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IMPORTANCE: Hearing loss appears to have adverse effects on cognition and increases risk for cognitive impairment. These associations have not been thoroughly investigated in the Hispanic and Latino population, which faces hearing health disparities. OBJECTIVE: To examine associations between hearing loss with 7-year cognitive change and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) prevalence among a diverse cohort of Hispanic/Latino adults. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cohort study used data from a large community health survey of Hispanic Latino adults in 4 major US cities. Eligible participants were aged 50 years or older at their second visit to study field centers. Cognitive data were collected at visit 1 and visit 2, an average of 7 years later. Data were last analyzed between September 2023 and January 2024. EXPOSURE: Hearing loss at visit 1 was defined as a pure-tone average (500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz) greater than 25 dB hearing loss in the better ear. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Cognitive data were collected at visit 1 and visit 2, an average of 7 years later and included measures of episodic learning and memory (the Brief-Spanish English Verbal Learning Test Sum of Trials and Delayed Recall), verbal fluency (word fluency—phonemic fluency), executive functioning (Trails Making Test–Trail B), and processing speed (Digit-Symbol Substitution, Trails Making Test–Trail A). MCI at visit 2 was defined using the National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer Association criteria. RESULTS: A total of 6113 Hispanic Latino adults were included (mean [SD] age, 56.4 [8.1] years; 3919 women [64.1%]). Hearing loss at visit 1 was associated with worse cognitive performance at 7-year follow-up (global cognition: β = −0.11 [95% CI, −0.18 to −0.05]), equivalent to 4.6 years of aging and greater adverse change (slowing) in processing speed (β = −0.12 [95% CI, −0.23 to −0.003]) equivalent to 5.4 years of cognitive change due to aging. There were no associations with MCI. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The findings of this cohort study suggest that hearing loss decreases cognitive performance and increases rate of adverse change in processing speed. These findings underscore the need to prevent, assess, and treat hearing loss in the Hispanic and Latino community.

Previous studies demonstrated associations of endogenous sex hormones with diabetes. Less is known about their dynamic relationship with diabetes progression through different stages of the disease, independence of associations, and role of the hypothalamic-pituitary gonadal axis.The purpose of this analysis was to examine relationships of endogenous sex hormones with incident diabetes, prediabetes, and diabetes traits in 693 postmenopausal women and 1015 men aged 45 to 74 years without diabetes at baseline participating in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos and followed for 6 years. Baseline hormones included estradiol, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), and, in men, testosterone and bioavailable testosterone. Associations were analyzed using multivariable Poisson and linear regressions. In men, testosterone was inversely associated with conversion from prediabetes to diabetes (incidence rate ratio [IRR] for 1 SD increase in testosterone: 0.821; 95% CI, 0.676, 0.997; P= 0.046), but not conversion from normoglycemia to prediabetes. Estradiol was positively associated with increase in fasting insulin and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance. In women, SHBG was inversely associated with change in glycosylated hemoglobin, postload glucose, and conversion from prediabetes to diabetes (IRR = 0.62; 95% CI, 0.44, 0.86, P= 0.005) but not from normoglycemia to prediabetes. Relationships with other hormones varied across glycemic measures. Stronger associations of testosterone and SHBG with transition from prediabetes to diabetes than from normoglycemic to prediabetes suggest they are operative at later stages of diabetes development. Biologic pathways by which sex hormones affect glucose homeostasis await future studies.

Background: Hormones are linked to cardiometabolic diseases and may be impacted by acculturation though multiple mechanisms. We evaluated associations of Hispanic/Latino background and acculturation with levels of sex- and thyroid-related hormones and the potential mediating effect of adiposity, lifestyle factors, and sleep apnea syndrome on these associations. Methods: We studied 1789 adults, aged 45–74, from a sub-cohort of the Hispanic Community Health Survey/Study of Latinos. Peri/pre-menopausal women and individuals on medications related to hormones were excluded. Our study assessed eleven sex- and thyroid-related hormones, Hispanic/Latino background, and five acculturation measures. Associations were assessed using multivariable linear and logistic regression adjusted for survey design and confounding variables. We explored potential mediation using a path analysis. Results: In postmenopausal women, acculturation score-MESA was associated with decreased thyroid-stimulating hormone (β= − 0.13;95%CI = − 0.22, − 0.03) while age at immigration greater than the median (vs US-born) was associated with decreased (β= − 14.6; 95%CI = − 28.2, − 0.99) triiodothyronine (T3). In men, language acculturation and acculturation score-MESA were associated with increased estradiol and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) while age at immigration greater and lesser than the median (vs US-born) was associated with decreased SHBG. Hispanic/Latino background (Mexicans as reference) were selectively associated with sex- and thyroid-related hormone levels in both sexes. Current smoking and sleep apnea syndrome partially mediated the association of Cuban and Puerto Rican heritage (vs Mexican) with T3 levels in men and postmenopausal women, respectively. Conclusion: Selected acculturation measures were associated with thyroid-related hormones in postmenopausal women and sex-related hormones in men. Understanding the mechanisms involved in the relationship of acculturation and Hispanic/Latino background with hormones warrants additional investigation.

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic has exposed several inequalities worldwide, including the populations' access to healthcare systems and economic differences that impact the access to vaccination, medical resources, and health care services. Scientific research activities were not an exception, such that scientific research was profoundly impacted globally. Research trainees and early career researchers (ECRs) are the life force of scientific discovery around the world, and their work and progress in research was dramatically affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. ECRs are a particularly vulnerable group as they are in a formative stage of their scientific careers, any disruptions during which is going to likely impact their lifelong career trajectory. To understand how COVID-19 impacted lives, career development plans, and research of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) ECRs, the International DOHaD ECR committee formed a special interest group comprising of ECR representatives of International DOHaD affiliated Societies/Chapters from around the world (Australia and New Zealand, Canada, French Speaking DOHaD, Japan, Latin America, Pakistan and USA). The anecdotal evidence summarized in this brief report, provide an overview of the findings of this special interest group, specifically on the impact of the evolving COVID-19 pandemic on daily research activities and its effects on career development plans of ECRs. We also discuss how our learnings from these shared experiences can strengthen collaborative work for the current and future generation of scientists.

OBJECTIVE--To compare the effects of a 1-year intervention with a low- carbohydrate and a low-fat diet on weight loss and glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN [...]

Common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are predicted to collectively explain 40–50% of phenotypic variation in human height, but identifying the specific variants and associated regions requires huge sample sizes1. Here, using data from a genome-wide association study of 5.4 million individuals of diverse ancestries, we show that 12,111 independent SNPs that are significantly associated with height account for nearly all of the common SNP-based heritability. These SNPs are clustered within 7,209 non-overlapping genomic segments with a mean size of around 90 kb, covering about 21% of the genome. The density of independent associations varies across the genome and the regions of increased density are enriched for biologically relevant genes. In out-of-sample estimation and prediction, the 12,111 SNPs (or all SNPs in the HapMap 3 panel2) account for 40% (45%) of phenotypic variance in populations of European ancestry but only around 10–20% (14–24%) in populations of other ancestries. Effect sizes, associated regions and gene prioritization are similar across ancestries, indicating that reduced prediction accuracy is likely to be explained by linkage disequilibrium and differences in allele frequency within associated regions. Finally, we show that the relevant biological pathways are detectable with smaller sample sizes than are needed to implicate causal genes and variants. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive map of specific genomic regions that contain the vast majority of common height-associated variants. Although this map is saturated for populations of European ancestry, further research is needed to achieve equivalent saturation in other ancestries.

Machine learning is a class of algorithms able to handle a large number of predictors with potentially nonlinear relationships. By applying machine learning to obesity, researchers can examine how risk factors across multiple settings (e.g.,school and home) interact to best predict childhood obesity risk. In this narrative review, we provide an overview of studies that have applied machine learning to predict childhood obesity using a combination of sociodemographic and behavioral risk factors. The objective is to summarize the key determinants of obesity identified in existing machine learning studies and highlight opportunities for future machine learning applications in the field. Of 15 peer-reviewed studies, approximately half examined early childhood (0–24 months of age) determinants. These studies identified child's weight history (e.g.,history of overweight/obesity or large increases in weight-related measures between birth and 24 months of age) and parental overweight/obesity (current or prior) as key risk factors, whereas the remaining studies indicated that social factors and physical inactivity were important in middle childhood and late childhood/adolescence. Across age groups, findings suggested that race/ethnic-specific models may be needed to accurately predict obesity from middle childhood onward. Future studies should consider using existing large data sets to take advantage of the benefits of machine learning and should collect a wider range of novel risk factors (e.g.,psychosocial and sociocultural determinants of health) to better predict childhood obesity. Ultimately, such research can aid in the development of effective obesity prevention interventions, particularly ones that address the disproportionate burden of obesity experienced by racial/ethnic minorities.

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome is higher among minority populations, including individuals of Mexican ethnic descent. Whether alignment to healthy dietary patterns is associated with lower risk of metabolic syndrome in this population is largely unknown. To prospectively evaluate the associations between a prioridiet quality scores and risk of metabolic syndrome and its components among postmenopausal women of Mexican ethnic descent. A total of 334 women of Mexican ethnic descent who participated in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) observational study without metabolic syndrome or diabetes at baseline (1993–1998) were included. Baseline diets were scored with the Alternate Mediterranean Diet (aMED), the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), the Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2010), the Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS), and the traditional Mexican Diet (MexD) score. Multivariable linear and logistic regression models were used to test the associations between baseline diet quality and risk of metabolic syndrome and its individual components at follow-up (2012-2013). Approximately 16% of women met the criteria for metabolic syndrome at follow-up. None of the diet quality indices were associated with risk of metabolic syndrome. However, higher vs lower DASH scores were associated with lower waist circumference (85.2 vs 88.0 cm) and glucose concentrations (90.0 vs 95.1 mg/dL), and higher HDL cholesterol (62.6 vs 59.0 mg/dL), while higher vs lower HEI-2010 scores were associated with lower waist circumference (83.9 vs 88.1 cm), triglycerides (103 vs 117 mg/dL) and glucose concentrations (89.5 vs 94.4 mg/dL), and higher HDL cholesterol levels (63.9 vs 58.5 mg/dL). Diet quality was not associated with risk of metabolic syndrome in this population. However, the results suggest that alignment to DASH and HEI-2010 recommendations may be beneficial for reducing some individual components of metabolic syndrome among postmenopausal women of Mexican descent.

We investigated associations of sleep duration and social jetlag with cardiometabolic outcomes.

Supplemental digital content is available in the text.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.

Higher cognitive stimulation (CS) is associated with improved cognition. Sources of CS among Hispanics/Latinos are understudied.

Background: Predictors of postprandial lipemia have not been explored in children. Objective: Our objective was to determine whether the postprandial triacylglycerol response is associated with low HDL-cholesterol and high fasting triacylglycerol concentrations and family history of early-onset ischemic heart disease (IHD) in children. Design: We administered a standardized fat load (52.5 g fat/[m.sup.2]) to 60 children (mean age: 14.0 y), 20 with and 40 without a family history of early-onset IHD, and to 29 mothers, all recruited from families enrolled in the Columbia University Biomarkers Study. Plasma lipid and retinyl palmitate concentrations were measured in the fasting state and 3, 6, and 8 h after the oral fat load. Results: In children, postprandial lipemia, as indicated by the incremental area under the triacylglycerol response curve, was associated with elevated fasting triacylglycerol concentrations ([is greater than or equal to] 1.13 mmol/L; P [is less than] 0.01), with low fasting HDL-cholesterol concentrations ([is less than or equal to] 0.91 mmol/L; P [is less than] 0.01), and with the combination of low HDL-cholesterol and high triacylglycerol concentrations (P [is less than] 0.05). Family history of IHD, baseline LDL-cholesterol concentration, and apolipoprotein E genotype were not associated with the postprandial triacylglycerol or retinyl palmitate response. The mothers had fasting triacylglycerot concentrations similar to those of their children but a more prolonged response with higher triacylglycerol concentrations at 6 and 8 h (P [is less than] 0.01 and P [is less than] 0.05, respectively). Conclusions: In children, a delayed postprandial triacylglycerol response to a fat load is associated with the combination of high fasting triacylglycerol and low HDL-cholesterol concentrations. Predictors of postprandial triacylglycerol concentrations may be similar in children and adults. Am J Clin Nutr 2000:72:1119-27. KEY WORDS Atherosclerosis, postprandial period, triacylglycerol, children, coronary heart disease, HDL cholesterol, risk factors, ischemic heart disease, Columbia University Biomarkers Study

Time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), but not in sedentary behavior (SB), is related to cardiometabolic risk among non-Hispanic white youth.

The National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network (PCORnet) supports observational and clinical research using health care data. The PCORnet Antibiotics and Childhood Growth Study is one of PCORnet's inaugural observational studies. We sought to describe the processes used to integrate and analyze data from children across 35 participating institutions, the cohort characteristics, and prevalence of antibiotic use.

Adverse experiences in childhood and adolescence, defined as subjectively perceived threats to the safety or security of the child’s bodily integrity, family, or social structures, are known to be associated with cardiometabolic outcomes over the life course into adulthood. This American Heart Association scientific statement reviews the scientific literature on the influence of childhood adversity on cardiometabolic outcomes that constitute the greatest public health burden in the United States, including obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease. This statement also conceptually outlines pathways linking adversity to cardiometabolic health, identifies evidence gaps, and provides suggestions for future research to inform practice and policy. We note that, despite a lack of objective agreement on what subjectively qualifies as exposure to childhood adversity and a dearth of prospective studies, substantial evidence documents an association between childhood adversity and cardiometabolic outcomes across the life course. Future studies that focus on mechanisms, resiliency, and vulnerability factors would further strengthen the evidence and provide much-needed information on targets for effective interventions. Given that childhood adversities affect cardiometabolic health and multiple health domains across the life course, interventions that ameliorate these initial upstream exposures may be more appropriate than interventions remediating downstream cardiovascular disease risk factor effects later in life.

Hispanics/Latinos face specific sociocultural stressors associated with their marginalized status in the United States. While stress is known to cause poor sleep, the differential effects of the specific stressors faced by Hispanics/Latinos have not been evaluated. Using cross-sectional data from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos Sociocultural Ancillary Study, we conducted weighted generalized linear models to evaluate the associations of acculturation stress, ethnic discrimination, and chronic moderate/severe stress with self-reported sleep outcomes (insomnia symptoms, daytime sleepiness, sleep duration) in individual and aggregate models adjusted for site, socio-demographics, behavioral, and medical conditions. Participants included 5313 Hispanic/Latino adults; 43.5% ≥ age 45, 54.8% female, and 22.0% US-born. Chronic moderate/severe stress, ethnic discrimination, and acculturation stress were each positively associated with sleep. In the adjusted aggregate model, only chronic moderate/severe stress was associated with insomnia symptoms (exp(b) = 1.07 for each additional stressor, 95% CI = 1.05, 1.09). Both acculturation stress (exp(b) = 1.05 for each additional SD, 95% CI = 1.02, 1.10) and ethnic discrimination (exp(b) = 1.05 for each additional SD, 95% CI = 1.01, 1.08) were associated with daytime sleepiness. Each SD increase in ethnic discrimination related to a 16% and 13% increased prevalence of short (< 7h) (RRR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.02, 1.31) and long sleep duration (> 9h) (RRR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.00, 1.27), respectively. These associations were consistent across sex. Acculturation stress and ethnic discrimination are associated with poor sleep in Hispanics/Latinos. Future research should explore whether behavioral sleep interventions minimize the impact of sociocultural stressors on sleep.

Attenuating postmeal blood glucose excursions is a clinical challenge. While strategies for modifying the quantity and quality of carbohydrate consumed are widely used to reduce postprandial blood glucose peaks, we [...]

AbstractBackground:Prior studies indicate that chronic stress is associated with obesity in adults. However, whether parental/caregiver stress is associated with obesity in their offspring has not been widely examined in Hispanic/Latino populations. In this study, we evaluated the role of caregiver chronic stress on child obesity and whether home food environment or child lifestyle behaviors explained the association.Methods:The study included a sample of Hispanic/Latino youth and their caregivers (n= 473) from the Study of Latinos (SOL) Youth study and the Hispanic Community Health Study/SOL Sociocultural Study, which enrolled children aged 8–16 years from four cities (Bronx, Chicago, Miami, and San Diego), and provided assessments of adult chronic stress. Poisson regression models were used to assess the association between parental/caregiver stress and child obesity, adjusting for potential confounders.Results:Twenty-two percent of caregivers did not report any chronic stressors, 48% reported 1–2, and 29% reported ≥3 stressors. The prevalence of obesity in youth increased with number of caregiver stressors from 23% among those without caregiver stressors to 35% among those with ≥3 stressors (pfor trend 0.03). After model adjustment, youths whose caregivers reported ≥3 stressors were more likely to be obese than youths whose caregivers reported no stressors (prevalence ratio = 1.53; 95% confidence interval 1.01–2.32). This association was independent of food home environment, child diet quality, and child physical activity, but it was not independent of caregiver obesity.Conclusions:These findings suggest that parental/caregiver chronic stress is related to obesity in their children. Future research is needed to confirm this association in longitudinal studies and in other population groups.

US Hispanic/Latino youth are disproportionally affected by the obesity and diabetes.

Objectives:Administrative criteria are often used to define COVID-19 outcomes despite challenges in differentiating hospitalization “for” vs “with” COVID-19 and unknown reliability for identifying COVID-related cardiopulmonary complications. We implemented a protocol to adjudicate COVID-related events across 14 studies participating in C4R.Methods:C4R cohorts ascertained COVID-related hospitalizations and deaths via questionnaires or ongoing surveillance. Medical records were reviewed by C4R physicians using a standardized protocol to assign COVID-related diagnoses as definite or probable. C4R diagnoses were compared against ICD codes assigned to the events. This report includes data from events centrally adjudicated by C4R as of September 2022.Results:Among 144 events ascertained across 7 cohorts as potentially COVID-related, SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed in 107/117 (91%) non-fatal hospitalizations and 26/27 (96%) deaths. Of confirmed infections, COVID-19 illness was diagnosed as the cause of 101/107 (94%) hospitalizations and 24/26 (92%) deaths (Table). Of non-fatal hospitalizations with infection, 72% were diagnosed with severe or critical COVID-19, 78% with COVID-associated pneumonia, and 29% with renal failure; other complications were less common. C4R review did not validate diagnoses indicated by ICD codes for 1 COVID-19 infection, 5 pneumonias, 1 stroke, and 7 renal failure cases. C4R review did identify diagnoses that were not ICD-coded for 13 infections, 31 pneumonias, 6 myocardial infarctions, 5 venous thromboses, and 21 renal failure cases.Conclusions:Protocolized medical records review by C4R confirmed COVID-19 as the cause of hospitalization or death in 87% of events ascertained as potentially COVID-related and 94% of those in which SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed. Both false-positive and false-negative misclassification by ICD criteria was observed. Protocolized review may be useful to identify and validate COVID-related events for epidemiologic research.

Introduction:US-born Hispanics have a worse cardiometabolic profile compared to foreign-born Hispanics, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood.Hypothesis:We hypothesize that, compared to foreign-born Hispanics, US-born Hispanics have a distinctive blood metabolomic profile, which might be related to diet/lifestyle and gut microbiota and associated with health outcomes.Methods:Serum levels of 634 metabolites were profiled in US Hispanics in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (N=3941 in discovery dataset; N=2368 in replication dataset). We used multiple linear regression to identify metabolites associated with US nativity. Machine-learning algorithms were used to identify potential determinants of metabolites based on genetics, sociodemographic factors, diet, lifestyle, clinical parameters, and gut microbiota. We examined prospective associations of baseline metabolites with risk of incident diseases during a 6-year follow-up using Poisson regression.Results:We identified 158 metabolites associated with US nativity in discovery dataset (FDR<0.05), 135 of which were validated in replication dataset (87 higher and 48 lower in US born vs foreign-born). A metabolomic score showed a high discriminatory ability for US-born vs foreign-born Hispanics (AUC = 0.84 and 0.82 in discovery and replication datasets, respectively) and a dose-response relationship with longer duration of US residence. Variations of these US-nativity related metabolites were explained more by nongenetic factors, especially diet and gut microbiota, compared to those unrelated to US nativity, while variations explained by genetics between these two groups of metabolites were similar. Specifically, the US-born related metabolomic profile was characterized by lower levels of many metabolites in amino acid and xenobiotic pathways (e.g., ergothioneine, phenylpropionate, indole propionate, β-cryptoxanthin, carotene diol). These metabolites were positively associated with plant-based food intake (e.g., whole grain, fruits, vegetables) and beneficial fiber-utilizing bacteria (e.g., Eubacterium, Roseburia, Oscillibacter).Cardiometabolic and kidney function traits showed stronger overall associations with US-nativity related metabolites compared to other clinical traits (e.g., liver function, lung function). Prospective analyses showed that metabolites higher in US-born Hispanics were generally associated with higher risk of server obesity, hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease and asthma, while those higher in foreign-born Hispanics were generally associated with lower risk of these diseases.Conclusion:Compared to foreign-born Hispanics, US-born Hispanics showed an unfavorable blood metabolomic profile associated with multiple chronic diseases, which might be partially related to diet and gut microbiota acculturation.

Introduction:The Hispanic/Latino population experiences extensive socioeconomic adversity across the lifespan. Yet little is known about the role of lifecourse socioeconomic position (SEP) on cardiovascular health (CVH) in this population.Hypothesis:Childhood and adulthood SEP as well as socioeconomic mobility are associated with changes in CVH over time in Hispanic/Latino adults.Methods:We used longitudinal data (N = 14,604) from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL), a population-based cohort study conducted in four major U.S cities. We determined childhood SEP using participant-reported parental education classified as No schooling; Elementary, middle, or high school; and more than high school (HS). Adulthood SEP was determined through an index with a score ranging from 0 to 9 combining participants’ education, occupation, annual household income, and assets, and classified as low (0), middle (1-4), and high SEP (5-9). Using childhood and adulthood SEP, we classified participants into socioeconomic mobility categories (e.g., persisting low, downward, or upward mobility, etc.). Using the four-health metrics of the American Heart Association “Life’s Essential 8” (i.e., body mass index, non-HDL cholesterol, fasting blood glucose or HbA1c, and blood pressure) we built a score of ideal CVH ranging from 0 to 100. CVH was assessed at baseline and at the 6-year follow-up. Since changes in CVH over time differed by CVH at baseline, we conducted linear mixed effects models stratifying by CVH at baseline, with random intercept and slope, adjusting for age, sex, Hispanic/Latino background, study center, U.S or foreign-born, years in the U.S, as well as baseline health insurance, diet, physical activity, hours of sleep per night, smoking, alcohol consumption, and antihypertensive and cholesterol medication use.Results:8% of parents did not have any formal education, 11% of the population had low SEP in adulthood, and 37% showed upward socioeconomic mobility. Among those with low (CVH score <50) and moderate to high (CVH score 50-100) baseline CVH, there was no association between childhood SEP and CVH at baseline. However, among those with moderate to high baseline CVH, high childhood SEP was associated with greater CVH over time (Coefficient for >HS: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.00, 0.47). There was no longitudinal association among those with low baseline CVH. High adulthood SEP was associated with greater CVH at baseline for those with low (Coefficient: 2.55 95% CI: 1.25, 3.85) and moderate to high CVH (Coefficient: 1.36 95% CI: 0.09, 2.62). However, it was not associated with changes in CVH. Socioeconomic mobility was associated with greater baseline CVH as well as with improvements in CVH over time.Conclusion:Among Hispanic/Latino population with high initial CVH, high childhood SEP and socioeconomic mobility were associated with better CVH over time.

Introduction:Among 2-19-year-olds in the United States (US), 26.2% of Hispanic/Latino youth vs. 16.6% of non-Hispanic White youth experience obesity (body mass index [BMI] percentile ≥age- and sex-specific 95thBMI percentile). While health behaviors are important, psychological and sociocultural measures vary across racial/ethnic groups and may underpin obesity disparities. Machine learning is one statistical approach that can be used to identify determinants of obesity. However, few studies have applied these methods to childhood obesity research, with most studies only examining traditional risk factors and creating a single model across all racial/ethnic groups. Our objective was to identify key predictors of BMI percentile in Hispanic/Latino youth to help design childhood obesity interventions that reduce health disparities.Hypothesis:We hypothesized that a BMI percentile prediction model developed for Hispanic/Latino youth would identify both traditional and novel risk factors as important determinants.Methods:Hispanic/Latino 8-16-year-olds from the 4 US sites of the Hispanic Community Children’s Health Study/Study of Latino Youth (SOL Youth) were examined (n=1,466). BMI percentiles were determined via measured height and weight and CDC growth charts. A supervised machine learning approach, Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression, was used with BMI percentile as the outcome. There were 98 predictor variables examined spanning demographics; health behaviors; and environmental, psychological, and sociocultural measures. LASSO-selected variables were entered into a multivariable linear regression model to obtain effect estimates. P-values were adjusted for both multiple testing and the variable selection process and assessed with α<0.025. Models incorporated survey weights, and missing data were imputed.Results:A LASSO model with 30 variables yielded the optimum mean squared error (MSE; R2=0.37), but a 12-variable solution was selected based on MSE and parsimony. Four associations were statistically significant. Perception of being larger than the “ideal” body weight (β=8.75 [95% CI: 8.21, 12.13]), reporting disordered eating (β=12.61 [95% CI: 10.64, 14.91]), and having a parent with obesity (β=4.90 [95% CI: 3.49, 17.75]) were associated with a higher BMI percentile. Spending >$5 weekly on snacks/beverages/fast food (β=-4.62 [95% CI: -19.18, -2.09]) was associated with a lower BMI percentile.Conclusions:Psychological and parental factors predicted higher BMI percentile and greater money spent on snacks/beverages/fast food predicted lower BMI percentile among Hispanic/Latino youth in the US. Addressing Hispanic/Latino youth’s relationships with food, body weight, and parents may be important in obesity interventions. Longitudinal research is needed to clarify directionality and replicate novel findings.

Background:Early life adversities (ELA) are known risk factors for cardiovascular disease, but less understood is how distinct configurations of ELA impart differential risks for cardiometabolic health and heart failure (HF) in adulthood.Objective:To determine distinct profiles of ELA and assess whether there are associations between the resultant profiles and multiple indicators of cardiometabolic disease and pre-HF among Hispanic/Latino adults.Methods:Data from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos SCAS and ECHO-SOL (N=1143, mean age 55.9±0.4 years, 58.2% female) were used. Latent class analysis was used to identify the optimal number of classes characterizing ELA co-occurrence overall and by gender. Prevalent pre-HF was defined as systolic dysfunction (left ventricular (LF) ejection fraction <50%/ global longitudinal strain >15%) or diastolic dysfunction (≥ Grade 1) or LV remodeling (LV mass index >115 for males, >95 for females/ relative wall thickness >0.42). Weighted multivariable logit models were used to examine associations.Results:The best fitting latent classes and characterization are shown in Figure 1. By gender, ELA profiles were associated with cardiometabolic factors. E.g., females with high adversity had greater odds of obesity than those with a low adversity (OR=2.27, 95% CI: 1.39 - 3.72). Alternatively, males experiencing household dysfunction had lower odds of high cholesterol than those with low adversity (OR=0.39, 95% CI: 0.19 - 0.80). Associations were not explained by age, childhood economic hardship, nativity, and Hispanic/Latino background. ELA profiles were not associated with pre-HF (e.g., high adversity OR=0.60, household dysfunction OR=0.75; all p>0.05).Conclusions:Distinct patterns of ELA among Hispanic/Latino adults vary by gender; females experience more complex and varied patterns of adversity. Exposure to specific patterns of ELA were associated with several cardiometabolic outcomes, but no associations were found with any measures of pre-HF.

Introduction:Obesity is an epidemiologic challenge and a key risk factor for heart failure (HF). Pre-heart failure (pre-HF) has been recognized as an important entity to prevent progression to clinical HF. Defining the long-term effect of obesity on pre-HF is essential for understanding of HF risk and prevention.Purpose:To determine the prospective association of obesity on the incidence of pre-HF (defined as the presence of abnormal cardiac structure or function among persons without clinical HF).Methods:Data from 1580 individuals without HF and with anthropometric data from the population-based Echocardiographic-Study of Latinos were included. Pre-HFwas defined as: 1) Systolic dysfunction- LV ejection fraction (LVEF) < 50% and global longitudinal strain (GLS) <15%; 2) LV diastolic dysfunction- E/e’ >10 and left atrial volume index (LAVI) >34 mL/m2; or 3) LV remodeling- LV mass index (LVMI)> 115gm/m2, >95gm/m2(male and female, respectively) and relative wall thickness (RWT) >0.42. Anthropometric data were: (body mass index {BMI}, waist circumference {WC}, waist-to-hip ratio {WHR}, fat mass {FM) and free fat mass {FFM}). Echocardiographic and anthropometric data were collected twice, on average 4.3 years apart, and analyzed using survey-weighted multivariable-adjusted regression models. Incident pre-HF was determined among participantsResults:Mean age of 56 (42-74) years and 1048 (66%) were female. Baseline mean BMI was 29.9 kgm2, FM kg 28.3, FFM kg 50.1, WC 99.7cm, and WHR 0.94. Baseline BMI, FFM, FM, WC and WHR were significantly higher in individuals with prevalent pre-HF (all p<0.007). Longitudinal data showed that WC and WHR were associated with greater probability of incident pre-HF (WC and WHR p<0.0006. Regression models showed BMI, WC, WHR and FFM were associated with increased odds of incident Pre-HF (Table 1).

Introduction:Different patterns of socioeconomic mobility (SEM) across the life course may influence the risk of all-cause mortality in adulthood. Lifetime low socioeconomic status and downward social mobility may be associated with a higher risk of mortality.Hypothesis:SEM is associated with mortality, and persons with enduring intergenerational adversity or downward SEM have a higher risk of mortality compared to persons with enduring intergenerational advantage.Methods:This study included 13,459 participants, 18-74 years of age, from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos who participated in the baseline visit (2008-2011) and were not missing key covariate information. Socioeconomic position (SEP) was assessed as parental education in childhood (dichotomized at high school), and a 5-facet index of SEP in adulthood across education, income, employment status, longest held occupation type, and homeownership. The adulthood SEP index was dichotomized at the median value of 2 (range: 0-5). Childhood and adulthood SEP were then combined into a single 4-level measure of SEM (enduring advantage, upward mobility, downward mobility, and enduring adversity). Multivariable sampling weight-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression was performed to estimate the association between SEM and all-cause mortality. Potential confounders included age, gender, Hispanic/Latino ethnic background, US nativity, years spent in the US, and study center, whereas alcohol and tobacco use, depression score, and BMI were considered potential mediators. Presence of mediation was assessed by calculating total and direct effects via modeling, then evaluating percent change from total to direct effects against a 10% guideline.Results:During the follow-up period of 2008-2019, 515 deaths were recorded. After adjusting for all potential confounders, a significant association was found between adulthood all-cause mortality and SEM overall (F = 7.62, p < 0.0001). Downward mobility had significantly higher hazard of death compared to enduring advantage (aHR: 1.81, 95% CI: 1.17-2.81), although upward mobility and enduring adversity groups were not significant. The direct effect for downward mobility was reduced after adjustment for potential mediators (aHR: 1.49, 95% CI: 0.96, 2.30).Conclusions:Socioeconomic mobility, specifically downward mobility, is associated with all-cause mortality among a diverse cohort of Hispanic/Latino individuals residing in the United States. This association shows evidence of mediation by clinical and behavioral characteristics.

Obesity remains a global public health burden, with 4.7 million premature deaths globally attributed to obesity. Severe obesity (SevO: defined as body mass index (BMI)≥40) is a major risk factor for other comorbidities, including heart disease and Type 2 Diabetes, which disproportionately impact historically marginalized populations, including Hispanic/Latinos. Based on BRFSS data, 24.5% of US Hispanic/Latino adults are projected to have severe obesity by 2030. However, the etiology of the underlying metabolic dysfunction remains unknown.To address this gap, we identified metabolites associated with SevO in genotyped participants aged ≥20 with 25 < BMI ≥ 40 and metabolic data in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL). We investigated cross-sectional associations between Blom-transformed metabolites and baseline SevO, adjusting for age, study center, background group, smoking status, and principal components of ancestry, stratified by sex (SUGEN), and meta-analyzed (SAS 9.4). For the top 20 metabolites, we extracted publicly available HCHS/SOL metabolite GWAS (mGWAS) summary statistics to derive metaboQTLs, and summary statistics from a multi-population meta-analysis of SevO (N>70,000) and implemented forward MR analysis using the MendelianRandomization R package (v0.3.0), which provides various robust causal estimation methods for summary data.Anthropometry and data for 640 known Metabolon metabolites were available for 551 females (mean age: 43.3 years, 27% SevO) and 371 males (mean age 43.4 years, 15% SevO). We identified Bonferroni-corrected significant SevO associations (p<0.05/640) for 224 metabolites in the meta-analysis. Of the top 20 metabolites associated with SevO, we excluded six with no genome-wide significant SNPs in the mGWAS. For the remaining 14, we included independent SNPs with p<1E-6 as instrumental variables in the MR for each metabolite. After excluding SNPs ±500kb from known BMI loci, two metabolites showed causal associations with SevO, cytidine (penalized robust MR-Egger: ß (SE) =0.121 (0.051), p=0.018) and indoleproprionate (penalized weighted median-MR: ß (SE) =-0.138 (0.043), p=0.001).Cytidine is a pyrimidine nucleoside consisting of D-ribose and cytosine, which is a precursor of cytidine triphosphate required in the one-carbon metabolism pathway to convert phosphatidylcholine (PC) to phosphatidylethanolamine (PE). PC biosynthesis is higher in adipose tissue macrophages in obese mice and humans. Indoleproprionate is a microbial metabolite of tryptophan produced by gut bacteria. Indoleproprionate levels have been shown to be associated with higher microbiome diversity and lower incidence of T2D. Our work points to future efforts to validate findings in other cohorts, including reverse MR to further elucidate the causal relationship between metabolites and severe obesity.

Allostatic load (AL), an index of biological “wear and tear” on the body from cumulative exposure to stress, has been little studied in US Hispanics/Latinos. We investigated AL accumulation patterns by age, sex, and nativity in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. We studied 15,830 Hispanic/Latinos of Mexican, Cuban, Dominican, Puerto Rican, Central and South American descent aged 18–74 years, 77% of whom were foreign-born. Consistent with the conceptualization of AL, we developed an index based upon 16 physiological markers that spanned the cardiometabolic, parasympathetic, and inflammatory systems. We computed mean adjusted AL scores using log-linear models across age-groups (18–44, 45–54, 55–74 years), by sex and nativity status. Among foreign-born individuals, differences in AL by duration of residence in the US (<10, ≥10 years) and age at migration (<24, ≥24 years) were also examined. In persons younger than 55 years old, after controlling for socioeconomic and behavioral factors, AL was highest among US-born individuals, intermediate in foreign-born Hispanics/Latinos with longer duration in the US (≥10 years), and lowest among those with shorter duration in the US (<10 years) (P<0.0001 for increasing trend). Similarly, AL increased among the foreign-born with earlier age at immigration. These trends were less pronounced among individuals ≥55 years of age. Similar patterns were observed across all Hispanic/Latino heritage groups (Pfor interaction=0.5). Our findings support both a “healthy immigrant” pattern and a loss of health advantage over time among US Hispanics/Latinos of diverse heritages.

This document provides a pediatric-focused companion to “Defining and Setting National Goals for Cardiovascular Health Promotion and Disease Reduction: The American Heart Association’s Strategic Impact Goal Through 2020 and Beyond,” focused on cardiovascular health promotion and disease reduction in adults and children. The principles detailed in the document reflect the American Heart Association’s new dynamic and proactive goal to promote cardiovascular health throughout the life course. The primary focus is on adult cardiovascular health and disease prevention, but critical to achievement of this goal is maintenance of ideal cardiovascular health from birth through childhood to young adulthood and beyond. Emphasis is placed on the fundamental principles and metrics that define cardiovascular health in children for the clinical or research setting, and a balanced and critical appraisal of the strengths and weaknesses of the cardiovascular health construct in children and adolescents is provided. Specifically, this document discusses 2 important factors: the promotion of ideal cardiovascular health in all children and the improvement of cardiovascular health metric scores in children currently classified as having poor or intermediate cardiovascular health. Other topics include the current status of cardiovascular health in US children, opportunities for the refinement of health metrics, improvement of health metric scores, and possibilities for promoting ideal cardiovascular health. Importantly, concerns about the suitability of using single thresholds to identify elevated cardiovascular risk throughout the childhood years and the limits of our current knowledge are noted, and suggestions for future directions and research are provided.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.

AbstractBackground:The home environment, which includes parenting practices, is an important setting in which children develop their health behaviors. We examined the role of parenting practices in the home environment among underserved youth.Methods:We examined baseline data of a family-focused pediatric obesity intervention. Parenting practices (monitoring, discipline, limit setting of soda/snacks [SS] and screen media [SM], pressure to eat, and reinforcement) and availability of fruits/vegetables (FV) and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), family meals, television (TV) watching during meals, TVs in the home, owning active video games/sports equipment, and household food security were assessed in 301 parent/caregivers of overweight/obese children (ages 7–12 years; BMI≥85th percentile). Associations were evaluated using Spearman's rank correlation coefficients and logistic regression models adjusted for potential confounders.Results:Parents/caregivers (ages 22–67 years) were largely Hispanic/Latino (74.1%), female (92.4%), and reported high levels of limit setting SS and low levels of pressure to eat. Parent age, gender, country of birth, and years living in the United States accounted for differences among several parenting practices. Adjusted logistic regression models identified several statistically significant associations, including: Monitoring was positively associated with availability FV (odds ratio [OR]=2.19; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.25, 3.82); limit setting SS was inversely associated with availability of SSBs (OR=0.40; 95% CI, 0.21, 0.75); and limit setting SM was inversely associated with TV viewing during family meals (OR=0.51; 95% CI, 0.31, 0.85). Nearly 40% of our population was food insecure, and food insecurity was positively associated with pressure to eat (OR=1.77; 95% CI, 1.01, 3.15).Conclusions:Parenting practices play an important role in the home environment, and longitudinal studies are needed to examine these associations in the context of family-focused pediatric obesity interventions.

AbstractBackground:It is known that 15–30% overweight/obese adults do not suffer cardiometabolic consequences. There is limited literature examining factors that can be used to assess cardiometabolic health in overweight/obese children. If such factors can be identified, they would aid in differentiating those most in need for aggressive management.Methods:Baseline data from 7- to 12-year-old, overweight, and obese children enrolled in a weight management program at an urban hospital were analyzed. Homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) <2.6 was used to define insulin-sensitive and HOMA-IR ≥2.6 was used to defined insulin-resistant participants. Demographics, physical activity measures, and cardiometabolic risk factors were compared between the two phenotypes. Odds ratios (ORs) examining the association between intermediate endpoints (metabolic syndrome [MetS], nonalcoholic fatty liver disease [NAFLD], systemic inflammation, and microalbuminuria) and the two metabolic phenotypes were evaluated.Results:Of the 362 overweight/obese participants, 157 (43.5%) were insulin sensitive and 204 (56.5%) were insulin resistant. Compared to the insulin-sensitive group, the insulin-resistant group was older (8.6±1.6 vs. 9.9±1.7; p<0.001) and had a higher BMI z-score (1.89±0.42 vs. 2.04±0.42; p=0.001). After multivariable adjustment, compared to the insulin-sensitive group, the insulin-resistant group had higher odds of having MetS (OR, 5.47; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.72, 17.35; p=0.004) and NAFLD (OR, 8.66; 95% CI, 2.48, 30.31; p=0.001), but not systemic inflammation (OR, 1.06; 95% CI: 0.56, 2.03; p=0.86) or microalbuminuria (OR, 1.71; 95% CI, 0.49, 6.04; p=0.403).Conclusions:Using a HOMA-IR value of ≥2.6, clinical providers can identify prepubertal and early pubertal children most at risk. Focusing limited resources on aggressive weight interventions may lead to improvement in cardiometabolic health.

AbstractBackground:Adolescence is a critical period for the development of depressive symptoms and obesity. This study examined the association of depressive symptoms with standardized BMI (BMI z-score), lifestyle behaviors, and self-efficacy measures in a sample of urban adolescents.Methods:A school-based study was conducted among adolescents (N=1508) enrolled from 11 public schools. Depressive symptoms were assessed with Kandel's depressive symptoms scale for adolescents. Fruit and vegetable intake and intake of energy-dense foods were assessed by a short food frequency questionnaire. Sedentary behavior and physical activity (PA) were obtained by self-report. Height and weight were measured directly and BMI z-scores were calculated. Mixed-effects models were used to examine the association of depressive symptoms with BMI z-score and lifestyle behaviors, accounting for clustering at school level and adjusting for confounders. Self-efficacy measures were evaluated as potential mediators.Results:The sample was 53% female, 75% Hispanic, and 82% US born, with a mean age of 13.9 years. Higher depressive symptoms were associated with higher BMI z-score (β=0.02; p=0.02), intake of energy-dense foods (β=0.42; p<0.001), and sedentary behavior (β=0.48; p<0.001), but lower PA (β=−0.03; p=0.01). There was an interaction by gender in the association of depressive symptoms and PA. Self-efficacy mediated the association of depressive symptoms and PA.Conclusions:Obesity prevention and treatment programs should consider addressing the role of negative emotions as part of their preventive strategies.

The current study examined multiple stress indicators (chronic, perceived, traumatic) in relation to prevalent coronary heart disease, stroke, and major cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors (i.e., diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and current smoking) in the multisite Hispanic Community Health StudyStudy of Latinos Sociocultural Ancillary Study (2010–2011).

Background:Life’s Simple 7 (LS7) include not smoking, having a healthy diet pattern, adequate physical activity, healthy body weight, and healthy blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose. Better cardiovascular health metrics, measured by increasing LS7 scores, was associated with improved cognitive function.Purpose:Investigate the effect of LS7 on brain imaging outcomes in Hispanics/Latinos participating of the SOL-INCA sub-study.Methods:Hispanics/Latinos adults from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) who participated in the SOL - Investigation of Neurocognitive Aging Magnetic Resonance Imaging (SOL-INCA MRI) ancillary study underwent 3T brain MR imaging. LS7 scores and brain volumes were calculated. Volumes of interest included total brain, total and regional grey matter (frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital), total white matter, total CSF, lateral ventricle, and white matter hyperintensity (WMH). WMH values were log-transformed. All MRI volumes were residualized for total cranial volume prior to analysis. The influence of LS7 scores on MRI outcomes was investigated using linear regression analysis adjusted by baseline characteristics. These included sex, height, immigrant status and years of residence in the US, age at MRI scan, Hispanic/Latino background, level of education, household income, insurance status, and language preference.Results:A total of 1,534 participants (males 33%) were included in the study. The average age (mean±SD) was 60±10 and the average LS7 score 7±2. In the adjusted model, increasing LS7 scores were associated with larger cerebral white (β=1.40; p≤0.001) and frontal grey volumes (β=0.33; p≤0.001) as well as smaller CSF (β=-1.26; p≤0.001) and WMH volumes (β=-0.01; p≤0.001). The association of higher LS7 scores and better brain MR outcomes was observed in both males and females.Conclusions:Higher LS7 scores are associated with improved biomarkers of brain health. Further studies are necessary to determine if the anatomic changes observed correlate with cognitive performance.

Obesity-associated asthma has been proposed to be a distinct entity, differing in immune pathogenesis from atopic asthma. Both obesity-mediated inflammation and increase in adiposity are potential mechanistic factors that are poorly defined among children. We hypothesized that pediatric obesity-associated asthma would be characterized by T helper (Th) 1, rather than the Th2 polarization associated with atopic asthma. Moreover, we speculated that Th1 biomarkers and anthropometric measures would correlate with pulmonary function tests (PFTs) in obese asthmatic children.

The Environmental Affordances Model (EAM) proposes that the effects of chronic stress on depression are moderated by unhealthy behaviors and race/ethnicity. The unique social structures and contexts of Hispanics/Latinos in the U.S. may influence such relationships. This study evaluated whether unhealthy behaviors weakened the relationship between allostatic load, a measure of chronic stress, and future elevated depressive symptoms among Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos participants.

Background: Obesity and related comorbidities are major health concerns among many US immigrant populations. Emerging evidence suggests a potential involvement of the gut microbiome. Here, we evaluated gut microbiome features and their associations with immigration, dietary intake, and obesity in 2640 individuals from a population-based study of US Hispanics/Latinos. Results: The fecal shotgun metagenomics data indicate that greater US exposure is associated with reduced ɑ-diversity, reduced functions of fiber degradation, and alterations in individual taxa, potentially related to a westernized diet. However, a majority of gut bacterial genera show paradoxical associations, being reduced with US exposure and increased with fiber intake, but increased with obesity. The observed paradoxical associations are not explained by host characteristics or variation in bacterial species but might be related to potential microbial co-occurrence, as seen by positive correlations among Roseburia, Prevotella, Dorea, and Coprococcus. In the conditional analysis with mutual adjustment, including all genera associated with both obesity and US exposure in the same model, the positive associations of Roseburiaand Prevotellawith obesity did not persist, suggesting that their positive associations with obesity might be due to their co-occurrence and correlations with obesity-related taxa, such as Doreaand Coprococcus. Conclusions: Among US Hispanics/Latinos, US exposure is associated with unfavorable gut microbiome profiles for obesity risk, potentially related to westernized diet during acculturation. Microbial co-occurrence could be an important factor to consider in future studies relating individual gut microbiome taxa to environmental factors and host health and disease.

To estimate the sensitivity of 18F fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) and to assess the expression of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) and proliferative index (PI) in bronchioloalveolar lung cancer (BAC).