Investigating pathogen burden in relation to a cumulative deficits index in a representative sample of US adults.

ABSTRACT: Pathogen burden is a construct developed to assess the cumulative effects of multiple, persistent pathogens on morbidity and mortality. Despite the likely biological wear and tear on multiple body systems caused by persistent infections, few studies have examined the impact of total pathogen burden on such outcomes and specifically on preclinical markers of dysfunction. Using data from two waves of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, we compared three alternative methods for measuring pathogen burden, composed of mainly persistent viral infections, using a cumulative deficits index (CDI) as an outcome: single pathogen associations, a pathogen burden summary score and latent class analyses. We found significant heterogeneity in the distribution of the CDI by age, sex, race

SUBMITTER: Noppert GA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6175667 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature