The OPTIFAST total and partial meal replacement programme reduces cardiometabolic risk in adults with obesity: Secondary and exploratory analysis of the OPTIWIN study

AIM

The effects of weight loss with a partial or total meal replacement programme (MRP) on atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk factors are not fully understood, in particular in people at higher CV risk. In the 52-week randomized controlled OPTIWIN study in men and women with obesity, meal replacement programme (total for first 26 weeks, partial for the ensuing 26 weeks) with OPTIFAST (OP) resulted in significantly greater weight loss compared with a low-calorie food-based (FB) dietary plan, both as part of a comprehensive lifestyle intervention [OP (n = 135)/FB (n = 138) week 26: -12.4%/-6.0%, p < .001; week 52: -10.5%/-5.5%, p < .001]. Here, we examined effects on ASCVD risk factors and 10-year ASCVD risk.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Participants with body mass index 30-55 kg/m2 and age 18-70 years, and not on anti-obesity medications, were recruited. The effects on systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP), lipid parameters and 10-year ASCVD risk were analysed as changes over time using linear mixed models. Subgroup analyses were conducted for changes in SBP, DBP and ASCVD risk by categories of age (<40, 40-59, ≥60 years), baseline SBP (

RESULTS

Baseline characteristics were well balanced (OP/FB females 86%/79%, mean age 47/47 years, body mass index 38.4/39.2 kg/m2 , 10-year ASCVD risk <5% 87%/74%, dysglycaemia 52%/50%). At week 26, SBP/DBP were significantly reduced with OP versus FB, and a greater proportion achieved BP ≤130/80 mmHg [odds ratio 2.11 (95% confidence interval 1.10, 4.03), p = .024]. All lipid parameters as well as 10-year ASCVD risk were significantly improved with OP versus FB. A similar, but slightly attenuated pattern was observed at 52 weeks. Across subgroups, greater reductions for SBP, DBP and ASCVD risk were generally seen with OP versus FB with quantitatively higher baseline SBP and age, and in men.

CONCLUSIONS

In people with obesity at low ASCVD risk, OP significantly reduced cardiovascular risk factors and 10-year predicted risk for ASCVD.

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Key Words

• blood pressure
• body weight
• caloric restriction
• clinical trial
• heart disease risk factors
• obesity management

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MESH Headings

• Adult
• Male
• Humans
• Female
• Middle Aged
• Adolescent
• Young Adult
• Aged
• Obesity/complications
• Obesity/epidemiology
• Blood Pressure
• Risk Factors
• Weight Loss
• Atherosclerosis
• Lipids
• Hypertension/drug therapy

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Grants

• Nestlé Health Science

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The effect of bovine dairy products and their components on the incidence and natural history of infection: a systematic literature review

BACKGROUND

Dairy products and their components may impact immune function, although the current evidence base has some research gaps. As part of a larger systematic literature review of dairy products/components (including probiotics, dairy proteins, and dairy fats) and immune function, we identified the available epidemiologic research on the impact of dairy products/components on incidence and natural history of infectious diseases.

METHODS

PubMed and Embase databases were systematically searched through May 2022 to identify eligible studies using pre-defined Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcomes, and Study design criteria. Herein, we focused on describing the impacts of dairy product/component on infectious disease outcomes, including the effect on leukocyte and cytokine response in humans. Risk of bias assessment was performed using the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Quality Criteria Checklist. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed.

RESULTS

Among 9,832 studies identified from the larger literature search, 133 relevant publications from 128 studies reported on dairy product/component and infectious disease outcomes. Few studies are available on the impact of non-fermented milk and traditional yogurt on infectious disease. Evidence was identified to suggest milk and yogurt drinks fermented with Lactobacillus strains reduce the risk and burden of common infectious diseases (CIDs), although the findings are mixed and difficult to reconcile due to heterogenous study populations, bacterial strains, and study methods. Few studies are available on the impact of dairy products/components on the natural history of infection, with the available findings indicating probiotics may both improve gastrointestinal symptoms among HIV-infected persons and help eradicate and alleviate the symptoms of Heliobacter (H.) pylori. The available evidence also suggests lactoferrin may reduce the virological burden of COVID-19 and hepatitis C virus. No consistent changes in leukocytes or cytokine production were observed for any type of dairy product or their components, but probiotics appeared to enhance natural killer cell levels/activity and the phagocytic process.

CONCLUSIONS

Dairy products, particularly those with added probiotics, may represent an easily accessible nutritional intervention to prevent and improve the course of infectious diseases. This review highlights the need for additional research in this potentially impactful area.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION

CRD42022333780.

Moon, Mars and Minds: Evaluating Parkinson's disease mortality among U.S. radiation workers and veterans in the million person study of low-dose effects

BACKGROUND

Radiation is one of the most important stressors related to missions in space beyond Earth's orbit. Epidemiologic studies of exposed workers have reported elevated rates of Parkinson's disease. The importance of cognitive dysfunction related to low-dose rate radiation in humans is not defined. A meta-analysis was conducted of six cohorts in the Million Person Study (MPS) of low-dose health effects to learn whether there is consistent evidence that Parkinson's disease is associated with radiation dose to brain.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The MPS evaluates all causes of death among U.S. radiation workers and veterans, including Parkinson's disease. Systematic and consistent methods are applied to study all categories of workers including medical radiation workers, industrial radiographers, nuclear power plant workers, atomic veterans, and Manhattan Projects workers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory and at Rocky Flats. Consistent methods for all cohorts are used to estimate organ-specific doses and to obtain vital status and cause of death.

RESULTS

The meta-analysis include 6 cohorts within the MPS, consisting of 517,608 workers and 17,219,001 person-years of observation. The mean dose to brain ranged from 6.9 to 47.6 mGy and the maximum dose from 0.76 to 2.7 Gy. Five of the 6 cohorts revealed positive associations with Parkinson's disease. The overall summary estimate from the meta-analysis was statistically significant based on 1573 deaths due to Parkinson's disease. The summary excess relative risk at 100 mGy was 0.17 (95% CI: 0.05; 0.29).

CONCLUSIONS

Parkinson's disease was positively associated with radiation in the MPS cohorts indicating the need for careful evaluation as to causality in other studies, delineation of possible mechanisms, and assessing possible implications for space travel as well as radiation protection guidance for terrestrial workers.

Third mortality follow-up of the Mallinckrodt uranium processing workers, 1942-2019

INTRODUCTION

Mallinckrodt Chemical Works was a uranium processing facility during the Manhattan Project from 1942 to 1966. Thousands of workers were exposed to low-dose-rates of ionizing radiation from external and internal sources. This third follow-up of 2514 White male employees updates cancer and noncancer mortality potentially associated with radiation and silica dust.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Individual, annualized organ doses were estimated from film badge records (n monitored = 2514), occupational chest x-rays (n = 2514), uranium urinalysis (n = 1868), radium intake through radon breath measurements (n = 487), and radon ambient measurements (n = 1356). Silica dust exposure from pitchblende processing was estimated (n = 1317). Vital status and cause of death determination through 2019 relied upon the National Death Index and Social Security Administration Epidemiological Vital Status Service. The analysis included standardized mortality ratios (SMRs), Cox proportional hazards, and Poisson regression models.

RESULTS

Vital status was confirmed for 99.4% of workers (84.0% deceased). For a dose weighting factor of 1 for intakes of uranium, radium, and radon decay products, the mean and median lung doses were 65.6 and 29.9 mGy, respectively. SMRs indicated a difference in health outcomes between salaried and hourly workers, and more brain cancer deaths than expected [SMR: 1.79; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.14, 2.70]. No association was seen between radiation and lung cancer [hazard ratio (HR) at 100 mGy: 0.93; 95%CI: 0.78, 1.11]. The relationship between radiation and kidney cancer observed in the previous follow-up was maintained (HR at 100 mGy: 2.07; 95%CI: 1.12, 3.79). Cardiovascular disease (CVD) also increased significantly with heart dose (HR at 100 mGy: 1.11; 95%CI: 1.02, 1.21). Exposures to dust ≥23.6 mg/m3-year were associated with nonmalignant kidney disease (NMKD) (HR: 3.02; 95%CI: 1.12, 8.16) and kidney cancer combined with NMKD (HR: 2.46; 95%CI: 1.04, 5.81), though without evidence of a dose-response per 100 mg/m3-year.

CONCLUSIONS

This third follow-up of Mallinckrodt uranium processors reinforced the results of the previous studies. There was an excess of brain cancers compared with the US population, although no radiation dose-response was detected. The association between radiation and kidney cancer remained, though potentially due to few cases at higher doses. The association between levels of silica dust ≥23.6 mg/m3-year and NMKD also remained. No association was observed between radiation and lung cancer. A positive dose-response was observed between radiation and CVD; however, this association may be confounded by smoking, which was unmeasured. Future work will pool these data with other uranium processing worker cohorts within the Million Person Study.

Dietary eating patterns, dairy consumption, and anxiety: A systematic literature review

BACKGROUND

Nutrition affects both physical and mental health but evidence is mixed regarding potential associations between anxiety and diet, particularly dairy consumption. We conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) of dairy consumption and/or various dietary patterns and risk of anxiety.

METHODS

Literature searches were conducted in PubMed and Embase. All study designs except case reports, small case series, and SLRs were considered for inclusion. Reference lists of previously published SLRs were reviewed for any relevant additional studies. Studies of populations without dairy sensitivities exploring the association between dietary patterns and/or dairy consumption and anxiety published through May 2022 were identified using predefined eligibility criteria. Study quality was determined using the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Quality Criteria Checklist.

RESULTS

For this SLR, 132 studies were included; 80 were cross-sectional. Studies examined different dietary patterns (e.g., Mediterranean, gluten-free) and anxiety using various anxiety scales, with 19 studies specifically reporting on whole dairy consumption and anxiety. Dairy consumption was significantly associated with a lower risk of anxiety in 7 studies, while the remaining 12 studies showed no significant associations. Evidence was mixed for the association between various dietary patterns and anxiety, but more studies observed a lower risk of anxiety with greater adherence to "healthy" diets (e.g., Mediterranean, diet quality score, vegetarian/vegan) than a higher risk. Notable heterogeneity in study populations, time periods, geographical locations, dietary assessment methods, and anxiety scales was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this SLR suggest a potential link between diet including diary consumption and anxiety, but future studies, especially with longitudinal designs that measure diet and anxiety at several timepoints and comprehensively adjust for confounders, are needed to fully understand the relationship between diet and anxiety.

Mortality among Tennessee Eastman Corporation (TEC) uranium processing workers, 1943-2019

BACKGROUND

There are few occupational studies of women exposed to ionizing radiation. During World War II, the Tennessee Eastman Corporation (TEC) operated an electromagnetic field separation facility of 1152 calutrons to obtain enriched uranium (²³⁵U) used for the Hiroshima atomic bomb. Thousands of women were involved in these operations.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A new study was conducted of 13,951 women and 12,699 men employed at TEC between 1943 and 1947 for at least 90 days. Comprehensive dose reconstruction techniques were used to estimate lung doses from the inhalation of uranium dust based on airborne measurements. Vital status through 2018/2019 was obtained from the National Death Index, Social Security Death Index, Tennessee death records and online public record databases. Analyses included standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) and Cox proportional hazards models.

RESULTS

Most workers were hourly (77.7%), white (95.6%), born before 1920 (58.3%), worked in dusty environments (57.0%), and had died (94.9%). Vital status was confirmed for 97.4% of the workers. Women were younger than men when first employed: mean ages 25.0 years and 33.0 years, respectively. The estimated mean absorbed dose to the lung was 32.7 mGy (max 1048 mGy) for women and 18.9 mGy (max 501 mGy) for men. The mean dose to thoracic lymph nodes (TLNs) was 127 mGy. Statistically significant SMRs were observed for lung cancer (SMR 1.25; 95% CI 1.19, 1.31; n = 1654), nonmalignant respiratory diseases (NMRDs) (1.23; 95% CI 1.19, 1.28; n = 2585), and cerebrovascular disease (CeVD) (1.13; 95% CI 1.08, 1.18; n = 1945). For lung cancer, the excess relative rate (ERR) at 100 mGy (95% CI) was 0.01 (-0.10, 0.12; n = 652) among women, and -0.15 (-0.38, 0.07; n = 1002) among men based on a preferred model for men with lung doses <300 mGy. NMRD and non-Hodgkin lymphoma were not associated with estimated absorbed dose to the lung or TLN.

CONCLUSIONS

There was little evidence that radiation increased the risk of lung cancer, suggesting that inhalation of uranium dust and the associated high-LET alpha particle exposure to lung tissue experienced over a few years is less effective in causing lung cancer than other types of exposures. There was no statistically significant difference in the lung cancer risk estimates between men and women. The elevation of certain causes of death such as CeVD is unexplained and will require additional scrutiny of workplace or lifestyle factors given that radiation is an unlikely contributor since only the lung and lymph nodes received appreciable dose.

Mortality among medical radiation workers in the United States, 1965-2016

BACKGROUND

Estimates of radiation risks following prolonged exposures at low doses and low-dose rates are uncertain. Medical radiation workers are a major component of the Million Person Study (MPS) of low-dose health effects. Annual personal dose equivalents, H_P(10), for individual workers are available to facilitate dose-response analyses for lung cancer, leukemia, ischemic heart disease (IHD) and other causes of death.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The Landauer, Inc. dosimetry database identified 109,019 medical and associated radiation workers first monitored 1965-1994. Vital status and cause of death were determined through 2016. Mean absorbed doses to red bone marrow (RBM), lung, heart, and other organs were estimated by adjusting the recorded H_P(10) for each worker by scaling factors, accounting for exposure geometry, the energy of the incident photon radiation, sex of the worker and whether an apron was worn. There were 4 exposure scenarios: general radiology characterized by low-energy x-ray exposure with no lead apron use, interventional radiologists/cardiologists who wore aprons, nuclear medicine personnel and radiation oncologists exposed to high-energy photon radiation, and other workers. Standardized mortality ratio (SMR) analyses were performed. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate organ-specific radiation risks.

RESULTS

Overall, 11,433 deaths occurred (SMR 0.60; 95%CI 0.59,0.61), 126 from leukemia other than chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), 850 from lung cancer, and 1654 from IHD. The mean duration of monitoring was 23.7 y. The excess relative rate (ERR) per 100 mGy was estimated as 0.10 (95% CI -0.34, 0.54) for leukemia other than CLL, 0.15 (0.02, 0.27) for lung cancer, and -0.10 (-0.27, 0.06) for IHD. The ERR for lung cancer was 0.16 (0.01, 0.32) among the 55,218 male workers and 0.09 (-0.19, 0.36) among the 53,801 female workers; a difference that was not statistically significant (p-value = 0.23).

CONCLUSIONS

Medical radiation workers were at increased risk for lung cancer that was higher among men than women, although this difference was not statistically significant. In contrast, the study of Japanese atomic bomb survivors exposed briefly to radiation in 1945 found females to be nearly 3 times the radiation risk of lung cancer compared with males on a relative scale. For medical workers, there were no statistically significant radiation associations with leukemia excluding CLL, IHD or other specific causes of death. Combining these data with other cohorts within the MPS, such as nuclear power plant workers and nuclear submariners, will enable more precise estimates of radiation risks at relatively low cumulative doses.

Updated systematic assessment of human, animal and mechanistic evidence demonstrates lack of human carcinogenicity with consumption of aspartame

Aspartame has been studied extensively and evaluated for its safety in foods and beverages yet concerns for its potential carcinogenicity have persisted, driven primarily by animal studies conducted at the Ramazzini Institute (RI). To address this controversy, an updated systematic review of available human, animal, and mechanistic data was conducted leveraging critical assessment tools to consider the quality and reliability of data. The evidence base includes 12 animal studies and >40 epidemiological studies reviewed by the World Health Organization which collectively demonstrate a lack of carcinogenic effect. Assessment of >1360 mechanistic endpoints, including many guideline-based genotoxicity studies, demonstrate a lack of activity associated with endpoints grouped to key characteristics of carcinogens. Other non-specific mechanistic data (e.g., mixed findings of oxidative stress across study models, tissues, and species) do not provide evidence of a biologically plausible carcinogenic pathway associated with aspartame. Taken together, available evidence supports that aspartame consumption is not carcinogenic in humans and that the inconsistent findings of the RI studies may be explained by flaws in study design and conduct (despite additional analyses to address study limitations), as acknowledged by authoritative bodies.

Radiation and CNS effects: summary of evidence from a recent symposium of the Radiation Research Society

This article summarizes a Symposium on 'Radiation risks of the central nervous system' held virtually at the 67th Annual Meeting of the Radiation Research Society, 3-6 October 2021. Repeated low-dose radiation exposure over a certain period could lead to reduced neuronal proliferation, altered neurogenesis, neuroinflammation and various neurological complications, including psychological consequences, necessitating further research in these areas. Four speakers from radiation biology, genetics and epidemiology presented the latest data from their studies seeking insights into this important topic. This symposium highlighted new and important directions for further research on mental health disorders, neurodegenerative conditions and cognitive impairment. Future studies will examine risks of mental and behavioral disorders and neurodegenerative diseases following protracted radiation exposures to better understand risks of occupational exposures as well as provide insights into risks from exposures to galactic cosmic rays.

Theoretical attributable risk analysis and Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) based on increased dairy consumption

Background

Identification of modifiable risk factors that may impact chronic disease risk is critical to public health. Our study objective was to conduct a theoretical population attributable risk analysis to estimate the burden of disease from low dairy intake and to estimate the impact of increased dairy intake on United States (US)-based disability adjusted life years (DALYs).

Methods

We conducted a comprehensive literature review to identify statistically significant summary relative risk estimates (SRREs) from recent meta-analyses of dairy consumption and key chronic disease outcomes. The SRREs were applied to preventive fractions using a range of categories (low to high) for population consumption of dairy products. The preventive fraction estimates were then applied to the number of DALYs for each health outcome in the US based on 2019 WHO estimates. The population attributable risk proportion estimates were calculated using the inverse of the SRRE from each meta-analysis using the same range of categories of consumption. These values were subsequently applied to the DALYs estimates to estimate the theoretical burden of disease attributable to low dairy intake.

Results

Statistically significant SRREs were identified in recent meta-analyses of total dairy consumption in relation to breast cancer, colorectal cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes (T2D), stroke, and hypertension. In this theoretical analysis, nearly 850,000 DALYs (or 5.0% of estimated years of healthy life lost) due to CVD and 200,000 DALYs (4.5%) due to T2D may be prevented by increased dairy consumption. Approximately 100,000 DALYs due to breast cancer (7.5%) and approximately 120,000 DALYs (8.5%) due to colorectal cancer may be prevented by high dairy intake. The numbers of DALYs for stroke and hypertension that may be prevented by increased dairy consumption were approximately 210,000 (6.0%) and 74,000 (5.5%), respectively.

Conclusions

Consumption of dairy products has been associated with decreased risk of multiple chronic diseases of significant public health importance. The burden of disease that may potentially be prevented by increasing dairy consumption is substantial, and population-wide improvement in meeting recommended daily dairy intake goals could have a notable public health impact. However, this analysis is theoretical, and thus additional studies providing empirical evidence are needed to further clarify potential relationships between dairy intake and various health outcomes.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-14042-7.

Relation of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Dietary Pattern to Heart Failure Risk and Socioeconomic Status (from the Southern Community Cohort Study)

The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) dietary pattern has been associated with a lower risk of incident heart failure (HF); however, previous studies were conducted in mostly middle-income White populations. The association between DASH and incident HF risk in lower income and Black individuals is less well understood. We analyzed 25,300 White and Black adults without a history of HF at enrollment (2002 to 2009) in the Southern Community Cohort Study receiving Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Alignment with DASH was assessed at enrollment using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Incident HF was ascertained from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services claims through 2016. The association between DASH diet alignment and incident HF was examined in multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression models, including an interaction term testing effect modification by income. The cohort was predominantly middle-aged (median 54 years), Black (68%), female (63%), and low-income (88% <$25,000/year/household). Socioeconomic factors, including education and annual income, were larger contributors to the variance in DASH score than were cardiovascular co-morbidities. The association between DASH dietary alignment and HF risk was not significant overall (hazard ratio [HR] 1.00; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.96 to 1.04) or in race-sex groups. However, the association between alignment with the DASH diet and HF risk significantly varied by income (interaction p = 0.030), with neutral and inverse associations in lower (<$25,000/year) and higher ($≥25,000) income participants, respectively. In conclusion, income modified the association between healthier dietary patterns and risk of incident HF. In lower income participants, greater alignment with the DASH diet was not associated with lower HF risk.

Sex-specific lung cancer risk among radiation workers in the million-person study and patients TB-Fluoroscopy

BACKGROUND

The study of Japanese atomic bomb survivors, exposed briefly to radiation, finds the risk of radiation-induced lung cancer to be nearly three times greater for women than for men. Because protection standards for astronauts are based on individual lifetime risk projections, this sex-specific difference limits the time women can spend in space. Populations exposed to chronic or fractionated radiation were evaluated to learn whether similar differences exist when exposures occur gradually over years.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Five occupational cohorts within the Million Person Study of Low-Dose Health Effects (MPS) and a Canadian Fluoroscopy Cohort Study (CFCS) of tuberculosis patients who underwent frequent chest fluoroscopic examinations are evaluated. Included are male and female workers at the Mound nuclear facility, nuclear power plants (NPP), and industrial radiographers (IR). Workers at the Mallinckrodt Chemical Works and military participants at aboveground nuclear weapons tests provide information on the risk among males. Cox proportional hazards and Poisson regression models were used to estimate sex-specific radiation risks for lung cancer and to compare any differences.

RESULTS

Overall, 15,065 lung cancers occurred among the 443,684 subjects studied: 50,111 women and 395,573 men. The mean cumulative dose to the lung was 166.3 mGy (range 6 to 1,055 mGy) with the highest among the TB-fluoroscopy patients (mean 1,055 mGy). Mean lung dose for women in the worker cohorts was generally 4 times lower than for men. Of the 12 estimates of radiation-related risk, only one, for male IRs, showed a significant elevation (ERR 0.09; 95% CI 0.02-0.16, at 100 mGy). In contrast, the dose response for male NPP workers was negative (ERR -0.05; 95% CI -0.10, 0.01, at 100 mGy). Combined, these two cohorts provided little evidence for a radiation effect among males (ERR 0.01; 95% CI -0.04, 0.06, at 100 mGy). There was no significant dose-response among females within any cohort. There was no difference in the sex-specific estimates of lung cancer risk.

CONCLUSIONS

There was little evidence that chronic or fractionated exposures increased the risk of lung cancer. There were no differences in the risks of lung cancer between men and women. However, the sex-specific analyses are limited because of small numbers of women and relatively low doses. A more definitive study is ongoing of medical radiation workers which include 85,000 women and 85,000 men (overall mean dose 82 mGy, max 1,140 mGy). Additional understanding will come from the ongoing follow-up of the CFCS.

A million persons, a million dreams: a vision for a national center of radiation epidemiology and biology

BACKGROUND

Epidemiologic studies of radiation-exposed populations form the basis for human safety standards. They also help shape public health policy and evidence-based health practices by identifying and quantifying health risks of exposure in defined populations. For more than a century, epidemiologists have studied the consequences of radiation exposures, yet the health effects of low levels delivered at a low-dose rate remain equivocal.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The Million Person Study (MPS) of U.S. Radiation Workers and Veterans was designed to examine health effects following chronic exposures in contrast with brief exposures as experienced by the Japanese atomic bomb survivors. Radiation associations for rare cancers, intakes of radionuclides, and differences between men and women are being evaluated, as well as noncancers such as cardiovascular disease and conditions such as dementia and cognitive function. The first international symposium, held November 6, 2020, provided a broad overview of the MPS. Representatives from four U.S. government agencies addressed the importance of this research for their respective missions: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The major components of the MPS were discussed and recent findings summarized. The importance of radiation dosimetry, an essential feature of each MPS investigation, was emphasized.

RESULTS

The seven components of the MPS are DOE workers, nuclear weapons test participants, nuclear power plant workers, industrial radiographers, medical radiation workers, nuclear submariners, other U.S. Navy personnel, and radium dial painters. The MPS cohorts include tens of thousands of workers with elevated intakes of alpha particle emitters for which organ-specific doses are determined. Findings to date for chronic radiation exposure suggest that leukemia risk is lower than after acute exposure; lung cancer risk is much lower and there is little difference in risks between men and women; an increase in ischemic heart disease is yet to be seen; esophageal cancer is frequently elevated but not myelodysplastic syndrome; and Parkinson's disease may be associated with radiation exposure.

CONCLUSIONS

The MPS has provided provocative insights into the possible range of health effects following low-level chronic radiation exposure. When the 34 MPS cohorts are completed and combined, a powerful evaluation of radiation-effects will be possible. This final article in the MPS special issue summarizes the findings to date and the possibilities for the future. A National Center for Radiation Epidemiology and Biology is envisioned.

Estimating the population health impact of a multi-cancer early detection genomic blood test to complement existing screening in the US and UK

BACKGROUND

Multi-cancer early detection (MCED) next-generation-sequencing blood tests represent a potential paradigm shift in screening.

METHODS

We estimated the impact of screening in the US and UK. We used country-specific parameters for uptake, and test-specific sensitivity and false-positive rates for current screening: breast, colorectal, cervical and lung (US only) cancers. For the MCED test, we used cancer-specific sensitivities by stage. Outcomes included the true-positive:false-positive (TP:FP) ratio; and the cost of diagnostic investigations among screen positives, per cancer detected (Diagcost). Outcomes were estimated for recommended screening only, and then when giving the MCED test to anyone without cancer detected by current screening plus similarly aged adults ineligible for recommended screening.

RESULTS

In the US, current screening detects an estimated 189,498 breast, cervical, colorectal and lung cancers. An MCED test with 25-100% uptake detects an additional 105,526-422,105 cancers (multiple types). The estimated TP:FP (Diagcost) was 1.43 ($89,042) with current screening but only 1:1.8 ($7060) using an MCED test. For the UK the corresponding estimates were 1:18 (£10,452) for current screening, and 1:1.6 (£2175) using an MCED test.

CONCLUSIONS

Adding an MCED blood test to recommended screening can potentially be an efficient strategy. Ongoing randomised studies are required for full efficacy and cost-effectiveness evaluations.

Estimated Energy Requirements of Infants and Young Children up to 24 Months of Age

BACKGROUND

Establishing energy requirements in infants and young children is important in developing age-appropriate diet recommendations but most published guidelines for energy requirements have 1 or more limitations related to the data underlying the calculations.

OBJECTIVE

To develop a comprehensive set of daily energy requirements for infants and young children aged 0-24 mo meeting the ideals of worldwide applicability to all healthy children based on the use of the doubly labeled water (DLW) technique to measure total energy expenditure (TEE), the use of recent, international growth charts, and calculation of values across a wide range of body weight.

METHODS

Daily estimated energy requirements (EERs) were calculated in 1-mo increments from 0 to 24 mo for boys, girls, and combined, using as inputs the following: 1) TEE measured using the DLW technique, 2) energy deposition estimates from the Institute of Medicine, and 3) body weight values from the 25th to 75th percentiles from the 2006 WHO growth charts. EERs were combined for age groups 0 to <6, 6-8, 9-11, and 12-24 mo by averaging EERs from individual months. The EER calculations were supported by a systematic literature review and a meta-regression of existing studies.

RESULTS

Energy requirements naturally increase with age and are slightly higher in boys than in girls. The EERs derived in this study are similar to those in other recent international efforts.

CONCLUSIONS

This updated set of EERs for infants and young children expand and improve upon the methodology used to establish previous published guidelines. These estimates have multiple potential uses including planning age-appropriate menus for the complementary feeding period, the development of foods that are more precisely targeted to the needs of infants and children at particular ages, and establishing macronutrient requirements within specific age groups based on a percentage of energy, such as dietary fat.

Mortality from Leukemia, Cancer and Heart Disease among U.S. Nuclear Power Plant Workers, 1957-2011

BACKGROUND

The aim of the Million Person Study (MPS) of Low Dose Health Effects is to examine the level of radiation risk for chronic exposures received gradually over time and not acutely as was the case for the Japanese atomic bomb survivors. Nuclear power plant (NPP) workers comprise nearly 15 percent of the MPS. Leukemia, selected cancers, Parkinson's disease, ischemic heart disease (IHD) and other causes of death are evaluated.

METHODS AND MATERIAL

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Radiation Exposure Information and Reporting System (REIRS) and the Landauer, Inc. dosimetry databases identified 135,193 NPP workers first monitored 1957-1984. Annual personal dose equivalents [Hp(10)] were available for each worker. Radiation records from all places of employment were sought. Vital status was determined through 2011. Mean absorbed doses to red bone marrow (RBM), esophagus, lung, colon, brain and heart were estimated by adjusting the recorded Hp(10) for each worker by scaling factors, accounting for exposure geometry and energy of the incident gamma radiation. Standardized mortality ratios (SMR) were calculated. Radiation risks were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models.

RESULTS

Nearly 50% of workers were employed for more than 20 years. The mean duration of follow-up was 30.2 y. Overall, 29,076 total deaths occurred, 296 from leukemia other than chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), 3,382 from lung cancer, 140 from Parkinson's disease and 5,410 from IHD. The mean dose to RBM was 37.9 mGy (maximum 1.0 Gy; percent >100 mGy was 9.2%), 43.2 mGy to lung, 43.7 mGy to colon, 33.2 mGy to brain, and 43.9 mGy to heart. The SMRs (95% CI) were 1.06 (0.94;1.19) for leukemia other than CLL, 1.10 (1.07;1.14) for lung cancer, 0.90 (0.76;1.06) for Parkinson's disease, and 0.80 (0.78; 0.82) for IHD. The excess relative risk (ERR) per 100 mGy for leukemia other than CLL was 0.15 (90% CI 0.001; 0.31). For all solid cancers the ERR per 100 mGy (95% CI) was 0.01 (-0.03; 0.05), for lung cancer -0.04 (-0.11; 0.02), for Parkinson's disease 0.24 (-0.02; 0.50), and for IHD -0.01 (-0.06; 0.04).

CONCLUSION

Prolonged exposure to radiation increased the risk of leukemia other than CLL among NPP workers. There was little evidence for a radiation-association for all solid cancers, lung cancer or ischemic heart disease. Increased precision will be forthcoming as the different cohorts within the MPS are combined, such as industrial radiographers and medical radiation workers who were assembled and evaluated in like manner.

Mortality among workers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, 1943-2017

BACKGROUND

During World War II (WWII), the Manhattan Engineering District established a secret laboratory in the mountains of northern New Mexico. The mission was to design, construct and test the first atomic weapon, nicknamed 'The Gadget' that was detonated at the TRINITY site in Alamogordo, NM. After WWII, nuclear weapons research continued, and the laboratory became the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The mortality experience of 26,328 workers first employed between 1943 and 1980 at LANL was determined through 2017. Included were 6157 contract workers employed by the ZIA Company. Organ dose estimates for each worker considered all sources of exposure, notably photons, neutrons, tritium, ²³⁸Pu and ²³⁹Pu. Vital status determination included searches within the National Death Index, Social Security Administration and New Mexico State Mortality Files. Standardized Mortality Ratios (SMR) and Cox regression models were used in the analyses.

RESULTS

Most workers (55%) were hired before 1960, 38% had a college degree, 25% were female, 81% white, 13% Hispanic and 60% had died. Vital status was complete, with only 0.1% lost to follow-up. The mean dose to the lung for the 17,053 workers monitored for radiation was 28.6 weighted-mGy (maximum 16.8 weighted-Gy) assuming a Dose Weighting Factor of 20 for alpha particle dose to lung. The Excess Relative Risk (ERR) at 100 weighted-mGy was 0.01 (95%CI -0.02, 0.03; n = 839) for lung cancer. The ERR at 100 mGy was -0.43 (95%CI -1.11, 0.24; n = 160) for leukemia other than chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), -0.06 (95%CI -0.16, 0.04; n = 3043) for ischemic heart disease (IHD), and 0.29 (95%CI 0.02, 0.55; n = 106) for esophageal cancer. Among the 6499 workers with measurable intakes of plutonium, an increase in bone cancer (SMR 2.44; 95%CI 0.98, 5.03; n = 7) was related to dose. The SMR for berylliosis was significantly high, based on 4 deaths. SMRs for Hispanic workers were significantly high for cancers of the stomach and liver, cirrhosis of the liver, nonmalignant kidney disease and diabetes, but the excesses were not related to radiation dose.

CONCLUSIONS

There was little evidence that radiation increased the risk of lung cancer or leukemia. Esophageal cancer was associated with radiation, and plutonium intakes were linked to an increase of bone cancer. IHD was not associated with radiation dose. More precise evaluations will await the pooled analysis of workers with similar exposures such as at Rocky Flats, Savannah River and Hanford.

Health-Related Quality of Life in Weight Loss Interventions: Results from the OPTIWIN Trial

Obesity is highly prevalent and associated with several adverse outcomes including health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL), work productivity, and activity impairment. The objective of this study is to examine group differences in HRQoL and labor-related health outcomes among participants in the OPTIWIN program, which compared the effectiveness of two intensive behavioral weight loss interventions. Participants (n = 273) were randomized to OPTIFAST^®(OP) or food-based (FB) dietary interventions for 52 weeks. HRQoL and labor-related health outcomes were measured at baseline, week 26, and week 52, using two questionnaires. At baseline, there were no differences between groups on the Impact of Weight on Quality-of-Life Questionnaire (IWQOL-Lite). At week 26, the OP group had statistically significant differences towards better HRQoL for Physical Function, Self-Esteem, and the total score compared with the FB group. At week 52, the OP group showed better HRQoL in the total score (p = 0.0012) and in all but one domain. Moreover, the adjusted change-from-baseline normalized total score at week 52 was −5.9 points (p = 0.0001). Finally, the mean IWQOL-Lite normalized score showed that HRQoL improves by 0.4442 units (p < 0.0001) per kg lost, and that greater weight reduction was positively associated with better HRQoL. No statistically significant group differences were found with the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (General Health) (WPAI-GH) Questionnaire. HRQoL improves with highly intensive, well-structured weight loss interventions. Greater weight loss lead to larger improvements. The lack of negative effect on productivity and activity suggests that these interventions may be compatible with an active work lifestyle.

Evaluation of claims-based computable phenotypes to identify heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction

The purpose of this analysis was to develop and validate computable phenotypes for heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) using claims-type measures using the Rochester Epidemiology Project. This retrospective study utilized an existing cohort of Olmsted County, Minnesota residents aged ≥ 20 years diagnosed with HF between 2007 and 2015. The gold standard definition of HFpEF included meeting the validated Framingham criteria for HF and having an LVEF ≥ 50%. Computable phenotypes of claims-type data elements (including ICD-9/ICD-10 diagnostic codes and lab test codes) both individually and in combinations were assessed via sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) with respect to the gold standard. In the Framingham-validated cohort, 2,035 patients had HF; 1,172 (58%) had HFpEF. One in-patient or two out-patient diagnosis codes of ICD-9 428.3X or ICD-10 I50.3X had 46% sensitivity, 88% specificity, 84% PPV, and 54% NPV. The addition of a BNP/NT-proBNP test code reduced sensitivity to 35% while increasing specificity to 91% (PPV = 84%, NPV = 51%). Broadening the diagnostic codes to ICD-9 428.0, 428.3X, and 428.9/ICD-10 I50.3X and I50.9 increased sensitivity at the expense of decreasing specificity (diagnostic code-only model: 87% sensitivity, 8% specificity, 56% PPV, 30% NPV; diagnostic code and BNP lab code model: 61% sensitivity, 43% specificity, 60% PPV, 45% NPV). In an analysis conducted to mimic real-world use of the computable phenotypes, any one in-patient or out-patient code of ICD-9 428/ICD-10 150 among the broader population (N = 3,755) resulted in lower PPV values compared with the Framingham cohort. However, one in-patient or two out-patient instances of ICD-9 428.0, 428.9, or 428.3X/ICD-10 150.3X or 150.9 brought the PPV values from the two cohorts closer together. While some misclassification remains, the computable phenotypes defined here may be used in claims databases to identify HFpEF patients and to gain a greater understanding of the characteristics of patients with HFpEF.

Differences in treatment response to a total diet replacement intervention versus a food-based intervention: A secondary analysis of the OPTIWIN trial

OBJECTIVE

For every weight loss treatment, there are usually groups of people who lose less than expected. This study sought to determine if response rates to a total diet replacement (TDR) differed from those of a calorie-restricted, food-based (FB) diet.

METHODS

Data from OPTIWIN, a 12-month multicenter trial in adults with a BMI of 30-55 kg/m2, with 26-week weight-loss and weight-maintenance phases, were utilized. Participants (n = 330) were randomized to the OPTIFAST programme (OP) or to a reduced-energy FB diet. Treatment non-responders were defined as those who lost <3% of initial weight at months 6 or 12.

RESULTS

There were 103 (76%) responders in the OP compared with 78 (57%) in the FB group at 12 months. The odds of treatment response at 12 months among participants who were non-responders at 3 months was not significantly different between the OP and FB groups (p = 0.64). Race, type 2 diabetes status and previous weight loss attempts were significantly associated with responder status. OP responders had higher meal plan adherence and non-caloric fluid intake compared with FB responders.

CONCLUSION

Early treatment response is more likely and better sustained with TDR compared with an FB diet. Individual and treatment level factors appear to influence early treatment response to behavioural interventions for weight reduction.

Mortality among U.S. military participants at eight aboveground nuclear weapons test series

BACKGROUND

Approximately 235,000 military personnel participated at one of 230 U.S. atmospheric nuclear weapons tests from 1945 through 1962. At the Nevada Test Site (NTS), the atomic veterans participated in military maneuvers, observed nuclear weapons tests, or provided technical support. At the Pacific Proving Ground (PPG), they served aboard ships or were stationed on islands during or after nuclear weapons tests.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Participants at seven test series, previously studied with high-quality dosimetry and personnel records, and the first test at TRINITY formed the cohort of 114,270 male military participants traced for vital status from 1945 through 2010. Dose reconstructions were based on Nuclear Test Personnel Review records, Department of Defense. Standardized mortality ratios (SMR) and Cox and Poisson regression models were used in the analysis.

RESULTS

Most atomic veterans were enlisted men, served in the Navy at the PPG, and were born before 1930. Vital status was determined for 96.8% of the veterans; 60% had died. Enlisted men had significantly high all-causes mortality SMR (1.06); officers had significantly low all-causes mortality SMR (0.71). The pattern of risk over time showed a diminution of the 'healthy soldier effect': the all-causes mortality SMR after 50 years of follow-up was 1.00. The healthy soldier effect for all cancers also diminished over time. The all-cancer SMR was significantly high after 50 years (SMR 1.10) primarily from smoking-related cancers, attributed in part to the availability of cigarettes in military rations. The highest SMR was for mesothelioma (SMR 1.56) which was correlated with asbestos exposure in naval ships. Prostate cancer was significantly high (SMR 1.13). Ischemic heart disease was significantly low (SMR 0.84). Estimated mean doses varied by organ were low; e.g., the mean red bone marrow dose was 6 mGy (maximum 108 mGy). Internal cohort dose-response analyses provided no evidence for increasing trends with radiation dose for leukemia (excluding chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)) [ERR (95% CI) per 100 mGy -0.37 (-1.08, 0.33); n = 710], CLL, myelodysplastic syndrome, multiple myeloma, ischemic heart disease, or cancers of the lung, prostate, breast, and brain.

CONCLUSION

No statistically significant radiation associations were observed among 114,270 nuclear weapons test participants followed for up to 65 years. The 95% confidence limits were narrow and excluded mortality risks per unit dose that are two to four times higher than those reported in other investigations. Significantly elevated SMRs were seen for mesothelioma and asbestosis, attributed to asbestos exposure aboard ships.

Meeting Calorie and Protein Needs in the Critical Care Unit: A Prospective Observational Pilot Study

Background:

Inadequate calorie and protein intake during critical illness is associated with poor clinical outcomes. Unfortunately, most critically ill patients do not consume adequate levels of these nutrients. An enteral formula with appropriate macronutrient composition may assist patients in meeting nutritional goals.

Design:

This study was a single center, prospective, observational study of 29 adults in the medical intensive care unit who required enteral nutrition for at least 3 days. Subjects received a calorically dense, enzymatically hydrolyzed 100% whey peptide-based enteral formula for up to 5 days to assess the ability to achieve 50% of caloric goals within the first 3 days (primary outcome), the daily percentage of protein goals attained and gastrointestinal tolerance (secondary outcomes).

Result:

A total of 29 subjects consented and began the study. Four subjects dropped out before first day and 25 subjects were included in analyses. Subjects were aged 55.5 ± 16.9 years with mean body mass index (BMI) of 27.9 ± 7.5 kg/m². Most (92%) subjects were on a mechanical ventilator and experienced organ failure. At least 50% of caloric and protein goals were achieved in 78.9% and 73.7% of the subjects, respectively, during the first 3 days. Overall, 75.0 ± 26.3% and 69.3 ± 26.7% of calorie and protein goals were achieved using the study formula.

Conclusions:

Subjects fed enterally with a calorically dense, enzymatically hydrolyzed 100% whey peptide-based enteral formula exceeded 50% of caloric and protein goals in most critically ill subjects included in this study. Use of study formula did not lead to severe gastrointestinal intolerance.

Narrowing the Protein Deficit Gap in Critically Ill Patients Using a Very High-Protein Enteral Formula

BACKGROUND

Protein deficits have been associated with longer intensive care unit (ICU) stays and increased mortality. Current view suggests if protein goals are met, meeting full energy targets may be less important and prevent deleterious effects of overfeeding. We proposed a very-high protein (VHP) enteral nutrition (EN) formula could provide adequate protein, without overfeeding energy, in the first week of critical illness.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study of medical/surgical ICU patients receiving EN exclusively for ≥5 days during the first week of ICU admission. Twenty participants received standard EN; 20 participants received the VHP-EN formula (1 kcal/mL, 37% protein). Protein and energy prescribed/received, gastrointestinal tolerance, and feeding interruptions were examined.

RESULTS

Forty ICU patients [average Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score of 20.1] were included. Protein prescribed and received was significantly higher in the VHP group vs the standard EN group (135.5 g/d ± 22.9 vs 111.4 g/d ± 25; P = .003 and 112.2 g/d ± 27.8 vs 81.7 g/d ± 16.7, respectively; P = .002). Energy prescribed and received was similar between groups (1696 kcal/d ± 402 vs 1893 kcal/d ± 341, respectively; P = .101 and 1520 kcal/d ± 346 vs 1506 ± 380 kcal/d; P = .901). There were no differences in EN tolerance (P = .065) or feeding interruptions (P = .336).

CONCLUSIONS

Use of a VHP formula in ICU patients resulted in higher protein intakes without overfeeding energy or use of modular protein in the first 5 days of exclusive EN.

Achieving Protein Targets in the ICU Using a Specialized High-Protein Enteral Formula: A Quality Improvement Project

BACKGROUND

To meet protein needs in critical illness (CI), guidelines suggest ≥1.2-2.5 g protein/kg/d; however, most intensive care unit (ICU) patients receive ≤0.7 g/kg/d. Higher protein enteral nutrition (EN) formulas may be part of the solution to provide prescribed protein. Our objective was to demonstrate that an EN formula with 37% protein can deliver ≥80% of prescribed protein, without overfeeding calories within the first 5 days of feeding and to describe ICU clinicians' experience.

METHODS

This quality improvement (QI) project included patients requiring exclusive EN for up to 5 days from 6 Canadian ICUs. Rationale for choosing formula, patient's BMI (kg/m² ), nutrition targets, daily protein and energy delivered, feeding interruptions, and general tolerance were recorded.

RESULTS

Forty-four of 49 patients received the formula ≥2 days. Average protein prescribed was 137.5 g/d (82.5-200) or 1.9 g/kg/d (1.5-2.5). Average protein delivered was 116.9 g/d (33.5-180) or 1.6 g/kg/d (0.4-2.4). Seventy-five percent to 83% of patients received ≥80% prescribed protein on days 2-5. Average energy prescribed was 1638.6 kcal/d (990-2500) or 17.8 kcal/kg (11-26). Average energy delivered was 1523.9 kcal/d (693.0-2557.5) or 17.3 kcal/kg/d (1.35-64.7). The formula was well tolerated with no gastrointestinal symptoms reported in 38 (86%) patients. The most common reasons to prescribe the formula were obesity and use of fat-based medications.

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrated in a QI study that a high-protein EN formula was tolerated in a small, heterogeneous group of ICU patients and effective in meeting protein targets without overfeeding.

2'-Fucosyllactose Is Well Tolerated in a 100% Whey, Partially Hydrolyzed Infant Formula With Bifidobacterium lactis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Human milk oligosaccharides are important components of breast milk. We evaluated feeding tolerance of the human milk oligosaccharide 2′-fucosyllactose (2′FL) in a 100% whey, partially hydrolyzed infant formula with the probiotic Bifidobacterium animalis ssp lactis strain Bb12 (B lactis; Test) as compared with the same formula without 2′FL (Control) in a randomized controlled trial of healthy infants enrolled at 2 weeks of age (±5 days). After 6 weeks of feeding the assigned formula, the primary outcome of tolerance was assessed using the Infant Gastrointestinal Symptom Questionnaire. Stooling, vomiting, spit-up, crying, and fussing were compared between groups. Seventy-nine infants were enrolled and 63 completed the study per protocol (30 Test, 33 Control). Infant Gastrointestinal Symptom Questionnaire scores were similar between groups (Test 20.9 ± 4.8, Control 20.7 ± 4.3, P = .82). Partially hydrolyzed infant formula with 2′FL and B lactis is tolerated well, as confirmed by a validated multi-symptom index.

The Million Person Study, whence it came and why

PURPOSE

The study of low dose and low-dose rate exposure is of immeasurable value in understanding the possible range of health effects from prolonged exposures to radiation. The Million Person Study (MPS) of low-dose health effects was designed to evaluate radiation risks among healthy American workers and veterans who are more representative of today's populations than are the Japanese atomic bomb survivors exposed briefly to high-dose radiation in 1945. A million persons were needed for statistical reasons to evaluate low-dose and dose-rate effects, rare cancers, intakes of radioactive elements, and differences in risks between women and men.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

The MPS consists of five categories of workers and veterans exposed to radiation from 1939 to the present. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Health and Mortality study began over 40 years ago and is the source of ∼360,000 workers. Over 25 years ago, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) collaborated with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to effectively create a cohort of nuclear power plant workers (∼150,000) and industrial radiographers (∼130,000). For over 30 years, the Department of Defense (DoD) collected data on aboveground nuclear weapons test participants (∼115,000). At the request of NCI in 1978, Landauer, Inc., (Glenwood, IL) saved their dosimetry databases which became the source of a cohort of ∼250,000 medical and other workers.

RESULTS

Overall, 29 individual cohorts comprise the MPS of which 21 have been or are under active study (∼810,000 persons). The remaining eight cohorts (∼190,000 persons) will be studied as resources become available. The MPS is a national effort with critical support from the NRC, DOE, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), DoD, NCI, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Landauer, Inc., and national laboratories.

CONCLUSIONS

The MPS is designed to address the major unanswered question in radiation risk understanding: What is the level of health effects when exposure is gradual over time and not delivered briefly. The MPS will provide scientific understandings of prolonged exposure which will improve guidelines to protect workers and the public; improve compensation schemes for workers, veterans and the public; provide guidance for policy and decision makers; and provide evidence for or against the continued use of the linear nonthreshold dose-response model in radiation protection.

Sex-specific lung cancer risk among radiation workers in the million-person study and patients TB-Fluoroscopy

BACKGROUND

The study of Japanese atomic bomb survivors, exposed briefly to radiation, finds the risk of radiation-induced lung cancer to be nearly three times greater for women than for men. Because protection standards for astronauts are based on individual lifetime risk projections, this sex-specific difference limits the time women can spend in space. Populations exposed to chronic or fractionated radiation were evaluated to learn whether similar differences exist when exposures occur gradually over years.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Five occupational cohorts within the Million Person Study of Low-Dose Health Effects (MPS) and a Canadian Fluoroscopy Cohort Study (CFCS) of tuberculosis patients who underwent frequent chest fluoroscopic examinations are evaluated. Included are male and female workers at the Mound nuclear facility, nuclear power plants (NPP), and industrial radiographers (IR). Workers at the Mallinckrodt Chemical Works and military participants at aboveground nuclear weapons tests provide information on the risk among males. Cox proportional hazards and Poisson regression models were used to estimate sex-specific radiation risks for lung cancer and to compare any differences.

RESULTS

Overall, 15,065 lung cancers occurred among the 443,684 subjects studied: 50,111 women and 395,573 men. The mean cumulative dose to the lung was 166.3 mGy (range 6 to 1,055 mGy) with the highest among the TB-fluoroscopy patients (mean 1,055 mGy). Mean lung dose for women in the worker cohorts was generally 4 times lower than for men. Of the 12 estimates of radiation-related risk, only one, for male IRs, showed a significant elevation (ERR 0.09; 95% CI 0.02-0.16, at 100 mGy). In contrast, the dose response for male NPP workers was negative (ERR -0.05; 95% CI -0.10, 0.01, at 100 mGy). Combined, these two cohorts provided little evidence for a radiation effect among males (ERR 0.01; 95% CI -0.04, 0.06, at 100 mGy). There was no significant dose-response among females within any cohort. There was no difference in the sex-specific estimates of lung cancer risk.

CONCLUSIONS

There was little evidence that chronic or fractionated exposures increased the risk of lung cancer. There were no differences in the risks of lung cancer between men and women. However, the sex-specific analyses are limited because of small numbers of women and relatively low doses. A more definitive study is ongoing of medical radiation workers which include 85,000 women and 85,000 men (overall mean dose 82 mGy, max 1,140 mGy). Additional understanding will come from the ongoing follow-up of the CFCS.

Effectiveness of a Total Meal Replacement Program (OPTIFAST Program) on Weight Loss: Results from the OPTIWIN Study

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to test the effectiveness of the OPTIFAST program (OP), a total meal replacement dietary intervention, compared with a food-based (FB) dietary plan for weight loss.

METHODS

Participants with BMI 30 to 55 kg/m2 , age 18 to 70 years old, were randomized to OP or FB dietary and lifestyle interventions for 26 weeks, followed by a weight-maintenance phase. Outcomes were percent change in body weight (%WL) from baseline to weeks 26 and 52, associated changes in body composition (using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry), and adverse events. Primary analysis used repeated-measures multivariable linear mixed models to compare outcomes between groups in a modified intention-to-treat fashion (mITT).

RESULTS

A total of 273 participants (83% of randomized; 135 OP, 138 FB) made up the mITT population. Mean age was 47.1 ± 11.2 years; 82% were female and 71% non-Hispanic white. Baseline BMI was 38.8 ± 5.9 kg/m2 . At 26 weeks, OP %WL was 12.4% ± 0.6% versus 6.0% ± 0.6% in FB (P < 0.001). At 52 weeks, OP %WL was 10.5% ± 0.6% versus 5.5% ± 0.6% in FB (P < 0.001). Fat mass loss was greater for OP; lean mass loss was proportional to total weight loss. There was no difference in serious adverse event rates between groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with an FB approach, OP was more effective with greater sustained weight loss.

Unique Review Criteria and Patient and Stakeholder Reviewers: Analysis of PCORI's Approach to Research Funding

OBJECTIVE

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) uses a unique approach to Merit Review that includes patients and stakeholders as reviewers with scientists, and includes unique review criteria (patient-centeredness and active engagement of end users in the research). This study assessed the extent to which different reviewer types influence review scores and funding outcomes, the emphasis placed on technical merit compared to other criteria by a multistakeholder panel, and the impact of the in-person discussion on agreement among different reviewer types.

METHODS

Cross-sectional analysis of administrative data from PCORI online and in-person Merit Review (N = 1312 applications from the five funding cycles from November 2013 to August 2015). Linear and logistic regression models were used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

For all reviewer types, final review scores were associated with at least one review criterion score from each of the three reviewer types. The strongest predictor of final overall scores for all reviewer types was scientists' prediscussion ratings of technical merit. All reviewers' prediscussion ratings of the potential to improve health care and outcomes, and scientists' ratings of technical merit and patient-centeredness, were associated with funding success. For each reviewer type, overall impact scores from the online scoring were changed on at least half of the applications at the in-person panel discussion. Score agreement across reviewer types was greater after panel discussion.

CONCLUSIONS

Scientist, patient, and stakeholder views all contribute to PCORI Merit Review of applications for research funding. Technical merit is critical to funding success but patient and stakeholder ratings of other criteria also influence application disposition.

Very high-protein and low-carbohydrate enteral nutrition formula and plasma glucose control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized crossover trial

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Standard enteral nutrition (EN) formulas can  worsen hyperglycemia in diabetic patients. We hypothesized that altering the proportion of macronutrients in a formula; increasing protein while decreasing carbohydrate concentrations would improve glycemic response. The objective of this study was to demonstrate that an EN formula containing a very high concentration of protein (in the form of whey peptides) and low concentration of carbohydrate provide better control of postprandial blood glucose relative to a very high-protein/higher-carbohydrate formula.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

This was a randomized crossover clinical trial of 12 ambulatory adult subjects with type 2 diabetes. The primary outcome was glycemic response following a bolus of isocaloric amounts of two EN formulas; the secondary outcome was insulin response. Subjects were randomized to the experimental or the control formula, on two separate days, 5-7 days apart.

RESULTS

Mean blood glucose concentrations at 10-180 min post-infusion and mean area under the curve for glucose over 240 min post-infusion were significantly lower with the experimental formula than with the control formula (71.99 ± 595.18 and 452.62 ± 351.38, respectively; p = 0.025). There were no significant differences in the mean insulin concentrations over time, insulinogenic indices, and first-phase insulin measurements.

CONCLUSIONS

An EN formula containing high-protein and low-carbohydrate loads can significantly improve glucose control in subjects with type 2 diabetes in ambulatory settings as evidenced by observed improved glucose control without significant difference in insulin response.

The Past Informs the Future: An Overview of the Million Worker Study and the Mallinckrodt Chemical Works Cohort

The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of ongoing work on the Million Worker Study (MWS), highlighting some of the key methods and progress so far as exemplified by the study of workers at the Mallinckrodt Chemical Works (MCW). The MWS began nearly 25 y ago and continues in a stepwise fashion, evaluating one study cohort at a time. It includes workers from U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Manhattan Project facilities, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulated nuclear power plants, industrial radiographers, U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) nuclear weapons test participants, and physicians and technologists working with medical radiation. The purpose is to fill the major gap in radiation protection and science: What is the risk when exposure is received gradually over time rather than briefly as for the atomic bomb survivors? Studies published or planned in 2018 include leukemia (and dosimetry) among atomic veterans, leukemia among nuclear power plant workers, mortality among workers at the MCW, and a comprehensive National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) Report on dosimetry for the MWS. MCW has a singular place in history: the 40 tons (T) of uranium oxide produced at MCW were used by Enrico Fermi on 2 December 1942 to produce the first manmade sustained and controlled nuclear reaction, and the atomic age was born. Seventy-six years later, the authors followed the over 2,500 MCW workers for mortality and reconstructed dose from six sources of exposure: external gamma rays from the radioactive elements in pitchblende; medical x rays from occupationally required chest examinations; intakes of pitchblende (uranium, radium, and silica) measured by urine samples; radon breath analyses and dust surveys overseen by Robley Evans and Merril Eisenbud; occupational exposures received before and after employment at MCW; and cumulative radon concentrations and lung dose from the decay of radium in the work environment. The unique exposure reconstructions allow for multiple evaluations, including estimates of silica dust. The study results are relevant today. For example, NASA is interested that radium, deposited in the brain, releases high-LET alpha particles - the only human analogue, though limited, for high energy, high-Z particles (galactic cosmic rays) traveling through space that might affect astronauts on Mars missions. Don't discount the past; it's the prologue to the future!

Dosimetry is Key to Good Epidemiology: Workers at Mallinckrodt Chemical Works had Seven Different Source Exposures

Mallinckrodt Chemical Works was the earliest uranium processing facility in the Manhattan Project, beginning in 1942. Even then, concern existed about possible health effects resulting from exposure to radiation and pitchblende dust. This concern was well founded as the facility processed Belgian Congo pitchblende ore that was up to 60% pure uranium with high U content and up to 100 mg of radium per ton. Workers were exposed to external gamma radiation plus internal radiation from inhalation and ingestion of pitchblende dust (uranium, radium, and silica). Multiple sources of exposure were available for organ dose reconstruction to a degree unique for an epidemiologic study. Personal film badge measures available from 1945 captured external exposures. Additional external exposure included 15,518 occupational medical x-rays and 210 radiation exposure records from other facilities outside of Mallinckrodt employment. Organ dose calculations considered organ-specific coefficients that account for photon energy and job-specific orientation of workers to the radiation source during processing. Intakes of uranium and radium were based on 39,451 uranium urine bioassays and 2,341 breath radon measurements, and International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) Publication 68 biokinetic models were used to estimate organ-specific radiation absorbed dose. Estimates of exposure to airborne radon and its short-lived progeny were based on radon measurements in work areas where radium-containing materials were handled or stored, together with estimated exposure times in these areas based on job titles. Dose estimates for radon and its short-lived progeny were based on models and methods recently recommended in ICRP Publication 137. This comprehensive dosimetric approach follows methods outlined by the National Council on Radiation Protection Scientific Committee 6-9 for the Million Worker Study. Annual doses were calculated for six organs: lung, brain, heart, kidney, colon and red bone marrow. Evaluation and adjustment for individual cumulative measures of pitchblende dust inhalation were made for lung and kidney diseases.

Plasma glucose and insulin response to two oral nutrition supplements in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this clinical trial was to compare the glucose usage of two oral nutritional supplement (ONS) products and to assess whether a diabetes-specific formulation provides improved glucose stabilization and management compared with a standard formula.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A total of 12 subjects with type 2 diabetes (7 males and 5 females) completed a randomized, cross-over design trial. Each subject consumed isocaloric amounts of either the standard ONS or the diabetes-specific formula ONS on different dates, 1 week apart. Glucose and insulin measures were recorded at baseline, and 10, 20, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210 and 240 min after the beverage was consumed and then used to calculate area under the curve (AUC) for each subject.

RESULTS

The mean glucose AUC was lower in the diabetes-specific ONS group than in the standard group (p<0.0001), but there was not a significant difference observed for mean insulin AUC (p=0.068). A sensitivity analysis of the mean insulin AUC measures was performed by removing a potential outlier from the analysis, and this resulted in a significant difference between the groups (p=0.012). First-phase insulin measures and an insulinogenic index calculated for the beverages showed no significant differences.

CONCLUSIONS

On the basis of the results of this trial of 12 subjects, the diabetes-specific ONS appears to provide better glucose maintenance in persons with type 2 diabetes when compared to the standard formula ONS.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT02612675.

Sleep duration and breast cancer risk among black and white women

BACKGROUND

Sleep has been suggested to influence breast cancer risk; however, the evidence is mixed. Black women have a higher prevalence of both short (<6 h) and long (≥9 h) sleep duration and are more likely to develop more aggressive, hormone receptor-negative breast cancer. No study has examined the relationship between sleep and breast cancer in blacks. We focused on race-specific associations among the blacks.

METHODS

In the Southern Community Cohort Study (SCCS), a prospective study of which two-thirds of the population were black, we prospectively investigated self-reported sleep duration in relation to overall breast cancer risk by estrogen (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) status in all women and in black women alone.

RESULTS

Sleep duration was not associated with risk of total or hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. However, we found an inverse relationship between sleep duration and risk of ER- and PR- breast cancer among all women and in black women alone. Compared to the reference group (8 h), black women who reported shorter sleep duration had an increased risk of ER- PR- breast cancer (odds ratios; ORs (95% confidence intervals; CIs): 2.13 (1.15, 3.93), 1.66 (0.92, 3.02), and 2.22 (1.19, 4.12) for <6, 6, and 7 h, respectively, (p for trend, 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Short sleep duration may be a risk factor for hormone receptor-negative breast cancer among black women.

Body mass index in young adulthood, obesity trajectory, and premature mortality

Although much research has been conducted on the role adult body mass index (BMI) plays in mortality, there have been fewer studies that evaluated the associations of BMI in young adulthood and adult weight trajectory with mortality, and it remains uncertain whether associations differ by race or sex. We prospectively examined the relationships of BMI in young adulthood (21 years of age) and adult obesity trajectory with later-life mortality rates among 75,881 men and women in the Southern Community Cohort Study. Study participants were enrolled between 2002 and 2009 at ages 40-79 years and were followed through December, 2011. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals. There were 7,301 deaths in the 474,970 person-years of follow-up. Participants who reported being overweight or obese as young adults had mortality rates that were 19% (95% confidence interval: 12, 27) and 64% (95% confidence interval: 52, 78) higher, respectively, than those of their normal weight counterparts. The results did not significantly differ by race or sex. Participants who reported being obese in young adulthood only or in both young and middle adulthood experienced mortality rates that were 40%-90% higher than those of participants who were nonobese at either time. These results suggest that obesity in young adulthood is associated with higher mortality risk regardless of race, sex, and obesity status in later life.

Socioeconomic status, race, and mortality: a prospective cohort study

OBJECTIVES

We evaluated the independent and joint effects of race, individual socioeconomic status (SES), and neighborhood SES on mortality risk.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective analysis involving 52 965 non-Hispanic Black and 23 592 non-Hispanic White adults taking part in the Southern Community Cohort Study. Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to determine associations of race and SES with all-cause and cause-specific mortality.

RESULTS

In our cohort, wherein Blacks and Whites had similar individual SES, Blacks were less likely than Whites to die during the follow-up period (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.78; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.73, 0.84). Low household income was a strong predictor of all-cause mortality among both Blacks and Whites (HR = 1.76; 95% CI = 1.45, 2.12). Being in the lowest (vs highest) category with respect to both individual and neighborhood SES was associated with a nearly 3-fold increase in all-cause mortality risk (HR = 2.76; 95% CI = 1.99, 3.84). There was no significant mortality-related interaction between individual SES and neighborhood SES among either Blacks or Whites.

CONCLUSIONS

SES is a strong predictor of premature mortality, and the independent associations of individual SES and neighborhood SES with mortality risk are similar for Blacks and Whites.

A pooled analysis of body mass index and mortality among African Americans

Pooled analyses among whites and East Asians have demonstrated positive associations between all-cause mortality and body mass index (BMI), but studies of African Americans have yielded less consistent results. We examined the association between BMI and all-cause mortality in a sample of African Americans pooled from seven prospective cohort studies: NIH-AARP, 1995-2009; Adventist Health Study 2, 2002-2008; Black Women's Health Study, 1995-2009; Cancer Prevention Study II, 1982-2008; Multiethnic Cohort Study, 1993-2007; Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Screening Trial, 1993-2009; Southern Community Cohort Study, 2002-2009. 239,526 African Americans (including 100,175 never smokers without baseline heart disease, stroke, or cancer), age 30-104 (mean 52) and 71% female, were followed up to 26.5 years (mean 11.7). Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for mortality were derived from multivariate Cox proportional hazards models. Among healthy, never smokers (11,386 deaths), HRs (CI) for BMI 25-27.4, 27.5-29.9, 30-34.9, 35-39.9, 40-49.9, and 50-60 kg/m(2) were 1.02 (0.92-1.12), 1.06 (0.95-1.18), 1.32 (1.18-1.47), 1.54 (1.29-1.83), 1.93 (1.46-2.56), and 1.93 (0.80-4.69), respectively among men and 1.06 (0.99-1.15), 1.15 (1.06-1.25), 1.24 (1.15-1.34), 1.58 (1.43-1.74), 1.80 (1.60-2.02), and 2.31 (1.74-3.07) respectively among women (reference category 22.5-24.9). HRs were highest among those with the highest educational attainment, longest follow-up, and for cardiovascular disease mortality. Obesity was associated with a higher risk of mortality in African Americans, similar to that observed in pooled analyses of whites and East Asians. This study provides compelling evidence to support public health efforts to prevent excess weight gain and obesity in African Americans.

A review and meta-analysis of cancer risks in relation to Portland cement exposure

Workers engaged in the production of Portland cement may come into contact with potential occupational hazards, but existing epidemiological studies show wide variation in risk estimates for cancer incidence and mortality in relation to cement exposure. This report identified studies of cement workers and associations with cancer incidence and mortality in a systematic review and meta-analysis. A systematic review according to the PRISMA guidelines was conducted to identify studies of Portland cement workers and cancer outcomes. Meta-analyses were performed using random effects models for all cancers combined and for each cancer site with three or more reported measures of risk. A total of 26 studies were included in the review (14 occupational cohort studies and 12 case-control studies). Overall, the meta-relative risks did not provide convincing evidence for increased risks of any cancers in relation to cement exposure. Meta-SMR and 95% CIs were 0.94 (0.76 to 1.16) for six studies reporting all cancers combined, 0.93 (0.62 to 1.39) for seven studies reporting on lung cancer, 1.07 (0.72 to 1.59) for five studies reporting on stomach cancer, and 1.05 (0.79 to 1.40) for four studies reporting on colorectal cancer. Meta-relative risks for cancer incidence were similarly null for all sites with the exception of colorectal cancer which had a borderline statistically significant elevated risk (SIR=1.38, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.88). Overall, the meta-relative risks calculated across 26 published studies do not provide evidence of increased risks for cancer in relation to cement exposure.

Physical activity, sedentary behavior, and cause-specific mortality in black and white adults in the Southern Community Cohort Study

There is limited evidence demonstrating the benefits of physical activity with regard to mortality risk or the harms associated with sedentary behavior in black adults, so we examined the relationships between these health behaviors and cause-specific mortality in a prospective study that had a large proportion of black adults. Participants (40-79 years of age) enrolled in the Southern Community Cohort Study between 2002 and 2009 (n = 63,308) were prospectively followed over 6.4 years, and 3,613 and 1,394 deaths occurred in blacks and whites, respectively. Black adults who reported the highest overall physical activity level (≥32.3 metabolic equivalent-hours/day vs. <9.7 metabolic equivalent-hours/day) had lower risks of death from all causes (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.76. 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.69, 0.85), cardiovascular disease (HR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.67, 0.98), and cancer (HR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.62, 0.94). In whites, a higher physical activity level was associated with a lower risk of death from all causes (HR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.64, 0.90) and cardiovascular disease (HR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.49, 0.99) but not cancer (HR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.67, 1.34). Spending more time being sedentary (>12 hours/day vs. <5.76 hours/day) was associated with a 20%-25% increased risk of all-cause mortality in blacks and whites. Blacks who reported the most time spent being sedentary (≥10.5 hours/day) and lowest level of physical activity (<12.6 metabolic equivalent-hours/day) had a greater risk of death (HR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.25, 1.71). Our study provides evidence that suggests that health promotion efforts to increase physical activity level and decrease sedentary time could help reduce mortality risk in black adults.

Physical activity, sedentary behavior, and cause-specific mortality in black and white adults in the Southern Community Cohort Study

There is limited evidence demonstrating the benefits of physical activity with regard to mortality risk or the harms associated with sedentary behavior in black adults, so we examined the relationships between these health behaviors and cause-specific mortality in a prospective study that had a large proportion of black adults. Participants (40-79 years of age) enrolled in the Southern Community Cohort Study between 2002 and 2009 (n = 63,308) were prospectively followed over 6.4 years, and 3,613 and 1,394 deaths occurred in blacks and whites, respectively. Black adults who reported the highest overall physical activity level (≥32.3 metabolic equivalent-hours/day vs. <9.7 metabolic equivalent-hours/day) had lower risks of death from all causes (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.76. 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.69, 0.85), cardiovascular disease (HR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.67, 0.98), and cancer (HR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.62, 0.94). In whites, a higher physical activity level was associated with a lower risk of death from all causes (HR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.64, 0.90) and cardiovascular disease (HR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.49, 0.99) but not cancer (HR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.67, 1.34). Spending more time being sedentary (>12 hours/day vs. <5.76 hours/day) was associated with a 20%-25% increased risk of all-cause mortality in blacks and whites. Blacks who reported the most time spent being sedentary (≥10.5 hours/day) and lowest level of physical activity (<12.6 metabolic equivalent-hours/day) had a greater risk of death (HR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.25, 1.71). Our study provides evidence that suggests that health promotion efforts to increase physical activity level and decrease sedentary time could help reduce mortality risk in black adults.