Plasma lipidomic profile of depressive symptoms: a longitudinal study in a large sample of community-dwelling American Indians in the strong heart study.

Dyslipidemia has been associated with depression, but individual lipid species associated with depression remain largely unknown. The temporal relationship between lipid metabolism and the development of depression also remains to be determined. We studied 3721 fasting plasma samples from 1978 American Indians attending two exams (2001-2003, 2006-2009, mean ~5.5 years apart) in the Strong Heart Family Study. Plasma lipids were repeatedly measured by untargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 20-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies for Depression (CES-D). Participants at risk for depression were defined as total CES-D score ≥16. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) was used to examine the associations of lipid species with incident or prevalent depression, adjusting for covariates. The associations between changes in lipids and changes in depressive symptoms were additionally adjusted for baseline lipids. We found that lower levels of sphingomyelins and glycerophospholipids and higher level of lysophospholipids were significantly associated with incident and/or prevalent depression. Changes in sphingomyelins, glycerophospholipids, acylcarnitines, fatty acids and triacylglycerols were associated with changes in depressive symptoms and other psychosomatic traits. We also identified differential lipid networks associated with risk of depression. The observed alterations in lipid metabolism may affect depression through increasing the activities of acid sphingomyelinase and phospholipase A2, disturbing neurotransmitters and membrane signaling, enhancing inflammation, oxidative stress, and lipid peroxidation, and/or affecting energy storage in lipid droplets or membrane formation. These findings illuminate the mechanisms through which dyslipidemia may contribute to depression and provide initial evidence for targeting lipid metabolism in developing preventive and therapeutic interventions for depression.

Learning from vertically distributed data across multiple sites: An efficient privacy-preserving algorithm for Cox proportional hazards model with variable selection.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a lossless distributed algorithm for regularized Cox proportional hazards model with variable selection to support federated learning for vertically distributed data. METHODS: We propose a novel distributed algorithm for fitting regularized Cox proportional hazards model when data sharing among different data providers is restricted. Based on cyclical coordinate descent, the proposed algorithm computes intermediary statistics by each site and then exchanges them to update the model parameters in other sites without accessing individual patient-level data. We evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm with (1) a simulation study and (2) a real-world data analysis predicting the risk of Alzheimer's dementia from the Religious Orders Study and Rush Memory and Aging Project (ROSMAP). Moreover, we compared the performance of our method with existing privacy-preserving models. RESULTS: Our algorithm achieves privacy-preserving variable selection for time-to-event data in the vertically distributed setting, without degradation of accuracy compared with a centralized approach. Simulation demonstrates that our algorithm is highly efficient in analyzing high-dimensional datasets. Real-world data analysis reveals that our distributed Cox model yields higher accuracy in predicting the risk of Alzheimer's dementia than the conventional Cox model built by each data provider without data sharing. Moreover, our algorithm is computationally more efficient compared with existing privacy-preserving Cox models with or without regularization term. CONCLUSION: The proposed algorithm is lossless, privacy-preserving and highly efficient to fit regularized Cox model for vertically distributed data. It provides a suitable and convenient approach for modeling time-to-event data in a distributed manner.

A gated group sequential design for seamless Phase II/III trial with subpopulation selection.

BACKGROUND: Due to the high cost and high failure rate of Phase III trials where a classical group sequential design (GSD) is usually used, seamless Phase II/III designs are more and more popular to improve trial efficiency. A potential attraction of Phase II/III design is to allow a randomized proof-of-concept stage prior to committing to the full cost of a Phase III trial. Population selection during the trial allows a trial to adapt and focus investment where it is most likely to provide patient benefit. Previous methods have been developed for this problem when there is a single primary endpoint and two possible populations. METHODS: To find the population that potentially benefits with one or two primary endpoints (e.g., progression free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS)), we propose a gated group sequential design for a seamless Phase II/III trial design with adaptive population selection. RESULTS: The investigated design controls the familywise error rate and allows multiple interim analyses to enable early stopping for efficacy or futility. Simulations and an illustrative example suggest that the proposed gated group sequential design has more power and requires less time and resources compared to the group sequential design and adaptive design. CONCLUSIONS: Combining the group sequential design and adaptive design, the gated group sequential design has more power and higher efficiency while controlling for the familywise error rate. It has the potential to save drug development cost and more quickly fulfill unmet medical needs.

Utilization of the ketogenic diet for adults with status epilepticus.

BACKGROUND: The ketogenic diet (KD) is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet with therapeutic potential in refractory seizures, both in outpatient and inpatient settings. Successful implementation of KD involves a multifaceted, interdisciplinary approach to address anticipated challenges. We sought to characterize the utilization of KD among healthcare providers caring for adults with status epilepticus (SE). METHODS: We distributed a web-based survey through professional societies, including the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), Neurocritical Care Society (NCS), American Epilepsy Society (AES), Neuro Anesthesia and Critical Care Society (NACCS), and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), and via research contacts. We asked respondents about practice experience and experience using KD as a treatment for SE. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests were used to analyze the results. RESULTS: Of 156 respondents, 80% of physicians and 18% of non-physicians reported experience with KD for SE. Anticipated difficulty in achieving ketosis (36.3%), lack of expertise (24.2%), and lack of resources (20.9%) were identified as the most important barriers limiting the utilization of KD. The absence of dietitians (37.1%) or pharmacists (25.7%) support was the most important missing resource. Reasons for stopping KD included perceived ineffectiveness (29.1%), difficulty achieving ketosis (24.6%), and side effects (17.3%). Academic centers had more experience with the use of KD and greater EEG monitoring availability and fewer barriers to its implementation. The need for randomized clinical trials supporting efficacy (36.5%) and better practice guidelines for implementation and maintenance of KD (29.6%) were cited most frequently as factors to increase utilization of KD. CONCLUSION: This study identifies important barriers to the utilization of KD as a treatment for SE despite evidence supporting its efficacy in the appropriate clinical context, namely lack of resources and interdisciplinary support, and lack of established practice guidelines. Our results highlight the need for future research to improve understanding of the efficacy and safety of KD along with better interdisciplinary collaborations to increase its utilization.

Acute Headache Management for Patients with Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: An International Survey of Health Care Providers.

BACKGROUND: Severe headaches are common after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Guidelines recommend treatment with acetaminophen and opioids, but patient data show that headaches often persist despite multimodal treatment approaches. Considering an overall slim body of data for a common complaint affecting patients with SAH during their intensive care stay, we set out to assess practice patterns in headache management among clinicians who treat patients with SAH. METHODS: We conducted an international cross-sectional study through a 37-question Web-based survey distributed to members of five professional societies relevant to intensive and neurocritical care from November 2021 to January 2022. Responses were characterized through descriptive analyses. Fisher's exact test was used to test associations. RESULTS: Of 516 respondents, 329 of 497 (66%) were from North America and 121 of 497 (24%) from Europe. Of 435 respondents, 379 (87%) reported headache as a major management concern for patients with SAH. Intensive care teams were primarily responsible for analgesia during hospitalization (249 of 435, 57%), whereas responsibility shifted to neurosurgery at discharge (233 of 501, 47%). Most used medications were acetaminophen (90%), opioids (66%), corticosteroids (28%), and antiseizure medications (28%). Opioids or medication combinations including opioids were most frequently perceived as most effective by 169 of 433 respondents (39%, predominantly intensivists), followed by corticosteroids or combinations with corticosteroids (96 of 433, 22%, predominantly neurologists). Of medications prescribed at discharge, acetaminophen was most common (303 of 381, 80%), followed by opioids (175 of 381, 46%) and antiseizure medications (173 of 381, 45%). Opioids during hospitalization were significantly more prescribed by intensivists, by providers managing higher numbers of patients with SAH, and in Europe. At discharge, opioids were more frequently prescribed in North America. Of 435 respondents, 299 (69%) indicated no change in prescription practice of opioids with the opioid crisis. Additional differences in prescription patterns between continents and providers and while inpatient versus at discharge were found. CONCLUSIONS: Post-SAH headache in the intensive care setting is a major clinical concern. Analgesia heavily relies on opioids both in use and in perception of efficacy, with no reported change in prescription patterns for opioids for most providers despite the significant drawbacks of opioids. Responsibility for analgesia shifts between hospitalization and discharge. International and provider-related differences are evident. Novel treatment strategies and alignment of prescription between providers are urgently needed.

Open hand fractures: a prospective analysis of functional outcomes and risk factors for infection after initial management in the emergency department.

PURPOSE: Open hand fractures are common orthopaedic injuries, historically managed with early debridement in the operating room. Recent studies suggest immediate operative treatment may not be necessary but have been limited by poor follow-up and lack of functional outcomes. This study sought to prospectively evaluate these injuries treated initially in the emergency department (ED), without immediate operative intervention, to determine long-term infectious and functional outcomes using the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire (MHQ). METHODS: Adult patients with open hand fractures managed initially in the ED at a Level-I trauma center were considered for inclusion (2012-2016). Follow-up and MHQ administration occurred at 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year. Logistic regression and Kruskal-Wallis testing were used for analysis. RESULTS: Eighty-one patients (110 fractures) were included. Most had Gustilo Type III injuries (65%). Injury mechanisms most commonly included saw/cut (40%) and crush (28%). Nearly half of all patients (46%) had additional injuries involving a nailbed or tendon. Fifteen percent of patients had surgery within 30 days. The average follow-up was 8.9 months, with 68% of patients completing at least 12 months. Eleven patients (14%) developed an infection, of which 4 (5%) required surgery. Subsequent surgery and laceration size were associated with increased odds of infection, and at one-year, functional outcomes were not significantly different regardless of fracture classification, injury mechanism, or surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Initial ED management of open hand fractures results in reasonable infection rates compared to similar literature and functional recovery demonstrated by MHQ score improvements over time.

Lipidomic profiling in the Strong Heart Study identified American Indians at risk of chronic kidney disease.

Dyslipidemia associates with and usually precedes the onset of chronic kidney disease (CKD), but a comprehensive assessment of molecular lipid species associated with risk of CKD is lacking. Here, we sought to identify fasting plasma lipids associated with risk of CKD among American Indians in the Strong Heart Family Study, a large-scale community-dwelling of individuals, followed by replication in Mexican Americans from the San Antonio Family Heart Study and Caucasians from the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study. We also performed repeated measurement analysis to examine the temporal relationship between the change in the lipidome and change in kidney function between baseline and follow-up of about five years apart. Network analysis was conducted to identify differential lipid classes associated with risk of CKD. In the discovery cohort, we found that higher baseline level of multiple lipid species, including glycerophospholipids, glycerolipids and sphingolipids, was significantly associated with increased risk of CKD, independent of age, sex, body mass index, diabetes and hypertension. Many lipid species were replicated in at least one external cohort at the individual lipid species and/or the class level. Longitudinal change in the plasma lipidome was significantly associated with change in the estimated glomerular filtration rate after adjusting for covariates, baseline lipids and the baseline rate. Network analysis identified distinct lipidomic signatures differentiating high from low-risk groups. Thus, our results demonstrated that disturbed lipid metabolism precedes the onset of CKD. These findings shed light on the mechanisms linking dyslipidemia to CKD and provide potential novel biomarkers for identifying individuals with early impaired kidney function at preclinical stages.

Efficient Privacy-preserving Logistic Model With Malicious Security.

Conducting secure computations to protect against malicious adversaries is an emerging field of research. Current models designed for malicious security typically necessitate the involvement of two or more servers in an honest-majority setting. Among privacy-preserving data mining techniques, significant attention has been focused on the classification problem. Logistic regression emerges as a well-established classification model, renowned for its impressive performance. We introduce a novel matrix encryption method to build a maliciously secure logistic model. Our scheme involves only a single semi-honest server and is resilient to malicious data providers that may deviate arbitrarily from the scheme. The d -transformation ensures that our scheme achieves indistinguishability (i.e., no adversary can determine, in polynomial time, which of the plaintexts corresponds to a given ciphertext in a chosen-plaintext attack). Malicious activities of data providers can be detected in the verification stage. A lossy compression method is implemented to minimize communication costs while preserving negligible degradation in accuracy. Experiments illustrate that our scheme is highly efficient to analyze large-scale datasets and achieves accuracy similar to non-private models. The proposed scheme outperforms other maliciously secure frameworks in terms of computation and communication costs.

Longitudinal Lipidomic Signature of Coronary Heart Disease in American Indian People.

BACKGROUND: Dyslipidemia is an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD). Standard lipid panel cannot capture the complexity of the blood lipidome (ie, all molecular lipids in the blood). To date, very few large-scale epidemiological studies have assessed the full spectrum of the blood lipidome on risk of CHD, especially in a longitudinal setting. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using an untargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, we repeatedly measured 1542 lipid species from 1835 unique American Indian participants who attended 2 clinical visits (≈5.5 years apart) and followed up to 17.8 years in the Strong Heart Family Study (SHFS). We first identified baseline lipid species associated with risk of CHD, followed by replication in a European population. The model adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, estimated glomerular filtration rate, education, and physical activity at baseline. We then examined the longitudinal association between changes in lipid species and changes in cardiovascular risk factors during follow-up. Multiple testing was controlled by the false discovery rate. We found that baseline levels of multiple lipid species (eg, phosphatidylcholines, phosphatidylethanolamines, and ceramides) were associated with the risk of CHD and improved the prediction accuracy over conventional risk factors in American Indian people. Some identified lipids in American Indian people were replicated in European people. Longitudinal changes in multiple lipid species (eg, acylcarnitines, phosphatidylcholines, and triacylglycerols) were associated with changes in cardiovascular risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Baseline plasma lipids and their longitudinal changes over time are associated with risk of CHD. These findings provide novel insights into the role of dyslipidemia in CHD.

Longitudinal Profiling of Fasting Plasma Metabolome in Response to Weight-Loss Interventions in Patients with Morbid Obesity.

It is well recognized that patients with severe obesity exhibit remarkable heterogeneity in response to different types of weight-loss interventions. Those who undergo Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) usually exhibit more favorable glycemic outcomes than those who receive adjustable gastric banding (BAND) or intensive medical intervention (IMI). The molecular mechanisms behind these observations, however, remain largely unknown. To identify the plasma metabolites associated with differential glycemic outcomes induced by weight-loss intervention, we studied 75 patients with severe obesity (25 each in RYGB, BAND, or IMI). Using untargeted metabolomics, we repeatedly measured 364 metabolites in plasma samples at baseline and 1-year after intervention. Linear regression was used to examine whether baseline metabolites or changes in metabolites are associated with differential glycemic outcomes in response to different types of weight-loss intervention, adjusting for sex, baseline age, and BMI as well as weight loss. Network analyses were performed to identify differential metabolic pathways involved in the observed associations. After correction for multiple testing (q < 0.05), 33 (RYGB vs. IMI) and 28 (RYGB vs. BAND) baseline metabolites were associated with changes in fasting plasma glucose (FPG) or glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Longitudinal changes in 38 (RYGB vs. IMI) and 38 metabolites (RYGB vs. BAND) were significantly associated with changes in FPG or HbA1c. The identified metabolites are enriched in pathways involved in the biosynthesis of aminoacyl-tRNA and branched-chain amino acids. Weight-loss intervention evokes extensive changes in plasma metabolites, and the altered metabolome may underlie the differential glycemic outcomes in response to different types of weight-loss intervention, independent of weight loss itself.

Plasma lipidomic markers of diet quality are associated with incident coronary heart disease in American Indian adults: the Strong Heart Family Study.

BACKGROUND: Identifying lipidomic markers of diet quality is needed to inform the development of biomarkers of diet, and to understand the mechanisms driving the diet- coronary heart disease (CHD) association. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify lipidomic markers of diet quality and examine whether these lipids are associated with incident CHD. METHODS: Using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, we measured 1542 lipid species from 1694 American Indian adults (aged 18-75 years, 62% female) in the Strong Heart Family Study. Participants were followed up for development of CHD through 2020. Information on the past year diet was collected using the Block Food Frequency Questionnaire, and diet quality was assessed using the Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI). Mixed-effects linear regression was used to identify individual lipids cross-sectionally associated with AHEI. In prospective analysis, Cox frailty model was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) of each AHEI-related lipid for incident CHD. All models were adjusted for age, sex, center, education, body mass index, smoking, alcohol drinking, level of physical activity, energy intake, diabetes, hypertension, and use of lipid-lowering drugs. Multiple testing was controlled at a false discovery rate of <0.05. RESULTS: Among 1542 lipid species measured, 71 lipid species (23 known), including acylcarnitine, cholesterol esters, glycerophospholipids, sphingomyelins and triacylglycerols, were associated with AHEI. Most of the identified lipids were associated with consumption of ω-3 (n-3) fatty acids. In total, 147 participants developed CHD during a mean follow-up of 17.8 years. Among the diet-related lipids, 10 lipids [5 known: cholesterol ester (CE)(22:5)B, phosphatidylcholine (PC)(p-14:0/22:1)/PC(o-14:0/22:1), PC(p-38:3)/PC(o-38:4)B, phosphatidylethanolamine (PE)(p-18:0/20:4)/PE(o-18:0/20:4), and sphingomyelin (d36:2)A] were associated with incident CHD. On average, each standard deviation increase in the baseline level of these 5 lipids was associated with 17%-23% increased risk of CHD (from HR: 1.17; 95% CI: 1, 1.36; to HR: 1.23; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.43). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, lipidomic markers of diet quality in American Indian adults are found. Some diet-related lipids are associated with risk of CHD beyond established risk factors.

A domain-oriented approach to characterizing movement-evoked pain.

Introduction: Movement-evoked pain (MEP) impacts a substantial proportion of US adults living with chronic pain. Evidence suggests that MEP is influenced by numerous biopsychosocial factors and mediated by mechanisms differing from those of spontaneous pain. However, both characteristic and mechanistic knowledge of MEP remain limited, hindering effective diagnosis and treatment. Objectives: We asked (1) can chronic pain, functional, psychosocial, and behavioral measures be grouped into descriptive domains that characterize MEP? and (2) what relationships exist between biopsychosocial factors across multiple domains of MEP? Methods: We formed 6 characteristic domains from 46 MEP-related variables in a secondary analysis of data from 178 individuals (aged 45-85 years) with knee pain. Ratings of pain during 3 functional activities (ie, Balance, Walking, Chair Stand) were used as primary MEP variables. Pearson correlations were calculated to show linear relationships between all individual domain variables. Relationships between variables were further investigated through weighted correlation network analysis. Results: We observed a unique combination of pain characteristics associated with MEP apart from general pain. Notably, minutes doing physical activity were inversely associated with multiple variables within 4 of the 6 domains. Weighted correlation network analysis largely supported our classification of MEP domains. Additional interdomain relationships were observed, with the strongest existing between MEP, Mechanical Pain, and Multiple Pain Characteristics and Symptoms. Additional relationships were observed both within and between other domains of the network. Conclusion: Our analyses bolster fundamental understanding of MEP by identifying relevant mechanistic domains and elucidating biopsychosocial and interdomain relationships.

Longitudinal lipidomic profiles of left ventricular mass and hypertrophy in American Indians.

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and dyslipidemia are strong, independent predictors for cardiovascular disease, but their relationship is less well-studied. A longitudinal lipidomic profiling of left ventricular mass (LVM) and LVH is still lacking. Using LC-MS, we repeatedly measured 1,542 lipids from 1,755 unique American Indians attending two exams (mean~5-year apart). Cross-sectional associations of individual lipid species with LVM index (LVMI) were examined by generalized estimating equation (GEE), followed by replication in an independent bi-racial cohort (65% white, 35% black). Baseline plasma lipids associated with LVH risk beyond traditional risk factors were identified by Cox frailty model in American Indians. Longitudinal associations between changes in lipids and changes in LVMI were examined by GEE, adjusting for baseline lipids, baseline LVMI, and covariates. Multiple lipid species (e.g., glycerophospholipids, sphingomyelins, acylcarnitines) were significantly associated with LVMI or the risk of LVH in American Indians. Some lipids were confirmed in black and white individuals. Moreover, some LVH-related lipids were inversely associated with risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Longitudinal changes in several lipid species (e.g., glycerophospholipids, sphingomyelins, cholesterol esters) were significantly associated with changes in LVMI. These findings provide insights into the role of lipid metabolism in LV remodeling and the risk of LVH or CHD.

DNA methylation is differentially associated with glycemic outcomes by different types of weight-loss interventions: an epigenome-wide association study.

BACKGROUND: Alterations in DNA methylation (DNAm) have been reported to be a mechanism by which bariatric surgeries resulted in considerable metabolic improvements. Previous studies have mostly focused on change in DNAm following weight-loss interventions, yet whether DNAm prior to intervention can explain the variability in glycemic outcomes has not been investigated. Here, we aim to examine whether baseline DNAm is differentially associated with glycemic outcomes induced by different types of weight-loss interventions. METHODS: Participants were 75 adults with severe obesity who underwent non-surgical intensive medical intervention (IMI), adjustable gastric band (BAND) or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) (n = 25 each). Changes in fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were measured at 1-year after intervention. DNAm was quantified by Illumina 450 K arrays in baseline peripheral blood DNA. Epigenome-wide association studies were performed to identify CpG probes that modify the effects of different weight-loss interventions on glycemic outcomes, i.e., changes in FPG and HbA1c, by including an interaction term between types of intervention and DNAm. Models were adjusted for weight loss and baseline clinical factors. RESULTS: Baseline DNAm levels at 3216 and 117 CpGs were differentially associated with changes in FPG and HbA1c, respectively, when comparing RYGB versus IMI. Of these, 79 CpGs were significant for both FPG and HbA1c. The identified genes are enriched in adaptive thermogenesis, temperature homeostasis and regulation of cell population proliferation. Additionally, DNAm at 6 CpGs was differentially associated with changes in HbA1c when comparing RYGB versus BAND. CONCLUSIONS: Baseline DNAm is differentially associated with glycemic outcomes in response to different types of weight-loss interventions, independent of weight loss and other clinical factors. Such findings provided initial evidence that baseline DNAm levels may serve as potential biomarkers predictive of differential glycemic outcomes in response to different types of weight-loss interventions.

Longitudinal lipidomic signatures of all-cause and CVD mortality in American Indians: findings from the Strong Heart Study.

Dyslipidemia is an independent and modifiable risk factor for aging and age-related disorders. Routine lipid panel cannot capture all individual lipid species in blood (i.e., blood lipidome). To date, a comprehensive assessment of the blood lipidome associated with mortality is lacking in large-scale community-dwelling individuals, especially in a longitudinal setting. Using liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometry, we repeatedly measured individual lipid species in 3,821 plasma samples collected at two visits (~ 5.5 years apart) from 1,930 unique American Indians in the Strong Heart Family Study. We first identified baseline lipids associated with risks for all-cause mortality and CVD mortality (mean follow-up period: 17.8 years) in American Indians, followed by replication of top hits in European Caucasians in the Malmö Diet and Cancer-Cardiovascular Cohort (n = 3,943, mean follow-up period: 23.7 years). The model adjusted age, sex, BMI, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, and LDL-c at baseline. We then examined the associations between changes in lipid species and risk of mortality. Multiple testing was controlled by false discovery rate (FDR). We found that baseline levels and longitudinal changes of multiple lipid species, e.g., cholesterol esters, glycerophospholipids, sphingomyelins, and triacylglycerols, were significantly associated with risks of all-cause or CVD mortality. Many lipids identified in American Indians could be replicated in European Caucasians. Network analysis identified differential lipid networks associated with risk of mortality. Our findings provide novel insight into the role of dyslipidemia in disease mortality and offer potential biomarkers for early prediction and risk reduction in American Indians and other ethnic groups.

Longitudinal Lipidomic Profile of Hypertension in American Indians: Findings From the Strong Heart Family Study.

BACKGROUND: Dyslipidemia is an important risk factor for hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Standard lipid panel cannot reflect the complexity of blood lipidome. The associations of individual lipid species with hypertension remain to be determined in large-scale epidemiological studies, especially in a longitudinal setting. METHODS: Using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, we repeatedly measured 1542 lipid species in 3699 fasting plasma samples at 2 visits (1905 at baseline, 1794 at follow-up, ~5.5 years apart) from 1905 unique American Indians in the Strong Heart Family Study. We first identified baseline lipids associated with prevalent and incident hypertension, followed by replication of top hits in Europeans. We then conducted repeated measurement analysis to examine the associations of changes in lipid species with changes in systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and mean arterial pressure. Network analysis was performed to identify lipid networks associated with the risk of hypertension. RESULTS: Baseline levels of multiple lipid species, for example, glycerophospholipids, cholesterol esters, sphingomyelins, glycerolipids, and fatty acids, were significantly associated with both prevalent and incident hypertension in American Indians. Some lipids were confirmed in Europeans. Longitudinal changes in multiple lipid species, for example, acylcarnitines, phosphatidylcholines, fatty acids, and triacylglycerols, were significantly associated with changes in blood pressure measurements. Network analysis identified distinct lipidomic patterns associated with the risk of hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: Baseline plasma lipid species and their longitudinal changes are significantly associated with hypertension development in American Indians. Our findings shed light on the role of dyslipidemia in hypertension and may offer potential opportunities for risk stratification and early prediction of hypertension.

Longitudinal lipidomic signature of carotid atherosclerosis in American Indians: Findings from the Strong Heart Family Study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Dyslipidemia is an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). To date, a comprehensive assessment of individual lipid species associated with atherosclerosis is lacking in large-scale epidemiological studies, especially in a longitudinal setting. We investigated the association of circulating lipid species and its longitudinal changes with carotid atherosclerosis. METHODS: Using liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometry, we repeatedly measured 1542 lipid species in 3687 plasma samples from 1918 unique American Indians attending two visits (mean ∼5 years apart) in the Strong Heart Family Study. Carotid atherosclerotic plaques were assessed by ultrasonography at each visit. We identified lipids associated with prevalence or progression of carotid plaques, adjusting age, sex, BMI, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, and eGFR. Then we examined whether longitudinal changes in lipids were associated with changes in cardiovascular risk factors. Multiple testing was controlled at false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.05. RESULTS: Higher levels of sphingomyelins, ether-phosphatidylcholines, and triacylglycerols were significantly associated with prevalence or progression of carotid plaques (odds ratios ranged from 1.15 to 1.34). Longitudinal changes in multiple lipid species (e.g., acylcarnitines, phosphatidylcholines, triacylglycerols) were associated with changes in cardiometabolic traits (e.g., BMI, blood pressure, fasting glucose, eGFR). Network analysis identified differential lipid networks associated with plaque progression. CONCLUSIONS: Baseline and longitudinal changes in multiple lipid species were significantly associated with carotid atherosclerosis and its progression in American Indians. Some plaque-related lipid species were also associated with risk for CVD events.

Associations between exercise classes and self-reported exercise by people with Parkinson's disease at Parkinson's foundation centers of excellence.

INTRODUCTION: Despite evidence of the benefits of exercise, people with Parkinson's disease (PD) often exercise less than recommended. We sought to identify exercise class-related factors associated with the amount of exercise in PD communities. METHODS: We used Parkinson's Outcome Project (POP) data from 3146 people with PD at 19 participating Centers of Excellence (COEs). POP data included self-reported moderate-vigorous exercise (MVE) hours, light physical activity (PA) hours, demographic and disease severity variables. We also collected information about weekly exercise class availability, intensity, cost, and distance from class location to the COE. We examined differences between COE-based and community-based exercise classes using the Akritas test for paired and unpaired samples. We tested associations between class characteristics and exercise hours based on a two-part model: logistic regression on whether a participant does MVE or light PA and linear regression for log-transformed time of exercise. RESULTS: Community-based exercise classes had a significantly higher weekly availability than COE-based classes (class hours per week: 47.5 ± 25.6 vs 6.5 ± 8.6, p < 0.001), a higher percentage of vigorous-intensity classes (24.2 ± 17.8 vs 11 ± 14.7, p < 0.001), and a broader geographic distribution (miles to COE: 12.8 ± 4.6 vs 6.2 ± 5.7, p < 0.001). Greater weekly hours of availability, intensity, and distance to COE were associated with increased MVE and light PA hours among participants who exercised (p < 0.01). Of these, higher weekly class availability explained the most variability in reported exercise hours. CONCLUSION: Parkinson's COEs may be able to increase exercise by facilitating a high weekly availability of exercise classes with higher intensity levels and broader geographical distribution.

Early vigabatrin augmenting GABA-ergic pathways in post-anoxic status epilepticus (VIGAB-STAT) phase IIa clinical trial study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Nearly one in three unconscious cardiac arrest survivors experience post-anoxic status epilepticus (PASE). Historically, PASE has been deemed untreatable resulting in its exclusion from status epilepticus clinical trials. However, emerging reports of survivors achieving functional independence following early and aggressive treatment of PASE challenged this widespread therapeutic nihilism. In the absence of proven therapies specific to PASE, standard of care treatment leans on general management strategies for status epilepticus. Vigabatrin-an approved therapy for refractory focal-onset seizures in adults-inhibits the enzyme responsible for GABA catabolism, increases brain GABA levels and may act synergistically with anesthetic agents to abort seizures. Our central hypothesis is that early inhibition of GABA breakdown is possible in the post-cardiac arrest period and may be an effective adjunctive treatment in PASE. METHODS: This is a phase IIa, single-center, open-label, pilot clinical trial with blinded outcome assessment, of a single dose of vigabatrin in 12 consecutive PASE subjects. Subjects will receive a single loading dose of 4500 mg of vigabatrin (or dose adjusted in moderate and severe renal impairment) via enteric tube within 48 h of PASE onset. Vigabatrin levels will be monitored at 0- (baseline), 0.5-, 1-, 2-, 3-, 6-, 12-, 24-, 48-, 72- and 168-h (7 days) post-vigabatrin. Serum biomarkers of neuronal injury will be measured at 0-, 24-, 48-, 72- and 96-h post-vigabatrin. The primary feasibility endpoint is the proportion of enrolled subjects among identified eligible subjects receiving vigabatrin within 48 h of PASE onset. The primary pharmacokinetic endpoint is the measured vigabatrin level at 3 h post-administration. Descriptive statistics with rates and proportions will be obtained regarding feasibility outcomes, along with the noncompartmental method for pharmacokinetic analyses. The area under the vigabatrin concentration-time curve in plasma from zero to the time of the last quantifiable concentration (AUC0-tlqc) will be calculated to estimate dose-linear pharmacokinetics. PERSPECTIVE: Vigabatrin demonstrates high potential for synergism with current standard of care therapies. Demonstration of the feasibility of vigabatrin administration and preliminary safety in PASE will pave the way for future efficacy and safety trials of this pharmacotherapeutic. Trial Registration NCT04772547.

Longitudinal Plasma Lipidome and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in a Large Sample of American Indians With Normal Fasting Glucose: The Strong Heart Family Study.

OBJECTIVE: Comprehensive assessment of alterations in lipid species preceding type 2 diabetes (T2D) is largely unknown. We aimed to identify plasma molecular lipids associated with risk of T2D in American Indians. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Using untargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, we repeatedly measured 3,907 fasting plasma samples from 1,958 participants who attended two examinations (∼5.5 years apart) and were followed up to 16 years in the Strong Heart Family Study. Mixed-effects logistic regression was used to identify lipids associated with risk of T2D, adjusting for traditional risk factors. Repeated measurement analysis was performed to examine the association between change in lipidome and change in continuous measures of T2D, adjusting for baseline lipids. Multiple testing was controlled by false discovery rate at 0.05. RESULTS: Higher baseline level of 33 lipid species, including triacylglycerols, diacylglycerols, phosphoethanolamines, and phosphocholines, was significantly associated with increased risk of T2D (odds ratio [OR] per SD increase in log2-transformed baseline lipids 1.50-2.85) at 5-year follow-up. Of these, 21 lipids were also associated with risk of T2D at 16-year follow-up. Aberrant lipid profiles were also observed in prediabetes (OR per SD increase in log2-transformed baseline lipids 1.30-2.19 for risk lipids and 0.70-0.78 for protective lipids). Longitudinal changes in 568 lipids were significantly associated with changes in continuous measures of T2D. Multivariate analysis identified distinct lipidomic signatures differentiating high- from low-risk groups. CONCLUSIONS: Lipid dysregulation occurs many years preceding T2D, and novel molecular lipids (both baseline level and longitudinal change over time) are significantly associated with risk of T2D beyond traditional risk factors. Our findings shed light on the mechanisms linking dyslipidemia to T2D and may yield novel therapeutic targets for early intervention tailored to American Indians.