Publications by authors named "Sarah Krull Abe"
Background: Studies on the association between multimorbidity and mortality in large populations have mainly been conducted in European and North American populations. This study aimed to identify the association between cardiometabolic multimorbidity and all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in the Asia Cohort Consortium.
Methods: In this prospective cohort study, pooled analysis was performed to evaluate the association between cardiometabolic diseases (hypertension, diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and stroke), multimorbidity, and all-cause and CVD mortality, including premature mortality, among participants from 11 Asian cohort studies.
Effects of smokeless tobacco on cancer incidence and mortality: a global systematic review and meta-analysis.
Cancer Causes Control
April 2025
Introduction: The prevalence of smokeless tobacco consumption remains high despite policies on reduction interventions. This study aims to quantify the associations between smokeless tobacco use with cancer incidence and mortality globally.
Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and PROSPERO protocol (ID: CRD42023390468).
Background: There are scarce data on risk factors for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) in Asian populations. Our goal was to advance knowledge on reproductive -related risk factors for EOC in a large population of Asian women.
Methods: This study used pooled individual data from baseline questionnaires in 11 prospective cohorts (baseline years, 1958-2015) in the Asia Cohort Consortium.
Background: It has been suggested that the association between body mass index and breast cancer risk differs between Asian women and Western women. We aimed to assess the associations between body mass index and breast cancer incidence in East Asian women.
Methods: Pooled analyses were performed using individual participant data of 319,189 women from 13 cohort studies in Japan, Korea, and China.
Prevalence of Breast Cancer Screening in Asia: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Asian Pac J Cancer Prev
October 2024
Article Synopsis
- Breast cancer is a major cause of cancer deaths in women over 50, and this study looked into the prevalence and trends of breast cancer screening in select Asian countries.
- Researchers reviewed 41 studies from 14 countries, finding that the average screening rates over the last decade were 24% for clinical breast examinations and 18% for mammograms in China, Iran, Japan, and Korea.
- The lack of comprehensive data from many Asian countries highlights the need for better cancer control policies and improved screening programs to gather more accurate information.
Article Synopsis
- A study examined the impact of family history of lung cancer (FHLC) on lung cancer incidence and mortality among East Asian individuals, using data from 478,354 participants across 11 cohorts.
- The findings indicated that having a family history of lung cancer increased the risk of developing lung cancer by 45%, affecting both men and women, and regardless of whether individuals were smokers or non-smokers.
- Specific lung cancer types like adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma showed even higher associated risks, but there was no significant difference in risk based on sex, smoking status, or ethnicity.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the rising burden of cancer in India, specifically focusing on the low rates of breast and cervical cancer testing among women, and how socioeconomic, regional, and educational factors contribute to this issue.
- Data from the 2019-21 National Family Health Survey indicated very low testing rates (9 per 1,000 for breast cancer and 20 per 1,000 for cervical cancer), with significant disparities: wealthier women had much higher screening rates, and rural women faced greater inequalities compared to urban counterparts.
- The findings highlight a critical need for targeted efforts to improve cancer screening services, particularly for lower-educated and rural women, in order to address these disparities in health equity.
Body Mass Index and Risk of Colorectal Cancer Incidence and Mortality in Asia.
JAMA Netw Open
August 2024
Article Synopsis
- The study examines the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and the risks of developing colorectal cancer (CRC) and dying from it in the Asian population, highlighting rising obesity rates and CRC incidence.
- The research pooled data from 17 cohort studies spanning from 1984 to 2002, with a median follow-up of 15.2 years and included nearly 620,000 participants for CRC incidence and over 650,000 for CRC-related mortality.
- Results indicate that higher BMI significantly increases the risk of incident CRC, with greater risks seen for those classified as obese, especially for colon cancer compared to rectal cancer, and a similar pattern was noted for CRC-related deaths.
Article Synopsis
- - Routine immunization programs in low- and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) have seen improvements in vaccination coverage from 2000 to 2020, which helps reduce vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs)
- - A study analyzed data from 174 household surveys across 41 LMICs using advanced statistical methods, revealing marked increases in vaccination rates, especially in East Africa, though many countries are projected to fall short of the 2030 coverage goals
- - The conclusion emphasizes the need for LMICs to address ongoing urban-rural and socioeconomic gaps in vaccination access by enhancing health systems and involving communities to ensure equitable vaccine distribution
Background: Evidence suggests a possible link between diabetes and gastric cancer risk, but the findings remain inconclusive, with limited studies in the Asian population. We aimed to assess the impact of diabetes and diabetes duration on the development of gastric cancer overall, by anatomical and histological subtypes.
Methods: A pooled analysis was conducted using 12 prospective studies included in the Asia Cohort Consortium.
Article Synopsis
- A study was conducted using data from 968,738 adults across 20 cohort studies in Asia to investigate the link between diabetes and liver cancer incidence and mortality.
- The findings revealed that adults with diabetes had a significantly higher risk of being diagnosed with liver cancer (hazard ratio of 1.97) and dying from it (adjusted hazard ratio of 1.97) compared to those without diabetes.
- The robust results, supported by a two-stage meta-analysis, contribute valuable evidence to the understanding of liver cancer risks among diabetic populations in Asian countries.
Background: The family history of gastric cancer holds important implications for cancer surveillance and prevention, yet existing evidence predominantly comes from case-control studies. We aimed to investigate the association between family history of gastric cancer and gastric cancer risk overall and by various subtypes in Asians in a prospective study.
Methods: We included 12 prospective cohorts with 550,508 participants in the Asia Cohort Consortium.
The female predominance of gallbladder cancer (GBC) has led to a hypothesis regarding the hormone-related aetiology of GBC. We aimed to investigate the association between female reproductive factors and GBC risk, considering birth cohorts of Asian women. We conducted a pooled analysis of 331,323 women from 12 cohorts across 4 countries (China, Japan, Korea, and Singapore) in the Asia Cohort Consortium.
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- - The study analyzed lung cancer risk related to reproductive factors among 308,949 Asian women across four countries, finding inconsistent results in previous research.
- - Parous women (those who have given birth) were found to have a significantly lower risk of lung cancer incidence and mortality compared to nulliparous women, especially among smokers.
- - Higher ages at first childbirth were associated with decreased lung cancer risk, while hormone replacement therapy users showed a greater likelihood of developing non-small cell lung cancer. Future research is needed to explore these findings further.
Article Synopsis
- A large study analyzed data from 444,143 Japanese individuals to investigate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and lung cancer risk.
- Results showed that lower BMI, specifically under 18.5, increased lung cancer risk, while being overweight or obese correlated with reduced risk.
- The findings suggest an inverse relationship between BMI and lung cancer risk in the Japanese population, with the effect being more significant in male smokers, indicating possible smoking-related confounding.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how different birth cohorts influence the relationship between reproductive and lifestyle factors and breast cancer risk.
- It uses pooled data from 12 cohort studies and employs Cox proportional hazard regression to analyze factors like age at menarche, menopause, parity, smoking, and alcohol consumption.
- Results indicate that parity reduces breast cancer risk in older cohorts, while lifestyle factors like smoking and alcohol show stronger associations in those born in the 1950s compared to earlier cohorts.
Article Synopsis
- Body fatness is highlighted as a potential risk factor for biliary tract cancer (BTC), with established correlations between obesity and cholelithiasis (gallstones).
- A comprehensive analysis of data from over 905,000 participants across 21 studies in Asia found that higher body mass index (BMI) correlates with increased BTC mortality, especially in females.
- The study indicates that while obesity is linked to BTC mortality in women without gallstones, the relationship is less clear in men and when gallstones are present, suggesting complex interactions between BMI, gender, and gallstone presence.
Article Synopsis
- The COVID-19 pandemic in Japan affected how cancer patients chose to receive end-of-life care, leading to a notable shift from hospitals to home settings for deaths.
- Analysis of national mortality data revealed that while total cancer deaths increased over time, there was uncertainty regarding an overall rise in excess cancer deaths during the pandemic.
- The percentage of deaths occurring in medical institutions dropped significantly, while home deaths rose, indicating changes in care preferences and necessitating further investigation into the pandemic's impact on cancer care decisions.
Importance: Despite evidence of an association between reproductive factors and endometrial cancer risk, prospective studies have been conducted mainly in non-Asian countries.
Objective: To assess the association between reproductive factors, such as number of deliveries, age at menarche, or menopause, and endometrial cancer risk.
Design, Setting, And Participants: This cohort study used pooled individual data from 13 prospective cohort studies conducted between 1963 and 2014 in the Asia Cohort Consortium.
Economic burden of cancer attributable to modifiable risk factors in Japan.
Glob Health Med
August 2023
Controlling avoidable causes of cancer may save cancer-related healthcare costs and indirect costs of premature deaths and productivity loss. This study aimed to estimate the economic burden of cancer attributable to major lifestyle and environmental risk factors in Japan in 2015. We evaluated the economic cost of cancer attributable to modifiable risk factors from a societal perspective.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe effect of body mass index (BMI) on esophageal and gastric carcinogenesis might be heterogeneous, depending on subtype or subsite. However, findings from prospective evaluations of BMI associated with these cancers among Asian populations have been inconsistent and limited, especially for esophageal adenocarcinoma and gastric cardia cancer. We performed a pooled analysis of 10 population-based cohort studies to examine this association in 394,247 Japanese individuals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: While tall stature has been linked to an increase in the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), its association with cancer in the colorectum and its subsites remains unclear among Asians.
Methods: We conducted a pooled analysis of 10 population-based cohort studies among adults in Japan. Each study estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for CRC incidence associated with adult height were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression with adjustment of the same set of covariates were then pooled to estimate summary HRs incidence using random-effect models.
Alcohol consumption from midlife and risk of disabling dementia in a large population-based cohort study in Japan.
Int J Geriatr Psychiatry
March 2023
Objectives: The association between alcohol consumption and dementia in Japanese is poorly understood, and use of single-point alcohol assessment may cause measurement error. We explored this association in Japanese using repeated alcohol assessments.
Methods: Participants in the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study (JPHC Study) since 1990 and who were alive in 2006 were followed from 2006 until 2016 for dementia ascertainment.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to determine how common a family history of cancer is among participants in the Japanese National Center Cohort Collaborative for Advancing Population Health.
- The results showed that the prevalence of family history of cancer increases with age, with 10.51% in younger participants (15-39 years) and 47.11% in older adults (70 years and above).
- Gastric cancer was the most frequently reported among family members at 11.97%, with women having a higher prevalence (34.32%) than men (28.75%), indicating a need for focused cancer screening services.
Subnational evidence on the level of inequality in receiving complementary feeding practice among Bangladeshi children is lacking. This study estimated inequality in the minimum acceptable diet (MAD) among Bangladeshi children aged 6-23 months, and identified risk factors for and developed projections of the MAD up to 2030. Data from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2017-2018 were used in this cross-sectional study.
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