High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein Elevation Is Independently Associated with Subclinical Renal Impairment in the Middle-Aged and Elderly Population-A Community-Based Study in Northern Taiwan.

This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the associations between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and renal impairment (RI) among middle-aged and elderly people. We collected and analyzed demographic, anthropometric, metabolic, and renal function data in a community-based population in Northern Taiwan. We excluded subjects with acute inflammation from this study and defined RI as the presence of urinary albumin-creatinine ratio 30-300 mg/g or an estimated glomerular filtration rate of <60 mL/min/1.

Are Body Composition Parameters Better than Conventional Anthropometric Measures in Predicting Pediatric Hypertension?

Body composition (BC) parameters are associated with cardiometabolic diseases in children; however, the importance of BC parameters for predicting pediatric hypertension is inconclusive. This cross-sectional study aimed to compare the difference in predictive values of BC parameters and conventional anthropometric measures for pediatric hypertension in school-aged children. A total of 340 children (177 girls and 163 boys) with a mean age of 8.

Differences in Anthropometric and Clinical Features among Preschoolers, School-Age Children, and Adolescents with Obstructive Sleep Apnea-A Hospital-Based Study in Taiwan.

Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with adverse health outcomes; however, little is known about the diversity of this population. This retrospective study aims to investigate age-related differences in the anthropometric and clinical features of this population. A total of 253 Taiwanese children (70 (27.

Role of microRNA 690 in Mediating Angiotensin II Effects on Inflammation and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress.

Overactivation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) during obesity disrupts adipocyte metabolic homeostasis and induces endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and inflammation; however, underlying mechanisms are not well known. We propose that overexpression of angiotensinogen (Agt), the precursor protein of RAS in adipose tissue or treatment of adipocytes with Angiotensin II (Ang II), RAS bioactive hormone, alters specific microRNAs (miRNA), that target ER stress and inflammation leading to adipocyte dysfunction. Epididymal white adipose tissue (WAT) from B6 wild type (Wt) and transgenic male mice overexpressing Agt (Agt-Tg) in adipose tissue and adipocytes treated with Ang II were used.

Development, Applications, and Refinement of the Family Nutrition and Physical Activity (FNPA) Child Obesity Prevention Screening.

Concerns regarding the continued high prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity have created a need for proactive approaches to behavior change. The Family Nutrition and Physical Activity (FNPA) screening tool was developed for research and clinical use to identify home environments and behaviors that could predispose youth to increased weight. FNPA scores have been shown to correlate with body mass index (BMI) percentiles in first-grade students and to predict unique variance in change in BMI percentiles from first to second grade.

Pleiotropy in the Genetic Predisposition to Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Phenome-Wide Association Study and Inverse Variance-Weighted Meta-Analysis.

Objective: This study was undertaken to investigate the hypothesis that a genetic predisposition toward rheumatoid arthritis (RA) increases the risk of 10 cardiometabolic and autoimmune disorders previously associated with RA in epidemiologic studies, and to define new genetic pleiotropy present in RA.

Methods: Two approaches were used to test our hypothesis. First, we constructed a weighted genetic risk score (wGRS) and then examined its association with 10 prespecified disorders.

Differentially expressed mRNAs and lncRNAs shared between activated human hepatic stellate cells and nash fibrosis.

We previously reported dysregulated expression of liver-derived messenger RNA (mRNA) and long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) in patients with advanced fibrosis resulting from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Here we sought to identify changes in mRNA and lncRNA levels associated with activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), the predominant source of extracellular matrix production in the liver and key to NAFLD-related fibrogenesis. We performed expression profiling of mRNA and lncRNA from LX-2 cells, an immortalized human HSC cell line, treated to induce phenotypes resembling quiescent and myofibroblastic states.

Relationships Among and Predictive Values of Obesity, Inflammation Markers, and Disease Severity in Pediatric Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Before and After Adenotonsillectomy.

Both obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and obesity are major health issues that contribute to increased systemic inflammation in children. To date, adenotonsillectomy (AT) is still the first-line treatment for childhood OSA. However, the relationships among and predictive values of obesity, inflammation, and OSA severity have not been comprehensively investigated.

Predictors of Current DSM-5 PTSD Diagnosis and Symptom Severity Among Deployed Veterans: Significance of Predisposition, Stress Exposure, and Genetics.

Background: Previously we reported a genetic risk score significantly improved PTSD prediction among a trauma-exposed civilian population. In the current study, we sought to assess this prediction among a trauma-exposed military population.

Methods: We examined current PTSD diagnosis and PTSD symptom severity among a random sample of 1042 community-based US military veterans.

Late Relapse of Diabetes After Bariatric Surgery: Not Rare, but Not a Failure.

Objective: To characterize the status of cardiometabolic risk factors after late relapse of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and to identify factors predicting relapse after initial diabetes remission following bariatric surgery to construct prediction models for clinical practice.

Research Design And Methods: Outcomes of 736 patients with T2DM who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) or sleeve gastrectomy (SG) at an academic center (2004-2012) and had ≥5 years' glycemic follow-up were assessed. Of 736 patients, 425 (58%) experienced diabetes remission (HbA <6.

A Polygenic and Phenotypic Risk Prediction for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Evaluated by Phenome-Wide Association Studies.

Context: As many as 75% of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are estimated to be unidentified in clinical practice.

Objective: Utilizing polygenic risk prediction, we aim to identify the phenome-wide comorbidity patterns characteristic of PCOS to improve accurate diagnosis and preventive treatment.

Design, Patients, And Methods: Leveraging the electronic health records (EHRs) of 124 852 individuals, we developed a PCOS risk prediction algorithm by combining polygenic risk scores (PRS) with PCOS component phenotypes into a polygenic and phenotypic risk score (PPRS).

Genetic Discrimination Between LADA and Childhood-Onset Type 1 Diabetes Within the MHC.

Objective: The MHC region harbors the strongest loci for latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA); however, the strength of association is likely attenuated compared with that for childhood-onset type 1 diabetes. In this study, we recapitulate independent effects in the MHC class I region in a population with type 1 diabetes and then determine whether such conditioning in LADA yields potential genetic discriminators between the two subtypes within this region.

Research Design And Methods: Chromosome 6 was imputed using SNP2HLA, with conditional analysis performed in type 1 diabetes case subjects ( = 1,985) and control subjects ( = 2,219).

Identification, Evaluation, and Management of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder with reported prevalence in the United States of 1 in 59 children (approximately 1.7%). Core deficits are identified in 2 domains: social communication/interaction and restrictive, repetitive patterns of behavior.

A retrospective case control study identifies peripheral blood mononuclear cell albumin RNA expression as a biomarker for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Purpose: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) improves after bariatric surgery. The aim of this study was to determine whether peripheral blood mononuclear cell albumin gene expression was related to NAFLD and whether albumin (ALB) and alpha fetoprotein (AFP) expression could be detected in whole blood and visceral adipose tissue.

Methods: Using a retrospective case control study design, RNA isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients prior to undergoing bariatric surgery was used for pooled microarray analysis.

Fine mapping and identification of serum urate loci in American Indians: The Strong Heart Family Study.

While studies have reported genetic loci affecting serum urate (SU) concentrations, few studies have been conducted in minority populations. Our objective for this study was to identify genetic loci regulating SU in a multigenerational family-based cohort of American Indians, the Strong Heart Family Study (SHFS). We genotyped 162,718 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 2000 SHFS participants using an Illumina MetaboChip array.

Patient Attitudes toward Gestational Weight Gain and Exercise during Pregnancy.

Body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) are important factors for neonatal and maternal health. Exercise helps women moderate their BMI and GWG, and provides health benefits to mother and child. This survey study assessed patients' perceptions of counseling they received during pregnancy, their sources of information about GWG, and their attitudes toward exercise during pregnancy.

Association of Genetic Risk of Obesity with Postoperative Complications Using Mendelian Randomization.

Background: The extent to which obesity and genetics determine postoperative complications is incompletely understood.

Methods: We performed a retrospective study using two population cohorts with electronic health record (EHR) data. The first included 736,726 adults with body mass index (BMI) recorded between 1990 and 2017 at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

A trans-ancestral meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies reveals loci associated with childhood obesity.

Although hundreds of genome-wide association studies-implicated loci have been reported for adult obesity-related traits, less is known about the genetics specific for early-onset obesity and with only a few studies conducted in non-European populations to date. Searching for additional genetic variants associated with childhood obesity, we performed a trans-ancestral meta-analysis of 30 studies consisting of up to 13 005 cases (≥95th percentile of body mass index (BMI) achieved 2-18 years old) and 15 599 controls (consistently <50th percentile of BMI) of European, African, North/South American and East Asian ancestry. Suggestive loci were taken forward for replication in a sample of 1888 cases and 4689 controls from seven cohorts of European and North/South American ancestry.

Penetrance and Pleiotropy of Polygenic Risk Scores for Schizophrenia in 106,160 Patients Across Four Health Care Systems.

Objective: Individuals at high risk for schizophrenia may benefit from early intervention, but few validated risk predictors are available. Genetic profiling is one approach to risk stratification that has been extensively validated in research cohorts. The authors sought to test the utility of this approach in clinical settings and to evaluate the broader health consequences of high genetic risk for schizophrenia.

Diet Quality Is Associated With Mortality in Adults Aged 80 Years and Older: A Prospective Study.

Objectives: Diet quality has been associated with health outcomes and quality of life. However, the association between diet quality and mortality in older people, those aged 80 years and older, is understudied. Therefore, we conducted a prospective study to examine whether better diet quality, assessed by a validated dietary screening tool (DST), was associated with lower mortality in those aged 80 years and older.

Associations of multidimensional socioeconomic and built environment factors with body mass index trajectories among youth in geographically heterogeneous communities.

Understanding contextual influences on obesity requires comparison of heterogeneous communities and concurrent assessment of multiple contextual domains. We used a theoretically-based measurement model to assess multidimensional socioeconomic and built environment factors theorized to influence childhood obesity across a diverse geography ranging from rural to urban. Confirmatory factor analysis specified four factors-community socioeconomic deprivation (CSED), food outlet abundance (FOOD), fitness and recreational assets (FIT), and utilitarian physical activity favorability (UTIL)-which were assigned to communities (townships, boroughs, city census tracts) in 37 Pennsylvania counties.

Chemokine ligand 20 (CCL20) expression increases with NAFLD stage and hepatic stellate cell activation and is regulated by miR-590-5p.

CCL20 (CC chemokine ligand 20) is emerging as an important regulatory molecule in a pathway common to virus infection, alcoholic hepatitis, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) leading to the development of hepatic fibrosis. We previously observed upregulation of CCL20 in patients with NAFLD fibrosis and human hepatic stellate cells (LX-2 cells) in response to lipid loading. To date, the mechanisms mediating the relationship between CCL20 and hepatic fibrogenesis remain unknown.

Acute Pancreatitis Secondary to Use of Appetite Suppressant: Garcinia cambogia.

Due to the global epidemic of obesity, weight loss and appetite suppressant herbal products are quite popular. As these medications are not United States Food and Drug Administration-approved and are regulated as dietary supplements, little evidence exists regarding their safety. This case discusses an 82-year-old man with the past medical history of obesity who presented to the emergency department with abdominal pain in the epigastric region.