Publikationer

Research | Forskning - peer review

Since 1993, regular population health surveys in Greenland have supported and monitored the public health strategy of Greenland and have monitored cardiometabolic and lung diseases. The most recent of these surveys included 2539 persons aged 15+ from 20 communities spread over the whole country. The… Since 1993, regular population health surveys in Greenland have supported and monitored the public health strategy of Greenland and have monitored cardiometabolic and lung diseases. The most recent of these surveys included 2539 persons aged 15+ from 20 communities spread over the whole country. The survey instruments included personal interviews, self-administered questionnaires, blood sampling, anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, ECG, oral glucose test, pulmonary function, hand grip strength and chair stand test. Blood samples were analysed for glucose, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), insulin, incretin hormones, cholesterol, kidney function, fatty acids in erythrocyte membranes and mercury, urine for albumin-creatinine ratio, and aliquots were stored at −80°C for future use. Data were furthermore collected for studies of the gut microbiome and diabetes complications. Survey participants were followed up with register data. The potential of the study is to contribute to the continued monitoring of risk factors and health conditions as part of Greenland’s public health strategy and to study the epidemiology of cardiometabolic diseases and other chronic diseases and behavioural risk factors. The next population health survey is planned for 2024. The emphasis of the article is on the methods of the study and results will be presented in other publications. Læs mere

Research | Forskning - peer review

The Inuit ancestors of the Greenlandic people arrived in Greenland close to 1,000 years ago.1 Since then, Eu- ropeans from many different countries have been present in Greenland. Consequently, the present-day Greenlandic population has $25% of its genetic ancestry from Europe.2 In this study, we in… The Inuit ancestors of the Greenlandic people arrived in Greenland close to 1,000 years ago.1 Since then, Eu- ropeans from many different countries have been present in Greenland. Consequently, the present-day Greenlandic population has $25% of its genetic ancestry from Europe.2 In this study, we investigated to what extent different European countries have contributed to this genetic ancestry. We combined dense SNP chip data from 3,972 Greenlanders and 8,275 Europeans from 14 countries and inferred the ancestry contribution from each of these 14 countries using haplotype-based methods. Due to the rapid increase in population size in Greenland over the past $100 years, we hypothesized that earlier European interactions, such as pre-colonial Dutch whalers and early German and Danish-Norwegian missionaries, as well as the later Danish colonists and post-colonial immigrants, all contributed European genetic ancestry. However, we found that the European ancestry is almost entirely Danish and that a substantial fraction is from admix- ture that took place within the last few generations. Læs mere

Research | Forskning - peer review

The lifestyle of Inuit in Greenland and worldwide is undergoing a transition from a fisher-hunter to a westernized society and meanwhile the prevalence of type-2 diabetes (T2D) has increased dramatically. Stud- ies have shown that a common nonsense p.Arg684Ter variant in TBC1D4, which is frequent in… The lifestyle of Inuit in Greenland and worldwide is undergoing a transition from a fisher-hunter to a westernized society and meanwhile the prevalence of type-2 diabetes (T2D) has increased dramatically. Stud- ies have shown that a common nonsense p.Arg684Ter variant in TBC1D4, which is frequent in Greenland, con- fers genetic susceptibility towards high risk of T2D. The aim of the study is to investigate whether a traditional marine diet, with high fat and low carbohydrate, will improve glycemic control in Greenland Inuit compared to a western diet. Moreover, we want to examine if the response is more pronounced in carriers of the p.Arg684Ter variant. Læs mere

Research | Forskning - peer review

Befolkningsundersøgelsen i Grønland 2018. Levevilkår, livsstil og helbred - Oversigt over indikatorer for folkesundheden

Befolkningsundersøgelsen i 2018 er den seneste i en række af fem landsdækkende sundhedsundersøgelser, der er gennemført siden 1993. Befolkningsundersøgelsen i 2018 omfatter 19 af de 38 indikatorer for folkesundheden i Grønland relateret til de indsatsområder som er beskrevet i folkesundhedsprogramme… Befolkningsundersøgelsen i 2018 er den seneste i en række af fem landsdækkende sundhedsundersøgelser, der er gennemført siden 1993. Befolkningsundersøgelsen i 2018 omfatter 19 af de 38 indikatorer for folkesundheden i Grønland relateret til de indsatsområder som er beskrevet i folkesundhedsprogrammet Inuuneritta II. Disse dækker over befolkningens brug af alkohol og hash, rygevaner, kostmønstre og fysisk aktivitet samt en række forhold i opvæksten med betydning for helbredet langt ind i voksenlivet. Undersøgelsen handler i høj grad også om mental sundhed og trivsel, og der er som noget nyt et særligt fokus på unge og ældre. Læs mere

Research | Forskning - peer review

Ca homoeostasis is important to human health and tightly controlled by powerful hormonal mechanisms that display ethnic variation. Ethnic variations could occur also in Arctic populations where the traditional Inuit diet is low in Ca and sun exposure is limited. We aimed to assess factors important… Ca homoeostasis is important to human health and tightly controlled by powerful hormonal mechanisms that display ethnic variation. Ethnic variations could occur also in Arctic populations where the traditional Inuit diet is low in Ca and sun exposure is limited. We aimed to assess factors important to parathyroid hormone (PTH) and Ca in serum in Arctic populations. We included Inuit and Caucasians aged 50–69 years living in the capital city in West or in rural East Greenland. Lifestyle factors were assessed by questionnaires. The intake of Inuit diet was assessed from a FFQ. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD2 and 25OHD3) levels were measured in serum as was albumin, Ca and PTH. The participation rate was 95 %, with 101 Caucasians and 434 Inuit. Median serum 25OHD (99·7 % was 25OHD3) in Caucasians/Inuit was 42/64 nmol/l (25, 75 percentiles 25, 54/51, 81) (P<0·001). Total Ca in serum was 2·33/2·29 mmol/l (25, 75 percentiles 2·26, 2·38/2·21, 2·36) (P=0·01) and PTH was 2·7/2·2 pmol/l (25, 75 percentiles 2·2, 4·1/1·7, 2·7) (P<0·001). The 69/97 Caucasians/Inuit with serum 25OHD <50 nmol/l differed in PTH (P=0·001) that rose with lower 25OHD levels in Caucasians, whereas this was not the case in Inuit. Ethnic origin influenced PTH (β=0·27, P<0·001) and Ca (β=0·22, P<0·001) in multivariate linear regression models after adjustment for age, sex, BMI, smoking, alcohol and diet. In conclusion, ethnic origin influenced PTH, PTH response to low vitamin D levels and Ca levels in populations in Greenland. Recommendations are to evaluate mechanisms underlying the ethnic influence on Ca homoeostasis and to assess the impact of transition in dietary habits on Ca homoeostasis and skeletal health in Arctic populations. Læs mere

Research | Forskning - peer review

We previously showed that a common genetic variant leads to a remarkably increased risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in the small and historically isolated Greenlandic population. Motivated by this, we aimed at discovering novel genetic determinants for glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) and at estimating the… We previously showed that a common genetic variant leads to a remarkably increased risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in the small and historically isolated Greenlandic population. Motivated by this, we aimed at discovering novel genetic determinants for glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) and at estimating the effect of known HbA1C-associated loci in the Greenlandic population. We analyzed genotype data from 4049 Greenlanders generated using the Illumina Cardio-Metabochip. We performed the discovery association analysis by an additive linear mixed model. To estimate the effect of known HbA1C-associated loci, we modeled the effect in the European and Inuit ancestry proportions of the Greenlandic genome (EAPGG and IAPGG, respectively). After correcting for multiple testing, we found no novel significant associations. When we investigated loci known to associate with HbA1C levels, we found that the lead variant in the GCK locus associated significantly with HbA1C levels in the IAPGG (PIAPGG=4.8×10−6,βIAPGG=0.13SD). Furthermore, for 10 of 15 known HbA1C loci, the effects in IAPGG were similar to the previously reported effects. Interestingly, the ANK1 locus showed a statistically significant ancestral population differential effect, with opposing directions of effect in the two ancestral populations. In conclusion, we found only 1 of the 15 known HbA1C loci to be significantly associated with HbA1C levels in the IAPGG and that two-thirds of the loci showed similar effects in Inuit as previously found in European and East Asian populations. Our results shed light on the genetic effects across ethnicities. Læs mere

Research | Forskning - peer review

Aims: The aim was to investigate the prevalence of diabetic sensorimotor polyneuropathy (DSPN) and cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN) in a Danish population of young adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) using both established and novel measuring modalities. Furthermore, to investigate the associ… Aims: The aim was to investigate the prevalence of diabetic sensorimotor polyneuropathy (DSPN) and cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN) in a Danish population of young adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) using both established and novel measuring modalities. Furthermore, to investigate the association between continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) treatment and these complications. Materials and Methods: CAN was assessed by cardiovascular autonomic reflex tests. DSPN was assessed not only by perception of light touch and pain, vibration perception threshold (VPT), Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), and Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument questionnaires but also by novel modalities: electrochemical skin conductance (ESC), sural nerve conduction velocity (SNCV), and sural nerve amplitude potential (SNAP). Results: The study comprised 156 young adults with a mean age of 22 years (standard deviation 1.6). The prevalence of CAN and early CAN was 9% and 28.1%, respectively. Subclinical DSPN was 55.1% and confirmed DSPN was 2.6%. Prevalence of abnormal SNAP was 23.8%, SNCV was 37.1%, ESC on the hands and feet was 4% and 8%, respectively, VPT was 1.3%, and BPI questionnaire was 1.9%. No association was found between CSII treatment and the measures of DSPN and CAN. Conclusion: DSPN and CAN are prevalent in young adults with T1D with no association found with CSII treatment. The use of novel measuring modalities identified a higher number of subjects with DSPN compared with established measures. Screening for diabetic neuropathy in young adults may be beneficial to detect and prevent nerve damages at early stages. Læs mere

Research | Forskning - peer review

Background and aims: Low levels of vitamin D are suspected to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of subclinical atherosclerosis among Inuit in Greenland, and to evaluate the association with vitamin D status. We hypothe… Background and aims: Low levels of vitamin D are suspected to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of subclinical atherosclerosis among Inuit in Greenland, and to evaluate the association with vitamin D status. We hypothesized that low vitamin D status could be associated with higher carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) as a marker of atherosclerosis. Methods: 756 adults from the Inuit Health in Transition (IHIT) study carried out in Greenland in the period 2005–2010 were included. A blood sample donated in 1987 was available for a sub-sample of 102 individuals. Serum 25(OH)D3 from the IHIT study and the 1987 survey was used as a measure of vitamin D status. IMT measurements were conducted by ultrasound scanning. The prevalence of atherosclerosis was estimated, and the association between serum 25(OH)D3 and IMT measurements was examined by linear regression. Results: The overall prevalence of subclinical atherosclerosis was 20.1% (n = 152). The linear regression analyses indicated a weak positive association between serum 25(OH)D3 level and IMT measurements from the IHIT study, though not statistically significant after adjustment for potential confounders (β = 0.35% per 10 nmoL/L 25(OH)D3, p = 0.06). Linear regression analyses of the association between serum 25(OH)D3 level in the 1987 survey and IMT measurements also indicated a positive, though not statistically significant, association after adjustment (β = 0.07% per 10 nmoL/L 25(OH)D3, p = 0.86). Conclusions: Our findings did not support the hypothesis of an association between low vitamin D levels and risk of atherosclerosis. Læs mere