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Background: No longitudinal studies have explored the relationship between tri-ponderal mass index (TMI) and blood pressure (BP) in children. This study is aimed to investigate the temporal associations between TMI and BP among children in China. Methods: A longitudinal study was carried out with Chinese children from 2014 to 2019. Data of the anthropometric examination and blood pressure were collected annually. TMI was calculated by dividing weight by the cube of height. BP was measured using a standard mercury sphygmomanometer. We investigated temporal associations between TMI and BP with a cross-lagged panel model using repeated measure data from 2014 (Wave 1), 2016 (Wave 2), and 2018 (Wave 3). Results: Results of the cross-lagged panel model showed that TMI was associated with subsequent BP. Participants with higher levels of TMI presented higher levels of BP (Wave 1: β = 0.737 for systolic blood pressure (SBP) and β = 0.308 for diastolic blood pressure (DBP), Wave 2: β = 0.422 for SBP and β = 0.165 for DBP, p < 0.01). In addition, children with higher BP could also present higher TMI (Wave 1: β = 0.004 for SBP and β = 0.006 for DBP, Wave 2: β = 0.003 for SBP and β = 0.005 for DBP, p < 0.01), but the cross-lag path coefficient indicated that the influence of TMI on BP was stronger than the influence of BP on TMI. Conclusions: There was a temporal association between TMI and BP in Chinese children. Higher TMI predicted higher subsequent BP rather than the reverse relationship.

Background and Objectives: Few studies have investigated the effects of dietary theobromine intake on the cognitive performance of older adults. Therefore, we investigated these effects in older adults in the United States. Methods and Study Design: In this cross-sectional study, we used data (2011–2014) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Intake of theobromine intake was obtained through two 24-h dietary recall interviews and was adjusted by energy. Cognitive performance was assessed using the animal fluency test, Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease Word Learning subtest (CERAD), and Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST). Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline models were constructed to evaluate the correlation between the dietary intake of theobromine from different sources and the likelihood of low cognitive performance. Results: The fully adjusted model revealed that compared with the lowest quintile, the odds ratios (with 95% confidence intervals) of cognitive performance in the CERAD test were 0.42 (0.28–0.64), 0.34 (0.14– 0.83), 0.25 (0.07–0.87), and 0.35 (0.13–0.95) for the highest quintile of total theobromine intake and that from chocolate, coffee, and cream, respectively. Dose–response relationship analysis indicated nonlinear correlations between the likelihood of low cognitive performance and dietary theobromine (total intake and that from chocolate, coffee, and cream). An L-shaped relationship was observed between total theobromine intake and cognitive performance in the CERAD test. Conclusions: The dietary intakes of theobromine (total and that from chocolate, coffee, and cream) may protect older adults, particularly men, against low cognitive performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]