Cecilie Svanes

Many of Cecilie Svanes publications are Open Access, and her updated publication record can be found at:

• PubMed  
• Orchid  
• Publons
• CRISTin
• ResearchGate

10 Selected Publications:

The preconception origins of lung health and disease

1. Being overweight in childhood, puberty, or early adulthood: Changing asthma risk in the next generation? Johannessen A, Lønnebotn M, Calciano L, Benediktsdóttir B, Bertelsen RJ, Bråbäck L, Dharmage S, Franklin KA, Gislason T, Holm M, Janson C, Jarvis D, Jõgi R, Kim JL, Kirkeleit J, Lodge C, Malinovschi A, Martinez-Moratalla J, Nilsen RM, Pereira-Vega A, Real FG, Schlünssen V, Accordini S, Svanes C. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2019 Sep 7. pii: S0091-6749(19)31172-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2019.08.030.

This paper demonstrated that fathers who were overweight puberty (but not if they became overweight after puberty) were  more likely to cause asthma in their future offspring. Published with editorial. Altmetric score: 76, attention 96 percentile.

2. A three-generation study on the association of tobacco smoking with asthma. Accordini S, Calciano  L, Johannessen  A, Portas  L, Benediktsdóttir  B, Bertelsen  RJ, Bråbäck  L,  Carsin  AE, Dharmage  SC, Dratva  J, Forsberg B, Gomez Real  F, Heinrich  J, Holloway  JW, Holm  M, Janson C, Jögi R, Leynaert B, Malinovschi A, Marcon A, Martínez-Moratalla Rovira J, Raherison C, Sánchez-Ramos JL, Schlünssen V, Bono R, Corsico  AG, Demoly  P, Dorado Arenas S, Nowak D, Pin  I, Weyler  J, Jarvis  D, Svanes C. Int J Epidemiol. 2018 Aug 1;47(4):1106-1117.

This paper demonstrated that fathers who started smoking before age 15 years are more likely to have children with asthma. It was published with an editorial. Cited: 39.

3. Father's environment before conception and asthma risk in his children. Svanes C*, Koplin J*, Skulstad SM, Johannessen A, Bertelsen RJ, Benediktsdottir B, Bräback L, Carsin AE, Dharmage S, Dratva J, Forsberg B, Gislason T, Heinrich J, Holm M, Janson C, Jarvis D, Jögi R, Krauss-Etschmann S, Lindberg E, Macsali F, Malinovski A, Modig L, Norbäck D, Omenaas E, Saure EW, Sigsgaard T, Skorge TD, Svanes Ø, Torén K, Schlünssen V, Real FG.  Int J Epidemiol. 2017 Feb 1;46(1):235-245. Published with editorial.

This is a seminal paper. It was the first research to uncover that a father’s environment years and decades before the conception of his future children was associated with much higher asthma risk in these future offspring. The paper also was a first to identify that a father’s puberty period is important for his offspring’s development of asthma. The paper identified 2 critical factors: fathers who started smoking before age 15 years, and fathers whose occupation involved welding. Cited: 35. This paper has also been presented more than 600 times is popular media around the world, including TIME magazine.

Cleaning at work and at home, and harmful influences on the lungs

4. Cleaning at Home and at Work in Relation to Lung Function Decline and Airway Obstruction. Svanes Ø, Bertelsen RJ, Lygre SHL, Carsin AE, Antó JM, Forsberg B, García-García JM, Gullón JA, Heinrich J, Holm M, Kogevinas M, Urrutia I, Leynaert B, Moratalla JM, Le Moual N, Lytras T, Norbäck D, Nowak D, Olivieri M, Pin I, Probst-Hensch N, Schlünssen V, Sigsgaard T, Skorge TD, Villani S, Jarvis D, Zock JP, Svanes C.. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2018 May 1;197(9):1157-1163. 

This research demonstrated accelerated lung function decline in women in relation to cleaning at home or at work. Combined with other studies providing increasing evidence of harmful effects of cleaning agents, in particular when used as sprays, this paper attracted sufficient public notice to result in altered government policies and changes in the cleaning industry, specifically to develop cleaning spray nozzle heads that could deliver larger droplets that will not reach the smaller airways. Citations: 32. Altmetric score: 847, attention 99 percentile.

The early life origins of adult lung health and disease

5. Childhood predictors of lung function trajectories and future COPD risk: a prospective cohort study from the first to the sixth decade of life. Bui DS, Lodge CJ, Burgess JA, Lowe AJ, Perret J, Bui MQ, Bowatte G, Gurrin L, Johns DP, Thompson BR, Hamilton GS, Frith PA, James AL, Thomas PS, Jarvis D, Svanes C, Russell M, Morrison SC, Feather I, Allen KJ, Wood-Baker R, Hopper J, Giles GG, Abramson MJ, Walters EH, Matheson MC, Dharmage SC. Lancet Respir Med. 2018 Jul;6(7):535-544. doi: 10.1016/S2213-2600(18)30100-0. Epub 2018 Apr 5. PMID: 29628376

This paper shows the early life origins of adult respiratory health and disease in a longitudinal analysis of a Tasmanian cohort. Citations: 145.

6. Early Life Origins of Lung Ageing: Early Life Exposures and Lung Function Decline in Adulthood in Two European Cohorts Aged 28-73 Years. Dratva J, Zemp E, Dharmage SC, Accordini S, Burdet L, Gislason T, Heinrich J, Janson C, Jarvis D, de Marco R, Norbäck D, Pons M, Real FG, Sunyer J, Villani S, Probst-Hensch N, Svanes C. PLoS One. 2016 Jan 26;11(1):e0145127. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145127. eCollection 2016.PMID: 26811913.

These research results demonstrated accelerated lung function decline in persons with early life disadvantage factors. Citations: 25. Altmetric score: 132, attention 98 percentile. It has also been cited in WHO policy document.

7. Early life origins of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Svanes C, Sunyer J, Plana E, Dharmage S, Heinrich J, Jarvis D, Demarco R, Norback D, Raherison C, Villani S, Wjst M, Svanes K, Anto J. Thorax. 2010 Jan; 65(1):14-20. Published with editorial Thorax 2010;65:1-2.

These research results demonstrated that early life disadvantage is as important as smoking for adult lung function, lung function decline and COPD. Citations: 414. It was also cited in US National Action Plan policy document.

8. Birth characteristics and asthma symptoms in young adults: results from a population-based cohort study in Norway. Svanes C, Omenaas E, Heuch JM, Irgens LM, Gulsvik A. Eur Respir J. 1998 Dec;12(6):1366-70. doi: 10.1183/09031936.98.12061366. PMID: 9877492

The presentation of this paper at the American Thoracic Society congress in 1997 resulted in extensive press coverage. While today the early life origins of health and disease is generally accepted and implemented in mother and child care programs across the world, this seminal paper was the start of a major scientific effort to learn more about how adult lung health and disease originates early in life.

The “hygiene hypothesis”

9. Childhood environment and adult atopy: results from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey.  Svanes C, Jarvis D, Chinn S, Burney P. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1999 Mar;103(3 Pt 1):415-20. doi: 10.1016/s0091-6749(99)70465-3. PMID: 10069874. Cited 302 (GS).

This paper contributed to a paradigm shift in the understanding of the relationship between pets and allergies. Pets had previously been considered to cause allergies in children. This research showed that pets are not a primary cause of allergies although they may worsen allergies in those with specific pet allergies. It may be that children who have pets during childhood may have improved protection against allergies.

PhD work: Peptic ulcer perforation

10. Trends in Perforated Peptic Ulcer: Incidence, Etiology, Treatment, and Prognosis. Svanes, C. World J. Surg. 24, 277–283 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s002689910045.

This paper summarizes my PhD work on peptic ulcer perforation. In total I published my results in 14 original papers as well as a couple of review papers. This PhD work is cited in >10 surgical textbooks, and this particular review is cited 353 times (GS).

List of all Publications (taken from CRIStin)

More information in national current research information system (CRIStin)