Evidence Of Cardiovascular Disease Research Articles

Impact of Secondary Amenorrhea on Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Physically Active Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Exercise-associated secondary amenorrhea results in estrogen deficiency, which may lead to dysfunction in estrogen's normal cardioprotective pathways. Estrogen may be essential in a woman's endothelial adaptations to exercise. The objective of this review was to assess the association between secondary amenorrhea in physically active women and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. A literature search was performed in January 2023 and updated in August 2023 of the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (EBSCOhost), Cochrane Library, Embase (Ovid), MEDLINE (Ovid), SPORTDiscus (EBSCOhost), and Scopus from inception to present with no date or language limitations. Citation chaining was done to screen for additional studies. Eight sources were searched for gray literature. Studies that compared physically active women with amenorrhea to physically active women with eumenorrhea aged 18 to 35 years with evidence of CVD, alterations to cardiovascular physiology, or CVD risks were included. Eighteen observational studies from 3 countries were included. Overall, the quality of evidence was good. A meta-analysis was performed. Physically active women with secondary amenorrhea had significantly lower estradiol, flow-mediated dilation, resting heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure and higher total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Estrogen deficiency resulting from exercise-associated secondary amenorrhea in physically active women may impact cardiovascular physiology and certain CVD risk factors. The research in this area is observational; therefore, findings should be interpreted cautiously. However, as exercise-associated secondary amenorrhea is reversible and the primary prevention of CVD is important for public health, it may be important to treat secondary amenorrhea and restore estrogen levels.

Correlation between blood pressure response to sub maximal exercise and left ventricular hypertrophy

There is currently no consensus on the definition of normal BP (blood pressure) increase during physical activity and thus of the exaggerated BP response to exercise. A hypertensive response to exercise (HRE) is frequently observed in individuals without hypertension or other cardiovascular disease. However, mechanisms and clinical implication of HRE is not fully explained. Endothelial dysfunction and increased afterload contribute to development of HRE. From neurohormonal aspects. Studies showed that excess stimulation of sympathetic nervous system and augmented rise of angiotensin II seems to be important mechanism in HRE [1]. However, evidences for efficacy and outcomes of treatment of HRE to submaximal exertion in individuals without hypertension or low grade hypertension is scarce and therefore warrants further studies. Presents small cohort of patients a total of 38 women and 46 men, aged 52±8 years, without evidence of cardiovascular disease, with a mean resting BP of 142±7/75±7mmHg had their BP measured at rest and during submaximal treadmill exercise. LV mass was measured using trans thoracic echocardiography. For the majority of the subjects on the initial evaluation we discovered echocardiographic evidence of concentric hypertrophy. Among the resting and exercise BP indices, sub maximal SBP was the strongest correlate of LV mass (r=0.40, P<0.04). In multivariate analysis, maximal SBP was independently as-sociated with LV mass an concentric LV hypertrophy, after adjustment for lean body mass and gender. Subaximal exercise SBP is a modest but still independent predictor of LV remodeling (grade and type of LV geometry) in population with prehypertension, I and II grade hypertension. These results raise the possibility that the SBP response to sub maximal exercise is an early marker of developing LV hypertrophy.

Glucose metabolism and autonomic function in healthy individuals and patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus at rest and during exercise.

Autonomic dysfunction is a common complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, the character of dysfunction varies in different reports. Differences in measurement methodology and complications might have influenced the inconsistent results. We sought to evaluate comprehensively the relationship between abnormal glucose metabolism and autonomic function at rest and the response to exercise in healthy individuals and T2DM patients. We hypothesized that both sympathetic and parasympathetic indices would decrease with the progression of abnormal glucose metabolism in individuals with few complications related to high sympathetic tone. Twenty healthy individuals and 11 T2DM patients without clinically evident cardiovascular disease other than controlled hypertension were examined. Resting muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA), heart rate variability, spontaneous cardiovagal baroreflex sensitivity (CBRS), sympathetic baroreflex sensitivity and the MSNA response to handgrip exercise were measured. Resting MSNA was lower in patients with T2DM than in healthy control subjects (P=0.011). Resting MSNA was negatively correlated with haemoglobin A1c in all subjects (R=-0.45, P=0.024). The parasympathetic components of heart rate variability and CBRS were negatively correlated with glycaemic/insulin indices in all subjects and even in the control group only (all, P<0.05). In all subjects, the MSNA response to exercise was positively correlated with fasting blood glucose (R=0.69, P<0.001). Resting sympathetic activity and parasympathetic modulation of heart rate were decreased in relationship to abnormal glucose metabolism. Meanwhile, the sympathetic responses to handgrip were preserved in diabetics. The responses were correlated with glucose/insulin parameters throughout diabetic and control subjects. These results suggest the importance of a comprehensive assessment of autonomic function in T2DM.

Real-life use of novel glucose lowering agents after acute myocardial infarction and stable coronary artery disease in patients with diabetes - experience from national use in the SWEDEHEART-registry

Abstract Background Recently Sodium Glucose Lowering Transport 2 receptor inhibitors (SGLT2i) and Glucagon Like Peptide Receptor Agonists (GLP-1 RA) have demonstrated preventive effects in patients with established diabetes and evidence of cardiovascular disease, and is recommended in guidelines regardless of glucose control. Less is known about the real uptake of these therapies and the demographic of patients prescribed these drugs. Purpose To explore trends and real-life use of novel glucose lowering agents in patients with diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD) and these patients’ prognosis in a national perspective. Methods All patients with diabetes and CAD admitted for coronary angiography in 2010-2021 reported in the Swedish angiography and angioplasty registry (SCAAR) were included. Information on glucose lowering agents dispended within 6 months to the coronary angiography was collected from the Prescribed Drug Registry and grouped into classes. Information on comorbidities and death until December 2021 was collected from the National Patient Registry. Mortality was assessed by Cox proportional survival analysis with novel cardioprotective glucose lowering agents as a reference. Results Of 38 671 patients, mean age was 68.6 years (SD 10.6) and 67.3% (n=26 017) were men. Figure 1 depicts trends in use of glucose lowering classes 2010-2021; use of novel glucose lowering agents increased rapidly from the year 2016 with a continuously high rise (proportion 7% to 47%). This was mainly driven by the use of SGLT2i (from 4% to 38%) and less of GLP-1 RA (4% to 15%). In parallel with this, use of insulin and absence of glucose lowering treatment decreased slightly and use of sulfonylurea decreased dramatically while use of metformin slightly increased. Patients who received the new agents (SGLT2; n=3191 and GLP-1 RA; n=1570), compared to patients on other glucose lowering agents than SGLT2i or GLP-1 RA (n=25 967), were younger (mean age 66 [SD 10] vs. 68 years [SD 10]), more often men (72.8%; n=3465 vs. 67.1%; n=17 427) and with less frequent heart failure (5.0%; n=239 vs. 6.8%; n=1770) and previous myocardial infarction (7.7%; n=367 vs. 10.5%; n=2736). Cumulative event rate is depicted in Figure 2. All-cause death within 1 year occurred in 1.7% (n=79) of patients with SGLT2i and/or GLP-1 RA compared to 4.5% (n=1114) in patients without new cardioprotective agents whose adjusted associated risk for all-cause death was higher, HR 1.22 (95% CI 1.09-1.37). Conclusion The fast uptake of novel cardioprotective glucose lowering agents in patients with diabetes in Sweden is encouraging. However, there is a signal that those agents are more often prescribed to a population with lower cardiovascular risk with an associated better outcome and less often to those at high risk for new events. This may be one explanation for the lower mortality rate seen. An increased awareness is needed to use effective cardioprotective treatment also in a high-risk population.Figure 1.Use of glucose lowering agentsFigure 2.Death by glucose lowering drugs

Cognitive vulnerability, anxiety, and physical well-being in relation to 10-year cardiovascular disease risk: The ATTICA epidemiological study.

This study aimed to evaluate the association between irrational beliefs and the 10-year cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence among apparently healthy adults. The ATTICA study is a population-based, prospective cohort (2002-2012) consisting of 853 participants without evidence of CVD (453 men and 400 women) who underwent psychological evaluations. Participants completed the Irrational Beliefs Inventory (IBI, range 0-88), a self-reported measure consistent with the Ellis model of psychological disturbance. We conducted a factor analysis to develop irrational beliefs factors to evaluate the association between subcategories of irrational beliefs and CVD incidence. Demographic characteristics, detailed medical history, other psychological factors, and dietary and other lifestyle habits were also evaluated. The incidence of CVD was defined according to the International Coding Diseases (ICD)-10 criteria. The identified dominant irrational beliefs factor, "cognitive vulnerability to anxiety," consisted of demandingness, perfectionism, emotional irresponsibility, anxious overconcern, dependence on others, and overconcern for the welfare of others, was strongly associated with an increased 10-year CVD risk. Nested multi-adjusted regression analysis revealed that anxiety, as well as negative physical well-being, mediated this relationship, and subset of irrational beliefs predicted CVD risk directly and indirectly through anxiety and negative physical well-being. These findings further map the path through which irrational beliefs can contribute to CVDs and provide insights in favor of preventive healthcare.

Clinical and biostatistical approach to assessing the severity of physical status of patients with combined midface trauma. Part 2

Objective. To develop a method for predicting mortality among patients with combined midface trauma (CMFT).&#x0D; Materials and methods. This study is based on the examination results of 95 patients with CMFT. Depending on the outcome of CMFT, 2 groups of patients were formed: the first group – patients with a favorable outcome (n=50); the second group – patients with an unfavorable outcome (n=45). A group of physiological parameters was measured on the 1st, 3rd, 7th and 14th days of patients’ hospital stays. The creation of the CMFT outcomes predicting method was carried out using factor analysis (principal component method) and discriminant analysis.&#x0D; Results. The CMFT outcomes predicting method has been developed in two variants. The first variant (with parameters of the blood gas test) includes the following parameters: leukocyte index of intoxication according to Ya.Ya. Kalf-Kalifu (LII), blood glucose level, concentration of potassium ions in the blood (K+), international normalized ratio, partial pressure of carbon dioxide in arterial blood, partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood, measured on the 3rd day after injury, and also the age of the patient, evidence of cardiovascular diseases in patient’s medical history and the occurrence of cerebral edema after the injury. The second variant (without the parameters of the blood gas test) includes the following parameters: absolute number of leukocytes (on the 1st day after injury), LII, K+, blood urea level, absolute number of lymphocytes, measured on the 3rd day after injury, as well as patient’s age, evidence of cardiovascular diseases in patient’s medical history and the occurrence of cerebral edema after injury. The classification accuracy when using the first variant was 100%, the second variant – 98.4%.&#x0D; Conclusions. Taking into account the set of variables included in our study, and based on the results of this study published in the first and in this part of this article, we can conclude that the optimal time point for predicting the CMFT outcomes is the 3rd day after injury. The method for predicting the CMFT short-term outcomes developed in our study can be used in determining the timing for reconstructive surgery as part of the damage control surgery treatment of patients with this pathology.

Demographic and clinical factors associated with cardiovascular events in elderly long-term survivors of breast cancer.

e24105 Background: Improvements in cancer-specific survival have led to a growing appreciation for non-cancer drivers of mortality, particularly cardiovascular disease (CVD), in long-term cancer survivors. However, studies of population-level, non-oncologic outcomes in long-term survivors as a function of treatment exposures remain limited. Our aim is to evaluate the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) based on demographic and clinical characteristics in long-term breast cancer survivors, defined as those alive five years after diagnosis. Methods: We conducted a SEER-Medicare retrospective study of patients over age 65 with non-metastatic breast cancer, treated with curative intent surgery, diagnosed between 2003-2011, and enrolled in fee-for-service Medicare. CVD events were defined by the presence of any claims corresponding to stroke, heart failure, myocardial infarction, or cardiomyopathy beginning at 5 years after initial diagnosis and extending through year 10. Chi-squared tests were used to examine associations between demographic and clinical characteristics and CVD status. LASSO regularization was used for variable selection in a cox-proportional hazards model using 10-fold cross validation showing CVD hazard ratios stratified by diagnosis year. Results: 43,347 patients met inclusion criteria, of which 5,444 had a diagnosis of CVD between five years after diagnosis and last follow-up. Compared to patients without evidence of CVD, patients experiencing CVD were more likely to be older, Black, live in impoverished neighborhoods, have stage III (vs. I or II) disease, and have been diagnosed during the latter part of the study period (2009-2011 vs. 2003-2008). Variables included in the model following the LASSO regularization process were age at diagnosis, race/ethnicity, % with poverty, metropolitan residence, cancer stage at diagnosis, receipt of radiation therapy, and diagnosis year. Age, race/ethnicity, and cancer stage at diagnosis were significant predictors of developing CVD during years 5-10 after an initial cancer diagnosis (P &lt; 0.001). Risk of developing CVD increased with age and was associated with a threefold higher risk in women over age 85. Non-Hispanic Black patients were at the highest risk across race/ethnicity groups (HR: 1.48, 95% CI: 1.34 – 1.65), and patients with a stage III diagnosis were at the highest risk by stage (ref Stage I; HR: 1.56, 95% CI: 1.41 - 1.72). Those diagnosed in 2009-2011 were at higher risk of developing CVD than in earlier years (ref 2003-2005; HR: 1.67, 95% CI: 1.56 – 1.79). Conclusions: Age, race, poverty, and cancer stage at diagnosis were associated with increased risk of developing CVD in long-term breast cancer survivors. Patients with elevated non-oncologic risks may benefit from increased participation by primary care as a component of effective cancer survivorship.

Exposure to multiple ion beams, broadly representative of galactic cosmic rays, causes perivascular cardiac fibrosis in mature male rats.

Long-duration space exploratory missions to the Earth's moon and the planet Mars are actively being planned. Such missions will require humans to live for prolonged periods beyond low earth orbit where astronauts will be continuously exposed to high energy galactic cosmic rays (GCRs). A major unknown is the potential impact of GCRs on the risks of developing degenerative cardiovascular disease, which is a concern to NASA. A ground-based rat model has been used to provide a detailed characterization of the risk of long-term cardiovascular disease from components of GCRs at radiation doses relevant to future human missions beyond low earth orbit. Six month old male WAG/RijCmcr rats were irradiated at a ground-based charged particle accelerator facility with high energy ion beams broadly representative of GCRs: protons, silicon and iron. Irradiation was given either as a single ion beam or as a combination of three ion beams. For the doses used, the single ion beam studies did not show any significant changes in the known cardiac risk factors and no evidence of cardiovascular disease could be demonstrated. In the three ion beam study, the total cholesterol levels in the circulation increased modestly over the 270 day follow up period, and inflammatory cytokines were also increased, transiently, 30 days after irradiation. Perivascular cardiac collagen content, systolic blood pressure and the number of macrophages found in the kidney and in the heart were each increased 270 days after irradiation with 1.5 Gy of the three ion beam grouping. These findings provide evidence for a cardiac vascular pathology and indicate a possible threshold dose for perivascular cardiac fibrosis and increased systemic systolic blood pressure for complex radiation fields during the 9 month follow up period. The development of perivascular cardiac fibrosis and increased systemic systolic blood pressure occurred at a physical dose of the three ion beam grouping (1.5 Gy) that was much lower than that required to show similar outcomes in earlier studies with the same rat strain exposed to photons. Further studies with longer follow up periods may help determine whether humans exposed to lower, mission-relevant doses of GCRs will develop radiation-induced heart disease.

Associations of free sugars from solid and liquid sources with cardiovascular disease: a retrospective cohort analysis

BackgroundThe World Health Organization recommends a 10% total energy (TE%) limit for free sugars (i.e., added sugars and naturally occurring sugars in fruit juice, honey, and syrups) based on evidence linking higher intakes with overweight and dental caries. Evidence for cardiovascular disease (CVD) is limited. Impacts may differ by sex, age group, and solid vs. liquid sources; liquids may stimulate more adverse CVD profiles (due to their rapid absorption in the body along along with triggering less satiety). We examined associations of consuming total free sugars ≥ 10 TE% with CVD within four sex and age-defined groups. Given roughly equal free sugar intakes from solid and liquid sources, we also evaluated source-specific associations of free sugars ≥ 5 TE% thresholds.MethodsIn this retrospective cohort study, we estimated free sugars from 24-h dietary recall (Canadian Community Health Survey, 2004–2005) in relationship to nonfatal and fatal CVD (Discharge and Canadian Mortality Databases, 2004–2017; International Disease Classification-10 codes for ischemic heart disease and stroke) through multivariable Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for overweight/obesity, health behaviours, dietary factors, and food insecurity. We conducted analyses in separate models for men 55 to 75 years, women 55 to 75 years, men 35 to 55 years, and women 35 to 55 years. We dichotomized total free sugars at 10 TE% and source-specific free sugars at 5 TE%.ResultsMen 55 to 75 years of age had 34% higher CVD hazards with intakes of free sugars from solid sources ≥ 5 TE% vs. below (adjusted HR 1.34, 95% CI 1.05- 1.70). The other three age and sex-specific groups did not demonstrate conclusive associations with CVD.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that from a CVD prevention standpoint in men 55 to 75 years of age, there may be benefits from consuming less than 5 TE% as free sugars from solid sources.

Associations of Change in Body Size With All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality Among Healthy Older Adults

The association between weight change and subsequent cause-specific mortality among older adults is not well described. The significance of changes in waist circumference (WC) has also not been compared with weight change for this purpose. To examine the associations of changes in body weight and WC with all-cause and cause-specific mortality. This cohort study is a post hoc analysis of data from the Aspirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE) randomized clinical trial, which recruited participants between March 1, 2010, and December 31, 2014. The study included community-based older adults (16 703 Australian participants aged ≥70 years and 2411 US participants aged ≥65 years) without evident cardiovascular disease (CVD), dementia, physical disability, or life-limiting chronic illness. Data analysis was performed from April to September 2022. Body weight and WC were measured at baseline and at annual visit 2. Analysis models were adjusted for baseline body mass index because height and weight were measured at baseline, allowing for calculation of body mass index and other variables. Both body weight and WC changes were categorized as change within 5% (stable), decrease by 5% to 10%, decrease by more than 10%, increase by 5% to 10%, and increase by more than 10%. All-cause, cancer-specific, CVD-specific, and noncancer non-CVD-specific mortality. Mortality events were adjudicated by an expert review panel. Cox proportional hazards regression and competing risk analyses were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs. Among 16 523 participants (mean [SD] age, 75.0 [4.3] years; 9193 women [55.6%]), 1256 deaths were observed over a mean (SD) of 4.4 (1.7) years. Compared with men with stable weight, those with a 5% to 10% weight loss had a 33% higher (HR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.07-1.66) risk of all-cause mortality, and those with more than a 10% decrease in body weight had a 289% higher (HR, 3.89; 95% CI, 2.93-5.18) risk. Compared with women with stable weight, those with a 5% to 10% weight loss had a 26% higher (HR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.00-1.60) risk of all-cause mortality, and those with more than a 10% decrease in body weight had a 114% higher (HR, 2.14; 95% CI, 1.58-2.91) risk. Weight loss was associated with a higher cancer-specific mortality (>10% decrease among men: HR, 3.49; 95% CI, 2.26-5.40; 5%-10% decrease among women: HR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.46-2.04; >10% decrease among women: HR, 2.78; 95% CI, 1.82-4.26), CVD-specific mortality (>10% decrease among men: HR, 3.14; 95% CI, 1.63-6.04; >10% decrease among women: HR, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.05-3.51), and noncancer non-CVD-specific mortality (>10% decrease among men: HR, 4.98; 95% CI, 3.14-7.91). A decrease in WC was also associated with mortality. This cohort study of healthy older adults suggests that weight loss was associated with an increase in all-cause and cause-specific mortality, including an increased risk of cancer, CVD, and other life-limiting conditions. Physicians should be aware of the significance of weight loss, especially among older men.

Abstract P632: The Ballana Heart Study: Preliminary Results

Introduction: There are considerable ethnic variations in the incidence and severity of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). To date, there have been very few studies from Africa and the MENA region and none that have focused on CVD. Ballana Heart Study (BHS) is a prospective cohort study of Egyptian Nubian population who live in the Ballana village (29,000 inhabitants) in the south of Egypt. Aim: Defining the cardiovascular phenotype, genotype and risk factors combined with follow-up visits for 30 years. Methods: Participants ≥18 years old after consenting go through a series of stations. A fasting venous blood sample is collected for diagnostic, genetic, molecular biomarkers testing and biobanking. Followed by a detailed questionnaire on demographic characteristics, anthropometry, vital signs, CVD risk factors and family history. Detailed clinical phenotyping including ECG, and Echocardiography. Follow-up visits and/or phone interviews occur every 1-3 years depending on their severity risk for a period of 30 years. Participants with evidence of CVD are referred to the Aswan Heart Centre for management. Results: A random sample of 1,200 representative households was obtained from official government bills. To date, 549 households were analyzed. The preliminary findings in the first 2000 participants showed a mean age of 46 years (62% females). The rates of consanguinity between spouses and parents were 45% and 39% respectively. Seventy percent were either obese or overweight (BMI ≥30 kg/m 2 .), 65% had LDL ≥ 100 mg/dL and 37% reported a family history of CVD. Investigation showed diabetes (23%), hypertension (20%), ischemic heart diseases (3.5%), only 15 patients (0.8%) had echocardiographic evidence of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) as defined by the world heart federation criteria and 7 patients (0.4%) were diagnosed with adult congenital heart disease. Conclusion: Population-based studies and community engagement have become an increasingly prevalent means of improving health. BHS is among the first population studies in Egypt and the MENA region to focus on CVD . BHS provides a phenotypically well-characterized population, the preliminary results has shown a very high incidence of consanguinity, obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia and hypertension. Future research integration of OMICs data and other determinants of health is essential to advancements in precision medicine, CVD understanding and prevention. It is anticipated that this ongoing study will yield valuable information for formulating healthcare policy.

PS-P07-9: USE OF INITIAL AND SUBSEQUENT ANTIHYPERTENSIVE COMBINATION TREATMENT IN THE CLINICAL PRACTICE. EVIDENCE FROM A POPULATION-BASED INVESTIGATION IN ITALY

Objective: Hypertension guidelines issued in the last twenty years have consistently recommended use of a combination of two or more antihypertensive drugs to treat most hypertensive patients. Two-drug combinations have also been recommended as initial treatment. Aim of this study was to assess the use of antihypertensive combination treatment, both as the initial and as subsequent therapeutic step over a three-year treatment period, based on data from a large Italian population. Three temporal cohorts (2012, 2015, 2018) were identified to determine whether mono versus combination treatment strategies had changed over the years. Design and method: The residents of the Lombardy Region (Italy), aged &gt; 40 years, who were newly treated with antihypertensive drugs during 2012, 2015 and 2018 were identified through the regional healthcare utilization database. The drug treatment strategy (monotherapy and combination of two, three and &gt; 3 antihypertensive drugs) was assessed at treatment initiation, and after 6 months, 1, 2, and 3 years of treatment. Data were also analysed after stratification for demographic and clinical categories, i.e. sex, age, signs of cardiovascular disease, co-treatments, and clinical status. Results: About one-hundred thousand patients were identified for each cohort. About four out of ten patients were aged &gt; 65 years, half of them were women, one in four patients was prescribed &gt; 5 co-medications, and one in 6 patients had a poor clinical status. In the 2012 cohort, monotherapy was the most common initial treatment strategy (74%), followed by two-drug single-pill combination (17%), two-drug free combination (6%), and combination of &gt; 3 drugs (3%). There were no significant differences between the 2012, 2015 and 2018 cohorts, and among strata of age, sex, clinical status, co-treatments, number of co-medications and evidence of cardiovascular disease. Use of two and three or more antihypertensive drugs increased during follow-up and reached about 32% (two drugs) and 11% (&gt; 2 drugs) of the patients after 3 years from treatment initiation. Among patients prescribed a two-drug combination, the single-pill was the most common approach, whereas the use of the three-drug single-pill combination was extremely rare. There were no substantial differences in the use of combination treatment between the three cohorts and the results were similar in all demographic and clinical categories. Conclusions: In a real-life setting, use of antihypertensive drug combinations is low at treatment initiation and inferior to use of monotherapy during chronic treatment Contrary to guidelines recommendations, antihypertensive combination treatment did not show any noticeable increase over the years.

Longitudinal, radial, circumferential and rotational mechanics in acute myocarditis; a 2D speckle-tracking echocardiography study

Abstract Objectives The aim of our study was to assess the utility of echocardiographic deformation imaging of the left ventricle in patients with CMR-proven acute myocarditis (AM). Background Often conventional echocardiography reveals no obvious abnormalities in AM. While longitudinal strain is known to reflect the subendocardial muscle layer deformation, in AM myocardial damage is predominantly confined to the subepicardium. The latter is involved in circumferential deformation and rotational mechanics. Methods Data were obtained from a prospectively maintained database of patients (n=44) with AM who had an echocardiography and CMR within 2 weeks of hospital presentation. All patients underwent a comprehensive echocardiographic study including measurement of left ventricular (LV) global longitudinal strain (GLS), basal and apical radial strain (RS), basal and apical circumferential strain (CS), basal and apical rotation, peak twist and peak twist rate. Furthermore, LV deformation was analysed in an age-matched control group (CG) of individuals (n=27) with no evidence of cardiovascular disease. Results There was no significant difference in demographics and most echocardiographic parameters (Table 1). LV EF (57±11% vs 63±4%, p=0.005) was lower in AM. Difference in wall thickness (LVPWd 10.6±1.9mm vs 9.5±1.5mm, p=0.002) and diastolic function (E/E' lateral 6.7±3.1 vs 4.9±0.9, p=0.015) were significant but not specific. Deformation imaging revealed significant differences between the 2 groups in parameters reflecting longitudinal and circumferential deformation, and rotational mechanics (Table 2); GLS (−15.4±4.2% vs −18.9±2.1%, p&amp;lt;0.001), apical CS (−26.1±10.2% vs −34.8±9.4%, p&amp;lt;0.001), basal CS (−20.8±7.4% vs −24.4±6.0%, p=0.017), apical rotation (4.5±3.2° vs 7.9±4.0°, p&amp;lt;0.001), peak twist (9.8±5.8° vs 14.5±5.1°, p&amp;lt;0.001) and peak twist rate (69.5±32.7deg/sec vs 89.3±32.7deg/sec, p&amp;lt;0.001). In patients with preserved systolic function (EF ≥50%, n=35) the only statistically significant 2D parameter between groups was LVPWd thickness (10.8±1.7mm vs 9.2±1.5mm, p=0.001), whereas differences in most strain and rotational parameters persisted; GLS (−16.5±3.3% vs −18.9±2.2%, p=0.003), apical CS (−28.0±8.2% vs −34.8±9.4%, p=0.030), apical rotation (4.7±3.2° vs 7.9±4.0°, p&amp;lt;0.001), peak twist (10.3±6.2° vs 14.5±5.5°, p=0.008), peak twist rate (71.1±33.3 deg/sec vs 89.3±32.7 deg/sec, p=0.048). ROC analysis showed fair classification accuracy for apical rotation (0.760, p&amp;lt;0.001), LV PWd (AUC 0.760, p&amp;lt;0.001), peak twist (0.752, p=0.01) and GLS (AUC 0.706, p&amp;lt;0.001). Conclusion Apical rotation and myocardial twist can objectively quantify myocardial mechanics in AM. Circumferential and rotational mechanics are mostly affected, even in patients with preserved ejection fraction, possibly reflecting subclinical LV dysfunction associated with subepicardial muscle layer inflammation. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

Association of hepatic steatosis with subclinical cardiac dysfunction in asymptomatic people with type 2 diabetes

Abstract Introduction Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is highly prevalent among people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and is an emerging risk factor for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Whether excess liver adiposity is simply a marker of the coexisting adverse cardiometabolic risk profile or independently contributes to the development of HFpEF is unclear. Purpose To assess the association between liver fat fraction and subclinical cardiac dysfunction in adults with T2D. Methods Prospective cross-sectional study. Two-hundred and thirty-eight adults with T2D (mean age 63±7 years, 62% males, HbA1c 7.2±1.5%, diabetes duration 10±8 years) with no signs, symptoms, or evidence of cardiovascular disease and 40 age-, sex-, and ethnicity-matched non-diabetic controls (mean age 61±8 years, 63% males, HbA1c 5.2±1.2%) underwent comprehensive phenotyping with echocardiography and multiparametric cardiac MRI including adenosine stress and rest perfusion. Volumetric liver fat fraction (VLFF) was measured using a histologically validated, proprietary MRI technique blinded to all participant details. Inter-study reproducibility was assessed in participants (n=28) who underwent a repeat MRI within two weeks. Linear regression analysis was performed to assess any independent associations between VLFF and identified markers of subclinical cardiac dysfunction in subjects with T2D. Results People with T2D had evidence of concentric left ventricular (LV) remodelling (higher LV mass/volume), extracellular matrix expansion (higher ECV fraction), both systolic and diastolic dysfunction (lower global longitudinal systolic strain and E/A ratio, respectively), and coronary microvascular dysfunction (lower myocardial perfusion reserve) (Table 1). VLFF demonstrated excellent inter-study reproducibility with an intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.988 (0.974–0.994). T2Ds had higher VLFF compared to controls [7.5 (3.8–13.7)% vs 2.9 (1.7–4.7)%, p&amp;lt;0.001]. In multivariable regression analysis adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, body mass index, ambulatory systolic blood pressure, HbA1c, and low-density lipoprotein, VLFF (β=−0.161, p=0.027) was independently associated with E/A, but not other imaging measures of subclinical cardiac dysfunction. Conclusion Liver fat fraction is elevated in people with T2D and is independently associated with early LV diastolic dysfunction. These results add to the growing evidence that ectopic fat plays an important role in the pathogenesis of HFpEF and may be a potential target for intervention. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Public Institution(s). Main funding source(s): National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) United Kingdom through a Research Professorship award (RP-2017-08-ST2-007).British Heart Foundation through a Clinical Research Training Fellowship (FS/16/47/32190).

Higher prevalence of QTc interval prolongation among virologically suppressed older people with HIV.

To assess the prevalence, and factors associated with QTc interval prolongation, among 383 virologically suppressed people with HIV (PWH), without evidence of cardiovascular disease and active opportunistic infections in Thailand. Cross-sectional study. Resting 12-lead digital ECGs were performed in 2019. QT interval corrected for heart rate (QTc) >450 ms in males and >460 ms in females was defined as QTc interval prolongation. We used multivariable logistic regression to investigate factors associated with QTc interval prolongation. Mean (standard deviation) age was 56 (5.5) years and 42% were female. The median current CD4+ was 619 (interquartile range [IQR] 487, 769) cells/mm 3 . The median duration of antiretroviral therapy (ART) was 11.9 (IQR 7.1-16.1) years. Commonly used ART were rilpivirine (37.9%), efavirenz (20.1%), atazanavir/ritonavir (15.7%), lopinavir/ritonavir (12.3%) and dolutegravir (5%). The prevalence of QTc interval prolongation was 22.7%. In multivariable analysis, older age (odds ratio [OR] 1.07, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-1.12, P = 0.005), female sex (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.01-2.82, P = 0.046) and increasing BMI (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.01-1.15, P = 0.03) were associated with QTc interval prolongation. With every 1-year increase in age, the odds of QTc interval prolongation increased by 7%. In this well-suppressed aging Asian HIV cohort, the prevalence of QTc interval prolongation was relatively high, and associated with increasing age, female sex, and higher BMI. For PLWH with these characteristics, QTc interval should be monitored before and after initiating any medications known to prolong QTc intervals, to prevent fatal cardiac arrhythmias.

Coronary Artery Calcium Score to Refine the Use of PCSK9i in Asymptomatic Individuals: A Multicohort Study

BackgroundThe value of coronary artery calcium (CAC) in the allocation of PCSK9i (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors) among individuals without clinically evident atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is unknown for indications that do not require confirmed familial hypercholesterolemia. We aimed to assess the ability of CAC to stratify ASCVD risk under 3 non–familial hypercholesterolemia PCSK9i allocation paradigms.Methods and ResultsWe included participants without clinically evident ASCVD from MESA (Multi‐Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis), CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) study, DHS (Dallas Heart Study), and HNR (Heinz Nixdorf Recall) study. Three PCSK9i eligibility scenarios were defined: a broad scenario informed only by high low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (N=567), a restrictive one combining higher low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and presence of ≥2 additional risk factors (N=127), and a high‐risk scenario where individuals with subclinical organ damage or high estimated risk would be treated to achieve low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol <55 mg/dL (N=471). The high‐risk scenario had the highest ASCVD event rates (27.8% at 10 years). CAC=0 was observed in 35% participants in the broad scenario, 25% in the restrictive scenario, and 16% in the high‐risk scenario. In all, CAC=0 was associated with the lowest incident ASCVD rates at 5 and 10 years, and CAC burden was independently associated with ASCVD events adjusting for traditional risk factors.ConclusionsCAC may be used to refine the allocation of PCSK9i, potentially leading to a more conservative use if CAC=0. The value of CAC testing is greater in scenarios that use low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and/or traditional risk factors to define PCSK9i eligibility (CAC=0 present in 1 of 3–4 patients), whereas its prevalence is lower when allocation is informed by presence of noncoronary subclinical organ damage.

Irrational beliefs, depression and anxiety, in relation to 10-year cardiovascular disease risk: the ATTICA Epidemiological Study

ABSTRACT Background and Objectives Various bio-psychosocial mechanisms underlying the link between anxiety, depression and cardiovascular disease risk, remain unknown. We investigated the role of irrational beliefs in conjunction with anxiety and depression in the 10-year cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence, and the effect of biochemical and socio-behavioral factors. Design 853[453 men (45 ± 13 years) and 400 women (44 ± 18 years)] from the ATTICA study (2002–2012) and without evidence of CVD were assessed. Methods The Irrational Beliefs Inventory (IBI), the Zung Self-Rating-Depression-Scale (ZDRS) and the State-Trait-Anxiety-Inventory (STAI) were used for the assessments. Incidence of CVD was defined according to the International Coding Diseases (ICD)−10 criteria. Results Participants with high irrational beliefs and anxiety symptoms had a 138% greater risk of developing CVD during the 10-year follow-up (2.38; 95%CI 1.75, 3.23) as compared to those without anxiety. Among others, C-reactive protein, interleukin-6 and total antioxidant capacity were mediators in the tested association. Interaction of irrational beliefs and depression was not associated with the 10-year CVD in all models. Conclusions Inflammation and oxidative stress, partially explained the associations between irrational beliefs and anxiety in predicting CVD risk. These findings advance psychological research in the area of primary prevention of mental health and cardiovascular diseases.

Comparative Study of Ex Vivo Antiplatelet Activity of Aspirin and Cilostazol in Patients with Diabetes and High Risk of Cardiovascular Disease.

Background The role of aspirin in primary cardiovascular disease prevention in patients with diabetes remains controversial. However, some studies have suggested beneficial effects of cilostazol on cardiovascular disease in patients with diabetes. We prospectively investigated the antiplatelet effects of cilostazol compared with aspirin in patients with diabetes and cardiovascular risk factors.Methods We randomly assigned 116 patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular risk factors but no evident cardiovascular disease to receive aspirin at a dose of 100 mg or cilostazol at a dose of 200 mg daily for 14 days. The primary efficacy outcome was antiplatelet effects of aspirin and cilostazol assessed with the VerifyNow system (aspirin response units [ARU]) and PFA-100 (closure time [CT]). Secondary outcomes were changes of clinical laboratory data (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02933788).Results After 14 days, there was greater decrease in ARU in aspirin (–28.9%±9.9%) compared cilostazol (–0.4%±7.1%, P<0.001) and was greater increase in CT in aspirin (99.6%±63.5%) compared cilostazol (25.7%±54.1%, P<0.001). The prevalence of aspirin resistance was 7.5% according to VerifyNow (defined by ARU ≥550) and 18.9% according to PFA-100 (CT <192 seconds). Compared with aspirin, cilostazol treatment was associated with increased high density lipoprotein cholesterol (7.1%±12.7% vs. 4.2%±18.0%, P=0.006) and decreased triglycerides (–9.4%±33.7% vs. 4.4%±17.57%, P=0.016). However, there were no significant changes in total and low density lipoprotein cholesterol, C-reactive protein level, and cluster of differentiation 40 ligand between cilostazol and aspirin groups.Conclusion Aspirin showed better antiplatelet effects assessed with VerifyNow and PFA-100 compared with cilostazol. However, there were favorable changes in atherogenic dyslipidemia only in the cilostazol.

Long-Term Follow-Up of Subjects Without Overt Heart Disease With an Early Repolarization/J Wave Electrocardiographic Pattern.

AimsThe “early repolarization” (ER) pattern and J wave are frequent findings on standard ECG. Controversial data have recently been reported about their prognostic implications in healthy subjects, but no longitudinal prospective study specifically designed to investigate their long-term prognostic value has hitherto been published.Methods and ResultsWe prospectively enrolled 4,176 consecutive subjects with no evidence of cardiovascular disease who were referred for standard ECG recording for routine check-ups or pre-operative assessments for non-cardiovascular surgery. ECGs were prospectively assessed for the presence of ER/J wave. A 10-year follow-up was available for 3,937 patients (94.3%), 660 of whom (16.8%) showed ER/J wave whereas 3,277 did not. A total of 644 deaths occurred (16.3%), 116 (2.95%) of which were attributed to cardiovascular causes. Both total and cardiovascular mortality adjusted for clinical and laboratory variables did not differ significantly between patients with vs. without ER/J wave (HR 0.94; 95% CI 0.75–1.19; p = 0.63 and HR 0.61; 95% CI 0.31–1.21; p = 0.16, respectively). No significant association with total and cardiovascular mortality was also found in pre-specified analyses for ER and J wave alone, ER/J wave detected in specific ECG regions (i.e., inferior, lateral, precordial), and type of J wave (notched or slurred).ConclusionIn this specifically designed prospective study of individuals without any evidence of cardiovascular disease, we found no significant association of ER/J wave with the risk of the total as well as cardiovascular mortality during long-term follow-up.

Comparison of noninvasive continuous arterial blood pressure measured by NICAP with arterial line in elderly patients

BackgroundNon-Invasive Continuous Arterial Pressure system (NICAP) allows continuous monitoring, timely detection of hypotension, and avoiding risks from invasive procedures. A previous study showed good comparability of NICAP with arterial line in people with no evidence of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, the goal of this study was to investigate whether NICAP could be accurately applied to elderly patients.MethodsIn this single-centered observational study, forty-one patients above 65 undergoing elective surgeries requiring artery catheterizations were enrolled from July 17, 2020, to June 25, 2021. Radial artery cannulation and NICAP monitoring were started before anesthesia. Blood pressure during the anesthesia induction and the whole surgery, trend of blood pressure changes, time needed for establishing continuous monitoring, and complications were recorded.ResultsA total of 6751 valid pairs of blood pressure measurements were analyzed. In the Bland-Altman analysis, the arithmetic means for systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressure were 2.2, 3.3, and 2.8 mmHg, respectively. NICAP and arterial line correlation coefficients for systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressure were 0.51, 0.40, and 0.47, respectively. In the trending analysis, the polar concordance rates at 30 degrees were 70.9% for systolic, 67.7% for diastolic, and 69.3% for mean arterial blood pressure. During the anesthesia induction, the arithmetic means for systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressure in the Bland-Altman analysis were 1.7, -0.2, and 0.5 mmHg, respectively. NICAP and arterial line correlation coefficients for systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressure were 0.72, 0.58 and 0.69, respectively. No severe complications occurred.ConclusionsNICAP has a poor correlation with the arterial line in elderly patients for the whole surgery or during anesthesia induction. Moreover, it showed poor comparability in the detection of blood pressure change trends with arterial lines. Our findings suggest that NICAP might not be sufficiently accurate to be applied clinically in elderly patients with comorbidities. More accurate calibration and iteration are needed.