The association of restrained eating with weight change over time in a community-based sample of twins.

We investigated the association of restrained eating with BMI and weight gain while controlling for the influence of genes and shared environment. Participants were 1,587 twins enrolled in the University of Washington Twin Registry (UWTR). Restrained eating was assessed by the Herman and Polivy Restraint Scale.

Comorbid depression is associated with an increased risk of dementia diagnosis in patients with diabetes: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Both depression and diabetes have been found to be risk factors for dementia. This study examined whether comorbid depression in patients with diabetes increases the risk for dementia compared to those with diabetes alone.

Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study of 3,837 primary care patients with diabetes (mean age 63.

Body size adjustments for left ventricular mass by cardiovascular magnetic resonance and their impact on left ventricular hypertrophy classification.

Methods to index left ventricular (LV) mass, measured by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR), for body size have not been investigated. The purposes of this study were to develop allometric indices for LV mass measured by CMR and compare estimates of the prevalence and predictive value of LV hypertrophy defined by a new allometric height-weight index, LV mass/body surface area (BSA), height indices (a new allometric height index; and previously derived indices from echocardiographic measurements: LV mass/height(2), LV mass/height(2.7)), and non-indexed LV mass.

Myocardial infarction and stroke associated with diuretic based two drug antihypertensive regimens: population based case-control study.

Objective: To examine the association of myocardial infarction and stroke incidence with several commonly used two drug antihypertensive treatment regimens. Design Population based case-control study. Setting Group Health Cooperative, Seattle, WA, USA.

Genome-wide association study of PR interval.

The electrocardiographic PR interval (or PQ interval) reflects atrial and atrioventricular nodal conduction, disturbances of which increase risk of atrial fibrillation. We report a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies for PR interval from seven population-based European studies in the CHARGE Consortium: AGES, ARIC, CHS, FHS, KORA, Rotterdam Study, and SardiNIA (N = 28,517). We identified nine loci associated with PR interval at P < 5 x 10(-8).

Interaction between fibrinogen and IL-6 genetic variants and associations with cardiovascular disease risk in the Cardiovascular Health Study.

The inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a main regulator of fibrinogen synthesis, though its interaction with fibrinogen genes (FGA, FGB, FGG) and subsequent impact on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk is not well-studied. We investigated joint associations of fibrinogen and IL6 tagSNPs with fibrinogen concentrations, carotid intima-media thickness, and myocardial infarction or ischemic stroke in 3900 European-American Cardiovascular Health Study participants. To identify combinations of genetic main effects and interactions associated with outcomes, we used logic regression.

Genome-wide association studies of MRI-defined brain infarcts: meta-analysis from the CHARGE Consortium.

Background And Purpose: Previous studies examining genetic associations with MRI-defined brain infarct have yielded inconsistent findings. We investigated genetic variation underlying covert MRI infarct in persons without histories of transient ischemic attack or stroke. We performed meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies of white participants in 6 studies comprising the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology (CHARGE) consortium.

Meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies identify multiple loci associated with pulmonary function.

Spirometric measures of lung function are heritable traits that reflect respiratory health and predict morbidity and mortality. We meta-analyzed genome-wide association studies for two clinically important lung-function measures: forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV(1)) and its ratio to forced vital capacity (FEV(1)/FVC), an indicator of airflow obstruction. This meta-analysis included 20,890 participants of European ancestry from four CHARGE Consortium studies: Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities, Cardiovascular Health Study, Framingham Heart Study and Rotterdam Study.

Relationship styles and mortality in patients with diabetes.

OBJECTIVE Prior research has shown that less social support is associated with increased mortality in individuals with chronic illnesses. We set out to determine whether lower propensity to seek support as indicated by relationship style, based on attachment theory, is associated with mortality in patients with diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A total of 3,535 nondepressed adult patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes enrolled in a health maintenance organization in Washington State were surveyed at baseline and followed for 5 years.

Depression and diabetes: factors associated with major depression at five-year follow-up.

Background: In patients with diabetes, comorbid depression has been shown to be associated with increased medical symptom burden, additional functional impairment, poor self-care, increased risk of macrovascular and microvascular complications, higher medical costs, and greater mortality.

Objective: The authors performed a longitudinal observation to assess the pathway between diabetes complications and subsequent depression.

Method: In a prospective study of primary-care patients with diabetes (N=2,759), the authors determined, from automated data and chart review, whether macrovascular or microvascular events or coronary, cerebrovascular, or peripheral vascular procedures during follow-up were associated with meeting criteria for major depression at 5-year follow-up.

Short-term and long-term risk of incident ischemic stroke after transient ischemic attack.

Background And Purpose: The relative risk of ischemic stroke associated with transient ischemic attack (TIA) is not well defined because most studies of stroke after TIA did not include comparison groups. We sought to estimate short-term and long-term relative risks of ischemic stroke associated with clinically diagnosed TIA.

Methods: We used data from a population-based case-control study.

Depression and advanced complications of diabetes: a prospective cohort study.

Objective: To prospectively examine the association of depression with risks for advanced macrovascular and microvascular complications among patients with type 2 diabetes.

Research Design And Methods: A longitudinal cohort of 4,623 primary care patients with type 2 diabetes was enrolled in 2000-2002 and followed through 2005-2007. Advanced microvascular complications included blindness, end-stage renal disease, amputations, and renal failure deaths.

N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide is a major predictor of the development of atrial fibrillation: the Cardiovascular Health Study.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common cardiac rhythm abnormality, is associated with significant morbidity, mortality, and healthcare expenditures. Elevated B-type natriuretic peptide levels have been associated with the risk of heart failure, AF, and mortality.

Methods And Results: The relation between N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and AF was studied in 5445 Cardiovascular Health Study participants with the use of relative risk regression for predicting prevalent AF and Cox proportional hazards for predicting incident AF.

Diabetes and poor disease control: is comorbid depression associated with poor medication adherence or lack of treatment intensification?

Objective: To hypothesize that patients with comorbid depression and diabetes and poor disease control will have poorer adherence to disease control medication and less likelihood of physician intensification of treatment. Many patients with diabetes fail to achieve American Diabetes Association Guidelines for glycemic, blood pressure and lipid control. Depression is a common comorbidity and may affect disease control through adverse effects on adherence and physician intensification of treatment.

How does change in depressive symptomatology influence weight change in patients with diabetes? Observational results from the Pathways longitudinal cohort.

Background: Little is known about how change in depressive symptoms over time is associated with change in weight.

Methods: Longitudinal associations between change in depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 [PHQ-9]) and weight (self-reported and chart abstracted) were examined in 2,600 patients with type 2 diabetes (mean age 62, SD = 11.6) who were surveyed by telephone in 2001-2002 and 5 years later as part of the Pathways study.

Depression and increased mortality in diabetes: unexpected causes of death.

Purpose: Recent evidence suggests that depression is linked to increased mortality among patients with diabetes. This study examines the association of depression with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in diabetes.

Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study of primary care patients with type 2 diabetes at Group Health Cooperative in Washington state.

Association of genetic variation in serum amyloid-A with cardiovascular disease and interactions with IL6, IL1RN, IL1beta and TNF genes in the Cardiovascular Health Study.

Aim: Since inflammation is an important contributor to atherosclerosis, gene variants mediating inflammation are of interest. We investigated gene variants in acute phase serum amyloid-A (SAA), a sensitive indicator of inflammatory activity, and their associations with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and HDL cholesterol. Interaction of the SAA genes with genetic variants of their regulators, IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-alpha in influencing CVD was also explored.

The relationship between changes in depression symptoms and changes in health risk behaviors in patients with diabetes.

Background: This longitudinal study of patients with diabetes examined the relationship between changes in depressive symptoms and changes in diabetes self-care behaviors over 5 years.

Design, Patients And Measurements: A total of 2759 patients with diabetes enrolled in a large HMO were followed over a 5-year period. Patients filled out a baseline mail survey and participated in a telephone interview 5 years later.

Coagulation factors IX through XIII and the risk of future venous thrombosis: the Longitudinal Investigation of Thromboembolism Etiology.

Higher levels of procoagulant factors and factor XII deficiency may be risk factors for first venous thromboembolism (VTE). We studied associations of coagulation factors IX through XIII with risk of future VTE in 2 general population samples. Using a nested case-control study combining the 21 860 participants of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study and the Cardiovascular Health Study, we determined antigenic levels of these coagulation factors in primarily pre-event blood samples from 462 participants who subsequently developed VTE and 1047 participants who remained free of VTE.

Variants in ZFHX3 are associated with atrial fibrillation in individuals of European ancestry.

We conducted meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies for atrial fibrillation (AF) in participants from five community-based cohorts. Meta-analyses of 896 prevalent (15,768 referents) and 2,517 incident (21,337 referents) AF cases identified a new locus for AF (ZFHX3, rs2106261, risk ratio RR = 1.19; P = 2.

Multiple imputation for missing with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging data: results from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Background: Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a noninvasive technique used to accurately and reproducibly measure biological parameters such as left ventricular mass. However, some subjects either refuse or are unable to complete testing, and the impact of excluding these missing data from predictive models is unknown.

Methods: Multiple imputation was applied to cardiac MRI data that were previously analyzed using a complete case approach.

Genetic variants associated with cardiac structure and function: a meta-analysis and replication of genome-wide association data.

Context: Echocardiographic measures of left ventricular (LV) structure and function are heritable phenotypes of cardiovascular disease.

Objective: To identify common genetic variants associated with cardiac structure and function by conducting a meta-analysis of genome-wide association data in 5 population-based cohort studies (stage 1) with replication (stage 2) in 2 other community-based samples.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Within each of 5 community-based cohorts comprising the EchoGen consortium (stage 1; n = 12 612 individuals of European ancestry; 55% women, aged 26-95 years; examinations between 1978-2008), we estimated the association between approximately 2.

Discovering novel risk factors for venous thrombosis: a candidate-gene approach.

The candidate-gene approach can be used to locate and identify genetic variations that are associated with a particular phenotype. This gene-centric approach assumes that there exists important genetic variation within genes that can influence health. Identifying known genes which are candidates for the phenotype of interest can be accomplished using existing knowledge about biology or using findings from genome-wide association studies.

Genomewide association studies of stroke.

Background: The genes underlying the risk of stroke in the general population remain undetermined.

Methods: We carried out an analysis of genomewide association data generated from four large cohorts composing the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology consortium, including 19,602 white persons (mean [+/-SD] age, 63+/-8 years) in whom 1544 incident strokes (1164 ischemic strokes) developed over an average follow-up of 11 years. We tested the markers most strongly associated with stroke in a replication cohort of 2430 black persons with 215 incident strokes (191 ischemic strokes), another cohort of 574 black persons with 85 incident strokes (68 ischemic strokes), and 652 Dutch persons with ischemic stroke and 3613 unaffected persons.

Common variants at ten loci influence QT interval duration in the QTGEN Study.

QT interval duration, reflecting myocardial repolarization on the electrocardiogram, is a heritable risk factor for sudden cardiac death and drug-induced arrhythmias. We conducted a meta-analysis of three genome-wide association studies in 13,685 individuals of European ancestry from the Framingham Heart Study, the Rotterdam Study and the Cardiovascular Health Study, as part of the QTGEN consortium. We observed associations at P < 5 x 10(-8) with variants in NOS1AP, KCNQ1, KCNE1, KCNH2 and SCN5A, known to be involved in myocardial repolarization and mendelian long-QT syndromes.