An empirical dietary inflammatory pattern increases the incidence of the metabolic syndrome in a multi-ethnic Asian population.

Purpose: The rising incidence of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a major public health issue, especially in Asian populations. The pro-inflammatory diet might contribute to the development of the MetS. Previous studies have not investigated the association between the Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Pattern (EDIP) and the incidence of MetS prospectively in a multi-ethnic Asian population.

Multi-ancestry polygenic risk scores for the prediction of type 2 diabetes and complications in diverse ancestries.

Background: Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) improve type 2 diabetes (T2D) prediction beyond clinical risk factors but perform poorly in non-European populations, where T2D burden is often higher, undermining their global clinical utility.

Methods: We conducted the largest global effort to date to harmonize T2D genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analyses across five ancestries-European (EUR), African/African American (AFR), Admixed American (AMR), South Asian (SAS), and East Asian (EAS)-including 360,000 T2D cases and 1·8 million controls (41% non-EUR). We constructed ancestry-specific and multi-ancestry PRSs in training datasets including 11,000 T2D cases and 32,000 controls, and validated their performance in independent datasets including 39,000 T2D cases and 126,000 controls of diverse ancestries.

Association between plasma polyunsaturated fatty acids and metabolic syndrome risk: A prospective and mediation study in a multiethnic Asian population.

Background & Aims: Metabolic syndrome is prevalent in Asian populations, but it remains to be established if polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) play a preventive role. We aimed to investigate the association between the longitudinal change in plasma n-3 and n-6 PUFA and MetS incidence and potential mediating role of inflammation on the association between baseline plasma PUFA and MetS incidence.

Methods: Prospective data were collected from 1303 males and females (aged 21-75 years) in a Multi-Ethnic Cohort at baseline and at a median follow-up of 6 years.

Polygenic prediction of body mass index and obesity through the life course and across ancestries.

Polygenic scores (PGSs) for body mass index (BMI) may guide early prevention and targeted treatment of obesity. Using genetic data from up to 5.1 million people (4.

Plant-based diet index and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma: Findings from a prospective cohort study.

The plant-based dietary indices (PDIs), which include the healthy and unhealthy plant-based dietary indices, have recently been developed by taking into account the quantity of plant versus animal foods and the quality of plant foods. Data on the association between PDI and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk are sparse. We, therefore, prospectively evaluated the associations for PDI, healthy PDI (hPDI) and unhealthy PDI (uPDI) with HCC risk.

Coffee and cardiovascular disease.

While rigorous longitudinal study of a widely and enthusiastically consumed dietary substance has it challenges, recent exponential growth in the scientific evaluation of coffee consumption has resulted in a clearer appreciation of the link between this common drink and health outcomes. Coffee has complex effects that can vary between individuals depending on both inherited predispositions as well as consumption habits. Despite the common concern and conventional 'wisdom' that coffee can promote various cardiovascular diseases, the available data suggest that moderate coffee consumption is associated with a reduced risk of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, myocardial infarction, arrhythmias, heart failure, and even overall mortality.

A Large-Scale Genome-wide Association Study of Blood Pressure Accounting for Gene-Depressive Symptomatology Interactions in 564,680 Individuals from Diverse Populations.

Background: Gene-environment interactions may enhance our understanding of hypertension. Our previous study highlighted the importance of considering psychosocial factors in gene discovery for blood pressure (BP) but was limited in statistical power and population diversity. To address these challenges, we conducted a multi-population genome-wide association study (GWAS) of BP accounting for gene-depressive symptomatology (DEPR) interactions in a larger and more diverse sample.

Nuclear regulatory disturbances precede and predict the development of Type-2 diabetes in Asian populations.

To identify biomarkers and pathways to Type-2 diabetes (T2D), a major global disease, we completed array-based epigenome-wide association in whole blood in 5,709 Asian people. We found 323 Sentinel CpGs (from 314 genetic loci) that predict future T2D. The CpGs reveal coherent, nuclear regulatory disturbances in canonical immune activation pathways, as well as metabolic networks involved in insulin signalling, fatty acid metabolism and lipid transport, which are causally linked to development of T2D.

The LvL UP trial: Protocol for a sequential, multiple assignment, randomised controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of a blended mobile lifestyle intervention.

Background: Blended mobile health (mHealth) interventions - combining self-guided and human support components - could play a major role in preventing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and common mental disorders (CMDs). This protocol describes a sequential, multiple assignment, randomised trial aimed at (i) evaluating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of LvL UP, an mHealth lifestyle intervention for the prevention of NCDs and CMDs, and (ii) establishing the optimal blended approach in LvL UP that balances effective personalised lifestyle support with scalability.

Methods: LvL UP is a 6-month mHealth holistic intervention targeting physical activity, diet, and emotional regulation.

A point-based cognitive impairment scoring system for southeast Asian adults.

Background: Cognitive impairment is a growing concern in Southeast Asian populations, where the burden of cerebrovascular disease (CeVD) is high. Currently, there is no point-based scoring system for identifying cognitive impairment in these populations.

Objective: To develop and validate a simple point-based Cognitive Impairment Scoring System (CISS) for identifying individuals with cognitive impairment no dementia (CIND) and concomitant CeVD in Southeast Asian populations.

Circulating proteomic profiles are associated with type 2 diabetes in Asian populations - a longitudinal study.

Context: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a major global concern, with Asia at its epicenter in recent years. Proteins, products of gene transcription, serve as dynamic biomarkers for pinpointing perturbed pathways in disease development. Previous T2D proteomic association studies primarily focused on European populations.

Coffee drinking timing and mortality in US adults.

Background And Aims: To identify the patterns of coffee drinking timing in the US population and evaluate their associations with all-cause and cause-specific mortality.

Methods: This study included 40 725 adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2018 who had complete information on dietary data and 1463 adults from the Women's and Men's Lifestyle Validation Study who had complete data on 7-day dietary record. Clustering analysis was used to identify patterns of coffee drinking timing.

Diet, physical activity, and sleep in relation to postprandial glucose responses under free-living conditions: an intensive longitudinal observational study.

Background: It remains unclear what lifestyle behaviors are optimal for controlling postprandial glucose responses under real-world circumstances in persons without diabetes. We aimed to assess associations of diet, physical activity, and sleep with postprandial glucose responses in Asian adults without diabetes under free-living conditions.

Methods: We conducted an observational study collecting intensive longitudinal data using smartphone-based ecological momentary assessments, accelerometers, and continuous glucose monitors over nine free-living days in Singaporean men and women aged 21-69 years without diabetes.

Characterising the extent and nature of digital food and beverage marketing in Singapore: a descriptive study.

Objective:

Setting: Food and beverage advertisements within twenty clicks on the top twelve non-food websites and all posts on the Facebook and Instagram pages of fifteen major food companies in Singapore were sampled from 1 January to 30 June 2018.

Design: Advertised foods were classified as being core (healthier), non-core or mixed dishes (e.g.

Plasma Proteomic Signatures of Adiposity Are Associated With Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Type 2 Diabetes Risk in a Multiethnic Asian Population.

Unlabelled: The biomarkers connecting obesity and cardiometabolic diseases are not fully understood. We aimed to 1) evaluate the associations between BMI, waist circumference (WC), and ∼5,000 plasma proteins (SomaScan V4), 2) identify protein signatures of BMI and WC, and 3) evaluate the associations between the protein signatures and cardiometabolic health, including metabolically unhealthy obesity and type 2 diabetes incidence in the Singapore Multi-Ethnic Cohort Phase 1 (MEC1). Among 410 BMI-associated and 385 WC-associated proteins, we identified protein signatures of BMI and WC and validated them in an independent data set across two time points and externally in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.

Meat consumption and incident type 2 diabetes: an individual-participant federated meta-analysis of 1·97 million adults with 100 000 incident cases from 31 cohorts in 20 countries.

Background: Meat consumption could increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. However, evidence is largely based on studies of European and North American populations, with heterogeneous analysis strategies and a greater focus on red meat than on poultry. We aimed to investigate the associations of unprocessed red meat, processed meat, and poultry consumption with type 2 diabetes using data from worldwide cohorts and harmonised analytical approaches.

Dietary Patterns and Cardiovascular Diseases in Asia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

With emerging Asian-derived diet quality indices and data-driven dietary patterns available, we aimed to synthesize the various dietary patterns and quantify its association with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) among Asian populations. We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science for observational studies in South, Southeast, and East Asia. Dietary patterns were grouped "high-quality," which included high intakes of three or more of the following food groups: 1) fruits and vegetables, 2) whole grains, 3) healthy protein sources (legumes and nuts, fish and seafood, low-fat dairy, and lean meat and poultry), and 4) liquid plant oils.

Ecological momentary assessment of digital food and beverage marketing exposure and impact in young adults: A feasibility study.

Unhealthy food marketing is contributing to the obesity epidemic, but real-time insights into the mechanisms of this relationship are under-studied. Digital marketing is growing and following food and beverage (F&B) brands on social media is common, but measurement of exposure and impact of such marketing presents novel challenges. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of collecting data on exposure and impact of digital F&B marketing (DFM) using a smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment (EMA) methodology.

Development and validation of a lifestyle risk index to screen for metabolic syndrome and its components in two multi-ethnic cohorts.

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a precursor to cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. Existing MetS prediction models relied heavily on biochemical measures and those based on non-invasive predictors such as lifestyle behaviours were limited. We aim to (1) develop a weighted lifestyle risk index for MetS and (2) externally validate this index using two Asian-based cohorts in Singapore.