Papers by Imnameren Longkumer
Frontiers in Genetics, May 15, 2023
Purpose: Aging is one of the most important risk factors for a number of human diseases. Epigenet... more Purpose: Aging is one of the most important risk factors for a number of human diseases. Epigenetic alterations, including changes in DNA methylation patterns, have been reported to be one of the hallmarks of aging. Being a malleable process, the role of site-specific DNA methylation in aging is being extensively investigated; however, much less attention has been given to alterations in global DNA methylation with aging at the population level. The present study aims to explore overall and sex-specific variations in global DNA methylation patterns with age. Methods: A total of 1,127 adult individuals (792 females) aged 30-75 years belonging to Haryana, North India, were recruited. Socio-demographic data was collected using a pretested interview schedule. Global DNA methylation analysis, of peripheral blood leucocyte (PBL) DNA, was performed using the ELISA-based colorimetric technique. Results: Though the overall correlation analysis revealed a weak inverse trend between global DNA methylation and age, the adjusted regression model showed no significant association between global DNA methylation and age. In agestratified analysis, global DNA methylation levels were found to be fairly stable until 60 years of age, followed by a decline in the above-60 age group. Further, no significant difference in DNA patterns methylation pattern was observed between males and females. Conclusion: Overall, the study suggests a lack of association between global DNA methylation and age, especially until 60 years of age, and a similar DNA methylation pattern between males and females with respect to age.
Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology, 2021
Background: PON1 is an High Density Lipoprotein (HDL)-associated esterase. Two common polymorphis... more Background: PON1 is an High Density Lipoprotein (HDL)-associated esterase. Two common polymorphisms in the PON1 gene, Q192R and L55M substitutions, determine the inter-individual variation in PON1 activity. The association of these polymorphisms with the risk of ischemic stroke remains controversial. In the present study, the role of PON1 Q192R gene polymorphism in ischemic stroke was studied in the Indian population. Design and Methods: In the present case-control study, the PON1 Q192R gene polymorphism was screened in ischemic stroke patients (n: 63) and age, sex-matched controls (n: 63) using the Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Segment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. Results: The mean age of stroke presentation was 58.11 ± 15.4 years. A total of 17.4% cases presented with young stroke (<45 years age) and 9.52% cases were seen to have a recurrent stroke. The distribution of -192Q/R PON1 gene polymorphism was not seen to differ between cases and controls. The traditional stroke risk factors did not have any effect on the PON1 genotype expression. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was done in order to assess an independent association of age, gender, traditional stroke risk factors, and PON1 polymorphism with acute ischemic stroke. However, neither the RR genotype nor the presence of the R allele was associated with an increase in the risk of acute ischemic stroke (OR [RR genotype]-4.76, P value: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.3497–64.8531; OR [R allele]-0.94, P value: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.3516–2.4989). Conclusion: PON1 Q192R gene polymorphism is not associated with an increased risk of acute ischemic stroke in the North Indian population. Further studies with a larger sample size are needed before PON1 Q192R gene polymorphism can be considered as a genetic risk factor for ischemic stroke.
Scientific Reports, Jun 19, 2023
Hypertension is a major contributor to global CVD burden. LMICs including India is challenged wit... more Hypertension is a major contributor to global CVD burden. LMICs including India is challenged with rising hypertension prevalence, yet limited studies are available on temporal change and incidence among community-cohorts. This study aimed to describe trends in hypertension prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control over 8 years among a rural community-cohort from Haryana, India. The study also lends towards an analysis of incidence. Adults ≥ 30 years (N = 1542) recruited during baseline cross-sectional study between 2011 and 2014 were followed up after a median 8.1 years. At endline, demographic/lifestyle characteristics and blood pressure were reexamined. Overall median SBP significantly increased from 120 mmHg at baseline to 125.5 mmHg at endline (p < 0.001), while hypertension prevalence increased from 34.4% (95% CI 32.0-36.9) to 40.4% (95% CI 37.5-43.4) (p = 0.002). Age-standardized hypertension incidence was 30.2% (95% CI 26.7-35.2) over 8 years. Among hypertensive group, awareness, treatment, and control increased from 9.6, 8.8 and 5.0% to 31.8, 27.3 and 9.6% (p < 0.05), respectively. Increasing trend in SBP and hypertension prevalence was observed as the cohort ages. This increase is supported by the high incidence of hypertension. Nevertheless, our study highlights positive trends in hypertension care cascade but poor control, suggesting that this trend may not be adequately impactful to reduce hypertension burden. Hypertension has invariably emerged as the leading risk factor for stroke and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) 1-3. The latest NCD Risk Factor Collaboration study revealed that the global trend in absolute number of hypertensive individuals doubled between 1990 and 2019 4. However, global hypertension prevalence remained stable-32% in 1990 and 33% in 2019 4 , mainly due to the declining trend of hypertension prevalence in high-income countries (HICs) 5,6. In contrast, an increasing trend in hypertension prevalence is still observed in lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) 5-7. By 2019, it has been estimated that more than 1 billion people were living with hypertension in LMICs, which accounts for 82% of the global population with hypertension 4. Like most LMICs, India has been experiencing a drastic epidemiological transition for the past two decades, with a major shift of disease burden from communicable to non-communicable 8. Today, more than 60% of the nation's total deaths are due to NCDs, of which stroke and CVDs constitute almost 30% 8,9. Considering this, hypertension has emerged as a major disease burden, contributing to increased mortality 10. Compared to earlier report 11 , hypertension prevalence in India has shown an increasing trend during the past two decades 12,13 , with most recent national estimates of up to 30% 14,15. However, these studies estimated hypertension prevalence using cross-sectional study design thus, limiting the establishment of its temporal change within each cohort. Moreover, there are limited studies from India investigating the incidence of hypertension among community cohorts 16-20. Thus, follow-up study designs will be more precise and reliable to estimate changing trend within the same cohort over time. Further, contemporary to the rising hypertension prevalence, its care cascade including awareness, treatment, and control rates are rather poor in India, showing urban-rural disparity 15,21. Similar results were also reported from the South Asian cohort of the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study 22 with low awareness, treatment, and control rates, respectively among hypertensive group in both urban (45.9%, 37.6% and 15.4%) and rural (32.5%, 23.6% and 9.3%) areas. This trend improved only in individuals above 45 years and older, showing 55.7% awareness, 38.9% on treatment and 31.7% controlled blood pressure (BP) in India 23. Even so, very few
Frontiers in Psychology
BackgroundAbnormal blood lipid levels in the general population and adverse reproductive events a... more BackgroundAbnormal blood lipid levels in the general population and adverse reproductive events among women have been associated with cognitive impairment (CI). However, their relationship has not been extensively studied in community settings. Hence, this study aims to explore the association of CI with blood lipid levels in both sexes and reproductive events/trajectory among women.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among a North Indian rural population. A total of 808 adults were recruited through door-to-door household survey. Data on socio-demographic variables, reproductive profile of women, and cognitive impairment status were collected. Fasting blood sample was collected to estimate serum lipid profile. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to test for association.ResultsThe study demonstrated a lack of association between lipid profile and cognitive impairment among males. Surprisingly, low HDL-C among females was found to be protective against moderate/se...
Scientific Reports
Hypertension is a major contributor to global CVD burden. LMICs including India is challenged wit... more Hypertension is a major contributor to global CVD burden. LMICs including India is challenged with rising hypertension prevalence, yet limited studies are available on temporal change and incidence among community-cohorts. This study aimed to describe trends in hypertension prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control over 8 years among a rural community-cohort from Haryana, India. The study also lends towards an analysis of incidence. Adults ≥ 30 years (N = 1542) recruited during baseline cross-sectional study between 2011 and 2014 were followed up after a median 8.1 years. At endline, demographic/lifestyle characteristics and blood pressure were re-examined. Overall median SBP significantly increased from 120 mmHg at baseline to 125.5 mmHg at endline (p < 0.001), while hypertension prevalence increased from 34.4% (95% CI 32.0–36.9) to 40.4% (95% CI 37.5–43.4) (p = 0.002). Age-standardized hypertension incidence was 30.2% (95% CI 26.7–35.2) over 8 years. Among hypertensive grou...
Middle East Current Psychiatry, 2022
Background Depression is a highly prevalent mental disorder with complex aetiology. An emerging b... more Background Depression is a highly prevalent mental disorder with complex aetiology. An emerging body of evidence shows that depression tends to co-occur with abnormal blood glucose levels and dyslipidaemia. This study aimed to understand the overall and gender-specific associations of abnormal glucose levels and dyslipidaemia with depression in a single Mendelian population from rural Haryana, India. To achieve the aim, a population-based case-control study, which constituted of 251 depressed (cases) and 251 non-depressed (controls) individuals, was set up. The study was conducted among the Jat community of Palwal District, Haryana (North India). Data collection was done using a pre-tested interview schedule through the household survey method. Depression status was ascertained using Beck Depression Inventory-II. Fasting blood glucose analysis and lipid profiling were done using commercial kits (Randox, USA) through spectrophotometry. Statistical analysis was done using MS-Excel 201...
International Journal of Diabetes in Developing Countries, 2021
Background Rising obesity epidemic and dyslipidemia majorly contribute to cardiovascular disease ... more Background Rising obesity epidemic and dyslipidemia majorly contribute to cardiovascular disease burden. Emerging evidence has reported an increasing trend of metabolic disorders among rural tribal populations in developing countries. Hence, the present study attempts to estimate the prevalence of obesity and dyslipidemia and explore their association among Bhil tribal population from India. Materials and methods This was a cross-sectional study consisting of 277 adults recruited through household survey. Data on socio-demographic and lifestyle variables were collected and obesity was determined using anthropometric measurements. Biochemical assay was done using fasting blood samples. Logistic regression was employed to identify obesity variables associated with dyslipidemia. Results Almost 40% of the population had generalized obesity (high BMI) while abdominal obesity was found to be relatively higher in terms of WHR (76.9%) followed by WHtR (59.2%) and WC (44.8%). Dyslipidemia in form of low HDL-C was found to be highest (52.3%) followed by high TG (40.8%), TC (7.9%), and LDL-C (6.5%). Sex-wise distribution of obesity and dyslipidemia variables revealed women were significantly more obese and dyslipidemic (low HDL-C) as compared to men. Logistic regression analysis after controlling for confounders revealed a significant association of abdominal obesity with all abnormal lipids except for high TG. Conclusion The observed high prevalence of obesity and dyslipidemia, particularly low HDL-C and hypertriglyceridemia, warrants a public health concern. This study emphasizes the need for population-specific disease documentation to highlight underlying mechanisms of risk factors and to set forth a targeted approach to disease treatment and management.
Online Journal of Health & Allied Sciences, 2018
Background: Lifestyle behaviours are implicated as modifiable risk factors for non communicable d... more Background: Lifestyle behaviours are implicated as modifiable risk factors for non communicable diseases. The objective of this study was to estimate the physical activity level and to assess the general dietary trends prevailing in a tribal population. Methods: This was a population based cross sectional study conducted using random sampling method among Bhil tribal population in India. A total of 258 individuals were assessed for physical activity level while a total of 222 individuals were assessed for dietary pattern using appropriate questionnaires. Demographic and somatometric data were also recorded. Results: It was found that 86.43% of population adhered to the WHO recommended physical activity level. Females were seen to be significantly more active as compared to males which was in contrast to other findings in India. Maximum physical activity was observed to be in the occupational domain. With regards to dietary intake, the population practiced an imbalanced diet high in ...
PLOS ONE, 2021
Background Anthropogenic air pollution has been implicated in aberrant changes of DNA methylation... more Background Anthropogenic air pollution has been implicated in aberrant changes of DNA methylation and homocysteine increase (>15μM/L). Folate (<3 ng/mL) and vitamin B12 (<220 pg/mL) deficiencies also reduce global DNA methylation via homocysteine increase. Although B-vitamin supplements can attenuate epigenetic effects of air pollution but such understanding in population-specific studies are lacking. Hence, the present study aims to understand the role of air pollution, homocysteine, and nutritional deficiencies on methylation. Methods We examined cross-sectionally, homocysteine, folate, vitamin B12 (chemiluminescence) and global DNA methylation (colorimetric ELISA Assay) among 274 and 270 individuals from low- and high- polluted areas, respectively, from a single Mendelian population. Global DNA methylation results were obtained on 254 and 258 samples from low- and high- polluted areas, respectively. Results Significant decline in median global DNA methylation was seen as...
BMC Medical Genomics, 2021
Background Hypertension is a complex disorder affected by gene-environment interactions. Methylen... more Background Hypertension is a complex disorder affected by gene-environment interactions. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase ( MTHFR ) gene is one of the genes in One Carbon Metabolic (OCM) pathway that affects both blood pressure and epigenetic phenomenon. MTHFR C677T gene polymorphism leads to reduced methylation capacity via increased homocysteine concentrations. Global DNA methylation (5mC%) also gets affected in conditions such as hypertension. However, no study is found to understand hypertension in terms of both genetics and epigenetics. The present study aims to understand the relation between methylation, MTHFR C677T gene polymorphism and hypertension. It also tries to understand relation (if any) between methylation and anti-hypertensive drugs. Methods This is a cross-sectional study where data were collected from a total of 1634 individuals of either sex in age group 35–65 years. Hypertensives (SBP ≥ 140 mm Hg and DBP ≥ 90 mm Hg) (on treatment/not on treatment) and absolu...
Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, 2013
Background/Aims: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a metabolic disorder characterized b... more Background/Aims: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a metabolic disorder characterized by hepatic fat accumulation in the absence of alcohol consumption. Hyperhomocysteinemia is considered an independent risk factor for liver diseases, and the genetic polymorphisms C677T and A1298C in the MTHFR gene have been linked to hyperhomocysteinemia. The purpose of this study was to investigate serum homocysteine (Hcy) concentrations and the MTHFR C677T and A1298C polymorphisms as risk factors for the development of NAFLD. Methods: One hundred and thirty-four Brazilian patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD and 134 healthy controls were recruited. The MTHFR C677T and A1298C polymorphisms were detected through polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism. Serum Hcy levels were determined by chemiluminescence. Results: Serum Hcy levels were higher in NAFLD patients as compared to control subjects, but there were no differences between patients with steatosis and nonalc...
Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews, 2020
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Association studies of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with risk factors have... more BACKGROUND AND AIMS Association studies of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with risk factors have shown variable results. Moreover, population-specific comparative investigations are negligible. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the association of dyslipidemia and obesity with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and T2DM among two ethnically, geographically and culturally different populations in India. METHODS This was a cross-sectional study among Jats and Meiteis, each inhabiting a separate geographical region. A total of 2371 individuals, age ≥30 years were recruited through household survey. Obesity variables were captured using anthropometric measurements while fasting blood (2.5 mL) was drawn to measure lipid and glucose levels using enzymatic assay by spectrophotometer. Participants were categorized under normal, IFG and T2DM groups, indicative of diabetes progression stages. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 16.0 version. RESULTS Significant differential distribution of lipid and obesity variables among IFG and T2DM in both populations were observed. Odds ratio revealed high TC and all obesity variables except BMI posed significant increased risk for T2DM among Jats. Abnormal TG, VLDL, WC, and WHtR posed significant increased risk for T2DM among Meiteis. Age-cohort wise prevalence of T2DM showed increasing trend at ≥60 years among Jats and decreasing trend at ≥60 years among Meiteis, suggesting a potential higher morbidity in the former and mortality in latter because of T2DM. CONCLUSIONS The present study observed a differential association of risk factors for T2DM among Jats and Meiteis. This study emphasize the need to implement community-specific intervention programs for prevention, treatment and management of T2DM.
SN Comprehensive Clinical Medicine
The Oriental Anthropologist: A Bi-annual International Journal of the Science of Man
Background: Early-age cardiometabolic disorders have a profound impact on adult health status. St... more Background: Early-age cardiometabolic disorders have a profound impact on adult health status. Studies indicated elevated blood pressure and increased adiposity among children and adolescents to be significantly correlated with adult cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Aim: The study aims to estimate the prevalence of hypertension and adiposity indicators and their association among children and adolescents of Meghwal community, Rajasthan. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 150 boys and girls of 10–18 years. Anthropometric and physiologic variables were collected and categorized into adiposity indicators and blood pressure traits. Results: Prevalence of adiposity indicators in terms of both body mass index (BMI) and waist to height ratio (WHtR) was 2.67%, while almost half of the study participants had underweight BMI (46%). The study observed 16% and 8.67% prevalence of systolic hypertension stages I and II, respectively. Prevalence of diastolic hypertension stages I and II ...
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Papers by Imnameren Longkumer