Publications by authors named "Alain G Bertoni"
Background: The identification of novel blood-based biomarkers of small vessel disease of the brain (SVD) may improve pathophysiologic understanding and inform the development of new therapeutic strategies for prevention. We evaluated plasma proteomic associations of white matter fractional anisotropy (WMFA), white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volume, enlarged perivascular space (ePVS) volume, and the presence of microbleeds (MB) on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the population-based Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).
Methods: Eligible MESA participants had 2941 plasma proteins measured from stored blood samples (collected in 2016-2018) using the antibody-based Olink proteomics platform, and completed brain MRI scans in 2018-2019.
Background: Vascular disorders are proposed as modifiable risk factors for dementia; yet, physiologic mechanisms connecting vascular disorders to cognitive impairment remain unknown. We examined subclinical cardiovascular measures to determine which predict global cognitive decline and domain specific cognitive impairment and point to potential pathways linking subclinical vascular disease and dementia.
Methods: MESA includes a diverse cohort of 6,814 participants free from clinical cardiovascular disease with follow-up over 6 clinical examinations and annual follow-up calls.
Objective: To assess the extent to which the concomitant presence of subclinical myocardial injury or stress and diabetes affects the risk of heart failure (HF) subtypes.
Research Design And Methods: The Jackson Heart Study included Black adults, categorized based on diabetes status, high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI), and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels. Subclinical myocardial injury was defined as hs-cTnI ≥4 ng/L in women and ≥6 ng/L in men, and subclinical myocardial stress as BNP ≥35 pg/mL.
Background: There is significant heterogeneity in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among patients with diabetes mellitus (DM).
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to develop risk scores for total CVD and its components from a contemporary pooled, observational cohort of U.S.
Background: Dietary quality has been linked to better glycemic control, but the precise molecular mechanisms giving rise to these associations are not fully understood.
Objectives: To examine the association of metabolites associated with the intake of a healthy diet with measures of insulin/glucose homeostasis.
Methods: Using cross-sectional data from 295 United States adults, the associations between 3 diet pattern scores and metabolome-wide metabolites were estimated via linear regression models, which controlled for demographic factors and health behaviors.
Arterial stiffness measured by total pulse wave velocity (T-PWV) is associated with an increased risk of multiple age-related diseases. T-PWV can be described by structural (S-PWV) and load-dependent (LD-PWV) arterial stiffening. T-cells have been implicated in arterial remodeling, arterial stiffness, and hypertension in humans and animals; however, it is unknown whether T-cells are risk factors for T-PWV or its components.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: This study aimed to investigate serum metabolomic biomarkers associated with incident type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and evaluate their performance in improving T2DM risk prediction.
Methods: Untargeted proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy-based metabolomics analyses were conducted in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA; n=3460; discovery cohort) and Rotterdam Study (RS; n=1556; replication cohort). Multivariable cause-specific hazards models were used to analyze the associations between 23,571 serum metabolomic spectral variables and incident T2DM.
Background: N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) are associated with cardiovascular outcomes and are recommended for measurement in type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, the effects of an intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) targeting weight loss on cardiac biomarkers and the prognostic association of changes in these biomarkers with risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes in T2D are not well-established.
Objectives: This study sought to evaluate the effects of an ILI on cardiac biomarkers and the association of changes in cardiac biomarkers with risk of cardiovascular outcomes in T2D.
Background: Pulmonary microvasculature alterations are implicated in emphysema pathogenesis, but the association between pulmonary microvascular blood volume (PMBV) and emphysema has not been directly assessed at scale, and prior studies have used non-specific measures of emphysema.
Methods: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis Lung Study invited participants recruited from the community without renal impairment to undergo contrast-enhanced dual-energy CT. Pulmonary blood volume was calculated by material decomposition; PMBV was defined as blood volume in the peripheral 2 cm of the lung.
Objective: Higher truncated-to-native apolipoprotein (apo) C-I proteoform ratios (C-I'/C-I) are associated with favorable cardiometabolic risk profiles, but their relationship with longitudinal changes in insulin resistance (IR) and incident diabetes is unknown.
Research Design And Methods: Plasma apoC-I proteoforms were measured by mass spectrometry immunoassay at baseline in 4,742 nondiabetic participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) and 524 participants with prediabetes in the Actos Now for Prevention of Diabetes (ACT NOW) study. The primary outcome was incident diabetes (fasting glucose [FG] ≥7.
Aims: Proteomic profiling offers an expansive approach to biomarker discovery and mechanistic hypothesis generation for LV remodelling, a critical component of heart failure (HF). We sought to identify plasma proteins cross-sectionally associated with left ventricular (LV) size and geometry in a diverse population-based cohort without known cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Methods And Results: Among participants of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), we quantified plasma abundances of 1305 proteins using an aptamer-based platform at exam 1 (2000-2002) and exam 5 (2010-2011) and assessed LV structure by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) at the same time points.
Article Synopsis
- The study focused on cardiovascular health among Chinese American immigrants in the MESA cohort, analyzing data from 746 participants over a median follow-up of 17.8 years.
- Results indicated that longer residence in the U.S. is linked to a greater risk of cardiovascular disease death, while geographical differences showed varying survival probabilities between immigrants in Los Angeles and Chicago.
- Key risk factors identified included elevated levels of certain biomarkers and cardiac imaging results, with no significant impact from the time of immigration on cardiovascular outcomes.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigated how the severity of metabolic syndrome (MetS) impacts the risk of developing heart failure (HF) among Black individuals, focusing on different subtypes of HF, specifically HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).
- In a sample of 4,069 participants, those with higher MetS severity showed a significantly increased risk of HF, with a twofold greater risk overall and an even higher risk associated with HFpEF.
- The findings suggest that maintaining good metabolic health is crucial for reducing the incidence of heart failure, particularly among Black individuals.
Background: Arterial stiffness measured by total pulse wave velocity (T-PWV) is associated with increased risk of multiple age-related diseases. T-PWV can be described by structural (S-PWV) and load-dependent (LD-PWV) arterial stiffening. T-cells have been associated with arterial remodeling, blood pressure, and arterial stiffness in humans and animals; however, it is unknown whether T-cells are related to S-PWV or LD-PWV.
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- The study investigates how imbalances in left and right ventricular stroke volumes, measured through cardiac MRI, affect clinical outcomes in asymptomatic individuals without cardiovascular disease.
- It analyzed data from over 4,000 participants, finding that those with a greater difference in stroke volumes had a significantly higher risk of mortality, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation compared to those with balanced volumes.
- Interestingly, while a decreased differential stroke volume initially seemed to increase heart failure risk, this association disappeared when factoring in baseline left ventricular function, indicating its significance in the findings.
Dysanapsis Genetic Risk Predicts Lung Function Across the Lifespan.
Am J Respir Crit Care Med
December 2024
Dysanapsis refers to a mismatch between airway tree caliber and lung size arising early in life. Dysanapsis assessed by computed tomography (CT) is evident by early adulthood and associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) risk later in life. By examining the genetic factors associated with CT-assessed dysanapsis, we aimed to elucidate its molecular underpinnings and physiological significance across the lifespan.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Little is known about the extent to which microvascular disease is associated with cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) among individuals with type 2 diabetes.
Research Design And Methods: A total of 4,766 participants with type 2 diabetes underwent maximal exercise testing in the Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) study at baseline. Low CRF was defined based on the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study reference standards.
Article Synopsis
- Cardiovascular disease is linked to frailty in individuals, but the exact reasons for this connection are not fully understood; the study aims to explore this relationship through the MESA study.
- A total of 3,045 participants underwent heart imaging procedures and completed a walking test and questionnaires to assess their frailty status, with analysis done on various cardiovascular health indicators.
- Results indicated that older age, female gender, and specific cardiac conditions (like left ventricular remodeling and myocardial fibrosis) were significantly associated with an increased likelihood of being frail and performing poorly on the walking test.
Background: Metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has been linked to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). We sought to understand association between individuals with amounts of liver adiposity greater than would be predicted by their body mass index (BMI) in order to understand whether this disproportionate liver fat (DLF) represents a proxy of metabolic risk shared between liver and heart disease.
Methods: We studied 2,932 participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) who received computed tomography (CT) measurements of hepatic attenuation.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to establish normal echocardiographic values for heart chamber size and function in healthy adults aged 65 and older, addressing the lack of clear definitions for age-related cardiac health.
- Analysis of 3,032 participants, with 608 fitting healthy aging criteria, revealed that sex and race/ethnicity significantly affected cardiac structure and function, including noted differences in chamber size and function.
- Current guidelines erroneously classified 81.6% of healthy older adults as having cardiac abnormalities, highlighting the need for updated standards that reflect the diversity within this population.
Background: Current prevalence estimates of heart failure (HF) are primarily based on self-report or HF hospitalizations. There is an unmet need to define the prevalence and pathogenesis of early symptomatic HF, which may be undiagnosed and precedes HF hospitalization.
Methods: The MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis) Early HF study was conducted during MESA exam 6 to determine the prevalence of early HF and investigate the transition from risk factors to early HF in a diverse population-based cohort of older adults.
Background: Latine communities in the United States have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. It is critical to gain a better understanding of the sociocultural determinants that challenge and facilitate COVID-19 testing, vaccination, and booster uptake within these vulnerable communities to inform culturally congruent strategies and interventions.
Methods: In summer 2022, our community-based participatory research partnership conducted 30 key informant interviews and 7 focus groups with 64 Spanish-speaking Latine participants in North Carolina.
Retinal vessel calibers share anatomic and physiologic characteristics with the cerebral vasculature and can be visualized noninvasively. In light of the known microvascular contributions to brain health and cognitive function, we aimed to determine if, in a community based-study, retinal vessel calibers and change in caliber over 8 years are associated with cognitive function or trajectory. Participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) cohort who completed cognitive testing at Exam 5 (2010-2012) and had retinal vascular caliber measurements (Central Retinal Artery and Vein Equivalents; CRAE and CRVE) at Exam 2 (2002-2004) and Exam 5 were included.
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