Splitting the differences: Problems in using twin controls to study the effects of BMI on mortality

Epidemiology

Volumn 22, Issue 1, 2011, Pages 104-106

  Kaufman, Jay S ^a   Glymour, M Maria ^b  

^a MCGILL UNIVERSITY   (Canada)

^b HARVARD UNIVERSITY   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

BODY MASS; CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE; CAUSE OF DEATH; DIZYGOTIC TWINS; GENETIC ASSOCIATION; HEREDITY; HUMAN; ISCHEMIC HEART DISEASE; MONOZYGOTIC TWINS; MORTALITY; NOTE; PRIORITY JOURNAL; SURVIVOR; SYSTEMATIC ERROR;

BODY MASS INDEX; FEMALE; HUMANS; MALE; MODELS, THEORETICAL; MORTALITY; SELECTION BIAS; TWIN STUDIES AS TOPIC; TWINS;

EID: 78650762753     PISSN: 10443983     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1097/EDE.0b013e3181ffb21d     Document Type: Note

References (11)

1. Carlsson S, Andersson T, deFaire U, Lichtenstein P, Michaëlsson, Ahlbom A. Body mass index and mortality: is the association explained by genetic factors? Epidemiology. 2011;22:98-103.
2. Horwitz AV, Videon TM, Schmitz MF, Davis D. Rethinking twins and environments: possible social sources for assumed genetic influences in twin research. J Health Soc Behav. 2003;44:111-129.
3. Joseph J. The Missing Gene. New York: Algora; 2006;13-36.
4. Mitchell KS, Mazzeo SE, Bulik CM, Aggen SH, Kendler KS, Neale MC. An investigation of a measure of twins' equal environments. Twin Res Hum Genet. 2007;10:840-847.
5. Bender R, Jockel KH, Trautner C, Spraul M, Berger M. Effect of age on excess mortality in obesity. JAMA. 1999;281:1498.
6. Stevens J, Cai J, Pamuk ER, Williamson DF, Thun MJ, Wood JL. The effect of age on the association between body-mass index and mortality. N Engl J Med. 1998;338:1-7.
7. Buchman AS, Wilson RS, Bienias JL, Shah RC, Evans DA, Bennett DA. Change in body mass index and risk of incident Alzheimer disease. Neurology. 2005;65:892-897.
8. Hernán MA, Hernández-Díaz S, Robins JM. A structural approach to selection bias. Epidemiology. 2004;15:615-625.
9. Hernán MA. Taubman SL. Does obesity shorten life? The importance of well-defined interventions to answer causal questions. Int J Obes (Lond). 2008;32(suppl 3):S8-S14.
10. Davey Smith G, Sterne JA, Fraser A, Tynelius P, Lawlor DA, Rasmus-sen F. The association between BMI and mortality using offspring BMI as an indicator of own BMI: large intergenerational mortality study. BMJ. 2009;339:b5043.
11. Kivimäki M, Smith GD, Timpson NJ, et al. Lifetime body mass index and later atherosclerosis risk in young adults: examining causal links using Mendelian randomization in the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns study. Eur Heart J. 2008;29:2552-2560.