation fraction between methods for the seven individual CpG sites was between 0.7 and 13 percent. To allow direct conversion of DNAm age obtained from both methods we developed an adjustment formula with a randomly selected training set of 529 participants using linear regression. After conversion of the Illumina data in a second and independent validation set, the adjusted DNAm age was 71.44 years (SD: 6.1 years, n = 529). In summary, we found the results of DNAm clocks to be highly comparable. Furthermore, we developed an adjustment formula that allows for direct conversion of DNAm age estimates between methods and enables one singular clock to be used in studies that employ either the Illumina or the SNuPE method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentin Max Vetter
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases (Including Division of Lipid Metabolism), Biology of Aging Working Group, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Humberto Kalies
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases (Including Division of Lipid Metabolism), Biology of Aging Working Group, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Yasmine Sommerer
- Lübeck Interdisciplinary Platform for Genome Analytics (LIGA), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Lars Bertram
- Lübeck Interdisciplinary Platform for Genome Analytics (LIGA), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
- Center for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition (LCBC), Dept of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ilja Demuth
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases (Including Division of Lipid Metabolism), Biology of Aging Working Group, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, BCRT - Berlin Institute of Health Center for Regenerative Therapies, Berlin, Germany
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Drewelies J, Windsor TD, Duezel S, Demuth I, Wagner GG, Lindenberger U, Gerstorf D, Ghisletta P. Age Trajectories of Perceptual Speed and Loneliness: Separating Between-Person and Within-Person Associations. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2022; 77:118-129. [PMID: 34751753 PMCID: PMC8755905 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbab180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We aimed at examining between-person and within-person associations across age trajectories of perceptual speed and loneliness in old age. METHOD We applied multilevel models to 4 waves of data collected over 6 years from 1,491 participants of the Berlin Aging Study II (60-88 years at baseline, 50% women) to disentangle between-person and within-person associations across age trajectories of perceptual speed and both emotional and social loneliness. Sex and education were considered as relevant individual characteristics and included as covariates in the model. RESULTS Analyses revealed that on average perceptual speed exhibited moderate within-person age-related declines, whereas facets of loneliness were rather stable. Perceptual speed did not predict age trajectories of emotional or social loneliness, at either the between- or within-person level. In contrast, loneliness discriminated individuals at the between-person level, such that those feeling emotionally or socially more lonely showed lower cognitive performance than those feeling emotionally or socially less lonely. Predictive effects of social loneliness were stronger for relatively young people (i.e., in their mid to late 60s) than for relatively older participants (i.e., in their 80s). In addition, predictive effects of social loneliness for perceptual speed at the within-person level were modest and deviated in direction and size from between-person social loneliness effects among those in their mid- to late 60s, whereas they did not among those in their 80s. DISCUSSION We conclude that loneliness may serve as a precursor for basic cognitive functioning in old age and suggest routes for further inquiry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Drewelies
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tim D Windsor
- College of Education, Psychology and Social Work Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Sandra Duezel
- Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ilja Demuth
- Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gert G Wagner
- Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
- German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP), Berlin, Germany
| | - Ulman Lindenberger
- Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Berlin, Germany and London, UK
| | - Denis Gerstorf
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP), Berlin, Germany
| | - Paolo Ghisletta
- University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Swiss National Center of Competence in Research LIVES, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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Toepfer S, König M, Spira D, Drewelies J, Kreutz R, Bolbrinker J, Demuth I. Sex Differences in Characteristics Associated with Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use and Associations with Functional Capacity in Older Participants of the Berlin Aging Study II. Gerontology 2021; 68:664-672. [PMID: 34569530 DOI: 10.1159/000518411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Medication safety is a vital aim in older adults' pharmacotherapy. Increased morbidity and vulnerability require particularly careful prescribing. Beneath avoiding unnecessary polypharmacy and prescribing omissions, physicians have to be aware of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) and related outcomes to optimize older adults' drug therapy, and to reduce adverse drug events. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to identify participants characteristics associated with PIM use and associations of PIM use with functional capacity with a focus on sex differences. METHODS Multivariable logistic regression analyses of cross-sectional Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II) data (N = 1,382, median age 69 years, interquartile range 67-71, 51.3% women) were performed with PIM classification according to the EU(7)-PIM list. RESULTS In the overall study population, higher education was associated with lower odds of PIM use (odds ratio [OR] 0.93, confidence interval [CI] 95% 0.87-0.99, p = 0.017). Falls (OR 1.53, CI 95% 1.08-2.17, p = 0.016), frailty/prefrailty (OR 1.68, 1.17-2.41, p = 0.005), and depression (OR 2.12, CI 95% 1.32-3.41, p = 0.002) were associated with increased odds of PIM use. A better nutritional status was associated with lower odds of PIM use (OR 0.88, CI 95% 0.81-0.97, p = 0.008). In the sex-stratified analysis, higher education was associated with lower odds of PIM use in men (OR 0.90, CI 95% 0.82-0.99, p = 0.032). Frailty/prefrailty was associated with increased odds of PIM use in men (OR 2.04, CI 95% 1.18-3.54, p = 0.011) and a better nutritional status was associated with lower odds of PIM use in men (OR 0.83, CI 95% 0.72-0.96, p = 0.011). Falls in the past 12 months were related to an increased prevalence of PIM use in women (OR 1.74, CI 95% 1.10-2.75, p = 0.019). Depression was associated with a higher prevalence of PIM use in both men (OR 2.74, CI 95% 1.20-6.24, p = 0.016) and women (OR 2.06, CI 95% 1.14-3.71, p = 0.017). We did not detect sex differences regarding the overall use of drugs with anticholinergic effects, but more men than women used PIMs referring to the cardiovascular system (p = 0.036), while more women than men used PIMs referring to the genitourinary system and sex hormones (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION We found similarities, but also differences between men and women as to the associations between PIM use and participants' characteristics and functional capacity assessments. The association of lower education with PIM use may suggest that physicians' prescribing behavior is modified by patient education, a relationship that could evolve from more critical attitudes of educated patients towards medication use. We conclude that sex differences in associations of PIM use with functional capacities might be partly attributable to sex differences in drug classes used, but not with regard to anticholinergics, as these are used to a similar extent in men and women in the cohort studied here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Toepfer
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Lipid Clinic at the Interdisciplinary Metabolism Center, Berlin, Germany,
| | - Maximilian König
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Lipid Clinic at the Interdisciplinary Metabolism Center, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dominik Spira
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Lipid Clinic at the Interdisciplinary Metabolism Center, Berlin, Germany
| | - Johanna Drewelies
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Reinhold Kreutz
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Juliane Bolbrinker
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ilja Demuth
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Lipid Clinic at the Interdisciplinary Metabolism Center, Berlin, Germany.,Berlin Institute of Health at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, BCRT - Berlin Institute of Health Center for Regenerative Therapies, Berlin, Germany
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Drewelies J, Eibich P, Düzel S, Kühn S, Krekel C, Goebel J, Kolbe J, Demuth I, Lindenberger U, Wagner GG, Gerstorf D. Location, Location, Location: The Role of Objective Neighborhood Characteristics for Perceptions of Control. Gerontology 2021; 68:214-223. [PMID: 34000719 DOI: 10.1159/000515634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Control beliefs can protect against age-related declines in functioning. It is unclear whether neighborhood characteristics shape how much control people perceive over their life. This article studies associations of neighborhood characteristics with control beliefs of residents of a diverse metropolitan area (Berlin, Germany). METHODS We combine self-report data about perceptions of control obtained from participants in the Berlin Aging Study II (N = 507, 60-87 years, 51% women) with multisource geo-referenced indicators of neighborhood characteristics using linear regression models. RESULTS Findings indicate that objective neighborhood characteristics (i.e., unemployment rate) are indeed tied to perceptions of control, in particular, how much control participants feel others have over their lives. Including neighborhood characteristics in part doubled the amount of explained variance compared with a reference model covarying for demographic characteristics only (from R2 = 0.017 to R2 = 0.030 for internal control beliefs; R2 = 0.056 to R2 = 0.102 for external control beliefs in chance; R2 = 0.006 to R2 = 0.030 for external control beliefs in powerful others). DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION Findings highlight the importance of access to neighborhood resources for control beliefs across old age and can inform interventions to build up neighborhood characteristics which might be especially helpful in residential areas with high unemployment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Drewelies
- Department for Psychology, Humboldt University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Peter Eibich
- Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany
| | - Sandra Düzel
- Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Simone Kühn
- Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Krekel
- Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science, London School of Economics, London, UK
| | - Jan Goebel
- German Institute for Economic Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jens Kolbe
- Institute of Economics and Law, Technical University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ilja Demuth
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ulman Lindenberger
- Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Berlin, Germany, and, London, UK
| | - Gert G Wagner
- Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
- German Institute for Economic Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Denis Gerstorf
- Department for Psychology, Humboldt University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- German Institute for Economic Research, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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Nauman AT, Behlouli H, Alexander N, Kendel F, Drewelies J, Mantantzis K, Berger N, Wagner GG, Gerstorf D, Demuth I, Pilote L, Regitz-Zagrosek V. Gender score development in the Berlin Aging Study II: a retrospective approach. Biol Sex Differ 2021; 12:15. [PMID: 33461607 PMCID: PMC7814714 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-020-00351-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
In addition to biological sex, gender, defined as the sociocultural dimension of being a woman or a man, plays a central role in health. However, there are so far few approaches to quantify gender in a retrospective manner in existing study datasets. We therefore aimed to develop a methodology that can be retrospectively applied to assess gender in existing cohorts. We used baseline data from the Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II), obtained in 2009–2014 from 1869 participants aged 60 years and older. We identified 13 gender-related variables and used them to construct a gender score by using primary component and logistic regression analyses. Of these, nine variables contributed to a gender score: chronic stress, marital status, risk-taking behaviour, personality attributes: agreeableness, neuroticism, extraversion, loneliness, conscientiousness, and level of education. Females and males differed significantly in the distribution of the gender score, but a significant overlap was also found. Thus, we were able to develop a gender score in a retrospective manner from already collected data that characterized participants in addition to biological sex. This approach will allow researchers to introduce the notion of gender retrospectively into a large number of studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Tauseef Nauman
- Berlin Institute for Gender in Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany. .,CCR (Centre for Cardiovascular Research) Berlin, Berlin, Germany. .,DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), partner site Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Hassan Behlouli
- Centre for Outcomes Research & Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Nicholas Alexander
- Berlin Institute for Gender in Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,CCR (Centre for Cardiovascular Research) Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), partner site Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Friederike Kendel
- Gender in Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Johanna Drewelies
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Nora Berger
- Medical Clinic for Endocrinology, Biology of Aging group, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gert G Wagner
- SocioEconomic Panel at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), Berlin, Germany
| | - Denis Gerstorf
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ilja Demuth
- Medical Clinic for Endocrinology, Biology of Aging group, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, BCRT - Berlin Institute of Health Center for Regenerative Therapies, Berlin, Germany
| | - Louise Pilote
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), partner site Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Vera Regitz-Zagrosek
- Berlin Institute for Gender in Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany. .,CCR (Centre for Cardiovascular Research) Berlin, Berlin, Germany. .,DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), partner site Berlin, Berlin, Germany. .,Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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