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Azizi A Seixas,1,2 Arlener D Turner,2 Omonigho Michael Bubu,1,2 Girardin Jean-Louis,1,2 Mony J de Leon,3 Ricardo S Osorio,2 Lidia Glodzik3 1New York University Grossman School of Medicine, Department of Population Health, New York, NY, 10016, USA; 2New York University Grossman School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New York, NY, 10016, USA; 3Weill Cornell Medicine, Department of Radiology, New York, NY, 10021, USACorrespondence: Azizi A SeixasDepartments of Population Health and Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, 180 Madison Avenue, Office # 715, New York, NY, 10016, USATel +1 646-501-3430Fax +1 212-263-4595Email Azizi.Seixas@nyulangone.orgObjective: Compared to European Americans, research indicates that African Americans have higher white matter hyperintensity (WMH) load; however, the clinical and biological bases underlying this higher burden are poorly understood. We hypothesize that obesity may explain differences in WMH between African and European Americans.Methods: Participants enrolled in longitudinal brain aging studies (n=292; 61% Female; 92% European American; mean age=69.6± 7.7) completed evaluations including medical exams, neuroimaging, and sociodemographic surveys. Overweight/obese status defined as body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2, and WMH load, captured by FLAIR images, as sum of deep and periventricular volumes, scored using the Fazekas scale (0– 6), WMH≥ 4 considered high.Results: Logistic regression analyses, adjusted for age, sex, hypertension, and smoking history, indicated that age and interaction between race and obesity were significant predictors of WMH, demonstrating that obesity significantly moderated the relationship between race and WMH. Age independently increased the odds of high WMH by 16% (OR=1.16, 95% CI=1.09– 1.23, p< 0.001). Stratified analysis indicates that older European Americans had increased WMH (OR=1.17, 95% CI=1.09– 1.23, p< 0.001), while obese African Americans had increased WMH (OR=27.65, 95% CI=1.47– 519.13, p< 0.05). In a case controlled subgroup matched by age, sex, and education (n=48), African Americans had significantly higher WMH load (27% vs 4%, &KHgr;2=5.3, p=0.02).Conclusion: Results denote that age predicted WMH among European Americans, while obesity predicted WMH among African Americans. Matched sample analyses indicate that obesity increases the odds of WMH, though more pronounced in African Americans. These findings suggest that obesity may explain the differential burden of white matter hyperintensity load, signifying public health and clinical importance.Keywords: white matter hyperintensities, WMH, racial/ethnic differences, African American, obesity

Girardin Jean-Louis,1 Arlener D Turner,1 Peng Jin,2 Mengling Liu,2 Carla Boutin-Foster,3 Samy I McFarlane,3 Azizi Seixas1 1Departments of Population Health, Psychiatry, and Biostatistics, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, USA; 2Department of Biostatistics, New York University Langone Health, New York, NY, USA; 3Departments of Medicine and Endocrinology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, New York, NY, USACorrespondence: Girardin Jean-LouisNYU Grossman School of Medicine, 180 Madison Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10016, USATel +1 646.501.3431Email Girardin.Jean-Louis@nyulangone.orgAbstract: Mounting evidence shows a disproportionate COVID-19 burden among Blacks. Early findings indicate pre-existing metabolic burden (eg, obesity, hypertension and diabetes) as key drivers of COVID-19 severity. Since Blacks exhibit higher prevalence of metabolic burden, we examined the influence of metabolic syndrome on disparate COVID-19 burden. We analyzed data from a NIH-funded study to characterize metabolic burden among Blacks in New York (Metabolic Syndrome Outcome Study). Patients (n=1035) were recruited from outpatient clinics, where clinical and self-report data were obtained. The vast majority of the sample was overweight/obese (90%); diagnosed with hypertension (93%); dyslipidemia (72%); diabetes (61%); and nearly half of them were at risk for sleep apnea (48%). Older Blacks (age≥ 65 years) were characterized by higher levels of metabolic burden and co-morbidities (eg, heart disease, cancer). In multivariate-adjusted regression analyses, age was a significant (p≤ .001) independent predictor of hypertension (OR=1.06; 95% CI: 1.04– 1.09), diabetes (OR=1.03; 95% CI: 1.02– 1.04), and dyslipidemia (OR=0.98; 95% CI: 0.97– 0.99), but not obesity. Our study demonstrates an overwhelmingly high prevalence of the metabolic risk factors related to COVID-19 among Blacks in New York, highlighting disparate metabolic burden among Blacks as a possible mechanism conferring the greater burden of COVID-19 infection and mortality represented in published data.Keywords: COVID-19 burden, blacks, metabolic syndrome, metabolic risk factors, disparities

Fifth- and 6th-grade girls nominated by their teachers as having few friends participated in a manualized group treatment program for six sessions. Each treatment session consisted of three phases: a praise phase, interpersonal problem solving, and an activity phase. Pretest-posttest measurements included direct observations of target behaviors (conversing with others, initiating interaction, approached by another child, and being alone) and the Social Skills Rating System (Gresham & Elliot, 1988). Significant differences were noted between experimental participants and controls on three observational categories. At posttest, the treatment group spent less time alone, more time initiating conversations, and more time interacting with others than the control group. Suggestions are provided for enhancing programs similar to the one evaluated here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]