Cancer Incidence and Mortality Risk: Associations with Diet Quality Scores in a Predominantly Low-Income and Black Cohort Study.

Background: Diet quality is a modifiable risk factor for cancer incidence and mortality. However, a substantial research gap exists regarding diet quality metrics' relationships with cancer risk among Black individuals or those with low socioeconomic status (SES).

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the associations of Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Pattern (EDIP), and Empirical Dietary Index for Hyperinsulinemia (EDIH) scores with total, colorectal, prostate, and breast cancer incidence and mortality within the prospective Southern Community Cohort Study (SCCS).

Sex-Specific Aging Patterns of Gut Microbiota in Urban Chinese Adults: Guild-Based Analysis and Implications for Healthy Aging.

Gut microbial stability typically decreases with physiological aging. This decline may vary between sexes and can potentially be mitigated by adopting a healthy lifestyle. Microbial guilds, defined as functionally coherent groups of bacteria, may serve as meaningful ecological indicators of aging.

The extracellular vesicle transcriptome provides tissue-specific functional genomic annotation relevant to disease susceptibility in obesity.

We characterized circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs) in obese and lean humans, identifying transcriptional cargo differentially expressed in obesity (277 unique genes; false discovery rate < 10%). Since circulating EVs may have broad origin, we compared this obesity EV transcriptome with expression from human visceral-adipose-tissue-derived EVs from freshly collected and cultured biopsies from the same obese individuals, observing high concordance. Using a comprehensive set of adipose-specific epigenomic and chromatin conformation assays, we found that the differentially expressed transcripts from the EVs were those regulated in adipose by body mass index-associated SNPs (p < 5 × 108) from a large-scale genome-wide association study (GWAS).

A Blood Metabolic Signature of a Healthy Lifestyle and Colorectal Cancer Risk: Results from Cohort and Mendelian Randomization Studies.

Background: Despite a healthy lifestyle being linked to reduced colorectal cancer risk, prior studies using surveys to measure lifestyle factors failed to consider potential interindividual heterogeneity in metabolic responses. We aimed to characterize a metabolic signature as a measure of metabolic responses to a healthy lifestyle and evaluate its association with colorectal cancer risk.

Methods: Among 211,135 UK Biobank participants, we derived a healthy lifestyle score from eight lifestyle components and applied elastic net regression to derive its metabolic signature from 249 biomarkers in plasma samples collected at baseline.

Circulating gut microbial metabolites and risk of coronary heart disease: a prospective, multi-stage study.

Background: Despite growing evidence linking gut microbiota and microbial metabolites to human cardiometabolic health, few studies have systematically examined circulating microbial metabolites with incident coronary heart disease (CHD).

Methods: We conducted a multi-stage metabolomics study involving five prospective cohorts. Discovery involved an untargeted plasma metabolite profiling among 896 incident cases and 896 age-/sex-/race-matched controls (∼300 pairs per race: Black, White, Asian) from the Southern Community Cohort Study (SCCS) and Shanghai Women's Health Study and Shanghai Men's Health Study (SWHS/SMHS).

Topology of gut Microbiota Network and Guild-Based Analysis in Chinese Adults.

Unlabelled: Gut microbiota with co-abundant behaviors is considered belonging to the same guild in micro-ecosystem. In this study, we established co-abundance networks of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) among 2944 Chinese adults from the Shanghai Men's and Women's Health Studies and observed a positive connection-dominated scale-free network using Sparse Correlations for Compositional data (SparCC). The closeness centrality was negatively correlated with other degree-based topological metrics in the network, indicating the isolated modularization of the bacteria.

Blood metabolic biomarkers and colorectal cancer risk: results from large prospective cohort and Mendelian randomisation analyses.

Background: Emerging evidence suggests metabolic dysregulation may contribute to colorectal cancer (CRC) aetiology. We aimed to identify pre-diagnostic metabolic biomarkers for CRC risk in 230,420 UK Biobank participants.

Methods: Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to quantify 249 metabolic biomarkers in plasma samples collected at baseline.

Plant-based diets and mortality in Black and low-income Americans: findings from a large prospective cohort study.

Background: Plant-based diets have been widely promoted for their health and environmental benefits. However, the health benefits may differ by the quality (i.e.

A dietary pattern promoting gut sulfur metabolism is associated with increased mortality and altered circulating metabolites in low-income American adults.

Background: Excessive hydrogen sulfide in the gut, generated by sulfur-metabolising bacteria from foods, has been linked to intestinal inflammation and human diseases. We aim to investigate the interplay between diet and sulphur-metabolising bacteria in relation to mortality and circulating metabolites in understudied populations.

Methods: In the Southern Community Cohort Study (SCCS), a prospective cohort of primarily low-income American adults, habitual diets were assessed using a food frequency questionnaire at baseline (2002-2009).

Total Alimentary Limb Length Is Not Associated with Weight Loss Following Proximal Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass.

Background: Standard Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) typically manipulates the proximal portion of the small intestine, leaving a variable and unknown common channel and total alimentary limb length (TALL). Despite high variability in postoperative weight loss, the factors contributing to this variability remain unknown. Given the known variability in small intestinal length, this unmeasured variability in TALL may be associated with weight loss responses.

Bariatric Surgery Is Associated With Reduced Incidence of Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objective: To evaluate the association of bariatric surgery with reduced incidence and delayed development of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRD) in patients with obesity.

Background: This retrospective longitudinal study utilized Electronic Health Records from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, covering 5303 patients who underwent bariatric surgery and 10,606 propensity score-matched obese patients who did not, from 2000 to 2023. Patients with prior MCI, ADRD, schizophrenia, alcoholism, gastric cancer, gastric ulcers, inflammatory bowel disease, coagulopathy, stroke, Parkinson disease, or brain cancer were excluded from both groups.

Dietary polyphenols and risk of breast cancer in a predominantly low-income population: a prospective analysis in the Southern Community Cohort Study (SCCS).

Background: Few studies have examined the associations of specific dietary polyphenols with breast cancer (BC) risks or among non-Hispanic Black (NHB) female individuals in the United States.

Objectives: We aim to evaluate the associations between total and subclasses of polyphenol intake and BC risk, stratified by body mass index (BMI), estrogen receptor (ER)/progesterone receptor (PR) status, menopausal status, and racial and ethnic subgroups.

Methods: The study included 42,260 female participants from the Southern Community Cohort Study, a large prospective cohort of predominantly low-income NHB Americans.

Reduced Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases After Bariatric Surgery Based on the New Predicting Risk of Cardiovascular Disease EVENTs Equations.

Background: We applied the novel Predicting Risk of Cardiovascular Disease EVENTs equations to evaluate cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) health and estimated cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk after bariatric surgery.

Methods: Among 7804 patients (aged 20-79 years) undergoing bariatric surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center during 1999 to 2022, CVD risk factors from before surgery to 2 years after surgery were extracted from electronic health records. The 10- and 30-year risks of total CVD, atherosclerotic CVD, coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart failure (HF) were estimated for patients without CVD history at each time point (n=124-2910), using the social deprivation index-enhanced Predicting Risk of Cardiovascular Disease EVENTs equations.

Association Between Patient Portal Engagement and Weight Loss Outcomes in Patients After Bariatric Surgery: Longitudinal Observational Study Using Electronic Health Records.

Background: Bariatric surgery is an effective intervention for obesity, but comprehensive postoperative self-management is essential for optimal outcomes. While patient portals are generally seen as beneficial in engaging patients in health management, the link between their use and post-bariatric surgery weight loss remains unclear.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the association between patient portal engagement and postoperative BMI reduction among patients after bariatric surgery.

The extracellular vesicle transcriptome provides tissue-specific functional genomic annotation relevant to disease susceptibility in obesity.

We characterized circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs) in obese and lean humans, identifying transcriptional cargo differentially expressed in obesity. Since circulating EVs may have broad origin, we compared this obesity EV transcriptome to expression from human visceral adipose tissue derived EVs from freshly collected and cultured biopsies from the same obese individuals. Using a comprehensive set of adipose-specific epigenomic and chromatin conformation assays, we found that the differentially expressed transcripts from the EVs were those regulated in adipose by BMI-associated SNPs from a large-scale GWAS.

Associations of alcohol intake with gut microbiome: a prospective study in a predominantly low-income Black/African American population.

Background: Alcohol intake can alter gut microbiome, which may subsequently affect human health. However, limited population-based, prospective studies have investigated associations of habitual and recent alcohol intake with the gut microbiome, particularly among Black/African American individuals.

Objective: We examined the association of alcohol intake with gut microbiome in a predominantly low-income Black/African American population.

Rapid on-site detection of illicit drugs in urine using C18 pipette-tip based solid-phase extraction coupled with a miniaturized mass spectrometer.

Drug abuse is a social issue worldwide, and there is an increasing demand for on-site rapid detection of illicit drugs. In this study, a rapid and simple analytical method for the detection of 6-monoacetylmorphine (6-MAM), methamphetamine (MA), methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), ketamine (K), norketamine (NK), and cocaine (COC) in urine was developed. The developed method combines C18 pipette-tip based solid-phase extraction (C18 PT-SPE) with a miniaturized mass spectrometer (miniMS), exhibiting remarkable simplicity, high sensitivity, and strong reliability, compared with the conventional method.

Ultra-processed products and risk of liver cancer: A prospective cohort study.

Background & Aims: Several studies have shown positive associations between ultra-processed foods and drinks and cancer risk. However, evidence remains limited for liver cancer. We aimed to evaluate the associations between ultra-processed foods and drinks and liver cancer risk.

Reduced Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases after Bariatric Surgery Based on the New PREVENT Equations.

Background: We applied the novel Predicting Risk of Cardiovascular Disease EVENTs (PREVENT) equations to evaluate cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) health and estimated CVD risk, including heart failure (HF), after bariatric surgery.

Methods: Among 7804 patients (20-79 years) undergoing bariatric surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center during 1999-2022, CVD risk factors at pre-surgery, 1-year, and 2-year post-surgery were extracted from electronic health records. The 10- and 30-year risks of total CVD, atherosclerotic CVD (ASCVD), coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and HF were estimated for patients without a history of CVD or its subtypes at each time point, using the social deprivation index-enhanced PREVENT equations.

Circulating Metabolite Profiles and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease Among Racially and Geographically Diverse Populations.

Background: Metabolomics may reveal novel biomarkers for coronary heart disease (CHD). We aimed to identify circulating metabolites and construct a metabolite risk score (MRS) associated with incident CHD among racially and geographically diverse populations.

Methods: Untargeted metabolomics was conducted using baseline plasma samples from 900 incident CHD cases and 900 age-/sex-/race-matched controls (300 pairs of Black Americans, White Americans, and Chinese adults, respectively), which detected 927 metabolites with known identities among ≥80% of samples.

Associations of neighborhood sociodemographic environment with mortality and circulating metabolites among low-income black and white adults living in the southeastern United States.

Background: Residing in a disadvantaged neighborhood has been linked to increased mortality. However, the impact of residential segregation and social vulnerability on cause-specific mortality is understudied. Additionally, the circulating metabolic correlates of neighborhood sociodemographic environment remain unexplored.

Blood Lipids, Lipoproteins, and Apolipoproteins With Risk of Coronary Heart Disease: A Prospective Study Among Racially Diverse Populations.

Background: Comprehensive blood lipoprotein profiles and their association with incident coronary heart disease (CHD) among racially and geographically diverse populations remain understudied.

Methods And Results: We conducted nested case-control studies of CHD among 3438 individuals (1719 pairs), including 1084 White Americans (542 pairs), 1244 Black Americans (622 pairs), and 1110 Chinese adults (555 pairs). We examined 36 plasma lipids, lipoproteins, and apolipoproteins, measured by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, with incident CHD among all participants and subgroups by demographics, lifestyle, and metabolic health status using conditional or unconditional logistic regression adjusted for potential confounders.

Sodium Intake and Cause-Specific Mortality Among Predominantly Low-Income Black and White US Residents.

Importance: Epidemiologic evidence regarding the outcomes of dietary sodium intake on mortality remains limited for low-income individuals, particularly Black people.

Objective: To investigate the associations of excessive dietary sodium with all-cause and cause-specific mortality among predominantly low-income Black and White Americans.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cohort study included participants aged 40 to 79 years from the Southern Community Cohort Study who were recruited at Community Health Centers in 12 southeastern states from 2002 to 2009.

Cardiometabolic Improvements After Metabolic Surgery and Related Presurgery Factors.

Context: Metabolic surgery remains the most effective and durable treatment for severe obesity and related metabolic diseases.

Objective: We examined cardiometabolic improvements after metabolic surgery and associated presurgery demographic and clinical factors in a large multiracial cohort.

Methods: Included were 7804 patients (20-79 years) undergoing first-time metabolic surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center from 1999 to 2022.

Sex- and operation-dependent effects on 5-year weight loss results of bariatric surgery.

Background: Weight loss response after bariatric surgery is highly variable, and several demographic factors are associated with differential responses to surgery. Preclinical studies demonstrate numerous sex-specific responses to bariatric surgery, but whether these responses are also operation dependent is unknown.

Objective: To examine sex-specific weight loss outcomes up to 5 years after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG).