Cardiovascular Risk Score Research Articles

Visceral Obesity and Its Association with Severe Coronary Artery Calcification in Patients with Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease.

Background/Objectives: The role of body composition parameters in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) with presence and severity of coronary artery calcification (CAC) is still not fully elucidated. We aimed to evaluate the impact of computed tomography (CT)-based body composition parameters in patients with MASLD with CAC severity. Methods: In this multicenter study, 1870 individuals underwent cardiac CT for the detection of CAC as well as ultrasonography for the diagnosis of hepatic steatosis. The presence of CAC was defined by a CAC score threshold of >0, while severe CAC was defined by a threshold of >300. Using the abdominal cross-sectional CT images at the L3 vertebra level, we analyzed the skeletal muscle index, visceral to subcutaneous adipose tissue ratio, and muscle density using the Hounsfield unit. Results: Of 648 patients with MASLD, the proportions of presence of CAC and severe CAC were 45.2% and 9.9%, respectively. Visceral obesity was not associated with the presence of CAC after adjustment for age, sex, smoking, statin therapy, type 2 diabetes, and advanced fibrosis (adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 1.38; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.86-2.23; p = 0.180). However, visceral obesity was independently associated with severe CAC after adjustment for several metabolic risk factors (aOR, 3.54; 95% CI, 1.25-14.90; p = 0.039), and adjustment for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk scores (aOR, 3.74; 95% CI, 1.31-15.79; p = 0.032). Conclusions: Visceral obesity may serve as a novel prognostic CT-based radiological biomarker for patients with MASLD with severe CAC.

Impact of provision of abdominal aortic calcification results on fruit and vegetable intake: 12-week randomized phase 2 controlled trial

Provision of non-invasive vascular imaging results to individuals has been shown to improve cardiovascular disease risk factor control: its impact on diet remains uncertain. In this two-arm, single-blind, parallel, 12-week randomized controlled trial, 240 participants, 57.5% females aged 60–80 y had abdominal aortic calcification and clinical assessments performed at a hospital clinic. Participants were randomized 1:1 to receive (intervention n = 121) or not (control n = 119) their calcification results. Both groups received educational resources on cardiovascular disease risk control and were unblinded to the intervention. Outcome measures were performed at baseline and 12 weeks. The primary outcomes of the study were changes in fruit and vegetable intake measures over 12 weeks assessed using plasma carotenoid concentrations (biomarkers of FV intake) and a food frequency questionnaire. Secondary outcomes included 12-week changes in other aspects of the diet, physical activity, body weight, blood pressure, heart rate, lipid profile, glucose concentrations, estimated cardiovascular disease risk score, and medication use. Between-group differences were tested using linear mixed-effects regression. There were no between-group differences in the primary outcomes at 12 weeks: plasma carotenoids (mean difference +0.03 µg/mL [95%CI −0.06, 0.13]) and fruit and vegetable intakes (+18 g/d [−37, 72]). However, the provision of calcification results led to between-group differences in serum total (−0.22 mmol/L [−0.41, −0.04]) and non-HDL (−0.19 mmol/L [−0.35, −0.03]) cholesterol, and estimated cardiovascular disease risk score (−0.24% [−0.47, −0.02]). No between-group differences were seen for other secondary outcomes. In this work, providing vascular imaging results did not improve diet but did improve some cardiovascular disease risk factors (Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12618001087246).

The Role of Visualization in Estimating Cardiovascular Disease Risk: Scoping Review.

Supporting and understanding the health of patients with chronic diseases and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk is often a major challenge. Health data are often used in providing feedback to patients, and visualization plays an important role in facilitating the interpretation and understanding of data and, thus, influencing patients' behavior. Visual analytics enable efficient analysis and understanding of large datasets in real time. Digital health technologies can promote healthy lifestyle choices and assist in estimating CVD risk. This review aims to present the most-used visualization techniques to estimate CVD risk. In this scoping review, we followed the Joanna Briggs Institute PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines. The search strategy involved searching databases, including PubMed, CINAHL Ultimate, MEDLINE, and Web of Science, and gray literature from Google Scholar. This review included English-language articles on digital health, mobile health, mobile apps, images, charts, and decision support systems for estimating CVD risk, as well as empirical studies, excluding irrelevant studies and commentaries, editorials, and systematic reviews. We found 774 articles and screened them against the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The final scoping review included 17 studies that used different methodologies, including descriptive, quantitative, and population-based studies. Some prognostic models, such as the Framingham Risk Profile, World Health Organization and International Society of Hypertension risk prediction charts, Cardiovascular Risk Score, and a simplified Persian atherosclerotic CVD risk stratification, were simpler and did not require laboratory tests, whereas others, including the Joint British Societies recommendations on the prevention of CVD, Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation, and Framingham-Registre Gironí del COR, were more complex and required laboratory testing-related results. The most frequently used prognostic risk factors were age, sex, and blood pressure (16/17, 94% of the studies); smoking status (14/17, 82%); diabetes status (11/17, 65%); family history (10/17, 59%); high-density lipoprotein and total cholesterol (9/17, 53%); and triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (6/17, 35%). The most frequently used visualization techniques in the studies were visual cues (10/17, 59%), followed by bar charts (5/17, 29%) and graphs (4/17, 24%). On the basis of the scoping review, we found that visualization is very rarely included in the prognostic models themselves even though technology-based interventions improve health care worker performance, knowledge, motivation, and compliance by integrating machine learning and visual analytics into applications to identify and respond to estimation of CVD risk. Visualization aids in understanding risk factors and disease outcomes, improving bioinformatics and biomedicine. However, evidence on mobile health's effectiveness in improving CVD outcomes is limited.

Predictive role of peak VO2 for short- and long-term major adverse cardiac events in patients with high cardiovascular risk.

The objective of this study was to assess the accuracy of VO2 measurements in predicting long-term major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) in patients with high cardiovascular risk. Based on a10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk score, 333 patients with high cardiovascular risk were included in this retrospective analysis. The study endpoint was MACEs, comprising all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, non-fatal myocardial infarction or stroke, and coronary revascularization. The study cohort was divided into two groups according to the frequency of MACE occurrence. Measurements of VO2 were assessed for the prediction of MACEs. The best predictive accuracy for 1‑year MACEs was determined to be aVO2 max value of ≥ 20.3 mL/kg/min, with 60% specificity and 60% sensitivity (area under the curve [AUC]: 0.61; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.51-0.71; p < 0.001), and for 5‑year MACEs it was ≥ 19.9 mL/kg/min, with 69% specificity and 64% sensitivity (AUC: 0.69; 95% CI: 0.62-0.76; p < 0.001). Multivariable Cox regression analysis, after adjusting for univariable factors, showed that VO2 max was independently associated with both short- and long-term MACEs in patients at high cardiovascular risk (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.900, 95% CI: 0.858-0.943, p < 0.001). According to the results of this pilot study, VO2 max can predict both short- and long-term MACEs in patients at high cardiovascular risk.

Home blood pressure stability score is associated with better cardiovascular prognosis: data from the nationwide prospective J-HOP study.

A home blood pressure (BP)-centered strategy is emerging as the optimal approach to achieve adequate BP control in individuals with hypertension, but a simple cardiovascular risk score based on home BP level and variability is lacking. This study used prospective data from the Japan Morning Surge-Home Blood Pressure (J-HOP) extended study to develop a simple home BP stability score for the prediction of cardiovascular risk. The J-HOP extended study included 4070 participants (mean age 64.9 years) who measured home BP three times in the morning and evening for 14 days at baseline. During the mean 6.3-year follow-up, there were 260 cardiovascular events. A home BP stability score was calculated based on the average of morning and evening systolic BP (SBP; MEave), and three home BP variability metrics: average real variability (average absolute difference between successive measurements); average peak (average of the highest three SBP values for each individual), and time in therapeutic range (proportion of time spent with MEave home SBP 100-135 mmHg). There was a curvilinear association between the home BP stability score and the risk of cardiovascular events. Compared with individuals in the optimal home SBP stability score group (9-10 points), those in the very high-risk group (0 points) had significantly higher cardiovascular event risk during follow-up (adjusted hazard ratio 3.97, 95% confidence interval 2.22-7.09; p < 0.001), independent of age, sex, medication, cardiovascular risk factors, and office BP. These data show the potential for a simple home BP-based score to predict cardiovascular event risk in people with hypertension.

Arterial Stiffness Associated with Long-Term Major Adverse Cardiac Events in Patients of Primary Aldosteronism.

As a novel parameter for risk prediction, artery stifiness may hold promise in refining risk assessment strategies, guiding therapeutic interventions, and ultimately improving cardiovascular outcomes in patients with primary aldosteronism (PA). To investigate the correlation between brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), an indicator of arterial stiffness, and the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in patients with PA under a primary prevention design. Among the 830 patients included in the final analysis, 113 (13.6%) developed inciden t MACEs over a median follow-up period of 5.8 years, with a crude rate of 23.2 per 1000 person-years. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards analyses revealed that baPWV was an independent risk factor for incident MACEs, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.01 (P = 0.028). The generalized additive model identified a cut-off value of 2000 cm/s for baPWV, which was independently associated with incident MACEs, with a hazard ratio of 1.72 (P = 0.045). Subgroup analyses revealed that PA patients who were mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA) users and had high baPWV had a significantly higher risk of incident MACEs (HR = 3.34; P < 0.001), while the risk was not significant in patients who underwent adrenalectomy (P = 0.062). Furthermore, the addition of baPWV to the cardiovascular Framingham risk score significantly improved the category-free net reclassification index (0.308, P < 0.001). Our study found that 13.6% of patients with PA developed MACEs after a median follow-up of 5.8 years. Our findings highlight the potential utility of baPWV as a tool for risk stratification in PA patients in primary prevention, whereas adrenalectomy appears to mitigate this risk irrespective of baPWV. The measurement of baPWV could be a valuable addition to hypertension screening programs for primary prevention, providing additional predictive information for the potential occurrence of MACEs.

Predictive Value of Life's Crucial 9 for Cardiovascular and All-Cause Mortality: A Prospective Cohort Study From the NHANES 2007 to 2018.

The predictive value of Life's Crucial 9 (LC9), a recently proposed cardiovascular health risk score combining psychological health and Life's Essential 8 (LE8), remains unclear. In this cohort study, we included 16 290 adults without cardiovascular disease from the 2007 to 2018 cycles of NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey). The LC9 was the mean of the LE8 score and the depression score, which represented a dimension of psychological health. The study outcomes were cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. Cox proportional hazard models were fitted to estimate the association of LC9 and LE8 scores with outcomes. The differences in Harrell's concordance index, net reclassification improvement index, and integrated discrimination improvement were calculated to assess the predictive ability of the depression score in addition to the LE8 score. During a median follow-up of 7.08 years, 879 (5.40%) participants died, and 242 (1.49%) died from cardiovascular disease. The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of per LE8 10-score increase for cardiovascular mortality was 0.80 (95% CI, 0.72-0.88; P<0.001) and the adjusted HR of per LC9 10-score increase was 0.77 (95% CI, 0.69-0.86; P<0.001). Adding the depression score to the LE8 score, the improvement in concordance index for cardiovascular mortality was 0.001 (95% CI, -0.001 to 0.003; P=0.30), the net reclassification improvement index was 10.6% (95% CI, -7.6% to 18.9%; P=0.073), and the IDI was 0.002 (95% CI, 0.000-0.007; P=0.033). The results for all-cause mortality showed similar patterns. Compared with the LE8, the improvement in the predictive value of LC9 was negligible. It may not be necessary to add a depression score to the current cardiovascular health score.

12217 Exploring Thyroid-stimulating Hormone As A Potential Cardiovascular Disease Risk Marker In Euthyroid Individuals

Abstract Disclosure: A.P. Neto: None. H. Lucchesi: None. C.C. Silva Janovsky: None. I. Bensenor: None. L.S. Ward: None. L.L. Cunha: None. Previous studies have suggested that TSH levels may predict longevity primarily in elderly individuals. Aging is associated with a high prevalence of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases that reduce survival. However, the relationship between serum TSH levels and these conditions, especially traditional cardiovascular risk markers, remains poorly explored. We employed data from the longitudinal multicenter cohort study ELSA-Brasil, which includes workers from five Brazilian Universities, to evaluate thyroid function in 8,452 participants aged between 34 and 75 years, classified as euthyroid and followed for 8.9 ± 0.6 years. The participants were evaluated for the presence of diabetes, hypertension, angina, peripheral arterial disease, and cardiovascular mortality. Additionally, we measured cardiovascular markers, including global cardiovascular risk score, HbA1c, microalbuminuria (mg/dl), LDL levels, and triglyceride levels. Statistical analysis was used to compare TSH levels with clinically relevant outcomes and classical cardiovascular risk markers. We observed that higher TSH levels correlated negatively with global cardiovascular risk (Spearman rank -0.023, p-value=0.038), microalbuminuria (Spearman rank -0.055, p&amp;lt;0.000), and HbA1c (Spearman rank -0.041, p&amp;lt;0.000). However, TSH levels were positively correlated with hypertriglyceridemia (Spearman rank +0.125, p&amp;lt;0.000) but had no relationship with LDL (p &amp;gt;0.05). The appraisal of cardio-metabolic diseases showed that individuals without diabetes had higher TSH levels (1.79 mIU/L, IQR 1.07) than individuals with diabetes (1.71 mIU/L, IQR 1.07). Patients with arteriosclerosis diseases, such as coronary and peripheral arterial disease, had lower TSH levels (1.66, IQR 0.98 and 1.67, IQR 0.94, respectively) than those who did not have these comorbidities (1.79, IQR 1.07, and 1.79, IQR 1.07). Furthermore, TSH levels did not correlate with the incidence of hypertension (p &amp;gt;0.05). Finally, we divided the population into two groups: higher and lower TSH levels based on the median TSH levels (1.78 mIU/L, IQR 1.06). The Kaplan-Meier curve did not show a difference between these groups (p=0.758) in survival after cardiovascular events (08 events in total) during follow-up. In conclusion, our results suggest that higher serum TSH levels in euthyroid individuals are associated with a lower prevalence of metabolic and cardiovascular disease. However, the relatively short observation duration and low frequency of cardiovascular events in our cohort made it difficult to statistically analyze several endpoints, such as survival. Further investigation is necessary to completely understand whether TSH is a cardiovascular risk indicator. Presentation: 6/2/2024

Anti-inflammatory diet mitigate cardiovascular risks due to particulate matter exposure in women during pregnancy: A perspective cohort study from China

BackgroundParticulate matter (PM) exposure during pregnancy may increase cardiovascular risk (CVR). However, the specific time windows of exposure contributing to this association and the potential biological mechanisms underlying it remain unclear. ObjectiveTo determine the sensitive time window for CVR related to PM exposure. We investigated whether levels of inflammatory biomarkers mediate the relationship between PM exposure and CVR, and examined the potential impact of an anti-inflammatory diet on this association. MethodsFrom 2015 to 2021, 9294 pregnant women from three Hefei hospitals were included. We used a 1 × 1 km satellite dataset to assess PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 exposure. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were measured as inflammatory biomarkers. The empirical dietary inflammatory pattern (EDIP) score, based on a validated food frequency questionnaire. The CVR score was calculated using five clinical metrics based on American Heart Association criteria. ResultsWe found a significant association between PM exposure and increased CVR score, especially during the 2nd to 8th weeks of the first trimester. For every increase of 10-μg/m3 of PM1, PM2.5, and PM10, there was an associated increase in CVR of 0.51 (95%CI: 0.21, 082), 0.25 (95% CI: 0.11 to 0.39), and 0.29 (95% CI: 0.09 to 0.37), respectively. Mediation analysis revealed that the proportion of the association between PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 exposure and CVR mediated by inflammatory biomarkers was 24.3%, 22.4%, and 20.1%, respectively. Stratified analyses showed no positive correlation between PM exposure and CVR in the anti-inflammatory diet (low EDIP) group. The β coefficients were 0.52 for PM1 (95% CI: -0.06 to 1.11), 0.31 for PM2.5 (95% CI: -0.04 to 0.79), and 0.25 for PM10 (95% CI: -0.03 to 0.54). ConclusionsPM exposure, particularly during weeks 2–8 of pregnancy, correlates with CVR, partly mediated by levels of inflammatory biomarkers. An anti-inflammatory diet mitigates CVR associated with PM exposure.

Coronary Plaque Radiomic Phenotypes Predict Fatal or Nonfatal Myocardial Infarction: Analysis of the SCOT-HEART Trial

BackgroundCoronary computed tomography (CT) angiography–derived attenuation-based plaque burden assessments can identify patients at risk of myocardial infarction. ObjectivesThis study sought to assess whether more detailed plaque morphology assessment using patient-based radiomic characterization could further enhance the identification of patients at risk of myocardial infarction during long-term follow-up. MethodsPost hoc analysis of coronary CT angiography was performed within the SCOT-HEART (Scottish Computed Tomography of the HEART) clinical trial. Coronary plaque segmentations were used to calculate plaque burdens and eigen radiomic features that described plaque morphology. Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate the association between clinical and image-based features and fatal or nonfatal myocardial infarction, whereas Harrell’s C-statistic and cumulative/dynamic area under the curve (AUC) values with cross-validation were used to evaluate prognostic performance. ResultsScans from 1,750 patients (aged 58 ± 9 years; 56% male) were analyzed. Over a median of 8.6 years of follow-up, 82 patients had a fatal or nonfatal myocardial infarction. Among the eigen radiomic features, 15 were associated with myocardial infarction in univariable analysis, and 8 features retained their association following adjustment for cardiovascular risk score and plaque burden metrics. Adding plaque burden metrics to a clinical model incorporating cardiovascular risk score, Agatston score and presence of obstructive coronary artery disease had similar prediction performance (C-statistic 0.70 vs 0.70), whereas further addition of eigen radiomic features improved model performance (C-statistic 0.74). In temporal analysis, the model including eigen radiomic features had higher cumulative/dynamic AUC values following the fifth year of follow-up. ConclusionsRadiomics-based precision phenotyping of coronary plaque morphology provided improvements to long-term prediction of myocardial infarction by CT angiography over and above clinical factors and plaque burden. (Scottish Computed Tomography of the HEART [SCOT-HEART]; NCT01149590)

Analysis of angiotensin II type 1 receptor and osteoprotegerin gene polymorphism on the risk of cardiovascular mortality risk and progressivity of chronic kidney disease.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant global public health issue with increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and cardiovascular mortality. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) A1166C and osteoprotegerin (OPG) C950T gene have received significant attention as a genetic risk factor for cardiovascular disease and CKD. This was a cross-sectional study involving 75 adults with CKD recruited from Nephrology Outpatient Clinics of Universitas Airlangga Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia. Demographic data was obtained from interviews and medical records. The "CKD Patch" application was used to asses ASCVD and cardiovascular mortality risk scores. Statistical analysis was performed by using SPSS version 26. We detected four different AT1R gene polymorphisms (A1166C, A1160C, G1170T, and G1181C) and two OPG gene polymorphisms (T950C and G1181C) in Indonesian CKD patients. A1160C and G1181C polymorphisms were novel SNPs, newly discovered in this research. No significant association was found between AT1R SNPs and kidney prognostic markers or ASCVD risk/mortality risk scores. However, for OPG C950T we found that TT genotype had a significantly higher ACR than TC or CC genotype (P=0.032). As for OPG G1181C, we found that GG genotype had a higher serum creatinine and albumin to creatinine ratio compared to GC and CC genotypes (P=0.004 and 0.029, respectively). Genotype GC for OPG G1181C was also shown to be protective for having better kidney markers and lowest cardiovascular mortality risk compared to GG and CC genotypes (P=0.018 and 0.032, respectively). Increased ASCVD risk and mortality risk score was not found on individuals with AT1R gene SNPs. However, for OPG gene polymorphism, C950T and G1181C were associated with kidney progression and cardiovascular mortality.

10-Year Cardiovascular Risk Score for Coronary Artery Calcification Progression Depending on Prevalent Coronary Artery Calcification in East Asian Patients with CKD: Findings from KNOW-CKD

10-Year Cardiovascular Risk Score for Coronary Artery Calcification Progression Depending on Prevalent Coronary Artery Calcification in East Asian Patients with CKD: Findings from KNOW-CKD

Use of cardiac biomarkers to improve initiation of cardioprotective therapy in patients with breast cancer receiving cardiotoxic chemotherapy in a multidisciplinary cancer center.

344 Background: Treatment for breast cancer commonly includes anthracyclines and anti-Her2 directed therapy, both of which carry a known cardiovascular risk. In high-risk patients, ESMO guidelines recommend consideration of cardiac biomarker (hs-cardiac troponin) testing for patients undergoing potentially cardiotoxic chemotherapy. Prophylactic use of cardioprotective medications such as angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin renin blockers (ARBs) or beta-blockers (BBs) can be considered to reduce development of cardiotoxicity. We aimed to identify the rates of cardiac biomarker testing performed and rates of abnormalities in patients considered to be high risk for cardiovascular disease undergoing breast cancer treatment with potentially cardiotoxic medication in hope of improving prevention efforts. Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of patients with breast cancer treated with either anthracycline or anti-Her2 based therapy at our ambulatory cancer center from 2020 to 2023. Pre-treatment cardiovascular risk score was determined based on initial cardiac assessment at time of consultation with cardio-oncology. Completion of troponin biomarker testing and initiation of cardioprotective medication therapy was assessed. Patients who were not established with cardio-oncology or not on active cardiotoxic chemotherapy were excluded. Results: A total of 172 patients (66 on anthracycline based therapy and 106 on anti-HER2 therapy) were assessed. The average age of all patients was 57 years. 47 patients were assessed as high risk for cardiovascular disease. Of these high-risk patients, troponin was checked in 42 of 47 (89.4%) and found to be elevated in 23 of 42 (55%). Rate of troponin elevation was statistically significant for high risk patients compared to all other patients (p&lt;0.05). Cardioprotective medications were utilized in 28 of the 47 patients considered to be high risk (59.6%). Conclusions: In patients with breast cancer who require treatment with a potentially cardiotoxic medication, a clinical risk assessment with cardiology can be utilized to select those who may benefit from additional cardiac biomarker monitoring and potential earlier initiation of cardioprotective therapy. This single center study reveals that the use of clinical assessment of high vs low/medium risk allows us to predict patients with increased risk of cardiotoxicity. Our population had cardiac biomarkers checked in nearly all high-risk patients and troponin was elevated 55% of the time. Further study is needed to investigate if biomarker directed initiation of cardio-protective therapy could reduce cardio-toxicity.

Cardiovascular outcomes in Parkinson’s disease patients from a retrospective cohort study

Parkinson’s disease (PD) reports high rates of morbidity and mortality, but the risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients with PD has not been fully elucidated. This bi-center retrospective cohort study using the electronic health records (EHR) database of two tertiary hospitals screened a total of 327,292 subjects who visited the outpatient clinic, and 1194 patients with PD were propensity score-matched with a control population. The primary outcome was the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Key secondary outcomes included all-cause death, cardiovascular (CV) death, stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), heart failure hospitalization and 30-day CV death. After PS matching, MACE occurrence was not significantly different between PD and non-PD groups (18.2% vs. 17.5%, log-rank p = 0.98). Key secondary outcomes were also similar between the two groups. In patients with PD, MACE rate, and also CV risk score, were higher in patients with more severe PD (according to Hoehn and Yahr scale and unified Parkinson’s disease rating scale), and after multivariable analysis, PD severity was not an independent predictor of MACE. Patients with PD are at an increased risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes, but the contribution from other common CV risk factors cannot be ignored. The management of prevalent CV risk factors is therefore important in mitigating adverse outcomes among patients with PD.

PREVENT Equation: The Black Sheep among Cardiovascular Risk Scores? A Comparative Agreement Analysis of Nine Prediction Models in High-Risk Lithuanian Women.

Background and Objectives: In the context of female cardiovascular risk categorization, we aimed to assess the inter-model agreement between nine risk prediction models (RPM): the novel Predicting Risk of cardiovascular disease EVENTs (PREVENT) equation, assessing cardiovascular risk using SIGN, the Australian CVD risk score, the Framingham Risk Score for Hard Coronary Heart Disease (FRS-hCHD), the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis risk score, the Pooled Cohort Equation (PCE), the QRISK3 cardiovascular risk calculator, the Reynolds Risk Score, and Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation-2 (SCORE2). Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 6527 40-65-year-old women with diagnosed metabolic syndrome from a single tertiary university hospital in Lithuania. Cardiovascular risk was calculated using the nine RPMs, and the results were categorized into high-, intermediate-, and low-risk groups. Inter-model agreement was quantified using Cohen's Kappa coefficients. Results: The study uncovered a significant diversity in risk categorization, with agreement on risk category by all models in only 1.98% of cases. The SCORE2 model primarily classified subjects as high-risk (68.15%), whereas the FRS-hCHD designated the majority as low-risk (94.42%). The range of Cohen's Kappa coefficients (-0.09-0.64) reflects the spectrum of agreement between models. Notably, the PREVENT model demonstrated significant agreement with QRISK3 (κ = 0.55) and PCE (κ = 0.52) but was completely at odds with the SCORE2 (κ = -0.09). Conclusions: Cardiovascular RPM selection plays a pivotal role in influencing clinical decisions and managing patient care. The PREVENT model revealed balanced results, steering clear of the extremes seen in both SCORE2 and FRS-hCHD. The highest concordance was observed between the PREVENT model and both PCE and QRISK3 RPMs. Conversely, the SCORE2 model demonstrated consistently low or negative agreement with other models, highlighting its unique approach to risk categorization. These findings accentuate the need for additional research to assess the predictive accuracy of these models specifically among the Lithuanian female population.

A plasma proteomic signature for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk prediction in the UK Biobank cohort.

While risk stratification for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is essential for primary prevention, current clinical risk algorithms demonstrate variability and leave room for further improvement. The plasma proteome holds promise as a future diagnostic and prognostic tool that can accurately reflect complex human traits and disease processes. We assessed the ability of plasma proteins to predict ASCVD. Clinical, genetic, and high-throughput plasma proteomic data were analyzed for association with ASCVD in a cohort of 41,650 UK Biobank participants. Selected features for analysis included clinical variables such as a UK-based cardiovascular clinical risk score (QRISK3) and lipid levels, 36 polygenic risk scores (PRSs), and Olink protein expression data of 2,920 proteins. We used least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression to select features and compared area under the curve (AUC) statistics between data types. Randomized LASSO regression with a stability selection algorithm identified a smaller set of more robustly associated proteins. The benefit of plasma proteins over standard clinical variables, the QRISK3 score, and PRSs was evaluated through the derivation of Δ AUC values. We also assessed the incremental gain in model performance using proteomic datasets with varying numbers of proteins. To identify potential causal proteins for ASCVD, we conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. The mean age of our cohort was 56.0 years, 60.3% were female, and 9.8% developed incident ASCVD over a median follow-up of 6.9 years. A protein-only LASSO model selected 294 proteins and returned an AUC of 0.723 (95% CI 0.708-0.737). A clinical variable and PRS-only LASSO model selected 4 clinical variables and 20 PRSs and achieved an AUC of 0.726 (95% CI 0.712-0.741). The addition of the full proteomic dataset to clinical variables and PRSs resulted in a Δ AUC of 0.010 (95% CI 0.003-0.018). Fifteen proteins selected by a stability selection algorithm offered improvement in ASCVD prediction over the QRISK3 risk score [Δ AUC: 0.013 (95% CI 0.005-0.021)]. Filtered and clustered versions of the full proteomic dataset (consisting of 600-1,500 proteins) performed comparably to the full dataset for ASCVD prediction. Using MR, we identified 11 proteins as potentially causal for ASCVD. A plasma proteomic signature performs well for incident ASCVD prediction but only modestly improves prediction over clinical and genetic factors. Further studies are warranted to better elucidate the clinical utility of this signature in predicting the risk of ASCVD over the standard practice of using the QRISK3 score.

Framingham risk score is a useful indicator of posttransplant cardiovascular events and survival among Korean kidney transplant recipients: a nationwide, prospective cohort study.

Cardiovascular disease is an important risk factor for mortality among kidney transplant recipients. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between cardiovascular risk score at kidney transplantation and long-term outcomes of patients. In this prospective, observational cohort study, we enrolled kidney transplant recipients who participated in the Korean Organ Transplantation Registry and underwent transplantation between April 2014 and December 2019. The cardiovascular risk status of kidney transplant recipients was assessed using the Framingham risk score. All-cause mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events, allograft failure, estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFRs), and composite outcomes were evaluated after kidney transplantation. Of the 4,682 kidney transplant recipients, 96 died during 30.7 ± 19.1 months of follow-up. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis results showed that high Framingham risk scores were associated with all-cause mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events, and composite outcomes. According to the multivariable Cox analysis, high Framingham risk scores were associated with an increased risk of mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 3.20; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.30-7.91), major adverse cardiovascular events (HR, 8.43; 95% CI, 2.41-29.52), and composite outcomes (HR, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.19-3.46). The eGFRs after transplantation were significantly higher among patients in the low Framingham risk score group (p < 0.001). However, Framingham risk scores were not associated with graft loss or rapid decline in eGFRs. The Framingham risk score is a useful indicator of cardiovascular events, mortality, and kidney function after kidney transplantation.

Evaluating the atherosclerosis cardiovascular disease risk score in patients with brain metastases: Associations with overall survival and high-value care outcomes

ObjectiveBrain metastases (BM) constitute the most common intracranial tumor in adults. Prior literature indicates the 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk score is associated with increased risk of cancer, potentially attributable to shared risk factors. Understanding the role of ASCVD risk scores in BM may help optimize their care and inform clinical decision-making. Our aim was to explore associations between ASCVD risk score in BM patients and their overall survival, hospital charges, and non-routine discharge disposition. MethodsElectronic medical records were reviewed to collect clinical data for BM patients undergoing surgery at a single institution (2017–2021). Regression analyses were performed accordingly and maximally selected rank statistics were employed to identify an optimal cutoff for ASCVD risk scores. The random survival forest (RSF) machine learning technique identified the most important variable associated with survival outcomes in BM patients. ResultsA total of 139 patients were included with average age 62.93±9.29 years, 48.2 % male, 25.2 % with high hospital charges, and 23.7 % experiencing non-routine discharge. Among these patients, 32.3 % had prior history of an ASCVD event, while 67.7 % did not. Overall, this cohort had an average 10-year ASCVD risk score of 12.51±12.98, indicating intermediate risk of ASCVD among all BM patients. On multivariate logistic regression, prior history of ASCVD was associated with higher odds of high hospital charges (OR=3.670, p=0.018), and higher ASCVD risk scores were associated with greater odds of non-routine discharge (OR=1.059, p=0.012). On the multivariate Cox regression model, higher ASCVD risk scores correlated with worse overall survival (HR=1.031, p=0.014). A threshold of 25.1 was identified for high-risk ASCVD scores. Patients with ASCVD scores >25.1 exhibited reduced overall survival in Kaplan-Meier analysis (p=0.015) and multivariate Cox regression (HR: 2.811, p=0.016). Notably, ASCVD risk scores were found to be the most important variable in predicting worse survival outcomes in BM patients compared to other established frailty indices. ConclusionThis study indicates higher ASCVD risk scores in BM patients are associated with worse overall survival. Integrating ASCVD assessment into clinical workflow may facilitate more informed risk-based decision-making.

Subclinical Atherosclerosis Progression in Low-Risk, Middle-Aged Adults: Carotid Leads Femoral in IMT Increase but Not in Plaque Formation.

Clinical data, risk factors, carotid/femoral intima-media thickness (IMT), and plaque presence were analyzed. Cardiovascular risk factors and scores increased significantly at follow-up. Both carotid and femoral mean IMT increased (p < 0.001). While plaque prevalence rose and was similar in both arteries (carotid: 4.8% to 17.9%, femoral: 3.6% to 17.7%, p < 0.001 for both), the progression of plaque burden was greater in femorals. Notably, the carotid mean IMT demonstrated a faster yearly progression rate compared to the mean femoral IMT. The prevalence of pathological nomogram-based mean IMT right or left was higher in the carotids (52.9% to 78.8%, p < 0.001) compared to femorals (23.2% to 44.7%, p < 0.001), with a significant increase at the end of follow-up in both territories. This study demonstrates significant subclinical atherosclerosis progression in low-risk, middle-aged adults over 5 years. Carotid arteries showed a faster progression rate of mean IMT and a higher prevalence of pathological nomogram-based mean IMT compared to the femoral arteries. However, plaque burden was similar in both territories, with greater progression in femorals. Identifying carotid and femoral atherosclerosis burden may be a valuable tool for risk stratification in this population.

Clinical Validation of Carotid-Femoral Pulse Wave Velocity Measurement Using a Multi-Beam Laser Vibrometer: The CARDIS Study.

Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) is the gold standard for noninvasive arterial stiffness assessment, an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease, and a potential parameter to guide therapy. However, cfPWV is not routinely measured in clinical practice due to the unavailability of a low-cost, operator-friendly, and independent device. The current study validated a novel laser Doppler vibrometry (LDV)-based measurement of cfPWV against the reference technique. In 100 (50 men) hypertensive patients, cfPWV was measured using applanation tonometry (Sphygmocor) and the novel LDV device. This device has 2 handpieces with 6 laser beams each that simultaneously measure vibrations from the skin surface at carotid and femoral sites. Pulse wave velocity is calculated using ECG for the identification of cardiac cycles. An ECG-independent method was also devised. Cardiovascular risk score was calculated for patients between 40 and 75 years old using the WHO risk scoring chart. LDV-based cfPWV correlated significantly with tonometry (r=0.86, P<0.0001 ECG-dependent [cfPWVLDV_ECG] and r=0.80, P<0.001 ECG-independent [cfPWVLDV_w/oECG] methods). Bland-Altman analysis showed nonsignificant bias (0.65 m/s) and acceptable SD (1.27 m/s) between methods. Intraobserver coefficient of variance for LDV was 4.7% (95% CI, 3.0%-5.5%), and interobserver coefficient of variance was 5.87%. CfPWV correlated significantly with CVD risk (r=0.64, P<0.001; r=0.41, P=0.003; and r=0.37, P=0.006 for tonometry, LDV-with, and LDV-without ECG, respectively). The study demonstrates clinical validity of the LDV device. The LDV provides a simple, noninvasive, operator-independent method to measure cfPWV for assessing arterial stiffness, comparable to the standard existing techniques. URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT03446430.