Coronary Heart Disease In Middle-aged Men Research Articles

Abstract P116: Trait Anger Increases Short-term and Long-term Risk for Recurrent CHD: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study

Though several large epidemiologic studies have demonstrated the positive association of anger with coronary heart disease (CHD) onset, a dearth of population-based evidence exists regarding the relationship of anger to the clinical course of CHD among people with established disease. Trait anger is conceptualized as a stable personality trait and defined as the tendency to experience frequent and intense anger. Therefore, it is plausible that the effects of trait anger on CHD are long standing. We assessed the hypothesis that trait anger predicts short-term and long-term risk for recurrent CHD among middle-aged men and women. Participants were 611 black or white men and women, ages 48 - 67, who had a history of CHD at the second clinical examination (1990-1992) of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. They were followed for the recurrence of CHD (myocardial infarction or fatal CHD) from 1990 through three different time intervals: 1995, 2003, and 2009 (maximum follow-up = 19.0 years). Trait anger (measured at Visit 2) was assessed using the Spielberger Trait Anger Scale, with scores categorized as high, moderate, and low. Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were adjusted for age, sex, race-center, educational level, waist-to-hip ratio, plasma LDL-and HDL-cholesterol levels, hypertension, diabetes, cigarette smoking status, and pack-years of cigarette smoking. After 3 - 5 years of follow-up, the risk for recurrent CHD among participants with high trait anger was more than twice that of their counterparts with low trait anger (2.24 [95% C.I: 1.14 to 4.40]). After 11 - 13 years, the risk was 80% greater (1.80 [95% C.I: 1.17 to 2.78]) and after 17 - 19 years, it was 70% greater (1.70 [95% C.I: 1.15 to 2.52]). The risk for recurrent CHD was strongest in the first time interval but remained strong and statistically significant through 19 years of follow-up. In conclusion, the experience of frequent and intense anger increases short-term and long-term risk for recurrent CHD in middle-aged men and women.

Radial Arterial Wave Reflection is Associated with the MEGA Risk Prediction Score, an Indicator of Coronary Heart Disease Risk, in Middle-Aged Men with Mild to Moderate Hypercholesterolemia

The present study examined the association between the radial augmentation index (AI), a marker of arterial wave reflection, and the MEGA risk prediction score (MEGA score), an indicator of coronary heart disease (CHD) risk, in middle-aged men with mild to moderate hypercholesterolemia. Radial AI was measured during a company health examination in 266 men (age: 47+/-5 years) with total cholesterol levels ranging 220-270 mg/dL who were not taking antihypertensive, lipid-lowering, or antidiabetic agents. The MEGA score was calculated based on sex, age, low- and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, blood pressure, glucose level, and smoking status. The higher MEGA score indicates increased CHD risk. A MEGA score > or = 22 corresponds to a 5-year CHD risk > or = 2.5% and we defined a MEGA score > or = 22 as a high estimated CHD risk. The mean AI was 74.4+/-12.6%. A high estimated CHD risk was seen in 32 subjects (12.0%). After adjusting for height and heart rate, the AI was higher in subjects with a high estimated CHD risk (81.5+/-10.6%) than in those without (73.4+/-10.4%, p<0.001). The odds ratio for high estimated CHD risk in the highest tertile of AI was 8.14 (p=0.002) in comparison to the lowest tertile, after adjusting for multiple potential confounders which did not constitute the MEGA score. The radial AI was positively associated with the estimated risk of CHD. These results suggest the usefulness of radial AI as a risk marker for future onset of CHD in middle-aged men with mild to moderate hypercholesterolemia.

A functional polymorphism in the apolipoprotein B promoter that influences the level of plasma low density lipoprotein

Apolipoprotein (apo) B is the structural protein moiety of plasma low density lipoprotein (LDL), an important risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD). There is evidence that the rate of synthesis of apoB-containing lipoproteins may play an important role in the regulation of plasma LDL levels. However, it is generally thought that transcriptional regulation of the apoB gene is not a significant determinant of the synthesis of apoB-containing lipoproteins, and by inference, of the regulation of the plasma LDL concentration. Here we report the discovery of a common polymorphism in the promoter region of the apoB gene, a C to T substitution at position −516. The −516T allele is associated with an increase in the basal transcription of the apoB gene (+41%, P < 0.05) in vitro in transfected HepG2 cells. Healthy middle-aged men who are homozygous for the −516T allele have 12% higher plasma LDL cholesterol levels than healthy homozygotes for the −516C allele (P < 0.05). The frequency of the −516T allele is significantly higher in young postinfarction patients (0.38) than in population-based controls (0.30) when the comparison is restricted to subjects without severe hypercholesterolemia who are homozygous for the apoE3 allele (P < 0.05).▪It is concluded that variation in the rate of transcription of the apoB gene can affect plasma LDL levels and influences the risk of CHD in middle-aged men.—van 't Hooft, F. M., S. Jormsjö, B. Lundahl, P. Tornvall, P. Eriksson, and A. Hamsten. A functional polymorphism in the apolipoprotein B promoter that influences the level of plasma low density lipoprotein. J. Lipid Res. 1999. 40: 1686–1694.

Gemfibrozil. A reappraisal of its pharmacological properties and place in the management of dyslipidaemia.

Gemfibrozil improves lipid and apolipoprotein profiles, particularly very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) triglyceride and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels, in patients with dyslipidaemia when administered at a total daily dose of 900 or 1200 mg. As demonstrated by the Helsinki Heart Study, these effects result in a reduction in some risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) and also a 34% reduction in the incidence of this disease after 5 years compared with placebo. Limited data suggest that gemfibrozil has beneficial effects on the fibrinolytic system and may slow the progression of atherosclerosis. Gemfibrozil has shown efficacy in the treatment of patients with type IIa, IIb, III, IV or V dyslipidaemia or hypoalphalipoproteinaemia, especially in patients with elevated triglyceride and low HDL cholesterol levels. It is also effective in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and dyslipidaemia and has no detrimental effects on glycaemic control. A small number of studies also showed gemfibrozil to be effective for the control of dyslipidaemia associated with renal failure, transplantation, nephrotic syndrome, arterial occlusive disease or systemic lupus erythematosus. However, patients with pre-existing CHD do not appear to derive the same benefits (reduced CHD mortality) from gemfibrozil therapy as these other patients, although results are based on studies of limited size and number. In general, gemfibrozil has at least similar efficacy to bile acid sequestrants and other fibric acid derivatives. Comparisons with HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors show these agents to produce different effects on lipid profiles from gemfibrozil. Thus, gemfibrozil would be expected to be superior in some patients (those with elevated triglyceride or VLDL cholesterol levels), but HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors should have greater benefits in those with elevated low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Thus, in patients with elevated triglyceride levels and low HDL cholesterol levels, and, particularly in patients with NIDDM, gemfibrozil is a useful treatment option, which has been shown to reduce the risk of CHD in middle aged men. However, limited available data prevents the accurate comparison of this agent with HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors in patients with this lipid profile.

Coronary heart disease, cancer and mortality in male middle‐aged light smokers

We examined the effect of light smoking in relation to incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) in a general population sample consisting of 6879 men aged 47-55 years and free of previous myocardial infarction (MI) at baseline. After a follow-up of mean duration 11.8 years, 11.0% of men smoking 1-4 cigarettes daily (n = 228) had suffered a major CHD event, compared to 3.7% of non-smokers (n = 2049) [adjusted odds ratio 2.8 (1.7-4.7)]. No further increase in risk was observed in men who smoked more. There was an increasing risk of death from cancer with the number of cigarettes smoked per day. Mortality was increased in all categories of cigarette smokers, particularly among the very heavy smokers, who had a mortality risk of 22% compared to 6% among nonsmokers [adjusted odds ratio 4.4 (2.7-7.1)]. Data from an examination 4 years later considered only those men who stated that their smoking habits were identical on both occasions (n = 3981). Among these subjects the incidence of CHD after a mean period of 7.1 years was 10.6% in men smoking 1-4 cigarettes per day, compared to 2.6% in nonsmokers [adjusted O.R. 4.6 (2.1-10.1)]. No dose-response effect was observed. Even very light cigarette smoking considerably increases the risk of CHD in middle-aged men.

Cholesterol and heart disease in older persons and women. Review of an NHLBI workshop.

The value of serum total cholesterol measurement in predicting coronary heart disease (CHD) is well established in middle-aged men, but has been questioned in middle-aged women and older people of both sexes. To address this, the most recent follow-up data from 25 populations in 22 US and international cohort studies were presented and analyzed at a recent National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) workshop. Crude relative and absolute excess risks of fatal CHD were determined for individual studies and pooled across studies to determine pooled risk estimates. Serum total cholesterol and low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels predicted fatal CHD in middle-aged (< 65 years) and older (> or = 65 years) men and women, though the strength and consistency of these relationships in older women were diminished. High-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels inversely predicted CHD in middle-aged men and women and in older women, but not in older men. Data for minority groups and for overseas populations were similar to those for white people in the United States. Relative risk estimates were generally lower for older than for middle-aged subjects, but absolute excess risk was greater. Older people and middle-aged women with elevated cholesterol levels are clearly at increased risk of coronary disease; whether this risk can be modified by dietary or drug therapy, and at what level intervention is appropriate, must not be determined.

A PREDICTIVE STUDY OF CORONARY HEART DISEASE.

This study was designed to (1) compare "predictive" abilities of different parameters and their interrelationships in the future incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) and (2) define the profile of coronary-prone males through retrospective analysis of prospectively obtained data. Comprehensive studies of overt behavior pattern, blood lipids and coagulation, body measurements, socioeconomic factors, individual habits, and cardiovascular status were obtained annually since 1960 in 3,524 men, aged 39 to 59 years. Manifest CHD was found in 113 of 3,411 "well" men, but this was unknown to the investigators at the time of the study. The men with CHD exhibited higher serum beta/alpha lipoprotein ratios and 80 of them had been adjudged in "blind" assessments to exhibit an overt behavior pattern (type A) previously found associated with occurrence of CHD in middle-aged men.