Tiffany M. Powell-Wiley

Impact of Body Weight and Extreme Obesity on the Presentation, Treatment, and In-Hospital Outcomes of 50,149 Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction: Results From the NCDR (National Cardiovascular Data Registry)

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to assess the impact of extreme (class III) obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥40 kg/m(2)) on care and outcomes in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). BACKGROUND Although its prevalence is increasing rapidly, little is known about the impact of extreme obesity on STEMI presentation, treatments, complication rates, and outcomes. METHODS The relationship between BMI and baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and risk-adjusted in-hospital outcomes was quantified for 50,149 patients with STEMI from the National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR) ACTION Registry-GWTG. RESULTS The proportions of patients with STEMI by BMI category were as follows: underweight (BMI <18.5 kg/m(2)) 1.6%, normal weight (18.5 kg/m(2) ≤BMI <25 kg/m(2)) 23.5%, overweight (25 kg/m(2) ≤BMI <30 kg/m(2)) 38.7%, class I obese (30 kg/m(2) ≤BMI <35 kg/m(2)) 22.4%, class II obese (35 kg/m(2) ≤BMI <40 kg/m(2)) 8.7%, and class III obese 5.1%. Extreme obesity was associated with younger age at STEMI presentation (median age 55 years for class III obese vs. 66 years for normal weight); a higher prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia; a lower prevalence of smoking; and less extensive coronary artery disease and higher left ventricular ejection fraction. Process-of-care measures were similar across BMI categories, including the extremely obese. Using class I obesity as the referent, risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality rates were significantly higher only for class III obese patients (adjusted odds ratio: 1.64; 95% confidence interval: 1.32 to 2.03). CONCLUSIONS Patients with extreme obesity present with STEMI at younger ages and have less extensive coronary artery disease, better left ventricular systolic function, and similar processes and quality of care. Despite these advantages, extreme obesity remains independently associated with higher in-hospital mortality.

Association Between Duration of Overall and Abdominal Obesity Beginning in Young Adulthood and Coronary Artery Calcification in Middle Age

IMPORTANCE Younger individuals are experiencing a greater cumulative exposure to excess adiposity over their lifetime. However, few studies have determined the consequences of long-term obesity. OBJECTIVE To examine whether the duration of overall and abdominal obesity was associated with the presence and 10-year progression of coronary artery calcification (CAC), a subclinical predictor of coronary heart disease. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Prospective study of 3275 white and black adults aged 18 to 30 years at baseline in 1985-1986 who did not initially have overall obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥30) or abdominal obesity (men: waist circumference [WC] >102 cm; women: >88 cm) in the multicenter, community-based Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. Participants completed computed tomography scanning for the presence of CAC during the 15-, 20-, or 25-year follow-up examinations. Duration of overall and abdominal obesity was calculated using repeat measurements of BMI and WC, respectively, performed 2, 5, 7, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years after baseline. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Presence of CAC was measured by computed tomography at the year 15 (2000-2001), year 20 (2005-2006), or year 25 (2010-2011) follow-up examinations. Ten-year progression of CAC (2000-2001 to 2010-2011) was defined as incident CAC in 2010-2011 or an increase in CAC score of 20 Agatston units or greater. RESULTS During follow-up, 40.4% and 41.0% developed overall and abdominal obesity, respectively. Rates of CAC per 1000 person-years were higher for those who experienced more than 20 years vs 0 years of overall obesity (16.0 vs 11.0, respectively) and abdominal obesity (16.7 vs 11.0). Approximately 25.2% and 27.7% of those with more than 20 years of overall and abdominal obesity, respectively, experienced progression of CAC vs 20.2% and 19.5% of those with 0 years. After adjustment for BMI or WC and potential confounders, the hazard ratios for CAC for each additional year of overall or abdominal obesity were 1.02 (95% CI, 1.01-1.03) and 1.03 (95% CI, 1.02-1.05), respectively. The adjusted odds ratios for CAC progression were 1.04 (95% CI, 1.01-1.06) and 1.04 (95% CI, 1.01-1.07), respectively. Associations were attenuated but largely persisted following additional adjustment for potential intermediate metabolic factors during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Longer duration of overall and abdominal obesity was associated with subclinical coronary heart disease and its progression through midlife independent of the degree of adiposity. Preventing or at least delaying the onset of obesity in young adulthood may lower the risk of developing atherosclerosis through middle age.

Physical activity participation, health perceptions, and cardiovascular disease mortality in a multiethnic population: The Dallas Heart Study

BACKGROUND Physical activity (PA) participation differs by ethnicity, but contributing factors and cardiovascular (CV) outcomes related to these disparities are not well understood. We determined whether health beliefs regarding the benefit of PA contribute to ethnic differences in participation and assessed how these differences impact CV mortality. METHODS The Dallas Heart Study is a longitudinal study of CV health. We assessed PA participation and health perceptions by questionnaire among 3,018 African American, Hispanic, and white men and women at baseline visit (2000-2002). Participant mortality was obtained through 2008 using the National Death Index. RESULTS African Americans (odds ratio 0.65, 95% CI 0.53-0.80) and Hispanics (odds ratio 0.34, 95% CI 0.26-0.45) were less likely to be physically active compared with whites even after accounting for income, educational status, age, sex, body mass index, diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. Beliefs regarding the benefits of PA did not contribute to this disparity, as >94% of individuals felt PA was effective in preventing a heart attack across ethnicity. Physical activity participation was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 0.66, 95% CI 0.46-0.93) and CV disease death (HR 0.56, 95% CI 0.32-0.97) in multivariable adjusted models. Similar results were seen when restricting to African Americans (CV disease death, HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.31-1.05). CONCLUSIONS Ethnic minorities reported less PA participation, and lack of PA was associated with higher CV mortality overall and among African Americans. Health perception regarding the benefits of PA did not contribute to this difference, indicating there are other ethnic-specific factors contributing to physical inactivity that require future study.

Comparison of 4 established DASH diet indexes: examining associations of index scores and colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND Multiple diet indexes have been developed to capture the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) dietary pattern and examine relations with health outcomes but have not been compared within the same study population to our knowledge. OBJECTIVE We compared 4 established DASH indexes and examined associations with colorectal cancer. DESIGN Scores were generated from a food-frequency questionnaire in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study (n = 491,841). Separate indexes defined by Dixon (7 food groups, saturated fat, and alcohol), Mellen (9 nutrients), Fung (7 food groups and sodium), and Günther (8 food groups) were used. HRs and 95% CIs for colorectal cancer were generated by using Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS From 1995 through 2006, 6752 incident colorectal cancer cases were ascertained. In men, higher scores were associated with reduced colorectal cancer incidence by comparing highest to lowest quintiles for all indexes as follows: Dixon (HR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.69, 0.87), Mellen (HR: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.71, 0.86), Fung (HR: 0.75; 95% CI: 0.68, 0.83), and Günther (HR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.74, 0.90). Higher scores in women were inversely associated with colorectal cancer incidence by using methods defined by Mellen (HR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.68, 0.91), Fung (HR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.73, 0.96), and Günther (HR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.73.0.97) but not Dixon (HR: 1.01; 95% CI: 0.80, 1.28). CONCLUSION The consistency in findings, particularly in men, suggests that all indexes capture an underlying construct inherent in the DASH dietary pattern, although the specific index used can affect results.

Identification of Obesity and Cardiovascular Risk in Ethnically and Racially Diverse Populations A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association

Obesity, defined as excess fat (adipose) tissue accumulation that may impair health,1 is a highly prevalent and serious public health problem. Roughly 35.7% of American adults are obese.2 High rates of obesity are not limited to the United States or even to other highly developed countries. The prevalence of obesity in Mexico, for example, is comparable to that in the United States.3 Not surprisingly, rates of obesity-related illnesses including cardiovascular disease (CVD) are rising quickly worldwide. More than 25 million American adults have been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus.4 India is projected to have >100 million diabetic people by the year 2030.5 CVD is the number 1 cause of death worldwide.6 These grim statistics highlight the need for accurate identification of overweight and obese adults who are at high risk for obesity-related illnesses. Accurate identification of such people allows healthcare professionals, policymakers, and others to target prevention and treatment programs to those at the highest risk of morbidity and mortality. Unfortunately, the tools and measures currently available to identify obesity and associated risks are either impractical, inaccurate, or both. For example, the body mass index (BMI) is easy to calculate, and established cutoffs that define overweight (25 kg/m2) and obesity (30 kg/m2) are readily available and well known. The application of such cutoffs to a diverse population, as will be discussed, however, leads to misclassification of a large number of people. Many people with a normal BMI have high levels of adiposity and also are at high risk for obesity-related illness. Others with a high BMI have relatively normal levels of adiposity and are metabolically healthy. The problem of misclassification is especially important for racial and ethnic minorities, who make up nearly 40% of the American population today and will make up more …

The GoodNEWS (Genes, Nutrition, Exercise, Wellness, and Spiritual Growth) Trial: A community-based participatory research (CBPR) trial with African-American church congregations for reducing cardiovascular disease risk factors — recruitment, measurement, and randomization

INTRODUCTION Although cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death among Americans, significant disparities persist in CVD prevalence, morbidity, and mortality based on race and ethnicity. However, few studies have examined risk factor reduction among the poor and ethnic minorities. METHODS Community-based participatory research (CBPR) study using a cluster randomized design--African-American church congregations are the units of randomization and individuals within the congregations are the units of analysis. Outcome variables include dietary change (Diet History Questionnaire), level of physical activity (7-Day Physical Activity Recall), lipoprotein levels, blood pressure, fasting glucose, and hemoglobin A1c. RESULTS Eighteen (18) church congregations were randomized to either a health maintenance intervention or a control condition. Complete data were obtained on 392 African-American individuals, 18 to 70 years of age, predominantly employed women with more than a high school diploma. Treatment and intervention groups were similar at baseline on saturated fat intake, metabolic equivalent of tasks (METS) per day, and other risk factors for CVD. CONCLUSIONS The GoodNEWS trial successfully recruited and evaluated CVD-related risk among African-American participants using a CBPR approach. Several logistical challenges resulted in extending the recruitment, preliminary training, and measurement periods. The challenges were overcome with the assistance of a local community consultant and a professional event planner. Our experience supports the need for incorporating non-traditional community-based staff into the design and operational plan of CBPR trials.

Relationship between perceptions about neighborhood environment and prevalent obesity: data from the dallas heart study†‡

Although psychosocial stress can result in adverse health outcomes, little is known about how perceptions of neighborhood conditions, a measure of environment‐derived stress, may impact obesity. The association between perceptions of neighborhood environment and obesity (defined as body mass index [BMI] ≥ 30 kg/m2) among 5,907 participants in the Dallas Heart Study, a multi‐ethnic, probability‐based sample of Dallas County residents was examined.

Duration of Abdominal Obesity Beginning in Young Adulthood and Incident Diabetes Through Middle Age: The CARDIA Study

OBJECTIVE To examine whether the duration of abdominal obesity determined prospectively using measured waist circumference (WC) is associated with the development of new-onset diabetes independent of the degree of abdominal adiposity. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study is a multicenter, community-based, longitudinal cohort study of 5,115 white and black adults aged 18–30 years in 1985 to 1986. Years spent abdominally obese were calculated for participants without abdominal obesity (WC >102 cm in men and >88 cm in women) or diabetes at baseline (n = 4,092) and was based upon repeat measurements conducted 2, 5, 7, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years later. RESULTS Over 25 years, 392 participants developed incident diabetes. Overall, following adjustment for demographics, family history of diabetes, study center, and time varying WC, energy intake, physical activity, smoking, and alcohol, each additional year of abdominal obesity was associated with a 4% higher risk of developing diabetes [hazard ratio (HR) 1.04 (95% CI 1.02–1.07)]. However, a quadratic model best represented the data. HRs for 0, 1–5, 6–10, 11–15, 16–20, and >20 years of abdominal obesity were 1.00 (referent), 2.06 (1.43–2.98), 3.45 (2.28–5.22), 3.43 (2.28–5.22), 2.80 (1.73–4.54), and 2.91 (1.60–5.29), respectively; P-quadratic < 0.001. CONCLUSIONS Longer duration of abdominal obesity was associated with substantially higher risk for diabetes independent of the degree of abdominal adiposity. Preventing or at least delaying the onset of abdominal obesity in young adulthood may lower the risk of developing diabetes through middle age.

Neighborhood-level socioeconomic deprivation predicts weight gain in a multi-ethnic population: Longitudinal data from the Dallas Heart Study

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to examine a relationship between neighborhood-level socioeconomic deprivation and weight change in a multi-ethnic cohort from Dallas County, Texas and whether behavioral/psychosocial factors attenuate the relationship. METHODS Non-movers (those in the same neighborhood throughout the study period) aged 18-65 (N=939) in Dallas Heart Study (DHS) underwent weight measurements between 2000 and 2009 (median 7-year follow-up). Geocoded home addresses defined block groups; a neighborhood deprivation index (NDI) was created (higher NDI=greater deprivation). Multi-level modeling determined weight change relative to NDI. Model fit improvement was examined with adding physical activity and neighborhood environment perceptions (higher score=more unfavorable perceptions) as covariates. A significant interaction between residence length and NDI was found (p-interaction=0.04); results were stratified by median residence length (11 years). RESULTS Adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, smoking, and education/income, those who lived in neighborhood >11 years gained 1.0 kg per one-unit increment of NDI (p=0.03), or 6 kg for those in highest NDI tertile compared with those in the lowest tertile. Physical activity improved model fit; NDI remained associated with weight gain after adjustment for physical activity and neighborhood environment perceptions. There was no significant relationship between NDI and weight change for those in their neighborhood ≤11 years. CONCLUSIONS Living in more socioeconomically deprived neighborhoods over a longer time period was associated with weight gain in DHS.

Excess body mass index- and waist circumference-years and incident cardiovascular disease: The CARDIA study

To determine the influence of the total cumulative exposure to excess overall and abdominal adiposity on the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD).