Mexican American Participants Research Articles

Overall and subgroup prevalence of self-reported asthma in US adults: a nationally representative cross-sectional study

Background The purpose of this study is to determine the variations in the prevalence of self-reported asthma among the adult population in the United States of America (USA), analyzing demographic characteristics, physical indicators, living habits, and sarcopenia. Methods 10,566 participants from the 2009 to 2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) of the USA who were 20 years of age or older and not pregnant were included in the study. Results The prevalence of patients with asthma varies by age, gender, and race. The weighted prevalence is 15.5%, estimated to represent 19.36 million people in the USA (95% CI, 14.5% to 16.6%). The prevalence of self-reported asthma decreases with age, with the highest prevalence among young adults aged 20–25 for both males and females. Females were also more susceptible to asthma compared to males. The increase in asthma prevalence attributed to smoking was most pronounced among African American and Caucasian participants (p < 0.05), while its effect on Mexican American and Asian participants was relatively minor. Notably, the prevalence of asthma was significantly higher in African American and Caucasian participants with sarcopenia compared to those without sarcopenia. Conclusions The prevalence of asthma is associated to varying degrees with factors such as age, gender, smoking, and the presence of sarcopenia. The elevated prevalence of asthma among young people and females warrants attention. Intensifying efforts toward smoking cessation and the scientific management of sarcopenia could be instrumental in reducing the incidence of asthma.

Associations between urine glyphosate levels and metabolic health risks: insights from a large cross-sectional population-based study

BackgroundThe prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in American adults increased from 37.6% in the 2011–12 period to 41.8% in 2017–2018. Environmental exposure, particularly to common compounds such as glyphosate, has drawn increasing attention as a potential risk factor.MethodsWe employed three cycles of data (2013–2018) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) in a cross-sectional study to examine potential associations between urine glyphosate measurements and MetS incidence. We first created a MetS score using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria for MetS, with data drawn from the 2013–2018 NHANES cycles, and validated this score independently on an additional associated metric, the albumin-to-creatinine (ACR) ratio. The score was validated via a machine learning approach in predicting the ACR score via binary classification and then used in multivariable regression to test the association between quartile-categorized glyphosate exposure and the MetS score.ResultsIn adjusted multivariable regressions, regressions between quartile-categorized glyphosate exposure and MetS score showed a significant inverted U-shaped or saturating dose‒response profile, often with the largest effect for exposures in quartile 3. Exploration of potential effect modification by sex, race, and age category revealed significant differences by race and age, with older people (aged > 65 years) and non-Hispanic African American participants showing larger effect sizes for all exposure quartiles.ConclusionsWe found that urinary glyphosate concentration is significantly associated with a statistical score designed to predict MetS status and that dose–response coefficient is nonlinear, with advanced age and non-Hispanic African American, Mexican American and other Hispanic participants exhibiting greater effect sizes.

Association between Serum Vitamin D Concentrations and Life's Essential 8 score in American adolescents

IntroductionThis study sought to use the latest Life's Essential 8 scoring tool to obtain information on the relationship between serum vitamin D concentration and adolescent cardiovascular health (CVH).Material and methodsA total of 1,819 teenagers aged 16–19 were enrolled. Associations between serum vitamin D concentrations and CVH ratings were estimated using multiple linear regression and multinomial logistic regression methods, and the dose–response relationship was examined by restricted cubic spline analysis.ResultsAfter adjusting for all confounding factors, serum vitamin D concentrations were positively correlated with CVH scores (β=0.12; 95% CI: 0.09-0.14, p&lt;0.001). Among the sex and race subgroups, the correlation was stronger in male, Mexican American and Non-Hispanic Black participants, with ORs of 1.05 (95% CI: 1.03-1.07), 1.06 (95% CI: 1.04-1.08), p=0.002), 1.07 (95% CI: 1.03-1.11), 1.09 (95% CI: 1.05-1.14), p=0.01, 1.04 (95% CI: 1.01-1.06), and 1.05 (95% CI: 1.02-1.09), p=0.01, respectively. Serum vitamin D concentrations had a nonlinear relationship with CVH ratings. CVH scores grew with serum vitamin D concentrations up to the inflection point (86 nmol/L) (β=0.17 (95% CI: 0.135-0.206, p&lt;0.001). When serum vitamin D concentrations exceeded 86 nmol/L, CVH scores were not associated with serum vitamin D concentrations.ConclusionsThe study identifies a nonlinear relationship between serum vitamin D levels and CVH in US adolescents aged 16-19, with an inflection point at 86 nmol/L. These findings underscore the importance of vitamin D in adolescent cardiovascular health and suggest the need for targeted health strategies, particularly in high-risk groups such as male, Mexican American, and Non-Hispanic Black teenagers.

“It Wasn’t Just in My Head”: A Qualitative Study on Nurturing the Racial Literacy of Mexican American Aspiring School Leaders in South Texas

This qualitative study centers on interview data from ten Mexican American aspiring school leaders as they developed their racial literacy across two sociocultural foundations courses in a principal preparation program at a Hispanic Serving Institution in South Texas. The theoretical perspectives framing this study include notions of racial literacy and the subtractive schooling of Mexican school children in the United States. Findings illustrate how coursework strengthened Mexican American participants’ racial literacy in several ways. The discussion elaborates on racial literacy from theory to practice and the contextual elements that promote anti-racial literacy in P-20 settings in South Texas.

The College-Going Experiences of Mexican American Participants Who Graduated from a College Preparatory Program

Despite educational levels improving in the Latinx community overall, Latinx adults continue to fall behind other racial and ethnic groups. The increases in educational attainment we have seen fall along gender lines, with Latinas graduating from college at a higher rate than Latinos. Despite these disparities, there is still a lack of knowledge about the intersectional education journey of Latinx students. This phenomenological study explores the gendered experiences of first-generation, documented, higher education students of Mexican origin who participated in a college preparatory program created for Latinx students and families. Utilizing the theory of community cultural wealth, students’ strengths are highlighted to demonstrate how their skills apply to higher education experiences. Findings indicate that long-term, holistic, mentoring from trusted adults was key to bolstering the educational success of students. The gendered analysis suggests Latinas may have increased opportunities to engage in on-campus programming than Latinos.

The Impact of the 100-mile Border Enforcement Zone on Mexican Americans in Arizona

Based on qualitative interview data with Mexican American and White participants, this article examines the impact of immigration-related policies on the U.S.-born adult children of Mexican immigrants. Building on Dunn’s concept of a low-intensity conflict zone, we argue that the militarization of the border carries consequences for Mexican American border residents. Becoming collateral subjects to a system of racialized legal violence, they experience the suspension of constitutional rights through racially motivated arbitrary stops, interrogations, and searches. The frequency and intensity of these experiences lead to anxiety, frustration, and powerlessness, and chips away at their emotional well-being.

Interaction between DNA methylation and neighborhood disadvantage may impact risk for cognitive decline among Mexican Americans enrolled in the Health and Aging Brain Study – Health Disparities (HABS‐HD) Cohort

AbstractBackgroundLiterature continues to indicate that social exposome factors such as neighborhood disadvantage, measured by the area deprivation index (ADI), is associated with cognitive decline, total brain volume, hippocampal volume and AD neuropathology. We hypothesize that epigenetic markers are implicated in the effect of neighborhood disadvantage on neurodegenerative biomarkers among Mexican Americans. We used existing Illumina EPIC Methylation chip and ADI data from 32 Mexican American participants enrolled in the Heath &amp; Aging Brain Study ‐ Health Disparities (HABS‐HD) cohort to test whether differentially methylated sites and regions moderate a portion of the effect of ADI on risk for implicated AT(N) biomarkers.MethodThis study included Mexican American participants with information on DNA methylation, ADI, and Neurofilament Light (NfL), who were part of the Health and Aging Brain Study – Health Disparities (HABS‐HD). We considered 25 targeted epigenetic markers, which were previously identified to be associated with MCI or NfL from our group. We conducted preliminary analysis to assess associations between ADI and NfL using whole data (n = 812), and whether such association is moderated by one of the aforementioned targeted epigenetic markers using data with DNA methylation information (n = 32). Linear regression models were conducted to test the above effects and adjust for covariates.ResultResults of the linear regression models showed that ADI was significantly positively associated with NfL among Mexican Americans (p = 0.007) using whole data, but the moderation analysis revealed no significant moderating effects on such association for any of the targeted epigenetic markers. However, one CpG site, cg07413251, showed marginally significant interaction effects with ADI on the association with NfL (p = 0.056). The cg07413251 site maps to a CpG island located at chr3p24.1. The biological implications of differential methylation at this site are unknown and remain under investigation.ConclusionThe lack of significant results for moderation effects of the targeted epigenetic markers in our pilot study were likely due to the small sample size. In our future work, we will expand samples size significantly, improving power to better understand the role of disadvantaged neighborhoods in influencing cognitive function. Investigations into other biomarkers are underway.

The impact of inflammation on plasma biomarkers of Alzheimer’s Disease

AbstractBackgroundPlasma biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease have been proposed as less expensive, less invasive and readily scalable biomarkers for use as diagnostic biomarkers, predictors of risk and progression and inclusion criteria for clinical trials. Our previous work has shown that medical comorbities such as dyslipidemia, diabetes, kidney disease and hypertension can impact the levels of these biomarkers and there are ethnic differences in this relationship. The current study extended this work by investigating the effect of inflammation on levels of plasma biomarkers of amyloid, tau and neurodegeneration in an ethnically diverse cohort.MethodData from 651 cognitively unimpaired non‐Hispanic White and 646 cognitively unimpaired Mexican American participants from the Health &amp; Aging Brain Study‐ Health Disparities study were analyzed. Plasma markers of Aβ40, Aβ42, total tau and NfL were assayed using the ultrasensitive Simoa (single‐molecule array) technology. The relationship of peripheral inflammatory biomarkers (IL‐6, IL‐10, TNFα &amp; CRP) to each of the AD plasma biomarkers was analyzed using partial correlation controlling for age, sex and APOE4 positivity.ResultHigher levels of Aβ40, Aβ42, total tau and NfL were associated with elevated IL‐6, IL‐10 and TNFα for both ethnic groups. CRP was not significantly associated with any of the AD biomarkers for either group. Although the Mexican American participants had significantly lower Aβ40 (p = .000) and higher total tau (p = .000) than non‐Hispanic White participants, the two groups did not differ significantly on the level of any of the inflammatory markers.ConclusionThe level of plasma AD biomarkers is influenced by the presence of peripheral inflammatory cytokines. CRP a non‐specific acute phase marker of inflammation is not related to plasma AD biomarkers in cognitively unimpaired older adults. Ethnicity in this bi‐ethnic study was not a factor in this relationship. Additional research investigating medical co‐morbidities as a factor in the inflammation‐AD plasma biomarker relationship is needed. As with medical co‐morbidities the level of inflammation may affect the interpretation and application of the plasma AD biomarkers in this study.

Integrative blood-based characterization of oxidative mitochondrial DNA damage variants implicates Mexican American’s metabolic risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) continues to be a leading cause of death in the US. As the US aging population (ages 65 +) expands, the impact will disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, e.g., Hispanic/Latino population, due to their AD-related health disparities. Age-related regression in mitochondrial activity and ethnic-specific differences in metabolic burden could potentially explain in part the racial/ethnic distinctions in etiology that exist for AD. Oxidation of guanine (G) to 8-oxo-guanine (8oxoG) is a prevalent lesion and an indicator of oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. Damaged mtDNA (8oxoG) can serve as an important marker of age-related systemic metabolic dysfunction and upon release into peripheral circulation may exacerbate pathophysiology contributing to AD development and/or progression. Analyzing blood samples from Mexican American (MA) and non-Hispanic White (NHW) participants enrolled in the Texas Alzheimer’s Research & Care Consortium, we used blood-based measurements of 8oxoG from both buffy coat PBMCs and plasma to determine associations with population, sex, type-2 diabetes, and AD risk. Our results show that 8oxoG levels in both buffy coat and plasma were significantly associated with population, sex, years of education, and reveal a potential association with AD. Furthermore, MAs are significantly burdened by mtDNA oxidative damage in both blood fractions, which may contribute to their metabolic vulnerability to developing AD.

Exploratory profiles of phenols, parabens, and per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances among NHANES study participants in association with previous cancer diagnoses

BackgroundSome hormonally active cancers have low survival rates, but a large proportion of their incidence remains unexplained. Endocrine disrupting chemicals may affect hormone pathways in the pathology of these cancers.ObjectiveTo evaluate cross-sectional associations between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), phenols, and parabens and self-reported previous cancer diagnoses in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).MethodsWe extracted concentrations of 7 PFAS and 12 phenols/parabens and self-reported diagnoses of melanoma and cancers of the thyroid, breast, ovary, uterus, and prostate in men and women (≥20 years). Associations between previous cancer diagnoses and an interquartile range increase in exposure biomarkers were evaluated using logistic regression models adjusted for key covariates. We conceptualized race as social construct proxy of structural social factors and examined associations in non-Hispanic Black, Mexican American, and other Hispanic participants separately compared to White participants.ResultsPrevious melanoma in women was associated with higher PFDE (OR:2.07, 95% CI: 1.25, 3.43), PFNA (OR:1.72, 95% CI: 1.09, 2.73), PFUA (OR:1.76, 95% CI: 1.07, 2.89), BP3 (OR: 1.81, 95% CI: 1.10, 2.96), DCP25 (OR: 2.41, 95% CI: 1.22, 4.76), and DCP24 (OR: 1.85, 95% CI: 1.05, 3.26). Previous ovarian cancer was associated with higher DCP25 (OR: 2.80, 95% CI: 1.08, 7.27), BPA (OR: 1.93, 95% CI: 1.11, 3.35) and BP3 (OR: 1.76, 95% CI: 1.00, 3.09). Previous uterine cancer was associated with increased PFNA (OR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.03, 2.34), while higher ethyl paraben was inversely associated (OR: 0.31, 95% CI: 0.12, 0.85). Various PFAS were associated with previous ovarian and uterine cancers in White women, while MPAH or BPF was associated with previous breast cancer among non-White women.Impact StatementBiomarkers across all exposure categories (phenols, parabens, and per- and poly- fluoroalkyl substances) were cross-sectionally associated with increased odds of previous melanoma diagnoses in women, and increased odds of previous ovarian cancer was associated with several phenols and parabens. Some associations differed by racial group, which is particularly impactful given the established racial disparities in distributions of exposure to these chemicals. This is the first epidemiological study to investigate exposure to phenols in relation to previous cancer diagnoses, and the first NHANES study to explore racial/ethnic disparities in associations between environmental phenol, paraben, and PFAS exposures and historical cancer diagnosis.

Association between urinary caffeine and caffeine metabolites and stroke in American adults: a cross-sectional study from the NHANES, 2009–2014

This study investigates the potential correlation between urinary caffeine levels and the occurrence of stroke, a serious cerebrovascular disease that can lead to disability or death. The data used in this study was obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 2009 and 2014. The study analyzed a total of 5,339 individuals, divided into a control group (n = 5,135) and a stroke group (n = 162). The researchers utilized multiple logistic regression and smoothed curve fitting to examine the relationship between urinary caffeine and caffeine metabolites and the incidence of stroke. The study found that higher urinary caffeine levels were associated with a lower risk of stroke in Mexican American participants (odds ratio [OR] = 0.886, 95% confidence interval [CI]: (0.791, 0.993), P = 0.037). After adjusting for certain participant characteristics, it was also found that higher urinary paraxanthine levels were associated with a lower risk of stroke incidence (OR = 0.991, 95% CI (0.984, 0.999), P = 0.027). Meanwhile, the highest urinary paraxanthine levels group had 43.7% fewer strokes than the lowest level group (OR = 0.563, 95% CI (0.341, 0.929), P = 0.025). In this study, we showed a negative link between urine paraxanthine levels and the risk of stroke. Meanwhile, urinary caffeine levels were negatively associated with the incidence of stroke in Mexican Americans, but no correlation in other populations. Our findings may have predictive and diagnostic implications in clinical practice. Further extensive prospective investigations are still needed to validate our conclusions.

Arsenic metabolism, diabetes prevalence, and insulin resistance among Mexican Americans: A mendelian randomization approach.

Differences in arsenic metabolism capacity may influence risk for type 2 diabetes, but the mechanistic drivers are unclear. We evaluated the associations between arsenic metabolism with overall diabetes prevalence and with static and dynamic measures of insulin resistance among Mexican Americans living in Starr County, Texas. We utilized data from cross-sectional studies conducted in Starr County, Texas, from 2010-2014. A Mendelian randomization approach was utilized to evaluate the associations between arsenic metabolism and type 2 diabetes prevalence using the intronic variant in the arsenic methylating gene, rs9527, as the instrumental variable for arsenic metabolism. To further assess mechanisms for diabetes pathogenesis, proportions of the urinary arsenic metabolites were employed to assess the association between arsenic metabolism and insulin resistance among participants without diabetes. Urinary biomarkers of arsenic metabolites were modeled as individual proportions of the total. Arsenic metabolism was evaluated both with a static outcome of insulin resistance, homeostatic measure of assessment (HOMA-IR), and a dynamic measure of insulin sensitivity, Matsuda Index. Among 475 Mexican American participants from Starr County, higher metabolism capacity for arsenic is associated with higher diabetes prevalence driven by worse insulin resistance. Presence of the minor T allele of rs9527 is independently associated with an increase in the proportion of monomethylated arsenic (MMA%) and is associated with an odds ratio of 0.50 (95% CI: 0.24, 0.90) for type 2 diabetes. This association was conserved after potential covariate adjustment. Furthermore, among participants without type 2 diabetes, the highest quartile of MMA% was associated with 22% (95% CI: -33.5%, -9.07%) lower HOMA-IR and 56% (95% CI: 28.3%, 91.3%) higher Matsuda Index for insulin sensitivity. Arsenic metabolism capacity, indicated by a lower proportion of monomethylated arsenic, is associated with increased diabetes prevalence driven by an insulin resistant phenotype among Mexican Americans living in Starr County, Texas.

Cross-sectional associations between drinking water arsenic and urinary inorganic arsenic in the United States: NHANES 2003–2014

BackgroundInorganic arsenic is a potent carcinogen and toxicant associated with numerous adverse health outcomes. The contribution of drinking water from private wells and regulated community water systems (CWSs) to total inorganic arsenic exposure is not clear. ObjectivesTo determine the association between drinking water arsenic estimates and urinary arsenic concentrations in the 2003–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). MethodsWe evaluated 11,088 participants from the 2003–2014 NHANES cycles. For each participant, we assigned private well and CWS arsenic levels according to county of residence using estimates previously derived by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Geological Survey. We used recalibrated urinary dimethylarsinate (rDMA) to reflect the internal dose of estimated water arsenic by applying a previously validated, residual-based method that removes the contribution of dietary arsenic sources. We compared the adjusted geometric mean ratios and corresponding percent change of urinary rDMA across tertiles of private well and CWS arsenic levels, with the lowest tertile as the reference. Comparisons were made overall and stratified by census region and race/ethnicity. ResultsOverall, the geometric mean of urinary rDMA was 2.52 (2.30, 2.77) μg/L among private well users and 2.64 (2.57, 2.72) μg/L among CWS users. Urinary rDMA was highest among participants in the West and South, and among Mexican American, Other Hispanic, and Non-Hispanic Other participants. Urinary rDMA levels were 25% (95% confidence interval (CI): 17–34%) and 20% (95% CI: 12–29%) higher comparing the highest to the lowest tertile of CWS and private well arsenic, respectively. The strongest associations between water arsenic and urinary rDMA were observed among participants in the South, West, and among Mexican American and Non-Hispanic White and Black participants. DiscussionBoth private wells and regulated CWSs are associated with inorganic arsenic internal dose as reflected in urine in the general U.S. population.

Racial differences in the associations of urinary phthalate metabolites with depression risk

ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the composite effects of different kinds of phthalates on depression risk in the U.S population. Methods11731 participants were included from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a national cross-sectional survey. Twelve urinary phthalate metabolites were used to evaluate the level of phthalates exposure. Phthalates levels were devided into four quartiles. High phthalate was defined as having values in the highest quartile. ResultsUrinary mono-isobutyl phthalate (MiBP) and mono-benzyl phthalate (MBzP) were estimated as the independent risk factors for depression by mutivariate logistic regression analyses. Compared with the lowest quartile group of MiBP or MBzP, an incrementally higher risk of depression and moderate/severe depression was observed in the highest quartile (all Ptrend <0.05). It was observed that incrementally higher risk of depression and moderate/severe depression were associated with more numbers of high phthalates parameter (Ptrend <0.001 and Ptrend = 0.003, respectively). A significant interaction between race (Non-Hispanic Black vs. Mexican American) and 2 parameters (having value in the highest quartile of both MiBP and MBzP) was detected for depression (Pinteraction = 0.023) and moderate/severe depression (Pinteraction = 0.029). ConclusionIndividuals with more numbers of high phthalates parameter were at higher risk of depression and moderate/severe depression. Non-Hispanic Black participants were more likely to be affected by high levels of MiBP and MBzP exposure than Mexican American participants.

Prevalence of diabetes in the USA from the perspective of demographic characteristics, physical indicators and living habits based on NHANES 2009-2018.

To determine differences in DM in the U.S. population according to demographic characteristics, physical indicators and living habits. 23 546 participants in the 2009 to 2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) who were 20 year of age or older and not pregnant. All analyses used weighted samples and considered the stratification and clustering of the design. Specific indicators include length of leg (cm), BMI (kg/cm2), TCHOL (mg/dL), fasting plasma glucose (mg/dL) and comparison of means and the proportion of participants with DM. The prevalence of DM in the USA has been rising modestly in the past decade, and were consistent and robust for the observed differences in age, sex, and ethnicity. Compared with white participants, black participants and Mexican-American were both more likely (P<0.001) to have diabetes: 14.6% (CI, 13.6% to 15.6%) among black participants, 10.6% (CI, 9.9% to 11.3%) among white participants, and 13.5% (CI, 11.9% to 15.2%) among Mexican-American participants. The prevalence of diabetes is increasing with age, males peaked around the 60s, and women around the 70s. The overall mean leg length and TCHOL was lower in diabetics than in non-diabetics (1.07cm, 18.67 mg/dL, respectively), while mean BMI were higher in diabetics than in non-diabetics (4.27 kg/cm2). DM had the greatest effect on decline of TCHOL in white participants (23.6 mg/dL), less of an effect in black participants (9.67 mg/dL), and the least effect in Mexican-American participants (8.25 mg/dL). Notably, smoking had great effect on percent increment of DM in whites (0.2%), and have little effect on black and Mexican-Americans. DM is more common in the general population than might be clinically recognized, and the prevalence of DM was associated to varying degrees with many indicators of demographic characteristics, physical indicators, and living habits. These indicators should be linked with medical resource allocation and scientific treatment methods to comprehensively implement the treatment of DM.

Air pollution and traffic noise interact to affect cognitive health in older Mexican Americans

BackgroundBoth air pollution and noise exposures have separately been shown to affect cognitive impairment. Here, we examine how air pollution and noise exposures interact to influence the development of incident dementia or cognitive impairment without dementia (CIND). MethodsWe used 1,612 Mexican American participants from the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging conducted from 1998 to 2007. Air pollution (nitrogen dioxides, particulate matter, ozone) and noise exposure levels were modeled with a land-use regression and via the SoundPLAN software package implemented with the Traffic Noise Model applied to the greater Sacramento area, respectively. Using Cox proportional hazard models, we estimated the hazard of incident dementia or CIND from air pollution exposure at the residence up to 5-years prior to diagnosis for the members of each risk set at event time. Further, we investigated whether noise exposure modified the association between air pollution exposure and dementia or CIND. ResultsIn total, 104 incident dementia and 159 incident dementia/CIND cases were identified during the 10 years of follow-up. For each ∼2 µg/m3 increase in time-varying 1- and 5-year average PM2.5 exposure, the hazard of dementia increased 33% (HR = 1.33, 95%CI: 1.00, 1.76). The hazard ratios for NO2-related dementia/CIND and PM2.5-related dementia were stronger in high-noise (≥65 dB) exposed than low-noise (<65 dB) exposed participants. ConclusionOur study indicates that PM2.5 and NO2 air pollution adversely affect cognition in elderly Mexican Americans. Our findings also suggest that air pollutants may interact with traffic-related noise exposure to affect cognitive function in vulnerable populations.

Abstract TMP108: Improvements In Sleep Apnea Are Associated With Improvements In NIHSS In The First Year After Stroke.

Introduction: Sleep apnea, a very common condition among post-stroke patients, is associated with worse functional, cognitive, and neurological outcomes after stroke. Little is known about the association between change of sleep apnea and changes in outcome over time. Methods: Associated with the Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi (BASIC) project, ischemic stroke patients (2016-2019) were offered sleep apnea testing with a portable respiratory monitor (ApneaLink Plus) shortly after stroke and at 3, 6, and 12 months post-stroke. Sleep apnea was quantified using the respiratory event index (REI), the number of apneas plus hypopneas per recording hour. At 3, 6, and 12-months post-stroke, functional outcome was assessed using activities of daily living (ADL)/instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) score (1-4, lower better); cognitive outcome was assessed using the Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (3MS) (0-100, higher better); neurological outcome was assessed using the NIHSS (0-42, lower better). Multivariate mixed models were fitted under a Bayesian approach to obtain random slopes in REI over time and the three outcomes (1-unit change in outcome per month), adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, pre-stroke function and cognitive status, education, marital status, stroke history, tpa use, recurrent stroke, and depression. Linear regression models assessed the association between random slope of REI and random slopes of the three outcomes. Results: Of the 482 Mexican American or non-Hispanic white participants with at least one REI measurement, in fully adjusted models, improvement in sleep apnea was significantly associated with improvement in NIHSS (0.0094 (95% CI: 0.0070, 0.0118)) but not with changes in ADL/IADL or 3MS. Conclusions: Improvement in sleep apnea paralleled improvement in neurological status over the first year after stroke.

Bilingualism Appears to be Protective Against Cognitive Decline Related to Cerebral Tau in Mexican Americans: An HABS‐HD Study

AbstractBackgroundBilingualism is thought to provide protective effects from neurodegeneration and age‐related diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). The protective effect is considered to be due to differences in grey and white matter between monolingual and bilinguals; however, no work to date has looked at differences in additional AD brain pathology. The aim of this study was to examine among Mexican Americans the impact of cerebral tau levels on cognitive functioning stratified by language status.MethodData were analyzed on a combined sample of n=44 Mexican American (n=15 Monolingual [n=9 Cognitively Normal; n=6 Cognitively Impaired {Mild Cognitive Impairment/Dementia}]; n=29 Bilingual [n=19 Cognitively Normal; n=10 Cognitively Impaired]) participants. One outlier case (Cognitively Impaired, Monolingual participant) was removed from subsequent analyses. All participants underwent cognitive testing and PET tau imaging using Siemens Biograph Vision 450 PET/CT scanner with PI‐2620. PET scans were co‐registered with 3T MRI scans (Siemens Vida). PET tau scans were processed using FreeSurfer‐defined regions of interest (ROIs) focused on the medial temporal lobe (average across entorhinal, hippocampus and amygdala), posterior cingulate cortex (isthmus cingulate and posterior cingulate) and lateral parietal cortex (inferior parietal, superior parietal and supramarginal). Linear regression models were generated for each language status group (monolingual, bilingual) examining the impact of each ROI on cognitive outcomes covarying for age, sex, and education.ResultAmong monolingual Mexican Americans, higher Medial Temporal SUVR was significantly related to poorer performance across measures of global cognition (MMSE p&lt;0.001), processing speed (DSST p=0.038), episodic learning and memory (WMS‐III LM I p&lt;0.001; WMS‐III LM II p&lt;0.001) as well as rote verbal learning (SEVLT Immediate Recall p=0.004). Posterior Cingulate and Lateral Parietal SUVRs were not found to be significantly related to cognitive functioning among monolinguals. Additionally, among bilinguals, cerebral tau (derived from select ROIs) was not found to be significantly related to cognition.ConclusionHigher cerebral tau, specifically in the Medial Temporal ROI, was found to be related to poorer cognitive functioning across multiple domains but only among those who were monolingual. Results provide further support for the protective effect of bilingualism.

Pathways explaining racial/ethnic and socio-economic disparities in incident all-cause dementia among older US adults across income groups

Differential racial and socioeconomic disparities in dementia incidence across income groups and their underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. A retrospective cohort study examining all-cause dementia incidence across income groups was conducted linking third National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES III) to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services-Medicare data over ≤26 y of follow-up (1988–2014). Cox regression and generalized structural equations models (GSEM) were constructed among adults aged≥60 y at baseline (N = 4,592). Non-Hispanic Black versus White (NHW) adults had higher risk of dementia in age and sex-adjusted Cox regression models (HR = 1.34, 95%CI: 1.15–1.55, P < 0.001), an association that was attenuated in the SES-adjusted model (HR = 1.15, 95%CI: 1.01–1.34, P = 0.092). SES was inversely related to dementia risk overall (per Standard Deviation, HR = 0.80, 95% CI:0.69–0.92, P = 0.002, Model 2), mainly within the middle-income group. Within the lowest and middle-income groups and in socio-economic status (SES)-adjusted models, Mexican American participants were at lower all-cause dementia risk compared with their NHW counterparts. GSEM models further detected 3 pathways explaining >55% of the total effect of SES on dementia risk (Total effect = −0.160 ± 0.067, p = 0.022), namely SES→LIFESTYLE→DEMENTIA (Indirect effect (IE) = −0.041 ± 0.014, p = 0.004), SES→LIFESTYLE→COGN→DEMENTIA (IE = −0.006 ± 0.001, p < 0.001), SES→COGN→DEMENTIA(IE = −0.040 ± 0.008, p < 0.001), with the last two remaining significant or marginally significant in the uppermost income groups. Diet and social support were among key lifestyle factors involved in socio-economic disparities in dementia incidence. We provide evidence for modifiable risk factors that may delay dementia onset differentially across poverty-income ratio groups, underscoring their importance for future observational and intervention studies.

Racial and ethnic differences in blood pressure before and after the 2016 United States general election.

The 2016 U.S. presidential election was a major source of stress among many adults. Psychosocial stress can manifest physiologically in elevated blood pressure (BP). Little is known regarding the association of macro-level sociopolitical events with BP changes at the population-level. This study sought to characterize population-level changes in BP following the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Using 2015-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, we included participants aged ≥18 years during the same periods prior to (May to October 2015/2016) and after (May to October 2017/2018) the election. Survey-weighted data were analyzed to compare population-level systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) pre- and post-election, stratified by race/ethnicity. Sex differences were also investigated. We observed significant increases in SBP among non-Hispanic (NH) Asian participants (+3.4 mmHg; p=.046), but not among other racial/ethnic participants. DBP increased among NH Black participants (+2.3 mmHg; p=.049) and Mexican American participants (+2.9 mmHg; p=.007), but not among other racial/ethnic participants. These changes appeared attributable to differential BP changes by sex. At the population-level, variable changes in BP were observed by race/ethnicity following the 2016 U.S. presidential election, possibly driven by SBP elevations among women.