Cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes mortality burden of cardiometabolic risk factors from 1980 to 2010: a comparative risk assessment

This paper aims to explore the burgeoning burden of cardiovascular and metabolic disease (CMD) risk factors among South Asian labor migrants to the Middle East. We conducted a qualitative synthesis of literature using PubMed/Medline and grey literature searches, supplemented by a policy review of policies from the South Asian countries. We found a high burden of cardio-metabolic risk factors among the migrants as well as among the populations in the home and the host countries. For example, two studies reported the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) ranging between 9 and 17% among South Asian migrants. Overweight and obesity were highly prevalent amongst South Asian male migrants; prevalence ranged from 30 to 66% (overweight) and 17–80% (obesity) respectively. The home country population had a significant CMD risk factor burden. Nearly 14 to 40% have three or more risk factors: such as hypertension (17 to 37%), diabetes (3 to 7%), overweight (18 to 41%), and obesity (2 to 15%). The host country also exhibited similar burden of risk factors: hypertension (13 to 38%), diabetes (8 to 17%), overweight (33 to 77%) and obesity (35 to 41%). Only Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have some provisions related to screening of CMDs before labor migration. Further, analysis of policy papers showed that none of the reviewed documents had requirements for screening of any specific CMDs, but chronic diseases were used generically, failing to specify specific screening target. Given the high burden of risk factors, migrants’ health should become an urgent priority. The lack of specific focus on screening during different stages of labor migration should receive attention. The International Labour Organization and the International Office for Migration, through their country coordination teams should engage local stakeholders to create policies and plans to address this concern. Similarly, there is a need for the host country to become an equal partner in these efforts, as migrant’s better cardiometabolic health is in the benefit of both host and home countries.

Introduction: Cardiometabolic risk factors (diabetes, obesity, and hypertension) are highly prevalent and contribute to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Endothelial dysfunction often precedes CVD development. Direct brachial vein endothelial cell (EC) harvesting enables the examination of vascular health via assessment of EC gene expression. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that individuals with greater cardiometabolic risk would demonstrate a more pro-inflammatory EC transcriptome. Methods: Adult participants without CVD underwent EC harvesting followed by RNA sequencing. We categorized individuals by number of risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, obesity) as 0 through 3. To evaluate the association between risk factor burden and outcome transcripts, we performed multivariable linear regression, adjusting for age, sex, and race/ethnicity. Results: Among 18 individuals (mean age 47 ± 14, 44% female, and 61% white), 17%, 44%, 28%, and 11% had 0,1,2, and 3 prevalent risk factors, respectively. EC RNA sequencing revealed 588 differentially expressed transcripts (p-adj <0.05) with 585 upregulated, 3 downregulated, and excellent clustering ( Fig. a, b ). Gene ontology enrichment analysis demonstrated enriched and upregulated pathways of T-cell activation (NES = 2.22, p<0.001), leukocyte differentiation (NES= 2.16, p<0.001), and platelet aggregation (NES= 1.66, p=0.03) and downregulated pathways of endothelial cell proliferation (NES= -1.68, p=0.03). ( Fig. c ) Select upregulated genes (log 2FC >3, p-adj<0.05) included VCAM1, CEACAM1, ADAM 17, and CD99L2, with a graded increase in mean normalized counts with increasing number of risk factors. ( Fig. d ) Conclusions: We demonstrate a proinflammatory, pro-adhesive, and pro-coagulant EC transcriptome associated with increased cardiometabolic risk factor burden offering insight into potential mechanisms linking cardiometabolic risk factors with the development of CVD.

Introduction

Background: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality among women worldwide, with a rapidly rising burden in low- and middle-income countries such as India. Indian women increasingly exhibit cardiometabolic risk factors including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, obesity, and physical inactivity, which significantly influence the presentation, severity, and outcomes of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Objectives: To assess the burden of cardiometabolic risk factors among female patients presenting with STEMI and to evaluate their association with disease severity and short-term in-hospital outcomes. Methods: This hospital-based cross-sectional observational study was conducted in the intensive coronary care unit (ICCU) of a tertiary care center. One hundred consecutive female patients aged >18 years with clinically and electrocardiographically confirmed STEMI were enrolled. Demographic characteristics, menopausal status, cardiometabolic risk factors, clinical presentation, Killip class, lipid profile, and in-hospital outcomes were recorded and analysed using descriptive statistics. Results: The majority of patients were aged ?45 years, with 92% being post-menopausal. Hypertension (66%) was the most prevalent cardiometabolic risk factor, followed by hyperlipidaemia (57%), diabetes mellitus (50%), obesity (38%), and low physical activity (35%). Patients with multiple cardiometabolic risk factors were more likely to present with higher Killip class (II?IV) and experienced a higher frequency of in-hospital complications, including heart failure and arrhythmias. Conclusion: Female patients with STEMI exhibit a high burden of cardiometabolic risk factors, which are strongly associated with disease severity and adverse in-hospital outcomes. Early identification and aggressive management of these risk factors are essential to improve cardiovascular outcomes in this vulnerable population.

Does Inflammation Fuel the Fire in CKD?

IntroductionType 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a powerful risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), conferring a greater relative risk in women than men. We sought to examine sex differences in...

Burden of cardiometabolic risk factors and vascular health

Cardiometabolic risk factors, obesity, diabetes and hyperlipidemia contribute to cardiovascular disease (CVD). While platelets are involved in CVD pathogenesis, the relationship between risk factor burden on platelet indices and the platelet transcriptome remains uncertain. Blood was collected from CVD-free adults, measuring platelet count, mean platelet volume (MPV), immature platelet fraction (IPF), and absolute immature platelet fraction (AIPF) by hemogram. Platelets were isolated and analyzed via RNA sequencing. Participants were stratified by number of cardiometabolic risk factors (diabetes, obesity, hyperlipidemia). We calculated median (IQR) values of platelet indices and p-for-trend via linear regression across risk factor burden. To evaluate the association between risk factor burden and platelet transcripts, we performed multivariable linear regression adjusting for age, sex, and race/ethnicity. Among 141 participants, (50.5 ± 14.8 years, 42% male, 26% Black) risk factor burden was associated with increasing platelet size, IPF, and AIPF but not platelet count. Platelet RNA sequencing identified 100 differentially expressed transcripts (p < .01; 66 upregulated, 34 downregulated). Gene ontology enrichment analysis demonstrated upregulated pathways of secondary metabolic processes (NES = 1.96, p < .01), and hematopoietic stem cell proliferation (NES = 1.95, p < .01). Greater cardiometabolic risk factor burden is associated with increased platelet size and immaturity and suggesting novel platelet-mediated mechanisms linking risk factor burden with CVD.

Background: While the association between APOL1 genetic variants and chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been established, their association with cardiovascular disease (CVD) is unclear. This study sought to understand CKD and cardiovascular risk conferred by APOL1 variants in a secondary cardiovascular prevention population. Methods: Two risk variants in APOL1 were genotyped in African-Americans (n = 1,641) enrolled in the CATHGEN biorepository, comprised of patients referred for cardiac catheterization at Duke University Hospital, Durham, NC, USA (2001-2010). Individuals were categorized as noncarriers (n = 722), heterozygote (n = 771), or homozygote carriers (n = 231) of APOL1 risk alleles. Multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for CVD risk factors were used to assess the association between APOL1 risk variants and prevalent and incident CKD, prevalent coronary artery disease (CAD), incident CVD events, and mortality. Results: The previously identified association between APOL1 variants and prevalent CKD was confirmed (OR: 1.85, 95% CI: 1.33-2.57, p = 0.0002). No statistically significant associations were detected between APOL1 variants and incident CKD or prevalent CAD, incident CVD events or mortality. Age, type 2 diabetes, and ejection fraction at baseline were significant clinical factors that predicted the risk of incident CKD in a subgroup analysis of APOL1 homozygous individuals. Conclusion:APOL1 genetic variants are not associated with CAD or incident CVD events in a cohort of individuals with a high burden of cardiometabolic risk factors. In individuals with homozygous APOL1 status, factors that predicted subsequent CKD included age, presence of type 2 diabetes, and ejection fraction at baseline.

Cardiovascular Disease and CKD: Core Curriculum 2010

Relation Between Self-Reported Physical Activity Level, Fitness, and Cardiometabolic Risk

BACKGROUNDThere is an unmet need to evaluate the burden of cardiometabolic risk factors in young South Asian adults, who are not preselected for glycaemia.AIMTo evaluate young North Indian men (aged 20-50 years) for burden of cardiometabolic risk factors, in relation to parameters of homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and beta-cell function (oral disposition index [oDI]). METHODSStudy participants were invited in a fasting state. Sociodemographic, anthropometric, and medical data were collected, and 75 g oral glucose tolerance test was performed with serum insulin and plasma glucose estimation at 0, 30, and 120 min. Participants were divided into quartiles for HOMA-IR and oDI (category 1: Best HOMA-IR/oDI quartile; category 3: Worst HOMA-IR/oDI quartile) and composite HOMA-IR/oDI phenotypes (phenotype 1: Best quartile for both HOMA-IR and oDI; phenotype 4: Worst quartile for both HOMA-IR and oDI) were derived.RESULTSWe evaluated a total of 635 men at a mean (± SD) age of 33.9 ± 5.1 years and body mass index of 26.0 ± 3.9 kg/m2. Diabetes and prediabetes were present in 34 (5.4%) and 297 (46.8%) participants, respectively. Overweight/obesity, metabolic syndrome, and hypertension were present in 388 (61.1%), 258 (40.6%), and 123 (19.4%) participants, respectively. The prevalence of dysglycaemia, metabolic syndrome, and hypertension was significantly higher in participants belonging to the worst HOMA-IR and oDI quartiles, either alone (category 3 vs 1) or in combination (phenotype 4 vs 1). The adjusted odds ratios for dysglycaemia (6.5 to 7.0-fold), hypertension (2.9 to 3.6-fold), and metabolic syndrome (4.0 to 12.2-fold) were significantly higher in individuals in the worst quartile of HOMA-IR and oDI (category 3), compared to those in the best quartile (category 1). The adjusted odds ratios further increased to 21.1, 5.6, and 13.7, respectively, in individuals with the worst, compared to the best composite HOMA-IR/oDI phenotypes (phenotype 4 vs 1). CONCLUSIONThe burden of cardiometabolic risk factors is high among young Asian Indian men. Our findings highlight the importance of using parameters of insulin resistance and beta-cell function in phenotyping individuals for cardiometabolic risk.

ObjectiveTo investigate the prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors (CMRFs), target organ damage (TOD) and its associated factors among adults in Freetown, Sierra Leone.DesignThis community-based cross-sectional study used a stratified multistage...

Introduction: Observational studies suggest that obesity is a risk factor of chronic kidney disease (CKD). It is unclear whether this reflects a direct causal effect of obesity or an effect mediated by obesity-related metabolic changes. Hypotheses: We hypothesised that 1) obesity is a causal risk factor of CKD defined as eGFR &lt;60mL/min/1.73m 2 and 2) this causal effect is mediated through changes in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterols, triglycerides, glucose, blood pressure and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Methods: To assess causality and investigate mediation, we used a combination of observational, two-step Mendelian randomization, and mediation analyses on individual-level data from two cohorts of the Danish general population (N=117,213). Results: Observationally, higher BMI was associated with a lower eGFR (change in eGFR; -0.81, confidence interval [CI]: -0.89- -0.73)) and a higher risk of CKD (odds ratio [OR]:1.19; 95% CI: 1.16-1.22) per 5kg/m 2 higher BMI (p for trend for both &lt;2.9 x10 -40 ). Mendelian randomization analyses supported a causal effect of higher BMI on lower eGFR (change in eGFR -17.3 mL/min/1.73m 2 (95%CI: -19.3- -15.3), and risk of CKD (risk ratio [RR]6.99 (95%CI: 1.63-30.1) per 5kg/m 2 higher BMI. Measured BMI and the BMI allele score used in Mendelian randomization analyses were associated with changes in levels of LDL and HDL cholesterols, triglycerides, glucose, blood pressure, and CRP. Observational and Mendelian randomization analyses showed evidence to support a causal effect of changes in levels of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, LDL cholesterol and CRP with lower eGFR and higher risk of CKD. Of the excess risk of CKD coming from high BMI, elevated systolic and diastolic blood pressure mediated 18%(95%CI:14-22) and 9% (7-11), respectively. 9% (95%CI: 8-12) was mediated by elevated LDL cholesterol and 29% (95%CI: 23-35) by elevated CRP. Conclusion: Triangulating evidence from observational and Mendelian randomization analyses provided evidence to support a causal role of obesity on the risk of CKD and that this causal effect may be partly mediated by elevated systolic and diastolic blood pressure, CRP and LDL cholesterol levels.

Cardiometabolic risk factors (impaired fasting glucose, abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, dyslipidemia) cluster in children, may predict adult disease burden, and are inadequately characterized in South American children. To quantify the burden of cardiometabolic risk factors in South American children (0-21 years) and identify knowledge gaps. We systematically searched PubMed, Google Scholar, and the Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature via Virtual Health Library from 2000-2021 in any language. Two independent reviewers screened and extracted all data. 179 studies of 2,181 screened were included representing 10 countries (n = 2,975,261). 12.2% of South American children experienced obesity, 21.9% elevated waist circumference, 3.0% elevated fasting glucose, 18.1% high triglycerides, 29.6% low HDL cholesterol, and 8.6% high blood pressure. Cardiometabolic risk factor definitions varied widely. Chile exhibited the highest prevalence of obesity/overweight, low HDL, and impaired fasting glucose. Ecuador exhibited the highest prevalence of elevated blood pressure. Rural setting (vs. urban or mixed) and indigenous origin protected against most cardiometabolic risk factors. South American children experience high rates of obesity, overweight, and dyslipidemia. International consensus on cardiometabolic risk factor definitions for children will lead to improved diagnosis of cardiometabolic risk factors in this population, and future research should ensure inclusion of unreported countries and increased representation of indigenous populations.