Frequently Asked MASALA Townhall Questions
1. What is Exam 3? When will it start? Where will it be conducted?
Exam 3 is our third clinical exam of the original MASALA study cohort. This will be the second time that our 258 newest participants who joined the study in 2017-2018 will be seen. But for simplicity, we are calling this Exam 3 for everyone. Exam 3 is focused on understanding how well the heart and blood vessels are functioning.
UCSF will start Exam 3 in October 2021 and Northwestern will start Exam 3 in November 2021. Each study site will be mailing invitational letters to small batches of participants. We anticipate that we will continue Exam 3 visits through March of 2024.
2. Does Exam 3 include a repeat Coronary Artery Calcium CT scan?
No, we will not be doing another CT scan at this exam since we have done this test twice already (Exam 1, 2010-2013, and Exam 2 (2015-2018).
3. What does the Echocardiogram in Exam 3 show?
An echocardiogram is an ultrasound test of the heart. It shows the structure of the four chambers and the four valves of the heart and the overall function of the heart. We are interested in knowing if there are any differences in the function of the heart in South Asians compared to other U.S. ethnic groups. We will compare the findings of our MASALA participant echocardiogram to the MESA study echocardiogram results.
4. If I have moved out of state, can I still participate in MASALA Exam 3?
Yes, we will try to coordinate with you to have you return for an Exam 3 visit when it is convenient for you. If you are planning a trip back to the MASALA field site location (in the San Francisco Bay Area at UCSF or the greater Chicago area for Northwestern University), we will try to find a time that works for you to come in for Exam 3 while you are visiting. We can help with your travel expense.
5. What is the COVID-19 Antibody test checking for?
The antibody test that we are doing as part of the C4R study is checking for the total among of antibodies against COVID-19 (both the spike antibody and the nucleocapsid antibodies). We just receive a positive result if there are antibodies detected and a negative result if there are few or no antibodies detected. A positive test result can happen if someone has been vaccinated or if someone has had a prior COVID infection.
6. I was vaccinated against COVID-19, so why is my antibody test negative?
If you have been fully vaccinated (two doses of the mRNA vaccine, the second vaccine given at least 2 weeks before the antibody test was done) and the antibody test was negative, this may show that you do not have an adequate antibody response to the vaccine. You should discuss this result with your physician to determine if you need any additional dose of the COVID vaccine.
7. How can we get a copy of all test results from prior Exams?
Please email or call your MASALA study field site (at UCSF or Northwestern) and ask the staff to mail you the prior CT scan and lab test results. We have kept these results securely for you.
8. Are you still recruiting new people into MASALA?
We received new funding from the National Institutes of Health to recruit 1100 new participants who are of Bangladeshi or Pakistani-origin into the MASALA study cohort.
We already have more than 900 Indians in MASALA, and by adding new Bangladeshi and Pakistani-origin participants, the MASALA study will be more representative of diverse South Asian groups and help us understand differences and similarities in their health.
9. What have you learned from MASALA about diet and health risks in South Asian Americans?
Dietary patterns are linked to heart disease risk factors. From our MASALA study results, a plant-based diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables, lentils, and nuts is associated with better health. MASALA participants consume one of three major dietary patterns:
A vegetarian diet with fried snacks, sweets and high-fat dairy foods – this diet was linked with lower levels of HDL (good) cholesterol and more insulin resistance (a cause of diabetes);
A mostly non-vegetarian diet – linked with higher weight, waist size and cholesterol levels;
A mostly vegetarian diet with fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts was linked with lower blood pressure and metabolic syndrome (large waist circumference, low HDL, high triglycerides, high glucose and high BP).
Link to MASALA study publications on diet and other topic can be found here:
https://www.masalastudy.org/publications
10. Has MASALA study shown that there are any genetic markers to help South Asian people understand their risk?
MASALA is collaborating with Spectrum Biobank to conduct low-pass genetic sequencing in 1,050 participant samples. The goal is to understand if there are genetic risk factors unique to South Asians and derive more accurate genetic-based risk scores for coronary artery calcium and other risk factors.