joelexebio

Free Download of My Research Papers

	Most of my papers are not free access because I transferred my copyrights to the journals. However, I kept the copyrights for a few of them which are available here.
	Use of Hemoglobin A1c to Detect Haitian-Americans with Undiagnosed type 2 Diabetes
	In this paper published in the Journal Arquivos Brasileiros de Endocrinologia y Metabolismo, I explained why A1c is a more reliable tool to diagnose type 2 diabetes than fasting plasma glucose and how to calculate an optimal cutoff point for diagnosis in this sample of Haitian-Americans. Since cutoff points should be specific for each ethnicity, the same methodology can be followed to calculate cutoff points in other populations.
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	*Use of Homeostatic Model Assessment Indexes for the Identification of Metabolic Syndrome and Insulin Resistance among Cuban-Americans*
	In this paper published in the British Journal of Medicine and Medical Research, we showed how to calculate cut off points for HOMA1 and HOMA2 to detect metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance in Cuban-Americans. Early detection is important to avoid or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes. Since cut off points should be ethnic specific, the same methodology could be followed to calculate cut off points for any population.
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	Healthy Eating Index scores associated with symptoms of depression in Cuban-Americans with and without type 2 diabetes: a cross sectional study
	Background Low diet quality and depression symptoms are independently associated with poor glycemic control in subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2D); however, the relationship between them is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the association between diet quality and symptoms of depression among Cuban-Americans with and without T2D living in South Florida. Methods Subjects (n = 356) were recruited from randomly selected mailing list. Diet quality was determined using the Healthy Eating Index-2005 (HEI-05) score. Symptoms of depression were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Both linear and logistic regression analyses were run to determine whether or not these two variables were related. Symptoms of depression was the dependent variable and independent variables included HEI-05, gender, age, marital status, BMI, education level, A1C, employment status, depression medication, duration of diabetes, and diabetes status. Analysis of covariance was used to test for interactions among variables. Results An interaction between diabetes status, gender and HEI-05 was found (P = 0.011). Among males with a HEI-05 score ≤ 55.6, those with T2D had a higher mean BDI score than those without T2D (11.6 vs. 6.6 respectively, P = 0.028). Among males and females with a HEI-05 score ≤ 55.6, females without T2D had a higher mean BDI score compared to males without T2D (11.0 vs. 6.6 respectively, P = 0.012) Conclusions Differences in symptoms of depression according to diabetes status and gender are found in Cuban-Americans with low diet quality.
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	*Skin Color and Self-reported Sun Exposure Scores are Associated with Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations in a Multi-ethnic Population Living in South Florida*
	Aims: The aim was to investigate the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], skin color and sun exposure score. Study Design: Cross-sectional. Place and Duration of Study: Florida International University, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, Miami, Florida from July 2012 to October 2012. Methodology: Seventy six adults, ages 18-36 years living in South Florida participated in the study. Skin color was quantified by a IMS Smart Probe 400 scanner and 25(OH)D was measured by ELISA. A sun exposure questionnaire was used to record the weekly sun exposure scores. A food frequency questionnaire was used to record daily vitamin D intake. Results: Multiple-linear regression analysis indicated that sun exposure, forearm skin color and vitamin D intake were significant predictors of 25(OH)D (P=.004, P=.003 and P=.021 respectively). This association held after controlling for covariates (B=.371, P=.027 for forearm, B=.031, P=.005 for total sun exposure and B=.689, P=.003 for vitamin D intake). Conclusion: Skin color, sun exposure along with vitamin D intake may be used as an indirect non-invasive tools to estimate 25(OH)D levels in healthy individuals in South Florida
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	The Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on Blood Lipids in Mi- norities with Type 2 Diabetes
	Abstract Introduction: Vitamin D deficiency and type 2 diabetes are common among Hispanics and African Americans in the US. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of supplemental vitamin D intake (4000 IU/day or 6000 IU/ day of vitamin D3 over a 6-month period) on blood lipids in a sample of African Americans and Hispanics with type 2 diabetes and vitamin D insufficiency. Materials and methods: Participants (n = 75) were recru- ited by community outreach. Participants in both groups were required to take either 4000 IU or 6000 IU of vitamin D (Cholecalciferol) per day given in the form of a pill in a single daily dose. Mixed model was used to compare treatment effects (4000 IU vs. 6000 IU) on the outcome variables. Bonferroni multiple comparison test was used to detect si- gnificant changes from baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. Results: A significant decrease in total cholesterol (from 193.88 ± 41.03 to 180.48 ± 27.53 mg/dl, P = 0.040) and tri- glycerides (from 201.44 ± 91.35 to 172.92 ± 76.87 mg/dl, P = 0.037) was found for the 6000 IU group at 6 months. The significance was lost after adjusting for confounders. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the positive effect of vitamin D supplementation on lipid profile may be mediated by other cofactors related to vitamin D metabolism among Hi- spanic and African American participants with type 2 diabetes.
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