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The impact of a multilevel childhood obesity prevention intervention on healthful food acquisition, preparation, and fruit and vegetable consumption on African-American adult caregivers.
Trude, AC, Surkan, PJ, Anderson Steeves, E, Pollack Porter, K, Gittelsohn, J
Public health nutrition. 2019;(7):1300-1315
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the secondary impact of a multilevel, child-focused, obesity intervention on food-related behaviours (acquisition, preparation, fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption) on youths' primary caregivers. DESIGN B'More Healthy Communities for Kids (BHCK) group-randomized controlled trial promoted access to healthy foods and food-related behaviours through wholesaler and small store strategies, peer mentor-led nutrition education aimed at youths, and social media and text messaging targeting their adult caregivers. Measures included caregivers' (n 516) self-reported household food acquisition frequency for FV, snacks and grocery items over 30 d, and usual FV consumption in a sub-sample of 226 caregivers via the NCI FV Screener. Hierarchical models assessed average treatment effects (ATE). Treatment-on-the-treated-effect (TTE) analyses evaluated correlation between behavioural change and exposure to BHCK. Exposure scores at post-assessment were based on self-reported viewing of BHCK materials and participating in activities. SETTING Thirty Baltimore City low-income neighbourhoods, USA.ParticipantsAdult caregivers of youths aged 9-15 years. RESULTS Of caregivers, 90·89 % were female; mean age 39·31 (sd 9·31) years. Baseline mean (sd) intake (servings/d) was 1·30 (1·69) fruits and 1·35 (1·05) vegetables. In ATE, no significant intervention effect was found on caregivers' food-related behaviours. In TTE, each point increase in BHCK exposure score (range: 0-6·9) increased caregivers' daily fruit consumption by 0·2 servings (0·24 (se 0·11); 95 % CI 0·04, 0·47). Caregivers reporting greater social media exposure tripled their daily fruit intake (3·16 (se 0·92); 95 % CI 1·33, 4·99) and increased their frequency of unhealthy food purchasing v. baseline. CONCLUSIONS Child-focused community-based nutrition interventions may also benefit family members' fruit intake. Child-focused interventions should involve adult caregivers and intervention effects on family members should be assessed. Future multilevel studies should consider using social media to improve reach and engage caregiver participants.
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Weight Loss Experiences of African American, Hispanic, and Non-Hispanic White Men and Women with Type 2 Diabetes: The Look AHEAD Trial.
West, DS, Dutton, G, Delahanty, LM, Hazuda, HP, Rickman, AD, Knowler, WC, Vitolins, MZ, Neiberg, RH, Peters, A, Gee, M, et al
Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.). 2019;(8):1275-1284
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to characterize weight loss, treatment engagement, and weight control strategies utilized by African American, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic white participants in the Action for Health in Diabetes (Look AHEAD) Intensive Lifestyle Intervention by racial/ethnic and sex subgroups. METHODS Weight losses at 1, 4, and 8 years among 2,361 adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes randomized to intervention (31% minority; 42% men) are reported by subgroup. Multivariable models within subgroups examine relative contributions of treatment engagement variables and self-reported weight control behaviors. RESULTS All subgroups averaged weight losses ≥ 5% in year 1 but experienced regain; losses ≥ 5% were sustained at year 8 by non-Hispanic white participants and minority women (but not men). Session attendance was high (≥ 86%) in year 1 and exceeded protocol-specified minimum levels into year 8. Individual session attendance had stronger associations with weight loss among Hispanic and African American participants than non-Hispanic white participants at 4 years (P = 0.04) and 8 years (P = 0.001). Daily self-weighing uptake was considerable in all subgroups and was a prominent factor associated with year 1 weight loss among African American men and women. Greater meal replacement use was strongly associated with poorer 1-year weight losses among African American women. CONCLUSIONS Experiences of minority men and women with diabetes in lifestyle interventions fill important gaps in the literature that can inform treatment delivery.
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Angiotensin II receptor blocker attenuates stress pressor response in young adult African Americans.
Jeong, JH, Hanevold, C, Harris, RA, Kapuku, G, Pollock, J, Pollock, D, Harshfield, G
Journal of clinical hypertension (Greenwich, Conn.). 2019;(8):1191-1199
Abstract
African Americans (AAs) are susceptible to hypertension (HTN) and its associated organ damage leading to adverse cardiovascular (CV) outcomes. Psychological stress is proposed to contribute to the development of HTN; however, the potential role of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in stress-related HTN in AAs is largely unknown. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that activation of RAS is a potential contributing factor for altered CV responses to stress, and suppression of angiotensin II (Ang II) activity will improve hemodynamic responses to a prolonged mental stressor in healthy young AAs. Utilizing a double-blind, randomized, crossover study design, 132 normotensive AAs (25 ± 7 years) were treated with either a placebo (PLC) or 150 mg/d irbesartan (an Ang II type 1 receptor blocker; ARB) for 1 week. On the final day of each treatment, hemodynamic measures and urinary sodium excretion (UNaV) were collected before, during and after a 45 minute-mental stress. The magnitude of stress-induced increase in blood pressure with ARB was blunted and delayed compared to PLC. Systolic blood pressure at the end of recovery on ARB was significantly lower compared to either PLC (110 ± 13 vs 117 ± 12 mm Hg respectively; P < 0.001) or the prestress level on ARB (P = 0.02). ARB treatment reduced overall vasoconstriction and improved poststress UNaV. ARB attenuated blood pressure responses to mental stress and improved the poststress BP recovery process which were partly linked to reduced overall vasoconstriction and improved stress-induced UNaV in young adult AAs prior to the development of disease conditions. These results suggest that treatment approaches that inhibit RAS action could have significant relevance to potentially lower susceptibility to stress responses and eventually the premature development of HTN in AAs.
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Sodium Reduction, Metabolomic Profiling, and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Untreated Black Hypertensives.
Chen, L, He, FJ, Dong, Y, Huang, Y, Harshfield, GA, Zhu, H
Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979). 2019;(1):194-200
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Abstract
Dietary sodium restriction has multiple beneficial effects on cardiovascular health. The underlying mechanisms are not fully understood, and the roles of metabolomics have been rarely studied. We aimed to test the hypothesis that the reduction in dietary sodium intake would induce changes in metabolomic profiling among black hypertensives, and the changes would be associated with reduced blood pressure (BP) and improved skin capillary density. A total of 64 untreated black hypertensives were included from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over trial of sodium reduction. The participants were given either 9 slow sodium tablets (10 mmol sodium per tablet) or placebo tablets daily for 6 weeks, they then crossed over to receive the other tablets for another 6 weeks, while on reduced sodium diet aiming at achieving daily sodium intake around 2.0 g. Untargeted metabolomic profiling was performed in paired serum samples, which were collected at the end of each period, so were BP and capillary density. Mixed-effects models were used. There were 34 metabolites identified with raw P's<0.05. Among those, 2 metabolites including β-hydroxyisovalerate and methionine sulfone were significantly increased with sodium reduction (false discovery rate =0.006 and 0.099, respectively). Increased β-hydroxyisovalerate was associated with reduced office systolic BP and ambulatory daytime systolic BP, whereas increased methionine sulfone was associated with reduced 24-hour diastolic BP, ambulatory nighttime diastolic BP, and increased skin capillary density. Our results suggest that dietary sodium reduction increases the circulating levels of β-hydroxyisovalerate and methionine sulfone. Further studies are warranted. Clinical Trial Registration- URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT00152074.
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Genome-wide meta-analysis of SNP-by9-ACEI/ARB and SNP-by-thiazide diuretic and effect on serum potassium in cohorts of European and African ancestry.
Irvin, MR, Sitlani, CM, Noordam, R, Avery, CL, Bis, JC, Floyd, JS, Li, J, Limdi, NA, Srinivasasainagendra, V, Stewart, J, et al
The pharmacogenomics journal. 2019;(1):97-108
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Abstract
We evaluated interactions of SNP-by-ACE-I/ARB and SNP-by-TD on serum potassium (K+) among users of antihypertensive treatments (anti-HTN). Our study included seven European-ancestry (EA) (N = 4835) and four African-ancestry (AA) cohorts (N = 2016). We performed race-stratified, fixed-effect, inverse-variance-weighted meta-analyses of 2.5 million SNP-by-drug interaction estimates; race-combined meta-analysis; and trans-ethnic fine-mapping. Among EAs, we identified 11 significant SNPs (P < 5 × 10-8) for SNP-ACE-I/ARB interactions on serum K+ that were located between NR2F1-AS1 and ARRDC3-AS1 on chromosome 5 (top SNP rs6878413 P = 1.7 × 10-8; ratio of serum K+ in ACE-I/ARB exposed compared to unexposed is 1.0476, 1.0280, 1.0088 for the TT, AT, and AA genotypes, respectively). Trans-ethnic fine mapping identified the same group of SNPs on chromosome 5 as genome-wide significant for the ACE-I/ARB analysis. In conclusion, SNP-by-ACE-I /ARB interaction analyses uncovered loci that, if replicated, could have future implications for the prevention of arrhythmias due to anti-HTN treatment-related hyperkalemia. Before these loci can be identified as clinically relevant, future validation studies of equal or greater size in comparison to our discovery effort are needed.
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Genomewide Gene-by-Sex Interaction Scans Identify ADGRV1 for Sex Differences in Opioid Dependent African Americans.
Yang, BZ, Zhou, H, Cheng, Z, Kranzler, HR, Gelernter, J
Scientific reports. 2019;(1):18070
Abstract
Sex differences in opioid dependence (OD) are genetically influenced. We conducted genomewide gene-by-sex interaction scans for the DSM-IV diagnosis of OD in 8,387 African-American (AA) or European-American subjects (43.6% women; 4,715 OD subjects). Among AAs, 9 SNPs were genome-wide significant at ADGRV1 (adhesion G-protein-coupled receptor V1, lead-SNP rs2366929*(C/T), p = 1.5 × 10-9) for sex-different risk of OD, with the rs2366929*C-allele increasing OD risk only for men. The top co-expressions in brain were between ADGRV1 and GRIK2 in substantia nigra and medullary inferior olivary nucleus, and between ADGRV1 and EFHC2 in frontal cortex and putamen. Significant sex-differential ADGRV1 expression from GTEx was detected in breast (Bonferroni-corrected-p < 0.002) and in heart (p < 0.0125), with nominal significance identified in brain, thyroid, lung, and stomach (p < 0.05). ADGRV1 co-expression and disease-enrichment analysis identifying the top 10 diseases showed strikingly sexually dimorphic risks. The enrichment and transcriptome analyses provided convergent support that ADGRV1 exerts a sex-different effect on OD risk. This is the first study to identify genetic variants contributing to sex differences in OD. It shows that ADGRV1 contributes to OD risk only in AA men, a finding that warrants further study.
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Physical and Mental Health Experiences among African American College Students.
Barnett, TM, McFarland, A, Miller, JW, Lowe, V, Hatcher, SS
Social work in public health. 2019;(2):145-157
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Transitioning from home to college life can lead to changes in dietary and physical activity behaviors. Approximately 12% to 50% of college students meet criteria for one or more mental disorders. When compared to others, African Americans typically have poorer health outcomes and experience greater rates of cardiovascular-related diseases and depression. The purpose of this qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis (QIMS) was to understand physical and mental health experiences among African American college students to inform policy, practice, and research. Findings from the QIMS revealed two overarching themes: (1) perceptions of physical health and (2) perceptions of mental health. Each theme included three dimensions. The dimensions of perceptions of physical health include (1) exercising for health benefits, (2) exercising for aesthetics, and (3) nutrition versus healthy eating. The dimensions of perceptions of mental health include (1) stress, (2) confidence, and (3) spirituality. These themes enhance understanding of what African American college students perceive and experience when attempting to engage in overall physical and mental health.
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Gene Expression and Cardiometabolic Phenotypes of Vitamin D-Deficient Overweight and Obese Black Children.
Rajakumar, K, Yan, Q, Khalid, AT, Feingold, E, Vallejo, AN, Demirci, FY, Kamboh, MI
Nutrients. 2019;(9)
Abstract
Associations between whole blood transcriptome and clinical phenotypes in vitamin D-deficient overweight and obese children can provide insight into the biological effects of vitamin D and obesity. We determined differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in relation to body mass index (BMI) in vitamin D-deficient black children with a BMI ≥ 85th percentile and ascertained the cardiometabolic phenotypes associated with the DEGs. We examined whole-blood transcriptome gene expression by RNA sequencing and cardiometabolic profiling in 41, 10- to 18-year-old children. We found 296 DEGs in association with BMI after adjusting for age, race, sex, and pubertal status. Cardiometabolic phenotypes associated with the BMI-related DEGs, after adjusting for age, sex, pubertal status, and %total body fat, were (i) flow-mediated dilation (marker of endothelial function), (ii) c-reactive protein (marker of inflammation), and (iii) leptin (adipocytokine). Canonical pathways of relevance for childhood obesity and its phenotypes that were significantly associated with the BMI-related DEGs affected immune cell function/inflammation, vascular health, metabolic function, and cell survival/death; several immune and inflammatory pathways overlapped across the three phenotypes. We have identified transcriptome-based biomarkers associated with BMI in vitamin D-deficient, overweight and obese black children. Modulating effects of vitamin D supplementation on these biomarkers and their related phenotypes need further exploration.
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Randomized Trial of a Lifestyle Intervention for Urban Low-Income African Americans with Type 2 Diabetes.
Lynch, EB, Mack, L, Avery, E, Wang, Y, Dawar, R, Richardson, D, Keim, K, Ventrelle, J, Appelhans, BM, Tahsin, B, et al
Journal of general internal medicine. 2019;(7):1174-1183
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BACKGROUND African Americans suffer more than non-Hispanic whites from type 2 diabetes, but diabetes self-management education (DSME) has been less effective at improving glycemic control for African Americans. Our objective was to determine whether a novel, culturally tailored DSME intervention would result in sustained improvements in glycemic control in low-income African-American patients of public hospital clinics. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This randomized controlled trial (n = 211) compared changes in hemoglobin A1c (A1c) at 6, 12, and 18 months between two arms: (1) Lifestyle Improvement through Food and Exercise (LIFE), a culturally tailored, 28-session community-based intervention, focused on diet and physical activity, and (2) a standard of care comparison group receiving two group DSME classes. Cluster-adjusted ANCOVA modeling was used to assess A1c changes from baseline to 6, 12, and 18 months, respectively, between arms. RESULTS At 6 months, A1c decreased significantly more in the intervention group than the control group (- 0.76 vs - 0.21%, p = 0.03). However, by 12 and 18 months, the difference was no longer significant (12 months - 0.63 intervention vs - 0.45 control, p = 0.52). There was a decrease in A1c over 18 months in both the intervention (β = - 0.026, p = 0.003) and the comparison arm (β = - 0.018, p = 0.048) but no difference in trend (p = 0.472) between arms. The intervention group had greater improvements in nutrition knowledge (11.1 vs 6.0 point change, p = 0.002) and diet quality (4.0 vs - 0.5 point change, p = 0.018) while the comparison group had more participants with improved medication adherence (24% vs 10%, p < 0.05) at 12 months. CONCLUSIONS The LIFE intervention resulted in improved nutrition knowledge and diet quality and the comparison intervention resulted in improved medication adherence. LIFE participants showed greater A1c reduction than standard of care at 6 months but the difference between groups was no longer significant at 12 and 18 months. NIH TRIAL REGISTRY NUMBER NCT01901952.
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Aortic Stenosis in African Americans: Focus On Disparities in Treatment and Outcomes.
Chinta, VR, Maddika, SR, Abader, P, Elbeblawy, R, Jagadish, PS, Ashraf, U, Vallurupalli, S, Ibebuogu, UN, Khouzam, RN
Journal of the National Medical Association. 2019;(3):328-333
Abstract
Aortic stenosis (AS) is the third most common type of cardiovascular disease after hypertension and coronary artery disease, and it carries a high mortality rate when left untreated. Risk factors include male sex, hypertension, tobacco use, advanced age, elevated LDL cholesterol, and coronary atherosclerosis. Definitive treatment for AS includes valve repair, either percutaneously or surgically; however, in aging populations corrective surgery carries increased risk. While research suggests that patients of some non-White ethnic groups, including African-Americans, are less likely than their Caucasian counterparts to have AS, these minority patients may experience may experience differences in the way they receive and accept care. This paper seeks to explicate the mechanisms of racial disparities among the African-Americans affected by aortic stenosis as they pertain to healthcare utilization, referral for valve replacement, acceptance of therapy, and overall treatment outcomes.