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PurposeNeighborhood environment is increasingly recognized as an important determinant of cardiovascular health (CVH) among Black adults. Most research to date has focused on negative aspects of the neighborhood environment, with little attention being paid to the specific positive features, in particular the social environment, that promote cardiovascular resilience among Black adults.We examined whether better neighborhood physical and social characteristics are associated with ideal CVH among Black adults, as measured by Life's Simple 7 (LS7) scores.MethodsWe recruited 392 Black adults (age 53 ± 10 years, 39% men) without known CV disease living in Atlanta, GA. Seven neighborhood domains were assessed via questionnaire: asthetic quality, walking environment, safety, food access, social cohesion, activity with neighbors, and violence. CVH was determined by LS7 scores calculated from measured blood pressure; glucose; cholesterol; body mass index (BMI); and self-reported exercise, diet, and smoking, and categorized into poor (0-8), intermediate (9-10), and ideal (11-14). Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the association between neighborhood characteristics and the odds of intermediate/ideal CVH categories compared with poor CVH after adjustment for age, gender, household income, education, marital status, and employment status.ResultsBetter scores in the neighborhood domains of social cohesion and activity with neighbors were significantly associated with higher adjusted odds of ideal LS7 scores (OR 2.02, 95% CI [1.36-3.01] and 1.71 [1.20-2.45] per 1 standard deviation [SD] increase in respective scores). These associations were stronger for both social cohesion (OR 2.61, 95% CI [1.48-4.61] vs. 1.40 [0.82-2.40]) and activity with neighbors (OR 1.82, 95% CI [1.15-2.86] vs. 1.53 [0.84-2.78]) in Black women than men. Specifically, better scores in social cohesion were associated with higher odds of ideal CVH in exercise (OR 1.73 [1.16-2.59]), diet (OR 1.90 [1.11-3.26]), and BMI (OR 1.52 [1.09-2.09]); better scores in activity with neighbors were also similarly associated with higher odds of ideal CVH in exercise (OR 1.48 [1.00-2.19]), diet (OR 2.15 [1.23-3.77]), and BMI (OR 1.45 [1.07-1.98]; per 1 SD in respective scores).ConclusionsMore desirable neighborhood characteristics, particularly social cohesion and activity with neighbors, were associated with better CVH among Black adults.

BackgroundEarly trauma (general, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse before age 18 years) has been associated with both cardiovascular disease risk and lifestyle-related risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity. Despite higher prevalence, the association between early trauma and cardiovascular health (CVH) has been understudied in Black Americans, especially those from low-income backgrounds, who may be doubly vulnerable. Therefore, we investigated the association between early trauma and CVH, particularly among low-income Black Americans.MethodsWe recruited 457 Black adults (age 53±10, 38% male) without known cardiovascular disease from the Atlanta, GA, metropolitan area using personalized, community-based recruitment methods. The Early Trauma Inventory was administered to assess overall early traumatic life experiences which include physical, sexual, emotional abuse, and general trauma. Our primary outcome was the American Heart Association Life's Simple 7, which is a set of 7 CVH metrics, including 4 lifestyle-related factors (smoking, body mass index, physical activity, and diet) and three physiologically measured health factors (blood pressure, total blood cholesterol, and blood glucose). We used linear regression models adjusting for age, sex, socioeconomic status, and depression to test the association between early trauma and CVH and tested the early trauma by household income (

BackgroundDespite well-documented cardiovascular disparities between racial groups, within-race determinants of cardiovascular health among Black adults remain understudied. Factors promoting cardiovascular resilience among Black adults in particular warrant further investigation. Our objective was to examine whether individual psychosocial resilience and neighborhood-level cardiovascular resilience were associated with better cardiovascular health in Black adults, measured utilizing Life's Simple 7 (LS7) scores.MethodsWe assessed LS7 scores in 389 Black adults (mean age, 53±10 years; 39% men) living in Atlanta, Georgia. A composite score of individual psychosocial resilience was created by assessing environmental mastery, purpose in life, optimism, resilient coping, and depressive symptoms. Neighborhood-level cardiovascular resilience was separately determined by the census tract-level rates of cardiovascular mortality/morbidity events. Generalized linear mixed regression models were used to examine the association between individual psychosocial resilience, neighborhood cardiovascular resilience, and LS7 scores.ResultsHigher individual psychosocial resilience was significantly associated with higher LS7 (β=0.38 [0.16-0.59] per 1 SD) after adjustment for sociodemographic factors. Similarly, higher neighborhood-level cardiovascular resilience was significantly associated with higher LS7 (β=0.23 [0.02-0.45] per 1 SD). When jointly examined, high individual psychosocial resilience (>median) was independently associated with higher LS7 (β=0.73 [0.31-1.17]), whereas living in high-resilience neighborhoods (>median) was not. The largest difference in LS7 score was between those with high and low psychosocial resilience living in low-resilience neighborhoods (8.38 [7.90-8.86] versus 7.42 [7.04-7.79]).ConclusionsIndividual psychosocial resilience in Black adults is associated with better cardiovascular health.

Background Cardiovascular disease incidence, prevalence, morbidity, and mortality have declined in the past several decades; however, disparities persist among subsets of the population. Notably, blacks have not experienced the same improvements on the whole as whites. Furthermore, frequent reports of relatively poorer health statistics among the black population have led to a broad assumption that black race reliably predicts relatively poorer health outcomes. However, substantial intraethnic and intraracial heterogeneity exists; moreover, individuals with similar risk factors and environmental exposures are often known to experience vastly different cardiovascular health outcomes. Thus, some individuals have good outcomes even in the presence of cardiovascular risk factors, a concept known as resilience. Methods and Results The MECA (Morehouse-Emory Center for Health Equity) Study was designed to investigate the multilevel exposures that contribute to "resilience" in the face of risk for poor cardiovascular health among blacks in the greater Atlanta, GA, metropolitan area. We used census tract data to determine "at-risk" and "resilient" neighborhoods with high or low prevalence of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, based on cardiovascular death, hospitalization, and emergency department visits for blacks. More than 1400 individuals from these census tracts assented to demographic, health, and psychosocial questionnaires administered through telephone surveys. Afterwards, ≈500 individuals were recruited to enroll in a clinical study, where risk biomarkers, such as oxidative stress, and inflammatory markers, endothelial progenitor cells, metabolomic and microRNA profiles, and subclinical vascular dysfunction were measured. In addition, comprehensive behavioral questionnaires were collected and ideal cardiovascular health metrics were assessed using the American Heart Association's Life Simple 7 measure. Last, 150 individuals with low Life Simple 7 were recruited and randomized to a behavioral mobile health (eHealth) plus health coach or eHealth only intervention and followed up for improvement. Conclusions The MECA Study is investigating socioenvironmental and individual behavioral measures that promote resilience to cardiovascular disease in blacks by assessing biological, functional, and molecular mechanisms. REGISTRATION URL: https://www.clini​caltr​ials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT03308812.

Purpose: The goal of this study was to determine the impact of age, gender, and race on the prevalence and severity of hearing loss in elder adults, aged 72-96 years, after accounting for income, education, smoking, and clinical and subclinical cardiovascular disease. Methods: Air-conduction thresholds for standard and extended high-frequency pure-tones were obtained from a cohort of 548 (out of 717) elderly adults (ages 72-96 years) who were recruited during the Year 11 clinical visit (1999-2000) of the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) at the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania site. Participant smoking, income, education, and cardiovascular disease histories were obtained from the CHS database and were included as factors. Results: Hearing loss was more common and more severe for the participants in their 80s than for those in their 70s--the men more than the women and the White participants more than the Black participants. The inclusion of education, income, smoking, and cardiovascular disease (clinical and subclinical) histories as factors did not substantively impact the overall results. Conclusion: Although the data reported in this article were cross-sectional and a cohort phenomenon might have been operational, they suggested that hearing loss is more substantive in the 8th than the 7th decade of life and that race and gender influence this decline in audition. Given the high prevalence in the aging population and the differences across groups, there is a clear need to understand the nature and causes of hearing loss across various groups in order to improve prevention and develop appropriate interventions. (Contains 5 figures and 5 tables.)

Background: African Americans are disproportionately affected by hypertension and have lower medication adherence when compared to other racial groups. Antecedent factors such as beliefs surrounding hypertension, the presence or absence of social support, and depressive symptoms have not been extensively studied collectively in relation to hypertension medication adherence in African Americans. Objective: To determine the associations among demographic and clinical factors, depressive symptoms, hypertension beliefs, and social support with blood pressure medication adherence in middle-aged African American adults with a diagnosis of hypertension. Methods: A cross-sectional study of (N = 120) African Americans (mean age, 49 years; 22.5% men) with a current diagnosis of metabolic syndrome, including hypertension, who reported having and taking a prescribed blood pressure--lowering medication were included. Descriptive statistics, bivariate correlation analysis, and logistic regression using odds ratio were used to examine the effects of high blood pressure beliefs, social support, and depression on medication adherence. Results: A small but significant relationship was found between medication adherence and number of comorbidities (r = 0.19, P = .04). In a multivariate regression model, after controlling for gender, comorbidities remained associated with medication adherence (β = 0. 77, P = .04). Depressive symptoms, high blood pressure beliefs, and social support did not have a significant relationship with medication adherence. Conclusions: Multiple comorbidities may have a positive impact upon medication adherence. Further study is needed in a larger sample of African Americans who have a diagnosis of hypertension in addition to other comorbidities requiring medication management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Food deserts (FD), neighborhoods defined as low-income areas with low access to healthy food, are a public health concern. We evaluated the impact of living in FD on cardiovascular risk factors and subclinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) with the hypothesis that people living in FD will have an unfavorable CVD risk profile. We further assessed whether the impact of FD on these measures is driven by area income, individual household income, or area access to healthy food.Methods and Results: We studied 1421 subjects residing in the Atlanta metropolitan area who participated in the META-Health study (Morehouse and Emory Team up to Eliminate Health Disparities; n=712) and the Predictive Health study (n=709). Participants' zip codes were entered into the United States Food Access Research Atlas for FD status. Demographic data, metabolic profiles, hs-CRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein) levels, oxidative stress markers (glutathione and cystine), and arterial stiffness were evaluated. Mean age was 49.4 years, 38.5% male and 36.6% black. Compared with those not living in FD, subjects living in FD (n=187, 13.2%) had a higher prevalence of hypertension and smoking, higher body mass index, fasting glucose, and 10-year risk for CVD. They also had higher hs-CRP (P=0.014), higher central augmentation index (P=0.015), and lower glutathione level (P=0.003), indicative of increased oxidative stress. Area income and individual income, rather than food access, were associated with CVD risk measures. In a multivariate analysis that included food access, area income and individual income, both low-income area and low individual household income, were independent predictors of a higher 10-year risk for CVD. Only low individual income was an independent predictor of higher hs-CRP and augmentation index.Conclusions: Although living in FD is associated with a higher burden of cardiovascular risk factors and preclinical indices of CVD, these associations are mainly driven by area income and individual income rather than access to healthy food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tracheomegaly and bronchiectasis are clinical findings that present rarely as isolated findings. Often they are found in the setting of a systemic disease process or as a result of inflammation of the airways. We present a case of a 48-year-old man with evidence of tracheomegaly and bilateral bronchiectasis diagnosed on his initial admission for bacterial pneumonia. During the subsequent 18 months the patient had seven admissions for recurrent left lower lobe pneumonia. Flexible bronchoscopy revealed a variable collapse of the left mainstem bronchus and diffusely dilated airways as the cause of his recurrent infections. The patient underwent successful bronchoscopic placement of an expandable stent into the left mainstem bronchus. Further investigation revealed the presence of systemic lupus erythematosus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A critical unmet need for underserved patients with diabetes is regular access to sufficient support for diabetes self-management. Although advances in digital technologies have made way for eHealth applications that provide a scalable path for tailored interventions for self-management of chronic conditions, health and digital literacy has remained an obstacle to leveraging these technologies for effective diabetes self-management education. Studies have shown that the availability of coaches helps to maintain engagement in internet-based studies and improves self-efficacy for behavior change. However, little is known about the substances involved in these interactions.Objective: This study aims to compare the content of conversations between patient-coach pairs that achieved their self-management goals and those that did not. The context is a clinical implementation study of diabetes self-management behavior change using Health360x within the practices of the Morehouse Choice Accountable Care Organization in the Atlanta metro area. Health360x is a coach-assisted consumer health information technology designed to support self-management skills acquisition and behavior among underserved, high-risk patients with diabetes.Methods: We provide a novel analysis of the discursive emphasis on patients and coaches. We examined transcripts of visits using a structural topic model to estimate topic content and prevalence as a function of patient and coach characteristics. We compared topics between patient-coach pairs that achieved diabetes-related self-management goals and those who did not. We also estimated a regression in which utterances are the units, the dependent variable is the proportion of an utterance that is about a given topic, and the independent variables are speaker types and explored other themes.Results: Transcripts from 50 patients who were recruited and consented, starting in February 2015, were analyzed. A total of 44 topics were estimated for patient-coach pairs that achieved their intended health goals and 50 topics for those who did not. Analysis of the structural topic model results indicated that coaches in patient-coach pairs that were able to achieve self-management goals provided more contextual feedback and probed into patients' experience with technology and trust in consumer information technologies. We also found that discussions around problem areas and stress, support (βCoach=.015; P<.001), initial visits (βCoach=.02; P<.001), problems with technology (βCoach=.01; P<.001), health eating goals (βCoach=.01; P=.04), diabetes knowledge (βCoach=.02; P<.001), managing blood sugar (βCoach=.03; P<.001), and using Health360x (βCoach=.003; P=.03) were dominated by coaches.Conclusions: Coach-facilitated, technology-based diabetes self-management education can help underserved patients with diabetes. Our use of topic modeling in this application sheds light on the actual dynamics in conversations between patients and coaches. Knowledge of the key elements for successful coach-patient interactions based on the analysis of transcripts could be applied to understanding everyday patient-provider encounters, given the recent paradigm shift around the use of telehealth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To identify the clinical correlates of recurrent heart failure hospitalization in a large urban hospital serving predominately African-American patients, and to provide further insight into modifiable risks for heart failure readmissions, a retrospective period prevalence review of the records of all adult patients admitted with a primary diagnosis of heart failure (International Classification of Diseases-9 code 428.0) between January and December 1995 was performed. The main outcome was the number of heart failure hospitalizations over 12 months. Twelve hundred patients were identified. Mean age was 64 +/- 16 years, 94% were black, 57% were women, and 40% were > or = 65 years old. Ninety-eight percent had a history of systemic hypertension and 55% had uncontrolled hypertension. Other comorbidities were left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (64%), coronary artery disease (52%), and tobacco abuse (28%). Sixty-five percent of patients were on angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, 51% on calcium antagonists, and 8% on beta blockers. Most patients had suboptimal dosing of ACE inhibitors and there was inappropriate use of calcium antagonists in 56% of patients with moderate or severe systolic dysfunction. Diabetes mellitus and echocardiographic wall motion abnormality were independently associated with frequent admissions for women but not for men. Medication-related increase in heart failure hospitalization was seen for calcium antagonists in patients with severe LV dysfunction (odds ratio 2.24, 95% confidence intervals 1.0 to 5.03; p <0.03). Uncontrolled hypertension, underdosing of ACE inhibitors, and overuse of calcium antagonists in patients with significant LV dysfunction are potential targets for intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Psychosocial stressors such as childhood trauma have been associated with an increased risk of hypertension. The impact of childhood trauma on vascular dysfunction in Black adults remains less clear. We examined the association between childhood trauma and vascular function in Black adults., Methods and Results: Childhood trauma exposure and vascular function were assessed in a cohort of healthy Black participants without known cardiovascular disease (n=404) from a large metropolitan city. Childhood trauma was assessed using the Early Trauma Inventory Short Form with higher scores indicative of higher traumatic life events assessed before age 18 years. Outcomes of central augmentation index (CAIx) and carotid femoral pulse wave velocity were measured as indices of wave reflections and arterial stiffness using applanation tonometry (Sphygmocor Inc.), and central pulse pressure (CPP) was calculated as the difference between the central aortic systolic and diastolic blood pressures. Relationships between Early Trauma Inventory Short Form and outcomes were assessed using multivariate-adjusted and sex-stratified linear regression models. The mean age of the cohort was 53 (SD=10.3), 61% women. Cumulative childhood trauma was not associated with CAIx, central pulse pressure, or carotid femoral pulse wave velocity in the minimal or fully adjusted models for sociodemographic, sex, clinical factors, medical history, health behaviors, and depression. Significant trauma × sex interactions were identified for CAIx ( P =0.003) and central pulse pressure ( P =0.025). Childhood trauma was associated with lower CAIx ( β =-0.55% [95% CI, -1.07 to -0.03] in men, but higher CAIx ( β =0.35% [95% CI, 0.08-0.63]) and central pulse pressure ( β =0.23 mm Hg [95% CI, 0.01-0.43]) in women., Conclusions: Childhood trauma is independently associated with impaired arterial compliance in Black women.

Objectives: To assess strategies for optimizing participation of underserved minorities in a blood-based early CRC detection test study (PREEMPT CRC; NCT04369053) at a hospital serving primarily Black patients., Methods: Culturally sensitive, racially congruent research staff approached patients undergoing average-risk screening colonoscopy. Consent/study procedures were synchronized with clinical appointments. Enrolled and not-enrolled patient characteristics were compared. Recruitment was compared with other study sites., Results: 247/509 eligible participants enrolled; most identified as Black (88.7%). No baseline characteristics were associated with participation. Recruitment was high compared to other sites (11th centile)., Conclusions: Recruitment barriers for Black individuals can be overcome when easy, culturally sensitive access is facilitated., (Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of The American College of Gastroenterology.)

Background: There are currently no validated clinical biomarkers of postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC)., Objective: To investigate clinical laboratory markers of SARS-CoV-2 and PASC., Design: Propensity score-weighted linear regression models were fitted to evaluate differences in mean laboratory measures by prior infection and PASC index (≥12 vs. 0). (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05172024)., Setting: 83 enrolling sites., Participants: RECOVER-Adult cohort participants with or without SARS-CoV-2 infection with a study visit and laboratory measures 6 months after the index date (or at enrollment if >6 months after the index date). Participants were excluded if the 6-month visit occurred within 30 days of reinfection., Measurements: Participants completed questionnaires and standard clinical laboratory tests., Results: Among 10 094 participants, 8746 had prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, 1348 were uninfected, 1880 had a PASC index of 12 or higher, and 3351 had a PASC index of zero. After propensity score adjustment, participants with prior infection had a lower mean platelet count (265.9 × 10 9 cells/L [95% CI, 264.5 to 267.4 × 10 9 cells/L]) than participants without known prior infection (275.2 × 10 9 cells/L [CI, 268.5 to 282.0 × 10 9 cells/L]), as well as higher mean hemoglobin A 1c (HbA 1c ) level (5.58% [CI, 5.56% to 5.60%] vs. 5.46% [CI, 5.40% to 5.51%]) and urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (81.9 mg/g [CI, 67.5 to 96.2 mg/g] vs. 43.0 mg/g [CI, 25.4 to 60.6 mg/g]), although differences were of modest clinical significance. The difference in HbA 1c levels was attenuated after participants with preexisting diabetes were excluded. Among participants with prior infection, no meaningful differences in mean laboratory values were found between those with a PASC index of 12 or higher and those with a PASC index of zero., Limitation: Whether differences in laboratory markers represent consequences of or risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection could not be determined., Conclusion: Overall, no evidence was found that any of the 25 routine clinical laboratory values assessed in this study could serve as a clinically useful biomarker of PASC., Primary Funding Source: National Institutes of Health., Competing Interests: Disclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M24-0737.

Background: Intensive BP lowering in the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) produced acute decreases in kidney function and higher risk for AKI. We evaluated the effect of intensive BP lowering on long-term changes in kidney function using trial and outpatient electronic health record (EHR) creatinine values., Methods: SPRINT data were linked with EHR data from 49 (of 102) study sites. The primary outcome was the total slope of decline in eGFR for the intervention phase and the post-trial slope of decline during the observation phase using trial and outpatient EHR values. Secondary outcomes included a ≥30% decline in eGFR to <60 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 and a ≥50% decline in eGFR or kidney failure among participants with baseline eGFR ≥60 and <60 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 , respectively., Results: EHR creatinine values were available for a median of 8.3 years for 3041 participants. The total slope of decline in eGFR during the intervention phase was -0.67 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 per year (95% confidence interval [CI], -0.79 to -0.56) in the standard treatment group and -0.96 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 per year (95% CI, -1.08 to -0.85) in the intensive treatment group ( P < 0.001). The slopes were not significantly different during the observation phase: -1.02 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 per year (95% CI, -1.24 to -0.81) in the standard group and -0.85 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 per year (95% CI, -1.07 to -0.64) in the intensive group. Among participants without CKD at baseline, intensive treatment was associated with higher risk of a ≥30% decline in eGFR during the intervention (hazard ratio, 3.27; 95% CI, 2.43 to 4.40), but not during the postintervention observation phase. In those with CKD at baseline, intensive treatment was associated with a higher hazard of eGFR decline only during the intervention phase (hazard ratio, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.03 to 3.70)., Conclusions: Intensive BP lowering was associated with a steeper total slope of decline in eGFR and higher risk for kidney events during the intervention phase of the trial, but not during the postintervention observation phase., (Copyright © 2023 by the American Society of Nephrology.)

The United States witnessed a nearly 4-fold increase in personal health care expenditures between 1980 and 2010. Despite innovations and obvious benefits to health, participants enrolled in clinical trials still do not accurately represent the racial and ethnic composition of patients nationally or globally. This lack of diversity in cohorts limits the generalizability and significance of results among all populations and has deep repercussions for patient equity. To advance diversity in clinical trials, robust evidence for the most effective strategies for recruitment of diverse participants is needed. A major limitation of previous literature on clinical trial diversity is the lack of control or comparator groups for different strategies. To date, interventions have focused primarily on (1) community-based interventions, (2) institutional practices, and (3) digital health systems. This review article outlines prior intervention strategies across these 3 categories and considers health policy and ethical incentives for substantiation before US Food and Drug Administration approval. There are no current studies that comprehensively compare these interventions against one another. The American Heart Association Strategically Focused Research Network on the Science of Diversity in Clinical Trials represents a multicenter, collaborative network between Stanford School of Medicine and Morehouse School of Medicine created to understand the barriers to diversity in clinical trials by contemporaneous head-to-head interventional strategies accessing digital, institutional, and community-based recruitment strategies to produce informed recruitment strategies targeted to improve underrepresented patient representation in clinical trials.

Importance: SARS-CoV-2 infection can result in ongoing, relapsing, or new symptoms or other health effects after the acute phase of infection; termed post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), or long COVID. The characteristics, prevalence, trajectory and mechanisms of PASC are ill-defined. The objectives of the Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Multi-site Observational Study of PASC in Adults (RECOVER-Adult) are to: (1) characterize PASC prevalence; (2) characterize the symptoms, organ dysfunction, natural history, and distinct phenotypes of PASC; (3) identify demographic, social and clinical risk factors for PASC onset and recovery; and (4) define the biological mechanisms underlying PASC pathogenesis., Methods: RECOVER-Adult is a combined prospective/retrospective cohort currently planned to enroll 14,880 adults aged ≥18 years. Eligible participants either must meet WHO criteria for suspected, probable, or confirmed infection; or must have evidence of no prior infection. Recruitment occurs at 86 sites in 33 U.S. states, Washington, DC and Puerto Rico, via facility- and community-based outreach. Participants complete quarterly questionnaires about symptoms, social determinants, vaccination status, and interim SARS-CoV-2 infections. In addition, participants contribute biospecimens and undergo physical and laboratory examinations at approximately 0, 90 and 180 days from infection or negative test date, and yearly thereafter. Some participants undergo additional testing based on specific criteria or random sampling. Patient representatives provide input on all study processes. The primary study outcome is onset of PASC, measured by signs and symptoms. A paradigm for identifying PASC cases will be defined and updated using supervised and unsupervised learning approaches with cross-validation. Logistic regression and proportional hazards regression will be conducted to investigate associations between risk factors, onset, and resolution of PASC symptoms., Discussion: RECOVER-Adult is the first national, prospective, longitudinal cohort of PASC among US adults. Results of this study are intended to inform public health, spur clinical trials, and expand treatment options., Registration: NCT05172024., Competing Interests: I have read the journal’s policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: Helen Chu reported consulting for Merck, GSK, Pfizer, Ellume, Janssen, Vindico CME, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and receiving research support from Gates Ventures, Ellume, and Sanofi Pasteur. She also serves as a co-investigator on studies funded by Pfizer, Novavax, and GSK. Maged Costantine reported receiving grant support for work not related to RECOVER work/publications from Baxter International and Siemens Healthcare and personal consulting fees not related to this paper from Progenity, Quidel Ortho, and Siemens Healthcare. Kristine Erlandson reported research funding from Gilead Sciences and consulting payments from Gilead Sciences, Merck, and ViiV Pharmaceuticals, all paid to the University of Colorado. Emily Gallagher reported consulting for Novartis, Flare Therapeutics and Seagen. Edward Gardner reported research support (clinical trials) from Gilead Sciences, ViiV Healthcare, and Cepheid. Jason Goldman reported research support from Gilead, Eli Lilly and Regeneron; grants from Gilead, Merck (BARDA); personal fees for consulting from Gilead, Eli Lilly; and non-financial support from Adaptive Biotechnologies and Labcorp/Monogram Biosciences outside the submitted work. Timothy Heinrich reported grant support from Merck Inc. and consulting fees from Roche. Rachel Hess reported serving as Data Safety Monitoring Board member for Astellas Pharmaceuticals unrelated to the current work. Leora Horwitz reported being a member of the National Academy of Medicine Committee on the Long-Term Health Effects Stemming from COVID-19 and Implications for the Social Security Administration. Priscilla Hsue reported receiving honoraria from Gilead and Merck unrelated to study topic, receiving study drug from Regeneron unrelated to study topic, and receiving a research grant from Novartis. Judith James reported OMRF has licensed her IP to Progentec Biosciences, has received grant support from Progentec Biosciences, and serves on Advisory Committees to Glaxo Smith Klein, Merck and Novartis. Arthur Kim reports providing educational materials to Clinical Care Options and UpToDate and serving on a Data Safety Monitoring board for Kintor Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. Bruce Levy reported serving as a consultant for AstraZeneca, Entrinsic Biosciences, Gossamer Bio and Nocion Therapeutics and receiving research support from Amgen, Genentech, GlaxoSmithKline, Pieris Pharmaceuticals, SRA and Sanofi unrelated to the current work. Vincent Marconi reported receiving grants from NIH during the conduct of the study and grants from NIH, Veteran Affairs, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; grants, personal fees, nonfinancial support, and other from Lilly and Gilead; grants and personal fees from ViiV; and nonfinancial support from Bayer outside the submitted work. Grace McComsey reported serving as consultant for Merck, Gilead, ViiV, Janssen and have received research support from Pfizer, Vanda, Genentech, Roche, Redhill and Cognivue. Torri Metz reported being a site PI and a participant in the medical advisory board for the planning of a Pfizer clinical trial of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in pregnancy. She also reported being a site PI for a Pfizer study evaluating the pharmacokinetics of Paxlovid in pregnant people with COVID-19. Janet Mullington reported support for investigator-initiated research by "Open Medicine Foundation and the Patient-Led Research Collaborative" Princess Ogbogu reported research support from Astrazeneca, GSK, Blueprint medical; advisory board for Astrazeneca, GSK, Sanofi, Kalvista; and consulting for Astrazeneca, GSK Sairam Parthasarathy reported research funding to Institution from Sergey Brin foundation of COVID and Long-COVID research. Michael Peluso reported consulting fees from Gilead Sciences and AstraZeneca, and service on data safety monitoring board for American Gene Technologies. Sean Quigley reported service on speaker Board for Servier, Alnylam, Agios; service on advisory board for Recordati, Alexion. Franz Rischard reported research support from NIH/NHLBI, United Therapeutics, Acceleron/Merck, Janssen, Insmed, Aerovate, and Bayer; and consulting/advisory compensation from Acceleron and Bayer. Nadine Rouphael reported being a consultant for ICON and EMMES as a safety consultant for clinical trials; service on the advisory boards for Moderna; funds to institution from Sanofi, Lilly, Merck, Quidel and Pfizer. PJ Utz reported stock ownership of Gilead and PI of biomarker studies for Pfizer STOP-PASC paxlovid trial Juan Wisnivesky received receiving consulting honorarium from Sanofi, Banook, Prospero, PPD and Atea and research grants from Sanofi, Regeneron, Axella, and Arnold Consultants., (Copyright: © 2023 Horwitz et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Importance: SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with persistent, relapsing, or new symptoms or other health effects occurring after acute infection, termed postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), also known as long COVID. Characterizing PASC requires analysis of prospectively and uniformly collected data from diverse uninfected and infected individuals., Objective: To develop a definition of PASC using self-reported symptoms and describe PASC frequencies across cohorts, vaccination status, and number of infections., Design, Setting, and Participants: Prospective observational cohort study of adults with and without SARS-CoV-2 infection at 85 enrolling sites (hospitals, health centers, community organizations) located in 33 states plus Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico. Participants who were enrolled in the RECOVER adult cohort before April 10, 2023, completed a symptom survey 6 months or more after acute symptom onset or test date. Selection included population-based, volunteer, and convenience sampling., Exposure: SARS-CoV-2 infection., Main Outcomes and Measures: PASC and 44 participant-reported symptoms (with severity thresholds)., Results: A total of 9764 participants (89% SARS-CoV-2 infected; 71% female; 16% Hispanic/Latino; 15% non-Hispanic Black; median age, 47 years [IQR, 35-60]) met selection criteria. Adjusted odds ratios were 1.5 or greater (infected vs uninfected participants) for 37 symptoms. Symptoms contributing to PASC score included postexertional malaise, fatigue, brain fog, dizziness, gastrointestinal symptoms, palpitations, changes in sexual desire or capacity, loss of or change in smell or taste, thirst, chronic cough, chest pain, and abnormal movements. Among 2231 participants first infected on or after December 1, 2021, and enrolled within 30 days of infection, 224 (10% [95% CI, 8.8%-11%]) were PASC positive at 6 months., Conclusions and Relevance: A definition of PASC was developed based on symptoms in a prospective cohort study. As a first step to providing a framework for other investigations, iterative refinement that further incorporates other clinical features is needed to support actionable definitions of PASC.

The National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) Strategic Empowerment Tailored for Health Equity Investigators (SETH) study evaluates the value of adding Developmental Network to Coaching in the career advancement of diverse Early-Stage Investigators (ESIs). Focused NIH-formatted Mock Reviewing Sessions (MRS) prior to the submission of grants can significantly enhance the scientific merits of an ESI's grant application. We evaluated the most prevalent design, analysis-related factors, and the likelihood of grant submissions and awards associated with going through MRS, using descriptive statistics, Chi-square, and logistic regression methods. A total of 62 out of 234 applications went through the MRS. There were 69.4% that pursued R grants, 22.6% career development (K) awards, and 8.0% other grant mechanisms. Comparing applications that underwent MRS versus those that did not (N = 172), 67.7% vs. 38.4% were submitted for funding (i.e., unadjusted difference of 29.3%; OR = 4.8, 95% CI = (2.4, 9.8), p -value < 0.0001). This indicates that, relative to those who did not undergo MRS, ESIs who did, were 4.8 times as likely to submit an application for funding. Also, ESIs in earlier cohorts (1-2) (a period that coincided with the pre COVID-19 era) as compared to those who were recruited at later cohorts (3-4) (i.e., during the peak of COVID-19 period) were 3.8 times as likely to submit grants ( p -value < 0.0001). The most prevalent issues that were identified included insufficient statistical design considerations and plans (75%), conceptual framework (28.3%), specific aims (11.7%), evidence of significance (3.3%), and innovation (3.3%). MRS potentially enhances grant submissions for extramural funding and offers constructive feedback allowing for modifications that enhance the scientific merits of research grants.

Background: Enhancement of diversity within the U.S. research workforce is a recognized need and priority at a national level. Existing comprehensive programs, such as the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) and Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI), have the dual focus of building institutional research capacity and promoting investigator self-efficacy through mentoring and training., Methods: A qualitative comparative analysis was used to identify the combination of factors that explain the success and failure to submit a grant proposal by investigators underrepresented in biomedical research from the RCMI and non-RCMI institutions. The records of 211 participants enrolled in the NRMN Strategic Empowerment Tailored for Health Equity Investigators (NRMN-SETH) program were reviewed, and data for 79 early-stage, underrepresented faculty investigators from RCMI (n = 23) and non-RCMI (n = 56) institutions were included., Results: Institutional membership (RCMI vs. non-RCMI) was used as a possible predictive factor and emerged as a contributing factor for all of the analyses. Access to local mentors was predictive of a successful grant submission for RCMI investigators, while underrepresented investigators at non-RCMI institutions who succeeded with submitting grants still lacked access to local mentors., Conclusion: Institutional contexts contribute to the grant writing experiences of investigators underrepresented in biomedical research.

Background: This paper reports on the implementation and evaluation of a strategy to promote collaborations and team science among investigators at the Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI). The strategy presented in this paper was a hands-on workshop that allowed the application of strategic team science through structured dialogue, asset sharing, and systematic exploration of opportunities for collaboration., Methods: The workshop was attended by more than 100 participants, including RCMI and non-RCMI investigators, practice-based research network (PBRN) supplement program directors, and an NIH Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities Program Officer., Results: A post-workshop survey was administered to collect participant feedback, assess the relevance of the workshop to the participants' professional development goals, and gauge the applicability of the tool as a support strategy to promote collaborative research. Most of the participants acknowledged that the session met the conference objectives (95.8%), and 93.7% noted that the workshop, to a high degree, met their personal goals and objectives. During the workshop, participants shared 35 resources they were willing and able to offer for prospective collaborative projects., Conclusion: The experience reported and evaluated in this paper paves the way to understanding methods for disseminating effective strategies for inter-institutional collaborations for the sustainable growth and operation of PBRNs.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly taxed scientific research and seems to have exacerbated existing inequities within the research field, particularly for early-stage investigators (ESIs). This study examines the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on traditionally underrepresented ESIs enrolled in an NIH-supported study evaluating the effectiveness of developmental networks, grant writing coaching, and mentoring on research career advancement. The survey consisted of 24 closed-ended (quantitative) and 4 open-ended questions (qualitative) linked to a participant's ability to meet grant submission deadlines, research and professional development disruptions, stress level, career transition level, self-efficacy and management of scholarly tasks, and familial responsibilities. Results from 32 respondents (53%) suggest that COVID-19 adversely impacted the continuity of research (81%) and grant submissions (63%). On average, grant submissions were delayed by 6.69 months (i.e., greater than one grant cycle). We also conducted additional analyses characterizing nonresponse and found that there were no significant predictors of nonresponse, indicating a limited threat to the validity of our findings. The disruption caused by COVID-19 to the careers of ESIs from underrepresented groups in the biomedical workforce has been profound in the short term. The long-term consequences to the future success of these groups are unknown but is a worthwhile area of research and potential innovation.

Digital health innovations, such as telehealth and remote monitoring, have shown promise in addressing patient barriers to accessing evidence-based programs and providing a scalable path for tailored behavioral interventions that support self-management skills, knowledge acquisition and promotion of relevant behavioral change. However, significant attrition continues to plague internet-based studies, a result we believe can be attributed to characteristics of the intervention, or individual user characteristics. In this paper, we provide the first analysis of determinants of non usage attrition in a randomized control trial of a technology-based intervention for improving self-management behaviors among Black adults who face increased cardiovascular risk factors. We introduce a different way to measure nonusage attrition that considers usage over a specific period of time and estimate a cox proportional hazards model of the impact of intervention factors and participant demographics on the risk of a nonusage event. Our results indicated that not having a coach (compared to having a coach) decreases the risk of becoming an inactive user by 36% (HR = .63, P = 0.04). We also found that several demographic factors can influence Non-usage attrition: The risk of nonusage attrition amongst those who completed some college or technical school (HR = 2.91, P = 0.04) or graduated college (HR = 2.98, P = 0.047) is significantly higher when compared to participants who did not graduate high school. Finally, we found that the risk of nonsage attrition among participants with poor cardiovascular from "at-risk" neighborhoods with higher morbidity and mortality rates related to CVD is significantly higher when compared to participants from "resilient" neighborhoods (HR = 1.99, P = 0.03). Our results underscore the importance of understanding challenges to the use of mhealth technologies for cardiovascular health in underserved communities. Addressing these unique barriers is essential, because a lack of diffusion of digital health innovations exacerbates health disparities., Competing Interests: I have read the journal’s policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: - Dr. Pemu is named on the patent for the technology application. Her role on the patent will not alter adherence to PLOS digital health policies on sharing data and materials. - Dr. Ofili is the Founder and Chief Science Officer for AccuHealth Technologies, a technology startup which holds the patent for the Health360x platform. AccuHealth Technologies was not involved in the design and analysis of the study. There are no other competing interests to disclose that could be perceived to bias this work., (Copyright: © 2022 Idris et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)