Added sugar intake is associated with weight gain and risk of developing obesity over 30 years: The CARDIA study.

Background And Aims: Numerous prospective studies have examined sugar sweetened beverage (SSB) intake associated with weight gain or incident obesity. Because SSB accounts for only 33 % of added sugar (AS) intake, we investigated the associations of AS intake with change in weight and waist circumference and risk of developing obesity.

Methods And Results: At baseline (1985-86) Black and White women and men, aged 18-30 years, enrolled in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study and were followed for 30 years (2015-16).

Diet quality is associated with adipose tissue and muscle mass: the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study.

Background: Aging is associated with changes in body composition, and preventing loss of muscle mass and accumulation of excess adipose tissue in middle-aged adults may reduce age-related conditions at older ages. Dietary intake is one lifestyle factor shown to improve or maintain body composition. However, few studies have examined the Healthy Eating Index2015 (HEI2015), a measure of diet quality, and the association with body composition in adult men and women.

Developing A Baseline Metabolomic Signature Associated with COVID-19 Severity: Insights from Prospective Trials Encompassing 13 U.S. Centers.

Metabolic disease is a significant risk factor for severe COVID-19 infection, but the contributing pathways are not yet fully elucidated. Using data from two randomized controlled trials across 13 U.S.

Plasma Neuronal Growth Regulator 1 May Link Physical Activity to Reduced Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: A Proteome-Wide Study of ARIC Participants.

Habitual physical activity (PA) impacts the plasma proteome and reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D). Using a large-scale proteome-wide approach in Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study participants, we aimed to identify plasma proteins associated with PA and determine which of these may be causally related to lower T2D risk. PA was associated with 92 plasma proteins in discovery (P < 1.

Long-term aspartame and saccharin intakes are related to greater volumes of visceral, intermuscular, and subcutaneous adipose tissue: the CARDIA study.

Background: Artificial sweetener (ArtSw) intakes have been previously associated with higher BMI in observational studies and may promote visceral and skeletal muscle adipose tissue (AT) accumulation. This study aimed to determine whether habitual, long-term ArtSw or diet beverage intakes are related to greater AT depot volumes and anthropometry-related outcomes.

Methods: A validated diet history questionnaire was administered at baseline, year 7, and year 20 examinations in 3088 men and women enrolled in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults cohort (CARDIA), mean age of 25.

Proteomic analysis of diabetes genetic risk scores identifies complement C2 and neuropilin-2 as predictors of type 2 diabetes: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study.

Aims/hypothesis: Genetic predisposition to type 2 diabetes is well-established, and genetic risk scores (GRS) have been developed that capture heritable liabilities for type 2 diabetes phenotypes. However, the proteins through which these genetic variants influence risk have not been thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to identify proteins and pathways through which type 2 diabetes risk variants may influence pathophysiology.

Proteomic profiling identifies novel proteins for genetic risk of severe COVID-19: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.

Background: Genome-wide association studies have identified six genetic variants associated with severe COVID-19, yet the mechanisms through which they may affect disease remains unclear. We investigated proteomic signatures related to COVID-19 risk variants rs657152 (ABO), rs10735079 (OAS1/OAS2/OAS3), rs2109069 (DPP9), rs74956615 (TYK2), rs2236757 (IFNAR2) and rs11385942 (SLC6A20/LZTFL1/CCR9/FYCO1/CXCR6/XCR1) as well as their corresponding downstream pathways that may promote severe COVID-19 in risk allele carriers and their potential relevancies to other infection outcomes.

Methods: A DNA aptamer-based array measured 4870 plasma proteins among 11 471 participants.

Proteomics and Risk of Atrial Fibrillation in Older Adults (From the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities [ARIC] Study).

Plasma proteomic profiling may aid in the discovery of novel biomarkers upstream of the development of atrial fibrillation (AF). We used data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study to examine the relation between large-scale proteomics and incident AF in a cohort of older-aged adults in the United States. We quantified 4,877 plasma proteins in Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities participants at visit 5 (2011-2013) using an aptamer-based proteomic profiling platform.

Plasma omega-3 and saturated fatty acids are differentially related to pericardial adipose tissue volume across race/ethnicity: the Multi-ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Background: Pericardial adipose tissue (PAT) is a cardiometabolic risk factor influenced by race/ethnicity, inflammation, and metabolic dysfunction. Omega-3 fatty acids (FAs) and saturated FAs (SFAs) are known to affect these latter phenomena and may influence PAT accumulation. We aimed to determine whether plasma levels of these FAs are related to PAT volume and its rate of change over a median 3-year follow-up.

Associations of ω-3 Fatty Acids With Interstitial Lung Disease and Lung Imaging Abnormalities Among Adults.

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, attenuates interstitial lung disease (ILD) in experimental models, but human studies are lacking. We examined associations of circulating levels of DHA and other polyunsaturated fatty acids with hospitalization and death due to ILD over 12 years in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA; n = 6,573). We examined cross-sectional associations with CT lung abnormalities in MESA (2000-2012; n = 6,541), the Framingham Heart Study (2005-2011; n = 3,917), and the Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility-Reykjavik Study (AGES-Reykjavik) (2002-2006; n = 1,106).

Lipoprotein (a) and risk for calcification of the coronary arteries, mitral valve, and thoracic aorta: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Background: Lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] is a risk factor for coronary heart disease and calcific aortic valve disease. We determined the relationships of Lp(a) with prevalence and progression of coronary artery calcification (CAC), mitral annular calcification (MAC), and thoracic aortic calcification (TAC) in a multi-ethnic cohort of middle to older-aged adults.

Methods: This analysis included 6705 Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis participants.

Added sugar intake is associated with pericardial adipose tissue volume.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships of pericardial adipose tissue and visceral adipose tissue volume with added sugar and sugar-sweetened beverage intakes. We hypothesized that both added sugar and sugar-sweetened beverages were positively associated with pericardial adipose tissue and visceral adipose tissue volumes in black and white men and women enrolled in the prospective Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study.

Methods And Results: Dietary intake was assessed by diet history at baseline, year 7 and year 20 examinations in 3070 participants aged 18-30 and generally healthy at baseline.

Association Between Homocysteine and Vascular Calcification Incidence, Prevalence, and Progression in the MESA Cohort.

Background While elevated homocysteine has been associated with calcification in several studies, its importance as a cardiovascular risk factor remains unclear. This study examines the relationship between homocysteine and vascular and valve calcification in the MESA (Multi-ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis) cohort. Methods and Results MESA participants with baseline homocysteine measurements and cardiac computed tomography scans were included (N=6789).

Associations between omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, hyperinsulinemia and incident diabetes by race/ethnicity: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Background & Aims: Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been shown to relate to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes (T2D), but influence of race/ethnicity has not been investigated. The aim of this study was to determine whether omega-6 PUFAs, and estimated desaturase enzyme activity, are associated with fasting glucose, insulin, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and incident T2D, and whether associations differ by race/ethnicity.

Methods: This study was conducted in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) (N = 6282).

Apolipoprotein B discordance with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in relation to coronary artery calcification in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Background: Discordant levels of apolipoprotein B (apo B) relative to low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) or non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) may be associated with subclinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).

Objective: The present study investigated whether discordance between apo B and LDL-C or non-HDL-C levels was associated with subclinical ASCVD measured by coronary artery calcium (CAC).

Methods: This study was conducted in a subpopulation of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) cohort, aged 45 to 84 years, free of ASCVD, and not taking lipid-lowering medications at the baseline (2000-2002) (prevalence analytic N = 4623; incidence analytic N = 2216; progression analytic N = 3947).

Associations of circulating very-long-chain saturated fatty acids and incident type 2 diabetes: a pooled analysis of prospective cohort studies.

Background: Saturated fatty acids (SFAs) of different chain lengths have unique metabolic and biological effects, and a small number of recent studies suggest that higher circulating concentrations of the very-long-chain SFAs (VLSFAs) arachidic acid (20:0), behenic acid (22:0), and lignoceric acid (24:0) are associated with a lower risk of diabetes. Confirmation of these findings in a large and diverse population is needed.

Objective: We investigated the associations of circulating VLSFAs 20:0, 22:0, and 24:0 with incident type 2 diabetes in prospective studies.

Biomarkers of Dietary Omega-6 Fatty Acids and Incident Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality.

Background: Global dietary recommendations for and cardiovascular effects of linoleic acid, the major dietary omega-6 fatty acid, and its major metabolite, arachidonic acid, remain controversial. To address this uncertainty and inform international recommendations, we evaluated how in vivo circulating and tissue levels of linoleic acid (LA) and arachidonic acid (AA) relate to incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) across multiple international studies.

Methods: We performed harmonized, de novo, individual-level analyses in a global consortium of 30 prospective observational studies from 13 countries.

Race-Based Differences in Lipoprotein(a)-Associated Risk of Carotid Atherosclerosis.

Objective- Lp(a) [lipoprotein(a)] is a well-described risk factor for atherosclerosis, but Lp(a)-associated risk may vary by race/ethnicity. We aimed to determine whether race/ethnicity modifies Lp(a)-related risk of carotid atherosclerotic plaque outcomes among black, white, Chinese, and Hispanic individuals. Approach and Results- Carotid plaque presence and score were assessed by ultrasonography at baseline (n=5155) and following a median 9.

Lp(a) [Lipoprotein(a)]-Related Risk of Heart Failure Is Evident in Whites but Not in Other Racial/Ethnic Groups.

Objective- Lp(a) [lipoprotein(a)] levels vary by race/ethnicity and were recently found to be associated with risk of heart failure (HF). We aimed to determine whether Lp(a)-related risk of HF is similar across different races and whether Lp(a) may further be related to HF with reduced ejection fraction or HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Approach and Results- In 6809 participants of the MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis), aged 45 to 84 years and free of cardiovascular disease, 308 incident HF events occurred during a median 13-year follow-up.

Circulating oleic acid levels are related to greater risks of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Background: Limited evidence has suggested that circulating levels of the omega-9 fatty acid, oleic acid, may be related to greater risks of adverse cardiovascular outcomes.

Objective: We aimed to determine whether plasma oleic acid may be independently associated with clinical and subclinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality in a large multiethnic cohort.

Methods: Plasma fatty acids were measured by gas chromatography-flame ionization in 6568 participants of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Pilot study of placental tissue collection, processing, and measurement procedures for large scale assessment of placental inflammation.

Background: Placental dysfunction is related to many pregnancy complications, but collecting placental specimens for investigation in large scale epidemiologic studies is often infeasible. Standard procedures involving immediate collection after birth and snap freezing are often cost prohibitive. We aimed to collect pilot data regarding the feasibility and precision of a simpler approach, the collection of tissue samples following 24 hours of refrigeration of whole placentae at 4°C, as compared to the "gold standard" of snap freezing excised tissue within 40 minutes of delivery for the assessment of inflammatory cytokines.