Sex differences in the association of cardiometabolic risk scores and blood pressure measurements with white matter hyperintensities in diverse older adults-HABS-HD.

Introduction: We aimed to determine whether cardiometabolic risk factors and blood-pressure (BP) metrics were differentially associated with white matter hyperintensities volume (WMHV) in males versus females in the Health and Aging Brain Study-Health Disparities.

Methods: We analyzed 3,585 community-dwelling adults (2,207 females) from non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and Hispanic groups who underwent BP measurement and WMHV quantification. Linear regression models assessed (i) individual risk factors (diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, tobacco dependence), (ii) a composite risk score, and (iii) four BP metrics (systolic, diastolic, pulse pressure, mean arterial pressure), each including a sex-interaction term and adjusting for age, education, race/ethnicity, and scanner.

Racial and ethnic differences in cardiometabolic predictors of white matter hyperintensities burden among males: The HABS-HD study.

Cardiometabolic conditions accelerate white-matter hyperintensity (WMH) accumulation-a vascular injury marker linked to increased Alzheimer's disease risk-yet how these relationships vary by race and ethnicity in males is poorly understood. To quantify racial ethnic-specific associations between cardiometabolic risk factors, blood-pressure indices, and WMH volume in Non-Hispanic White (NHW), Non-Hispanic Black (NHB), and Hispanic males. We analyzed 1378 males (558 NHW, 375 NHB, 445 Hispanic) from the Healthy Aging Brain Study-Health Disparities.

Microinfarcts are Associated with Cognitive Impairment in Neurofibrillary Tangle Predominant Decedents: Evidence from the NACC Autopsy Cohort.

Background: A growing number of older adults exhibit neurofibrillary tangle pathology without significant amyloid deposition, a biomarker profile consistent with suspected non-Alzheimer's pathophysiology or primary age-related tauopathy. The cognitive consequences within this subgroup remain poorly characterized, particularly with respect to vascular comorbidity. This study investigates whether vascular neuropathologies are associated with pre-mortem cognitive decline among individuals with predominately neurofibrillary tangles and low to none neuritic plaque pathology detected post-mortem.

Revolutionizing Postdoctoral Training Using the Social Ecological Model: Insights and Experiences from the Propel Scholars.

The dissatisfaction within the postdoctoral training phase has led to the drastic reduction in the number of U.S. citizens pursuing postdoctoral positions within the biological and biomedical sciences fields.

Racial ethnic variations in the cardiometabolic determinants and blood pressure of white matter hyperintensities among females-The HABS-HD Study.

Introduction: White matter hyperintensity volume (WMH), markers of cerebral small vessel disease, are disproportionately prevalent among Black/African American and Hispanic individuals. While cardiometabolic risk factors contribute to WMHs, their association across racial ethnic groups among females remains unclear. This study examines associations among cardiometabolic risk factors, blood pressure, and WMH volume in non-Hispanic White (NHW), non-Hispanic Black (NHB), and Hispanic females.

Age-dependent interactions of APOE isoform 4 and Alzheimer's disease neuropathology: findings from the NACC.

Alzheimer's disease related pathologies, neurodegenerative pathologies, and vascular neuropathologies are common in older adults at death. Previous studies using the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (NACC) have not investigated the association between age at death and apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 and the prevalence of neuropathologies found at autopsy. We used autopsy confirmed neuropathology data from the NACC to examine the interactive effects of age and APOE ε4 on various neuropathologies (N = 5,843) using modified Poisson regression to estimate the prevalence ratios.

Stroke Incidence and High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein Among African Americans: The Jackson Heart Study.

Background: Strokes are a leading cause of death and disability among African Americans in the United States. Biological markers to predict stroke remain elusive; thus, our objective was to investigate whether inflammation, as measured by high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), was associated with stroke incidence among African Americans enrolled in the Jackson Heart Study (JHS).

Methods: Baseline hs-CRP levels were categorized in quintiles: quintile 1 (0.

The impact of arteriolosclerosis on cognitive impairment in decedents without severe dementia from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center.

Introduction: Alzheimer's disease neuropathologic change (ADNC), Lewy body disease (LBD), and vascular neuropathologies occur together. Previous studies have been limited by a large majority of participants with severe dementia or advanced stages of pathologies, which limits the detectability of cognitive effects from vascular neuropathologies.

Methods: Using neuropathology data from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center, we examined the association of vascular neuropathologies with cognitive scores in participants without severe dementia (N = 1526) using multivariable linear regression.

Empowering Early Career Researchers: The Jackson Heart Study Smith Scholars Program.

The University of Mississippi Medical Center Graduate Training and Education Center houses the Robert E. Smith, MD, Scholars Program, a two-year certificate program that equips predoctoral trainees from five Mississippi universities with advanced research skills in cardiovascular epidemiology. Funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the program focuses on addressing health disparities, minority health, and health inequities in underserved communities.

Unlocking the power of virtual networking for early-career researchers.

Many successful researchers in the biomedical sciences have benefitted from mentors and networks earlier in their career. However, early-career researchers from minoritized and underrepresented groups do not have the same access to potential mentors and networks as many of their peers. In this article we describe how 'cold emails' and social media platforms - notably Twitter/X and LinkedIn - can be used to build virtual networks, and stress the need to invest in maintaining networks once they have been established.

Neuronal and Astrocyte Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 Signaling Differentially Modulates Ischemic Stroke Damage.

Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of death and disability, as therapeutic options for mitigating the long-term deficits precipitated by the event remain limited. Acute administration of the neuroendocrine modulator insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) attenuates ischemic stroke damage in preclinical models, and clinical studies suggest IGF-1 can reduce the risk of stroke and improve overall outcomes. The cellular mechanism by which IGF-1 exerts this protection is poorly defined, as all cells within the neurovascular unit express the IGF-1 receptor.

Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 Differentially Modulates Glutamate-Induced Toxicity and Stress in Cells of the Neurogliovascular Unit.

The age-related reduction in circulating levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is associated with increased risk of stroke and neurodegenerative diseases in advanced age. Numerous reports highlight behavioral and physiological deficits in blood-brain barrier function and neurovascular communication when IGF-1 levels are low. Administration of exogenous IGF-1 reduces the extent of tissue damage and sensorimotor deficits in animal models of ischemic stroke, highlighting the critical role of IGF-1 as a regulator of neurovascular health.

Preclinical and clinical evidence of IGF-1 as a prognostic marker and acute intervention with ischemic stroke.

Ischemic strokes are highly prevalent in the elderly population and are a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. The risk of ischemic stroke increases in advanced age, corresponding with a noted decrease in circulating insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1). IGF-1 is a known neuroprotectant involved in embryonic development, neurogenesis, neurotransmission, cognition, and lifespan.