Associations of urinary zinc with incident peripheral artery disease and amputation in the Strong Heart Study.

Background And Aims: Urinary zinc has been associated with cardiometabolic endpoints, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease, but evidence for peripheral artery disease (PAD) is limited. We evaluated prospective associations between urinary zinc and incident PAD and amputation events in the Strong Heart Study (SHS), a large epidemiological cohort of American Indian adults in the United States.

Methods: A total of 2,045 PAD-free and 2,180 amputation-free participants were included at baseline (1989-91), (mean age 56 years, 61% female).

Diabetes Genetic Clusters and Clinical Outcomes in American Indians.

Unlabelled: Diabetes has a large medical and public health impact in American Indians. Studies have used genetic data to distinguish type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) and uncover biologic mechanisms underlying T2D clinical heterogeneity. We applied a T1D polygenic score (PS) to 3,084 American Indians (mean age 56 years, 58% women, 39% diabetes).

Extracellular vesicle-encapsulated microRNA signatures of cigarette smoking and smoking-related harm.

Background: The health effects of smoking vary substantially between individuals. Novel strategies are needed to identify individuals with increased risk of smoking-related morbidity. Extracellular vesicle-encapsulated microRNAs (EV-miRNAs) may be viable biomarkers of smoking-related harm.

Associations Between Urinary Metal Levels and Incident Heart Failure: A Multi-Cohort Analysis.

Background: Environmental metals are recognized cardiovascular disease risk factors, yet the role of metal exposure in heart failure (HF) risk remains understudied.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the prospective association of urinary metals with incident HF across 3 geographically and ethnically/racially diverse cohorts: MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis) and SHS (Strong Heart Study) in the United States, and the Hortega Study in Spain.

Methods: Adults 18-85 years of age in MESA (n = 6,601), SHS (n = 2,917), and Hortega (n = 1,300) were followed up to 20 years.

The Association of Blood Lead with Cardiovascular Disease Incidence and Mortality: Findings from the Strong Heart Study Cohort.

Background: Evidence on lead and the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) derived from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data, a general sample of the U.S. population, lacks sufficient representation of American Indians.

Fetoplacental arteriolar dysfunction in placentas of HIV-exposed, small for gestational age birthweight neonates.

Objectives: Individuals with HIV are more likely to deliver small-for-gestational-age (SGA) neonates. We evaluated the associations between fetoplacental arteriolar function and HIV-exposure and SGA.

Design: Case-control study of fetoplacental arteriolar function from placentas with/without HIV exposure and with/without SGA birthweight delivered between 36 and 41 weeks of gestation.

Longitudinal Lipidomic Profile of Subclinical Peripheral Artery Disease in American Indians: The Strong Heart Family Study.

Introduction: Peripheral artery disease (PAD) and dyslipidemia are both independent predictors of cardiovascular disease, but the association between individual lipid species and subclinical PAD, assessed by ankle-brachial index (ABI), is lacking in large-scale longitudinal studies.

Methods: We used liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to repeatedly measure 1,542 lipid species from 1,886 American Indian adults attending 2 clinical examinations (mean ~5 years apart) in the Strong Heart Family Study. We used generalized estimating equation models to identify baseline lipid species associated with change in ABI and the Cox frailty regression to examine whether lipids associated with change in ABI were also associated with incident coronary heart disease (CHD).

Uranium Exposure, Hypertension, and Blood Pressure in the Strong Heart Family Study.

Introduction: Uranium is common in drinking water, soil, and dust in American Indian communities. Hypertension is a cardiovascular risk factor affecting American Indians. We evaluated the association between uranium exposure and incident hypertension and changes in blood pressure among Strong Heart Family Study participants.

Lipidomic Markers of Processed Meat and Unprocessed Red Meat Intake and Risk of Diabetes in American Indians.

Objective: To identify lipidomic markers of habitual unprocessed red meat and processed meat intake and evaluate their associations with diabetes risk in American Indians.

Research Design And Methods: We studied 1,816 participants from the Strong Heart Family Study. Using untargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, we quantified 1,542 lipids (518 known) in fasting plasma at baseline and follow-up (∼5 years apart).

Associations of Prepandemic Lung Function and Structure with COVID-19 Outcomes: The C4R Study.

Increased risk of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) hospitalization and death has been reported among patients with clinical lung disease. To test the association of objective measures of prepandemic lung function and structure with COVID-19 outcomes in U.S.

Vitamin D Deficiency and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Among American Indian Adolescents: The Strong Heart Family Study.

Introduction: We aimed to describe the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among American Indian adolescents and determine its association with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors.

Methods: Our study population consisted of 307 adolescents (aged ≤20 years) participating in the Strong Heart Family Study with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) measured on samples collected during baseline examinations (2001-2003). We defined baseline prevalence of vitamin D deficiency as 25(OH)D ≤20 ng/mL.

Content analysis of factors related to sleep health among American Indian peoples.

Background: Chronic sleep problems are commonly reported in American Indian (AI) peoples, however there is a lack of qualitative research examining the behavioral, psychological, sociocultural, and economic factors surrounding sleep health among AI peoples. This study aims to remedy that oversight by providing qualitative data on AI peoples sleep health.

Objectives: To explore the perceived barriers to and facilitators of healthy sleep in AI peoples and identify protective cultural factors associated with sleep for AI peoples.

Low Lung Function Is Associated with High Population Attributable Fraction for Cardiovascular Mortality.

Chronic lung diseases are associated with increased risk of mortality due to coronary heart disease (CHD). Nonetheless, the population attributable fraction (PAF) of lung function impairment relative to other established cardiovascular risk factors is unclear. To evaluate the PAF of low lung function for CHD mortality We harmonized and pooled lung function and clinical data across eight U.

Longitudinal lipidomic profiles of left ventricular mass and left ventricular hypertrophy in American Indians.

BACKGROUNDLeft ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and dyslipidemia are strong, independent predictors for cardiovascular disease, but their relationship is less well studied. A longitudinal lipidomic profiling of left ventricular mass (LVM) and LVH is still lacking.METHODSUsing liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), we repeatedly measured 1,542 lipids from 1,755 unique American Indians attending 2 exams (mean, 5 years apart).

Optimal Pair Matching Combined with Machine Learning Predicts a Significant Reduction in Myocardial Infarction Risk in African Americans Following Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation.

Conflicting clinical trial results on omega-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids (n-3 HUFA) have prompted uncertainty about their cardioprotective effects. While the VITAL trial found no overall cardiovascular benefit from n-3 HUFA supplementation, its substantial African American (AfAm) enrollment provided a unique opportunity to explore racial differences in response to n-3 HUFA supplementation. The current observational study aimed to simulate randomized clinical trial (RCT) conditions by matching 3766 AfAm and 15,553 non-Hispanic White (NHW) individuals from the VITAL trial utilizing propensity score matching to address the limitations related to differences in confounding variables between the two groups.

Extracellular Vesicle-Encapsulated microRNAs and Respiratory Health Among American Indian Participants in the Strong Heart Study.

Background: American Indian populations have experienced marked disparities in respiratory disease burden. Extracellular vesicle-encapsulated microRNAs (EV-miRNAs) are a novel class of biomarkers that may improve recognition of lung damage in indigenous populations in the United States.

Research Question: Are plasma EV-miRNAs viable biomarkers of respiratory health in American Indian populations?

Study Design And Methods: The Strong Heart Study is a prospective cohort study that enrolled American Indian patients aged 45 to 74 years.

Circulating Sphingolipids and All-Cause Mortality: The Strong Heart Family Study.

Background: A growing body of research indicates that associations of ceramides and sphingomyelins with mortality depend on the chain length of the fatty acid acylated to the backbone sphingoid base. We examined associations of 8 ceramide and sphingomyelin species with mortality among an American Indian population.

Methods And Results: The analysis comprised 2688 participants from the SHFS (Strong Heart Family Study).

Epidemiologic Features of Recovery From SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Importance: Persistent symptoms and disability following SARS-CoV-2 infection, known as post-COVID-19 condition or "long COVID," are frequently reported and pose a substantial personal and societal burden.

Objective: To determine time to recovery following SARS-CoV-2 infection and identify factors associated with recovery by 90 days.

Design, Setting, And Participants: For this prospective cohort study, standardized ascertainment of SARS-CoV-2 infection was conducted starting in April 1, 2020, across 14 ongoing National Institutes of Health-funded cohorts that have enrolled and followed participants since 1971.