Background And Aims: Evaluating associations of circulating electrolytes with atrial fibrillation (AF) and burden of supraventricular arrhythmias can give insights into arrhythmia pathogenesis.
Methods And Results: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 6398 participants of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, ages 71-90, with data on serum electrolytes (magnesium, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, chloride, sodium). Prevalence of AF was determined from electrocardiograms and history of AF hospitalizations.
Background: Abnormal thyroid hormone levels (high or low) and autoimmunity from autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) may increase dementia risk.
Methods: We examined the associations of thyroid dysfunction or possible AITD in 1990 - 1992 with dementia through 2017 in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Neurocognitive Study. Thyroid dysfunction (subclinical and overt hypo- or hyperthyroidism and euthyroidism) was categorized from serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (FT4) cut-points and AITD from anti-thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) antibody positivity.
Background Greater physical activity (PA) is associated with lower heart failure (HF) risk. However, it is unclear whether this inverse association exists across all subgroups at high risk for HF, particularly among those with preexisting atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Methods and Results We followed 13 810 ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) study participants (mean age 55 years, 54% women, 26% black) without HF at baseline (visit 1; 1987-1989).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Cohort participants usually have lower mortality rates than nonparticipants, but it is unclear if this survival advantage decreases or increases as cohort studies age.
Methods: We used a 1975 private census of Washington County, Maryland, to compare mortality among cohort participants to nonparticipants for three cohorts, Campaign Against Cancer and Stroke (CLUE I), Campaign Against Cancer and Heart Disease (CLUE II), and Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities (ARIC) initiated in 1974, 1989, and 1986, respectively. We analyzed mortality risk using time-truncated Cox regression models.
Objective: Screening for diabetes is typically done using hemoglobin A (HbA) or fasting plasma glucose (FPG). The 2019 Endocrine Society guidelines recommend further testing using an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in older adults with prediabetic HbA or FPG. We evaluated the impact of this recommendation on diabetes prevalence, eligibility for glucose-lowering treatment, and estimated cost of implementation in a nationally representative sample.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To test the association between reduced kidney function (assessed by estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] and cystatin C [CysC]) and kidney damage (assessed by urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio [ACR]) and intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) by high-resolution vessel wall MRI (VWMRI) in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Neurocognitive Study (ARIC-NCS).
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of ARIC participants with data on kidney measures and VWMRI in 2011 to 2013. The main outcomes were presence of intracranial plaques and luminal stenosis.
Background: The aim of this study was to assess the association of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTnT) and other cardiac, kidney, hyperglycemia, and inflammatory biomarkers with peripheral neuropathy (PN) in a community-based population.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 3056 black and white participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study who underwent standardized monofilament PN testing and had measures of cardiac function (hs-cTnT, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide [NT-proBNP], and growth differentiation factor 15 [GDF15]), kidney function (serum creatinine, cystatin C, β-2 microglobulin, urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio), hyperglycemia (fasting glucose, hemoglobin A1c [Hb A1c], fructosamine, glycated albumin, 1,5-anhydroglucitol), and inflammation (C-reactive protein) assessed at visit 6 (2016-2017; age 71-94 years). We used logistic regression to assess the associations of these biomarkers (modeled in diabetes-specific tertiles) with PN in older adults with and without diabetes after adjusting for traditional risk factors.
Background: A Mediterranean-style eating pattern is consistently associated with a decreased diabetes risk in Mediterranean and European populations. However, results in U.S.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Few studies have investigated the association of magnesium levels with incident peripheral artery disease (PAD) despite emerging evidence of magnesium contributing to vascular calcification. Moreover, no data are available on whether the magnesium-PAD relationship is independent of or modified by kidney function.
Methods: A cohort of 11 839 participants free of PAD in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study at Visit 2 (1990-92) was studied.
Objective: Incorporation of comorbidity burden to inform diabetes management in older adults remains challenging. High-sensitivity cardiac troponins are objective, quantifiable biomarkers that may improve risk monitoring in older adults. We assessed the associations of elevations in high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) and T (hs-cTnT) with comorbidities and improvements in mortality risk stratification.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground hs-cTnT (high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T), but not NT-proBNP (N-terminal pro-B natriuretic peptide), has been shown to predict bleeding in patients with atrial fibrillation. Whether these biomarkers are independently associated with bleeding in the general population is unknown. Methods and Results We used Cox proportional hazards models to examine the association of hs-cTnT and NT-proBNP with incident bleeding (defined by [] codes) among 9550 middle-aged men and women without a history of cardiovascular disease or bleeding.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Insulin resistance may contribute to aortic stiffening that leads to end-organ damage. We examined the cross-sectional association and prospective association of insulin resistance and aortic stiffness in older adults without diabetes.
Methods: We analyzed 2571 men and women at Visit 5 (in 2011-2013), and 2350 men and women at repeat examinations from baseline at Visit 1 (in 1987-1989) to Visit 5 (in 2011-2013).
Importance: In the 2017 American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA) guideline, the definition of hypertension was lowered from a blood pressure (BP) of greater than or equal to 140/90 to greater than or equal to 130/80 mm Hg. The new diastolic BP threshold of 80 mm Hg was recommended based on expert opinion and changes the definition of isolated diastolic hypertension (IDH).
Objective: To compare the prevalence of IDH in the United States, by 2017 ACC/AHA and 2003 Joint National Committee (JNC7) definitions, and to characterize cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of IDH with outcomes.
Background: A malignant subphenotype of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) has been described, in which minimal elevations in cardiac biomarkers identify individuals with LVH at high risk for developing heart failure (HF). We tested the hypothesis that a higher prevalence of malignant LVH among blacks may contribute to racial disparities in HF risk.
Methods: Participants (n=15 710) without prevalent cardiovascular disease were pooled from 3 population-based cohort studies, the ARIC Study (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities), the DHS (Dallas Heart Study), and the MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis).
Objective: There are currently five widely used definition of prediabetes. We compared the ability of these to predict 5-year conversion to diabetes and investigated whether there were other cut-points identifying risk of progression to diabetes that may be more useful.
Research Design And Methods: We conducted an individual participant meta-analysis using longitudinal data included in the Obesity, Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease Collaboration.
Background And Aims: Lower-extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD) is usually considered large artery disease. Interestingly, retinal microvascular findings were shown to predict PAD progression in diabetes. However, it is unknown whether retinal microvascular parameters are associated with incident PAD and its severe form, critical limb ischemia (CLI), in a community-based cohort.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Diabetes in older age is heterogeneous, and the treatment approach varies by patient characteristics. We characterized the short-term all-cause and cardiovascular mortality risk associated with hyperglycemia in older age.
Research Design And Methods: We included 5,791 older adults in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study who attended visit 5 (2011-2013; ages 66-90 years).
Background And Aims: The indications for carotid endarterectomy (CEA) are well established. The aim of the current study was to investigate sex and race-based disparities in the incidence of CEA after adjusting for carotid artery stenosis risk factors.
Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort analysis of 14,492 black and white participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study without prevalent stroke at baseline (1987-1989).
Background: Risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease was a novel consideration for antihypertensive medication initiation in the 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Blood Pressure (BP) guideline. Whether biomarkers of chronic myocardial injury (high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T ≥6 ng/L] and stress (N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide [NT-proBNP] ≥100 pg/mL) can inform cardiovascular (CV) risk stratification and treatment decisions among adults with elevated BP and hypertension is unclear.
Methods: Participant-level data from 3 cohort studies (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, Dallas Heart Study, and Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis) were pooled, excluding individuals with prevalent CV disease and those taking antihypertensive medication at baseline.
Background: Complete blood counts (CBCs) are commonly obtained in large multicenter studies. We assessed the stability of 10 parameters after short-term (up to 30 days) frozen storage.
Methods: We compared CBC measurements from fresh samples (n = 53) with samples stored for up to 30 days at -70 °C.