BackgroundUnderstanding the correlates of self-rated health (SRH) can help public health professionals prioritize health-promotion and disease-prevention interventions. This study aimed to investigate the association between multiple comorbidities and global SRH and age-comparative SRH.MethodsA total of 512,891 participants aged 30–79 years old were recruited into the China Kadoorie Biobank study from ten regions between 2004 and 2008. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) for the associations between comorbidities (including diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, rheumatic heart disease, stroke, tuberculosis, emphysema/bronchitis, asthma, cirrhosis/chronic hepatitis, peptic ulcer, gallbladder disease, kidney disease, fracture, rheumatic arthritis, psychiatric disorders, depressive symptoms, neurasthenia, head injury and cancer) and SRH. Population attributable risks (PARs) were used to estimate the contribution of multiple comorbidities to poor global SRH and worse age-comparative SRH.ResultsAfter adjusting for covariates, suffering from various diseases increased the chance of reporting a poor global SRH [OR (95% CI) ranged from 1.10 (1.07, 1.13) for fracture to 3.21 (2.68, 3.83) for rheumatic heart disease] and a worse age-comparative SRH [OR (95% CI) ranged from 1.18 (1.13, 1.23) for fracture to 7.56 (6.93, 8.25) for stroke]. From the population perspective, 20.23% of poor global SRH and 45.12% of worse age-comparative SRH could attributed to the cardiometabolic diseases, with hypertension (7.84% for poor global SRH and 13.79% for worse age-comparative SRH), diabetes (4.35% for poor global SRH and 10.71% for worse age-comparative SRH), coronary heart disease (4.44% for poor global SRH and 9.51% for worse age-comparative SRH) and stroke (3.20% for poor global SRH and 10.19% for worse age-comparative SRH) making the largest contribution.ConclusionsVarious diseases were major determinants of global and age-comparative SRH, and cardiometabolic diseases had the strongest impact on both global SRH and age-comparative SRH at the population level. Prevention measures concentrated on these conditions would greatly reduce the total burden of poor SRH and its consequences such as poor quality of life and use of health care services.

Asphyxia during delivery produces long-term deficits in brain development. We investigated the neuroprotective effects of marine collagen peptides (MCPs), isolated from Chum Salmon skin by enzymatic hydrolysis, on male rats with perinatal asphyxia (PA). PA was performed by immersing rat fetuses with uterine horns removed from ready-to-deliver rats into a water bath for 15 min. Caesarean-delivered pups were used as controls. PA rats were intragastrically administered with 0.33 g/kg, 1.0 g/kg and 3.0 g/kg body weight MCPs from postnatal day 0 (PND 0) till the age of 90-days. Behavioral tests were carried out at PND21, PND 28 and PND 90. The results indicated that MCPs facilitated early body weight gain of the PA pups, however had little effects on early physiological development. Behavioral tests revealed that MCPs facilitated long-term learning and memory of the pups with PA through reducing oxidative damage and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in the brain, and increasing hippocampus phosphorylated cAMP-response element binding protein (p-CREB) and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression.

Background and purposeSelf-rated health (SRH) is a consistent and strong predictor of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in various populations. However, the associations between SRH measures and risk of first-ever or recurrent stroke were rarely explored. We thus aim to prospectively investigate the associations between SRH measures and risk of total and subtypes of stroke in Chinese population. MethodsA total of 494,113 participants from the China Kadoorie Biobank without prior heart diseases or cancer (486,541 without stroke and 7,572 with stroke) were followed from baseline (2004 to 2008) until December 31, 2013. General and age-comparative SRH were obtained from baseline questionnaires. First-ever stroke or recurrent events were ascertained through linkage to disease registry system and health insurance data. ResultsWe identified 27,662 first-ever stroke and 2,909 recurrent events during an average of 7.0 years of follow-up. Compared with excellent general SRH, the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for first-ever stroke associated with good, fair, and poor general SRH were 1.04 (1.00 to 1.08), 1.19 (1.15 to 1.23), and 1.49 (1.42 to 1.56) in the multivariate model, respectively. Compared with better age-comparative SRH, the HRs (95% CIs) of same and worse age-comparative SRH were 1.13 (1.10 to 1.17) and 1.51 (1.45 to 1.58), respectively. The relations of SRH measures with ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, and recurrent stroke were similar to that with total first-ever stroke. However, the magnitude of associations was much stronger for fatal stroke than for non-fatal stroke. ConclusionsThis large-scale prospective cohort suggests that self-perceived health status is associated with incident stroke, regardless of stroke subtype.

Background: the relations of cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking with risk of cognitive impairment remain inconsistent. Methods: to examine the independent and joint relations of smoking and alcohol drinking with cognitive impairment, we used data from 16,948 men and women, who had been followed-up for 16-23 (mean of 20) years as participants of the Singapore Chinese Health Study, a population-based prospective cohort. Data on smoking and alcohol drinking were collected at baseline (1993-98), when participants were aged 45-74 (mean 53) years. Cognition was assessed using a 30-item Mini-Mental State Examination during follow-up three visits (2014-16), when participants were aged 61-96 (mean 73) years. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the odd ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: cognitive impairment was present in 2,443 (14.4%) participants. Compared with non-current smokers, current smokers had 20% increased risk (OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.04-1.39). Compared with those who drank less than weekly, regular alcohol drinking (at least weekly) had 17% increased risk (OR = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.01-1.36). Compared with those who were neither smokers nor drinkers, those who were either current smokers or regular drinkers alone had no significantly increased risk, while the risk was highest in those who were both current smokers and regular drinkers (OR = 1.77, 95% CI = 1.39-2.26, P interaction = 0.003). Conclusions: coexistence of smoking and regular alcohol drinking at midlife had a much stronger impact than the individual factors on risk of cognitive impairment in late life.

BackgroundSelf‐rated health (SRH) is a strong predictor of mortality in different populations. However, the associations between SRH measures and risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD) have not been extensively explored, especially in a Chinese population.Methods and ResultsMore than 500 000 adults from 10 cities in China were followed from baseline (2004–2008) through December 31, 2013. Global and age‐comparative SRH were reported from baseline questionnaires. Incident IHD cases were identified through links to well‐established disease registry systems and the national health insurance system. During 3 423 542 person‐years of follow‐up, we identified 24 705 incident cases of IHD. In multivariable‐adjusted models, both global and age‐comparative SRH was significantly associated with incident IHD. Compared with excellent SRH, the hazard ratios for good, fair, and poor SRH were 1.02 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.98–1.07), 1.32 (95% CI, 1.27–1.37), and 1.76 (95% CI, 1.68–1.85), respectively. Compared with better age‐comparative SRH, the hazard ratios for same and worse age‐comparative SRH were 1.23 (95% CI, 1.19–1.27) and 1.78 (95% CI, 1.70–1.86), respectively. The associations persisted in all subgroup analyses, although they were slightly modified by study location, education, and income levels.ConclusionsA simple questionnaire for self‐assessment of health status was significantly associated with incident IHD in Chinese adults. Individuals and healthcare providers can use SRH measures as a convenient tool for assessing future IHD risk.