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Investigating pathogen burden in relation to a cumulative deficits index in a representative sample of US adults.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Noppert, GA; Aiello, AE; O'Rand, AM; Cohen, HJ
Published in: Epidemiol Infect
November 2018

Pathogen burden is a construct developed to assess the cumulative effects of multiple, persistent pathogens on morbidity and mortality. Despite the likely biological wear and tear on multiple body systems caused by persistent infections, few studies have examined the impact of total pathogen burden on such outcomes and specifically on preclinical markers of dysfunction. Using data from two waves of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, we compared three alternative methods for measuring pathogen burden, composed of mainly persistent viral infections, using a cumulative deficits index (CDI) as an outcome: single pathogen associations, a pathogen burden summary score and latent class analyses. We found significant heterogeneity in the distribution of the CDI by age, sex, race/ethnicity and education. There was an association between pathogen burden and the CDI by all three metrics. The latent class classification of pathogen burden showed particularly strong associations with the CDI; these associations remained after controlling for age, sex, body mass index, smoking, race/ethnicity and education. Our results suggest that pathogen burden may influence early clinical indicators of poor health as measured by the CDI. Our results are salient since we were able to detect these associations in a relatively young population. These findings suggest that reducing pathogen burden and the specific pathogens that drive the CDI may provide a target for preventing the early development of age-related physiological changes.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Epidemiol Infect

DOI

EISSN

1469-4409

Publication Date

November 2018

Volume

146

Issue

15

Start / End Page

1968 / 1976

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Viruses
  • Virus Diseases
  • United States
  • Prevalence
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Epidemiology
 

Citation

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Noppert, G. A., Aiello, A. E., O’Rand, A. M., & Cohen, H. J. (2018). Investigating pathogen burden in relation to a cumulative deficits index in a representative sample of US adults. Epidemiol Infect, 146(15), 1968–1976. https://doi.org/10.1017/S095026881800153X
Noppert, G. A., A. E. Aiello, A. M. O’Rand, and H. J. Cohen. “Investigating pathogen burden in relation to a cumulative deficits index in a representative sample of US adults.Epidemiol Infect 146, no. 15 (November 2018): 1968–76. https://doi.org/10.1017/S095026881800153X.
Noppert GA, Aiello AE, O’Rand AM, Cohen HJ. Investigating pathogen burden in relation to a cumulative deficits index in a representative sample of US adults. Epidemiol Infect. 2018 Nov;146(15):1968–76.
Noppert, G. A., et al. “Investigating pathogen burden in relation to a cumulative deficits index in a representative sample of US adults.Epidemiol Infect, vol. 146, no. 15, Nov. 2018, pp. 1968–76. Pubmed, doi:10.1017/S095026881800153X.
Noppert GA, Aiello AE, O’Rand AM, Cohen HJ. Investigating pathogen burden in relation to a cumulative deficits index in a representative sample of US adults. Epidemiol Infect. 2018 Nov;146(15):1968–1976.
Journal cover image

Published In

Epidemiol Infect

DOI

EISSN

1469-4409

Publication Date

November 2018

Volume

146

Issue

15

Start / End Page

1968 / 1976

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Viruses
  • Virus Diseases
  • United States
  • Prevalence
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Epidemiology