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Background Adiponectin is a biomarker that is associated with type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Lower circulating level is a risk factor. Higher levels are protective. African Americans have a higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes and hypertension and lower levels of adiponectin when compared to other racial/ethnic groups. Little is known about the association of adiponectin on these health outcomes among African Americans. The purpose of the study was to assess the association of adiponectin on type 2 diabetes and hypertension likelihood among African American men and women in the Jackson Heart Study. Methods Separate multivariate logistic regressions were conducted stratified by sex based on cross-sectional data with type 2 diabetes and hypertension as the outcomes. Adiponectin was divided into four quartiles with the highest quartile as the reference. Data was collected from 2000-2004 on 3,663 participants. Data analysis was conducted in calendar year 2014. Two- tailed P

Background The prevalence of hypertension is increasing in much of the South Asian region, including Nepal. This paper reports the prevalence and risk factors of hypertension and pre-hypertension among adult women in a rural community of Nepal. Methods Cross-sectional data on socioeconomic status (SES), lifestyle factors and blood pressure (BP) were collected from a cohort of 15,934 women in rural Nepal in 2006–08. Among a subsample (n = 1679), anthropometry and biomarkers of cardiovascular risk were measured. Results The mean age of women was 34.2 years (range 16.4-71.2 years). More than three percent (3.3%) had hypertension and 14.4% had pre-hypertension. In an adjusted analysis, lower SES, especially lower household farm assets and storage of food for long term consumption, was associated with increased odds of hypertension (OR = 1.14 for mid-level SES and OR = 1.40 for low SES; p for trend Conclusions Although the prevalence of hypertension was low in this cohort, it was more prevalent among the poorer women and was strongly associated with other cardiovascular risks. These associations at a relatively young age may confer greater risk for cardiovascular disease among women in later life, indicating the need for interventions to reduce the progression from pre-hypertension to hypertension.

Purpose Shorter telomere length and obstructive sleep apnea are associated with increased oxidative stress and chronic inflammation, which are both considered leading causes of age-related diseases. Different forms of sleep disordered breathing have been linked to telomere length although their relationship remains uncertain. The purpose of this study was to explore the associations between the risk of obstructive sleep apnea and telomere length in African Americans. Methods The analysis included 184 women and 122 men aged 30–55 years from the Morehouse School of Medicine Study. Relative TL (T/S ratio) was measured from peripheral blood leukocytes using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The Berlin questionnaire was used for OSA risk assessments. Multivariable linear regression models were used to examine the associations between OSA risk and LTL. Results We observed that LTL varied by OSA risk in women (0.532 ± 0.006 vs. 0.569 ± 0.008) (p = 0.04). Multiple linear regression analysis confirmed that women at higher risk for OSA presented shorter LTL compared to those at lower risk, independent of age, income, education, obesity, smoking, alcohol consumption, and hypertension. These differences were not observed in men. Conclusions Our findings suggest that OSA risk may contribute to the acceleration of cellular aging processes through telomere shortening.