Publications by authors named "Vernon M. Chinchilli"
In the era of big data, increasing availability of data makes combining different data sources to obtain more accurate estimations a popular topic. However, the development of data integration is often hindered by the heterogeneity in data forms across studies. In this paper, we focus on a case in survival analysis where we have primary study data with a continuous time-to-event outcome and complete covariate measurements, while the data from an external study contain an outcome observed at regular intervals, and only a subset of covariates is measured.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) framework contends that chronic diseases are attributable to behavioral and environmental risks encountered during vital periods of fetal and childhood development. Clinical research investigating irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) largely focuses on adult risk factors, with emerging evidence of epigenetic contributions. Limited work considers potential childhood exposures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study examines the relationship between comorbid seizures and dementia among stroke patients using the 2017 Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), the largest publicly available inpatient healthcare database in the United States. We analyzed data from 128,341 stroke patients, including those with ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes, to determine the prevalence of seizures and dementia, and the association between these conditions. Our findings reveal that 7.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPsychometric properties of the revised internalized skin bias questionnaire.
J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol
October 2024
Article Synopsis
- The study examines the psychological effects of skin diseases, which often lead to increased anxiety, depression, and a lower quality of life among patients due to internalized stigma related to their condition.
- The researchers refined the Internalized Skin Bias Questionnaire (ISBQ) to better assess skin-specific biases and evaluated its effectiveness through surveys involving dermatology experts and patients with skin conditions.
- Findings indicate that the revised version of the questionnaire (ISBQ-R) shows improved consistency and stronger correlations with other stigma measures, supporting its utility in understanding the psychological impact of skin diseases.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigated the rates of coinfections among patients with babesiosis, focusing on the relationship between these coinfections and severe health outcomes, including mortality.
- Researchers analyzed data from the TriNetX database from 2015 to 2022, identifying a 42% prevalence of coinfections primarily with an organism causing similar tick-borne diseases.
- Findings showed that 90-day mortality rates were actually lower in patients with coinfections compared to those with only babesiosis, highlighting a complex interplay between these infections and health outcomes.
Article Synopsis
- There has been an increase in early onset cancer rates (under 50) since 1995, particularly among adolescents and young adults (AYAs) aged 15-39, who tend to have different types of tumors compared to children and older adults.
- The study analyzed data from January 2016 to December 2021 using the SEER 22 database to assess age-adjusted incidence and mortality rates for various cancers by factors like sex, race, and geographic region.
- Overall cancer incidence and mortality rates remained stable during this period, with a decline in certain cancers (e.g., ependymoma and melanoma) and increases in others (e.g., gastrointestinal cancers), highlighting the unique cancer trends and health issues faced
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how infection rates, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, may relate to sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), comparing data from before and during the pandemic.
- It utilizes mortality data from the CDC between 2018 and 2021, focusing on cases classified under specific codes related to SUID and SIDS, to analyze monthly variations in death rates.
- Findings reveal a significant increase in SUID risk during the pandemic period, especially beginning July 2020, indicating a notable shift in epidemiological patterns compared to the prepandemic baseline.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to explore how the quality of communication between patients and clinicians affects colorectal cancer screening behavior.
- Conducted between 2011 and 2016 in Michigan, it involved audio-recorded consultations, with trained coders assessing specific features of communication quality through surveys and follow-ups.
- Results showed that patient-clinician focus on "identity goals" (e.g., attention to face) was a significant predictor of whether patients underwent screening, indicating that improving this aspect of communication may be more effective than solely focusing on the content of screening discussions.
Article Synopsis
- Chemotherapy often leads to side effects that can negatively affect treatment outcomes, while exercise during treatment has shown benefits for physical functioning and mental health, but its impact on clinical outcomes like chemotherapy dose intensity is uncertain.
- The ENICTO Consortium, funded by the National Cancer Institute, aims to fill this knowledge gap by exploring how exercise and nutrition may improve chemotherapy-related outcomes and detailing distinct research projects within their framework.
- The findings from ENICTO could change oncology care practices, making exercise and nutrition support a standard part of cancer treatment alongside chemotherapy to enhance overall effectiveness and patient outcomes.
Article Synopsis
- Many patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease struggle to lose weight using traditional in-person methods, prompting interest in digital therapeutic (DTx) options that may overcome these limitations.
- * A review of studies showed that DTx lifestyle interventions resulted in an average body weight loss of 3.4 kg and a significant rate of clinically meaningful weight loss (≥5%) in 33% of participants over various durations.
- * DTx interventions not only led to more effective weight loss compared to standard care but also contributed to improvements in liver enzyme levels, suggesting a valuable approach for a large population affected by this condition.*
Article Synopsis
- The study examines the relationship between ACE inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) and kidney health in patients with long COVID, focusing on risks for acute kidney injury (AKI), chronic kidney disease (CKD), and all-cause mortality.
- The research analyzed data from over 18,000 long COVID patients and found that ACEI/ARB use did not heighten the risk of AKI or CKD, but there was a protective effect on overall mortality among non-long COVID patients using these medications.
- Long COVID itself was linked to increased risks of CKD and mortality, highlighting the need for further understanding of kidney health in these patients.
Article Synopsis
- The study examines the rising rates of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) and acute seizure (AS) among young Americans (aged 18-64) from 2005 to 2015, finding an increase in AS incidence during this period.
- Using a large database, researchers identified trends in AS incidence and its association with in-hospital mortality, finding AS incidence rose from 8.1% to 11.0% over the decade.
- The study concludes that while overall in-hospital mortality decreased for those without AS, mortality for those with AS remained stable, and individuals with AS were 10% more likely to die than those without it.
Article Synopsis
- Herpes zoster (shingles) is linked to a higher risk of stroke and heart attacks; this study aimed to see how a specific vaccine affects that risk in at-risk patients, like those with diabetes or hypertension.
- Using data from a large health database, researchers compared 27,093 vaccinated adults to five times that number of unvaccinated controls, monitoring their health for five years.
- Results showed vaccinated individuals had significantly lower rates of both stroke (1.61% vs 2.20%) and myocardial infarction (1.29% vs 1.82%), especially among those with diabetes, indicating that the vaccine may help reduce these serious health risks.
Article Synopsis
- Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease is a major cause of chronic liver issues globally, and regular physical activity is recommended as an effective treatment.
- A 16-week randomized controlled trial with 45 adults will explore the effects of different exercise doses on various health outcomes related to this liver condition.
- The study aims to clarify how exercise influences liver fat (measured by MRI), inflammation, and overall quality of life, making it the first to compare varying exercise intensities in this context.
Article Synopsis
- Exercise training significantly reduced liver fat levels in individuals with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), even without substantial weight loss.
- A pooled analysis of three trials showed that those who exercised had about five times higher odds of achieving a ≥30% reduction in liver fat compared to controls.
- Improvements were also observed in body measurements, body composition, and aerobic fitness, highlighting the benefits of exercise on liver health regardless of changes in body weight.
Article Synopsis
- Intracerebral hemorrhage accounts for 15% of strokes and is linked to a significant risk of developing post-stroke epilepsy, but current predictive models for seizures are unreliable and underutilize available real-world data and AI technology.
- This study analyzes patients with intracerebral hemorrhage from 2015 to 2022 to develop machine-learning models that aim to predict seizure occurrence at 1 and 5 years after the hemorrhage.
- Results showed that out of a cohort of 85,679 patients, 4.57% experienced seizures within 1 year and 6.27% within 5 years, indicating a need for more effective prediction methods.
Article Synopsis
- Many clinical studies collect secondary outcomes along with primary outcomes, but their potential to enhance analysis efficiency is often overlooked.
- The article introduces a new approach that combines missing-data techniques with an empirical likelihood-based method to improve data integration and analysis.
- By using a plug-in inverse probability weighting estimator and a uniform mapping strategy for incomplete secondary outcomes, the method shows robust performance across different scenarios and is practically applied to data from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center.
Key Points: This study highlights that AKI is associated with long-term cognitive decline. Soluble TNF receptor 1 concentrations seem to mediate a significant proportion of the risk of long-term cognitive impairment after AKI.
Background: Cognitive dysfunction is a well-known complication of CKD, but it is less known whether cognitive decline occurs in survivors after AKI.
Article Synopsis
- * The study analyzed 7,684 US adults' berry intake data from the NHANES (2003-2010) to assess its impact on AL scores through statistical methods.
- * Results showed that those who consumed berries, particularly strawberries and blueberries, had significantly lower AL composite and domain scores compared to nonconsumers, indicating a beneficial effect of berry consumption on stress-related health metrics.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to investigate how the presence of multiple health conditions (multimorbidity) affects the response to treatments in clinical trials involving nearly 30,000 participants.
- By reanalyzing data from 8 trials, researchers classified patients based on the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and examined its impact on treatment outcomes using statistical models.
- The findings indicated that most participants had low to moderate CCI scores, but notable treatment effects were observed based on higher comorbidity levels, suggesting a need for further research focused on those with more complex health issues.
Article Synopsis
- The study aims to explore the link between Long COVID and the increased risk of mental health disorders (MHD) among adults in the US, as MHD ranks third for hospitalizations.
- A retrospective cohort study analyzed data from October 2021 to April 2023 using the TriNetX database, comparing individuals with Long COVID to those without any history of COVID-19.
- Results indicated that Long COVID significantly raises the risk of MHD, with particularly high odds for major depression and generalized anxiety disorders.
Association of pancreatitis with risk of diabetes: analysis of real-world data.
Front Clin Diabetes Healthc
January 2024
Article Synopsis
- Diabetes is a significant public health issue linked to pancreatitis, but the connection between them is not well understood.
- A study analyzed real-world data from 2016-2019, examining over 310,000 individuals to assess how acute and chronic pancreatitis affects the risk of developing diabetes.
- Findings indicate that both acute and chronic pancreatitis significantly increase the likelihood of new-onset diabetes, especially in men, highlighting the need for further investigation into this relationship.
Article Synopsis
- This study explores how physical activity (PA) impacts the quality of life (QoL) for Black breast cancer survivors (BCS), a group not thoroughly studied compared to predominantly White survivors.
- Using data from a randomized controlled trial, researchers analyzed changes in QoL over 12 months for participants, discovering improvements in mental well-being and body image for both Black and White BCS, but significant findings were mainly for White participants.
- The study concludes that while exercise benefits QoL in Black BCS, the statistical significance was limited, indicating a need for larger studies to better understand these associations in this demographic.
Article Synopsis
- Berries are nutrient-dense foods that may help maintain healthy lipid and glucose levels, and this study explored the link between berry consumption, diet quality, and cardiometabolic risk factors in adults.
- The analysis included 33,082 adults using dietary recall data, finding that about 25% consume berries, with strawberries being the most popular choice.
- Results indicated that berry consumers had better diet quality (higher Healthy Eating Index scores) and lower cardiometabolic risk factors, such as body mass index and cholesterol levels, compared to nonconsumers, suggesting berries may contribute to better overall health.
Article Synopsis
- Berries are nutrient-rich foods known for their flavonoid content, but their influence on mortality rates is not well understood.
- A study analyzed data from 37,232 U.S. adults over 8 years, investigating the link between berry intake and mortality, finding that berry consumers had lower all-cause mortality rates compared to non-consumers.
- Specifically, higher intakes of total flavonoids and certain flavonoids were associated with reduced risks of death, particularly from cardiometabolic and respiratory diseases.