{"title":"The exposure potential restriction rule revisited.","authors":"Jeremy A Labrecque, Charles Poole, Andreas Stang","doi":"10.1093/aje/kwaf204","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwaf204","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>There are people who cannot receive certain treatments or experience certain exposures. For example, people without a uterine cervix cannot receive an intrauterine device. This lack of exposure potential in some persons instigated an interesting discussion in the 1980s regarding whether such persons should be included in case-control studies. A recommendation to exclude them was named the exposure potential restriction rule. We consider this rule in the context of current modern epidemiology and causal inference including clearly defining which causal questions can be answered with which assumptions, how exposure potential relates to the positivity assumption, how the exposure potential restriction rule may amplify uncontrolled confounding when the reason for a lack of exposure potential is an instrumental variable and the complementary idea of exposure compulsion. Using a simple simulation, we demonstrate that both restricting and not restricting on a variable that defines lack of exposure may induce bias depending on the causal structure. Therefore, careful thought must be used when deciding whether to remove participants who have no potential to be exposed or no potential to be unexposed.</p>","PeriodicalId":7472,"journal":{"name":"American journal of epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145090974","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Re: ratios in regression analyses with causal questions.","authors":"Arvid Sjölander, Erin E Gabriel","doi":"10.1093/aje/kwaf193","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwaf193","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":7472,"journal":{"name":"American journal of epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145090834","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Joona Maaranen, Timo T Hugg, Inês Paciência, Maritta S Jaakkola, Jouni J K Jaakkola, Aino K Rantala
{"title":"Home dampness and molds and occurrence of respiratory tract infections in the first 27 years of life: The Espoo Cohort Study.","authors":"Joona Maaranen, Timo T Hugg, Inês Paciência, Maritta S Jaakkola, Jouni J K Jaakkola, Aino K Rantala","doi":"10.1093/aje/kwaf200","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwaf200","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The role of residential dampness and molds in the occurrence of respiratory tract infections is not well understood. We assessed the relations between cumulative lifetime and time-specific dampness and mold exposures and the occurrence of upper and lower respiratory tract infections (URTI and LRTI) from pregnancy to 27 years of age in the prospective population-based Espoo Cohort Study (n=2,567). We assessed three questionnaire-based reports of residential exposure to water damage, moisture on the surfaces, visible mold and mold odor, and incidence rates of URTI and LRTI when children were 1-6, 7-13, and 21-27 years. We estimated adjusted incidence rate differences (aIRD) and ratios (aIRR) with their 95% confidence intervals (CI). According to all the data combined from three follow-ups, home exposure to dampness and mold increased the risk of URTIs (aIRR 1.15; 95% CI 1.10, 1.21) and LRTIs (aIRR 1.47; 95% CI 1.21, 1.79). An exposure-response pattern was observed, with each additional exposure time point particularly associated with an increased risk of LRTIs due to water damage (aIRR 2.13; 1.32-3.44) and mold odor (aIRR 2.04; 1.22,3.43). The occurrence of respiratory tract infections was associated with both presence and duration of residential dampness and mold exposure.</p>","PeriodicalId":7472,"journal":{"name":"American journal of epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145022674","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Massimiliano Russo, Sushama Kattinakere Sreedhara, Joshua Smith, Sharon E Davis, Judith C Maro, Thomas Deramus, Joyce Lii, Jie Yang, Rishi Desai, José J Hernández-Muñoz, Yong Ma, Youjin Wang, Jamal T Jones, Shirley V Wang
{"title":"Electronic Health Record (EHR) Enhanced Signal Detection Using Tree-Based Scan Statistic Methods.","authors":"Massimiliano Russo, Sushama Kattinakere Sreedhara, Joshua Smith, Sharon E Davis, Judith C Maro, Thomas Deramus, Joyce Lii, Jie Yang, Rishi Desai, José J Hernández-Muñoz, Yong Ma, Youjin Wang, Jamal T Jones, Shirley V Wang","doi":"10.1093/aje/kwaf199","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwaf199","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Tree-based scan statistics (TBSS) are data mining methods that screen thousands of hierarchically related health outcomes to detect unsuspected adverse drug effects. TBSS traditionally analyze claims data with outcomes defined via diagnosis codes. TBSS have not been previously applied to rich clinical information in Electronic Health Records (EHR). We developed approaches for integrating EHR data in TBSS analyses, including outcomes derived from natural language processing (NLP) applied to clinical notes and laboratory results, related via multipath hierarchical structures. We consider four settings that sequentially add sources of outcomes to the TBSS tree: 1) diagnosis code, 2) NLP-derived outcomes, 3) binary outcomes from lab results, and 4) continuous lab results. In a comparative cohort study involving second-generation sulfonylureas (SUs) and dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitors among adults with type-2 diabetes, with an a priori expected signal of hypoglycemia, diagnosis code data showed no statistical alerts for inpatient or emergency department settings. Adding NLP-derived outcomes resulted in an alert for \"Headaches\" (p=0.047), a nonspecific symptom of hypoglycemia. Progressively adding binary and continuous lab results produced the same alert. Integrating EHR in TBSS can be useful for the detection of safety signals for further investigation.</p>","PeriodicalId":7472,"journal":{"name":"American journal of epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145013669","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Colleen A Reynolds, Jarvis T Chen, Payal Chakraborty, Lori B Chibnik, Janet W Rich-Edwards, Brittany M Charlton
{"title":"Covariate adjustment in LGBTQ+ health disparities research: aligning methods with assumptions.","authors":"Colleen A Reynolds, Jarvis T Chen, Payal Chakraborty, Lori B Chibnik, Janet W Rich-Edwards, Brittany M Charlton","doi":"10.1093/aje/kwaf197","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwaf197","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In 2016, the NIH designated LGBTQ+ individuals (ie, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and all sexual and gender minorities) as a health disparities population. The growing interest in studying the health of LGBTQ+ populations merits revisiting the methodological approaches researchers employ. We elucidate how researchers can identify appropriate adjustment sets for causal questions using directed acyclic graphs (DAGs). To illustrate these points, we simulated a simplified example using pregnancy loss as the outcome wherein we generate 1000 datasets with a sample size of 10 000 individuals. We motivate why covariates that are commonly used in LGBTQ+ health disparities research (eg, use of medically assisted reproduction) are mediators, not confounders, and how adjusting for these variables in causal research can induce bias by blocking part of the indirect effect of exposure on the outcome. Next, we illustrate the complexity of mediation analyses with social exposures due to mediator-outcome confounding induced by exposure and compare potential approaches. Then we demonstrate how collider stratification bias can arise from our sample recruitment and selection. Finally, we demonstrate how incorporating heterosexism (ie, stigma and discrimination) as an unobserved node in our DAG can guide decision-making on appropriate adjustment sets.</p>","PeriodicalId":7472,"journal":{"name":"American journal of epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145013703","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Vahé Nafilyan, Augustin de Coulon, Mauricio Avendano
{"title":"The impact of depressive symptoms on cognitive function in early old age: A longitudinal fixed-effect study.","authors":"Vahé Nafilyan, Augustin de Coulon, Mauricio Avendano","doi":"10.1093/aje/kwaf187","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwaf187","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Depression is associated with cognitive decline, but the causal nature of this association in early old age has not yet been established. We examined the impact of depressive symptoms on changes in cognitive function using data from 27,315 adults aged 50-65 in the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) followed for 8 years (2010/2011 -2017/2018), using fixed effect models. Results suggest that an increase in depressive symptoms is associated with a significant decline in overall cognitive function (β =-0.069, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) -0.082 to -0.057), episodic memory (β =-0.052, 95% CI -0.065 to -0.038), working memory (β =-0.075, 95% CI -0.091 to -0.059) and verbal fluency (β =-0.039, 95% CI -0.043 to -0.016). Symptoms capturing difficulties to concentrate, loss of appetite, loss of enjoyment, loss of interest, pessimism, sleep problems and suicidality have stronger effects that depressed mood symptoms such as sadness and tearfulness. Results are robust to an expanded set of controls and to an instrumental variable approach for depressive symptoms. Findings provide novel evidence of a potentially causal relationship between depressive symptoms and cognitive function in early old age.</p>","PeriodicalId":7472,"journal":{"name":"American journal of epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144999438","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Teng-Rui Cao, Li-Juan Wu, Miao Gong, Yu Zhang, Jie Ding, Xu-Man Feng, Ning-Fei Fan, Xing-Hua Yang, Yu-Xiang Yan
{"title":"Combined effects of ambient air pollution exposure and biological aging on incident liver diseases: A large prospective cohort study.","authors":"Teng-Rui Cao, Li-Juan Wu, Miao Gong, Yu Zhang, Jie Ding, Xu-Man Feng, Ning-Fei Fan, Xing-Hua Yang, Yu-Xiang Yan","doi":"10.1093/aje/kwaf196","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwaf196","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Both ambient air pollution exposure and biological aging are associated with incident liver diseases, but previous studies mainly focused on single-factor associations. This study aimed to assess the combined effects of air pollutants exposure and biological aging on liver diseases incidence and investigate the potential mediating role of biological aging. We analyzed 418,576 UK Biobank participants. Annual mean concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, PM2.5-10, NO2, and NO in 2010 were used to generate a weighted air pollution score. Biological ages were assessed using the Klemera-Doubal method biological age (KDM-BA) and phenotypic age (PhenoAge). Cox regression models and quantile g-computation were used to evaluate associations and joint effects. Mediation analyses explored the role of biological aging. Over a median follow-up of 13.57 years, 7,991 (1.91%) participants developed liver diseases. Exposure to all pollutants and biological aging were associated with higher liver diseases risk. And NO2 contributed 42.31% to the mixture effect. Participants with higher levels of air pollutants exposure and biologically older status had a higher risk. Furthermore, the mediated proportion of accelerated biological aging was 1.9% to 7.7% for air pollution-associated liver diseases. Ambient air pollution exposure may increase liver diseases risk, with biological aging potentially involved in the mechanisms.</p>","PeriodicalId":7472,"journal":{"name":"American journal of epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144999482","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sungho Bea, C Andrew Basham, Heba H Edrees, Krista F Huybrechts, Seanna M Vine, Robert J Glynn, Brian T Bateman, Katsiaryna Bykov
{"title":"Risk of Opioid Overdose Associated with Concurrent Use of Hydrocodone and CYP3A4-inhibiting Calcium Channel Blockers: A Population-based Cohort Study.","authors":"Sungho Bea, C Andrew Basham, Heba H Edrees, Krista F Huybrechts, Seanna M Vine, Robert J Glynn, Brian T Bateman, Katsiaryna Bykov","doi":"10.1093/aje/kwaf198","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwaf198","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers (CCBs), including diltiazem and verapamil, inhibit cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4), an enzyme involved in the metabolism of hydrocodone, the most commonly used opioid in the United States (US). This study evaluated whether concomitant use of hydrocodone with CYP3A4-inhibiting CCBs increases the risk of opioid overdose compared to use of hydrocodone with amlodipine, a CCB that does not inhibit CYP3A4. Using three US databases (2000-2021), two cohorts were identified: (1) hydrocodone initiation while on CCB; and (2) CCB initiation while on hydrocodone. The outcome was hospitalization or emergency department visits for opioid overdose. Propensity score matching weights were applied to balance confounders, and Cox regression estimated hazard ratios (HRs), pooled using random-effects meta-analysis. In hydrocodone initiation cohort (mean age 61.2 years; 53.8% female), weighted incidence rates were 2.8 and 2.6 per 1,000 person-years, with a weighted HR of 1.07 (95% CI, 0.90-1.29). In CCB initiation cohort (mean age 55.2 years; 59.9% female), weighted incidence rates were 6.5 and 6.0, yielding an HR of 1.08 (95% CI, 0.88-1.32). The pooled HR was 1.07 (95% CI, 0.94-1.23). Concomitant use of hydrocodone with CYP3A4-inhibiting CCBs was not associated with an increased risk of opioid overdose relative to amlodipine.</p>","PeriodicalId":7472,"journal":{"name":"American journal of epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144999448","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Prenatal exposure to residential greenness, fetal growth, and birth outcomes: a cohort study in New York City.","authors":"Seulkee Heo, Yelena Afanasyeva, Mengling Liu, Shilpi Mehta-Lee, Wenqing Yang, Leonardo Trasande, Michelle L Bell, Akhgar Ghassabian","doi":"10.1093/aje/kwae436","DOIUrl":"10.1093/aje/kwae436","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Findings for greenspace's impacts on birth outcomes are largely dependent on vegetation indexes. Examinations are needed for various greenspace indicators given varying pathways for fetal development. This prospective cohort study assessed the impacts of prenatal greenspace exposure on preterm birth (PTB), term low birthweight (TLBW), birthweight, and estimated fetal weight (EFW) for pregnant women in the New York City area, 2016-2023 (n = 2765). Longitudinal greenspace exposure was measured for residential histories during pregnancy using the enhanced vegetation index for 1000 m buffers and four park metrics, namely, the total number, sum of area, and the accessibility of parks within residential buffers (500 m) and the distance to the closest park. Multivariable regression models were used to estimate the associations for quartiles of exposure (with the first quartile [Q1] as reference). Greenspace exposure was not associated with TLBW, birthweight, or EFW. Odds ratios of PTB for the Q2, Q3, and Q4 enhanced vegetation index exposure groups compared to the Q1 group were 0.65 (95% CI, 0.43-0.98), 0.51 (95% CI, 0.32-0.80), and 0.56 (95% CI, 0.35-0.90), respectively. Preterm birth risks decreased in higher exposure groups (Q2-Q4) of the total park number. Results indicate the benefits of prenatal greenspace exposure for fetal maturity and neonatal outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":7472,"journal":{"name":"American journal of epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"2621-2630"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12390739/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142674877","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marnie Downes, Meredith O'Connor, Craig A Olsson, David Burgner, Sharon Goldfeld, Elizabeth A Spry, George Patton, Margarita Moreno-Betancur
{"title":"Causal inference in multi-cohort studies using the target trial framework to identify and minimize sources of bias.","authors":"Marnie Downes, Meredith O'Connor, Craig A Olsson, David Burgner, Sharon Goldfeld, Elizabeth A Spry, George Patton, Margarita Moreno-Betancur","doi":"10.1093/aje/kwae405","DOIUrl":"10.1093/aje/kwae405","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Longitudinal cohort studies, which follow a group of individuals over time, provide the opportunity to examine the causal effects of complex exposures on long-term health outcomes. Utilizing data from multiple cohorts has the potential to add further benefit by improving the precision of estimates through data pooling and by allowing examination of effect heterogeneity through replication of analyses across cohorts. However, the interpretation of findings can be complicated by biases that may be compounded when pooling data or contribute to discrepant findings when analyses are replicated. The \"target trial\" is a powerful tool for guiding causal inference in single-cohort studies. Here we extend this conceptual framework to address the specific challenges that can arise in the multi-cohort setting. By representing a clear definition of the target estimand, the target trial provides a central point of reference against which biases arising in each cohort and from data pooling can be systematically assessed. Consequently, analyses can be designed to reduce these biases and the resulting findings appropriately interpreted in light of potential remaining biases. We use a case study to demonstrate the framework and its potential to strengthen causal inference in multi-cohort studies through improved analysis design and clarity in the interpretation of findings.</p>","PeriodicalId":7472,"journal":{"name":"American journal of epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"2685-2697"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12409135/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142492831","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}