The relationship between attachment orientations and the course of depression in coronary artery disease patients: A secondary analysis of the SPIRR-CAD trial.

Objective: The relationship between attachment orientations and the recovery from depressive symptoms in patients diagnosed with coronary artery disease (CAD) with and without a psychotherapeutic intervention was examined in this study.

Methods: In a multicenter trial of 570 depressed CAD patients (SPIRR-CAD), assigned to usual care plus either a stepwise psychotherapy intervention or one information session, 522 patients provided attachment data at baseline. Attachment was measured with the Relationship Scales Questionnaire (RSQ), yielding four attachment orientations.

Correlation of MRI-derived adipose tissue measurements and anthropometric markers with prevalent hypertension in the community.

Objectives: To compare the correlations of MRI-derived adipose tissue measurements and anthropometric markers, respectively, with prevalent hypertension in a community-based sample, free of clinical cardiovascular disease.

Methods: MRI-derived adipose tissue measurements were obtained in 345 participants (143 women; age 39-73 years) of the KORA FF4 survey from Southern Germany using a 3-Tesla machine and included total adipose tissue (TAT), visceral adipose tissue (VAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SCAT), hepatic fat fraction (HFF), pancreatic fat fraction (PFF) as well as pericardial adipose tissue (PAT). In addition, the anthropometric markers body mass index, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-hip ratio (WHR) and waist-height ratio (WHtR) as well as blood pressure measurements were obtained.

Genetic Factors Explain a Major Fraction of the 50% Lower Lipoprotein(a) Concentrations in Finns.

Objective: Lp(a) (lipoprotein(a)) concentrations are widely genetically determined by the isoforms and show 5-fold interpopulation differences. Two- to 3-fold differences have been reported even within Europe. Finns represent a distinctive population isolate within Europe and have been repeatedly reported to present lower Lp(a) concentrations than Central Europeans.

Publisher Correction: Protein-altering variants associated with body mass index implicate pathways that control energy intake and expenditure in obesity.

In the version of this article originally published, one of the two authors with the name Wei Zhao was omitted from the author list and the affiliations for both authors were assigned to the single Wei Zhao in the author list. In addition, the ORCID for Wei Zhao (Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA) was incorrectly assigned to author Wei Zhou. The errors have been corrected in the HTML and PDF versions of the article.

Publisher Correction: Protein-altering variants associated with body mass index implicate pathways that control energy intake and expenditure in obesity.

In the published version of this paper, the name of author Emanuele Di Angelantonio was misspelled. This error has now been corrected in the HTML and PDF versions of the article.

Burden of cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular disease in childhood cancer survivors: data from the German CVSS-study.

Aims: The cardiac and vascular late sequelae in long-term survivors of childhood cancer (CVSS)-study aimed to quantify the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in German childhood cancer survivors (CCS).

Methods And Results: In the CVSS-study (NCT02181049), 1002 CCS (age range 23-48 years) diagnosed with neoplasia prior to 15 years of age between 1980 and 1990 prospectively underwent a systematic, standardized clinical and laboratory cardiovascular screening, identical to the population-based Gutenberg Health Study (GHS) cohort. For 951 individuals, prevalences of CVRF and CVD were primarily compared to the GHS sample and to two further German population-based cohorts.

Mixtures of Berkson and classical covariate measurement error in the linear mixed model: Bias analysis and application to a study on ultrafine particles.

The ultrafine particle measurements in the Augsburger Umweltstudie, a panel study conducted in Augsburg, Germany, exhibit measurement error from various sources. Measurements of mobile devices show classical possibly individual-specific measurement error; Berkson-type error, which may also vary individually, occurs, if measurements of fixed monitoring stations are used. The combination of fixed site and individual exposure measurements results in a mixture of the two error types.

Spatial and temporal variation of sources contributing to quasi-ultrafine particulate matter PM in Augsburg, Germany.

Objective: to study the sources contributing to quasi-ultrafine particle (UFP) organic carbon and the spatial temporal variability of the sources.

Method: 24h quasi-UFP (particulate matter <0.36μm in this study) was sampled at a reference site continuously and at one of 5 other sites (T1, T2, T3, T4 and B1) in parallel in Augsburg, Germany from April 11th, 2014 to February 22nd, 2015, attempting to conduct 2-week campaigns at each site in 3 different seasons.

Muscular Strength is Independently Associated with Cystatin C: The KORA-Age Study.

The purpose of this study was to investigate if there is a link between muscular strength (MS) and markers of chronic kidney disease (CKD) among older adults. The cross-sectional analysis based on 1041 men and women, aged 65-94 years, who participated in the KORA-Age study. Participants underwent an interview and extensive examinations including anthropometric measurements, diseases and drug intake registration, determination of health-related behaviors, collection of blood samples for measurements of cystatin C and maximal muscle strength evaluation.

Association of serum potassium concentration with mortality and ventricular arrhythmias in patients with acute myocardial infarction: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background Challenging clinical practice guidelines that recommend serum potassium concentration between 4.0-5.0 mEq/L or ≥4.

A Large-Scale Multi-ancestry Genome-wide Study Accounting for Smoking Behavior Identifies Multiple Significant Loci for Blood Pressure.

Genome-wide association analysis advanced understanding of blood pressure (BP), a major risk factor for vascular conditions such as coronary heart disease and stroke. Accounting for smoking behavior may help identify BP loci and extend our knowledge of its genetic architecture. We performed genome-wide association meta-analyses of systolic and diastolic BP incorporating gene-smoking interactions in 610,091 individuals.

Repolarization Heterogeneity Measured With T-Wave Area Dispersion in Standard 12-Lead ECG Predicts Sudden Cardiac Death in General Population.

Background: We developed a novel electrocardiographic marker, T-wave area dispersion (TW-Ad), which measures repolarization heterogeneity by assessing interlead T-wave areas during a single cardiac cycle and tested whether it can identify patients at risk for sudden cardiac death (SCD) in the general population.

Methods And Results: TW-Ad was measured from standard digital 12-lead ECG in 5618 adults (46% men; age, 50.9±12.

Subclinical changes in MRI-determined right ventricular volumes and function in subjects with prediabetes and diabetes.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess subclinical changes in right ventricular volumes and function in subjects with prediabetes and diabetes and controls without a history of cardiovascular disease.

Methods: Data from 400 participants in the KORA FF4 study without self-reported cardiovascular disease who underwent 3-T whole-body MRI were obtained. The right ventricle was evaluated using the short axis and a four-chamber view.

Association of generic health-related quality of life (EQ-5D dimensions) and inactivity with lung function in lung-healthy German adults: results from the KORA studies F4L and Age.

Purpose: Among patients with lung disease, decreased lung function is associated with lower health-related quality of life. However, whether this association is detectable within the physiological variability of respiratory function in lung-healthy populations is unknown. We analyzed the association of each EQ-5D-3L dimension (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, anxiety/depression) and self-reported physical inactivity with spirometric indices in lung-healthy adults.

Long-term Air Pollution Exposure, Genome-wide DNA Methylation and Lung Function in the LifeLines Cohort Study.

Background: Long-term air pollution exposure is negatively associated with lung function, yet the mechanisms underlying this association are not fully clear. Differential DNA methylation may explain this association.

Objectives: Our main aim was to study the association between long-term air pollution exposure and DNA methylation.

Heterogeneous pattern of differences in respiratory parameters between elderly with either good or poor FEV.

Background: The relationship of spirometric values to other respiratory and functional parameters in advanced age is not well studied. We assessed this relationship in elderly subjects with either good or poor spirometric parameters to reveal whether different domains of lung function show comparable differences between the two groups.

Methods: Among subjects of the population-based KORA-Age cohort (n = 935, 65-90y; 51% male) two groups were selected from either the lower (LED; n = 51) or the upper (UED; n = 72) end of the FEV distribution.

Alcohol consumption, but not smoking is associated with higher MR-derived liver fat in an asymptomatic study population.

Background: The aim of our study was to determine the relation of alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking on continuous-measured hepatic fat fraction (HFF) in a population free of cardiovascular disease. We suggested a direct correlation of alcohol consumption with HFF and increased HFF in former smokers compared to current smokers.

Methods: Data from 384 subjects (mean age: 56 years, 58% men) of a population-based cohort study (KORA) were included in a cross-sectional design.

Body fat distribution and risk of incident ischemic stroke in men and women aged 50 to 74 years from the general population. The KORA Augsburg cohort study.

Background: It remains controversial whether measures of general or abdominal adiposity are better risk predictors for ischemic stroke. Furthermore, so far it is unclear whether body fat mass index (BFMI) and fat free mass index (FFMI) are risk predictors for ischemic stroke. This study examined the sex-specific relevance of body mass index (BMI), BROCA Index, waist circumference (WC), waist-height ratio (WHtR), BFMI and FFMI for the development of ischemic stroke in a Caucasian population.

Modeling individual exposures to ambient PM in the diabetes and the environment panel study (DEPS).

Air pollution epidemiology studies of ambient fine particulate matter (PM) often use outdoor concentrations as exposure surrogates, which can induce exposure error. The goal of this study was to improve ambient PM exposure assessments for a repeated measurements study with 22 diabetic individuals in central North Carolina called the Diabetes and Environment Panel Study (DEPS) by applying the Exposure Model for Individuals (EMI), which predicts five tiers of individual-level exposure metrics for ambient PM using outdoor concentrations, questionnaires, weather, and time-location information. Using EMI, we linked a mechanistic air exchange rate (AER) model to a mass-balance PM infiltration model to predict residential AER (Tier 1), infiltration factors (F, Tier 2), indoor concentrations (C, Tier 3), personal exposure factors (F, Tier 4), and personal exposures (E, Tier 5) for ambient PM.

The role of visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue measurements and their ratio by magnetic resonance imaging in subjects with prediabetes, diabetes and healthy controls from a general population without cardiovascular disease.

Objective: To study the relationship of area- and volumetric-based visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue (VAT and SAT) by MRI and their ratio in subjects with impaired glucose metabolism from the general population.

Methods: Subjects from a population-based cohort with established prediabetes, diabetes and healthy controls without prior cardiovascular diseases underwent 3 T MRI. VAT and SAT were assessed as total volume and area on a single slice, and their ratio (VAT/SAT) was calculated.

Regional differences in antihyperglycemic medication are not explained by individual socioeconomic status, regional deprivation, and regional health care services. Observational results from the German DIAB-CORE consortium.

Aims: This population-based study sought to extend knowledge on factors explaining regional differences in type 2 diabetes mellitus medication patterns in Germany.

Methods: Individual baseline and follow-up data from four regional population-based German cohort studies (SHIP [northeast], CARLA [east], HNR [west], KORA [south]) conducted between 1997 and 2010 were pooled and merged with both data on regional deprivation and regional health care services. To analyze regional differences in any or newer anti-hyperglycemic medication, medication prevalence ratios (PRs) were estimated using multivariable Poisson regression models with a robust error variance adjusted gradually for individual and regional variables.

Guideline-compliant prescription of biologicals and possible barriers in dermatological practices in Bavaria.

Introduction: Psoriasis and urticaria are chronic inflammatory skin diseases, which account for a substantial socioeconomic burden and severely affect patients' quality of life. According to the respective German guidelines, biologicals can be used for the treatment of severe forms of these diseases. However, only a minority of patients receive this advised treatment.

Identification of genetic elements in metabolism by high-throughput mouse phenotyping.

Metabolic diseases are a worldwide problem but the underlying genetic factors and their relevance to metabolic disease remain incompletely understood. Genome-wide research is needed to characterize so-far unannotated mammalian metabolic genes. Here, we generate and analyze metabolic phenotypic data of 2016 knockout mouse strains under the aegis of the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium (IMPC) and find 974 gene knockouts with strong metabolic phenotypes.

Prediabetes is associated with microalbuminuria, reduced kidney function and chronic kidney disease in the general population: The KORA (Cooperative Health Research in the Augsburg Region) F4-Study.

Background And Aims: We investigated the associations of serum fasting (FG) and 2-h postload (2HG) glucose from an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting insulin and the homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) with urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).

Methods And Results: We performed cross-sectional analyses of 2713 subjects (1429 women; 52.7%) without known type 2 diabetes, aged 31-82 years, from the KORA (Cooperative Health Research in the Augsburg Region) F4-Study.

Risk perception of heat waves and its spatial variation in Nanjing, China.

The intensity, frequency, and duration of heat waves are expected to increase with climate change. In this study, we found a significant difference of public perceived effects of heat waves and trust in government among urban, suburban, and rural districts. Rural residents had a significant higher effect perception than urbanites and also showed stronger willingness to have medical insurance or regular physical examinations.