Irja Minde Isaksen

• Teshale, Achamyeleh Birhanu; Htun, Htet Lin; Owen, Alice J; Baker, JR; Isaksen, Irja Minde & Freak-Poli, Rosanne (2025). Gender-Specific Population Attributable Fractions for Cardiovascular Disease and All-Cause Mortality Associated with Living Arrangement in Community-Dwelling Older People. Journal of General Internal Medicine (JGIM). ISSN 0884-8734. 40, p. 2613–2623. doi: 10.1007/s11606-025-09648-7. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background Living alone poses significant cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality risks. The population attributable fraction (PAF) quantifies the proportion of disease burden attributable to a specific risk factor. This study aims to estimate the PAF for CVD and all-cause mortality related to living completely alone. Additionally, the study examined the PAFs associated with not living with a partner/spouse. Methods This study used longitudinal data from the Aspirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE) study and its sub-study, the ASPREE Longitudinal Study of Older Persons (ALSOP), which included 5853 men and 6998 women. The participants were community-dwelling healthy adults aged 70 + years without CVD, dementia, or significant physical disabilities. Adjusting for social determinants and traditional risk factors, the gender-specific PAFs of CVD and all-cause mortality attributable to living completely alone and not living with a partner/spouse were determined. Results Among women, 13.5% (95% CI: 6.3%, 22.4%) of CVD events could be attributed to living completely alone, and 14.1% (95% CI: 4.6%, 25.2%) to not living with a partner/spouse. For all-cause mortality in women, the corresponding PAFs were 9.8% (95% CI: 3.7%, 16.6%) and 12.3% (95% CI: 5.8%, 20.8%), respectively. In contrast, among men, only the PAF between not living with a partner/spouse and all-cause mortality reached statistical significance (PAF = 6.0%; 95% CI: 1.7%, 10.2%). The remaining PAF estimates for CVD events and all-cause mortality were not statistically significant. Conclusion The observed gender differences in CVD and all-cause mortality related to living alone highlight the need for tailored public health interventions to meet gender-specific needs for social connectedness.

• Isaksen, Irja Minde & Dankel, Simon N (2023). Ultra-processed food consumption and cancer risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Nutrition. ISSN 0261-5614. 42(6), p. 919–928. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2023.03.018. Full text in Research Archive

View all works in NVA

• Isaksen, Irja Minde; Skeie, Guri; Brustad, Magritt; Kværner, Ane Sørlie; Thoresen, Magne & Hjartåker, Anette (2026). Dietary protein source and colorectal cancer risk in a prospective cohort of Norwegian women: preliminary results. Full text in Research Archive
• Isaksen, Irja Minde & Dankel, Simon N (2023). Reply - Letter to the editor. Clinical Nutrition. ISSN 0261-5614. 42(10), p. 2088–2090. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2023.07.009. Full text in Research Archive

View all works in NVA