Risk of Incident Cancer in Veterans with Diabetes Who Use Metformin Versus Sulfonylureas.

Prior research suggests metformin has anti-cancer effects, yet data are limited. We examined the association between diabetes treatment (metformin versus sulfonylurea) and risk of incident diabetes-related and non- diabetes-related cancers in US veterans. This retrospective cohort study included US veterans, without cancer, aged ≥ 55 years, who were new users of metformin or sulfonylureas for diabetes between 2001 to 2012.

Novel loci and biomedical consequences of iron homoeostasis variation.

Iron homoeostasis is tightly regulated, with hepcidin and soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) playing significant roles. However, the genetic determinants of these traits and the biomedical consequences of iron homoeostasis variation are unclear. In a meta-analysis of 12 cohorts involving 91,675 participants, we found 43 genomic loci associated with either hepcidin or sTfR concentration, of which 15 previously unreported.

Association of Plasma Omega-3 Levels With Incident Heart Failure and Related Mortalities.

Objective: To investigate the association between plasma omega-3 levels and incident heart failure (HF) and to examine their relationship with total and cardiovascular (CV) mortality among patients with preexisting HF.

Patients And Methods: The UK Biobank is an ongoing prospective cohort study of individuals recruited in the United Kingdom between April 1, 2007, and December 31. 2010.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Dietary Intake and Quality Among United States Veterans.

Background: Dietary quality plays an important role in disease development and prognosis, and diet is also a key contributor to disparities in many chronic diseases and health conditions.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess racial and ethnic disparities experienced by veterans; we examined food intake and dietary quality across different racial and ethnic groups of United States veterans.

Methods: The study included 420,730 males and females aged 19-107 y (91.

Potato Consumption and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Harmonized Analysis of 7 Prospective Cohorts.

Background: Data on the relation of potato consumption with risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) are limited and inconsistent. It is unclear whether the plant-based diet index (PDI), which is a novel and comprehensive tool to assess overall dietary pattern, modifies the association of potato intake with T2D.

Objectives: We examined the association of total, combined baked, boiled, and mashed potatoes and fried potatoes with risk of T2D and test the interaction between PDI score and potato consumption on T2D risk.

Weight change, variability, and trajectories and risk of hip fracture among older adults with dysglycemia: the cardiovascular health study.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus and lower weight are both associated with osteoporotic fractures, but the roles of variability and trajectory are less clear. The associations of these factors among older adults with dysglycemia, who are at highest risk of fracture, with fracture risk and BMD remain uncertain. We followed 775 men and 1080 women from the Cardiovascular Health Study (mean age 77.

Meat consumption and incident type 2 diabetes: an individual-participant federated meta-analysis of 1·97 million adults with 100 000 incident cases from 31 cohorts in 20 countries.

Background: Meat consumption could increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. However, evidence is largely based on studies of European and North American populations, with heterogeneous analysis strategies and a greater focus on red meat than on poultry. We aimed to investigate the associations of unprocessed red meat, processed meat, and poultry consumption with type 2 diabetes using data from worldwide cohorts and harmonised analytical approaches.

Spironolactone Reduces the Risk of Death in Veterans With Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction.

Background: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a complex syndrome increasing in prevalence and affecting millions worldwide but with limited evidence-based therapies. Results from explanatory clinical trials suggest that spironolactone may help to improve outcomes in patients with HFpEF. We sought to investigate the effectiveness of spironolactone in reducing death and hospitalization outcomes for patients with HFpEF in a real-world setting.

The state of the science on the health benefits of blueberries: a perspective.

Mounting evidence indicates that blueberry consumption is associated with a variety of health benefits. It has been suggested that regular consumption of blueberries can support and/or protect against cardiovascular disease and function, pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes, and brain and cognitive function in individuals with health conditions and age-related decline. Further, mechanistic investigations highlight the role of blueberry anthocyanins in mediating these health benefits, in part through interactions with gut microbiota.

Circulating sphingolipids and subclinical brain pathology: the cardiovascular health study.

Background: Sphingolipids are implicated in neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation. We assessed the potential role of circulating ceramides and sphingomyelins in subclinical brain pathology by investigating their association with brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures and circulating biomarkers of brain injury, neurofilament light chain (NfL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS), a large and intensively phenotyped cohort of older adults.

Methods: Brain MRI was offered twice to CHS participants with a mean of 5 years between scans, and results were available from both time points in 2,116 participants (mean age 76 years; 40% male; and 25% ε4 allele carriers).

Data resource profile: nutrition data in the VA million veteran program.

Introduction: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Million Veteran Program (MVP) nutrition data is derived from dietary food/beverage intake information collected through a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire (SFFQ).

Methods: Estimates of dietary energy, nutrient, and non-nutritive food components intakes data were derived from an extensively validated SFFQ, which assessed the habitual frequency of consumption of 61 food items, added sugar, fried food frequency, and 21 nutritional supplements over the 12 months preceding questionnaire administration.

Results: Complete nutrition data was available for 353,418 MVP participants as of 30 September 2021.

Associations of Neurological Biomarkers in Serum With Gait Measures: The Cardiovascular Health Study.

Background: Gait impairment leads to increased mobility decline and may have neurological contributions. This study explores how neurological biomarkers are related to gait in older adults.

Methods: We studied participants in the Cardiovascular Health Study, a population-based cohort of older Americans, who underwent a serum biomarker assessment from samples collected in 1996-1997 for neurofilament light chain (NfL), glial fibrillary acidic protein, ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1, and total tau (n = 1 959, mean age = 78.

Red Meat Intake and the Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases: A Prospective Cohort Study in the Million Veteran Program.

Background: Red meat consumption was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in prospective cohort studies and a profile of biomarkers favoring high CVD risk in short-term controlled trials. However, several recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses concluded with no or weak evidence for limiting red meat intake.

Objectives: To prospectively examine the associations between red meat intake and incident CVD in an ongoing cohort study with diverse socioeconomic and racial or ethnic backgrounds.

The determinants of fasting and post-load non-esterified fatty acids in older adults: The cardiovascular health study.

Aim: Non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) are potential targets for prevention of key cardiometabolic diseases of aging, but their population-level correlates remain uncertain. We sought to identify modifiable factors associated with fasting and post-load NEFA levels in older adults.

Methods: We used linear regression to determine the cross-sectional associations of demographic, anthropometric, and lifestyle characteristics and medication use with serum fasting and post-load NEFA concentrations amongst community-dwelling older adults enrolled in the Cardiovascular Health Study (n = 1924).

Moderate alcohol consumption on the risk of stroke in the Million Veteran Program.

Background: There is inconsistent evidence on the association of moderate alcohol consumption and stroke risk in the general population and is not well studied among U.S. Veterans.

Impact of 8 lifestyle factors on mortality and life expectancy among United States veterans: The Million Veteran Program.

Background: Lifestyle medicine has been proposed as a way to address the root causes of chronic disease and their associated health care costs.

Objective: This study aimed to estimate mortality risk and longevity associated with individual lifestyle factors and comprehensive lifestyle therapy.

Methods: Age- and sex-specific mortality rates were calculated on the basis of 719,147 veterans aged 40-99 y enrolled in the Veteran Affairs Million Veteran Program (2011-2019).

Clinical predictors of right ventricular dysfunction and association with adverse outcomes in peripartum cardiomyopathy.

Aims: We sought to identify factors associated with right ventricular (RV) dysfunction and elevated pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) and association with adverse outcomes in peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM).

Methods And Results: We conducted a multi-centre cohort study to identify subjects with PPCM with the following criteria: left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 40%, development of heart failure within the last month of pregnancy or 5 months of delivery, and no other identifiable cause of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. Outcomes included a composite of (i) major adverse events (need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, ventricular assist device, orthotopic heart transplantation, or death) or (ii) recurrent heart failure hospitalization.

Association of potato consumption with calcified atherosclerotic plaques in the coronary arteries: The NHLBI Family Heart Study.

Background And Aims: While the association of potato consumption with risk factors for coronary artery disease has been inconsistent, no data are available in the literature on the influence of potato consumption on subclinical disease. Thus, we sought to examine whether baked/mashed potato consumption is associated with calcified atherosclerotic plaques in the coronary arteries.

Methods And Results: In a cross-sectional design, we studied 2208 participants of the NHLBI Family Heart Study.

Validity and Reproducibility of a Semiquantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire for Measuring Intakes of Foods and Food Groups.

We evaluated the validity and reproducibility of a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for measuring intakes of 149 foods and 25 food groups among 736 participants of the Women's Lifestyle Validation Study (WLVS, 2010-2012) and 649 participants of the Men's Lifestyle Validation Study (MLVS, 2011-2013). Validity of the FFQ compared with two 7-day dietary records measured 6 months apart and the reproducibility between 2 FFQs administered 1 year apart (FFQ1 and FFQ2) were assessed using Spearman correlations and intraclass correlation coefficients. The average 1-year reproducibility of FFQ-measured foods was 0.