Elizabeth Selvin

OBJECTIVE Intensive glycemic control reduced coronary artery disease (CAD) events among the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) study participants with the haptoglobin (Hp)2-2 phenotype but not in participants without the Hp2-2 phenotype. It is unknown whether and how these results translate across different demographic/clinical characteristics and treatment strategies. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Haptoglobin phenotype was measured in available samples from the Action in Diabetes and Vascular Disease: Preterax and Diamicron MR Controlled Evaluation (ADVANCE) biomarker case-cohort study. Weighted multivariable-adjusted Cox regression models were used to evaluate the association between intensive glycemic control (HbA1c target of ≤6.5%) versus standard therapy (based on local guidelines) and major CAD events among …

BACKGROUND Abnormal orthostatic blood pressure (BP) regulation may result in cerebral hypoperfusion and brain ischemia and contribute to dementia. It may also manifest as early symptoms of the neurodegenerative process associated with dementia. The relationship between the magnitude and timing of orthostatic BP responses and dementia risk is not fully understood. METHODS We conducted a prospective cohort analysis of the associations of orthostatic BP changes and self-reported orthostatic dizziness with the risk of dementia in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study (ARIC). We calculated changes in BP from the supine to the standing position at 5 measurements taken within 2 minutes after standing during the baseline visit (1987–1989). The primary outcome was adjudicated dementia ascertained through 2019. RESULTS Among 11 644 participants (mean [SD] age, 54.5 [5.7] years; 54.1 …

INTRODUCTION We examined midlife (1990–1992, mean age 57) and late‐life (2011–2013, mean age 75) nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and aminotransferase with incident dementia risk through 2019 in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. METHODS We characterized NAFLD using the fatty liver index and fibrosis‐4, and we categorized aminotransferase using the optimal equal‐hazard ratio (HR) approach. We estimated HRs for incident dementia ascertained from multiple data sources. RESULTS Adjusted for demographics, alcohol consumption, and kidney function, individuals with low, intermediate, and high liver fibrosis in midlife (HRs: 1.45, 1.40, and 2.25, respectively), but not at older age, had higher dementia risks than individuals without fatty liver. A U‐shaped association was observed for alanine aminotransferase with dementia risk, which was more pronounced in late …

To date only a fraction of the genetic footprint of thyroid function has been clarified. We report a genome-wide association study meta-analysis of thyroid function in up to 271,040 individuals of European ancestry, including reference range thyrotropin (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4), free and total triiodothyronine (T3), proxies for metabolism (T3/FT4 ratio) as well as dichotomized high and low TSH levels. We revealed 259 independent significant associations for TSH (61% novel), 85 for FT4 (67% novel), and 62 novel signals for the T3 related traits. The loci explained 14.1%, 6.0%, 9.5% and 1.1% of the total variation in TSH, FT4, total T3 and free T3 concentrations, respectively. Genetic correlations indicate that TSH associated loci reflect the thyroid function determined by free T3, whereas the FT4 associations represent the thyroid hormone metabolism. Polygenic risk score and Mendelian randomization analyses …

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects nearly 40% of adults with diabetes. Our objective is to assess trends in risk factor control and use of 2022 ADA and KDIGO guideline-recommended medications. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Using data from 1988 to 2020 from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, we will examine trends in sociodemographic risk factors and glycemic, blood pressure, and lipid control among adults with CKD and diabetes. Glycemic control will be defined as a hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)<7%, blood pressure control will be examined at cutoffs of 130/80 and 120/80 mmHg, and lipid control will be defined as a fasting triglyceride level ≥150 mg/dL, a low-density lipoprotein (LDL) <100 mg/dL without atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), or LDL<70 mg/dL if they have ASCVD. We will assess changes in the use of commonly used antidiabetic …

BackgroundStandard continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) metrics: mean glucose, standard deviation, coefficient of variation, and time in range, fail to capture the shape of variability in the CGM time series. This information could facilitate improved diabetes management.MethodsWe analyzed CGM data from 141 adults with type 2 diabetes in the Hyperglycemic Profiles in Obstructive Sleep Apnea (HYPNOS) trial. Participants in HYPNOS wore CGM sensors for up to two weeks at two time points, three months apart. We calculated the log-periodogram for each time period, summarizing using disjoint linear models. These summaries were combined into a single value, termed the Glucose Color Index (GCI), using canonical correlation analysis. We compared the between-wear correlation of GCI with those of standard CGM metrics and assessed associations between GCI and diabetes comorbidities in 398 older …

OBJECTIVE Plant-based dietary patterns emphasize plant foods and minimize animal-derived foods. We investigated the association between plant-based dietary patterns and diabetes in a community-based U.S. sample of Black and White adults. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We included middle-aged adults from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study without diabetes at baseline who completed a food-frequency questionnaire (n = 11,965). We scored plant-based diet adherence according to three indices: overall, healthy, and unhealthy plant-based diet indices. Higher overall plant-based diet index (PDI) scores represent greater intakes of all plant foods and lower intakes of animal-derived foods. Higher healthy plant-based diet index (hPDI) scores represent greater healthy plant food intake and lower intakes of animal-derived and unhealthy plant foods …

OBJECTIVE Previous studies suggested that glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) may initially worsen and possibly increase the risk of diabetic retinopathy. However, data on this possible association remain limited. Thus, this population-based study aimed to determine whether use of GLP-1 RAs is associated with an increased risk of incident diabetic retinopathy. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Using the U.K. Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), we conducted a cohort study among 77,115 patients with type 2 diabetes initiating antidiabetic drugs between January 2007 and September 2015. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs of incident diabetic retinopathy were estimated using time-dependent Cox proportional hazards models, comparing use of GLP-1 RAs with current use of two or more oral antidiabetic drugs. In an ancillary analysis …

Background and aimsAlthough glycemic status is associated with impaired cardiac structure and function, less is known on left atrial (LA) function across the glycemic spectrum. We evaluated the association of diabetes and glycemic control with LA function in a community-based cohort of older adults.Methods and resultsThis cross-sectional analysis included 5075 participants from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (mean age 75.5 years, 58 % women, and 20 % Black adults) with echocardiographic strain data for LA reservoir, conduit, and contractile function. Multivariable linear regression was used to assess associations of diabetes status and glycemic control with LA function. In participants without diabetes, we used ordinal linear regression to evaluate associations of fasting glucose and HbA1c with LA function. Compared to individuals with a normal fasting glucose, prevalent diabetes was …

ImportanceClonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) may contribute to the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) through its association with inflammation and cardiac remodeling.ObjectiveTo determine whether CHIP was associated with AF, inflammatory and cardiac biomarkers, and cardiac structural changes.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis was a population-based, prospective cohort study in participants of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study and UK Biobank (UKB) cohort. Samples were collected and echocardiography was performed from 2011 to 2013 in the ARIC cohort, and samples were collected from 2006 to 2010 in the UKB cohort. Included in this study were adults without hematologic malignancies, mitral valve stenosis, or previous mitral valve procedure from both the ARIC and UKB cohorts; additionally, participants without hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and congenital heart …

Comparing the performance of different continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems is challenging due to the lack of comprehensive guidelines for clinical study design. In particular, the absence of concise requirements for the distribution of comparator (reference) blood glucose (BG) concentrations and their rate of change (RoC) that are used to evaluate CGM performance, impairs comparability. For this article, several experts in the field of CGM performance testing have collaborated to propose characteristics of the distribution of comparator measurements that should be collected during CGM performance testing. Specifically, it is proposed that at least 7.5% of comparator BG concentrations are <70 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L) and >300 mg/dL (16.7 mmol/L), respectively, and that at least 7.5% of BG-RoC combinations indicate fast BG changes with impending hypo- or hyperglycemia, respectively. These proposed …

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) “Standards of Care in Diabetes” includes the ADA’s current clinical practice recommendations and is intended to provide the components of diabetes care, general treatment goals and guidelines, and tools to evaluate quality of care. Members of the ADA Professional Practice Committee, an interprofessional expert committee, are responsible for updating the Standards of Care annually, or more frequently as warranted. For a detailed description of ADA standards, statements, and reports, as well as the evidence-grading system for ADA’s clinical practice recommendations and a full list of Professional Practice Committee members, please refer to Introduction and Methodology. Readers who wish to comment on the Standards of Care are invited to do so at professional.diabetes.org/SOC.

Background It is unclear how metabolic syndrome (MetS) and diabetes affect Gal‐3 (galectin 3) levels and the resulting implications for heart failure (HF) risk. We assessed relationships of MetS and diabetes with Gal‐3, and their joint associations with incident HF. Methods and Results We included 8445 participants without HF (mean age, 63 years; 59% men; 16% Black race) at ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) study visit 4 (1996–1999). We categorized participants as having MetS only, MetS with diabetes, or neither, and by quartiles of MetS severity Z score. We assessed cross‐sectional associations of metabolic risk categories with high Gal‐3 level (≥75th percentile) using logistic regression. We used Cox regression to evaluate combined associations of metabolic risk categories and Gal‐3 quartiles with HF. In cross‐sectional analyses, compared with no MetS and no diabetes, MetS only (odds ratio …

BackgroundSelf-rated health is a simple measure that may identify individuals who are at a higher risk for hospitalization or death.ObjectiveTo quantify the association between a single measure of self-rated health and future risk of recurrent hospitalizations or death.ParticipantsAtherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, a community-based prospective cohort study of middle-aged men and women with follow-up beginning from 1987 to 1989.Main MeasuresWe quantified the associations between initial self-rated health with risk of recurrent hospitalizations and of death using a recurrent events survival model that allowed for dependency between the rates of hospitalization and hazards of death, adjusted for demographic and clinical factors.Key ResultsOf the 14,937 ARIC cohort individuals with available self-rated health and covariate information, 34% of individuals reported “excellent” health, 47% “good …

Cow’s milk is frequently included in the human diet, but the relationship between milk intake and type 2 diabetes (T2D) remains controversial. Here, using data from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos, we show that in both sexes, higher milk intake is associated with lower risk of T2D in lactase non-persistent (LNP) individuals (determined by a variant of the lactase LCT gene, single nucleotide polymorphism rs4988235) but not in lactase persistent individuals. We validate this finding in the UK Biobank. Further analyses reveal that among LNP individuals, higher milk intake is associated with alterations in gut microbiota (for example, enriched Bifidobacterium and reduced Prevotella) and circulating metabolites (for example, increased indolepropionate and reduced branched-chain amino acid metabolites). Many of these metabolites are related to the identified milk-associated bacteria and partially …

In 2003, the US Food and Drug Administration cleared the biomarker 1, 5-anhydroglucitol (1, 5-AG)(GlycoMark) for use in intermediate-term monitoring of glucose control in patients with diabetes (1, 2). Serum concentrations of 1, 5-AG reflect hyperglycemia exceeding the renal threshold over the prior 1–2 weeks (3). During periods of glycosuria (> 180 mg/dL), glucose and 1, 5-AG compete for reabsorption in the renal tubules, resulting in increased excretion of 1, 5-AG in the urine and lower concentrations of 1, 5-AG in the blood (4). Thus, 1, 5-AG can be used to identify individuals who are experiencing episodes of hyperglycemia. Sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), first approved in 2013, are a class of medications that lower blood glucose by inhibiting the reabsorption of glucose in the renal tubules and increasing glucose excretion in the urine (5). The manufacturer of the 1, 5-AG assay notes that …

We read with interest the study by Shetty et al 1 of normative NT-proBNP concentrations in children and adults in the United States. However, we have several concerns regarding the validity of the methodology and conclusions of this study. First, the authors claim their study is the first to establish NT-proBNP reference intervals in a representative population of healthy children, adolescents, and adults in the United States. However, our group conducted the laboratory measurements of NT-proBNP in the NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) and independently published reference intervals using the same publicly available data earlier this year. 2 Second, the analysis by Shetty et al 1 claims to provide reference intervals, but the authors did not follow established standards from the CLSI (Clinical Laboratory and Standards Institute) for the selection of healthy individuals. 3 CLSI states …

Background and ObjectivesProspective measures of plasma and cerebral MRI biomarkers of Alzheimer disease (AD) and vascular neuropathology provide an opportunity to investigate possible mechanisms linking liver disease and dementia. We aimed to quantify the association of midlife nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with change in plasma and brain MRI biomarkers of AD and vascular neuropathology.MethodsWe included participants from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study with brain MRI measurements of white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volume and temporal-parietal lobe cortical thickness meta region of interest (ROI) at up to 2 different visits, in 2011–13 and 2016–19, and plasma biomarkers of β-amyloid (Aβ)42:40, phosphorylated tau at threonine 181, and neurofilament light (NfL) were measured up to 3 times in 1993–95, 2011–13, and 2016–19. NAFLD was categorized using the …

A year has passed since we were given the responsibility of leading Diabetes Care. In 2023, perhaps the most momentous highlight for all of us from a health perspective has been the sense that we are on the better side of recovery from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This realization is in part due to the rapid application of technology that allowed for the development of mRNA vaccines for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). These vaccines have saved many lives and appropriately resulted in the awarding of the 2023 Nobel Prize in

ObjectiveHigh sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) may be useful to monitor residual risk in secondary prevention. Our objective was to study the correlations and comparative associations with mortality of four hs-cTn assays in US adults with known cardiovascular disease (CVD).MethodsWe studied 1,211 adults with a history of CVD who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2004. Using stored samples, we measured hs-cTnT (Roche) and three hs-cTnI assays (Abbott, Siemens, and Ortho). Outcomes were all-cause and CVD mortality, with follow-up through December 31, 2019.ResultsMean age was 64 years, 48 % were female, and 80 % identified as non-Hispanic White. Pearson's correlation coefficients between hs-cTn assays ranged from 0.67 to 0.85. There were 848 deaths (365 from CVD). Among adults with a history of prior non-fatal CVD, each hs-cTn assay …