Body mass index as a predictor of hypertension incidence among initially healthy normotensive women

BACKGROUND: Few prospective studies have evaluated the risk for incident hypertension (HTN) across the normal range of body mass index (BMI). Even fewer studies included body composition and fat distribution measurements in their analyses. In the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study, we examined HTN risk in women across a wide spectrum of baseline BMI (kg/m(2)) values and also studied waist circumference (WC, cm), percent body fat, fat mass (FM, kg), and fat-free mass (FFM, kg) on incident HTN in subgroup analyses. METHODS: A total of 5,296 healthy normotensive women between 20 and 77 years of age completed a baseline examination during 1971-2004, and were followed for HTN incidence. Incident HTN was identified using mail-back surveys. RESULTS: A total of 592 women reported HTN during a mean 16.7 years of follow-up. Higher BMI, even within the "normal" range, was associated with greater risk of HTN. Compared with women in the lowest fifth of BMI (18.5-20.0 kg/m(2)), the hazard ratios (HRs) (95% confidence interval (CI)) of developing HTN for women with a BMI of 20.1-21.2, 21.3-22.5, 22.6-24.7, and >24.7 were 1.19 (0.89-1.60), 1.33 (0.99-1.78), 1.36 (1.03-1.81), and 2.01 (1.52-2.66), respectively (P(trend) < 0.001). In a subgroup (n = 3,189) with complete data on all the five adiposity measures, significant positive associations with HTN were seen across incremental fifths of BMI, percent body fat, and FM (P(trend) < 0.05 each), but not WC and FFM. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians should emphasize the importance of weight management for the primary prevention of HTN in women.     

Role of DNA Methylation on the Expression of the Anthracycline Metabolizing Enzyme AKR7A2 in Human Heart

The intracardiac synthesis of anthracycline alcohol metabolites by aldo–keto reductases (AKRs) contributes to the pathogenesis of anthracycline-related cardiotoxicity. AKR7A2 is the most abundant anthracycline reductase in hearts from donors with and without Down syndrome (DS), and its expression varies between individuals (≈tenfold). We investigated whether DNA methylation impacts AKR7A2 expression in hearts from donors with (n = 11) and without DS (n = 30). Linear models were used to test for associations between methylation status and cardiac AKR7A2 expression. In hearts from donors without DS, DNA methylation status at CpG site ?865 correlated with AKR7A2 mRNA (Pearson’s regression coefficient, r = ?0.4051, P = 0.0264) and AKR7A2 protein expression (r = ?0.5818, P = 0.0071). In heart tissue from donors with DS, DNA methylation status at CpG site ?232 correlated with AKR7A2 protein expression (r = 0.8659, P = 0.0025). Multiple linear regression modeling revealed that methylation at several CpG sites is associated with the synthesis of cardiotoxic daunorubicinol. AKR7A2 methylation status in lymphoblastoid cell lines from donors with and without DS was examined to explore potential parallelisms between cardiac tissue and lymphoid cells. These results suggest that DNA methylation impacts AKR7A2 expression and the synthesis of cardiotoxic daunorubicinol.     

Alcohol and Sexual Risk Reduction Interventions Among People Living in Russia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Russia has one of the highest rates of alcohol consumption and is experiencing one of the fastest-growing HIV epidemics in the world. Given these co-occurring health problems, we systematically reviewed combined alcohol and sexual risk interventions to reduce HIV among Russians. We completed comprehensive electronic searches to locate studies that (a) sampled people living in Russia, (b) used a behavioral intervention, and (c) assessed both alcohol and sexual risk behavior. These searches yielded 584 studies, of these, two were included. Compared with controls, intervention participants reported increasing their condom use (ds ranged from 0.12 to 0.85). Within-group improvements in sexual behaviors were found for both groups (ds ranged from 0.19 to 1.94); participants reported fewer sexual partners, more condom use, and reduced alcohol or drug use before sex. These findings support the need and potential benefits for alcohol and HIV interventions among Russians, and suggest directions for public policy.     

Factors Underlying the Success of Behavioral HIV-Prevention Interventions for Adolescents: A Meta-Review

The purpose of this meta-review was to identify characteristics of successful HIV prevention interventions for adolescents based on quantitative (i.e., meta-analyses) and qualitative reviews published to date, and to inform intervention utilization and future development. To that end, we were guided by principles of triangulation. Searches of seven electronic bibliographic databases yielded five meta-analyses and six qualitative reviews that satisfied the selection criteria. Reviews were subjected to careful content analysis. All reviews reported that behavioral interventions had positive outcomes on at least one of the following outcomes: HIV-related knowledge, subjective cognitions and beliefs enabling safer sex, abstinence, delaying next sexual intercourse, decreasing number of sexual partners, and actual condom use. Four categories, suggesting factors more prominently linked to intervention success, emerged: behavior change techniques (e.g., cognitive-behavior and motivation enhancement skills training); recipient characteristics (e.g., age, vulnerability to contracting STIs/HIV); prominent design features (e.g., use of theory, formative research); and socio-ecological features (e.g., supportive school environment). Future interventions would benefit from conducting preliminary formative research in order to enable optimal implementation of all these factors.