Digital Commons Network^™

The Effect Of Fiber And Omega-6:Omega-3 Fatty Acid Ratio On Asthma And Asthma-Related Symptoms In An Adult U.S. Population, Korie As Nelson

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Asthma is one of the most common diseases in the world affecting more than 10% of adults in many westernized countries and 339 million globally. Studies have shown a positive association between increased dietary fiber and improvement in asthma-related inflammation. Omega-3 fatty acids have also been shown to help mitigate inflammation in general. No identified studies have looked at the synergistic effect of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids alone and as a ratio with fiber on asthma, lung function, and respiratory morbidities. A positive association could mean that dietary interventions of fiber and fatty acids could significantly improve asthma and …

Dietary Factors And Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia Risk Among Us Veterans, Mimi C Tan, Niharika Mallepally, Quynh Ho, Yan Liu, Hashem B El-Serag, Aaron P Thrift

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Studies on diet and gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM) risk are lacking in US populations.

AIM: To determine the associations of dietary factors and risk of GIM among a US population with typical American diet.

METHODS: We analyzed data from a cross-sectional study of veterans attending primary care and endoscopy clinics at the Houston VA Medical Center. Patients completed a 110-item Block Food Frequency Questionnaire then underwent upper endoscopy with gastric mapping biopsies. We compared cases defined by GIM on ≥ 1 non-cardia gastric biopsy to controls without GIM. Associations of dietary factors and GIM were estimated using logistic regression …

Dietary Intake Is Associated With Neuropsychological Impairment In Women With Hiv, Leah H. Rubin, Deborah R. Gustafson, Lakshmi Warrior, Lila Sheira, Kathryn C. Fitzgerald, Raha Dastgheyb, Kathleen M. Weber, Phyllis C. Tien, Audrey French, Amanda B. Spence, Anjali Sharma, Dionna W. Williams, Cory J. White, Eric C. Seaberg, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Sheri D. Weiser

Faculty Publications

Background

Diet is a modifiable risk factor that may influence cognition in people with HIV.

Objectives

We examined the association between dietary intake and cognition in women with HIV (WWH) and HIV-seronegative women.

Methods

An 18-item dietary National Cancer Institute screener was completed by 729 WWH and 346 HIV-seronegative Women's Interagency HIV Study participants. Daily intake frequencies of processed meats, sweet beverages, fish, whole milk, and vegetables were calculated. Participants completed biennial neuropsychological (NP) testing. NP domains included attention/working memory, executive function, processing speed, memory, learning, fluency, and motor function. NP impairment was defined as demographically adjusted T-scores (mean = …

Protecting Sleep To Reduce Delirium In An Adult Intensive Care Unit, Heather Thomas

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: Delirium is a common, yet often preventable complication in hospitalized patients. It is often caused by fragmented sleep, medications, environmental stimuli, and treatment therapies.

PICOT: The PICOT question that guided this evidence-based practice change project was: For patients in an adult Intensive Care Unit (ICU), does using a nurse-initiated, non-pharmacological sleep-enhancement protocol, versus no sleep-enhancement protocol, reduce the incidence of ICU-delirium over a period of 2 months?

Evidence: The reviewed literature supported the evidence for effective use of a nurse-initiated protocol in reducing delirium in the ICU. Sixteen articles met the inclusion criteria for the review of literature …

Opioids Are Not A Major Cause Of Death Of Patients With Sickle Cell Disease., Samir K. Ballas

Cardeza Foundation for Hematologic Research

According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) database, the total number of deaths due to opioid overdose from 1999 through 2018 was 840,629. Given the alarming nature of these statistics, patients who requested prescription for opioids became targets of suspicion and possible accusation of maladaptive behavior. Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) were often not exempt from such accusations and became guilty by association. In order to clarify the effect of opioids on the mortality of patients with SCD, the mortality rates for children and adults with SCD were investigated using the CDC Wide-ranging Online Data for …

Deficiency Of Stat1 In Cd11c+ Cells Alters Adipose Tissue Inflammation And Improves Metabolic Dysfunctions In Mice Fed A High-Fat Diet, Antu Antony, Zeqin Lian, Xiaoyuan Dai Perrard, Jerry Perrard, Hua Liu, Aaron R Cox, Pradip Saha, Lothar Hennighausen, Sean M Hartig, Christie M Ballantyne, Huaizhu Wu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

CD11c+ macrophages/dendritic cells (MDCs) are increased and display the classically activated M1-like phenotype in obese adipose tissue (AT) and may contribute to AT inflammation and insulin resistance. Stat1 is a key transcription factor for MDC polarization into the M1-like phenotype. Here, we examined the role of Stat1 in obesity-induced AT MDC polarization and inflammation and insulin resistance using mice with specific knockout of Stat1 in MDCs (cKO). Stat1 was upregulated and phosphorylated, indicating activation, early and persistently in AT and AT MDCs of wild-type mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Compared with littermate controls, cKO mice fed an HFD (16 …

Relative And Absolute Risk To Guide The Management Of Pulse Pressure, An Age-Related Cardiovascular Risk Factor, Jesus D. Melgarejo, Lutgarde Thijs, Dong-Mei Wei, Michael Bursztyn, Wen-Yi Yang, Yan Li, Kei Asayama, Tine W. Hansen, Masahiro Kikuya, Gladys E. Maestre, Benjamin Gavish

School of Medicine Publications

BACKGROUND Pulse pressure (PP) reflects the age-related stiffening of the central arteries, but no study addressed the management of the PP-related risk over the human lifespan.

METHODS In 4663 young (18-49 years) and 7185 older adults (≥50 years), brachial PP was recorded over 24-hour. Total mortality and all major cardiovascular events combined (MACE) were co-primary endpoints. Cardiovascular death, coronary events and stroke were secondary endpoints.

RESULTS In young adults (median follow-up, 14.1 years; mean PP, 45.1 mmHg), greater PP was not associated with absolute risk; the endpoint rates were ≤2.01 per 1000 person-years. The adjusted hazard ratios expressed per 10-mmHg …

Common Questions And Misconceptions About Creatine Supplementation: What Does The Scientific Evidence Really Show?, Jose Antonio, Darren G Candow, Scott C Forbes, Bruno Gualano, Andrew R Jagim, Richard B Kreider, Eric S Rawson, Abbie E Smith-Ryan, Trisha A Vandusseldorp, Darryn S Willoughby, Tim N Ziegenfuss

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Supplementing with creatine is very popular amongst athletes and exercising individuals for improving muscle mass, performance and recovery. Accumulating evidence also suggests that creatine supplementation produces a variety of beneficial effects in older and patient populations. Furthermore, evidence-based research shows that creatine supplementation is relatively well tolerated, especially at recommended dosages (i.e. 3-5 g/day or 0.1 g/kg of body mass/day). Although there are over 500 peer-refereed publications involving creatine supplementation, it is somewhat surprising that questions regarding the efficacy and safety of creatine still remain. These include, but are not limited to: 1. Does creatine lead to water retention? 2. …

Improve The Risk Of Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections With Central Line Dressing Changes Through A Team Approach, Jessica Comstock

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSI) are a preventable hospital acquired infection which contributes to patient morbidity, mortality and rising healthcare costs.

PICOT: The PICOT question that guided this project was: In adult inpatients with central venous catheters, does the use of a two-person dressing change team, compared to a single person procedure, decrease the rate of central line associated bloodstream infections over the course of 8 weeks?

Evidence: The prevention of CLABSI is most effective when multifaceted line maintenance bundles are implemented and adherence to these bundles nears 100% (Schreiber et al. 2018).

Intervention: A two-person, …

Disparities In Cardiovascular Disease Outcomes Among Pregnant And Post-Partum Women, Mohamed M Gad, Islam Y Elgendy, Ahmed N Mahmoud, Anas M Saad, Toshiaki Isogai, Isadora Sande Mathias, Rabel Misbah Rameez, Johnny Chahine, Hani Jneid, Samir R Kapadia

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background

The incidence of cardiovascular disease among pregnant women is rising in the United States. Data on racial disparities for the major cardiovascular events during pregnancy are limited.

Methods and Results

Pregnant and post‐partum women hospitalized from January 2007 to December 2017 were identified from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. The outcomes of interest included: in‐hospital mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, pulmonary embolism, and peripartum cardiomyopathy. Multivariate regression analysis was used to assess the independent association between race and in‐hospital outcomes. Among 46 700 637 pregnancy‐related hospitalizations, 21 663 575 (46.4%) were White, 6 302 089 (13.5%) were Black, and 8 914 …

In-Hospital Postoperative Mortality Rates For Selected Procedures In Tanzania's Lake Zone., Taylor Wurdeman, Christopher Strader, Shehnaz Alidina, David Barash, Isabelle Citron, Ntuli Kapologwe, Erastus Maina, Fabian Massaga, Adelina Mazhiqi, John G. Meara, Gopal Menon, Cheri Reynolds, Meaghan Sydlowski, John Varallo, Sarah Maongezi, Mpoki Ulisubisya

Project ECHO Bibliography

BACKGROUND: Postoperative mortality rate is one of six surgical indicators identified by the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery for monitoring access to high-quality surgical care. The primary aim of this study was to measure the postoperative mortality rate in Tanzania's Lake Zone to provide a baseline for surgical strengthening efforts. The secondary aim was to measure the effect of Safe Surgery 2020, a multi-component intervention to improve surgical quality, on postoperative mortality after 10 months.

METHODS: We prospectively collected data on postoperative mortality from 20 health centers, district hospitals, and regional hospitals in Tanzania's Lake Zone over two time periods: …

Post-Discharge Healthcare Utilization In Infants With Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome, Shikhar Shrestha, Melissa H. Roberts, Jessie R. Maxwell, Lawrence M. Leeman, Ludmila N. Bakhireva

Family and Community Medicine Research and Scholarship

The opioid epidemic in the United States has led to a significant increase in the incidence of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS); however, the understanding of long-term consequences of NOWS is limited. The objective of this study was to evaluate post-discharge healthcare utilization in infants with NOWS and examine the association between NOWS severity and healthcare utilization. A retrospective cohort design was used to ascertain healthcare utilization in the first year after birth-related discharge using the CERNER Health Facts® database. ICD-9/ICD-10 diagnostic codes were used to identify live births and to classify infants into two study groups: NOWS and uncomplicated …

The Relationship Between Locus Of Control, Affective Disorders, And Weight Loss Expectations In Adults Seeking Bariatric Surgery, Rachel Brookland

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Bariatric surgery is the most effective long-term treatment for severe obesity. Although bariatric surgery results in significant weight loss for many patients, variability exists in expectations surrounding postoperative outcomes. Therefore, this study examined two psychosocial factors that may contribute to variability in weight loss expectations among adults seeking bariatric surgery: affective disorders and locus of control. Specifically, it was hypothesized that individuals scoring higher on external measures of locus of control would report lower weight loss expectations for surgery than those scoring higher on internal measures of locus of control (as measured by the Levenson’s Multidimensional Locus of Control Scale, …

Sleep Education For Elders Program (Sleep): Promising Pilot Results Of A Virtual, Health Educator-Led, Community-Delivered Sleep Behavior Change Intervention, Robin M. Tucker, Dawn A. Contreras, Breanne R. Carlson, Anita Carter, Christopher L. Drake

Sleep Medicine Articles

Purpose: Sleep problems pose serious public health concerns, and evidence suggests that the problem is worsening. Both sufficient sleep quantity and quality are needed for optimal health, particularly among older adults, but access to sleep care can be difficult. This study examined the efficacy of a six-week sleep behavior change program designed for older adults that was delivered virtually by health educators.

Participants and Methods: This quasi-experimental pilot study (intervention n = 22; control n = 31) explored the effects of the Sleep Education for Elders Program (SLEEP) on sleep outcomes, which included: 1) sleep quality, measured by the Pittsburgh …

Gender Differences In Cognitive Distortions In Adults With Adhd, Laura Salciunas

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Research has established that men and women with ADHD often manifest varying symptom constellations and are typically referred at different ages for initial evaluation. However, there is a dearth of research into how such gender differences may impact the manifestation of various psychological processes, such as cognitive distortions, even though the latter may explain up to half the variance in many clinical syndromes and personality disorders. The primary objective of this study was to identify whether there is a significant difference in the frequency of cognitive distortions between men and women with ADHD. The secondary objective was to determine the …

Prevalence Of Frailty And Pain In Hospitalised Adult Patients In An Acute Hospital: A Protocol For A Point Prevalence Observational Study, Rosemary Saunders, Kate Crookes, Mustafa Atee, Caroline Bulsara, Max K. Bulsara, Christopher Etherton-Beer, Beverley Ewens, Olivia Gallagher, Renee M. Graham, Karen Gullick, Sue Haydon, Kim-Huong Nguyen, Bev O'Connell, Karla Seaman, Jeff Hughes

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Introduction Frailty and pain are associated with adverse patient clinical outcomes and healthcare system costs. Frailty and pain can interact, such that symptoms of frailty can make pain assessment difficult and pain can exacerbate the progression of frailty. The prevalence of frailty and pain and their concurrence in hospital settings are not well understood, and patients with cognitive impairment are often excluded from pain prevalence studies due to difficulties assessing their pain. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of frailty and pain in adult inpatients, including those with cognitive impairment, in an acute care private metropolitan …

Maternal Health Literacy On Mother And Child Health Care: A Community Cluster Survey In Two Southern Provinces In Laos, Sysavanh Phommachanh, Dirk R. Essink, Pamela J. Wright Phd, Ms, Med, Rn, Cen, Jacqueline E. Broerse, Mayfong Mayxay

Publications

RATIONAL:

Increased maternal health literacy (MHL) has contributed considerably to maternal and child health outcomes in many countries. Malnutrition, and low coverage of child vaccination and breastfeeding are major health concerns in Laos, but there is little insight into mothers' literacy on these issues. The aim of this study was to identify the level of MHL of Lao mothers and to explore factors influencing it, in order to provide evidence that can inform policies and planning of health services.

METHODS:

A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a questionnaire on health literacy (ability to access, understand, appraise and apply health-related information) …

Assessment Of The Gut Bacterial Microbiome And Metabolome Of Girls And Women With Rett Syndrome, Santosh Thapa, Alamelu Venkatachalam, Nabeel Khan, Mohammed Naqvi, Miriam Balderas, Jessica K Runge, Anthony Haag, Kathleen M Hoch, Daniel G Glaze, Ruth Ann Luna, Kathleen J Motil

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: Gastrointestinal problems affect the health and quality of life of individuals with Rett syndrome (RTT) and pose a medical hardship for their caregivers. We hypothesized that the variability in the RTT phenotype contributes to the dysbiosis of the gut microbiome and metabolome in RTT, predisposing these individuals to gastrointestinal dysfunction.

Objectives: We characterized the gut bacterial microbiome and metabolome in girls and young women with RTT (n = 44) and unaffected controls (n = 21), and examined the relation between the composition of the microbiome and variations in the RTT phenotype.

Methods: Demographics and clinical information, including growth and …

The Impact Of The Th17:Treg Axis On The Iga-Biome Across The Glycemic Spectrum, Heather T Essigmann, Kristi L Hoffman, Joseph F Petrosino, Goo Jun, David Aguilar, Craig L Hanis, Herbert L Dupont, Eric L Brown

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Secretory IgA (SIgA) is released into mucosal surfaces where its function extends beyond that of host defense to include the shaping of resident microbial communities by mediating exclusion/inclusion of respective microbes and regulating bacterial gene expression. In this capacity, SIgA acts as the fulcrum on which host immunity and the health of the microbiota are balanced. We recently completed an analysis of the gut and salivary IgA-Biomes (16S rDNA sequencing of SIgA-coated/uncoated bacteria) in Mexican-American adults that identified IgA-Biome differences across the glycemic spectrum. As Th17:Treg ratio imbalances are associated with gut microbiome dysbiosis and chronic inflammatory conditions such as …

Subgingival Microbiome And Specialized Pro-Resolving Lipid Mediator Pathway Profiles Are Correlated In Periodontal Inflammation, Chun-Teh Lee, Ruoxing Li, Lisha Zhu, Gena D Tribble, W Jim Zheng, Brittney Ferguson, Krishna Rao Maddipati, Nikola Angelov, Thomas E Van Dyke

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Failure of resolution pathways in periodontitis is reflected in levels of specialized pro-resolving lipid mediators (SPMs) and SPM pathway markers but their relationship with the subgingival microbiome is unclear. This study aimed to analyze and integrate lipid mediator level, SPM receptor gene expression and subgingival microbiome data in subjects with periodontitis vs. healthy controls. The study included 13 periodontally healthy and 15 periodontitis subjects that were evaluated prior to or after non-surgical periodontal therapy. Samples of gingival tissue and subgingival plaque were collected prior to and 8 weeks after non-surgical treatment; only once in the healthy group. Metabololipidomic analysis was …

Cxcl17 Is A Specific Diagnostic Biomarker For Severe Pandemic Influenza A(H1n1) That Predicts Poor Clinical Outcome, Jose Alberto Choreño-Parra, Shabaana A Khader, Et Al

Open Access Publications

The C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 17 (CXCL17) is chemotactic for myeloid cells, exhibits bactericidal activity, and exerts anti-viral functions. This chemokine is constitutively expressed in the respiratory tract, suggesting a role in lung defenses. However, little is known about the participation of CXCL17 against relevant respiratory pathogens in humans. Here, we evaluated the serum levels and lung tissue expression pattern of CXCL17 in a cohort of patients with severe pandemic influenza A(H1N1) from Mexico City. Peripheral blood samples obtained on admission and seven days after hospitalization were processed for determinations of serum CXCL17 levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The …

Comprehensive Assessment Of A Nationwide Simulation-Based Course For Artificial Life Support, Mateusz Puslecki, Ahmed S Said, Et Al

Open Access Publications

BACKGROUND: Successful implementation of medical technologies applied in life-threatening conditions, including extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) requires appropriate preparation and training of medical personnel. The pandemic has accelerated the creation of new ECMO centers and has highlighted continuous training in adapting to new pandemic standards. To reach high standards of patients' care, we created the first of its kind, National Education Centre for Artificial Life Support (NEC-ALS) in 40 million inhabitants' country in the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The role of the Center is to test and promote the novel or commonly used procedures as well as to develop staff …

The Kanyakla Study: Randomized Controlled Trial Of A Microclinic Social Network Intervention For Promoting Engagement And Retention In Hiv Care In Rural Western Kenya, Matthew D. Hickey, Elvin H. Geng, Et Al

Open Access Publications

BACKGROUND: Existing social relationships are a potential source of "social capital" that can enhance support for sustained retention in HIV care. A previous pilot study of a social network-based 'microclinic' intervention, including group health education and facilitated HIV status disclosure, reduced disengagement from HIV care. We conducted a pragmatic randomized trial to evaluate microclinic effectiveness.

METHODS: In nine rural health facilities in western Kenya, we randomized HIV-positive adults with a recent missed clinic visit to either participation in a microclinic or usual care (NCT02474992). We collected visit data at all clinics where participants accessed care and evaluated intervention effect on …

Diabetes Training Camp: A Brief Intervention To Improve Self-Management And Physical Activity In Adults With Type 1 Diabetes, David Charny

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) is less common than Type 2 Diabetes (T2D); however, its growing incidence, chronic prognosis, and increased self-management burden, produce unique psychosocial challenges for this population. Specifically, these individuals are atrisk for poor diabetes self-efficacy, and poor glycemic control, which can contribute to diabetes-specific mood alterations, or diabetes distress (DD), and an overall reduction in diabetes-specific health-related quality of life. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Diabetes Training Camp (DTC) 1-week intervention in mitigating psychosocial distress utilizing a repeated measures design to evaluate the impact of participation on measures of DD, diabetes quality of life (DQOL) …

Prevalence And Factors Associated With Nafld Detected By Vibration Controlled Transient Elastography Among Us Adults: Results From Nhanes 2017–2018, Xiaotao Zhang, Natalia I Heredia, Maya Balakrishnan, Aaron P Thrift

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasingly common in the adult population. In the United States, the overall burden of NAFLD is unknown due to challenges with population-level NAFLD detection. The purpose of this study was to estimate prevalence of NAFLD and significant NAFLD fibrosis and identify factors associated with them in the U.S.

METHODS: Data came from the 2017-2018 cycle of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We defined NAFLD by controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) scores of ≥248 dB/m in absence of excessive alcohol use and viral hepatitis. We defined significant fibrosis as Vibration controlled transient elastography (VCTE) …

The Cortico-Limbo-Thalamo-Cortical Circuits: An Update To The Original Papez Circuit Of The Human Limbic System, Jochen Profit, Paul J Sharek, Xin Cui, Courtney C Nisbet, Eric J Thomas, Daniel S Tawfik, Henry C Lee, David Draper, J Bryan Sexton

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVES: Key validated clinical metrics are being used individually and in aggregate (Baby-MONITOR) to monitor the performance of neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). The degree to which perceptions of key components of safety culture, safety climate, and teamwork are related to aspects of NICU quality of care is poorly understood. The objective of this study was to test whether NICU performance on key clinical metrics correlates with caregiver perceptions of safety culture.

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study of 6253 very low-birth-weight infants in 44 NICUs. We measured clinical quality via the Baby-MONITOR and its nine risk-adjusted and standardized subcomponents (antenatal corticosteroids, …

Obesity Indicators And C-Reactive Protein In Indonesian Adults (More Than Equal To 40 Years Old): The Indonesian Family Life Survey 5, Yeni Mahwati, Dieta Nurrika

Kesmas

C-reactive protein (CRP) is the best clinical marker for systemic inflammation. Obesity is associated with increased CRP levels. Systemic inflammation is present before morbidity occurs. Research reveals that the identification of obesity indicators and CRP levels is limited among Indonesians. The present study investigated the associations between obesity indicators (body mass index [BMI], waist circumference [WC], waist-to-hip ratio [WHR], waist-to-height ratio [WHtR]) and CRP levels among Indonesian adults. This cross-sectional study based on Indonesian Family Life Survey-5 2014–2015 was conducted among 3,386 adults (≥ 40 years) living in 13 provinces in Indonesia during the study period. All data were collected …

Prevalence Of Eating Disorder Risk And Body Image Dissatisfaction Among Rotc Cadets, Allison Smith, Dawn Emerson, Zachary Winkelmann, Devin Potter, Toni Torres-Mcgehee

Faculty Publications

Injury risk is multifactorial including non-modifiable and modifiable factors such as nutrition and mental health. The purpose of this study was to estimate eating disorder risk and body image (BI) dissatisfaction among Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) cadets. A total of 102 (male: = 75, female: = 27; age: 20 ± 2 years) ROTC cadets self-reported height, current and ideal weight, and completed the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26) and self-perceived BI current and perceived sex-specific figural stimuli. The overall eating disorder risk for ROTC cadets was 32.4%. No significant differences were found when comparing sex, ethnicity, or military branch. Overall …

Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate Use And Blood Lead Levels In A Cohort Of Young Women, Kristen Upson, Quaker E. Harmon, Renee Heffron, Janet E. Hall, Lauren A. Wise, Ganesa Wegienka, Erik J. Tokar, Donna D. Baird

Public Health Sciences Articles

BACKGROUND: Injectable contraceptive use is common, with 74 million users worldwide. Use of the injectable contraceptive depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) is associated with bone mineral density loss. We hypothesize that increased bone resorption with DMPA use allows for mobilization of the toxic metal lead stored in bone to blood, presenting users with increased systemic exposure to lead.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to investigate the association between current DMPA use and blood lead concentrations.

METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using enrollment data from the Study of Environment, Lifestyle & Fibroids (SELF), a cohort of 1,693 African-American women …

Effects Of Vitamin D Supplementation On Lipid Profile In Adults With The Metabolic Syndrome: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Randomized Controlled Trials, Fatme Alanouti, Myriam Abboud, Dimitrios Papandreou, Nadine Mahboub, Suzan Haidar, Rana Rizk

All Works

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, with atherogenic dyslipidemia being a major contributing factor. Methods: A systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement to assess whether vitamin D supplementation (VDS) alleviates dyslipidemia in adults with MetS. Scientific databases (PUBMED, MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov, International Clinical Trials Registry Platform) and the gray literature were searched for randomized controlled trials of VDS, reporting on blood lipids. A narrative review, meta-analyses, sensitivity analyses, and appraisal of the risk of …