Whole genome sequencing based analysis of inflammation biomarkers in the Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) consortium.

Inflammation biomarkers can provide valuable insight into the role of inflammatory processes in many diseases and conditions. Sequencing based analyses of such biomarkers can also serve as an exemplar of the genetic architecture of quantitative traits. To evaluate the biological insight, which can be provided by a multi-ancestry, whole-genome based association study, we performed a comprehensive analysis of 21 inflammation biomarkers from up to 38 465 individuals with whole-genome sequencing from the Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) program (with varying sample size by trait, where the minimum sample size was n = 737 for MMP-1). We identified 22 distinct single-variant associations across 6 traits-E-selectin, intercellular adhesion molecule 1, interleukin-6, lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 activity and mass, and P-selectin-that remained significant after conditioning on previously identified associations for these inflammatory biomarkers. We further expanded upon known biomarker associations by pairing the single-variant analysis with a rare variant set-based analysis that further identified 19 significant rare variant set-based associations with 5 traits. These signals were distinct from both significant single variant association signals within TOPMed and genetic signals observed in prior studies, demonstrating the complementary value of performing both single and rare variant analyses when analyzing quantitative traits. We also confirm several previously reported signals from semi-quantitative proteomics platforms. Many of these signals demonstrate the extensive allelic heterogeneity and ancestry-differentiated variant-trait associations common for inflammation biomarkers, a characteristic we hypothesize will be increasingly observed with well-powered, large-scale analyses of complex traits.

Performance of Rapid Antigen Tests to Detect Symptomatic and Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection : A Prospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The performance of rapid antigen tests (Ag-RDTs) for screening asymptomatic and symptomatic persons for SARS-CoV-2 is not well established. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the performance of Ag-RDTs for detection of SARS-CoV-2 among symptomatic and asymptomatic participants. DESIGN: This prospective cohort study enrolled participants between October 2021 and January 2022. Participants completed Ag-RDTs and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing for SARS-CoV-2 every 48 hours for 15 days. SETTING: Participants were enrolled digitally throughout the mainland United States. They self-collected anterior nasal swabs for Ag-RDTs and RT-PCR testing. Nasal swabs for RT-PCR were shipped to a central laboratory, whereas Ag-RDTs were done at home. PARTICIPANTS: Of 7361 participants in the study, 5353 who were asymptomatic and negative for SARS-CoV-2 on study day 1 were eligible. In total, 154 participants had at least 1 positive RT-PCR result. MEASUREMENTS: The sensitivity of Ag-RDTs was measured on the basis of testing once (same-day), twice (after 48 hours), and thrice (after a total of 96 hours). The analysis was repeated for different days past index PCR positivity (DPIPPs) to approximate real-world scenarios where testing initiation may not always coincide with DPIPP 0. Results were stratified by symptom status. RESULTS: Among 154 participants who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, 97 were asymptomatic and 57 had symptoms at infection onset. Serial testing with Ag-RDTs twice 48 hours apart resulted in an aggregated sensitivity of 93.4% (95% CI, 90.4% to 95.9%) among symptomatic participants on DPIPPs 0 to 6. When singleton positive results were excluded, the aggregated sensitivity on DPIPPs 0 to 6 for 2-time serial testing among asymptomatic participants was lower at 62.7% (CI, 57.0% to 70.5%), but it improved to 79.0% (CI, 70.1% to 87.4%) with testing 3 times at 48-hour intervals. LIMITATION: Participants tested every 48 hours; therefore, these data cannot support conclusions about serial testing intervals shorter than 48 hours. CONCLUSION: The performance of Ag-RDTs was optimized when asymptomatic participants tested 3 times at 48-hour intervals and when symptomatic participants tested 2 times separated by 48 hours. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: National Institutes of Health RADx Tech program.

Interplay between diet, circulating indolepropionate concentrations and cardiometabolic health in US populations.

OBJECTIVES: To identify indolepropionate (IPA)-predicting gut microbiota species, investigate potential diet-microbiota interactions, and examine the prospective associations of circulating IPA concentrations with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and coronary heart disease (CHD) risk in free-living individuals. DESIGN: We included 287 men from the Men's Lifestyle Validation Study, a substudy of the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS), who provided up to two pairs of faecal samples and two blood samples. Diet was assessed using 7-day diet records. Associations between plasma concentrations of tryptophan metabolites and T2D CHD risk were examined in 13 032 participants from Nurses' Health Study (NHS), NHSII and HPFS. RESULTS: We identified 17 microbial species whose abundance was significantly associated with plasma IPA concentrations. A significant association between higher tryptophan intake and higher IPA concentrations was only observed among men who had higher fibre intake and a higher microbial species score consisting of the 17 species (p-interaction<0.01). Dietary and plasma concentrations of tryptophan and most kynurenine pathway metabolites were positively associated with T2D risk (HRQ5 vs Q1 ranged from 1.17 to 1.46) while a significant inverse association was found for IPA (HRQ5 vs Q1 (95% CI) 0.70 (0.56 to 0.88)). No associations were found in CHD for any plasma tryptophan metabolites. CONCLUSIONS: Specific microbial species and dietary fibre jointly predicted significantly higher circulating IPA concentrations at higher tryptophan intake. Dietary and plasma tryptophan, as well as its kynurenine pathway metabolites, demonstrated divergent associations from those for IPA, which was significantly predictive of lower risk of T2D.

Differential Viral Dynamics by Sex and Body Mass Index During Acute SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Results from a Longitudinal Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: There is evidence of an association of severe COVID-19 outcomes with increased body mass index (BMI) and male sex. However, few studies have examined the interaction between sex and BMI on SARS-CoV-2 viral dynamics. METHODS: Participants conducted RT-PCR testing every 24-48 hours over a 15-day period. Sex and BMI were self-reported, and Ct values from E-gene were used to quantify viral load. Three distinct outcomes were examined using mixed effects generalized linear models, linear models, and logistic models, respectively: all Ct values (Model 1); nadir Ct value (model 2); and strongly detectable infection (at least one Ct value ≤28 during their infection) (Model 3). An interaction term between BMI and sex was included, and inverse logit transformations were applied to quantify the differences by BMI and sex using marginal predictions. RESULTS: In total, 7,988 participants enrolled in this study, and 439 participants (Model 1) and 309 (Model 2 and 3) were eligible for these analyses. Among males, increasing BMI was associated with lower Ct values in a dose-response fashion. For participants with BMIs greater than 29, males had significantly lower Ct values and nadir Ct values than females. In total, 67.8% of males and 55.3% of females recorded a strongly detectable infection; increasing proportions of men had Ct values <28 with BMIs of 35 and 40. CONCLUSIONS: We observed sex-based dimorphism in relation to BMI and COVID-19 viral load. Further investigation is needed to determine the cause, clinical impact, and transmission implications of this sex-differential effect of BMI on viral load.

Allelic Heterogeneity at the CRP Locus Identified by Whole-Genome Sequencing in Multi-ancestry Cohorts.

Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) can improve assessment of low-frequency and rare variants, particularly in non-European populations that have been underrepresented in existing genomic studies. The genetic determinants of C-reactive protein (CRP), a biomarker of chronic inflammation, have been extensively studied, with existing genome-wide association studies (GWASs) conducted in >200,000 individuals of European ancestry. In order to discover novel loci associated with CRP levels, we examined a multi-ancestry population (n = 23,279) with WGS (∼38× coverage) from the Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) program. We found evidence for eight distinct associations at the CRP locus, including two variants that have not been identified previously (rs11265259 and rs181704186), both of which are non-coding and more common in individuals of African ancestry (∼10% and ∼1% minor allele frequency, respectively, and rare or monomorphic in 1000 Genomes populations of East Asian, South Asian, and European ancestry). We show that the minor (G) allele of rs181704186 is associated with lower CRP levels and decreased transcriptional activity and protein binding in vitro, providing a plausible molecular mechanism for this African ancestry-specific signal. The individuals homozygous for rs181704186-G have a mean CRP level of 0.23 mg/L, in contrast to individuals heterozygous for rs181704186 with mean CRP of 2.97 mg/L and major allele homozygotes with mean CRP of 4.11 mg/L. This study demonstrates the utility of WGS in multi-ethnic populations to drive discovery of complex trait associations of large effect and to identify functional alleles in noncoding regulatory regions.

Association of neighborhood-level sociodemographic factors with Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) distribution of COVID-19 rapid antigen tests in 5 US communities.

BACKGROUND: Many interventions for widescale distribution of rapid antigen tests for COVID-19 have utilized online, direct-to-consumer (DTC) ordering systems; however, little is known about the sociodemographic characteristics of home-test users. We aimed to characterize the patterns of online orders for rapid antigen tests and determine geospatial and temporal associations with neighborhood characteristics and community incidence of COVID-19, respectively. METHODS: This observational study analyzed online, DTC orders for rapid antigen test kits from beneficiaries of the Say Yes! Covid Test program from March to November 2021 in five communities: Louisville, Kentucky; Indianapolis, Indiana; Fulton County, Georgia; O'ahu, Hawaii; and Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti, Michigan. Using spatial autoregressive models, we assessed the geospatial associations of test kit distribution with Census block-level education, income, age, population density, and racial distribution and Census tract-level Social Vulnerability Index. Lag association analyses were used to measure the association between online rapid antigen kit orders and community-level COVID-19 incidence. RESULTS: In total, 164,402 DTC test kits were ordered during the intervention. Distribution of tests at all sites were significantly geospatially clustered at the block-group level (Moran's I: p < 0.001); however, education, income, age, population density, race, and social vulnerability index were inconsistently associated with test orders across sites. In Michigan, Georgia, and Kentucky, there were strong associations between same-day COVID-19 incidence and test kit orders (Michigan: r = 0.89, Georgia: r = 0.85, Kentucky: r = 0.75). The incidence of COVID-19 during the current day and the previous 6-days increased current DTC orders by 9.0 (95% CI = 1.7, 16.3), 3.0 (95% CI = 1.3, 4.6), and 6.8 (95% CI = 3.4, 10.2) in Michigan, Georgia, and Kentucky, respectively. There was no same-day or 6-day lagged correlation between test kit orders and COVID-19 incidence in Indiana. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that online ordering is not associated with geospatial clustering based on sociodemographic characteristics. Observed temporal preferences for DTC ordering can guide public health messaging around DTC testing programs.

Epigenetic Age and the Risk of Incident Atrial Fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: The most prominent risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF) is chronological age; however, underlying mechanisms are unexplained. Algorithms using epigenetic modifications to the human genome effectively predict chronological age. Chronological and epigenetic predicted ages may diverge in a phenomenon referred to as epigenetic age acceleration (EAA), which may reflect accelerated biological aging. We sought to evaluate for associations between epigenetic age measures and incident AF. METHODS: Measures for 4 epigenetic clocks (Horvath, Hannum, DNA methylation [DNAm] PhenoAge, and DNAm GrimAge) and an epigenetic predictor of PAI-1 (plasminogen activator inhibitor-1) levels (ie, DNAm PAI-1) were determined for study participants from 3 population-based cohort studies. Cox models evaluated for associations with incident AF and results were combined via random-effects meta-analyses. Two-sample summary-level Mendelian randomization analyses evaluated for associations between genetic instruments of the EAA measures and AF. RESULTS: Among 5600 participants (mean age, 65.5 years; female, 60.1%; Black, 50.7%), there were 905 incident AF cases during a mean follow-up of 12.9 years. Unadjusted analyses revealed all 4 epigenetic clocks and the DNAm PAI-1 predictor were associated with statistically significant higher hazards of incident AF, though the magnitudes of their point estimates were smaller relative to the associations observed for chronological age. The pooled EAA estimates for each epigenetic measure, with the exception of Horvath EAA, were associated with incident AF in models adjusted for chronological age, race, sex, and smoking variables. After multivariable adjustment for additional known AF risk factors that could also potentially function as mediators, pooled EAA measures for 2 clocks remained statistically significant. Five-year increases in EAA measures for DNAm GrimAge and DNAm PhenoAge were associated with 19% (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.19 [95% CI, 1.09-1.31]; P<0.01) and 15% (adjusted HR, 1.15 [95% CI, 1.05-1.25]; P<0.01) higher hazards of incident AF, respectively. Mendelian randomization analyses for the 5 EAA measures did not reveal statistically significant associations with AF. CONCLUSIONS: Our study identified adjusted associations between EAA measures and incident AF, suggesting that biological aging plays an important role independent of chronological age, though a potential underlying causal relationship remains unclear. These aging processes may be modifiable and not constrained by the immutable factor of time.

Integrative Omics Approach to Identifying Genes Associated With Atrial Fibrillation.

Rationale: GWAS (Genome-Wide Association Studies) have identified hundreds of genetic loci associated with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, these loci explain only a small proportion of AF heritability. Objective: To develop an approach to identify additional AF-related genes by integrating multiple omics data. Methods and Results: Three types of omics data were integrated: (1) summary statistics from the AFGen 2017 GWAS; (2) a whole blood EWAS (Epigenome-Wide Association Study) of AF; and (3) a whole blood TWAS (Transcriptome-Wide Association Study) of AF. The variant-level GWAS results were collapsed into gene-level associations using fast set-based association analysis. The CpG-level EWAS results were also collapsed into gene-level associations by an adapted SNP-set Kernel Association Test approach. Both GWAS and EWAS gene-based associations were then meta-analyzed with TWAS using a fixed-effects model weighted by the sample size of each data set. A tissue-specific network was subsequently constructed using the NetWAS (Network-Wide Association Study). The identified genes were then compared with the AFGen 2018 GWAS that contained more than triple the number of AF cases compared with AFGen 2017 GWAS. We observed that the multiomics approach identified many more relevant AF-related genes than using AFGen 2018 GWAS alone (1931 versus 206 genes). Many of these genes are involved in the development and regulation of heart- and muscle-related biological processes. Moreover, the gene set identified by multiomics approach explained much more AF variance than those identified by GWAS alone (10.4% versus 3.5%). Conclusions: We developed a strategy to integrate multiple omics data to identify AF-related genes. Our integrative approach may be useful to improve the power of traditional GWAS, which might be particularly useful for rare traits and diseases with limited sample size.

Exploring the Genetic Association between Obesity and Serum Lipid Levels Using Bivariate Methods.

It is crucial to understand the genetic mechanisms and biological pathways underlying the relationship between obesity and serum lipid levels. Structural equation models (SEMs) were constructed to calculate heritability for body mass index (BMI), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and the genetic connections between BMI and the four classes of lipids using 1197 pairs of twins from the Chinese National Twin Registry (CNTR). Bivariate genomewide association studies (GWAS) were performed to identify genetic variants associated with BMI and lipids using the records of 457 individuals, and the results were further validated in 289 individuals. The genetic background affecting BMI may differ by gender, and the heritability of males and females was 71% (95% CI [.66, .75]) and 39% (95% CI [.15, .71]) respectively. BMI was positively correlated with TC, TG and LDL-C in phenotypic and genetic correlation, while negatively correlated with HDL-C. There were gender differences in the correlation between BMI and lipids. Bivariate GWAS analysis and validation stage found 7 genes (LOC105378740, LINC02506, CSMD1, MELK, FAM81A, ERAL1 and MIR144) that were possibly related to BMI and lipid levels. The significant biological pathways were the regulation of cholesterol reverse transport and the regulation of high-density lipoprotein particle clearance (p < .001). BMI and blood lipid levels were affected by genetic factors, and they were genetically correlated. There might be gender differences in their genetic correlation. Bivariate GWAS analysis found MIR144 gene and its related biological pathways may influence obesity and lipid levels.

Blood DNA methylation markers associated with type 2 diabetes, fasting glucose, and HbA1c levels: An epigenome-wide association study in 316 adult twin pairs.

DNA methylation plays an important role in the development and etiology of type 2 diabetes; however, few epigenomic studies have been conducted on twins. Herein, a two-stage study was performed to explore the associations between DNA methylation and type 2 diabetes, fasting plasma glucose, and HbA1c. DNA methylation in 316 twin pairs from the Chinese National Twin Registry (CNTR) was measured using Illumina Infinium BeadChips. In the discovery sample, the results revealed that 63 CpG sites and 6 CpG sites were significantly associated with fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c, respectively. In the replication sample, cg19690313 in TXNIP was associated with both fasting plasma glucose (P = 1.23 × 10-17, FDR < 0.001) and HbA1c (P = 2.29 × 10-18, FDR < 0.001). Furthermore, cg04816311, cg08309687, and cg09249494 may provide new insight in the metabolic mechanism of HbA1c. Our study provides solid evidence that cg19690313 on TXNIP correlates with HbA1c and fasting plasma glucose levels.

Whole genome sequence association with E-selectin levels reveals loss-of-function variant in African Americans.

E-selectin mediates the rolling of circulating leukocytes during inflammatory processes. Previous genome-wide association studies in European and Asian individuals have identified the ABO locus associated with E-selectin levels. Using Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine whole genome sequencing data in 2249 African Americans (AAs) from the Jackson Heart Study, we examined genome-wide associations with soluble E-selectin levels. In addition to replicating known signals at ABO, we identified a novel association of a common loss-of-function, missense variant in Fucosyltransferase 6 (FUT6; rs17855739,p.Glu274Lys, P = 9.02 × 10-24) with higher soluble E-selectin levels. This variant is considerably more common in populations of African ancestry compared to non-African ancestry populations. We replicated the association of FUT6 p.Glu274Lys with higher soluble E-selectin in an independent population of 748 AAs from the Women's Health Initiative and identified an additional pleiotropic association with vitamin B12 levels. Despite the broad role of both selectins and fucosyltransferases in various inflammatory, immune and cancer-related processes, we were unable to identify any additional disease associations of the FUT6 p.Glu274Lys variant in an electronic medical record-based phenome-wide association scan of over 9000 AAs.

Associations of Obesity Measurements with Serum Metabolomic Profile: A Chinese Twin Study.

The objective of this study was to investigate how different obesity measures link to circulating metabolites, and whether the connections are due to genetic or environmental factors. A cross-sectional analysis was performed on follow-up survey data at the Chinese National Twin Registry (CNTR), which was conducted in four areas of China (Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Sichuan) in 2013. The survey collected detailed questionnaire information and conducted physical examinations, fasting blood sampling and untargeted metabolomic measurements among 439 adult twins. Linear regression models and bioinformatics analysis were used to examine the relation of obesity measures, including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) with serum metabolite levels and related pathways. A co-twin control study was additionally conducted among 15 obesity-discordant monozygotic (MZ) pairs (intrapair BMI difference >3 kg/m2) to examine any differences in metabolites controlling for genetic factors. Eleven metabolites were associated with BMI, WC and WHR after controlling for genetic and shared environmental factors. Pathway analysis identified pathways such as phenylalanine metabolism, purine metabolism, valine, leucine and isoleucine biosynthesis that were associated with obesity. A wide range of unfavorable alterations in the serum metabolome was associated with obesity. Obesity-discordant twin analysis suggests that these associations are independent of genetic liability.

Genetic Predisposition, Clinical Risk Factor Burden, and Lifetime Risk of Atrial Fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: The long-term probability of developing atrial fibrillation (AF) considering genetic predisposition and clinical risk factor burden is unknown. METHODS: We estimated the lifetime risk of AF in individuals from the community-based Framingham Heart Study. Polygenic risk for AF was derived using a score of ≈1000 AF-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Clinical risk factor burden was calculated for each individual using a validated risk score for incident AF comprised of height, weight, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, current smoking status, antihypertensive medication use, diabetes mellitus, history of myocardial infarction, and history of heart failure. We estimated the lifetime risk of AF within tertiles of polygenic and clinical risk. RESULTS: Among 4606 participants without AF at 55 years of age, 580 developed incident AF (median follow-up, 9.4 years; 25th-75th percentile, 4.4-14.3 years). The lifetime risk of AF >55 years of age was 37.1% and was substantially influenced by both polygenic and clinical risk factor burden. Among individuals free of AF at 55 years of age, those in low-polygenic and clinical risk tertiles had a lifetime risk of AF of 22.3% (95% confidence interval, 15.4-9.1), whereas those in high-risk tertiles had a risk of 48.2% (95% confidence interval, 41.3-55.1). A lower clinical risk factor burden was associated with later AF onset after adjusting for genetic predisposition (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In our community-based cohort, the lifetime risk of AF was 37%. Estimation of polygenic AF risk is feasible and together with clinical risk factor burden explains a substantial gradient in long-term AF risk.

Genetic contribution to the variance of blood pressure and heart rate: a systematic review and meta-regression of twin studies.

The genetic contribution of blood pressure and heart rate (HR) varied widely between studies. Demographic factors such as ethnicity, age and/or sex might explain some of the heterogeneity. We performed a systematic review focusing on four phenotypes: systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), HR and pulse pressure (PP). Meta-regression was conducted to analyze potential factors in relation to SBP and DBP heritability. A total of 10,613 independent twins that came from 17 studies were included in the analysis. The weighted mean value of heritability for SBP and DBP was 0.54 (95% CIs: 0.48-0.60) and 0.49 (95% CIs: 0.42-0.56). Comparatively, three studies of HR and four studies of PP heritability were limited for the heterogeneity test. Meta-regression showed that, on average, SBP heritability with additive genes/unique environment (AE) model tend to have a higher heritability than additive genes/shared environment/unique environment (ACE) model (coefficient = 0.0947, p = .0142). A similar result was found for DBP as well. No other factors such as sex, age, ethnicity, publication year were significantly associated with heritability variance. Our study shows heritability estimates based on twin studies of both SBP and DBP are around 50%, using an AE rather than an ACE model; the variance due to C ended up in A, suggesting that the AE model may overestimate heritability if a small contribution of shared environment exists.

Exploring cognitive progression subtypes in the Framingham Heart Study.

INTRODUCTION: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a heterogeneous disorder characterized by complex underlying neuropathology that is not fully understood. This study aimed to identify cognitive progression subtypes and examine their correlation with clinical outcomes. METHODS: Participants of this study were recruited from the Framingham Heart Study. The Subtype and Stage Inference (SuStaIn) method was used to identify cognitive progression subtypes based on eight cognitive domains. RESULTS: Three cognitive progression subtypes were identified, including verbal learning (Subtype 1), abstract reasoning (Subtype 2), and visual memory (Subtype 3). These subtypes represent different domains of cognitive decline during the progression of AD. Significant differences in age of onset among the different subtypes were also observed. A higher SuStaIn stage was significantly associated with increased mortality risk. DISCUSSION: This study provides a characterization of AD heterogeneity in cognitive progression, emphasizing the importance of developing personalized approaches for risk stratification and intervention. Highlights: We used the Subtype and Stage Inference (SuStaIn) method to identify three cognitive progression subtypes.Different subtypes have significant variations in age of onset.Higher stages of progression are associated with increased mortality risk.

Association between deep neural network-derived electrocardiographic-age and incident stroke.

Background: Stroke continues to be a leading cause of death and disability worldwide despite improvements in prevention and treatment. Traditional stroke risk calculators are biased and imprecise. Novel stroke predictors need to be identified. Recently, deep neural networks (DNNs) have been used to determine age from ECGs, otherwise known as the electrocardiographic-age (ECG-age), which predicts clinical outcomes. However, the relationship between ECG-age and stroke has not been well studied. We hypothesized that ECG-age is associated with incident stroke. Methods: In this study, UK Biobank participants with available ECGs (from 2014 or later). ECG-age was estimated using a deep neural network (DNN) applied to raw ECG waveforms. We calculated the Δage (ECG-age minus chronological age) and classified individuals as having normal, accelerated, or decelerated aging if Δage was within, higher, or lower than the mean absolute error of the model, respectively. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models adjusted for age, sex, and clinical factors were used to assess the association between Δage and incident stroke. Results: The study population included 67,757 UK Biobank participants (mean age 65 ± 8 years; 48.3% male). Every 10-year increase in Δage was associated with a 22% increase in incident stroke [HR, 1.22 (95% CI, 1.00-1.49)] in the multivariable-adjusted model. Accelerated aging was associated with a 42% increase in incident stroke [HR, 1.42 (95% CI, 1.12-1.80)] compared to normal aging. In addition, Δage was associated with prevalent stroke [OR, 1.28 (95% CI, 1.11-1.49)]. Conclusions: DNN-estimated ECG-age was associated with incident and prevalent stroke in the UK Biobank. Further investigation is required to determine if ECG-age can be used as a reliable biomarker of stroke risk.

Lipid levels and risk of acute pancreatitis using bidirectional Mendelian randomization.

Previous studies found lipid levels, especially triglycerides (TG), are associated with acute pancreatitis, but their causalities and bi-directions were not fully examined. We determined whether abnormal levels of TG, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) are precursors and/or consequences of acute pancreatitis using bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) with two non-overlapping genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics for lipid levels and acute pancreatitis. We found phenotypic associations that both higher TG levels and lower HDL-C levels contributed to increased risk of acute pancreatitis. Our GWAS meta-analysis of acute pancreatitis identified seven independent signals. Genetically predicted TG was positively associated with acute pancreatitis when using the variants specifically associated with TG using univariable MR [Odds ratio (OR), 95% CI 2.02, 1.22-3.31], but the reversed direction from acute pancreatitis to TG was not observed (mean difference = 0.003, SE = 0.002, P-value = 0.138). However, a bidirectional relationship of HDL-C and acute pancreatitis was observed: A 1-SD increment of genetically predicted HDL-C was associated with lower risk of acute pancreatitis (OR, 95% CI 0.84, 0.76-0.92) and genetically predisposed individuals with acute pancreatitis have, on average, 0.005 SD lower HDL-C (mean difference = - 0.005, SE = 0.002, P-value = 0.004). Our MR analysis confirms the evidence of TG as a risk factor of acute pancreatitis but not a consequence. A potential bidirectional relationship of HDL-C and acute pancreatitis occurs and raises the prospect of HDL-C modulation in the acute pancreatitis prevention and treatment.

Modeling health and well-being measures using ZIP code spatial neighborhood patterns.

Individual-level assessment of health and well-being permits analysis of community well-being and health risk evaluations across several dimensions of health. It also enables comparison and rankings of reported health and well-being for large geographical areas such as states, metropolitan areas, and counties. However, there is large variation in reported well-being within such large spatial units underscoring the importance of analyzing well-being at more granular levels, such as ZIP codes. In this paper, we address this problem by modeling well-being data to generate ZIP code tabulation area (ZCTA)-level rankings through spatially informed statistical modeling. We build regression models for individual-level overall well-being index and scores from five subscales (Physical, Financial, Social, Community, Purpose) using individual-level demographic characteristics as predictors while including a ZCTA-level spatial effect. The ZCTA neighborhood information is incorporated by using a graph Laplacian matrix; this enables estimation of the effect of a ZCTA on well-being using individual-level data from that ZCTA as well as by borrowing information from neighboring ZCTAs. We deploy our model on well-being data for the U.S. states of Massachusetts and Georgia. We find that our model can capture the effects of demographic features while also offering spatial effect estimates for all ZCTAs, including ones with no observations, under certain conditions. These spatial effect estimates provide community health and well-being rankings of ZCTAs, and our method can be deployed more generally to model other outcomes that are spatially dependent as well as data from other states or groups of states.

Rationale and Design of Healthy at Home for COPD: an Integrated Remote Patient Monitoring and Virtual Pulmonary Rehabilitation Pilot Study.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a common, costly, and morbid condition. Pulmonary rehabilitation, close monitoring, and early intervention during acute exacerbations of symptoms represent a comprehensive approach to improve outcomes, but the optimal means of delivering these services is uncertain. Logistical, financial, and social barriers to providing healthcare through face-to-face encounters, paired with recent developments in technology, have stimulated interest in exploring alternative models of care. The Healthy at Home study seeks to determine the feasibility of a multimodal, digitally enhanced intervention provided to participants with COPD longitudinally over six months. This paper details the recruitment, methods, and analysis plan for the study, which is recruiting 100 participants in its pilot phase. Participants were provided with several integrated services including a smartwatch to track physiological data, a study app to track symptoms and study instruments, access to a mobile integrated health program for acute clinical needs, and a virtual comprehensive pulmonary support service. Participants shared physiologic, demographic, and symptom reports, electronic health records, and claims data with the study team, facilitating a better understanding of their symptoms and potential care needs longitudinally. The Healthy at Home study seeks to develop a comprehensive digital phenotype of COPD by tracking and responding to multiple indices of disease behavior and facilitating early and nuanced responses to changes in participants' health status. This study is registered at Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT06000696).

Performance of and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Diagnostics Based on Symptom Onset and Close Contact Exposure: An Analysis From the Test Us at Home Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: Understanding changes in diagnostic performance after symptom onset and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) exposure within different populations is crucial to guide the use of diagnostics for SARS-CoV-2. Methods: The Test Us at Home study was a longitudinal cohort study that enrolled individuals across the United States between October 2021 and February 2022. Participants performed paired antigen-detection rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDTs) and reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests at home every 48 hours for 15 days and self-reported symptoms and known coronavirus disease 2019 exposures immediately before testing. The percent positivity for Ag-RDTs and RT-PCR tests was calculated each day after symptom onset and exposure and stratified by vaccination status, variant, age category, and sex. Results: The highest percent positivity occurred 2 days after symptom onset (RT-PCR, 91.2%; Ag-RDT, 71.1%) and 6 days after exposure (RT-PCR, 91.8%; Ag-RDT, 86.2%). RT-PCR and Ag-RDT performance did not differ by vaccination status, variant, age category, or sex. The percent positivity for Ag-RDTs was lower among exposed, asymptomatic than among symptomatic individuals (37.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 13.7%-69.4%) vs 90.3% (75.1%-96.7%). Cumulatively, Ag-RDTs detected 84.9% (95% CI, 78.2%-89.8%) of infections within 4 days of symptom onset. For exposed participants, Ag-RDTs detected 94.0% (95% CI, 86.7%-97.4%) of RT-PCR-confirmed infections within 6 days of exposure. Conclusions: The percent positivity for Ag-RDTs and RT-PCR tests was highest 2 days after symptom onset and 6 days after exposure, and performance increased with serial testing. The percent positivity of Ag-RDTs was lowest among asymptomatic individuals but did not differ by sex, variant, vaccination status, or age category.