Association between heatwaves and risk and economic burden of injury related hospitalizations in China.

BACKGROUND: Public health is greatly affected by heatwaves, especially as a result of climate change. It is unclear whether heatwaves affect injury hospitalization, especially as developing countries facing the impact of climate change. OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of heatwaves on injury-related hospitalization and the economic burden. METHODS: The daily hospitalizations and meteorological data from 2014 to 2019 were collected from 23 study sites in 11 meteorological geographic zones in China. We conducted a two-stage time series analysis based on a time-stratified case-crossover design, combined with DLNM to assess the association between heatwaves and daily injury hospitalization, and to further assess the regional and national economic losses resulting from hospitalization by calculating excess hospitalization costs (direct economic losses) and labor losses (indirect economic losses). To determine the vulnerable groups and areas, we also carried out stratified analyses by age, sex, and region. RESULTS: We found that 6.542% (95%CI: 3.939%, 9.008 %) of injury hospitalization were attributable to heatwaves during warm season (May to September) from 2014 to 2019. Approximately 361,447 injury hospitalizations were attributed to heatwaves each year in China, leading to an excess economic loss of 5.173 (95%CI: 3.104, 7.196) billion CNY, of which 3.114 (95%CI: 1.454, 4.720) billion CNY for males and 4.785 (95%CI: 3.203, 6.321) billion CNY for people aged 15-64 years. The attributable fraction (AF) of injury hospitalizations due to heatwaves was the highest in the plateau mountain climate zone, followed by the subtropical monsoon climate zone and the temperate monsoon climate zone. CONCLUSIONS: Heatwaves significantly increase the disease and economic burden of injury hospitalizations, and vary across populations and regions. Our findings implicate the necessity for targeted measures, including raising public awareness, improving healthcare infrastructure, and developing climate resilience policies, to reduce the threat of heatwaves to vulnerable populations and the associated disease and economic burden.

[Pollution Characteristics and Risk Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Farmland Soil and Crops in the Suburbs of Urumqi].

In order to understand the occurrence of PAHs in soil and crops, the enrichment capacity of different crops for PAHs, and the distribution characteristics of PAHs in different parts of crops, the crops and soil planted in the farmland around Urumqi were studied as examples. Samples were collected in the farmland gathering area in the suburb of Urumqi in July 2021. A total of 100 crop samples were collected, including 21 crop species and 45 surface soil samples. The results showed that 16 types of PAHs were detected in the soil and crops. The total concentration of PAHs in farmland soil ranged from 19.06 to 1870.86 µg·kg-1, and the average concentration was 127.40 µg·kg-1. Seven carcinogenic PAHs accounted for 42.85%-79.20% of the 16 types of PAHs, among which BaP was the main pollutant in the soil. Through the characteristic ratio method, it was found that the main sources of PAHs in the soil were biomass and coal combustion. Total PAHs in crops ranged from 1.86 µg·kg-1 to 974.05 µg·kg-1, with an average of 303.30 µg·kg-1. Different crops had different enrichment capacities for PAHs. Among the 21 crops sampled, the accumulative content of PAHs in pumpkin was the highest (431.75 µg·kg-1). In leaf vegetable crops, the content of PAHs in leaves was higher than that in roots and fruits. In fruit and vegetable crops, the PAH content in fruit was higher than that in the root or leaf. There was a significant correlation between high cyclic PAHs in soil and PAHs in plant leaves. The health risk assessment of PAHs in crops showed that dietary intake had potential carcinogenic risk and even had high carcinogenic risk in adult male and female groups, which requires further attention.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of church-based interventions to improve cardiovascular disease risk factors.

BACKGROUND: Church-based interventions have been shown to reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and could reduce health disparities in groups with a high burden of CVD. We aim to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the effectiveness of church-based interventions for CVD risk factor improvement and to examine the types of interventions that are effective. METHODS: Systematic searches of MEDLINE, Embase, and manual reference searches were conducted through November 2021. Study inclusion criteria were church-based interventions delivered in the United States to address CVD risk factors. Interventions targeted barriers to improving blood pressure, weight, diabetes, physical activity, cholesterol, diet, or smoking. Two investigators independently extracted study data. Random effects meta-analyses were conducted. RESULTS: A total of 81 studies with 17,275 participants were included. The most common interventions included increasing physical activity (n = 69), improving diet (n = 67), stress management (n = 20), medication adherence (n = 9), and smoking cessation (n = 7). Commonly used approaches for implementation included cultural tailoring of the intervention, health coaching, group education sessions, inclusion of spiritual components in the intervention, and home health monitoring. Church-based interventions were associated with significant reductions in body weight (-3.1 lb, [95% CI, -5.8, -1.2], N = 15), waist circumference (-0.8 in, [CI, -1.4, -0.1], N = 6), and systolic blood pressure (-2.3 mm Hg, [CI, -4.3, -0.3], N = 13). CONCLUSIONS: Church-based interventions targeting CVD risk factors are effective for reducing CVD risk factors, particularly in populations with health disparities. These findings can be used to design future church-based studies and programs to improve cardiovascular health.

Social determinants of health and premature death among adults in the USA from 1999 to 2018: a national cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Racial and ethnic disparities in mortality persist in the US population. We studied the contribution of social determinants of health (SDoH) to racial and ethnic disparities in premature death. METHODS: A nationally representative sample of individuals aged 20-74 years who participated in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 1999 and 2018 were included. Self-reported SDoH (employment, family income, food security, education, access to health care, health insurance, housing instability, and being married or living with a partner) were collected in each survey cycle. Participants were categorised into four groups of race and ethnicity: Black, Hispanic, White, and other. Deaths were ascertained from linkage to the National Death Index with follow-up until 2019. Multiple mediation analysis was used to assess simultaneous contributions of each individual SDoH to racial disparities in premature all-cause mortality. FINDINGS: We included 48 170 NHANES participants in our analyses, consisting of 10 543 (21·9%) Black participants, 13 211 (27·4%) Hispanic participants, 19 629 (40·7%) White participants, and 4787 (9·9%) participants of other racial and ethnic groups. Mean survey-weighted age was 44·3 years (95% CI 44·0-44·6), 51·3% (50·9-51·8) of participants were women, and 48·7% (48·2-49·1) were men. 3194 deaths before age 75 years were recorded (930 Black participants, 662 Hispanic participants, 1453 White participants, and 149 other participants). Black adults had significantly higher premature mortality than other racial and ethnic groups (p<0·0001): premature death rates per 100 000 person-years were 852 (95% CI 727-1000) for Black adults, 445 (349-574) for Hispanic adults, 546 (474-630) for White adults, and 521 (336-821) for other adults. Unemployment, lower family income, food insecurity, less than high school education, no private health insurance, and not being married nor living with a partner were significantly and independently associated with premature death. Dose-response associations were observed between cumulative number of unfavourable SDoH and premature all-cause mortality: hazard ratios (HRs) were 1·93 (95% CI 1·61-2·31) for those with one unfavourable SDoH, 2·24 (1·87-2·68) for those with two, 3·98 (3·34-4·73) for those with three, 4·78 (3·98-5·74) for those with four, 6·08 (5·06-7·31) for those with five, and 7·82 (6·60-9·26) for those with six or more unfavourable SDoH (p<0·0001 for linear trend). After adjusting for SDoH, HRs for premature all-cause mortality for Black adults compared with White adults decreased from 1·59 (1·44-1·76) to 1·00 (0·91-1·10), suggesting complete mediation of this racial difference in mortality. INTERPRETATION: Unfavourable SDoH are associated with increased rates of premature death and contribute to differences between Black and White racial groups in premature all-cause mortality in the US population. Innovative public health policies and interventions targeting SDoH are needed to reduce premature deaths and health disparities in this population. FUNDING: US National Institutes of Health.

Proteomic cardiovascular risk assessment in chronic kidney disease.

AIMS: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is widely prevalent and independently increases cardiovascular risk. Cardiovascular risk prediction tools derived in the general population perform poorly in CKD. Through large-scale proteomics discovery, this study aimed to create more accurate cardiovascular risk models. METHODS AND RESULTS: Elastic net regression was used to derive a proteomic risk model for incident cardiovascular risk in 2182 participants from the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort. The model was then validated in 485 participants from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities cohort. All participants had CKD and no history of cardiovascular disease at study baseline when ∼5000 proteins were measured. The proteomic risk model, which consisted of 32 proteins, was superior to both the 2013 ACC/AHA Pooled Cohort Equation and a modified Pooled Cohort Equation that included estimated glomerular filtrate rate. The Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort internal validation set demonstrated annualized receiver operating characteristic area under the curve values from 1 to 10 years ranging between 0.84 and 0.89 for the protein and 0.70 and 0.73 for the clinical models. Similar findings were observed in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities validation cohort. For nearly half of the individual proteins independently associated with cardiovascular risk, Mendelian randomization suggested a causal link to cardiovascular events or risk factors. Pathway analyses revealed enrichment of proteins involved in immunologic function, vascular and neuronal development, and hepatic fibrosis. CONCLUSION: In two sizeable populations with CKD, a proteomic risk model for incident cardiovascular disease surpassed clinical risk models recommended in clinical practice, even after including estimated glomerular filtration rate. New biological insights may prioritize the development of therapeutic strategies for cardiovascular risk reduction in the CKD population.

Influence of neighborhood-level social determinants of health on a heart-healthy lifestyle among Black church members: A mixed-methods study.

Background: Few church-based health interventions have evaluated the influence of neighborhood-level social determinants of health (SDOH) on adopting heart-healthy lifestyles; none has occurred in Louisiana. We aimed to characterize neighborhood-level SDOH that may influence the ability to adopt a heart-healthy lifestyle among Black community church members in New Orleans, LA. Methods: This mixed methods study used quantitative data (surveys) and qualitative data (focus groups) to explore SDOH at the neighborhood- and church-area- level, including factors related to the physical (e.g., walkability, accessibility to recreational facilities) and social (e.g., social cohesion, perceived safety) environments. Descriptive analyses were conducted for quantitative data. Qualitative data were coded and analyzed using grounded theory and thematic analysis. Results: Among survey respondents (n = 302, 77 % female, 99 % Black), most reported having walkable neighborhood sidewalks and high neighborhood social cohesion. Two-thirds did not feel violence was a problem in their neighborhood and felt safe walking, day, or night. Focus group participants (n = 27, 74 % female, 100 % Black) reported facilitators to heart-healthy living, including social support promoting physical activity, intentionality in growing, buying, and preparing produce, and the neighborhood-built environment. Reported barriers included: crime, the COVID-19 pandemic, individual-level factors limiting physical activity, and city-wide disparities influencing health. Participants discussed strategies to promote healthy living, centered around the theme of establishing and rebuilding community relationships. Conclusions: Future health interventions aimed at improving cardiovascular outcomes among church communities should continue to inquire about neighborhood-level SDOH and tailor interventions, as appropriate, to address barriers and leverage facilitators within these communities.

Engaging Predominantly Black Churches in an Intervention to Improve Cardiovascular Health and Reduce Racial Inequities.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality in the United States and disproportionately impacts Black adults. Effective implementation of interventions to improve cardiovascular health in the Black community is needed to reduce health inequities. The Church-Based Health Intervention to Eliminate Health Inequalities in Cardiovascular Health (CHERISH) study is implementing interventions recommended by the 2019 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guideline on the primary prevention of CVD in Black communities to improve cardiovascular health and reduce health disparities. The recently completed 3-year planning phase of CHERISH has focused on engaging with the predominantly Black church community in New Orleans with the goals of informing study protocol development and recruiting churches for study participation. Community engagement approaches include convening a community advisory board (CAB), conducting qualitative and quantitative needs assessments, and hosting and attending church events. These activities have resulted in an engaged CAB that has contributed meaningfully to planning activities and the study protocol. The needs assessment found that while there are substantial barriers to cardiovascular health, such as knowledge, access to healthy foods, and safe spaces for physical activity, people are willing to make lifestyle changes and think that the proposed intervention components are feasible. Community engagement activities have resulted in the recruitment of 50 geographically and denominationally diverse predominantly Black churches willing to participate in the study (exceeding our goal of 42). Overall, a multicomponent approach to extensive community engagement has produced effective church enrollment for study participation and meaningful input on study design and implementation.

The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute Disparities Elimination through Coordinated Interventions to Prevent and Control Heart and Lung Disease Alliance.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) sponsored Disparities Elimination through Coordinated Interventions to Prevent and Control Heart and Lung Disease (DECIPHeR) Alliance to support late-stage implementation research aimed at reducing disparities in communities with high burdens of cardiovascular and/or pulmonary disease. STUDY SETTING: NHBLI funded seven DECIPHeR studies and a Coordinating Center. Projects target high-risk diverse populations including racial and ethnic minorities, urban, rural, and low-income communities, disadvantaged children, and persons with serious mental illness. Two projects address multiple cardiovascular risk factors, three focus on hypertension, one on tobacco use, and one on pediatric asthma. STUDY DESIGN: The initial phase supports planning activities for sustainable uptake of evidence-based interventions in targeted communities. The second phase tests late-stage evidence-based implementation strategies. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS: Not applicable. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We provide an overview of the DECIPHeR Alliance and individual study designs, populations, and settings, implementation strategies, interventions, and outcomes. We describe the Alliance's organizational structure, designed to promote cross-center partnership and collaboration. CONCLUSIONS: The DECIPHeR Alliance represents an ambitious national effort to develop sustainable implementation of interventions to achieve cardiovascular and pulmonary health equity.

Trends in Cardiovascular Risk Factors in US Adults by Race and Ethnicity and Socioeconomic Status, 1999-2018.

Importance: After decades of decline, the US cardiovascular disease mortality rate flattened after 2010, and racial and ethnic differences in cardiovascular disease mortality persisted. Objective: To examine 20-year trends in cardiovascular risk factors in the US population by race and ethnicity and by socioeconomic status. Design, Setting, and Participants: A total of 50 571 participants aged 20 years or older from the 1999-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, a series of cross-sectional surveys in nationally representative samples of the US population, were included. Exposures: Calendar year, race and ethnicity, education, and family income. Main Outcomes and Measures: Age- and sex-adjusted means or proportions of cardiovascular risk factors and estimated 10-year risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease were calculated for each of 10 two-year cycles. Results: The mean age of participants ranged from 49.0 to 51.8 years and the proportion of women from 48.2% to 51.3% in the surveys. From 1999-2000 to 2017-2018, age- and sex-adjusted mean body mass index increased from 28.0 (95% CI, 27.5-28.5) to 29.8 (95% CI, 29.2-30.4); mean hemoglobin A1c increased from 5.4% (95% CI, 5.3%-5.5%) to 5.7% (95% CI, 5.6%-5.7%) (both P < .001 for linear trends). Mean serum total cholesterol decreased from 203.3 mg/dL (95% CI, 200.9-205.8 mg/dL) to 188.5 mg/dL (95% CI, 185.2-191.9 mg/dL); prevalence of smoking decreased from 24.8% (95% CI, 21.8%-27.7%) to 18.1% (95% CI, 15.4%-20.8%) (both P < .001 for linear trends). Mean systolic blood pressure decreased from 123.5 mm Hg (95% CI, 122.2-124.8 mm Hg) in 1999-2000 to 120.5 mm Hg (95% CI, 119.6-121.3 mm Hg) in 2009-2010, then increased to 122.8 mm Hg (95% CI, 121.7-123.8 mm Hg) in 2017-2018 (P < .001 for nonlinear trend). Age- and sex-adjusted 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk decreased from 7.6% (95% CI, 6.9%-8.2%) in 1999-2000 to 6.5% (95% CI, 6.1%-6.8%) in 2011-2012, then did not significantly change. Age- and sex-adjusted body mass index, systolic blood pressure, and hemoglobin A1c were consistently higher, while total cholesterol was lower in non-Hispanic Black participants compared with non-Hispanic White participants (all P < .001 for group differences). Individuals with college or higher education or high family income had consistently lower levels of cardiovascular risk factors. The mean age- and sex-adjusted 10-year risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease was significantly higher in non-Hispanic Black participants compared with non-Hispanic White participants (difference, 1.4% [95% CI, 1.0%-1.7%] in 1999-2008 and 2.0% [95% CI, 1.7%-2.4%] in 2009-2018]). This difference was attenuated (-0.3% [95% CI, -0.6% to 0.1%] in 1999-2008 and 0.7% [95% CI, 0.3%-1.0%] in 2009-2018) after further adjusting for education, income, home ownership, employment, health insurance, and access to health care. Conclusions and Relevance: In this serial cross-sectional survey study that estimated US trends in cardiovascular risk factors from 1999 through 2018, differences in cardiovascular risk factors persisted between Black and White participants; the difference may have been moderated by social determinants of health.

Hypertension in Guatemala's Public Primary Care System: A Needs Assessment Using the Health System Building Blocks Framework.

BACKGROUND: Uncontrolled hypertension represents a substantial and growing burden in Guatemala and other low and middle-income countries. As a part of the formative phase of an implementation research study, we conducted a needs assessment to define short- and long-term needs and opportunities for hypertension services within the public health system. METHODS: We conducted a multi-method, multi-level assessment of needs related to hypertension within Guatemala's public system using the World Health Organization's health system building blocks framework. We conducted semi-structured interviews with stakeholders at national (n = 17), departmental (n = 7), district (n = 25), and community (n = 30) levels and focus groups with patients (3) and frontline auxiliary nurses (3). We visited and captured data about infrastructure, accessibility, human resources, reporting, medications and supplies at 124 health posts and 53 health centers in five departments of Guatemala. We conducted a thematic analysis of transcribed interviews and focus group discussions supported by matrix analysis. We summarized quantitative data observed during visits to health posts and centers. RESULTS: Major challenges for hypertension service delivery included: gaps in infrastructure, insufficient staffing and high turnover, limited training, inconsistent supply of medications, lack of reporting, low prioritization of hypertension, and a low level of funding in the public health system overall. Key opportunities included: prior experience caring for patients with chronic conditions, eagerness from providers to learn, and interest from patients to be involved in managing their health. The 5 departments differ in population served per health facility, accessibility, and staffing. All but 7 health posts had basic infrastructure in place. Enalapril was available in 74% of health posts whereas hydrochlorothiazide was available in only 1 of the 124 health posts. With the exception of one department, over 90% of health posts had a blood pressure monitor. CONCLUSIONS: This multi-level multi-method needs assessment using the building blocks framework highlights contextual factors in Guatemala's public health system that have been important in informing the implementation of a hypertension control trial. Long-term needs that are not addressed within the scope of this study will be important to address to enable sustained implementation and scale-up of the hypertension control approach.

Cost-effectiveness of a Multicomponent Intervention for Hypertension Control in Low-Income Settings in Argentina.

Importance: Hypertension is highly prevalent in low- and middle-income countries, and it is an important preventable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Understanding the economic benefits of a hypertension control program is valuable to decision-makers. Objective: To evaluate the long-term cost-effectiveness of a multicomponent hypertension management program compared with usual care among patients with hypertension receiving care in public clinics in Argentina from a health care system perspective. Design, Setting, and Participants: This economic evaluation used a Markov model to estimate the cost-effectiveness of a hypertension management program among adult patients with uncontrolled hypertension in a low-income setting. Patient-level data (743 individuals for multicomponent intervention; 689 for usual care) from the Hypertension Control Program in Argentina trial (HCPIA) were used to estimate treatment effects and the risk of CVD. Three health states were included in each strategy: (1) low risk of CVD, (2) high risk of CVD, and (3) death. The total time horizon was the lifetime, and each cycle lasted 6 months. Main Outcomes and Measures: Model inputs were based on trial data and other published sources. Cost and utilities were discounted at a rate of 5% annually. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) between the multicomponent intervention and usual care was calculated using the difference in costs in 2017 international dollars (INT $) divided by the difference in effectiveness in quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). One-way sensitivity analysis and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were performed to assess the uncertainty and robustness of the results. Results: In the original trial, the 743 participants in the intervention group (349 [47.0%] men) had a mean (SD) age of 56.2 (12.0) years, and the 689 participants in the control group (311 [45.1%] men) had a mean (SD) age of 56.2 (11.7) years. In the base-case analysis, the HCPIA program yielded 8.42 discounted QALYs and accrued INT $3096 discounted costs, while usual care yielded 8.29 discounted QALYs and accrued INT $2473 discounted costs. The ICER for the HCPIA program was INT $4907/QALY gained. The model results remained robust in sensitivity analyses, and the model was most sensitive to parameters of program costs. Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, the HCPIA multicomponent intervention vs usual care was a cost-effective strategy to improve hypertension management and reduce the risk of associated CVD among patients with hypertension who received services at public clinics in Argentina. This intervention program is likely transferable to other settings in Argentina or other lower- and middle-income countries.

Stoichiometric characteristics and economic implications of water-soluble ions in PM2.5 from a resource-dependent city.

The stoichiometric characteristics of water-soluble ions (WSIs) in PM2.5, which can be used as an indicator socioeconomic development level, are mostly depending on the sources and formation mechanism of PM2.5. This work presents the stoichiometric characteristics and socioeconomic linkage of WSIs in PM2.5 from a resource-dependent city. The relationship between NO3-/SO42- and car parc indexes the contribution of mobile emission source. The equivalent ratio of WSIs suggested that aerosol particles were weak acidic due to the deficiency of cations in PM2.5, which was consistent with the average annual pH (6.27) of precipitation in Wuhai in 2015. NH4+ neutralizes PM2.5 acidity in clean and polluted days, while Ca2+ and NH4+ in dust storm days. Furthermore, the PCA analysis indicated the multi-sources pollution characteristics from Spring to Fall, which was related the small build-up area (only 62.30 km2) and the close-set of various industrial enterprises in Wuhai. The ratios of NO2/SO2 may not work effectively to identify the importance of mobile versus stationary pollution emission sources when the heavy emission from the secondary industry, especially the proportion of secondary industry higher than 65% and the ratios of NO2/SO2 lower than 0.4. This work contributes to more effective control strategies for PM2.5 in resource-dependent areas.

Association of Cardiac Biomarkers With the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease Without Heart Failure.

Background The Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) is a measure of heart failure (HF) health status. Worse KCCQ scores are common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), even without diagnosed heart failure (HF). Elevations in the cardiac biomarkers GDF-15 (growth differentiation factor-15), galectin-3, sST2 (soluble suppression of tumorigenesis-2), hsTnT (high-sensitivity troponin T), and NT-proBNP (N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide) likely reflect subclinical HF in CKD. Whether cardiac biomarkers are associated with low KCCQ scores is not known. Methods and Results We studied participants with CKD without HF in the multicenter prospective CRIC (Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort) Study. Outcomes included (1) low KCCQ score <75 at year 1 and (2) incident decline in KCCQ score to <75. We used multivariable logistic regression and Cox regression models to evaluate the associations between baseline cardiac biomarkers and cross-sectional and longitudinal KCCQ scores. Among 2873 participants, GDF-15 (adjusted odds ratio 1.42 per SD; 99% CI, 1.19-1.68) and galectin-3 (1.28; 1.12-1.48) were significantly associated with KCCQ scores <75, whereas sST2, hsTnT, and NT-proBNP were not significantly associated with KCCQ scores <75 after multivariable adjustment. Of the 2132 participants with KCCQ ≥75 at year 1, GDF-15 (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.36 per SD; 99% CI, 1.12-1.65), hsTnT (1.20; 1.01-1.44), and NT-proBNP (1.30; 1.08-1.56) were associated with incident decline in KCCQ to <75 after multivariable adjustment, whereas galectin-3 and sST2 did not have significant associations with KCCQ decline. Conclusions Among participants with CKD without clinical HF, GDF-15, galectin-3, NT-proBNP, and hsTnT were associated with low KCCQ either at baseline or during follow-up. Our findings show that elevations in cardiac biomarkers reflect early symptomatic changes in HF health status in CKD patients.

Pooled cohort equations heart failure risk score predicts cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in a nationally representative sample of US adults.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) represents an accumulated burden of systemic vascular damage and is the fastest growing form of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Due to increasing HF-attributable mortality rates, we sought to assess the association of the new 2019 Pooled Cohort equations to Prevent Heart Failure (PCP-HF) risk score with CVD and all-cause mortality. METHODS: We linked data for 6333 black and white men and women aged 40-79 years, whom underwent electrocardiographic examination from the Third National Health and Nutrition Exam Survey, to National Death Index record matches. Sex- and race-specific PCP-HF risk scores were calculated using data on age, smoking, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, QRS complex duration, and antihypertensive and/or glucose-lowering medications. Cox regression estimated hazard ratios for the association of the PCP-HF risk score with CVD and all-cause mortality. RESULTS: Individuals were on average 54.9 years old (51.7% women, 25.4% black) and the median 10-year HF risk was 1.6% (Q1 = 0.5, Q3 = 4.8). There were 3178 deaths, 1116 from CVD, over a median follow-up time of 22.3 years. Black women had a higher 10-year HF risk compared to white women (2.1% vs. 1.1%; p < 0.01), while no significant difference was observed in predicted HF risk between black men and white men (2.3% vs. 2.1%, p = 0.16). A two-fold higher PCP-HF risk score was associated with a significant 58% (HR = 1.58; 95% CI, 1.48-1.70; p < 0.0001) and 38% (HR = 1.38; 95% CI, 1.32-1.46; p < 0.0001) greater risk of CVD and all-cause mortality, respectively. CONCLUSION: The PCP-HF risk score predicts CVD and all-cause mortality, in addition to the 10-year risk of incident HF among white and black men and women. These results underline the expanded utility of the PCP-HF risk score and suggest that its implementation in the clinical and population health settings may improve primary CVD prevention in the United States.

Perspectives on the Future of Epidemiology: A Framework for Training.

Over the past century, the field of epidemiology has evolved and adapted to changing public health needs. Challenges include newly emerging public health concerns across broad and diverse content areas, new methods, and vast data sources. We recognize the need to engage and educate the next generation of epidemiologists and prepare them to tackle these issues of the 21st century. In this commentary, we suggest a skeleton framework upon which departments of epidemiology should build their curriculum. We propose domains that include applied epidemiology, biological and social determinants of health, communication, creativity and ability to collaborate and lead, statistical methods, and study design. We believe all students should gain skills across these domains to tackle the challenges posed to us. The aim is to train smart thinkers, not technicians, to embrace challenges and move the expanding field of epidemiology forward.

Sensitivity assessment of denitrifying bacteria against typical antibiotics in groundwater.

The effects of antibiotics on nitrate denitrification in groundwater have acquired growing concern. Denitrification is a microbially mediated process. The effects of antibiotics on denitrification were mainly reflected in denitrifying bacteria. However, little is known about the relationship between antibiotics and denitrifying bacteria. Based on this, both direct antimicrobial susceptibility testing and microbial batch-culture experiments were conducted to assess the influences of typical antibiotics on denitrifying groundwater bacteria, mainly Pseudomonas (46.17%). Denitrifying bacteria, screened from a long-term groundwater denitrification environment, were tested for sensitivity to five typical antibiotics in groundwater: sulfamethoxazole (SMX), erythromycin (ERY), enrofloxacin (ENR), clindamycin (CLI), and tetracycline (TCY). The results showed that the sensitivity of denitrifying bacteria to antibiotics is mainly related to the type and concentration of antibiotics. For antibiotic types, the order of sensitivity by quantitative assessment is ENR > TCY > SMX > ERY > CLI. Fluoroquinolones (FQs) represented by ENR were selected to explore their concentration effects. The influences on denitrifying bacteria were divided into the high concentration effect (500 µg L-1 to 100 mg L-1) and the low concentration effect (100 ng L-1 to 10 µg L-1) with about 100 µg L-1 as a boundary. Exposure to high concentrations had significant inhibitory effects on bacterial growth and exhibited dose dependency, especially for ciprofloxacin (CIP). The low concentration effect was independent of concentration, which may be stimulation or inhibition. The stimulation mainly occurred due to ENR-exposure. For inhibitory effects, Lomefloxacin (LOM) was more effective than other FQs. Especially for inhibition at ng-level exposure, LOM and norfloxacin (NOR) exposures led to the highest and lowest inhibition rates, respectively.

Cost-Effectiveness of a Comprehensive Approach for Hypertension Control in Low-Income Settings in Argentina: Trial-Based Analysis of the Hypertension Control Program in Argentina.

BACKGROUND: A recent cluster randomized trial evaluating a multicomponent intervention showed significant reductions in blood pressure in low-income hypertensive subjects in Argentina. OBJECTIVES: To assess the cost-effectiveness of this intervention. METHODS: A total of 1432 hypertensive participants were recruited from 18 primary health care centers. The intervention included home visits led by community health workers, physician education, and text messaging. Resource use and quality of life data using the three-level EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire were prospectively collected. The study perspective was that of the public health care system, and the time horizon was 18 months. Intention-to-treat analysis was used to analyze cost and health outcomes (systolic blood pressure [SBP] change and quality-adjusted life-years [QALYs]). A 1 time gross domestic product per capita per QALY was used as the cost-effectiveness threshold (US $14,062). RESULTS: Baseline characteristics were similar in the two arms. QALYs significantly increased by 0.06 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.04-0.09) in the intervention group, and SBP net difference favored the intervention group: 5.3 mm Hg (95% CI 0.27-10.34). Mean total costs per participant were higher in the intervention arm: US $304 in the intervention group and US $154 in the control group (adjusted difference of US $140.18; 95% CI US $75.41-US $204.94). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was $3299 per QALY (95% credible interval 1635-6099) and US $26 per mm Hg of SBP (95% credible interval 13-46). Subgroup analysis showed that the intervention was cost-effective in all prespecified subgroups (age, sex, cardiovascular risk, and body mass index). CONCLUSIONS: The multicomponent intervention was cost-effective for blood pressure control among low-income hypertensive patients.

Black-White Difference in the Impact of Long-Term Blood Pressure From Childhood on Adult Renal Function: The Bogalusa Heart Study.

BACKGROUND: To examine racial difference in the impact of long-term burden of blood pressure (BP) from childhood on adult renal function between middle-aged blacks and whites. METHODS: The study cohort consisted of 1,646 whites and 866 blacks aged 20-51 years at follow-up who had BP measured at least 4 times since childhood, with a mean follow-up period of 25.3 years. The area under the curve (AUC) was calculated as a measure of long-term burden of BP from childhood to adulthood. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated based on serum creatinine to assess renal function in adulthood. RESULTS: Black vs. white adults had significantly higher values of eGFR and long-term burden of systolic BP for both males and females. In multivariable linear regression analyses, adjusting for sex, adult age, body mass index, smoking, and alcohol use, adult eGFR was significantly and negatively associated with adult systolic BP (standardized regression coefficient [ß] = -0.10, P = 0.005) and diastolic BP (ß = -0.11, P = 0.003) in blacks, but not in whites. The total BP AUC values were also significantly and negatively associated with adult eGFR (ß = -0.10, P = 0.005 for systolic BP and ß = -0.09, P = 0.013 for diastolic BP) in blacks only. Childhood BP was not significantly associated with adult eGFR in blacks and whites. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that black-white disparities in the influence of elevated BP on the development of renal dysfunction occur in middle adulthood, which underscores the importance of BP control in the black population.

[Screening Method of Priority Control Pollutants in Groundwater Based on Contamination Assessment].

Screening of priority control pollutants is an effective technical means for environmental management and environmental quality protection. Quick and efficient identification of pollutants is useful when attempting to prevent and control groundwater pollution. In order to explore a screening system for a set of priority pollutants that can be applied to regions with weak basic information, a screening method of priority pollutants based on contamination assessment is put forward in this paper. Based on the data of groundwater detection and analysis, using the evaluation method for pollution index classification, and combined with the pollution degree frequency score superposition method. The screening method of priority control pollutants in groundwater based on contamination assessment was established. This method was applied to the screening of pollutants in groundwater in the city of Golmud in Qinghai Province, China. The results were verified by using the screening system based on risk assessment, and the differences in the two systems are discussed. The results show that three categories of 10 kinds of chemical parameters, including TDS, total hardness, chloride, sulfate, sodium, fluorine, total iron, pyrene, phenanthrene, and aluminum, were determined as priority control pollutants in the Golmud region. It was consistent with the results of the screening method based on the risk assessment, and the screening results were reliable. The method based on risk assessment is complex and requires additional basic information, but it has certain foresight and is suitable for regions with abundant basic data. The method based on contamination assessment is simple and convenient and requires less abundant basic data. However, it is easily affected by background values. It is more suitable for the screening of priority control pollutants in regions with weak pollution source information.

Identifying and assessing human activity impacts on groundwater quality through hydrogeochemical anomalies and NO3-, NH4+, and COD contamination: a case study of the Liujiang River Basin, Hebei Province, P.R. China.

In the face of rapid economic development and increasing human activity, the deterioration of groundwater quality has seriously affected the safety of the groundwater supply in eastern China. Identifying and assessing the impact of human activities is key to finding solutions to this problem. This study is an effort to scientifically and systematically identify and assess the influence of human activities on groundwater based on irregularities in hydrochemical properties and water contamination, which are considered to directly result from anthropogenic activity. The combination of the hydrochemical anomaly identification (HAI) and the contaminant identification (CI) was proposed to identify the influence of human activities on groundwater quality. And the degree of abnormality was quantified by the background threshold value. The principal component analysis (PCA) and land use map were used to verify the reliability of the identification result. The final result show that the strong influence areas mainly distributed in the south of the basin and the affected indicators contained the major elements and NO3-, NH4+, COD. Impacts from anthropogenic activities can be divided into two types: mine drainage that disrupts natural water-rock interaction processes, agricultural cultivation, and sewage emissions that contribute to nitrate pollution.