Event dependent overall survival in the population-based LIFE-Adult-Study

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Public Health
• Medical Research

Background:

• Direct comparability of big data from epidemiological cohort studies and the general population is limited, particularly concerning all-cause mortality rates.
• Investigating survival and the impact of medical history on longevity within a population-based cohort is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine overall survival in a population-based cohort.
• To determine the influence of specific medical diagnoses on survival time.
• To adjust for common risk factors in the analysis of survival data.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from 10,000 participants in the LIFE-Adult-Study.
• Assessed medical history, age, smoking status, and body-mass-index (BMI).
• Identified survival status via the saxonian population register, employing univariate and multivariate analyses.

Main Results:

• The cohort exhibited approximately half the expected mortality rate of the general German population, indicating potential selection bias.
• Diagnoses of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, liver cirrhosis, osteoporosis, chronic bronchitis, peptic ulcer disease, and cancer were associated with significantly increased mortality risk.
• Asthma showed a surprising inverse association with mortality risk, potentially due to mild cases and proactive management.

Conclusions:

• Common risk factors and several diseases significantly impact overall survival in the LIFE-Adult-Study cohort.
• Selection bias is a critical factor to consider when interpreting findings from epidemiological cohort studies.
• The study reinforces that fundamental cause-and-effect relationships between diseases and survival are applicable even in relatively healthy populations.