Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and the Ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 Fatty Acids Consumption among Women in the Adventist Health Study-2.

Objective: To assess the associations of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids consumption, and the ratio between the two, with self-reported doctor told Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) diagnosis. Further, to assess whether initiation of omega-3 supplements intake was related to time/year of SLE diagnosis.

Methods: Data from 42,398 women in the Adventist Health Study-2 cohort were used for this cross-sectional study.

Why Can't I Stop Smoking: Predictors of Tobacco Use and Quit Rates in the Freedom From Tobacco Program.

Introduction  As the leading cause of preventable chronic diseases in adults 18 years and older, tobacco usage in the U.S. results in over 20 million premature deaths annually.

Effect of the Fermented Soy Q-CAN Product on Biomarkers of Inflammation and Oxidation in Adults with Cardiovascular Risk, and Canonical Correlations between the Inflammation Biomarkers and Blood Lipids.

Systemic low-grade inflammation plays a key role in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) but the process may be modulated by consuming fermented soy foods. Here, we aim to evaluate the effect of a fermented soy powder Q-CAN on inflammatory and oxidation biomarkers in subjects with cardiovascular risk. In a randomized crossover trial, 27 adults (mean age ± SD, 51.

Macadamia nut effects on cardiometabolic risk factors: a randomised trial.

We sought to examine the effects of daily consumption of macadamia nuts on body weight and composition, plasma lipids and glycaemic parameters in a free-living environment in overweight and obese adults at elevated cardiometabolic risk. Utilising a randomised cross-over design, thirty-five adults with abdominal obesity consumed their usual diet plus macadamia nuts (~15 % of daily calories) for 8 weeks (intervention) and their usual diet without nuts for 8 weeks (control), with a 2-week washout. Body composition was determined by bioelectrical impedance; dietary intake was assessed with 24-h dietary recalls.

Effect of Walnut Supplementation on Dietary Polyphenol Intake and Urinary Polyphenol Excretion in the Walnuts and Healthy Aging Study.

Among all tree nuts, walnuts contain the highest total polyphenols by weight. This secondary data analysis examined the effect of daily walnut supplementation on the total dietary polyphenols and subclasses and the urinary excretion of total polyphenols in a free-living elderly population. In this 2-year prospective, randomized intervention trial (ID NCT01634841), the dietary polyphenol intake of participants who added walnuts daily to their diets at 15% of daily energy were compared to those in the control group that consumed a walnut-free diet.

The association between dietary patterns and a doctor diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus: the Adventist Health Study-2.

Objective: The aim of our study was to assess the association between a diagnosis of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and dietary pattern as well as demographic factors among subjects in the Adventist Health Study-2 (AHS-2) cohort.

Methods: Multivariable logistic regression modeling was used to assess the association between prevalence of self-reported SLE and dietary patterns (vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian and non-vegetarian). Potential confounding variables included were age, gender, race, education, and smoking history among 77,795 AHS-2 participants.

Lower Compliance with Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines Among Vegetarians in North America.

Cervical cancer is preventable and treatable through regular screening and follow-up. However, the utilization of cervical cancer screening may vary widely based on individual lifestyles. The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in the adherence to cervical cancer screening guidelines in various dietary groups.

-3 index is associated with cardiometabolic risk factors but is not improved by walnut intake in free-living elderly: a single-blind, randomised controlled trial.

-3 index, the erythrocyte proportion of the EPA + DHA fatty acids is a clinical marker of age-related disease risk. It is unclear whether regular intake of -linolenic acid (ALA), a plant-derived -3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, raises -3 index in older adults. Of the 356 participants at the Loma Linda, CA centre from the original study, a randomly selected subset ( 192) was included for this secondary analysis (mostly Caucasian women, mean age 69 years).

Associations between Avocado Consumption and Diet Quality, Dietary Intake, Measures of Obesity and Body Composition in Adolescents: The Teen Food and Development Study.

Avocado is a nutrient-rich food that has been shown to benefit the health and diet quality of adults. In this paper, we examined if habitual intake of avocado among adolescents is associated with their diet quality, food and nutrient intake, and measures of obesity and body composition. Participants aged 12-18 years old ( = 534) from selected public and Adventist middle-high schools reported their dietary intake in a web-based food frequency questionnaire (FFQ); anthropometrics were measured during school visits.

Egg intake moderates the rate of memory decline in healthy older adults.

Eggs contain important compounds related to enhanced cognition, but it is not clear if egg consumption, as a whole, has a direct impact on memory decline in older adults. This study aimed to determine whether egg intake levels predict the rate of memory decline in healthy older adults after sociodemographic and dietary controls. We conducted a secondary analysis of data from 470 participants, age 50 and over, from the Biospsychosocial Religion and Health Study.

Discriminative detection of laser-accelerated multi-MeV carbon ions utilizing solid state nuclear track detectors.

A new diagnosis method for the discriminative detection of laser-accelerated multi-MeV carbon ions from background oxygen ions utilizing solid-state nuclear track detectors (SSNTDs) is proposed. The idea is to combine two kinds of SSNTDs having different track registration sensitivities: Bisphenol A polycarbonate detects carbon and the heavier ions, and polyethylene terephthalate detects oxygen and the heavier ions. The method is calibrated with mono-energetic carbon and oxygen ion beams from the heavy ion accelerator.

Lower Utilization of Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Vegetarians, Adventist Health Study-2.

This study aims to examine lifestyle predictors of the utilization of colorectal cancer screening. Using modified Poisson regression, we studied self-reported colorectal cancer screening utilization (colonoscopy or fecal occult blood test) with various dietary and lifestyle characteristics among 33,922 subjects aged 51 + years in the Adventist Health Study-2, a large population-based prospective cohort study. According to the multivariable-adjusted models, vegetarians were less likely to report screening: vegans, prevalence ratio (PR) = 0.

Racial Difference in the Association of Long-Term Exposure to Fine Particulate Matter (PM) and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality among Renal Transplant Recipients.

Ambient air pollutants are known risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality with significant racial disparities. However, few studies have explored racial differences among highly susceptible subpopulations, such as renal transplant recipients (RTRs). Despite improvements in quality of life after transplantation, CVD remains the major cause of mortality, especially among Black recipients.

A Non-Probiotic Fermented Soy Product Reduces Total and LDL Cholesterol: A Randomized Controlled Crossover Trial.

Traditional Asian fermented soy food products are associated with reduced cardiovascular disease risk in prospective studies, but few randomized controlled trials have been conducted in at-risk populations. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a commercial non-probiotic fermented soy product on blood lipids in adults with cardiovascular risk biomarkers. In a randomized, crossover, intervention study, 27 men and women (aged 29-75 y) exhibiting at least two risk factors, consumed two packets (12.

Associations of Circulating Methylmalonic Acid and Vitamin B-12 Biomarkers Are Modified by Vegan Dietary Pattern in Adult and Elderly Participants of the Adventist Health Study 2 Calibration Study.

Background: Elevated plasma methylmalonic acid (MMA) is a functional biomarker of vitamin B-12 status but limited information is available on its prevalence in US vegetarians.

Objectives: The study examines the prevalence of plasma MMA ≥0.27 µmol/L in those consuming vegetarian diets, its associations with vitamin B-12 intake and biomarkers, and the modifying effect of vegetarian patterns on these associations.

Effects of Supplementing the Usual Diet with a Daily Dose of Walnuts for Two Years on Metabolic Syndrome and Its Components in an Elderly Cohort.

Accumulating evidence links nut consumption with an improved risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS); however, long-term trials are lacking. We examined the effects of a daily dose of walnuts for two years on MetS in a large elderly cohort. A total of 698 healthy elderly participants were randomly assigned to either a walnut supplemented or a control diet.

Effect of a 2-year diet intervention with walnuts on cognitive decline. The Walnuts And Healthy Aging (WAHA) study: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Walnut consumption counteracts oxidative stress and inflammation, 2 drivers of cognitive decline. Clinical data concerning effects on cognition are lacking.

Objectives: The Walnuts And Healthy Aging study is a 2-center (Barcelona, Spain; Loma Linda, CA) randomized controlled trial examining the cognitive effects of a 2-y walnut intervention in cognitively healthy elders.

Animal Protein Intake Is Associated with General Adiposity in Adolescents: The Teen Food and Development Study.

Protein plays a crucial role in the growth and development of adolescents. However, being a secondary energy source, protein's role in obesity has been sidelined. We examined whether intake of protein (total, animal, plant), branched-chain (BCAAs), and sulfur-containing (SCAAs) amino acids are associated with general body and central obesity and body composition in a cross-sectional study among healthy adolescents.

The Effect of Soybean Lunasin on Cardiometabolic Risk Factors: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Lunasin, a peptide isolated from soybeans, has been shown to exert antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, and hypocholesterolemic effects in animal and in vitro models. In a triple-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study, 31 participants (female: 19, male: 12, mean age 61 ± 9.9 years) were randomized to an 8-week treatment of lunasin-enriched soy extract (335mg/d) or placebo.

Avocado Intake, and Longitudinal Weight and Body Mass Index Changes in an Adult Cohort.

Avocados contain nutrients and bioactive compounds that may help reduce the risk of becoming overweight/obese. We prospectively examined the effect of habitual avocado intake on changes in weight and body mass index (BMI). In the Adventist Health Study (AHS-2), a longitudinal cohort (~55,407; mean age ~56 years; U.

Unscrambling the relations of egg and meat consumption with type 2 diabetes risk.

Background: Meat intake is associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). It is not clear if egg intake is associated with T2D risk because purported associations may be due to concurrent consumption of eggs with meat.

Objective: Our aim was to differentiate any associations between meat and egg consumption and the risk of T2D.

Effects of Long-Term Walnut Supplementation on Body Weight in Free-Living Elderly: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

: To assess the effects of chronic walnut consumption on body weight and adiposity in elderly individuals. : The Walnuts and Healthy Aging study is a dual-center (Barcelona, Spain and Loma Linda University (LLU)), 2-year randomized parallel trial. This report concerns only the LLU cohort.

Comprehensive treatment for patients with chronic pain in a 12-step based substance use disorder program.

Patients with chronic pain (CP) and substance use disorder (SUD) are complex, not yet adequately described, and in need of comprehensive treatments that address both diseases concurrently. Our objectives were to (a) describe a cohort of CP patients who failed traditional treatment (mainly opioids) - then developed opioid use disorder (OUD) and other SUDs and (b) evaluate a comprehensive inpatient treatment program for these patients. Patients were enrolled in an inpatient CP program.

Postprandial gut hormone responses to Hass avocado meals and their association with visual analog scores in overweight adults: A randomized 3 × 3 crossover trial.

Objective: To evaluate changes in postingestive gut hormone concentrations from the consumption of Hass avocado by addition or inclusion to lunch test meals, and to examine their association with measures of appetite sensation.

Methods: A randomized 3 × 3 crossover study was conducted with 26 healthy overweight adults. Participants consumed one of three test meals: avocado-free control (C); isoenergic avocado inclusive (AI); and, energy increased avocado added (AA) one week apart.