Beverage Consumption Patterns among U.S. Adolescents and Adults from a New 24-h Beverage Recall Survey Compared to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017-2018.

Calibration of Cystatin C in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES)

Health hazards of obesity have been recognized for centuries, appearing, for example, in writings attributed to Hippocrates. From the later decades of the 20th century through the present, there have been numerous epidemiological studies of the relationship between excess weight and the total, or all-cause, mortality rate,1 a critical cumulative measure of the public health impact of any health condition. Using body mass index (BMI), an indicator of relative weight for height (weight [kg]/height [m]2) and a frequently used surrogate for assessment of excess body fat, these studies have found linear, U-shaped, or J-shaped relationships between total mortality and BMI. That is, in some studies, both the thin and the obese were more likely to die than those in between. There is, however, always a point at which increasing BMI is associated with increasing mortality risk, but the BMI at which this occurs varies across studies and populations.2 Currently,3 overweight in adults is defined as a BMI of 25.0 to <30.0 kg/m2 and obesity as a BMI of ≥30.0 kg/m2 (Table 1). A number of studies have found no significant relationship between BMI in the overweight range and mortality rate4 and have shown the nadir of mortality risk to be in the overweight range. In particular, commentaries in both the lay press5–7 and scientific literature2,8,9 subsequent to recent reports from National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES)10,11 have highlighted the confusion and controversy regarding this issue. Some have interpreted the recent data to mean that overweight is not detrimental to health and is not in itself a public health concern and that drawing attention to the need for weight loss in this range will have negative effects on the health and well-being of the general population.8 Others have argued …

Effects of Sex and Postmenopausal Estrogen Use on Serum Phosphorus Levels: A Cross-sectional Study of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2006

Severe asthma in the US population and eligibility for mAb therapy

Bone Marrow Iron in CKD: Correlation With Functional Iron Deficiency

BackgroundThere is controversy regarding the relationship between serum iron levels and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between serum iron levels and ASCVD among older adults using data from the 2009–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).MethodsWe performed a cross-sectional analysis involving 8,682 participants aged 60 years and older, with complete data on serum iron levels and confirmed ASCVD status, sourced from the 2009–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the association between serum iron levels and ASCVD. To assess the consistency of this association across different demographic groups, subgroup analyses, and interaction tests were performed.ResultsThe group with the highest serum iron levels (fourth quartile, 100–369 μg/dL) exhibited several distinct characteristics: they were the youngest on average (69.57 ± 6.91 years), had the highest proportion of males (61.42%), and the highest hemoglobin levels (14.43 ± 1.33 g/dL). This group also showed the lowest iron supplement usage (19.71 ± 12.85 mg/30 days), white blood cell counts (6.73 ± 2.41 1,000 cells/μL), and serum creatinine levels (0.98 ± 0.45 mg/dL). Moreover, they had higher levels of education and income, a higher likelihood of being married, and a lower body mass index (BMI). Additionally, they had significantly lower rates of diabetes, hypertension, stroke, and heart attacks (all p < 0.05). After adjusting for potential confounders, a linear relationship between serum iron levels and ASCVD was initially observed (OR = 0.97; 95% CI, 0.95–0.99, p < 0.05). However, further analysis using a two-part logistic regression model with an inflection point at 131 μg/dL revealed more nuanced results. For serum iron levels below 131 μg/dL, each 10 μg/dL increase was associated with a 4% decrease in the odds of ASCVD (OR = 0.96; 95% CI, 0.93–0.98, p < 0.001). Conversely, for serum iron levels above 131 μg/dL, each 10 μg/dL increase corresponded to a 1% increase in the odds of ASCVD, though this finding was not statistically significant (OR = 1.01; 95% CI, 0.98–1.08, p > 0.05).ConclusionIn the US elderly population, serum iron levels are negatively associated with ASCVD, particularly when serum iron levels are below 131 μg/dL.

Trends in Mineral Metabolism: Kidney Early Evaluation Program (KEEP) and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2004

Estimating population-level obesity rates is important for informing policy and targeting treatment. The current gold standard for obesity measurement in the United States-the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)-samples <0.1% of the population and does not target state-level or health system-level measurement. To assess the feasibility of using body mass index (BMI) data from the electronic health record (EHR) to assess rates of overweight and obesity and compare these rates to national NHANES estimates. Using outpatient data from 42 clinics, we studied 388,762 patients in a large health system with at least 1 primary care visit in 2011-2012. We compared crude and adjusted overweight and obesity rates by age category and ethnicity (white, black, Hispanic, Other) between EHR and NHANES participants. Adjusted overweight (BMI≥25) and obesity rates were calculated by a 2-step process. Step 1 accounted for missing BMI data using inverse probability weighting, whereas step 2 included a poststratification correction to adjust the EHR population to a nationally representative sample. Adjusted rates of obesity (BMI≥30) for EHR patients were 37.3% [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 37.1-37.5] compared with 35.1% (95% CI, 32.3-38.1) for NHANES patients. Among the 16 different obesity class, ethnicity, and sex strata that were compared between EHR and NHANES patients, 14 (87.5%) contained similar obesity estimates (ie, overlapping 95% CIs). EHRs may be an ideal tool for identifying and targeting patients with obesity for implementation of public health and/or individual level interventions.

The relationship between vitamin intake and depression has attracted increasing attention. However, several studies examining such relationship among populations at different age groups have produced inconsistent findings. This study was aimed to investigate the cross-sectional association between vitamin K intake and depressive symptoms in US adults. We used the data from a nationally representative sample of 11,687 adults from the 2013 to 2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Vitamin K intake was assessed by the 24-h dietary recall at the first day. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Logistic regression and generalized additive model were used to examine the association between vitamin K intake and depressive symptoms. The weighted prevalence of depressive symptoms was 10.2% (8.0% in men and 12.0% in women). We observed a significant inverse linear relationship between vitamin K intake and depressive symptoms in models adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, marital status, educational status, family poverty income ratio (PIR), home status, body mass index (BMI), smoking status, physical activity, sleep disorders, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes. The odds ratios (OR) (95% CI) for the highest compared with the lowest quartile of vitamin K intake was 0.68 (95% CI: 0.52, 0.89, p-trend < 0.05). The association was similar in subgroups stratified by age, sex, race/ethnicity, marital status, educational status, PIR, home status, BMI, smoking status, physical activity, sleep disorders, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes. Vitamin K intake was inversely and independently associated with the odds of depressive symptoms in the US adults. Prospective studies are warranted to confirm our findings.

BackgroundDiet, as a modifiable factor, plays an important role in cognitive function. However, the association between adherence to the 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), measured by Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015, and cognitive function remains unclear. This study aims to explore whether HEI-2015 is associated with various cognitive domains and whether such association is modified by age, gender, or ethnicity in the US adults aged 60 years or older using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011–2014.MethodsHEI-2015 scores were calculated from 24-h dietary recall interviews. Cognitive function was evaluated by Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST, a measure of processing speed), Animal Fluency Test (AFT, a measure of executive function), a subtest from Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s disease (CERAD, a measure of memory), and a composite-z score calculated by summing z scores of individual tests. The associations between HEI-2015 scores and cognitive performance were explored using multiple linear regression models.ResultsA total of 2450 participants aged 60 years or older were included. Participants with higher HEI-2015 scores were more likely to have higher DSST, AFT as well as composite-z scores (P<0.05). Significant interaction effects were identified between HEI-2015 and ethnicity in specific cognitive domains (Pinteraction<0.05). Among HEI-2015 components, higher intakes of whole fruits and seafood and plant protein were associated with better cognitive performance (P<0.05).ConclusionHigher adherence to DGA is associated with better cognitive performance, especially regarding processing speed and executive function among the US adults aged 60 years or older.

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) is a nationally representative, population-based survey designed to assess the health and nutritional status of the civilian, non-institutionalized US population. Data were collected through a personal interview regarding health history and through physical examination. Earlier NHANES surveys were conducted on a periodic basis; however, in 1999, NHANES began collecting data on a continuing, annual basis. During NHANES I, which ran from 1971–1975, audiometric testing was conducted on adults aged 25–74 years. No subsequent testing of adults was conducted in the NHANES program until 1999, when NHANES began audiometric testing of adults aged 20–69 years. This report examines the hearing levels for adults in the United States and compares them with the hearing data from NHANES I. Hearing levels are grouped by age and are grouped by ethnicity and gender.

Introduction: Stroke and heart disease are leading causes of mortality in the United States. We studied population attributable risks (PARs) for potentially modifiable stroke and cardiovascular-related mortality risk factors in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)-National Death Index (NDI) linked dataset. Methods: Adult NHANES participants surveyed from 1999-2014 with linked NDI data were included in this sample-level analysis. The primary outcome was death secondary to stroke (ischemic or hemorrhagic) or cardiovascular disease as recorded in NDI. Exposures were behavioral, environmental, clinical, and laboratory variables dichotomized at the sample median collected in NHANES. Missing data were imputed. PARs were calculated using adjusted hazard ratios from Cox proportional models. Results: We included 47,356 participants (median age 46 years [IQR 30-64]; 51.8% female; 261 stroke- and 1,112 cardiac-related deaths, 2.9%). Mean follow-up time was 97.2 months (SD 54.4 months). Among men &lt; 65 years, characteristics with the top 3 PARs were elevated cholesterol (PAR 42%), elevated systolic blood pressure (PAR 30%), and low platelet count (PAR 23%) (Table 1). Among women &lt; 65 years, not using food label nutritional fact panels (PAR 29%), prescription medication use (PAR 34%), and an elevated white blood cell count (PAR 27%) were the top 3 risk factors by PAR. Among men ≥ 65 years, not using food label nutritional fact panels (PAR 32%), elevated systolic blood pressure (PAR 22%), and cigarette smoking (PAR 20%) were the top 3 factors by PAR. Among women ≥ 65 years, not using food label nutritional fact panels (17%), elevated cholesterol (29%), and elevated creatinine (22%) were the top 3 risk factors by PAR. Conclusions: We provide age- and sex-specific adjusted PARs of potentially modifiable risk factors of stroke and cardiovascular-related mortality. These findings may inform targeted stroke and cardiovascular risk prevention strategies.

Introduction: National prevalence data on home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) has previously been reported from 2009-2010, but no recent data has been reported. Methods: This report is based on national-level, cross-sectional data for noninstitutionalized US adults aged ≥18 years (n = 6,113 participants) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2013-2014. Results: Overall, 25.5% (1560 of 6113) of the adults engaged in HBPM monitoring in the 2013-2014 survey year. This is an increase from the previous NHANES 2009-2010 analysis reporting a 21.7% (1302 of 6001) rate. The frequency of HBPM increased with higher age, higher education level, having a partner, hypertensive, hypertensive aware, and hypertensive treated. Both SBP and DBP were higher in the HBPM group and were both statistically significant. The groups of hypertensive, hypertensive-aware, and hypertensive-treated patients all showed higher rates of HBPM use than nonuse. The frequency of HBPM monitoring in the categories of less than monthly, monthly, and weekly was reported at rates of 7.8% (476 of 6113), 6.6% (401 of 6113), and 11.2% (683 of 6113), respectively. These reported rates are consistent and slightly increased in the weekly HBPM reported use compared with the NHANEs 2009-2010 analysis (7.2% [432 of 6001], 6.6% [396 of 6001], and 7.9% [474 of 6001), respectively). Adjusting for covariables, those who were aware of, treated for, and had known hypertension were more likely to have a higher frequency of HBPM than the reference: unaware, untreated, and no known hypertension (odds ratio (OR) = 1.98; OR = 2.13; and OR = 1.64, respectively). Individuals with less than a high school diploma and having no partner were less likely to perform HBPM than the reference: high school graduate or greater and having a partner (OR = 0.73; OR = 0.65, respectively). Conclusions: Approximately 21.0% (1084 of 6113) of adults engaged in monthly or more frequent HBPM which is an increase from the reported 14.5%(870 of 6001) rate in the 2009-2010 analysis. Having hypertension, being aware of hypertension, and being treated for hypertension were associated with an increased frequency of HBPM. Having no partner and less than a high school diploma were associated with lower frequency of HBPM.

Recent studies using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) have used inconsistent approaches to identify and categorize beverages, especially those containing low-calorie sweeteners (LCS), also referred to as low-calorie sweetened beverages (LCSBs). Herein, we investigate the approaches used to identify and categorize LCSBs in recent analyses of NHANES data. We reviewed published studies examining LCS consumption in relation to dietary and health outcomes and extracted the methods used to categorize LCS as reported by the authors of each study. We then examined the extent to which these approaches reliably identified LCSBs using the Internet Archive Wayback Machine to examine beverage ingredients lists across three NHANES cycles (2011–2016). None of the four general strategies used appeared to include all LCSBs while also excluding all beverages that did not contain LCS. In some cases, the type of sweetener in the beverage consumed could not be clearly determined; we found 9, 16, and 18 of such “mixed” beverage identifiers in the periods 2011–2012, 2013–2014, and 2015–2016, respectively. Then, to illustrate how heterogeneity in beverage categorization may impact the outcomes of published analyses, we compared results of a previously published analysis with outcomes when “mixed” beverages were grouped either all as LCSBs or all as sugary beverages. Our results suggest that caution is warranted in design and interpretation of studies using NHANES data to examine dietary and health correlates of sweetened beverage intake.

Fortification of select grain products with folic acid and periconceptional supplementation recommendations in Canada and the USA have improved folate status, and have been associated with a reduced risk of neural tube defects. In the present study, we aimed to conduct a comparison of erythrocyte folate concentrations from the 2007-9 Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) and the 2007-8 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Erythrocyte folate concentration was assessed in participants aged 6-79 years (CHMS, n 5248; NHANES, n 7070). To account for different folate assays employed - Immulite 2000 immunoassay (CHMS) and microbiological assay (NHANES) - a conversion equation was generated (n 152 adults) to adjust the CHMS data. t Tests were used to examine country differences. Median Canadian erythrocyte folate concentrations (method-adjusted) were lower than those of Americans (988 and 1100 nmol/l, respectively), but unadjusted median Canadian erythrocyte folate concentrations were higher (1250 nmol/l). The upper 95% CI boundary of the method-adjusted Canadian erythrocyte folate distribution overlapped that of the American erythrocyte folate concentrations, while the lower 95% CI boundary of the method-adjusted Canadian erythrocyte folate data was below the American distribution. In summary, the fact that erythrocyte folate concentrations were either higher or lower in Canadians compared with Americans, depending on whether an adjustment was made to account for assay differences, suggests that caution must be exercised in evaluating erythrocyte folate data from different countries because analytical methods are not readily comparable. Furthermore, we cannot unequivocally conclude that there are true differences in erythrocyte folate concentrations between the Canadian and American populations in the post-fortification era.