Epidemiology Commons^™

Trends In Resources For Neonatal Intensive Care At Delivery Hospitals For Infants Born Younger Than 30 Weeks' Gestation, 2009-2020, Nansi S. Boghossian, Marco Geraci, Ciaran S. Phibbs, Scott A. Lorch, Erika M. Edwards, Jeffrey D. Horbar

Faculty Publications

Importance: In an ideal regionalized system, all infants born very preterm would be delivered at a large tertiary hospital capable of providing all necessary care. Objective: To examine whether the distribution of extremely preterm births changed between 2009 and 2020 based on neonatal intensive care resources at the delivery hospital. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at 822 Vermont Oxford Network (VON) centers in the US between 2009 and 2020. Participants included infants born at 22 to 29 weeks' gestation, delivered at or transferred to centers participating in the VON. Data were analyzed from February to …

Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy And Vaccination Rate Among The Latino Population In South Carolina, Brynn E. Lynagh

Senior Theses

It is common knowledge that COVID-19 disproportionately impacts racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. Furthermore, these sects of the population exhibit increased vaccine hesitancy and lower vaccination rates as compared to the aggregated population of the United States, furthering the risk posed by COVID-19 to these communities. In particular, this study focuses on the Latino population in South Carolina, the vaccination rate among this community, and the perspectives which contributed to their vaccination decision. Two hundred Spanish and Portuguese speaking residents of South Carolina were interviewed using a paper survey conducted by pre-trained interviewers. The survey gathered data …

Examining Associations Between Social Needs And Mental Health Among Youth And Young Adults With Diabetes, Andrea Danielle Brown

Theses and Dissertations

Household food insecurity (HFI) disproportionally affects people with diabetes living in the United States and is more likely to occur in households with children and in minority race/ethnicity households. Food insecure people with youth-onset diabetes likely have increased risk for poor mental health due to dealing with stress and cost related to diabetes management, especially if facing additional health-related social needs that intersect with HFI. If left untreated, poor mental health among youth and young adults (YYA) with diabetes can lead to diabetes-related complications, increased health care costs, and mortality. Yet few studies have examined associations between HFI and mental …

A Cross-Sectional Analysis Of Infectious Causes Of Congenital Morbidity And Mortality In Central America: Torch, El Salvador, Mary Katherine Lynn

Theses and Dissertations

The primary goal of this dissertation was to understand the prevalence of the most regionally salient TORCH pathogens among a group of perinatal women from a highly vulnerable region of El Salvador at the time of parturition. TORCH pathogens, that cause TORCH congenital syndromes, are classically defined as Toxoplasma gondii, other infectious causes of concern (Zika virus, malaria, human immunodeficiency virus, etc), Rubella virus, Cytomegalovirus(CMV), and Herpes Simplex Viruses. These infections can be passed from mother to fetus through the placenta or other perinatal routes and cause severe maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. This dissertation sought to understand perinatal …

Food Insecurity In Youth And Young Adults With Diabetes: Prevalence And Association With Health Behaviors, Lauren Helene Martini

Theses and Dissertations

Given the life-long impact of diabetes(1-5), it is important to engage in behaviors that promote health and wellness to delay or prevent negative health outcomes(3, 6-10). Despite this, youth and young adults with diabetes generally do not adhere to nutritional(11-17) or physical activity(18, 19) recommendations. In households experiencing financial difficulties, especially those who are having difficulty providing sufficient food to all of its members, adhering to recommendations may be even more difficult.

The purpose of this dissertation is to better understand and contextualize food insecurity among youth and young adults (YYA) with youth-onset T1DM and T2DM. The first aim addresses …

Ultra-Processed Food Consumption And Risk Of Liver Cancer, Longgang Zhao

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Studies have shown positive associations between ultra-processed food (UPF) intake and obesity and type 2 diabetes, two risk factors for liver cancer. However, the relationship between UPF intake and liver cancer has scarcely been studied. We aimed to evaluate the association between UPF intake and the risk of liver cancer in three prospective cohorts and further explore the role of genetic predisposition to fatty liver diseases and biomarkers of liver health on modifying the association.

Methods: We used data from the Nurses’ Health Study (1986-2012), the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986-2012), and UK Biobank (2006-2020). Diet was assessed with …

Multilevel Description Of Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia Among Humans, Animals, And The Environment In Miraflores, Colombia, And South Carolina, Usa, Lidia Gual Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

Tick-borne diseases are emerging worldwide due to environmental shifts caused by land fragmentation and climate change. Among the most important ones spotted fever group rickettsioses (SFGRs) are of particular interest due to their wide species variety and high pathogenicity. Given the global spotted fever group rickettsia (SFGR) distribution, evaluation and comparison of different populations is critical to better understand these pathogens' epidemiology and unravel the risk factors affecting disease occurrence. Consequently, this dissertation investigates SFGR highlighting the One Health framework, assessing animals, humans, and the environment. The first part includes an evaluation at the household level using human and canine …

Association Of Chlorhexidine Use And Scaling And Root Planing With Birth Outcomes In Pregnant Individuals With Periodontitis: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Maxwell Akonde, Rajat Das Gupta, Maxwell Akonde, Mark Reynolds, Stephanie Smith-Warner, Jihong Liu Sc.D., Fouzia Tarannum, James Beck, Donald Mattison

Faculty Publications

Importance Chlorhexidine mouthwash enhances treatment effects of conventional periodontal treatment, but data on chlorhexidine as a source of heterogeneity in meta-analyses assessing the treatment of maternal periodontitis in association with birth outcomes are lacking.

Objective To assess possible heterogeneity by chlorhexidine use in randomized clinical trials (RCTs) evaluating the effect of periodontal treatment (ie, scaling and root planing [SRP]) vs no treatment on birth outcomes.

Data Sources Cochrane Oral Health’s Trials Register, Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth’s Trials Register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE Ovid, Embase Ovid, LILACS BIREME Virtual Health Library (Latin American and Caribbean Health Science …

Association Of Chlorhexidine Use And Scaling And Root Planing With Birth Outcomes In Pregnant Individuals With Periodontitis: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Anwar T. Nerchant, Rajat Das Gupta, Maxwell Akonde, Mark Reynolds, Stephanie Smith-Warner, Jihong Liu, Fouzia Tarannum, James Beck, Donald Mattison

Faculty Publications

Importance Chlorhexidine mouthwash enhances treatment effects of conventional periodontal treatment, but data on chlorhexidine as a source of heterogeneity in meta-analyses assessing the treatment of maternal periodontitis in association with birth outcomes are lacking.

Objective To assess possible heterogeneity by chlorhexidine use in randomized clinical trials (RCTs) evaluating the effect of periodontal treatment (ie, scaling and root planing [SRP]) vs no treatment on birth outcomes.

Data Sources Cochrane Oral Health’s Trials Register, Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth’s Trials Register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE Ovid, Embase Ovid, LILACS BIREME Virtual Health Library (Latin American and Caribbean Health Science …

A Bayesian Susceptible-Infectious-Hospitalized-Ventilated-Recovered Model To Predict Demand For Covid-19 Inpatient Care In A Large Healthcare System, Stella Coker Watson Self Ph.D., Ms, Rongjie Huang, Shrujan Amin, Joseph Ewing, Carolina Rudisill, Alexander C. Mclain Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has strained healthcare systems in many parts of the United States. During the early months of the pandemic, there was substantial uncertainty about whether the large number of COVID-19 patients requiring hospitalization would exceed healthcare system capacity. This uncertainty created an urgent need to accurately predict the number of COVID-19 patients that would require inpatient and ventilator care at the local level. As the pandemic progressed, many healthcare systems relied on such predictions to prepare for COVID-19 surges and to make decisions regarding staffing, the discontinuation of elective procedures, and the amount of personal protective equipment (PPE) …

A Bayesian Susceptible-Infectious-Hospitalized-Ventilated-Recovered Model To Predict Demand For Covid-19 Inpatient Care In A Large Healthcare System, Stella Coker Watson Self Ph.D., Ms, Rongjie Huang, Shrujan Amin, Joseph Ewing, Caroline Rudisill, Alexander C. Mclain

Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has strained healthcare systems in many parts of the United States. During the early months of the pandemic, there was substantial uncertainty about whether the large number of COVID-19 patients requiring hospitalization would exceed healthcare system capacity. This uncertainty created an urgent need to accurately predict the number of COVID-19 patients that would require inpatient and ventilator care at the local level. As the pandemic progressed, many healthcare systems relied on such predictions to prepare for COVID-19 surges and to make decisions regarding staffing, the discontinuation of elective procedures, and the amount of personal protective equipment (PPE) …

Survival Of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer In Black Women: A Society To Cell Approach In The African American Cancer Epidemiology Study (Aaces), Joellen M. Schildkraut, Courtney Johnson, Lauren F. Dempsey, Bo Qin, Paul Terry, Maxwell Akonde, Edward S. Peters, Hannah Mandle, Michele L. Cote, Lauren Peres, Patricia Moorman, Ann G. Schwartz, Micheal Epstein, Jeffrey Marks, Melissa Bondy, Andrew B. Lawson, Anthony Alberg, Elisa V. Bandera

Faculty Publications

Purpose

The causes for the survival disparity among Black women with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) are likely multi-factorial. Here we describe the African American Cancer Epidemiology Study (AACES), the largest cohort of Black women with EOC.

Methods

AACES phase 2 (enrolled 2020 onward) is a multi-site, population-based study focused on overall survival (OS) of EOC. Rapid case ascertainment is used in ongoing patient recruitment in eight U.S. states, both northern and southern. Data collection is composed of a survey, biospecimens, and medical record abstraction. Results characterizing the survival experience of the phase 1 study population (enrolled 2010–2015) are presented.

Results …

Effects Of A Behavioral Intervention On Physical Activity, Diet, And Health-Related Quality Of Life In Pregnant Women With Elevated Weight: Results Of The Hipp Randomized Controlled Trial, Sarah Wilcox Phd, Jihong Liu, Gabrielle Turner-Mcgrievy Ph.D., Rd, Alycia K. Boutte, Ellen Wingard Msph, Rd, Ld

Faculty Publications

Background

Physical activity (PA), diet, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) are related to maternal and infant health, but interventions to improve these outcomes are needed in diverse pregnant women with elevated weight.

Methods

Health In Pregnancy and Postpartum (HIPP) was a randomized controlled trial. Women who were pregnant (N=219, 44% African American, 56% white) with overweight or obesity but otherwise healthy were randomized to a behavioral intervention grounded in Social Cognitive Theory (n=112) or to standard care (n=107). The intervention group received an in-depth counseling session, a private Facebook group, and 10 content-based …

Laboratory Evaluation And Field Feasibility Of Micro-Encapsulated Insecticide Effect On Rhodnius Prolixus And Triatoma Dimidiata Mortality In Rural Households In Boyaca, Colombia, Lidia Gual-Gonzalez, Manuel Medina, Cesar Valverde-Castro, Virgilio Beltran, Rodrigo Caro, Omar Triana-Chavez, Melissa Nolan Ph.D., Mph, Omar Cantillo-Barraza

Faculty Publications

Chagas disease is a neglected vector-borne zoonosis caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi that is primarily transmitted by insects of the subfamily Triatominae. Although control efforts targeting domestic infestations of Rhodnius prolixus have been largely successful, with several regions in Boyacá department certified free of T. cruzi transmission by intradomicile R. prolixus, novel native species are emerging, increasing the risk of disease. Triatoma dimidiata is the second most important species in Colombia, and conventional control methods seem to be less effective. In this study we evaluated the efficacy and usefulness of micro-encapsulated insecticide paints in laboratory conditions and its …

The Dietary Inflammatory Index Is Associated With Subclinical Mastitis In Lactating European Women, Myriam C. Afeiche, Alison Iroz, Frank Thielecke, Antoino C. De Castro, Gregory Lefebvre, Colleen F. Draper, Cecilia Martiínez-Costa, Maria Jose Costeira, Mireille Vanpee, Claude Billeaud, Jean-Charles Picaud, Daryl Lim Kah Hian, Guimei Liu, Nitin Shivappa Mbbs, Mph, Ph.D., James Hébert Scd, Tinu M. Samuel

Faculty Publications

Subclinical mastitis (SCM) is an inflammatory state of the lactating mammary gland, which is asymptomatic and may have negative consequences for child growth. The objectives of this study were to: (1) test the association between the dietary inflammatory index (DII®) and SCM and (2) assess the differences in nutrient intakes between women without SCM and those with SCM. One hundred and seventy-seven women with available data on human milk (HM) sodium potassium ratio (Na:K) and dietary intake data were included for analysis. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the association between nutrient intake and the DII score in relation …

Antibody Prevalence And Risk Factors Associated With Rickettsia Spp. In A Pediatric Cohort: Sfgr Remains Underdiagnosed And Underreported In El Salvador, Kyndall C. Dye-Braumuller, Marvin Stanley Rodríguez Aquino, Kia Zellars, Hanna Waltz, Madeleine Meyer, Lídua Gual-Gonzalez, Stella C.W. Self, Mufaro Kanyangarara, Melissa Nolan Ph.D., Mph

Faculty Publications

Spotted fever group rickettsioses (SFGR) are caused by a group of tick-borne pathogens that are increasing in incidence globally. These diseases are typically underreported and undiagnosed in low- and middle-income countries, and thus, have been classified as neglected bacterial pathogens. Countries with high poverty, low human development index score, and limited health infrastructure—like El Salvador in Central America—lack necessary surveillance for SFGR and other tick-borne pathogens. This paucity of baseline SFGR infection prevalence leaves vulnerable populations at risk of misdiagnosis. Further, tick-borne disease burdens in El Salvador are severely limited. To lay the foundation for tick-borne disease epidemiology in El …

Process Evaluation Methods And Results From The Health In Pregnancy And Postpartum (Hipp) Randomized Controlled Trial, Sarah Wilcox Phd, Alicia A. Dahl, Alycia K. Boutté, Jihong Liu Sc.D., Kelsey Day, Gabrielle Turner-Mcgrievy Ph.D., Rd, Ellen Wingard

Faculty Publications

Background

Excessive gestational weight gain has increased over time and is resistant to intervention, especially in women living with overweight or obesity. This study described the process evaluation methods and findings from a behavioral lifestyle intervention for African American and white women living with overweight and obesity that spanned pregnancy (≤ 16 weeks gestation) through 6 months postpartum.

Methods

The Health in Pregnancy and Postpartum (HIPP) study tested a theory-based behavioral intervention (vs. standard care) to help women (N = 219; 44% African American, 29.1 ± 4.8 years) living with overweight or obesity meet weight gain guidelines in pregnancy and …

Higher Adherence To A Mediterranean Diet Is Associated With Improved Insulin Sensitivity And Selected Markers Of Inflammation In Individuals Who Are Overweight And Obese Without Diabetes, Surbhi Sood, Jack Feehan, Catherine Itsiopoulos, Kirsty Wilson, Magdalena Plebanski, David Scott, James Hébert Scd, Nitin Shivappa Mbbs, Mph, Ph.D., Aya Mousa, Elena S. George, Barbora De Courten

Faculty Publications

Insulin resistance (IR) and chronic low-grade inflammation are risk factors for chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to investigate two dietary indices: Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS) and Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII®), and their associations with direct measures of glucose metabolism and adiposity, and biochemical measures including lipids, cytokines and adipokines in overweight/obese adults. This cross-sectional study included 65 participants (males = 63%; age 31.3 ± 8.5 years). Dietary intake via 3-day food diaries was used to measure adherence to MDS (0–45 points); higher scores indicating adherence. Energy-adjusted DII (E-DII) scores were calculated with …

The Impact Of Meal Dietary Inflammatory Index On Exercise-Induced Changes In Airway Inflammation In Adults With Asthma, Katrina P. Mcdiarmid, Lisa G. Wood, John W. Upham, Lesley K. Macdonald-Wicks, Nitin Shivappa Mbbs, Mph, Ph.D., James R. Hébert Scd, Hayley A. Scott

Faculty Publications

Research suggests exercise may reduce eosinophilic airway inflammation in adults with asthma. The Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII®) quantifies the inflammatory potential of the diet and has been associated with asthma outcomes. This study aimed to determine whether the DII of a meal consumed either before or after exercise influences exercise-induced changes in airway inflammation. A total of 56 adults with asthma were randomised to (1) 30–45 min moderate–vigorous exercise, or (2) a control group. Participants consumed self-selected meals, two hours pre- and two hours post-intervention. Energy-adjusted DII (E-DIITM) was determined for each meal, with meals then characterised as “anti-inflammatory” or …

Metabolome-Wide Associations Of Gestational Weight Gain In Pregnant Women With Overweight And Obesity, Jin Dai, Nansi S. Boghossian, Mark Sarzynski Ph.D., Faha, Facsm, Feng Luo, Xiaoqian Sun, Jian Li, Oliver Fiehn, Jihong Liu Sc.D., Liwei Chen

Faculty Publications

Excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. This metabolome-wide association study aimed to identify metabolomic markers for GWG. This longitudinal study included 39 Black and White pregnant women with a prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) of ≥ 25 kg/m². Untargeted metabolomic profiling was performed using fasting plasma samples collected at baseline (mean: 12.1 weeks) and 32 weeks of gestation. The associations of metabolites at each time point and changes between the two time points with GWG were examined by linear and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analyses. Pearson correlations between the …

Utilization Of 18s Ribosomal Rna Lamp For Detecting Plasmodium Falciparum In Microscopy And Rapid Diagnostic Test Negative Patients, Enoch Aninagyei, Adjoa Agyemang Boakye, Clement Okraku Tettey, Kofi Adjei Nitri, Samuel Ohene Ofori, Comfort Dede Tetteh, Thelma Teley Alphour, Tanko Rufai

Faculty Publications

In this study, Plasmodium falciparum was detected in patients that were declared negative for malaria microscopy and rapid diagnostic test kit (mRDT), using Plasmodium 18s rRNA loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technique. The main aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of LAMP assay for detecting pre-clinical malaria, when microscopy and mRDT were less sensitive. DNA was obtained from 100 μL of whole blood using the boil and spin method. Subsequently, the Plasmodium 18s rRNA LAMP assay was performed to amplify the specific Plasmodium 18s rRNA gene. Microscopy and mRDT negative samples [697/2223 (31.2%)] were used for this study. …

Novel Dietary Index For Gut Microbiota And Associations With Colorectal Cancer And Breast Cancer Risk, Bezawit Eyob Kase

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Diet serves as a driving force for shaping the gut microbiome. Understanding how diet may modify gut microbiota and subsequently may be associated with chronic disease is critical to public health prevention efforts. Aims: We aimed to develop a novel dietary index that captures the quality of diet with respect to attaining beneficial composition and function of gut microbiota. We then examined the relationship between the dietary index and two gut microbiota-related cancers, i.e., colorectal and breast cancers.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review of studies that examined the effect of foods on gut microbiota in adult populations. Dietary …

Dietary Inflammatory Index And Mortality From All Causes, Cardiovascular Disease, And Cancer: A Prospective Study, Zhen Lin, Yanfei Feng, Nitin Shivappa Mbbs, Mph, Ph.D., James R. Hébert Scd, Xin Xu

Faculty Publications

The Energy-adjusted Dietary Inflammatory Index (E-DIITM) is a comprehensive, literature-derived index for assessing the effect of dietary constituents on inflammatory biomarkers and inflammation-related chronic diseases. Several studies have examined the association between E-DII scores and mortality, with results that vary across populations. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to investigate the potential association between E-DII scores and all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cancer mortality using data from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Screening Trial. E-DII scores, calculated based on a food-frequency questionnaire, were analyzed both as a continuous variable and after categorization into quintiles. A multivariate Cox …

Availability Of Hospital-Based Cancer Services Before And After Rural Hospital Closure, 2008-2017, Whitney Zahnd Ph.D., Peiyin Hung Ph.D., Sylvia Kewei Shi, Anja Zgodic, Melinda A. Merrell Ph.D., Elizabeth L. Crouch, Janice C. Probst, Jan Eberth Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Introduction

Rural populations have less access to cancer care services and experience higher cancer mortality rates than their urban counterparts, which may be exacerbated by hospital closures. Our objective was to examine the impact of hospital closures on access to cancer-relevant hospital services across hospital service areas (HSAs).

Methods

We used American Hospital Association survey data from 2008 to 2017 to examine the change in access to cancer-related screening and treatment services across rural HSAs that sustained hospitals over time, experienced any closures, or had all hospitals close. We performed a longitudinal analysis to assess the association between hospital closure …

Neighborhood Characteristics And Dementia Symptomology Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults With Alzheimer’S Disease, Dana M. Alhasan, Matthew C. Lohman Ph.D., Jana A. Hirsch, Margaret Chandlee Miller Ms, Ph.D., Bo Cai Ph.D., Chandra L. Jackson

Faculty Publications

Background: Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPSs) lead to myriad poor health outcomes among individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Prior studies have observed associations between the various aspects of the home environment and NPSs, but macro-level environmental stressors (e.g., neighborhood income) may also disrupt the neuronal microenvironment and exacerbate NPSs. Yet, to our knowledge, no studies have investigated the relationship between the neighborhood environment and NPSs.

Methods: Using 2010 data among older adults with AD collected from a sample of the South Carolina Alzheimer’s Disease Registry, we estimated cross-sectional associations between neighborhood characteristics and NPSs in the overall population and by race/ethnicity. Neighborhood …

Yin And Yang Of Cannabinoid Cb1 Receptor: Cb1 Deletion In Immune Cells Causes Exacerbation While Deletion In Non-Immune Cells Attenuates Obesity, Kathryn Miranda, William Becker, Philip B. Busbee, Nicholas Dopkins, Osama A. Abdulla, Yin Zhong, Jiajia Zhang Ph.D., Mitzi Nagarkatti, Prakash S. Nagarkatti

Faculty Publications

While blockade of cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) has been shown to attenuate diet-induced obesity (DIO), its relative role in different cell types has not been tested. The current study investigated the role of CB1 in immune vs non-immune cells during DIO by generating radiation-induced bone marrow chimeric mice that expressed functional CB1 in all cells except the immune cells or expressed CB1 only in immune cells. CB1^-/- recipient hosts were resistant to DIO, indicating that CB1 in non-immune cells is necessary for induction of DIO. Interestingly, chimeras with CB1^-/- in immune cells showed exacerbation in DIO combined with …

Geographic Proximity To Primary Care Providers As A Risk-Assessment Criterion For Quality Performance Measures, Nathaniel Bell, Ana Lopez-De Fede Ph.D., Bo Cai Ph.D., John Brooks Ph.D.

Publications

Importance Previous studies have found a mixed association between Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) designation and improvements in primary care quality indicators, including avoidable pediatric emergency department (ED) encounters. Whether these associations persist after accounting for the geographic locations of providers relative to where patients reside is unknown. Objective To examine the association between geographic proximity to primary care providers versus hospitals and risk of avoidable and potentially avoidable ED visits among children with pre-existing diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or asthma. Methods Retrospective cohort study of a panel of pediatric Medicaid claims data from the South Carolina from 2016–2018 for 2,959 …

Cardiorespiratory Fitness And The Risk Of All-Cause, Cardiovascular And Cancer Mortality In Men With Hypercholesterolemia, Xuemei Sui M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., Mark A. Sarzynski Facsm, Nicole Gribben, Jiajia Zhang Ph.D., Carl J. Lavie

Faculty Publications

Background: Whether higher cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) confers protection against cardiovascular disease (CVD) in individuals with manifest hypercholesterolemia is poorly understood. Methods: Participants were 8920 men aged 20–82 years with hypercholesterolemia but no history of CVD and/or cancer and who received a preventive examination at the Cooper Clinic in Dallas, TX, USA, during 1974–2001. CRF was quantified as maximal treadmill test duration and was grouped for analysis as low, moderate, or high based on the traditional Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study cutpoints. Using Cox regression analyses, we computed hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for risk of mortality based on CRF. Results: …

Processed Food As A Risk Factor For The Development And Perpetuation Of Crohn's Disease-The Enigma Study, Gina L. Trakman, Winnie Y.Y. Lin, Amy L. Hamilton, Amy L. Wilson-O'Brien, Annalise Stanley, Jessica Y. Ching, Jun Yu, Joyce W.Y. Mak, Yang Sun, Junkin Niu, Yinglei Miao, Xiaoqing Lin, Rui Feng, Minhu Chen, Nitin Shivappa Mbbs, Mph, Ph.D., James R. Hébert Scd, Mark Morrison, Siew C, Ng, Michael A. Kamm

Faculty Publications

(1) Background: Developing countries have experienced a rapid recent rise in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) incidence and emerging evidence suggests processed foods and food additives may predispose one to the development and perpetuation of Crohn’s disease (CD). The aim of this study was to evaluate processed food and food additive intake in CD patients and controls, in Australia (high CD incidence), Hong Kong (intermediate incidence) and mainland China (emerging incidence). (2) Methods: In 274 CD patients (CD), 82 first-degree relatives (FDR), 83 household members (HM) and 92 healthy unrelated controls (HC) from Australia (n = 180), Hong Kong (HK) (n …

Evidence Of Likely Autochthonous Chagas Disease In The Southwestern United States: A Case Series Of Trypanosoma Cruzi Seropositive Blood Donors, Mary K. Lynn, Kyndall C. Dye-Braumuller, Norman L. Beatty, Patricia L. Dorn, Stephen A. Klotz, Susan L. Stramer, Rebecca L. Townsend, Hany Kamel, Jacquelyn M. Vannoy, Patrick Sadler, Susan P. Montgomery, Hilda N. Rivera, Melissa Nolan Ph.D., Mph

Faculty Publications

Background Chagas disease is a parasitic infection that can insidiously cause non-ischemic cardiomyopathy. Given the largely silent nature of this progressive disease, asymptomatic blood donors pose potential blood transfusion risk. Blood donation screening has become an unintentional form of Chagas disease surveillance, with thousands of new cases identified since national surveillance was initiated in 2007.

Study Design and Methods We recruited T. cruzi-positive blood donors identified from California and Arizona blood centers for confirmatory blood screening and assessment of lifetime infection risk.

Results Among eight suspected cases, we identified four confirmed US autochthonous infections. The current manuscript details the …