Publications by authors named "James D Stewart"
Ambient air pollution has been associated with bone damage. However, no studies have evaluated the metabolomic response to air pollutants and its potential influence on bone health in postmenopausal women. We analyzed data from Women's Health Initiative (WHI) participants with plasma samples.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDiscovering the direct relations between nutrients and epigenetic ageing.
J Nutr Health Aging
September 2024
Article Synopsis
- As people get older, age-related diseases are becoming more common, which puts pressure on healthcare systems, making it important to support healthy ageing.
- Researchers looked at over 3,900 postmenopausal women to study how certain nutrients affect biological age using a tool called the PhenoAge epigenetic clock.
- They found that eating more good nutrients like coumestrol and beta-carotene can slow down ageing, while too much sugar and certain fats can speed it up.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigated the relationship between exposure to gaseous air pollutants and brain health, specifically using MRI data from participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.
- Researchers analyzed data from over 1,600 participants and estimated air pollutant levels at their addresses over a ten-year period, while also considering the variations in pollutant concentrations across different study locations.
- The results showed no significant associations between air pollution and brain MRI outcomes, suggesting that the methods used for estimating exposure and differences by study location may influence results.
Article Synopsis
- A study investigated the link between midlife exposure to air pollution and proximity to major roadways and the risk of developing dementia later in life, using data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.
- Despite following over 12,700 participants for nearly 30 years, no significant associations were found between these environmental factors and the incidence of dementia overall.
- However, exploratory analyses suggested that younger individuals and those without midlife hypertension might face higher dementia risk when living near roadways, particularly if they had diabetes and were exposed to certain pollutants.
Article Synopsis
- The study examined the relationship between exposure to particulate matter (PM) and cognitive outcomes, highlighting mixed findings in previous research due to differing estimation methods.
- Researchers used data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study to compare PM exposure levels across 11 different methods, assessing their effect on cognitive and MRI outcomes.
- Results showed high agreement in exposure estimates across different sites, but low within-site consistency; however, findings indicated no significant associations between PM levels and cognitive outcomes, raising concerns about potential biases related to unmeasured confounding factors.
Article Synopsis
- - The study investigates the relationship between home radon exposure and stroke risk in middle-aged and older women in the U.S., using data from the Women's Health Initiative cohort of postmenopausal women.
- - Results show that women exposed to radon levels of 2-4 pCi/L and over 4 pCi/L had increased risks of stroke compared to those with lower exposures, with specific risks associated with different types of strokes.
- - The findings suggest that even radon levels below the EPA's mitigation threshold can pose a health risk, highlighting the need for further evaluation of radon exposure and its potential effects on stroke.
Article Synopsis
- The study evaluates various methods used to estimate air pollution exposure specifically focusing on particulate matter and how these methods affect health outcomes relating to mortality and cardiovascular disease.
- Researchers compared annual exposure estimates assigned to participants in the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS) from 1999 to 2004 using different estimation techniques, including geostatistical methods and satellite data.
- Results indicated that while most approaches produced similar air pollution exposure estimates across the US, local differences were noted, and health effect associations remained consistent regardless of the estimation method used.
Article Synopsis
- A study found that higher diet quality scores are linked to lower biological aging, as measured by DNA methylation, in postmenopausal women.
- Researchers analyzed data from 4,500 women aged 50-79, using food frequency questionnaires to score diet quality and assess epigenetic aging markers.
- Results showed significant inverse associations between three diet quality scores and measures of epigenetic aging, particularly with the DunedinPACE measure, meaning better diets may lead to slower biological aging.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the potential link between radon exposure and clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP), which may increase the risk of blood cancers and heart diseases.
- Researchers analyzed data from nearly 11,000 participants to assess the relationship between indoor radon levels and the presence of CHIP, noting varying risks based on radon concentration zones.
- Results showed that higher radon exposure (in Zones 1 and 2) is associated with an increased risk of CHIP in individuals who have had ischemic strokes, whereas no significant risks were found in those with hemorrhagic strokes or those without stroke histories.
Stressful life events, social support, and epigenetic aging in the Women's Health Initiative.
J Am Geriatr Soc
February 2024
Article Synopsis
- Elevated psychosocial stress is linked to accelerated biological aging, but this study specifically examines how stressful life events (SLEs) affect epigenetic age in postmenopausal women, a group with higher stress and disease risk.
- Utilizing data from the Women's Health Initiative, researchers measured SLEs and social support through questionnaires and calculated epigenetic aging markers from blood samples.
- The results indicate that higher SLE burden correlates with faster epigenetic aging, particularly affecting Black women and those with low social support, highlighting the need for targeted strategies in stress management and disease prevention for aging women.
Individual and Neighborhood-level Socioeconomic Status and Somatic Mutations Associated With Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality: A Cross-Sectional Analysis in the Women's Health Initiative.
Shelly-Ann M Love
,
Jason M Collins
,
Kurtis M Anthony
,
Sophie F Buchheit
,
Eboneé N Butler
,
James D Stewart
Womens Health Issues
March 2024
Article Synopsis
- Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) can lead to increased risks of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and mortality among individuals, particularly affecting postmenopausal women.
- The study assessed the influence of socioeconomic status (SES) at both individual and neighborhood levels on the prevalence of CHIP, incorporating factors like education, income, and personal resources.
- Results indicate that better neighborhood SES correlates with a slight increase in CHIP risk, but high levels of optimism among women appear to reduce this risk, suggesting that positive psychological factors may mitigate the effects of socio-economic disadvantage on health.
Article Synopsis
- A study was conducted to explore the relationship between long-term exposure to air pollution and brain amyloid accumulation, a key biomarker for Alzheimer's disease, among participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.
- Researchers estimated participants' air pollution exposure over a 10-year period and measured brain amyloid levels using PET scans on 346 individuals without dementia.
- The results indicated no significant link between long-term exposure to various air pollutants and brain amyloid positivity, suggesting air pollution might affect cognitive health in ways not directly tied to amyloid accumulation.
Article Synopsis
- The study analyzes the seasonal patterns of six infections in tropical Australia, focusing on their relationship with climatic factors and severe weather over 21 years.
- Melioidosis and leptospirosis were mainly seen during the wet season, while rickettsial disease and cryptococcosis peaked in cooler months; Staphylococcus aureus had no seasonality, and influenza showed varying patterns.
- Despite stable climate conditions, the incidence of some diseases like melioidosis increased, suggesting that factors like societal inequality and urban expansion play a larger role in infection rates than climate alone, indicating the need for broader public health strategies.
Article Synopsis
- - This study investigates the impact of air pollutants, specifically particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NO), on bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women, utilizing data from the Women's Health Initiative Study.
- - Using advanced statistical methods, researchers found that increased exposure to these pollutants over 1 to 5 years was linked to a significant decrease in BMD, particularly in the lumbar spine region.
- - The results emphasize that higher levels of air pollution, particularly from nitrogen oxides, contribute to bone loss in postmenopausal women, indicating a need for further research and public health strategies.
Article Synopsis
- Ambient particulate matter (PM) air pollution is a major global health risk, linked to millions of deaths and cardiovascular disease, but its specific connection to stroke is not well-established.
- A study involving over 155,000 postmenopausal women evaluated the impact of long-term exposure to different PM sizes and nitrogen dioxide (NO) on stroke incidence and cerebrovascular deaths over 15 years.
- Results indicated a significant increase in cerebrovascular events with higher PM exposure, showing a hazard ratio of 2.14 for those in the highest quartile compared to the lowest, although the association was consistent across different types of stroke.
Short-term Air Pollution Levels and Blood Pressure in Older Women.
Tong Wen
,
Duanping Liao
,
Gregory A Wellenius
,
Eric A Whitsel
,
Helene G Margolis
,
James D Stewart
Epidemiology
March 2023
Article Synopsis
- The study examined the relationship between daily air pollution levels (specifically PM2.5 and NO2) and blood pressure in over 143,000 postmenopausal women aged 50-79 from the Women's Health Initiative.
- Results indicated that short-term exposure to PM2.5 and NO2 was linked to an increase in diastolic blood pressure (DBP), with NO2 showing a stronger association overall.
- Long-term exposure to PM2.5 had a greater impact on blood pressure compared to short-term exposure, highlighting the significance of both short-term and long-term pollution effects on cardiovascular health.
Article Synopsis
- GrimAge version 2 is an improved DNA methylation-based biomarker that enhances predictions of mortality risk by incorporating new estimators for plasma proteins, specifically log transformed high sensitivity C-reactive protein and hemoglobin A1C.
- It was tested on 13,399 blood samples from various study cohorts and showed better performance than the original GrimAge, particularly for predicting mortality and age-related health issues across different racial and ethnic groups.
- Additionally, GrimAge2 also appears applicable to younger individuals and alternative sample types like saliva, indicating its potential for tracking metabolic syndrome and other health risks, with strong correlations found to type 2 diabetes and morbidity counts.
Background: Studies of the association between aircraft noise and hypertension are complicated by inadequate control for potential confounders and a lack of longitudinal assessments, and existing evidence is inconclusive.
Objectives: We evaluated the association between long-term aircraft noise exposure and risk of hypertension among post-menopausal women in the Women's Health Initiative Clinical Trials, an ongoing prospective U.S.
Epigenome-Wide Analysis of DNA Methylation and Optimism in Women and Men.
Psychosom Med
January 2023
Article Synopsis
- Higher optimism among older individuals is linked to lower mortality and a reduced risk of chronic diseases, potentially explained by DNA methylation differences.
- A study with diverse cohorts identified significant differences in DNA methylation patterns related to optimism, revealing specific methylated regions and pathways connected to health issues like cancer and cardiovascular disease.
- The results suggest that understanding DNA methylation can offer new perspectives on how optimism impacts health and aging.
The Association of Epigenetic Age Acceleration and Multimorbidity at Age 90 in the Women's Health Initiative.
J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci
December 2023
Article Synopsis
- This study investigates the connection between epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) and the occurrence of multiple chronic conditions in long-lived postmenopausal women, using data from 1,951 participants from the Women's Health Initiative.
- It was found that a one standard deviation increase in the AgeAccelPheno measure of EAA led to a significant rise in both the number of chronic conditions and the overall multimorbidity score as these women aged to 90.
- The findings suggest that certain EAA measures could serve as useful biomarkers to predict the burden of chronic conditions in older women as they approach their later years.
Analysis of Epigenetic Age Acceleration and Healthy Longevity Among Older US Women.
JAMA Netw Open
July 2022
Article Synopsis
- Accelerated biological aging is linked to reduced physical and mental abilities, raising health risks, prompting a study on its impact on longevity in older women.
- The research analyzed data from the Women's Health Initiative, focusing on women who reached 90 years old, using DNA methylation data for assessing epigenetic age acceleration through established "clocks."
- Findings revealed that among 1,813 participants, those who reached 90 with intact mobility and cognitive function were significantly different from those who did not, highlighting the connection between epigenetic age and successful aging.*
Article Synopsis
- * Out of 392 melioidosis cases studied, only a tiny fraction had confirmed RHD (0.8%) and all of them survived; similarly, while 6.6% had CCF, all had other major risk factors.
- * The study concluded that RHD and CCF don't independently increase the risk for melioidosis or impact survival significantly in this region.
Article Synopsis
- Scientists are studying how air pollution might change DNA and affect health.
- They looked at data from over 8,000 women to see how pollutants like carbon monoxide and ozone impact DNA changes in different groups of people.
- They found some specific spots in DNA that change when air pollution levels go up, but not all results could be repeated in other studies. *
Article Synopsis
- Researchers analyzed the ARIC cohort to understand different types of movers: non-movers, short-distance movers, and long-distance movers.
- The study found that short- and long-distance movers have distinct characteristics compared to non-movers, with varying predictors based on the distance of the move.
- By including interaction terms in their analysis, the researchers improved the model's accuracy, highlighting the importance of understanding residential mobility in epidemiological studies.
Article Synopsis
- * Researchers discovered that higher copper intake, especially with high saturated fat consumption, significantly raises the risk of developing dementia.
- * The study found that greater dietary copper intake also correlates with a decline in language abilities, suggesting potential cognitive impairment.