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“It’S Not That We Care Less”: Insights Into Health Care Utilization For Comorbid Diabetes And Depression Among Latinos, Sharon Borja, Miriam G. Valdovinos, Kenia M. Rivera, Natalia Giraldo-Santiago, Robin Gearing, Luis R. Torres-Hostos Jan 2024

“It’S Not That We Care Less”: Insights Into Health Care Utilization For Comorbid Diabetes And Depression Among Latinos, Sharon Borja, Miriam G. Valdovinos, Kenia M. Rivera, Natalia Giraldo-Santiago, Robin Gearing, Luis R. Torres-Hostos

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Despite robust knowledge regarding the socio-economic and cultural factors affecting Latino* access to healthcare, limited research has explored service utilization in the context of comorbid conditions like diabetes and depression. This qualitative study, embedded in a larger mixed-methods project, aimed to investigate perceptions held by Latinos and their social support systems (i.e., family members) regarding comorbid diabetes and depression and to identify barriers and facilitators to their help-seeking behaviors and treatment engagement. Bilingual and bicultural researchers conducted eight focus groups with 94 participants in a large U.S. metropolitan area and were primarily conducted in Spanish. The participants either had a …


Global Variation In Diabetes Diagnosis And Prevalence Based On Fasting Glucose And Hemoglobin A1c, Ncd Risk Factor Collaboration (Ncd-Risc), Bin Zhou, Kate E. Sheffer, James E. Bennett, Edward W. Gregg, Goodarz Danaei, Rosie K. Singleton, Jonathan E. Shaw, Gladys Maestre, Jesus D. Melgarejo Nov 2023

Global Variation In Diabetes Diagnosis And Prevalence Based On Fasting Glucose And Hemoglobin A1c, Ncd Risk Factor Collaboration (Ncd-Risc), Bin Zhou, Kate E. Sheffer, James E. Bennett, Edward W. Gregg, Goodarz Danaei, Rosie K. Singleton, Jonathan E. Shaw, Gladys Maestre, Jesus D. Melgarejo

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) are both used to diagnose diabetes, but these measurements can identify different people as having diabetes. We used data from 117 population-based studies and quantified, in different world regions, the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes, and whether those who were previously undiagnosed and detected as having diabetes in survey screening, had elevated FPG, HbA1c or both. We developed prediction equations for estimating the probability that a person without previously diagnosed diabetes, and at a specific level of FPG, had elevated HbA1c, and vice versa. The age-standardized proportion of diabetes that was previously undiagnosed …


Tuberculosis Presentation And Outcomes In Older Hispanic Adults From Tamaulipas, Mexico, Belinda Medrano, Miryoung Lee, Gretchen L. Gemeinhardt, Javier E. Rodríguez-Herrera, Moncerrato García-Viveros, Blanca I. Restrepo Oct 2023

Tuberculosis Presentation And Outcomes In Older Hispanic Adults From Tamaulipas, Mexico, Belinda Medrano, Miryoung Lee, Gretchen L. Gemeinhardt, Javier E. Rodríguez-Herrera, Moncerrato García-Viveros, Blanca I. Restrepo

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Older people are at high risk of developing and dying from pulmonary infections like tuberculosis (TB), but there are few studies among them, particularly in Hispanics. To address these gaps, we sought to identify host factors associated with TB and adverse treatment outcomes in older Hispanics by conducting a cross-sectional study of TB surveillance data from Tamaulipas, Mexico (2006–2013; n = 8381). Multivariable logistic regressions were assessed for older adults (OA ≥65 years) when compared to young (YA, 18–39 years) and middle-aged adults (40–64 years). We found that the OA had features associated with a less complicated TB (e.g., lower …


A Case Of Chorea-Hemiballism In The Presence Of Labile Glucose Levels, Bhargavi Akkineni, Karina Torres Oct 2023

A Case Of Chorea-Hemiballism In The Presence Of Labile Glucose Levels, Bhargavi Akkineni, Karina Torres

Research Colloquium

Introduction: Uncontrolled blood glucose is notorious for inflicting multi-organ pathologies. One such pathology, chorea-hemiballism, has been reported in individuals who exhibited either hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia, and although rare, it is debilitating and calls for active management.

Case Description: A 50-year-old female, with a past medical history of anemia, chronic kidney disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and hypertension, presented to the emergency room with acute onset chorea-hemiballism. Patient reported experiencing abnormal movements for two weeks prior to her ER visit, but otherwise denied prior episodes of movement disorders. On physical examination, patient displayed generalized jerky choreiform movements of upper and …


Tuberculosis In Elderly Hispanics: Bcg Vaccination At Birth Is Protective Whereas Diabetes Is Not A Risk Factor, Julia M. Scordo, Genesis P. Aguillón-Durán, Doris Ayala, Ana P. Quirino-Cerrillo, Eminé Rodriguez-Reyna, Francisco Mora-Guzmán, Jose A. Caso, Eder Ledezma-Campos, Larry Schlesinger, Jordi B. Torrelles, Joanne Turner, Blanca I. Restrepo Sep 2023

Tuberculosis In Elderly Hispanics: Bcg Vaccination At Birth Is Protective Whereas Diabetes Is Not A Risk Factor, Julia M. Scordo, Genesis P. Aguillón-Durán, Doris Ayala, Ana P. Quirino-Cerrillo, Eminé Rodriguez-Reyna, Francisco Mora-Guzmán, Jose A. Caso, Eder Ledezma-Campos, Larry Schlesinger, Jordi B. Torrelles, Joanne Turner, Blanca I. Restrepo

Research Symposium

Background. Aging increases the risk of tuberculosis (TB) and its adverse outcomes, but most studies are based on secondary analyses, and few are in Hispanics. Diabetes is a risk factor for TB in adults, but its contribution in the elderly is unknown. We aimed to identify the role of diabetes and other risk factors for TB in elderly Hispanics.

Methods. Cross-sectional study among newly-diagnosed TB patients, recent contacts (ReC), or community controls (CoC) totaling 646 participants, including 183 elderly (>60 years; 43 TB, 80 ReC, 60 CoC) and 463 adults (18 to 50 years; 80 TB, 301 …


Enhancing Appropriate Statin Therapy In Type 2 Diabetic Patients Aged Between 40-75 Years At Graduate Medical Education (Gme) Internal Medicine Clinic, Adriana Betancourth Alvarenga, Ans Albustamy, Ayesha Khan, Steffi Sathiyaraj, Nghia Nguyen, Martha Solis, Rodolfo Garza-Morales, Oscar Lopez, Yilen Karen Ng-Wong, Hector Arredondo, Andres R. Suarez Parraga Sep 2023

Enhancing Appropriate Statin Therapy In Type 2 Diabetic Patients Aged Between 40-75 Years At Graduate Medical Education (Gme) Internal Medicine Clinic, Adriana Betancourth Alvarenga, Ans Albustamy, Ayesha Khan, Steffi Sathiyaraj, Nghia Nguyen, Martha Solis, Rodolfo Garza-Morales, Oscar Lopez, Yilen Karen Ng-Wong, Hector Arredondo, Andres R. Suarez Parraga

Research Symposium

Background: The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is significantly higher in Rio Grande Valley than the rest of the United States. T2DM patients have an elevated risk of Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), and clinical trials have demonstrated the beneficial effects of statin therapy on ASCVD. A quality-improvement project was implemented in the GME Internal Medicine (IM) Clinic at Doctors Hospital at Renaissance to improve statin therapy appropriateness.

Methods: T2DM patients aged 40-75 were selected from the GME IM Clinic visits from July 2021 to October 2021 for baseline data and from January 2022 to April 2022 after implementing …


Editorial: Physiology And Pathology Of Neuroglia, Daniel Reyes-Haro, Alejandro Lopez-Juarez, Adrián Rodríguez-Contreras Jul 2023

Editorial: Physiology And Pathology Of Neuroglia, Daniel Reyes-Haro, Alejandro Lopez-Juarez, Adrián Rodríguez-Contreras

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Neuroglia is the largest population of cells in the brain and participates in formation, maintenance, and modulation of synaptic circuits. This heterogenous group includes macroglia (astroglia and oligodendroglia) and microglia. Neurons and neuroglia form assemblies that potentiate the cognitive capability of the brain. In this topic, nine articles highlight structural and functional roles of neuroglia in brain physiology, which is fundamental to better understand the biology of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases.

Our understanding of brain connectivity evolves rapidly and the cytoarchitecture of underexplored brain regions such as the cerebellum need to be revisited (De Zeeuw et al., 2021). …


Editorial: Physiology And Pathology Of Neuroglia, Daniel Reyes-Haro, Alejandro Lopez-Juarez, Adrián Rodríguez-Contreras Jul 2023

Editorial: Physiology And Pathology Of Neuroglia, Daniel Reyes-Haro, Alejandro Lopez-Juarez, Adrián Rodríguez-Contreras

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Neuroglia is the largest population of cells in the brain and participates in formation, maintenance, and modulation of synaptic circuits. This heterogenous group includes macroglia (astroglia and oligodendroglia) and microglia. Neurons and neuroglia form assemblies that potentiate the cognitive capability of the brain. In this topic, nine articles highlight structural and functional roles of neuroglia in brain physiology, which is fundamental to better understand the biology of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases.

Our understanding of brain connectivity evolves rapidly and the cytoarchitecture of underexplored brain regions such as the cerebellum need to be revisited (De Zeeuw et al., 2021). …


Cardiovascular Risk Of Metabolically Healthy Obesity In Two European Populations: Prevention Potential From A Metabolomic Study, Dongmei Wei, Vannina González Marrachelli, Jesus D. Melgarejo, Chia-Te Liao, Angie Hu, Stefan Janssens, Peter Verhamme, Lucas Van Aelst, Thomas Vanassche, Josep Redon Apr 2023

Cardiovascular Risk Of Metabolically Healthy Obesity In Two European Populations: Prevention Potential From A Metabolomic Study, Dongmei Wei, Vannina González Marrachelli, Jesus D. Melgarejo, Chia-Te Liao, Angie Hu, Stefan Janssens, Peter Verhamme, Lucas Van Aelst, Thomas Vanassche, Josep Redon

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Background

A new definition of metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) has recently been proposed to stratify the heterogeneous mortality risk of obesity. Metabolomic profiling provides clues to metabolic alterations beyond clinical definition. We aimed to evaluate the association between MHO and cardiovascular events and assess its metabolomic pattern.

Methods

This prospective study included Europeans from two population-based studies, the FLEMENGHO and the Hortega study. A total of 2339 participants with follow-up were analyzed, including 2218 with metabolomic profiling. Metabolic health was developed from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the UK biobank cohorts and defined as systolic blood …


Lack Of Better Functional Outcome In Young Border Hispanic Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke After Endovascular Thrombectomy Compared To Older Patients: A Retrospective Chart Review, Saisree Ravi, Sohum Desai, Sherief Ghozy, Wondwossen Tekle, Ameer E. Hassan Jan 2023

Lack Of Better Functional Outcome In Young Border Hispanic Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke After Endovascular Thrombectomy Compared To Older Patients: A Retrospective Chart Review, Saisree Ravi, Sohum Desai, Sherief Ghozy, Wondwossen Tekle, Ameer E. Hassan

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

Shortened Abstract:

Previous data indicates that young acute ischemic stroke patients have better prognosis after endovascular thrombectomy, while Hispanic patients are associated with poorer outcomes. Our goal is to study the interaction between age and Hispanic status to assess functional outcomes after endovascular thrombectomy in young versus older patients in a predominantly Hispanic population with a high prevalence of diabetes mellitus and obesity.

Our Hispanic population demonstrates no differences in sICH, mortality, and functional independence between young and older acute ischemic stroke patients after endovascular thrombectomy.


Differential Role Of Type 2 Diabetes As A Risk Factor For Tuberculosis In The Elderly Versus Younger Adults, Blanca I. Restrepo, Julia M. Scordo, Genesis P. Aguillón-Durán, Doris Ayala, Ana P. Quirino-Cerrillo, Raúl Loera-Salazar, America Cruz-González, Jose A. Caso, Mateo Joya-Ayala, Esperanza M. García-Oropesa, Alejandra B. Salinas Dec 2022

Differential Role Of Type 2 Diabetes As A Risk Factor For Tuberculosis In The Elderly Versus Younger Adults, Blanca I. Restrepo, Julia M. Scordo, Genesis P. Aguillón-Durán, Doris Ayala, Ana P. Quirino-Cerrillo, Raúl Loera-Salazar, America Cruz-González, Jose A. Caso, Mateo Joya-Ayala, Esperanza M. García-Oropesa, Alejandra B. Salinas

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

The elderly are understudied despite their high risk of tuberculosis (TB). We sought to identify factors underlying the lack of an association between TB and type 2 diabetes (T2D) in the elderly, but not adults. We conducted a case–control study in elderly (≥65 years old; ELD) vs. younger adults (young/middle-aged adults (18–44/45–64 years old; YA|MAA) stratified by TB and T2D, using a research study population (n = 1160) and TB surveillance data (n = 8783). In the research study population the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of TB in T2D was highest in young adults (AOR 6.48) but waned with age …


Editorial: The Biology And Management Of Chronic Diseases In Mexican Americans, Eron G. Manusov, Belinda M. Reininger, Alfredo Ulloa-Aguirre, John Blangero Dec 2022

Editorial: The Biology And Management Of Chronic Diseases In Mexican Americans, Eron G. Manusov, Belinda M. Reininger, Alfredo Ulloa-Aguirre, John Blangero

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.


Bioactive Food Components And Their Inhibitory Actions In Multiple Platelet Pathways, Diptimayee Das, Shubhamay Adhikary, Ranjit Kumar Das, Antara Banerjee, Arun Kumar Radhakrishnan, Sujay Paul, Surajit Pathak, Asim K. Duttaroy Oct 2022

Bioactive Food Components And Their Inhibitory Actions In Multiple Platelet Pathways, Diptimayee Das, Shubhamay Adhikary, Ranjit Kumar Das, Antara Banerjee, Arun Kumar Radhakrishnan, Sujay Paul, Surajit Pathak, Asim K. Duttaroy

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

In addition to hemostasis and thrombosis, blood platelets are involved in various processes such as inflammation, infection, immunobiology, cancer metastasis, wound repair and angiogenesis. Platelets' hemostatic and non-hemostatic functions are mediated by the expression of various membrane receptors and the release of proteins, ions and other mediators. Therefore, specific activities of platelets responsible for the non-hemostatic disease are to be inhibited while leaving the platelet's hemostatic function unaffected. Platelets' anti-aggregatory property has been used as a primary criterion for antiplatelet drugs/bioactives; however, their non-hemostatic activities are not well known. This review describes the hemostatic and non-hemostatic function of human blood …


Whole Genome Sequence Association Analysis Of Fasting Glucose And Fasting Insulin Levels In Diverse Cohorts From The Nhlbi Topmed Program, Daniel Dicorpo, Sheila M. Gaynor, Emily M. Russell, Kenneth E. Westerman, Laura M. Raffield, Marcio Almeida, Juan M. Peralta, John Blangero, Joanne E. Curran, Ravindranath Duggirala Jul 2022

Whole Genome Sequence Association Analysis Of Fasting Glucose And Fasting Insulin Levels In Diverse Cohorts From The Nhlbi Topmed Program, Daniel Dicorpo, Sheila M. Gaynor, Emily M. Russell, Kenneth E. Westerman, Laura M. Raffield, Marcio Almeida, Juan M. Peralta, John Blangero, Joanne E. Curran, Ravindranath Duggirala

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

The genetic determinants of fasting glucose (FG) and fasting insulin (FI) have been studied mostly through genome arrays, resulting in over 100 associated variants. We extended this work with high-coverage whole genome sequencing analyses from fifteen cohorts in NHLBI’s Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) program. Over 23,000 non-diabetic individuals from five race-ethnicities/populations (African, Asian, European, Hispanic and Samoan) were included. Eight variants were significantly associated with FG or FI across previously identified regions MTNR1B, G6PC2, GCK, GCKR and FOXA2. We additionally characterize suggestive associations with FG or FI near previously identified SLC30A8, TCF7L2, and ADCY5 regions as well …


Collar-Button Abscess As A Complication Of Infected Hematoma In The Setting Of Uncontrolled Type 2 Diabetes, Jennifer Adams, Daniel Habenicht, Savvas Poulos Jul 2022

Collar-Button Abscess As A Complication Of Infected Hematoma In The Setting Of Uncontrolled Type 2 Diabetes, Jennifer Adams, Daniel Habenicht, Savvas Poulos

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Introduction: Collar-button abscesses are deep space infections of the hand.

Case presentation: We present a case of a 66-year-old man who developed an acute collar-button abscess of the hand after a concrete bench fell onto the dorsal aspect of his hand. The hand abscess was managed successfully with intravenous antibiotics and operative intervention.

Discussion: While such infections comprise a small percentage of hand infections, insufficient or delayed treatment results in permanent hand disfiguration and dysfunction. This case highlights an uncommon dorsal-to-volar pattern of hand abscess extension.

Conclusion: Knowledge of the anatomy of the hand is essential to diagnosis and …


Lrg1 Is An Adipokine That Mediates Obesity-Induced Hepatosteatosis And Insulin Resistance, Sijia He, Jiyoon Ryu, Juanhong Liu, Hairong Luo, Ying Lv, Paul R. Langlais, Jie Wen, Feng Dong, Zhe Sun, Ravindranath Duggirala Dec 2021

Lrg1 Is An Adipokine That Mediates Obesity-Induced Hepatosteatosis And Insulin Resistance, Sijia He, Jiyoon Ryu, Juanhong Liu, Hairong Luo, Ying Lv, Paul R. Langlais, Jie Wen, Feng Dong, Zhe Sun, Ravindranath Duggirala

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Dysregulation in adipokine biosynthesis and function contributes to obesity-induced metabolic diseases. However, the identities and functions of many of the obesity-induced secretory molecules remain unknown. Here, we report the identification of leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein 1 (LRG1) as an obesity-associated adipokine that exacerbates high fat diet–induced hepatosteatosis and insulin resistance. Serum levels of LRG1 were markedly elevated in obese humans and mice compared with their respective controls. LRG1 deficiency in mice greatly alleviated diet-induced hepatosteatosis, obesity, and insulin resistance. Mechanistically, LRG1 bound with high selectivity to the liver and promoted hepatosteatosis by increasing de novo lipogenesis and suppressing fatty acid β-oxidation. LRG1 …


Diabetes Mellitus Correlates With Increased Biological Age As Indicated By Clinical Biomarkers, Nadine Bahour, Briana Cortez, Hui Pan, Hetal Shah, Alessandro Doria, Cristina Aguayo‑Mazzucato Nov 2021

Diabetes Mellitus Correlates With Increased Biological Age As Indicated By Clinical Biomarkers, Nadine Bahour, Briana Cortez, Hui Pan, Hetal Shah, Alessandro Doria, Cristina Aguayo‑Mazzucato

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Chronological age (CA) is determined by time of birth, whereas biological age (BA) is based on changes on a cellular level and strongly correlates with morbidity, mortality, and longevity. Type 2 diabetes (T2D) associates with increased morbidity and mortality; thus, we hypothesized that BA would be increased and calculated it from biomarkers collected at routine clinical visits. Deidentified data was obtained from three cohorts of patients (20-80 years old)-T2D, type 1 diabetes (T1D), and prediabetes-and compared to gender- and age-matched non-diabetics. Eight clinical biomarkers that correlated with CA in people without diabetes were used to calculate BA using the Klemera …


Sacubitril/Valsartan Inhibits Obesity-Associated Diastolic Dysfunction Through Suppression Of Ventricular-Vascular Stiffness, Annayya R. Aroor, Srinivas Mummidi, Juan C. Lopez-Alvarenga, Nitin Das, Javad Habibi, Guanghong Jia, Guido Lastra, Bysani Chandrasekar Apr 2021

Sacubitril/Valsartan Inhibits Obesity-Associated Diastolic Dysfunction Through Suppression Of Ventricular-Vascular Stiffness, Annayya R. Aroor, Srinivas Mummidi, Juan C. Lopez-Alvarenga, Nitin Das, Javad Habibi, Guanghong Jia, Guido Lastra, Bysani Chandrasekar

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Objective: Cardiac diastolic dysfunction (DD) and arterial stiffness are early manifestations of obesity-associated prediabetes, and both serve as risk factors for the development of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Since the incidence of DD and arterial stiffness are increasing worldwide due to exponential growth in obesity, an effective treatment is urgently needed to blunt their development and progression. Here we investigated whether the combination of an inhibitor of neprilysin (sacubitril), a natriuretic peptide-degrading enzyme, and an angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker (valsartan), suppresses DD and arterial stiffness in an animal model of prediabetes more effectively than valsartan …


Hyperglycemia And Dyslipidemia: Reduced Hla-Dr Expression In Monocyte Subpopulations From Diabetes Patients, Blanca I. Restrepo, Marcel Twahirwa, Chinnaswamy Jagannath Feb 2021

Hyperglycemia And Dyslipidemia: Reduced Hla-Dr Expression In Monocyte Subpopulations From Diabetes Patients, Blanca I. Restrepo, Marcel Twahirwa, Chinnaswamy Jagannath

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Immune dysfunction contributes to the higher risk of communicable and non-communicable diseases among diabetics. HLA-DR expression is a robust marker of immune competence in mononuclear cells, including antigen presentation to CD4 lymphocytes. Given the high prevalence of obesity among diabetics, we evaluated the independent association between hyperglycemia and dyslipidemias with respect to HLA-DR expression in blood monocytes from type 2 diabetes patients. The monocytes from individuals with (n=16) or without diabetes (n=25) were phenotyped by flow cytometry to assess the differential expression of HLA-DR on their three subpopulations (classical, intermediate and non-classical monocytes). Diabetes was independently associated with lower HLA-DR …


Human Monocyte-Derived Macrophage Responses To M. Tuberculosis Differ By The Host’S Tuberculosis, Diabetes Or Obesity Status, And Are Enhanced By Rapamycin, Blanca I. Restrepo, Arshad Khan, Vipul K. Singh, Erica De Leon, Genesis P. Aguillón-Durán, Eder Ledezma-Campos, David H. Canaday, Chinnaswamy Jagannath Jan 2021

Human Monocyte-Derived Macrophage Responses To M. Tuberculosis Differ By The Host’S Tuberculosis, Diabetes Or Obesity Status, And Are Enhanced By Rapamycin, Blanca I. Restrepo, Arshad Khan, Vipul K. Singh, Erica De Leon, Genesis P. Aguillón-Durán, Eder Ledezma-Campos, David H. Canaday, Chinnaswamy Jagannath

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Human macrophages play a major role in controlling tuberculosis (TB), but their anti-mycobacterial mechanisms remain unclear among individuals with metabolic alterations like obesity (TB protective) or diabetes (TB risk). To help discern this, we aimed to: i) Evaluate the impact of the host’s TB status or their comorbidities on the anti-mycobacterial responses of their monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs), and ii) determine if the autophagy inducer rapamycin, can enhance these responses. We used MDMs from newly diagnosed TB patients, their close contacts and unexposed controls. The MDMs from TB patients had a reduced capacity to activate T cells (surrogate for antigen presentation) …


Retrospective Study Examining Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome In Covid+ Patients, Lily Chen, Areeb Masood, Ayman Khaddam, Alyssa Chen, Ildiko Lingvay, Henry Kwang Oct 2020

Retrospective Study Examining Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome In Covid+ Patients, Lily Chen, Areeb Masood, Ayman Khaddam, Alyssa Chen, Ildiko Lingvay, Henry Kwang

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

Purpose: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected millions of people all over the world with worse proven outcomes in those with certain comorbid conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and pulmonary complications. The Rio Grande Valley located in South Texas with a largely Hispanic population has been hit especially hard during this pandemic with over 3,200 virus-related deaths. This region’s high population of diabetic and obese patients is likely correlated with the especially high mortality rate. While it is understood the impact that obesity has on worsening health outcomes, further research is needed to better understand whether more adverse COVID-19 …


The Increase Of Hiv-1 Infection, Neurocognitive Impairment, And Type 2 Diabetes In The Rio Grande Valley, Roberto De La Garza, Hansapani Rodrigo, Francisco Fernandez, Upal Roy Nov 2019

The Increase Of Hiv-1 Infection, Neurocognitive Impairment, And Type 2 Diabetes In The Rio Grande Valley, Roberto De La Garza, Hansapani Rodrigo, Francisco Fernandez, Upal Roy

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1) infection remains a persistent predicament for the State of Texas, ranking seventh among the most documented HIV cases in the United States. In this regard, the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) in South Texas is considered as one of the least investigated areas of the state with respect to HIV infection and HIV associated comorbidities. Considering the 115% increase in average HIV incidence rates per 100,000 within the RGV from 2007-2015, it is worth characterizing this population with respect to their HIV-1 infection, HIV-1 Associated Neurocognitive Disorders (HAND), and the association of treatment with combined antiretroviral …


Physical Activity And Its Association With Depression In The Diabetic Hispanic Population, Sukaina Rizvi, Ali M. Khan Jun 2019

Physical Activity And Its Association With Depression In The Diabetic Hispanic Population, Sukaina Rizvi, Ali M. Khan

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Introduction Hispanics are the largest ethnic minority group in the United States. The prevalence of depression and co-morbid depression in the Hispanic population is well-recognized. The positive association between physical activity and psychological health improves mood, emotional well-being, and prognostic outcome.

Objectives There are two aspects of our research paper. First, it critically reviews the available literature showing the correlation between physical exercise and depression. Second, it analyzes the association between exercise and depression in uncontrolled diabetic Hispanics using data collected from the local community intervention program.

Method A chi-square analysis was conducted to examine whether levels of physical activity …


Diabetes Screen During Tuberculosis Contact Investigations Highlights Opportunity For New Diabetes Diagnosis And Reveals Metabolic Differences Between Ethnic Groups, Blanca I. Restrepo, Léanie Kleynhans, Alejandra B. Salinas, Bassent Abdelbary, Happy Tshivhula, Genesis P. Aguillón-Durán, Carine Kunsevi-Kilola, Gloria Salinas, Kim Stanley, Juan C. Lopez-Alvarenga Dec 2018

Diabetes Screen During Tuberculosis Contact Investigations Highlights Opportunity For New Diabetes Diagnosis And Reveals Metabolic Differences Between Ethnic Groups, Blanca I. Restrepo, Léanie Kleynhans, Alejandra B. Salinas, Bassent Abdelbary, Happy Tshivhula, Genesis P. Aguillón-Durán, Carine Kunsevi-Kilola, Gloria Salinas, Kim Stanley, Juan C. Lopez-Alvarenga

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a prevalent risk factor for tuberculosis (TB), but most studies on TB-T2D have focused on TB patients, been limited to one community, and shown a variable impact of T2D on TB risk or treatment outcomes. We conducted a cross-sectional assessment of sociodemographic and metabolic factors in adult TB contacts with T2D (versus no T2D), from the Texas-Mexico border to study Hispanics, and in Cape Town to study South African Coloured ethnicities. The prevalence of T2D was 30.2% in Texas-Mexico and 17.4% in South Africa, with new diagnosis in 34.4% and 43.9%, respectively. Contacts with T2D …


Chelation Therapy To Prevent Diabetes-Associated Cardiovascular Events, Denisse Diaz, Vivian Fonseca, Y. Wady Aude, Gervasio A. Lamas Aug 2018

Chelation Therapy To Prevent Diabetes-Associated Cardiovascular Events, Denisse Diaz, Vivian Fonseca, Y. Wady Aude, Gervasio A. Lamas

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Purpose of review

For over 60 years, chelation therapy with disodium ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA, edetate) had been used for the treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD) despite lack of scientific evidence for efficacy and safety. The Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT) was developed and received funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to ascertain the safety and efficacy of chelation therapy in patients with CVD.

Recent findings

This pivotal trial demonstrated an improvement in outcomes in postmyocardial infarction (MI) patients. Interestingly, it also showed a particularly large reduction in CVD events and all-cause mortality in the prespecified …


Interphotoreceptor Retinoid-Binding Protein Implications In Diabetic Retinopathy, Kevin Bermea Apr 2018

Interphotoreceptor Retinoid-Binding Protein Implications In Diabetic Retinopathy, Kevin Bermea

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

The interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP) is the most abundant protein in the interphotoreceptor matrix (IPM) and its levels decrease beginning in the early stages of diabetes. IRBP participates in the delivery of retinoids between retinal cells to carry out the visual cycle and also protects those retinoids against degradation in the IPM. IRBP deficiency is related to several conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa, cone-rod dystrophy, increased oxidative stress in the photoreceptors, and myopia. Decreased IRBP levels in diabetes could be due to the secretion of inflammatory cytokines and a direct effect of hyperglycemia on the photoreceptors. It is known that …


Kaposi Sarcoma Incidence In Females Is Nearly Four-Fold Higher In The Lower Rio Grande Valley Compared To The Texas Average, Wendy Innis-Whitehouse, Xiaohui Wang, Nicolas Restrepo, Carlos Salas, Katia Moreno, Alvaro Restrepo, Megan Keniry Jan 2018

Kaposi Sarcoma Incidence In Females Is Nearly Four-Fold Higher In The Lower Rio Grande Valley Compared To The Texas Average, Wendy Innis-Whitehouse, Xiaohui Wang, Nicolas Restrepo, Carlos Salas, Katia Moreno, Alvaro Restrepo, Megan Keniry

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

The Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) is located on U.S.-Mexican border with a population that is 90% Hispanic [1]. Comprised of Hidalgo, Cameron, Starr and Willacy counties, this region has the highest poverty rate and one of the highest incidences of Type 2 diabetes in the United States [2], [3], [4]. Previous studies demonstrated a high prevalence of Human Herpes Virus 8 (HHV8) in the LRGV [5], [6], [7]. HHV8 infection has been causally linked to Kaposi Sarcoma (KS) [8]. Here, we retrospectively examine the incidence of KS in the LRGV in a set of HIV-negative Hispanic patients. Strikingly, the …


Transition From Pre-Diabetes To Diabetes And Predictors Of Risk In Mexican-Americans, Shenghui Wu, Joseph B. Mccormick, Joanne E. Curran, Susan P. Fisher-Hoch Dec 2017

Transition From Pre-Diabetes To Diabetes And Predictors Of Risk In Mexican-Americans, Shenghui Wu, Joseph B. Mccormick, Joanne E. Curran, Susan P. Fisher-Hoch

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Background: No studies have examined risk factors for the transition from pre-diabetes to diabetes in populations with widespread obesity and diabetes. We determined proximal changes and factors affecting the transition among Mexican-Americans with pre-diabetes.

Methods: Participants with pre-diabetes (n=285) were recruited from our randomly sampled population-based Cameron County Hispanic Cohort. These participants were followed for an average of 27 months with repeat examination every 3 to 4 months. Metabolic health was defined as having less than 2 metabolic abnormalities (e.g., hypertension, elevated low-density lipoprotein, etc). Diabetes was identified as fasting blood glucose ≥126 mg/dL, glycated hemoglobin ≥6.5% and/or on hypoglycemic …


Principal Component Regression Analysis Of Nutrition Factors And Physical Activities With Diabetes, Ke-Sheng Wang, Ying Lu, Xin Xie, Shaoqing Gong, Chun Xu, Zhanxin Sha Aug 2017

Principal Component Regression Analysis Of Nutrition Factors And Physical Activities With Diabetes, Ke-Sheng Wang, Ying Lu, Xin Xie, Shaoqing Gong, Chun Xu, Zhanxin Sha

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The associations of nutrition factors and physical activities with adult diabetes are inconsistent; while most of these factors are inter correlated. The aims of this study are to overcome the disturbance of the multicollinearity of the risk factors and examine the associations of these factors with diabetes using the principal component analysis (PCA) and regression analysis with principal component scores (PCS). Totally, 659 adults with diabetes and 2827 non-diabetic were selected from the 2012 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 4, Cycle 2). PCA was utilized to deal with multicollinearity of the risk factors. Weighted univariate and multiple logistic regression …


Diabetes Screening And Prevention In A High-Risk, Medically Isolated Border Community, Ann V. Millard, Margaret A. Graham, Nelda Mier, Jesus Moralez, Maria Perez-Patron, Brian Wickwire, Marlynn L. May, Marcia G. Ory Jun 2017

Diabetes Screening And Prevention In A High-Risk, Medically Isolated Border Community, Ann V. Millard, Margaret A. Graham, Nelda Mier, Jesus Moralez, Maria Perez-Patron, Brian Wickwire, Marlynn L. May, Marcia G. Ory

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Introduction: A project in a Texas border community setting, Prevention Organized against Diabetes and Dialysis with Education and Resources (POD2ER), offered diabetes prevention information, screening, and medical referrals. The setting was a large, longstanding flea market that functions as a shopping mall for low-income people. The priority population included medically underserved urban and rural Mexican Americans. Components of the program addressed those with diabetes, prediabetes, and accompanying relatives and friends.

Background: People living in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) face challenges of high rates of type 2 diabetes, lack of knowledge about prevention, and inadequate access to medical care. …