Dietary Inflammatory Score and Incident Heart Failure in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study.

Background: Inflammation plays a key role in the development of heart failure (HF), and diet is a known modifiable factor that modulates systemic inflammation. The dietary inflammatory score (DIS) is a tool to quantify the inflammatory components of diet. We sought to determine whether the DIS is associated with incident HF events.

Examining Healthy Lifestyles as a Mediator of the Association Between Socially Determined Vulnerabilities and Incident Heart Failure.

Background: Increased burden of socially determined vulnerabilities (SDV), which include nonmedical conditions that contribute to patient health, is associated with incident heart failure (HF). Mediators of this association have not been examined. We aimed to determine if a healthy lifestyle mediates the association between SDV and HF.

The Cumulative Burden of Social Risk Factors and 10-Year Change in Quality of Life.

Background: Social risk factors are linked to adverse health outcomes, but their total impact on long-term quality of life is obscure. We hypothesized that a higher burden of social risk factors is associated with greater decline in quality of life over 10 years.

Methods: We examined associations between social risk factors count and decline >5 points in (i) physical component summary, and (ii) mental component summary scores from the Short Form-12 among Black and White participants in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke study (n = 14 401).

Exploring Spiritual Concerns, Needs, and Resources in Outpatient Healthcare Facilities Serving Under-Resourced Black Patients: A Qualitative Study.

Background: Acknowledging patients' spiritual concerns can enhance well-being and is essential to patient-centered chronic illness care. However, unmet spiritual care needs remain a major area of suffering, particularly among under-resourced populations. Limited research exists on how spiritual concerns are acknowledged and integrated into the care of chronically ill older Black patients in these settings.