Publications by authors named "Lawrence J. Appel"

Importance: Cardiovascular health outcomes associated with noncigarette tobacco products (cigar, pipe, and smokeless tobacco) remain unclear, yet such data are required for evidence-based regulation.

Objective: To investigate the association of noncigarette tobacco products with cardiovascular health outcomes.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cohort study was conducted within the Cross Cohort Collaboration Tobacco Working Group by harmonizing tobacco-related data and conducting a pooled analysis from 15 US-based prospective cohorts with data on the use of at least 1 noncigarette tobacco product ranging between 1948 and 2015.

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Key Points: Apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) high-risk genotype had higher risk of 3-year GFR-related surrogate end points and long-term kidney failure than those with the low-risk genotype. No consistent difference in surrogate–clinical outcome associations by APOL1 genotype, supporting the use of surrogates in APOL1 kidney disease.

Background: Surrogate end points for the clinical outcome of kidney failure have been accepted by the US Food and Drug Administration.

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Many studies have implemented and evaluated task-sharing interventions with community health workers (CHWs) to manage hypertension. To identify gaps in research, we conducted a scoping review. We searched original articles published in PubMed and EMBASE between 2010 and 2022 and found 122 articles meeting our inclusion criteria.

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Article Synopsis
  • Wide pulse pressure (PP) is linked to increased risks of cardiovascular events and kidney failure, with every 10-mmHg increase in PP raising the risk of ASCVD events or death by 6% and kidney-related outcomes by 17% in individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD).* -
  • The association between PP and health risks varies by age; younger individuals (ages 21-61) are more affected by cardiovascular events, while older individuals (ages 71-79) show a stronger link to kidney outcomes.* -
  • This study highlights that the underlying mechanisms connecting wide PP to negative health impacts differ by age, emphasizing the importance of considering age when assessing cardiovascular and kidney risks.*
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Importance: Guidelines for blood pressure (BP) measurement recommend arm support on a desk with the midcuff positioned at heart level. Still, nonstandard positions are used in clinical practice (eg, with arm resting on the lap or unsupported on the side).

Objective: To determine the effect of different arm positions on BP readings.

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Background: There is a need to understand the underlying biological mechanisms through which ultra-processed foods negatively affect health. Proteomics offers a valuable tool with which to examine different aspects of ultra-processed foods and their impact on health.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify protein biomarkers of usual ultra-processed food consumption and assess their relation to the incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD), chronic kidney disease (CKD), and all-cause mortality risk.

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Background: Orthostatic hypotension is associated with cardiovascular disease. It remains unclear if low standing blood pressure or high seated blood pressure is responsible for this association. We compared associations of orthostatic hypotension and hypertension with high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide.

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Objectives: The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet reduces blood pressure, but the mechanisms underlying DASH diet-blood pressure relations are not well understood. Proteomic measures may provide insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms through which the DASH diet reduces blood pressure.

Methods: The DASH (1994-1996) and DASH-Sodium (1997-1999) trials were multicenter, randomized-controlled feeding trials.

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Aims/hypothesis: Understanding the impact of the overall construct of ultra-processed foods on diabetes risk can inform dietary approaches to diabetes prevention. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the association between ultra-processed food consumption and risk of diabetes in a community-based cohort of middle-aged adults in the USA. We hypothesised that a higher intake of ultra-processed foods is associated with a higher risk of incident diabetes.

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Background: Clinical trials examining lifestyle interventions for weight loss in cancer survivors have been demonstrated to be safe, feasible, and effective. However, scalable weight loss programs are needed to support their widespread implementation. The ASPIRE trial was designed to evaluate real-world, lifestyle-based, weight loss programs for cancer survivors throughout Maryland.

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Prior in-person behavioural intervention studies have documented differential weight loss between men and women and by race, with Black women receiving the least benefit. Remotely delivered interventions are now commonplace, but few studies have compared outcomes by race-gender groups and delivery modality. We conducted a secondary analysis of POWER, a randomized trial (NCT00783315) designed to determine the effectiveness of 2 active, lifestyle-based, weight loss interventions (remote vs.

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Background: Early trials of dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers (DCCBs) suggest a detrimental effect on intraglomerular pressure and an association with albuminuria.

Objective: We sought to evaluate the associations of DCCB initiation with albuminuria and kidney failure with replacement therapy (KFRT) and to determine whether renin-angiotensin system (RAS) blockade modified these associations.

Design: We conducted a target trial emulation study using a new user, active comparator design and electronic health record data from Geisinger Health.

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Background: Time-restricted eating (TRE) lowers body weight in many studies. Whether TRE induces weight loss independent of reductions in calorie intake, as seen in rodent studies, is unknown.

Objective: To determine the effect of TRE versus a usual eating pattern (UEP) on body weight in the setting of stable caloric intake.

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Background: Only one out of every ten Nigerian adults with hypertension has their blood pressure controlled. Health worker training is essential to improve hypertension diagnosis and treatment. In-person training has limitations that mobile, on-demand training might address.

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BACKGROUNDCOVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) virus-specific antibody levels that translate into recipient posttransfusion antibody levels sufficient to prevent disease progression are not defined.METHODSThis secondary analysis correlated donor and recipient antibody levels to hospitalization risk among unvaccinated, seronegative CCP recipients within the outpatient, double-blind, randomized clinical trial that compared CCP to control plasma. The majority of COVID-19 CCP arm hospitalizations (15/17, 88%) occurred in this unvaccinated, seronegative subgroup.

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Key Points: Sodium reduction over a 4-week period decreased eGFR. Combining sodium reduction with the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet resulted in larger reductions in eGFR. Changes in diastolic BP seem partially responsible for the observed dietary effects.

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Excess dietary sodium intake and insufficient dietary potassium intake are both well-established risk factors for hypertension. Despite some successful initiatives, efforts to control hypertension by improving dietary intake have largely failed because the changes required are mostly too hard to implement. Consistent recent data from randomized controlled trials show that potassium-enriched, sodium-reduced salt substitutes are an effective option for improving consumption levels and reducing blood pressure and the rates of cardiovascular events and deaths.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study examined how calcium and magnesium intake from the DASH diet and other sources relate to blood pressure, focusing on diet quality as indicated by DASH scores.
  • Data from 2,195 participants (ages 40-59) were analyzed, involving dietary recalls and blood pressure measurements to determine the impact of these nutrients on systolic blood pressure (SBP).
  • Results showed that higher DASH scores and greater intakes of calcium and magnesium were consistently linked to lower SBP, indicating a positive relationship between these nutrients and blood pressure control, regardless of their dietary source.
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Rationale & Objective: Studies have shown that generally healthy individuals who consume diets rich in plant foods have a lower risk of incident chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular disease. This study investigated the prospective associations of plant-based diets with the risk of CKD progression and all-cause mortality in individuals with CKD.

Study Design: Prospective cohort study.

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Aims/hypothesis: A type 2 diabetes-risk-increasing variant, MTNR1B (melatonin receptor 1B) rs10830963, regulates the circadian function and may influence the variability in metabolic responses to dietary carbohydrates. We investigated whether the effects of carbohydrate quantity and dietary glycaemic index (GI) on glycaemic response during OGTTs varied by the risk G allele of MTNR1B-rs10830963.

Methods: This study included participants (n=150) of a randomised crossover-controlled feeding trial of four diets with high/low GI levels and high/low carbohydrate content for 5 weeks.

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Importance: There are ongoing concerns about the benefits of intensive vs standard blood pressure (BP) treatment among adults with orthostatic hypotension or standing hypotension.

Objective: To determine the effect of a lower BP treatment goal or active therapy vs a standard BP treatment goal or placebo on cardiovascular disease (CVD) or all-cause mortality in strata of baseline orthostatic hypotension or baseline standing hypotension.

Data Sources: Individual participant data meta-analysis based on a systematic review of MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL databases through May 13, 2022.

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