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Background: Whether and how much past slavery affects contemporary social and economic conditions in the United States is an area of active debate. Newly available data on which members of the United States Congress are descendants of slaveholders provides an opportunity to examine this topic. This study sought to determine the relationship between slaveholder ancestry and net worth among members of Congress. Methods: Total assets and liabilities were collected from financial declarations of all members of Congress as of April 15, 2021. Net worth was estimated as the difference between total assets and liabilities. Information on slaveholder ancestry was obtained from a Reuters investigative series based on an extensive review of historical documents and verification by board-certified genealogists. Quantile regression was used to determine the association between net worth and slaveholder ancestry after adjustment for demographic factors. Results: The median net worth of the 535 members of Congress was $1.28 million (interquartile range $0.11–5.87 million). On univariate analysis, net worth was associated with increased age, White race, increased education, and number of individuals enslaved by ancestors. On multivariate analysis, net worth was independently associated with age, White race, and number enslaved. Legislators whose ancestors enslaved 16 or more individuals had a $3.93 million (95% confidence interval 2.39–5.46) higher net worth compared to legislators whose ancestors were not slave owners after adjustment for age, sex, race, ethnicity, and education. Conclusions: Past slaveholding practices are independently associated with current wealth among members of Congress. Because members of Congress are a highly selected group, further work is needed to understand how slaveholder ancestry affects current wealth in the general population to inform efforts to reduce social and economic disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many low-income adults who smoke also have unmet social needs, such as food insecurity, which can serve as a barrier to smoking cessation. We developed a novel intervention to jointly address smoking cessation and food insecurity and assessed its feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes. We enrolled participants who screened for food insecurity, reported smoking daily, and were ready to quit. All participants received 3 months of resources navigation from a community health worker through monthly telephone calls for referrals and check-ins for smoking cessation and food access resources. Participants randomized to the intervention group received an economic intervention equivalent to the cost of 1 week of groceries/month for 3 months. We randomized 55 participants who were smoking on average 13 cigarettes/day. The trial was feasible and acceptable based on 3-month retention rates (80%) and end-of-study qualitative feedback (91% would recommend the study to others). At 3 months, participants in the intervention versus control group reported a longer length of abstinence from smoking and had a higher proportion of serious quit attempts. Results from this pilot study suggest the importance of attending to social needs, particularly food insecurity, as a strategy to promote smoking cessation among low-income adults who smoke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectivesTo determine the association between cognition and levels of cystatin C in persons with chronic kidney disease (CKD).DesignProspective observational study.SettingChronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort Cognitive Study.ParticipantsIndividuals with a baseline cognitive assessment completed at the same visit as serum cystatin C measurement (N = 821; mean age 64.9, 50.6% male, 48.6% white).MeasurementsLevels of serum cystatin C were categorized into tertiles; cognitive function was assessed using six neuropsychological tests. Scores on these tests were compared across tertiles of cystatin C using linear regression and logistic regression to examine the association between cystatin C level and cognitive performance (1 standard deviation difference from the mean).ResultsAfter multivariable adjustment for age, race, education, and medical comorbidities in linear models, higher levels of cystatin C were associated with worse cognition on the modified Mini-Mental State Examination, Buschke Delayed Recall, Trail-Making Test Part (Trails) A and Part B, and Boston Naming (P

Protein-energy wasting (PEW), which is manifested by low serum levels of albumin or prealbumin, sarcopenia and weight loss, is one of the strongest predictors of mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Although PEW might be engendered by non-nutritional conditions, such as inflammation or other comorbidities, the question of causality does not refute the effectiveness of dietary interventions and nutritional support in improving outcomes in patients with CKD. The literature indicates that PEW can be mitigated or corrected with an appropriate diet and enteral nutritional support that targets dietary protein intake. In-center meals or oral supplements provided during dialysis therapy are feasible and inexpensive interventions that might improve survival and quality of life in patients with CKD. Dietary requirements and enteral nutritional support must also be considered in patients with CKD and diabetes mellitus, in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis, renal transplant recipients, and in children with CKD. Adjunctive pharmacological therapies, such as appetite stimulants, anabolic hormones, and antioxidative or anti-inflammatory agents, might augment dietary interventions. Intraperitoneal or intradialytic parenteral nutrition should be considered for patients with PEW whenever enteral interventions are not possible or are ineffective. Controlled trials are needed to better assess the effectiveness of in-center meals and oral supplements.

ObjectiveSubjective Global Assessment (SGA) is a nutrition assessment tool recommended by the 2000 NKF K/DOQI Nutrition Guidelines. However, the validity and reliability of this tool have not been established in hemodialysis (HD) patients. The purpose of this observational study was to determine the reliability and validity of SGA in the HD population. Renal dietitians (RD) were recruited to perform SGA (7-point scale version) and collect data on demographics, clinical status, biochemistries, dietary intake, and quality of life (Medical Outcomes Short Form-36) on 3 HD patients at baseline and 6 months later.DesignThe 54 participating RDs were trained to perform SGA and collect data via a website created for this study. Interrater reliability for SGA was tested in a subset of 76 patients, via an SGA performed by a second RD at baseline, while intrarater reliability was assessed by the original RD repeating the SGA at 1 month. Data collection occurred at HD facilities in the United States (109 patients), Canada (35 patients), and New Zealand (9 patients).ResultsOf the 153 patients, 46% were female, 64% were Caucasian, 6% were Hispanic, 21% were African American, and 6% were Asian. The primary etiologies were hypertension (33%), type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) (27%), type 1 DM (10%), and glomerular nephritis (10%); 59% had cardiovascular disease. The mean age, body mass index (BMI), serum albumin, and duration on HD were 64 +/- 14 years (mean +/- SD), 28 +/- 7 kg/m(2), 3.7 +/- 0.4 mg/dL, and 41 +/- 34 months, respectively. SGA scores were well nourished (7)-30%; mildly malnourished (MN 6)-41%; moderately MN 5-21%, 4-7%, and 3-2%; and severely MN (2 and 1)-0%. SGA training via the Internet achieved fair interrater reliability (weighted Kappa = 0.5, Spearman's Rho = 0.7) and substantial intrarater reliability (weighted Kappa = 0.7, Spearman's Rho = 0.8) (P < .001). Validity was demonstrated through statistically significant differences in mean BMI and serum albumin across the 5 categories of SGA (7-28 +/- 7, 6-29 +/- 7, 5-28 +/- 8, 4-21 +/- 4, 3-24 +/- 2, P < .05; and 7-3.8 +/- 0.3, 6-3.8 +/- 0.4, 5-37 +/- 0.05, 4-3.4 +/- 0.07, 3-2.9 +/- 1.2, P < .001, respectively). Nutritional status varied by age (P < .05), but not ethnicity or nationality.ConclusionWe conclude that the 7-point scale SGA is a reliable and valid tool for nutritional assessment in adults on HD.

Interventions aimed at improving access to healthy food in low-income communities should consider the preferences of residents. Household food shoppers in two urban, low-income communities were asked about their preferences for vendors at, and qualities of, a potential nearby food hub. Universally, participants preferred availability of whole foods, primarily fruits and vegetables. They also favored cleanliness, quality, and affordability. The demographics and preferences of potential customers raise central issues that would need to be integrated into the development of a food hub, namely affordability (likely through subsidization), attention to accommodation and cultural accessibility, and programming that builds community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]