The association of microvascular disease and endothelial dysfunction with vertebral trabecular bone mineral density : The MESA study.

Unlabelled: Retinopathy and albuminuria are associated with hip fracture risk. We investigated whether these disorders and endothelial dysfunction (which underlies microvascular diseases) were associated with low trabecular bone density. No significant associations were found, suggesting that microvascular diseases are not related to fracture risk through low trabecular bone density.

Retinal vessel caliber and cognitive performance: the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis (MESA).

Retinal vessel calibers share anatomic and physiologic characteristics with the cerebral vasculature and can be visualized noninvasively. In light of the known microvascular contributions to brain health and cognitive function, we aimed to determine if, in a community based-study, retinal vessel calibers and change in caliber over 8 years are associated with cognitive function or trajectory. Participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) cohort who completed cognitive testing at Exam 5 (2010-2012) and had retinal vascular caliber measurements (Central Retinal Artery and Vein Equivalents; CRAE and CRVE) at Exam 2 (2002-2004) and Exam 5 were included.

Association of fractal dimension and other retinal vascular network parameters with cognitive performance and neuroimaging biomarkers: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Introduction: Retinal vascular network changes may reflect the integrity of the cerebral microcirculation, and may be associated with cognitive impairment.

Methods: Associations of retinal vascular measures with cognitive function and MRI biomarkers were examined amongst Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) participants in North Carolina who had gradable retinal photographs at Exams 2 (2002 to 2004, n = 313) and 5 (2010 to 2012, n = 306), and detailed cognitive testing and MRI at Exam 6 (2016 to 2018).

Results: After adjustment for covariates and multiple comparisons, greater arteriolar fractal dimension (FD) at Exam 2 was associated with less isotropic free water of gray matter regions (β = -0.

OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH DECREASED PRESENCE AND SEVERITY OF DIABETIC RETINOPATHY: A Combined Analysis of MESA and GOLDR Cohorts.

Purpose: Inflammation is associated with diabetic retinopathy development and progression, and previous studies have demonstrated that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, the goal of this study was to determine if omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), are associated with decreased risk and severity of retinopathy in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: In a combined population of 1,356 individuals with type 2 diabetes from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis and Genetics of Latino Diabetic Retinopathy cohorts, odds ratios using logistic regression were determined to assess the association between polyunsaturated fatty acids and retinopathy.

A proteogenomic signature of age-related macular degeneration in blood.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the most common causes of visual impairment in the elderly, with a complex and still poorly understood etiology. Whole-genome association studies have discovered 34 genomic regions associated with AMD. However, the genes and cognate proteins that mediate the risk, are largely unknown.

Retinal Microvascular Caliber and Incident Depressive Symptoms: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Cerebral microvascular dysfunction may contribute to depression via disruption of brain structures involved in mood regulation, but evidence is limited. The retina allows for visualization of a microvascular bed that shares similarities with the cerebral microvasculature. We investigated the associations between baseline retinal arteriolar and venular calibers (central retinal arteriolar equivalent (CRAE) and central retinal venular equivalent (CRVE), respectively) and incident depressive symptoms in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Gene Set Enrichment Analsyes Identify Pathways Involved in Genetic Risk for Diabetic Retinopathy.

Unlabelled: To identify functionally related genes associated with diabetic retinopathy (DR) risk using gene set enrichment analyses applied to genome-wide association study meta-analyses.

Methods: We analyzed DR GWAS meta-analyses performed on 3246 Europeans and 2611 African Americans with type 2 diabetes. Gene sets relevant to 5 key DR pathophysiology processes were investigated: tissue injury, vascular events, metabolic events and glial dysregulation, neuronal dysfunction, and inflammation.

Relation between Retinopathy and Progression of Coronary Artery Calcium in Individuals with Versus Without Diabetes Mellitus (From the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis).

Retinopathy is a microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus (DM); however, it is also increasingly recognized in persons without DM. The microvascular diseases may play a prominent role in coronary heart disease (CHD) development in individuals with DM. We performed the study to evaluate the relation between non-DM retinopathy and CHD and also the association between baseline retinopathy and incidence and progression of CHD in individuals with and without DM.

Sex-specific 25-hydroxyvitamin D threshold concentrations for functional outcomes in older adults: PRoject on Optimal VItamin D in Older adults (PROVIDO).

Background: Threshold serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations for extraskeletal outcomes are uncertain and could differ from recommendations (20-30 ng/mL) for skeletal health.

Objectives: We aimed to identify and validate sex-specific threshold 25(OH)D concentrations for older adults' physical function.

Methods: Using 5 large prospective, population-based studies-Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility-Reykjavik (n = 4858, Iceland); Health, Aging, and Body Composition (n = 2494, United States); Invecchiare in Chianti (n = 873, Italy); Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (n = 2301, United States); and Study of Osteoporotic Fractures (n = 5862, United States)-we assessed 16,388 community-dwelling adults (10,376 women, 6012 men) aged ≥65 y.

Diabetes subgroups and risk for complications: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Aims: To characterize diabetes subgroups among a multi-ethnic cohort and assess risk for incident complications.

Methods: We included 1587 participants from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis with diabetes. We characterized eight diabetes subgroups according to absolute thresholds for disease characteristics: age at diabetes diagnosis (≤45 years), fasting glucose (FG ≥7.

Incidence and progression of diabetic retinopathy in a multi-ethnic US cohort: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Aim: To provide contemporary longitudinal data on the incidence and progression of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in a multi-ethnic population of whites, African Americans, Chinese and Hispanics in the United States.

Methods: A prospective, multi-region, multi-ethnic population-based cohort study that included 498 participants with diabetes, aged 45-84 years at baseline, from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis with retinal images obtained twice, on average 8 years apart. Presence and severity of DR were graded from these retinal images according to the modified Airlie House classification system.

Association of Diabetes Subgroups With Race/Ethnicity, Risk Factor Burden and Complications: The MASALA and MESA Studies.

Introduction: There are known disparities in diabetes complications by race and ethnicity. Although diabetes subgroups may contribute to differential risk, little is known about how subgroups vary by race/ethnicity.

Methods: Data were pooled from 1293 (46% female) participants of the Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America (MASALA) and the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) who had diabetes (determined by diabetes medication use, fasting glucose, and glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c]), including 217 South Asian, 240 non-Hispanic white, 125 Chinese, 387 African American, and 324 Hispanic patients.

Association of Retinal Microvascular Signs with Incident Atrial Fibrillation: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Purpose: Microvascular diseases may contribute to the occurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF). Retinal microvascular signs that are similar to other microvasculature in the body and can be visualized directly via ophthalmoscopy may provide insights into such a relationship.

Design: Prospective, longitudinal, multiethnic study.

Eye Care Among US Adults at High Risk for Vision Loss in the United States in 2002 and 2017.

Importance: Timely eye care can prevent unnecessary vision loss.

Objectives: To estimate the number of US adults 18 years or older at high risk for vision loss in 2017 and to evaluate use of eye care services in 2017 compared with 2002.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This survey study used data from the 2002 (n = 30 920) and 2017 (n = 32 886) National Health Interview Survey, an annual, cross-sectional, nationally representative sample of US noninstitutionalized civilians.

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).

Pre-diagnostic 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and survival in cancer patients.

Purpose: Our main aim was to explore whether pre-diagnostic circulating levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) among older individuals with cancer were associated with overall and cancer-specific survival after diagnosis.

Design: We used data from the Reykjavik-AGES Study on participants (n = 4,619) without cancer at entry, when blood samples were taken for 25(OH)D standardized measurements. The association with cancer risk, all-cause- and cancer-specific mortality was assessed among those later diagnosed with cancer, comparing four 25(OH)D categories, using 50-69.

Hand and knee osteoarthritis are associated with reduced diameters in retinal vessels: the AGES-Reykjavik study.

To investigate the association between osteoarthritis (OA) and microvascular pathology, we examined the relationship between retinal microvascular caliber and osteoarthritis of the hand and knee in an elderly population. The AGES-Reykjavik is a population-based, multidisciplinary longitudinal cohort study of aging. Retinal vessel caliber, hand osteoarthritis and total knee joint replacements due to OA were examined in 4757 individuals (mean age 76 ± 5 years; 57% female).

Retinal vascular changes and right ventricular structure and function: the MESA-Right Ventricle and MESA-Eye studies.

Retinal vessel diameters have been associated with left ventricular morphology and function but their relationship with the right ventricle (RV) has not been studied. We hypothesized that wider retinal venules and narrower retinal arterioles are associated with RV morphology and function. RV end-diastolic mass (RVEDM), end-diastolic volume (RVEDV), end-systolic volume (RVESV), stroke volume (RVSV), and ejection fraction (RVEF) were assessed using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of 4204 participants without clinical cardiovascular disease at the baseline examination; retinal photography was obtained at the second examination.

Serum lipids in adults with late age-related macular degeneration: a case-control study.

Background: Lipids are implicated in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The relationship between systemic lipids and AMD has not been well characterized. The objective was to investigate the relationship between serum lipids and AMD in older adults using a lipidomic approach.

Effect of Genetically Low 25-Hydroxyvitamin D on Mortality Risk: Mendelian Randomization Analysis in 3 Large European Cohorts.

The aim of this study was to determine if increased mortality associated with low levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) reflects a causal relationship by using a Mendelian randomisation (MR) approach with genetic variants in the vitamin D synthesis pathway. Individual participant data from three European cohorts were harmonized with standardization of 25(OH)D according to the Vitamin D Standardization Program. Most relevant single nucleotide polymorphisms of the genes (rs12794714, rs10741657) and (rs12785878, rs11234027), were combined in two allelic scores.

Multiethnic Genome-Wide Association Study of Diabetic Retinopathy Using Liability Threshold Modeling of Duration of Diabetes and Glycemic Control.

To identify genetic variants associated with diabetic retinopathy (DR), we performed a large multiethnic genome-wide association study. Discovery included eight European cohorts ( = 3,246) and seven African American cohorts ( = 2,611). We meta-analyzed across cohorts using inverse-variance weighting, with and without liability threshold modeling of glycemic control and duration of diabetes.

Age-related macular degeneration and progression of coronary artery calcium: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Background: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) shares many similarities with cardiovascular disease (CVD) pathophysiology. We sought to determine the relationship of AMD to the progression of coronary artery calcium (CAC) using data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Methods: Our cohort consisted of 5803 adults aged 45 to 84 years free of known cardiovascular disease (CVD).