PLoS medicine
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Biological age may be estimated by proteomic aging clocks (PACs). Previous published PACs were constructed either in smaller studies or mainly in white individuals, and they used proteomic measures from only one-time point. In this study, we created de novo PACs and compared their performance to published PACs at 2 different time points in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study of white and black participants (around 75% white and 25% black). ⋯ In this longitudinal study, we found that the ARIC PACs and published PACs were similarly associated with an increased risk of mortality. These findings suggested that PACs show promise as biomarkers of biological age. PACs may be serve as tools to predict mortality and evaluate the effect of anti-aging lifestyle and therapeutic interventions.
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[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0020313.].
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In 2016, Chile implemented a multiphase set of policies that mandated warning labels, restricted food marketing to children, and banned school sales of foods and beverages high in nutrients of concern ("high-in" foods). Chile's law, particularly the warning label component, set the precedent for a rapid global proliferation of similar policies. While our initial evaluation showed policy-linked decreases in purchases of high-in, a longer-term evaluation is needed, particularly as later phases of Chile's law included stricter nutrient thresholds and introduced a daytime ban on advertising of high-in foods for all audiences. The objective is to evaluate changes in purchases of energy, sugar, sodium, and saturated fat purchased after Phase 2 implementation of the Chilean policies. ⋯ Compared to a counterfactual based on a 36-month pre-policy timeframe, Chilean policies on food labeling, marketing, and school food sales led to declines in nutrients of concern during Phase 2 of implementation, particularly from foods and drinks high in nutrients of concern. These declines were sustained or even increased over phases of policy implementation.
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Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is a major cause of death in the United States (US), with marked mortality inequalities. Previous studies have reported inconsistent findings regarding the contributions of behavioral risk factors (BRFs) to socioeconomic inequalities in IHD mortality. To our knowledge, no nationwide study has been conducted on this topic in the US. ⋯ In this study, BRFs explained more than half of the educational differences in IHD mortality, with some variations by sex. Public health interventions to reduce intermediate risk factors are crucial to reduce the socioeconomic disparities and burden of IHD mortality in the general US population.
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Observational Study
Association between surgeon training grade and the risk of revision following unicompartmental knee replacement: An analysis of National Joint Registry data.
Unicompartmental knee replacements (UKRs) are performed by surgeons at various stages in training with varying levels of supervision, but we do not know if this is a safe practice with comparable outcomes to consultant-performed UKR. The aim of this study was to use registry data for England and Wales to investigate the association between surgeon grade (consultant, or trainee), the senior supervision of trainees (supervised by a scrubbed consultant, or not), and the risk of revision surgery following UKR. ⋯ This nationwide study of UKRs with over 16 years' follow up demonstrates that trainees within the current training system in England and Wales achieve comparable all-cause implant survival to consultants. These findings support the current methods by which surgeons in England and Wales are trained to perform UKR.