Lisa M Nicholson

• PhD
• Senior Researcher at University of Illinois Chicago

Objective: To examine relationships between traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) and markers of pre-clinical cardiovascular risk in young children. Study design: We studied a cohort of healthy children ages 2-5 recruited from pediatric primary care sites (n = 122). We obtained child weight, height, blood pressure and hair nicotine levels. A bloo...

Background: Adequate sleep during childhood is an important component of overall health and wellbeing for children. Secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure has been linked to a greater risk of sleep-disordered breathing. Objective: Our objective was to investigate relationships between SHS exposure and sleep-related breathing problems in healthy toddler...

Objective: To investigate relationships between secondhand smoke exposure in young children and several preclinical markers of cardiovascular risk that have been established as relevant to adult populations. Study design: There were 139 children, 2-5 years of age, enrolled in a cross-sectional study. Secondhand smoke exposure was objectively det...

JPER is a multi-disciplinary journal that promotes the health of the preterm infant.

Background: Physical activity (PA) protects against cancer and enhances cancer survivorship. Given high inactivity rates nationwide, population-level physical activity facilitators are needed. Several authoritative bodies have recognized that zoning and planning helps create activity-friendly environments. This study examined the association betwee...

Objective: Neonates with Down's syndrome (nDS) may have multiple medical issues that place them at increased risk for mortality during the newborn period. Goal of this study was to determine if there are differences in baseline characteristics, medical complications or procedures performed during hospitalization between nDS who survived versus tho...

There is a reported 5-20 % incidence of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) following stage I palliation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). This study compares the interstage mortality of HLHS patients supported with ECMO (HLHS-ECMO) to those who were not supported with ECMO (HLHS-nECMO) using the National Pediatric Cardiology Quali...

Population: ) Zoning codes were obtained and evaluated to assess the pedestrian-orientation of the zoning codes. Public transit use, active travel to work, median household income, and poverty data were obtained for all study jurisdictions from the 2010-2014 American Community Survey estimates. Associations were examined through multivariate regre...

Conclusion: While positive ASD screening surveys did not correctly identify ASD in the majority, it did help to identify other unrecognized behavioral disorders in children with FDD. High screening scores were more common in children with FC with FI and in children with poorer responses to current medical treatments. What is known: •A prior stud...

Objectives: Caring for children with congenital heart disease places significant stress on caregivers. Minimal data exist evaluating stress levels in caregivers of children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). The goal of this study was to obtain baseline stress scores for caregivers of children with HLHS and determine if associations exis...

Background Environmental and policy factors play an important role in influencing people’s lifestyles, physical activity (PA), and risks for developing obesity. Research suggests that more walkable communities are needed to sustain lifelong PA behavior, but there is a need to determine what local built environment features facilitate making being a...

Background Communities across the United States have been reforming their zoning codes to create pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods with increased street connectivity, mixed use and higher density, open space, transportation infrastructure, and a traditional neighborhood structure. Zoning code reforms include new urbanist zoning such as the SmartCod...

Practice patterns for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) use in newborns with Trisomy 21 (T21) have not been fully reported. The goals of this study were to: 1) determine the incidence of ECMO use in T21 neonates; 2) identify clinical and demographic characteristics associated with ECMO use in this population; 3) describe outcomes of neonat...

Introduction: Our objective was to investigate the relationships between secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure and oxidative stress in a group of youth and adolescents with elevated body mass index. Methods: Participants in this cross sectional study were healthy nonsmoking youth and adolescents ages 9 to 18 years old. Three-quarters of the participan...

Although zoning is recognized for its role in facilitating healthy communities, no study has examined whether active living–oriented zoning codes are associated with adult leisure time physical activity (PA). This study sought to fill this gap and hypothesized that adult leisure time PA would be greater in communities with more progressive zoning c...

Objective: To assess whether geographic location influences hospitalizations for pulmonary exacerbations for patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) in the US, as there is no existing literature regarding this subject. Study design: The CF Foundation Patient Registry was analyzed during the years 2007-2012 via geographic grouping of states. The impac...

Background Emerging evidence suggests that the prevalence of pathogens common in cystic fibrosis (CF) may be unevenly distributed across the United States (U.S.). However, very little is known regarding the U.S. distribution of other CF modifiers such as medication usage and patient demographics. Therefore, we sought to determine if regional differ...

Introduction: Improved weight gain during the interstage (IS) period has been shown to improve overall outcomes in patients with single ventricle physiology (SVP). This emphasis on nutrition may have untoward effects, such as increasing anxiety/stress levels in caregivers, who are already known to be at risk for increased anxiety/stress levels. Th...

Rationale: Secondhand smoke (SHS) has deleterious respiratory, immune, and nutritional effects in children, but there is little data regarding the effects of SHS exposure in infants with cystic fibrosis (CF). Methods: A retrospective chart review was undertaken from 2008 to 2012 of 75 infants with CF. Growth, lung function, Chest CT imaging, and...

AimsDiastolic dyssynchrony is increasingly being recognized as another marker for possible adverse cardiac events. Minimal data exist in hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) patients. The goal of this study was to determine if there were differences in diastolic dyssynchrony in patients with HLHS vs. control patients.Methods/ResultsTissue Doppler...

Background: The evaluation of right ventricular (RV) function is important in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). Echocardiographic qualitative grading has been the prevalent method used in the past, but newer technologies allowing for quantitative assessment of RV function may have changed this fact. The goal of this study was t...

Background: Altered mesenteric perfusion may be a contributor to the development of necrotising enterocolitis in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. The goal of this study was to document mesenteric flow patterns in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome pre- and post-hybrid procedure. Methods: A prospective study on all patients...

Purpose: Echocardiographic evaluation of systolic function in patients with single right ventricles (SRV) is important but remains challenging. Minimal data exist correlating echocardiographic indices with catheterization data in this population. The goal of this study was to evaluate which echocardiographic measurement correlated best with dP/dt...

Purpose Echocardiographic evaluation of systolic function in patients with single right ventricles (SRV) is important but remains challenging. Minimal data exist correlating echocardiographic indices with catheterization data in this population. The goal of this study was to evaluate which echocardiographic measurement correlated best with dP/dt (m...

Background: Hybrid procedure is an alternative initial palliation for patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). One major complication with this procedure is stenosis in the aortic arch isthmus possibly due to inflammation from the patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) stent. In adult studies, neutrophil/lymphocyte (N/L) ratio has been used a...

BACKGROUND State laws and farm-to-school programs (FTSPs) have the potential to increase fruit and vegetable (FV) availability in school meals. This study examined whether FV were more available in public elementary school lunches in states with a law requiring/encouraging FTSPs or with a locally grown-related law, and whether the relationship betw...

Background: Thyroid disorders are common in women of reproductive age, and thyroid dysfunction during pregnancy has been associated with adverse outcomes for mother and child. Thyroid function and thyroid function tests (TFTs) can be influenced by a variety of factors, such as ethnicity, the presence of autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD), dietary i...

QRS prolongation may be a predictor of mortality in certain forms of congenital heart disease. Minimal data exist describing changes in QRS duration in patients with single ventricles (SV). Goal was to describe changes in QRS duration in patients with SV and to determine if differences existed between single right ventricle (sRV) versus single left...

The use of free or reduced price lunch (FRL), as a measure of socioeconomic status (SES), has received mixed reviews in the literature. This study expands on the limited research on the validity of FRL as a measure of SES by examining the relationship between FRL and a series of community-based SES measures to determine whether FRL is an adequate p...

Diastolic dyssynchrony has correlated with pulmonary capillary wedge pressures in patients with normal cardiac anatomy. No data exist in single right ventricle (sRV) patients. Goal of this study was to determine if diastolic dyssynchrony in sRV patients correlates with ventricular end-diastolic pressures (VEDP). Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) and str...

Introduction: Diastolic dyssynchrony is increasingly being recognized in both the adult and pediatric population. Increasing diastolic dyssynchrony has correlated with increased pulmonary capillary wedge pressures and worse clinical outcomes in patients with normal cardiac anatomy. No data exist in patients with single right ventricle (sRV) physiol...

Increased ventricular end-diastolic pressure (VEDP) is a known risk factor for morbidity and mortality in patients with single-ventricle physiology. Spectral Doppler tissue imaging (DTI) has been shown to modestly correlate with direct measurement of VEDP. Strain rate (SR) values, obtained via myocardial deformation, have not yet been compared with...

Purpose: There is conflicting evidence whether custom instrumentation for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) improves component position compared to standard instrumentation. Studies have relied on long-limb radiographs limited to two-dimensional (2D) analysis and subjected to rotational inaccuracy. We used postoperative computed tomography (CT) to eva...

Objective: To determine whether differences exist in the location of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in infants with congenital heart disease (CHD) versus those without CHD. Study design: Retrospective cohort study utilizing 11 years of patient data. Inclusion criterion was surgical exploration for NEC. Presence or absence of CHD was determined....

Background: Increased ventricular end-diastolic pressure (VEDP) is a known risk factor for morbidity and mortality in patients with single ventricle physiology. Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) analysis has been shown to modestly correlate with direct measurement of VEDP. Myocardial deformation imaging, also known as strain (S) and strain rate (SR) ima...

Background: Neighborhood design features have been associated with health outcomes, including the prevalence of obesity. Purpose: This study examined the association between walkability and adolescent weight in a national sample of public secondary school students and the communities in which they live. Methods: Data were collected through stu...

  During viral assembly, viral proteins are released into plasma and can be used to infer viral load. The Architect hepatitis C virus (HCV) core antigen (Ag) assay is a potential alternative to HCV RNA quantification for measuring response to therapy and predicting an end of treatment viral response (EOTR). The HCVp22Ag assay was used to infer vira...

Post-immigration adaptation is characterized by chronic and acute acculturative stressors. Salivary cortisol is a commonly used hormonal marker of stress, but few studies have investigated its use as an indicator of acculturative stress and adjustment in immigrants. The purpose of this study was to examine relationships among predictors of adjustme...

Background: In studies of adult patients, increased QRS duration and mechanical dyssynchrony have been associated with decreased ventricular function. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that similar findings would be present in a population of patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) after the Fontan procedure. Methods:...

Background: With advances in cardiac care, patients with congenital heart disease, including single ventricle (SV) physiology, now survive into adulthood. These patients often suffer from congestive heart failure (CHF) with overexpression of serum biomarkers. Strain and strain rate (SR) may better describe the myocardial mechanics of a failing SV....

To evaluate the effect of 2 anticipatory guidance styles (maternal focused [MOMS] and infant focused [Ounce of Prevention]) directed at mothers of infants aged newborn to 6 months on their infant feeding behaviors at 1 year compared with routine advice as outlined in Bright Futures (BF). This is a cluster randomized trial. A total of 292 mother/inf...

Percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation (PPVI) is an emerging therapy for pulmonary valve dysfunction. Minimal data on the midterm effects of PPVI on ventricular function exist. We describe the effects of PPVI on right and left ventricular (RV, LV) function with speckle tracking echocardiography. Patients who met the inclusion criteria of the Foo...

Farm-to-School programs (FTSPs) connect schools with locally grown food. This article examines whether FTSPs are more common in public elementary schools (ESs) in states with a formal, FTSP law or with a related, locally grown procurement law. A pooled, cross-sectional analysis linked nationally representative samples of 1872 public ESs (across 47...

School-based measurement of children's body mass index (BMI) is a useful tool for tracking childhood obesity rates, and may be an effective intervention strategy for reducing the increasing trends in obesity. This article examines the relationship between state law, district policy, and school-level BMI measurement practices. Data were collected du...

A significant proportion of children in the United States remain exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS). We are reporting on relationships observed between parental report of their child's SHS exposure in two groups of children (ages 2-5 years and 9-14 years) with a biological marker of long-term SHS exposure, hair nicotine. Participants were healthy ch...

  Parents of children with congenital heart disease (CHD) have been shown to be at an increased risk of having psychosocial morbidities including anxiety, depression, and somatization. Little is known about the anxiety level of these parents during the initial hospital course. The goal of this study was to evaluate the anxiety level of the parents...

To examine the impact of state- and school district-level policies on the prevalence of physical education (PE) and recess in a nationally representative sample of US public elementary schools. Analyses from annual, nationally representative, cross-sectional surveys of school administrators in the United States. Data were collected through surveys...

Obesity and cigarette smoking are two of the most frequent and preventable causes of disease and death in the United States; both are often established during youth. We hypothesized that obese, adolescent girls would be at higher risk for nicotine addiction in young adulthood, and that particular individual and social factors would mediate this ass...

Purpose: Infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) have a wide spectrum of clinical disease. The most severe infants can have significant morbidity related to pulmonary disease or cardiac dysfunction secondary to increased pulmonary vascular resistance. Previous studies have examined the relationship of tissue Doppler echocardiographic markers...

Purpose: Patients with systemic right ventricle (RV) after Fontan procedure are at increased risk for heart failure. In adult studies, increased mechanical and/or electrical dyssynchrony have been associated with decreased ventricular function. The goal of this study was to determine if similar correlations exist in a population of single RV patien...

Neighborhood disadvantage in early adolescence may help explain racial and ethnic disparities in obesity during the transition to adulthood; however the processes may work differently for males and females and for minority groups compared to Whites. The present study examines the relationship between neighborhood disadvantage and young adult obesit...

Conducting longitudinal research studies with low-income and/or minority participants present a unique set of challenges and opportunities. To outline the specific strategies employed to successfully recruit and retain participants in a longitudinal study of nutritional anticipatory guidance during early childhood, conducted with a low-income, ethn...

Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) measurements have been demonstrated to correlate with central venous pressure (CVP) in adults. We hypothesize that TDI measurements also correlate with CVP in children after cardiac surgery. Patients younger than 10 years with invasive CVP monitoring after cardiac surgery were studied. Annular tissue and atrioventricula...

Childhood lead poisoning is a serious problem and source of conflict in older cities in the United States. Each year, thousands of children are diagnosed with this disease, for which there is no known cure. We examine the extent to which citizen groups can connect successfully with powerful economic and political actors to reduce childhood lead poi...

Obesity related inflammation plays a key role in endothelial injury, which is an antecedent of adult cardiovascular disease. Few studies have attempted to define these relationships in children. We hypothesized that obesity is related to inflammation, endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) depletion, and endothelial dysfunction in adolescents. A total o...

The cytoskeletal protein desmin is upregulated in ischemic heart failure (HF). To test the hypothesis that wall stress mechanisms influence desmin upregulation we examined its transmural distribution in HF. HF was induced in sheep (coronary embolization). LV EF and end‐systolic and ‐diastolic areas (ESA, EDA) were measured at baseline and 4‐ or 12m...

There is a paucity of literature discussing the predictive likelihood of successfully extubating neonates and infants in the operating room immediately following congenital cardiac surgery. Given the unknown consequences of anaesthetics on neurodevelopmental outcomes, minimising the exposure of this population to such agents may have long-term bene...

There has been a tremendous focus on gynecologic health with the increasing number of women with congenital heart disease (CHD). Conversely, experience in providing sexual health screening to men with CHD is lacking. The purpose of this study was to identify sexual health issues in men with CHD. An anonymous survey was distributed to men in our adu...

Fibrosis and myocyte hypertrophy are classical remodeling parameters in heart failure (HF); however, an intriguing possibility is that myocytes undergo intracellular remodeling which decrease compliance, contributing to diastolic dysfunction. The most obvious candidates are cytoskeletal proteins. The cytoskeletal protein desmin reinforces the sarco...

This study examines whether the mental and physical health of single mothers benefit from marriage or cohabitation compared to childless women who marry. Results indicate that marrying is associated with similar declines in psychological distress for single mothers and childless women, but only when that marriage endures. Single mothers do not rece...

Since welfare reform in 1996, marriage has been promoted as a means to reduce welfare dependency and out-of-wedlock childbearing. Despite extensive public and academic discourse surrounding marriage promotion, a basic factor preceding and predicting marriage—expectations to marry—has received little attention. Using insights from the life course pe...