Exposures to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons among adults and children: Contributions from multiple pathways and sources.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exist ubiquitously in the natural environment; however, studies seldom evaluate health risks from aggregate exposures to PAHs from multiple environmental media. This study aimed to estimate the doses and risks of 16 priority PAHs in soil and air for both children and adults and quantify their contributors. Soil and ambient air samples were collected at 50 and 8 sites, respectively, in Memphis, Tennessee, USA.

The direct and urinary electrolyte-mediated effects of ambient temperature on population blood pressure: A causal mediation analysis.

High ambient heat can directly influence blood pressure (BP) through the vasodilation of the skin vasculature and indirectly by affecting urinary volume and electrolyte levels. We evaluated the direct and urine electrolyte-mediated effects of ambient temperature on BP. We pooled 5,624 person-visit data from a community-based stepped-wedge randomized control trial in southwest coastal Bangladesh from December 2016 to May 2017.

Discontinuation of Antidepressants and the Risk of Medication Resumption among Community-Dwelling Older Adults with Depression in the US.

Antidepressants are among the most prescribed drugs in the US, but the current treatment patterns and modalities among older adults are unclear. This study assessed the patterns of discontinuation of antidepressants and the risk of medication resumption among community-dwelling older adults with depression. Using Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) data from 2015-2019, we identified 1084 beneficiaries with depression who newly initiated serotonergic antidepressants.

Association of environmental factors with breast cancer incidence among African American women in Memphis, Tennessee.

African American (AA) women confront distinct disparities in breast cancer rates, and the impact of their living environment is unclear. This study aimed to examine the association between breast cancer incidence and environmental factors among a high-risk female population. The study recruited 355 AA women ages 20-88 in Memphis from 2016-2018.

Saltwater intrusion and human health risks for coastal populations under 2050 climate scenarios.

Populations consuming saline drinking water are at greater risk of high blood pressure and potentially other adverse health outcomes. We modelled data and used available datasets to identify countries of higher vulnerability to future saltwater intrusion associated with climate change in 2050 under Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP)4.5 and RCP8.

Pediatric Firearm Trauma on the Rise: A Retrospective Review of Over 1,100 Cases in 12 Years at One Center.

Background: Gunshot injuries are the leading cause of death among children in the United States. The goal of this study was to better understand if certain age groups, mechanisms of injury, and type of firearms were associated with the increasing rates of pediatric gun-related trauma. We hypothesized that the extremities were disproportionately targeted when compared with the random likelihood of striking specific body-surface areas.

Sex-Specific Association of Ambient Temperature With Urine Biomarkers in Southwest Coastal Bangladesh.

Introduction: Men are vulnerable to ambient heat-related kidney disease burden; however, limited evidence exists on how vulnerable women are when exposed to high ambient heat. We evaluated the sex-specific association between ambient temperature and urine electrolytes, and 24-hour urine total protein, and volume.

Methods: We pooled a longitudinal 5624 person-visits data of 1175 participants' concentration and 24-hour excretion of urine electrolytes and other biomarkers (24-hour urine total protein and volume) from southwest coastal Bangladesh (Khulna, Satkhira, and Mongla districts) during November 2016 to April 2017.

Superior humeral head osteophytes are associated with rotator cuff insufficiency in glenohumeral osteoarthritis: a retrospective analysis.

Purpose: The primary goal of this study was to investigate whether superior humeral head osteophyte (SHO) size is associated with rotator cuff insufficiency, including rotator cuff tear (RCT), supraspinatus tendon thickness, and fatty infiltration of the rotator cuff muscles.

Methods: Patients  ≥ 18 years who were diagnosed with glenohumeral osteoarthritis were retrospectively reviewed. SHO size was determined by radiograph.

Association of iron therapy with incidence of chronic kidney disease.

Objective: We investigated the association of oral iron replacement with the incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in a population with normal kidney function to study the effects of iron replacement on the development of new onset CKD.

Methods: In a national cohort of US Veterans with no pre-existing CKD, we identified 33 894 incident new users of oral iron replacement and a comparable group of 112 780 patients who did not receive any iron replacement during 2004-2018. We examined the association of oral iron replacement versus no iron replacement with the incidence of eGFR <60 mL/min/1.

Comparison of triamcinolone and methylprednisolone efficacy and steroid flare reaction rates after shoulder corticosteroid injection: a prospective interrupted time series study.

Background: A corticosteroid flare reaction is a well-described phenomenon that causes significant pain and dysfunction. The paucity of literature impedes decision making regarding which corticosteroid to use for shoulder injection. The purpose of this study was to compare methylprednisolone acetate (MPA) and triamcinolone acetonide (TA) injections in the glenohumeral joint and/or subacromial space in terms of efficacy and the incidence of steroid flare reactions.

Urinary Sodium Excretion and Obesity Markers among Bangladeshi Adult Population: Pooled Data from Three Cohort Studies.

We evaluated the relationship of urinary sodium excretion with a conditional mean, 10th and 90th percentiles of body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference among 10,034 person-visits of Bangladeshi population. We fitted linear mixed models with participant-level random intercept and restricted maximum likelihood estimation for conditional mean models; and quantile mixed-effect models with participant-level random intercept and Laplace estimation for 10th and 90th percentiles models. For each 100 mmol/24 h increase in urinary sodium excretion, participants had a 0.

Pregnancy Surveillance Methods within Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems.

Pregnancy identification and follow-up surveillance can enhance the reporting of pregnancy outcomes, including stillbirths and perinatal and early postnatal mortality. This paper reviews pregnancy surveillance methods used in Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems (HDSSs) in low- and middle-income countries. We searched articles containing information about pregnancy identification methods used in HDSSs published between January 2002 and October 2019 using PubMed and Google Scholar.

Spot Urine Formulas to Estimate 24-Hour Urinary Sodium Excretion Alter the Dietary Sodium and Blood Pressure Relationship.

[Figure: see text].

Associations of drinking rainwater with macro-mineral intake and cardiometabolic health: a pooled cohort analysis in Bangladesh, 2016-2019.

This study explores the associations of drinking rainwater with mineral intake and cardiometabolic health in the Bangladeshi population. We pooled 10030 person-visit data on drinking water sources, blood pressure (BP) and 24-h urine minerals. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) was measured in 3724 person-visits, and lipids in 1118 person-visits.

Urinary Sodium Excretion and Blood Pressure Relationship across Methods of Evaluating the Completeness of 24-h Urine Collections.

We compared the sodium intake and systolic blood pressure (SBP) relationship from complete 24-h urine samples determined by several methods: self-reported no-missed urine, creatinine index ≥0.7, measured 24-h urine creatinine (mCER) within 25% and 15% of Kawasaki predicted urine creatinine, and sex-specific mCER ranges (mCER 15-25 mg/kg/24-h for men; 10-20 mg/kg/24-h for women). We pooled 10,031 BP and 24-h urine sodium data from 2143 participants.

Past Sodium Intake, Contemporary Sodium Intake, and Cardiometabolic Health in Southwest Coastal Bangladesh.

Background We compared the relationship of past and contemporary sodium (Na) intake with cardiometabolic biomarkers. Methods and Results A total of 1191 participants' data from a randomized controlled trial in coastal Bangladesh were analyzed. Participants provided 24-hour urine Na (24UNa) data for 5 monthly visits.

Consequences of access to water from managed aquifer recharge systems for blood pressure and proteinuria in south-west coastal Bangladesh: a stepped-wedge cluster-randomized trial.

Background: Drinking-water salinity has been associated with high blood pressure (BP) among communities in south-west coastal Bangladesh. We evaluated whether access to water from managed aquifer recharge (MAR)-a hydrogeological intervention to lower groundwater salinity by infiltrating rainwater into the aquifers-can reduce community BP.

Methods: We conducted a stepped-wedge cluster-randomized trial with five monthly visits between December 2016 and April 2017 in 16 communities.

Modeling the Relationship of Groundwater Salinity to Neonatal and Infant Mortality From the Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey 2000 to 2014.

We evaluated the relationship of drinking water salinity to neonatal and infant mortality using Bangladesh Demographic Health Surveys of 2000, 2004, 2007, 2011, and 2014. Point data of groundwater electrical conductivity (EC)- a measure of salinity-were collated from the Bangladesh Water Development Board and digitizing salinity contour map. Data for groundwater dissolved elements (sodium, calcium, magnesium, and potassium) data came from a national hydrochemistry survey in Bangladesh.

Comparison of Urinary Sodium and Blood Pressure Relationship From the Spot Versus 24-Hour Urine Samples.

Background We compared the relationship between sodium (Na) intake and blood pressure when Na intake was estimated from first- and second-morning spot urine samples using the INTERSALT (International Study on Salt and Blood Pressure) formula, versus directly measured 24-hour samples. Methods and Results We collected 24-hour urine and first- and second-morning voids of 383 participants in coastal Bangladesh for 2 visits. We measured participants' blood pressure using an Omron HEM-907 monitor.

Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems Within the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance Network.

Health and demographic surveillance systems (HDSSs) provide a foundation for characterizing and defining priorities and strategies for improving population health. The Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) project aims to inform policy to prevent child deaths through generating causes of death from surveillance data combined with innovative diagnostic and laboratory methods. Six of the 7 sites that constitute the CHAMPS network have active HDSSs: Mozambique, Mali, Ethiopia, Kenya, Bangladesh, and South Africa; the seventh, in Sierra Leone, is in the early planning stages.

Groundwater Chemistry and Blood Pressure: A Cross-Sectional Study in Bangladesh.

: We assessed the association of groundwater chemicals with systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). Blood pressure data for ≥35-year-olds were from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey in 2011. Groundwater chemicals in 3534 well water samples from Bangladesh were measured by the British Geological Survey (BGS) in 1998-1999.

Drinking Water Salinity, Urinary Macro-Mineral Excretions, and Blood Pressure in the Southwest Coastal Population of Bangladesh.

Background Sodium (Na) in saline water may increase blood pressure ( BP ), but potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) may lower BP . We assessed the association between drinking water salinity and population BP . Methods and Results We pooled 6487 BP measurements from 2 cohorts in coastal Bangladesh.