Racial Differences in Breast Cancer Survival Between Black and White Women According to Tumor Subtype: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Purpose: Despite effective early-detection approaches and innovative treatments, Black women in the United States have higher breast cancer mortality rates compared with White women. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to determine the extent of disparities in breast cancer survival between Black and White women according to tumor subtype.

Methods: A comprehensive database search was performed for full-text, English-language articles published from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2022.

Patient and provider perspectives on polygenic risk scores: implications for clinical reporting and utilization.

Background: Polygenic risk scores (PRS), which offer information about genomic risk for common diseases, have been proposed for clinical implementation. The ways in which PRS information may influence a patient's health trajectory depend on how both the patient and their primary care provider (PCP) interpret and act on PRS information. We aimed to probe patient and PCP responses to PRS clinical reporting choices METHODS: Qualitative semi-structured interviews of both patients (N=25) and PCPs (N=21) exploring responses to mock PRS clinical reports of two different designs: binary and continuous representations of PRS.

The Biology of Veganism: Plasma Metabolomics Analysis Reveals Distinct Profiles of Vegans and Non-Vegetarians in the Adventist Health Study-2 Cohort.

It is unclear how vegetarian dietary patterns influence plasma metabolites involved in biological processes regulating chronic diseases. We sought to identify plasma metabolic profiles distinguishing vegans (avoiding meat, eggs, dairy) from non-vegetarians (consuming ≥28 g/day red meat) of the Adventist Health Study-2 cohort using global metabolomics profiling with ultra-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Differences in abundance of metabolites or biochemical subclasses were analyzed using linear regression models, adjusting for surrogate and confounding variables, with cross-validation to simulate results from an independent sample.

Plasma Metabolite Profiles of Red Meat, Poultry, and Fish Consumption, and Their Associations with Colorectal Cancer Risk.

Background: Red and processed meat consumption has been consistently associated with increased risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), but the association for fish intake is unclear. Evidence using objective dietary assessment approaches to evaluate these associations is sparse.

Objectives: We aim to investigate the plasma metabolite profiles related to red meat, poultry, and fish consumption and examine their associations with CRC risk.

Geographic Variation in Obesity at the State Level in the All of Us Research Program.

Introduction: National obesity prevention strategies may benefit from precision health approaches involving diverse participants in population health studies. We used cohort data from the National Institutes of Health All of Us Research Program (All of Us) Researcher Workbench to estimate population-level obesity prevalence.

Methods: To estimate state-level obesity prevalence we used data from physical measurements made during All of Us enrollment visits and data from participant electronic health records (EHRs) where available.

Acceptability of Vaccines Against Preventable Infections Including Coronavirus Disease 2019 Among Patients With Rheumatic Disease.

Objective: Vaccination against preventable infections is widely recommended for patients with systemic rheumatic disease. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has highlighted variability in attitudes toward vaccination, particularly with the use of novel vaccine platforms. We studied attitudes toward vaccination against COVID-19 and other preventable infections among patients with systemic rheumatic disease and compared these against the general population.

The VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL): Do Results Differ by Sex or Race/Ethnicity?

Whether vitamin D or marine omega-3 (n-3) fatty acid supplementation reduces risk of cancer or cardiovascular disease (CVD) in general populations at usual risk for these outcomes is relatively unexplored in randomized trials. The primary goal of the amin D and Omeg-3 Tria (VITAL), a nationwide, randomized, placebo-controlled, 2 × 2 factorial trial of vitamin D (2000 IU/day) and marine n-3 fatty acids (1 g/day) in the primary prevention of cancer and CVD among 25 871 US men aged ≥50 years and women aged ≥55 years, was to fill these knowledge gaps. Studying the influence of sex and race/ethnicity on treatment-related outcomes was a prespecified goal; such analyses help ensure that important effects are not missed and contribute to the foundation for developing targeted recommendations for supplement use.

Hypertension prevalence in the All of Us Research Program among groups traditionally underrepresented in medical research.

The All of Us Research Program was designed to enable broad-based precision medicine research in a cohort of unprecedented scale and diversity. Hypertension (HTN) is a major public health concern. The validity of HTN data and definition of hypertension cases in the All of Us (AoU) Research Program for use in rule-based algorithms is unknown.

Predictors of Palliative Care Knowledge: Findings from the Health Information National Trends Survey.

Background: Palliative care plays an important role in improving the quality of life for patients with cancer and their caregivers and has been associated with increased patient satisfaction. However, palliative care knowledge in the general population is limited, and often physician referral occurs late in prognosis. The objective of this analysis was to examine factors associated with palliative care knowledge.

Effects of Vitamin D3 Supplementation on Body Composition in the VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL).

Context: Although observational studies show inverse associations between vitamin D status and body weight/adiposity, there are few large randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating this relationship.

Objective: To determine whether vitamin D3 supplementation lowers weight or improves body composition.

Design: The VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL) was a double-blinded, placebo-controlled RCT including 25 871 US adults.

Effect of Vitamin D3 Supplements on Development of Advanced Cancer: A Secondary Analysis of the VITAL Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Epidemiologic and trial data suggest that vitamin D supplementation may reduce metastatic cancer and cancer mortality, reflecting shared biological pathways.

Objective: To follow up on the possible reduction in cancer death in the Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial (VITAL) with an evaluation of whether vitamin D reduces the incidence of advanced (metastatic or fatal) cancer and an examination possible effect modification by body mass index.

Design, Setting, And Participants: VITAL is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 2 × 2 factorial clinical trial of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol, 2000 IU/d) and marine omega-3 fatty acids (1 g/d).

Patterns of Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer Among Nigerians and African Americans.

Purpose: Colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence rates are increasing among individuals < 50 years of age (early-onset CRC) globally with causes unknown. Racial/ethnic disparities in early-onset CRC have also grown more pronounced, because Black individuals have higher early-onset CRC incidence and poorer survival compared with White individuals. We describe the prevalence and burden of early-onset CRC among Africans in Nigeria and African Americans (AAs) in the United States.

Circulating branched-chain amino acids and long-term risk of obesity-related cancers in women.

Obesity is a risk factor for > 13 cancer sites, although it is unknown whether there is a common mechanism across sites. Evidence suggests a role for impaired branched-chain amino acid (BCAAs; isoleucine, leucine, valine) metabolism in obesity, insulin resistance, and immunity; thus, we hypothesized circulating BCAAs may be associated with incident obesity-related cancers. We analyzed participants in the prospective Women's Health Study without a history of cancer at baseline blood collection (N = 26,711, mean age = 54.

Metabolic signatures associated with Western and Prudent dietary patterns in women.

Background: The Western dietary pattern (WD) is positively associated with risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) and cancer, whereas the Prudent dietary pattern (PD) may be protective. Foods may influence metabolite concentrations as well as oxidative stress and lipid dysregulation, biological mechanisms associated with CAD and cancer.

Objective: The aim was to assess the association of 2 derived dietary pattern scores with serum metabolites and identify metabolic pathways associated with the metabolites.

Identifying metabolomic profiles of inflammatory diets in postmenopausal women.

Background: We previously showed that a food-based empirical dietary inflammatory pattern (EDIP) score is associated with circulating inflammatory biomarkers. Metabolomic profiling of inflammatory diets may therefore provide insights on mechanisms contributing to disease etiology and prognosis. We aimed to elucidate metabolites associated with inflammatory diets among postmenopausal women, utilizing a robust study design that incorporates independent discovery and validation datasets.

An Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Pattern Score Is Associated with Circulating Inflammatory Biomarkers in a Multi-Ethnic Population of Postmenopausal Women in the United States.

Background: The empirical dietary inflammatory pattern (EDIP) score has been associated with concentrations of circulating inflammatory biomarkers in European Americans.

Objective: We used the EDIP score, a weighted sum of 18 food groups that characterizes dietary inflammatory potential based on circulating concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers, to test the hypothesis that a pro-inflammatory dietary pattern is associated with inflammatory biomarker concentrations in a US multi-ethnic population.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we calculated EDIP scores using baseline food frequency questionnaire data from 31,472 women, aged 50-79 y, in the Women's Health Initiative observational study and clinical trials.

Association between Vitamin D Genetic Risk Score and Cancer Risk in a Large Cohort of U.S. Women.

Some observational studies suggest an inverse association between circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) and cancer incidence and mortality. We conducted a Mendelian randomization analysis of the relationship between a vitamin D genetic risk score (GRS, range 0-10), comprised of five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of vitamin D status in the DHCR7, CYP2R1 and GC genes and cancer risk among women. Analysis was performed in the Women's Genome Health Study (WGHS), including 23,294 women of European ancestry who were cancer-free at baseline and followed for 20 years for incident cancer.

Markers of Inflammation and Incident Breast Cancer Risk in the Women's Health Study.

Chronic inflammation may be a risk factor for the development and progression of breast cancer, yet it is unknown which inflammatory biomarkers and pathways are especially relevant. The present study included 27,071 participants (mean age = 54.5 years) in the Women's Health Study who were free of cancer and cardiovascular disease at enrollment (1992-1995), with baseline measures of 4 inflammatory biomarkers: high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, N-acetyl side-chains of acute phase proteins, and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1.

Association of N-Linked Glycoprotein Acetyls and Colorectal Cancer Incidence and Mortality.

Background: Acute phase proteins highlight the dynamic interaction between inflammation and oncogenesis. GlycA, a novel nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) inflammatory marker that identifies primarily circulating N-acetyl glycan groups attached to acute phase proteins, may be a future CRC risk biomarker.

Methods: We examined the association between GlycA and incident CRC and mortality in two prospective cohorts (N = 34,320); Discovery cohort: 27,495 participants from Women's Health Study (WHS); Replication cohort: 6,784 participants from Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Lipid biomarkers and long-term risk of cancer in the Women's Health Study.

Background: Lipid biomarkers, such as HDL-cholesterol concentrations, have been shown to have positive, inverse, and null associations with total, breast, and colorectal cancer risks. Studies of novel lipid biomarkers, such as apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I) and apolipoprotein B-100 (apo B-100), and cancer risk have been sparse, to our knowledge.

Objectives: We evaluated the prospective association of total, breast, colorectal, and lung cancers and cancer mortality with circulating lipid biomarkers in 15,602 female health professionals in the Women's Health Study (aged ≥45 y, free of cardiovascular disease and cancer, and without hormone replacement therapy or lipid-lowering medications at baseline).

Circulating N-Linked Glycoprotein Acetyls and Longitudinal Mortality Risk.

Rationale: Circulating glycoprotein N-acetyl glucosamine residues have recently been associated with incident cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus.

Objective: Using a plasma glycan biosignature (GlycA) to identify circulating N-acetyl glycan groups, we examined the longitudinal association between GlycA and mortality among initially healthy individuals.

Methods And Results: We quantified GlycA by 400 MHz (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in 27,524 participants in the Women's Health Study (NCT00000479).

Reduction of Parathyroid Hormone with Vitamin D Supplementation in Blacks: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Response of parathyroid hormone (PTH) to vitamin D supplementation is determined by the baseline PTH level and change in vitamin D status. Conflicting reports in Blacks exist on the PTH response to vitamin D to supplementation.

Methods: During 3 winters from 2007-2010, 328 healthy Blacks (median age, 51 years) living in Boston, MA were randomized into a 4-arm, double-blind trial for 3 months of placebo, 1000, 2000, or 4000 IU of vitamin D3.

Effect of vitamin D supplementation alone or with calcium on adiposity measures: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Context: The independent or interactive effects of vitamin D and calcium on adiposity remain inconclusive.

Objective: The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess whether vitamin D and calcium supplements cause changes in adiposity.

Data Sources: MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases were searched for literature published from 1966 to March 2014.

Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation on C-peptide and 25-hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations at 3 and 6 Months.

The link between African-Americans' disproportionate rates of diabetes, obesity and vitamin D deficiency may be marked by C-peptide as an indicator of insulin secretion. We hypothesize that vitamin D supplementation will increase C-peptide, a marker of insulin secretion. During 3 winters from 2007-2010, 328 healthy African-Americans (median age, 51 years) living in Boston, MA were randomized into a 4-arm, double-blind trial for 3 months of placebo, 1000, 2000, or 4000 IU of vitamin D3.