MORBIDITY PATTERN AND LEVEL OF COMPLIANCE WITH SAFETY MEASURES AMONG QUARRY WORKERS IN GUSAU METROPOLIS, ZAMFARA STATE.

Introduction: Quarrying is a thriving occupation providing widespread employment opportunities to the poor indigenes of Zamfara State. The workers are more susceptible to various morbidities due to numerous hazards in their working environment. This study aims to assess the morbidity pattern, availability, and compliance with safety measures among quarry workers in Gusau metropolis, Zamfara State.

Emphysematous pyelonephritis in an infant from Sokoto, north-western Nigeria.

Introduction: Emphysematous pyelonephritis is a life-threatening necrotising bacterial infection of the kidneys. It is rare among children and can be fatal if not promptly identified and treated.

Case Presentation: A 7-month-old male infant presented to the Emergency Paediatric Unit of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria, on 12 November 2019 with a 5-day history of fever and vomiting, and a 3-day history of a progressively enlarging, left-side abdominal mass.

Midlife Smaller and Larger Infarctions, White Matter Hyperintensities, and 20-Year Cognitive Decline: A Cohort Study.

Background: Smaller (<3-mm) infarctions are associated with stroke and stroke mortality, but relationships with cognitive decline are unknown.

Objective: To characterize the relationships of smaller, larger, and both smaller and larger infarctions in middle age with 20-year cognitive decline.

Design: Longitudinal cohort study.

Association of Intensive vs Standard Blood Pressure Control With Cerebral White Matter Lesions.

Importance: The effect of intensive blood pressure lowering on brain health remains uncertain.

Objective: To evaluate the association of intensive blood pressure treatment with cerebral white matter lesion and brain volumes.

Design, Setting, And Participants: A substudy of a multicenter randomized clinical trial of hypertensive adults 50 years or older without a history of diabetes or stroke at 27 sites in the United States.

Effect of Intensive vs Standard Blood Pressure Control on Probable Dementia: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: There are currently no proven treatments to reduce the risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of intensive blood pressure control on risk of dementia.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Randomized clinical trial conducted at 102 sites in the United States and Puerto Rico among adults aged 50 years or older with hypertension but without diabetes or history of stroke.

Neuroimaging findings in midlife and risk of late-life dementia over 20 years of follow-up.

Objective: To examine the association between neuroimaging features in a predominantly middle-aged cohort and risk of late-life dementia.

Methods: Cerebral MRI was performed on 1,881 individuals with no history of stroke from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study cohort in 1993 to 1995. White matter hyperintensities (WMH), ventricular size, and sulcal size were graded on a semiquantitative scale, and presence of silent cerebral infarcts was identified.

Midlife vascular risk factors and midlife cognitive status in relation to prevalence of mild cognitive impairment and dementia in later life: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.

Introduction: The interplay between midlife vascular risk factors and midlife cognitive function with later life mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia (DEM) is not well understood.

Methods: In the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, cardiovascular risk factors and cognition were assessed in midlife, ages 45-64 years. In 2011-2013, 20-25 years later, all consenting Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities participants underwent a cognitive and neurological evaluation and were given adjudicated diagnoses of cognitively normal, MCI, or DEM.

Risk Factor Burden, Heart Failure, and Survival in Women of Different Ethnic Groups: Insights From the Women's Health Initiative.

Background: The higher risk of heart failure (HF) in African-American and Hispanic women compared with white women is related to the higher burden of risk factors (RFs) in minorities. However, it is unclear if there are differences in the association between the number of RFs for HF and the risk of development of HF and death within racial/ethnic groups.

Methods And Results: In the WHI (Women's Health Initiative; 1993-2010), African-American (n=11 996), white (n=18 479), and Hispanic (n=5096) women with 1, 2, or 3+ baseline RFs were compared with women with 0 RF within their respective racial/ethnic groups to assess risk of developing HF or all-cause mortality before and after HF, using survival analyses.

Associations Between Midlife Vascular Risk Factors and 25-Year Incident Dementia in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Cohort.

Importance: Vascular risk factors have been associated with cognitive decline. Midlife exposure to these factors may be most important in conferring late-life risk of cognitive impairment.

Objectives: To examine Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) participants in midlife and to explore associations between midlife vascular risk factors and 25-year dementia incidence.

Cognitive Function and Kidney Disease: Baseline Data From the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT).

Background: Chronic kidney disease is common and is associated with cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, and cognitive function, although the nature of this relationship remains uncertain.

Study Design: Cross-sectional cohort using baseline data from the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT).

Setting & Participants: Participants in SPRINT, a randomized clinical trial of blood pressure targets in older community-dwelling adults with cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, or high cardiovascular disease risk and without diabetes or known stroke, who underwent detailed neurocognitive testing in the cognition substudy, SPRINT-Memory and Cognition in Decreased Hypertension (SPRINT-MIND).

Life-course blood pressure in relation to brain volumes.

Introduction: The impact of blood pressure on brain volumes may be time-dependent or pattern-dependent.

Methods: Of 1678 participants from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Neurocognitive Study, we quantified the association between measures and patterns of blood pressure over three time points (∼24 or ∼15 years prior and concurrent with neuroimaging) with late life brain volumes.

Results: Higher diastolic blood pressure ∼24 years prior, higher systolic and pulse pressure ∼15 years prior, and consistently elevated or rising systolic blood pressure from ∼15 years prior to concurrent with neuroimaging, but not blood pressures measured concurrent with neuroimaging, were associated with smaller volumes.

Factor structure of the ARIC-NCS Neuropsychological Battery: An evaluation of invariance across vascular factors and demographic characteristics.

Neuropsychological test batteries are designed to assess cognition in detail by measuring cognitive performance in multiple domains. This study examines the factor structure of tests from the ARIC-NCS battery overall and across informative subgroups defined by demographic and vascular risk factors in a population of older adults. We analyzed neuropsychological test scores from 6,413 participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Neurocognitive Study (ARIC-NCS) examined in 2011-2013.

Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Prevalence: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Neurocognitive Study (ARIC-NCS).

Introduction: We examined prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Neurocognitive Study.

Methods: Beginning in June, 2011, we invited all surviving ARIC participants to undergo cognitive, neurological and brain imaging assessments to diagnose MCI or dementia and assign an etiology for the cognitive disorder.

Results: Of 10713 surviving ARIC participants (age range 69-88 yrs), we ascertained cognitive diagnoses in 6471 in-person, 1966 by telephone interviews (participant or informant) and the remainder by medical record review.

Correlates of Successful Aging in Racial and Ethnic Minority Women Age 80 Years and Older: Findings from the Women's Health Initiative.

Background: Most research has focused on definitions and predictors of successful aging. However, racial/ethnic minorities are often under represented in this research. Given that the U.

Obesity, Insulin Resistance, and Incident Small Vessel Disease on Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.

Background And Purpose: The term metabolic syndrome describes the clustering of risk factors found in many individuals with obesity. Because of their pathophysiology, we hypothesized that 2 features of metabolic syndrome, central obesity and insulin resistance (IR), would be associated with cerebrovascular changes on magnetic resonance imaging, and specifically with incident lacunar disease and not white matter hyperintensity (WMH) progression.

Methods: Risk factors were defined at study baseline in 934 participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, who completed 2 brain magnetic resonance imagings≈10 years apart.

Hypertension, Dietary Sodium, and Cognitive Decline: Results From the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study.

Background: To investigate the relationships of hypertension, antihypertensive treatment, and sodium intake on cognitive decline in older women.

Methods: Prospective follow-up of 6,426 cognitively intact women aged 65-79 years enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS) with a median follow-up of 9.1 years.

GWAS for executive function and processing speed suggests involvement of the CADM2 gene.

To identify common variants contributing to normal variation in two specific domains of cognitive functioning, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of executive functioning and information processing speed in non-demented older adults from the CHARGE (Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology) consortium. Neuropsychological testing was available for 5429-32,070 subjects of European ancestry aged 45 years or older, free of dementia and clinical stroke at the time of cognitive testing from 20 cohorts in the discovery phase. We analyzed performance on the Trail Making Test parts A and B, the Letter Digit Substitution Test (LDST), the Digit Symbol Substitution Task (DSST), semantic and phonemic fluency tests, and the Stroop Color and Word Test.

Genome-wide studies of verbal declarative memory in nondemented older people: the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology consortium.

Background: Memory performance in older persons can reflect genetic influences on cognitive function and dementing processes. We aimed to identify genetic contributions to verbal declarative memory in a community setting.

Methods: We conducted genome-wide association studies for paragraph or word list delayed recall in 19 cohorts from the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology consortium, comprising 29,076 dementia- and stroke-free individuals of European descent, aged ≥45 years.

Vascular imaging abnormalities and cognition: mediation by cortical volume in nondemented individuals: atherosclerosis risk in communities-neurocognitive study.

Background And Purpose: The relationships between cerebrovascular lesions visible on imaging and cognition are complex. We explored the possibility that the cerebral cortical volume mediated these relationships.

Methods: Total of 1906 nondemented participants (59% women; 25% African-American; mean age, 76.

Folate, vitamin B-6, and vitamin B-12 intake and mild cognitive impairment and probable dementia in the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study.

Background: Whether higher B vitamin intake (ie, B-6, B-12, and folate) is protective against cognitive decline in later life remains uncertain. Several prospective, observational studies find higher B vitamin intake to be associated with lower risk of dementia; other studies, including most trials of B vitamin supplementation, have observed no effect on cognition. We examined this question in a large population of older women carefully monitored for development of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and probable dementia.

The metabolic syndrome and cognitive decline in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study (ARIC).

Background: Midlife metabolic syndrome (MetS) may impact cognitive health as a construct independently of hypertension, hyperlipidemia and other components.

Methods: 10,866 participants aged 45-64 years at baseline were assessed for MetS and completed cognitive testing at two later time points (3 and 9 years from the baseline visit).

Results: MetS is associated with increased odds of low cognitive performance in the domains of executive function and word fluency, but not with 6-year cognitive decline.

Midlife hypertension and 20-year cognitive change: the atherosclerosis risk in communities neurocognitive study.

Importance: Hypertension is a treatable potential cause of cognitive decline and dementia, but its greatest influence on cognition may occur in middle age.

Objective: To evaluate the association between midlife (48-67 years of age) hypertension and the 20-year change in cognitive performance.

Design, Setting, And Participants: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities cohort (1990-1992 through 2011-2013) underwent evaluation at field centers in Washington County, Maryland, Forsyth County, North Carolina, Jackson, Mississippi, and the Minneapolis, Minnesota, suburbs.

Caregiving frequency and physical function: the Women's Health Initiative.

Background: Informal caregiving is common for older women and can negatively affect health, but its impact on physical function remains unclear. Using inverse probability weighting methods, we quantified the association of caregiving with physical function over 6 years.

Methods: Study participants were 5,649 women aged 65 years and older at baseline of the Woman's Health Initiative Clinical Trial (multicenter recruitment, 1993-1998) with complete caregiving data and function at baseline and at least one follow-up.

Vitamin D and subclinical cerebrovascular disease: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities brain magnetic resonance imaging study.

Importance: Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and incident stroke. Little is known about the association between vitamin D and subclinical cerebrovascular disease.

Objective: To examine the relationship of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels with cerebrovascular abnormalities as assessed on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) among participants of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Brain MRI study.