Communications Medicine (Mar 2024)

Lifestyle and demographic associations with 47 inflammatory and vascular stress biomarkers in 9876 blood donors

  • Bertram Kjerulff,
  • Joseph Dowsett,
  • Rikke Louise Jacobsen,
  • Josephine Gladov,
  • Margit Hørup Larsen,
  • Agnete Troen Lundgaard,
  • Karina Banasik,
  • David Westergaard,
  • Susan Mikkelsen,
  • Khoa Manh Dinh,
  • Lotte Hindhede,
  • Kathrine Agergård Kaspersen,
  • Michael Schwinn,
  • Anders Juul,
  • Betina Poulsen,
  • Birgitte Lindegaard,
  • Carsten Bøcker Pedersen,
  • Clive Eric Sabel,
  • Henning Bundgaard,
  • Henriette Svarre Nielsen,
  • Janne Amstrup Møller,
  • Jens Kjærgaard Boldsen,
  • Kristoffer Sølvsten Burgdorf,
  • Lars Vedel Kessing,
  • Linda Jenny Handgaard,
  • Lise Wegner Thørner,
  • Maria Didriksen,
  • Mette Nyegaard,
  • Niels Grarup,
  • Niels Ødum,
  • Pär I. Johansson,
  • Poul Jennum,
  • Ruth Frikke-Schmidt,
  • Sanne Schou Berger,
  • Søren Brunak,
  • Søren Jacobsen,
  • Thomas Folkmann Hansen,
  • Tine Kirkeskov Lundquist,
  • Torben Hansen,
  • Torben Lykke Sørensen,
  • Torben Sigsgaard,
  • Kaspar René Nielsen,
  • Mie Topholm Bruun,
  • Henrik Hjalgrim,
  • Henrik Ullum,
  • Klaus Rostgaard,
  • Erik Sørensen,
  • Ole Birger Pedersen,
  • Sisse Rye Ostrowski,
  • Christian Erikstrup

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s43856-024-00474-2
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 4, no. 1
pp. 1 – 15

Abstract

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Abstract Background The emerging use of biomarkers in research and tailored care introduces a need for information about the association between biomarkers and basic demographics and lifestyle factors revealing expectable concentrations in healthy individuals while considering general demographic differences. Methods A selection of 47 biomarkers, including markers of inflammation and vascular stress, were measured in plasma samples from 9876 Danish Blood Donor Study participants. Using regression models, we examined the association between biomarkers and sex, age, Body Mass Index (BMI), and smoking. Results Here we show that concentrations of inflammation and vascular stress biomarkers generally increase with higher age, BMI, and smoking. Sex-specific effects are observed for multiple biomarkers. Conclusion This study provides comprehensive information on concentrations of 47 plasma biomarkers in healthy individuals. The study emphasizes that knowledge about biomarker concentrations in healthy individuals is critical for improved understanding of disease pathology and for tailored care and decision support tools.