Family History Of Premature Cardiovascular Disease Research Articles

2023 Australian guideline for assessing and managing cardiovascular disease risk.

The 2023 Australian guideline for assessing and managing cardiovascular disease risk provides updated evidence-based recommendations for the clinical assessment and management of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk for primary prevention. It includes the new Australian CVD risk calculator (Aus CVD Risk Calculator), based on an equation developed from a large New Zealand cohort study, customised and recalibrated for the Australian population. The new guideline replaces the 2012 guideline that recommended CVD risk assessment using the Framingham risk equation. The new guideline recommends CVD risk assessment in people without known CVD: all people aged 45-79 years, people with diabetes from 35 years, and First Nations people from 30 years. The new Aus CVD Risk Calculator should be used to estimate and categorise CVD risk into low (< 5% risk over five years), intermediate (5% to < 10% risk over five years) or high risk (≥ 10% over five years). The following reclassification factors may be applied to recategorise calculated risk to improve accuracy of risk prediction, particularly in individuals close to a risk threshold: Indigenous status/ethnicity, estimated glomerular filtration rate, urine albumin to creatinine ratio measurements, severe mental illness, coronary artery calcium score and family history of premature CVD. A variety of communication formats is available to communicateCVD risk to help enable shared decision making. Healthy lifestylemodification, including smoking cessation, nutrition, physical activity and limiting alcohol, is encouraged for all individuals. Blood pressure-lowering and lipid-modifying pharmacotherapies should be prescribed for high risk and considered for intermediate risk individuals, unless contraindicated or clinically inappropriate. Reassessment of CVD risk should be considered within five years for individuals at low risk and within two years for those with intermediate risk. Reassessment of CVD risk is not recommended for individuals at high risk. CHANGES IN ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT AS A RESULT OF THE GUIDELINE: The updated guideline recommends assessment over a broader age range and uses the Aus CVD Risk Calculator, which replaces the previous Framingham-based equation. It incorporates new variables: social disadvantage, diabetes-specific risk markers, diagnosis of atrial fibrillation and use of blood pressure-lowering and lipid-modifying therapies. Reclassification factors are also a new addition. Updated risk categories and thresholds are based on the new AusCVD Risk Calculator. The proportion of the population in the high risk category (≥ 10% over five years) is likely to be broadly comparable to more than 15% risk from the Framingham-based equation. The full guideline and Aus CVD Risk Calculator can be accessed at www.cvdcheck.org.au.

Risk Factors and Modifiers for Cardiovascular Disease Assessment of Patients with Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolaemia.

Background: The assessment of the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) is determined by conventional risk factors. However, factors modifying CVD, or risk modifiers, beyond conventional risk factors may inform their CVD risk assessment and the subsequent use of new therapies. This work identifies and characterises patients within a lipid clinic cohort with regards to conventional CVD risk factors and risk modifiers with a focus on those with HeFH. Methods: A study of consecutive adult patients attending our specialist lipid clinic was performed over a six-month period. The patient data recorded included demographics, clinical characteristics, risk factors and risk modifiers, biochemical profiles and genetic testing results. Risk modifiers were identified based on ESC/EAS guidance, and those with HeFH were compared to those without. Results: A total of 370 patients were included. Of these, 98 HeFH patients were identified (26%). Then, 52% of HeFH patients were stratified into the very-high risk category due to the presence of CVD risk factors. Risk modifiers were present in 73%. These included a family history of premature CVD (56%), obesity (28%), a sedentary lifestyle (13%) and a major psychiatric disorder (12%). Compared to the rest of the cohort, those with HeFH were less likely to have hypertension and more likely to have a family history of premature CVD. Conclusions: Half of patients with HeFH are categorised as having very high CV risk. Consideration of risk modifiers, particularly a family history of premature CV disease, increases this very-high-risk category further. This may have implications for the clinical application and access to novel treatments.

Association Between HDL2-C and HDL3-C with Cardiovascular Disease: A Nested Case-Control Study in an Iranian Population.

The contribution of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) subclasses to incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) and coronary heart disease (CHD) remains a subject of debate. The objective of this study was to investigate these associations in a population with a high prevalence of dyslipidemia and CVD. In a nested case-control study, HDL-C and its subclasses (HDL2-C and HDL3-C) in 370 age and gender-matched case and control subjects were determined. This study employed multivariable-adjusted conditional logistic regression to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) for the associations between HDL-C, HDL2-C, HDL3-C, and HDL2-C/HDL3-C (both as continuous and categorical variables) with incident CVD and CHD. The present study models were adjusted for a comprehensive set of confounders, including body mass index, current smoking, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, use of lipid-lowering drugs, family history of premature CVD, non-HDL-C, and triglycerides. In multivariate analysis, when considering lipoprotein parameters as continuous variables, a 1-unit increase in HDL-C and HDL3-C was associated with a reduced risk of incident CVD and CHD. For CVD, the ORs (95% confidence intervals [CI]) were 0.95 (0.92 - 0.98) and 0.95 (0.93 - 0.98) for HDL-C and HDL3-C, respectively. The corresponding values for CHD were 0.94 (0.91 - 0.97) and 0.94 (0.91 - 0.97). In the categorical approach to lipoprotein parameters, higher quartiles of HDL-C and HDL3-C, compared to the first quartile, were significantly associated with a lower risk of incident CVD and CHD. The ORs (95% CI) for the fourth quartiles were 0.43 (0.25 - 0.74, P for trend = 0.003) and 0.46 (0.27 - 0.78, P for trend = 0.005) for HDL-C and HDL3-C regarding CVD and 0.32 (0.17 - 0.59) and 0.32 (0.18 - 0.59) (all P for trend = 0.001) regarding CHD, respectively. Paradoxically, across quartiles of HDL2-C/HDL3-C, this lipid ratio was associated with a higher risk of CHD (92% higher risk in the fourth quartile). The results showed that HDL3-C, but not HDL2-C, was primarily responsible for the protective effect of HDL-C against CVD, particularly CHD, in Iranian adults.

CLINICAL CONSEQUENCES IN POST COVID-19 HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS

Objective: to evaluate the clinical consequences in hypertensive patients after 1.2 ± 0.3 years after COVID-19 recovery. Design and method: We studied 51 treated hypertensive patients, which were divided into 2 groups: 26 patients recovered from mild to moderate COVID-19 in 2020-2021 years (1st group) and 25 patients were not ill COVID-19 (2nd group). The clinical characteristics, laboratory finding, echocardiographic measurement and clinical outcomes were analyzed. Results: There were no significant differences in sex, age, duration of hypertension, frequency of family history of premature CVD and presence of concomitant obesity, DM, CAD, stroke/TIA, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, CKD, PAD and average number of antihypertensive drugs, office systolic BP between the 2 groups. Levels of office diastolic BP by 10 % (P = 0.001) and heart rate by 13 % (P = 0.01) were higher in post COVID-19 group. Low adherence was present at 81.8 % patients 1st group compared with 45 % of 2nd patients group (P = 0.03). Cognitive impairment by the MMSE scale was detected in 68.2 % of COVID-19 recovered patients and 25 % of 2nd patients group (P = 0.03). Fasting glucose by 7.5 % (P = 0.046), 24-h albuminuria in 1.8 times (P = 0.049), level of CRP by 38.5 % (P = 0.04) were higher and blood concentration of endothelial progenitor cells (CD133+CD31+CD45-/+) by 14, 9 % (P = 0.04), left ventricular ejection fraction by 10 % (P = 0.03) were lower in post COVID-19 patients than in patients of 2nd group. Conclusions: The study indicate that the changes were found in the hypertensive patients after 1.2 ± 0.3 years of recovery from COVID-19. In the future these may signal an increased risk for incidence of CV outcomes. Cognitive dysfunction and possibly as a consequence poor adherence to antihypertensive treatment contribute to negative outcomes.

P86 Are symptoms of cardiac ischaemia different in patients who have psoriasis than in those who do not?

Abstract Patients with psoriasis have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) for reasons that remain unknown. However, it may result from a complex interplay of contributory factors, including lifestyle and shared pathological mechanisms, as seen with other immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs). Furthermore, in addition to epicardial coronary artery disease, patients with IMIDs have high levels of coronary microvascular dysfunction, which also contribute to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Our objective was to investigate whether the presentation of CVD may be different and therefore unrecognized in patients with psoriasis vs. those who do not have psoriasis. Sixty-six individuals with psoriasis and 112 age- and sex-matched individuals without psoriasis were recruited from the Chest Pain Clinic at a Regional Heart Care Centre. Traditional risk factors for CVD (smoking, body mass index, type 2 diabetes, blood pressure and lipid profile) were comparable between groups. Patients with psoriasis were statistically significantly older (P &amp;lt; 0.04) and more likely to have a family history of premature CVD (P &amp;lt; 0.01) than those without psoriasis. Individuals with psoriasis described poorly localized (P &amp;lt; 0.02), aching-type chest pain (P &amp;lt; 0.04) that radiated to the back (P &amp;lt; 0.01). The psoriasis group was significantly less likely to be investigated for coronary microvascular dysfunction with myocardial perfusion scanning (P &amp;lt; 0.002). However, 67% of patients with psoriasis were found to have flow-limiting disease (vs. 60% without psoriasis), classified as severe in 50% (vs. 43% without psoriasis), and were four times more likely to have two-vessel coronary disease, although this did not reach statistical significance. Individuals with both skin and joint psoriasis were more likely to have flow-limiting epicardial disease (14%) than those without arthropathy (10%; not significant). In conclusion, patients with psoriasis exhibit key differences in their presentation to heart care services than those who do not have psoriasis. Further research to individualize risk stratification for CVD in individuals with psoriasis is important.

Prevalence of LDL-hypercholesterolemia and other cardiovascular risk factors in young people with type 1 diabetes

BackgroundMortality and morbidity in people with Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is mainly caused by cardiovascular disease (CVD). Early treatment of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) is of great importance. ObjectiveTo analyze the prevalence of LDL-hypercholesterolemia and other CVRFs in youth with T1D. MethodsClinical and laboratory parameters, and vascular thickness measurement were obtained in youth with T1D (age 6-18 years, T1D duration >1 year) attending a diabetes clinic. LDL-hypercholesterolemia, microalbuminuria and arterial hypertension were defined as CVRFs. ResultsA total of 333 youth (48% girls; age: 13.3 years [10.3-15.5], median [interquartile range]) participated in the study. The T1D duration was 5.9 years [3.5-9.4] with HbA1c of 7.4% [6.8-8.0]. Intima media thickness (N=223) was 538.0 µm [470.0-618.0]). LDL-hypercholesterolemia was present in 30 participants (9%; 18 girls; age: 14.3 years [11.2-15.7]). None of the participants had persistent microalbuminuria, although 59 (18.3%) had elevated albumin excretion in a random urine specimen. LDL-hypercholesterolemia was associated with increased blood pressure (p<0.05), insulin requirement (p<0.05), HbA1c (p<0.05), triglyceride (p<0.001) and total cholesterol (p<0.001), and a family history of premature CVD (p<0.001), but negatively correlated with HDL cholesterol levels (p<0.05). Sex, pubertal status, duration of diabetes, type of therapy, and physical activity did not differ between participants with and without LDL- hypercholesterolemia. Arterial hypertension was present in 11 participants (3.3%; 4 girls; age: 14.1 years [11.1-16.1]). ConclusionLDL-hypercholesterolemia affected 9% of youth with T1D in this cohort and was associated with other CVRFs. A holistic therapeutic concept for these young people is essential.

External validation of the QLifetime cardiovascular risk prediction tool: population cohort study

BackgroundPrediction of lifetime cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk is recommended in many clinical guidelines, but lifetime risk models are rarely externally validated. The aim of this study was to externally validate the QRiskLifetime incident CVD risk prediction tool.MethodsIndependent external validation of QRiskLifetime using Clinical Practice Research Datalink data, examining discrimination and calibration in the whole population and stratified by age, and reclassification compared to QRISK3. Since lifetime CVD risk is unobservable, performance was evaluated at 10-years’ follow-up, and lifetime performance inferred in terms of performance for in the different age-groups from which lifetime predictions are derived.ResultsOne million, two hundreds sixty thousand and three hundreds twenty nine women and 1,223,265 men were included in the analysis. Discrimination was excellent in the whole population (Harrell’s-C = 0.844 in women, 0.808 in men), but moderate to poor stratified by age-group (Harrell’s C in people aged 30–44 0.714 for both men and women, in people aged 75–84 0.578 in women and 0.556 in men). Ten-year CVD risk was under-predicted in the whole population, and in all age-groups except women aged 45–64, with worse under-prediction in older age-groups. Compared to those at highest QRISK3 estimated 10-year risk, those with highest lifetime risk were younger (mean age: women 50.5 vs. 71.3 years; men 46.3 vs. 63.8 years) and had lower systolic blood pressure and prevalence of treated hypertension, but had more family history of premature CVD, and were more commonly minority ethnic. Over 10-years, the estimated number needed to treat (NNT) with a statin to prevent one CVD event in people with QRISK3 ≥ 10% was 34 in women and 37 in men, compared to 99 and 100 for those at highest lifetime risk.ConclusionsQRiskLifetime underpredicts 10-year CVD risk in nearly all age-groups, so is likely to also underpredict lifetime risk. Treatment based on lifetime risk has considerably lower medium-term benefit than treatment based on 10-year risk.

Does the addition of serum antimüllerian hormone concentrations to the Framingham Risk Score and Pooled Cohort Equations improve the prediction of cardiovascular disease?

Abstract The present study revealed that the addition of serum antimüllerian hormone concentrations to Framingham Risk Score and Pooled Cohort Equations could potentially improve the risk prediction of cardiovascular disease. Objective The current study aimed to examine the added value of serum antimüllerian hormone (AMH) concentration to the Framingham Risk Score (FRS) and Pooled Cohort Equations (PCE) in predicting the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women of reproductive age. Methods Women 30 years and older were considered eligible for this population-based prospective study. The univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate the association between the serum concentrations of AMH and the risk of CVD. Results In the enhanced model, which integrated AMH into FRS and PCE and was adjusted for family history of premature CVD, AMH showed a significant association with the risk of CVD during a 19-year follow-up of 800 women (hazard ratio, 0.77 [95% CI, 0.60-0.99] and hazard ratio, 0.64 [95% CI, 0.48-0.84], respectively). According to the likelihood-ratio test, the addition of AMH measurements to FRS and PCE could significantly improve the risk prediction of CVD (P = 0.02 and P &lt; 0.001, respectively); however, the integration of this biomarker did not improve the classification of risk categories. Conclusions The present findings revealed that the addition of serum AMH concentrations to FRS and PCE could potentially improve the risk prediction of CVD.

Monocyte to high-density lipoprotein ratio presents a linear association with atherosclerosis and nonlinear association with arteriosclerosis in elderly Chinese population: The Northern Shanghai Study

Background and aimsInflammation closely correlates with atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Monocyte to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (MHR) is a novel inflammation index that can be obtained by routine blood tests. We aimed to investigate the associations between MHR and atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis. Methods and resultsWe enrolled 2451 participants from the Northern Shanghai Study. Atherosclerosis (carotid plaque (CP), lower extremity atherosclerotic (LEA) assessed by ankle-brachial index) and arteriosclerosis (arterial stiffness (AS) assessed by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity) were measured using standard methods. In the univariable logistic regression model, higher MHR was significantly associated with increased AS, CP, and LEA risk. In the multivariable logistic regression model, after adjustment for age, sex, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, body mass index, smoking habit, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and family history of premature CVD, quartile 4 (Q4) of MHR was associated with an increased risk of AS (odds ratio (OR) = 1.41; 95% confidence interval (CI):1.05–1.88; P fortrend = 0.036), CP (OR = 1.35; 95%CI:1.04–1.77; P for trend = 0.044), and LEA (OR = 2.23; 95%CI:1.49–3.35; P for trend< 0.001). Similar results were observed when MHR was analyzed as a continuous variable. The restricted cubic spline (RCS) curve showed that the association between MHR and AS was nonlinear (P nonlinear = 0.021), but not LEA (P nonlinear = 0.177) or CP (P nonlinear = 0.72). ConclusionMHR presents a linear association with atherosclerosis and a nonlinear association with arteriosclerosis in the elderly Chinese population. These findings may indicate the need for early assessment and intervention for inflammation.The registration number for clinical trials: NCT02368938.

Elevated Lipoprotein(a) prevalence and association with family history of premature cardiovascular disease in general population with moderate cardiovascular risk and increased LDL cholesterol.

BackgroundElevated Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is independently associated with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. There are discrepancies regarding its epidemiology due to great variability in different populations. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of elevated Lp(a) in people with moderate CVD risk and increased LDL-c and to determine the association between family history of premature CVD and elevated Lp(a).MethodsRandom subjects from the CESCAS population-based study of people with moderate CVD risk (Framingham score 10–20 %) and LDL-c ≥ 130 mg/dL, were selected to evaluate Lp(a) by immunoturbidimetry independent of the Isoforms variability. The association between family history of premature CVD and elevated Lp(a) was evaluated using multivariate logistic regression models. Elevated Lp(a) was defined as Lp(a) ​​≥ 125 nmol/L.ResultsLp(a) was evaluated in 484 samples; men = 39.5 %, median age = 57 years (Q1-Q3: 50–63), mean CVD risk = 14.4 % (SE: 0.2), family history of premature CVD = 11.2 %, Lp(a) median of 21 nmol/L (Q1-Q3: 9–42 nmol/L), high Lp(a) = 6.1 % (95 % CI = 3.8–9.6). Association between family history of premature CVD and elevated Lp(a) in total population: OR 1.31 (95 % CI = 0.4, 4.2) p = 0.642; in subgroup of people with LDL-c ≥ 160 mg%, OR 4.24 (95 % CI = 1.2, 15.1) p = 0.026.ConclusionsIn general population with moderate CVD risk and elevated LDL-c from the Southern Cone of Latin America, less than one over ten people had elevated Lp(a). Family history of premature CVD was significantly associated with the presence of elevated Lp(a) in people with LDL-c ≥ 160 mg/dL.

Cardiovascular health status in Chinese Cardiologists: China Cardiologist Heart Survey II

Background and purpose: Cardiologists represent a subset of the population with the highest degree of awareness to cardiovascular diseases (CVD), and thus should have low exposure to modifiable risks and low CVD prevalence. However, the status of cardiovascular health in Chinese cardiologists remains unknown. Methods: China Cardiologist Heart Survey II is a nation-wide cross-sectional survey on licensed cardiologists in Chinese mainland. It was conducted between August 2020 and November 2021. An online questionnaire was used to acquire demographic and lifestyle information, cardiovascular risk factors, CVD status, and medications. Crude prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, organ damage, and CVD were calculated and compared between sexes and between sub-specialties. Age-weighted prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors were compared to that in the general Chinese population in the literature. Results: The final analysis included a total of 15,827 cardiologists at the age of 25 to 60 years from 31 provinces. The median age was 38 years and 8650 (54.7%) were men. The most common cardiovascular risk factor was family history of premature CVD (20.4%), followed by hypertension (12.4%), hyperlipidemia (10.6%), overweight/obesity (8.3%), smoking (7.3%), and diabetes (2.4%). The most common sub-clinical organ damages included carotid plaque (3.4%) and microalbuminuria (1.2%). The rate of confirmed coronary artery disease was 0.4%. The rate of arrhythmia was 3.1%. The rate of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome was 2.2%. The rate of cardiovascular risk factors and organ damage was higher in men versus in women, and higher in interventional versus non-interventional cardiologists. In comparison to the data reported for the general population in China, cardiologists had lower age-weighted prevalence of hypertension (15.2% vs. 23.2%), diabetes (3.1% vs. 10.9%), hyperlipidemia (12.3% vs. 40.4%), obesity (2.1% vs. 11.9%), and smoking (7.7% vs. 27.7%). Conclusions: In comparison to the general public, cardiologists in Chinese mainland had much lower age-weighted prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, but there is substantial room for further improvement, particularly in male and interventional cardiologists.

BLOOD PRESSURE AND OTHER CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PATIENTS WITH MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION UNDER 50 YEARS OF AGE

Arterial hypertension is the main risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases throughout the world. The prevalence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is increasing in young adults, especially men. Previous studies have identified that risk factors for AMI included tobacco use, obesity, arterial hypertension, and diabetes may be crucial to young individuals. Compared to the elderly, the risk factors are not well studied among the young patients with AMI.We enrolled to our study 41 patients younger than 50 years (thirty-six men) admitted to the Department of Internal I - Cardiology, University Hospital Olomouc, with first episode AMI. We collected detailed information regarding family history of premature CVD (MI/ischaemic stroke in men aged < 55 and in women aged < 65 years, body mass index (BMI), smoking, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus (DM). Hypertension was defined, according to ESH/ESC (European Society of Hypertension, European Society of Cardiology) guidelines, based on repeated blood pressure measurements, medical history and ongoing blood-pressure-lowering treatment.Among 41 young patients with AMI (average 46 ± 3,4 years old), 15 patients (36,6%) had a known diagnosis of arterial hypertension prior to admisison. Mean level of systolic blood at admission were 128,6 ± 18,22 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure 81,35 ± 12,49 mmHg, mean heart rate was 76,32 ± 13,11 bpm. Uncontrolled arterial hypertension was diagnosed at admision in 6 patients, newly diagnosed hypertension in 4 patients. In our group, we diagnosed ST-elevation MI (STEMI) in 54 % of patients, NSTEMI in 46%. Mean level of TRPI was 24051,43 ± 32860,98 ng/l, NTproBNP was 731,1 ± 1019,92 pg/ml. Mean LDL-cholesterol was 3,26 ± 0,83 mmol/l. We newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus in 2 patients, mean HbA1c was 38,42 ± 9,43 (mmol/mol).In our group of young patients with myocardial infarction was prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension 17%. Compared to a group of healthy patients (data from literature), we found out a higher prevalence of arterial hypertension in our group.

Prognostic significance of positive family history in outcomes after coronary artery bypass grafting: Do we need to update our assumptions?

BackgroundRecent research suggests a protective role for positive family history of premature cardiovascular disease (FHpCVD) in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. We aimed to further investigate this unlikely association.MethodsIn this registry-based cohort study, patients who underwent first-time non-emergent coronary bypass surgery at Tehran Heart Center between 2007 and 2016 were included. Patients with and without FHpCVD were compared in terms of all-cause mortality and first non-fatal cardiovascular events (CVEs) comprising non-fatal acute coronary syndrome, non-fatal stroke or transient ischemic attack, and repeat coronary revascularization.ResultsA total of 13,156 patients were included (mean age 60.83 ± 9.57, 74.5% male), among which 2684 (20.4%) patients had FHpCVD. Median follow-up was 77.7 months. FHpCVD was weakly associated with reduced all-cause mortality using inverse probability weight (IPW) method (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.853; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.730–0.997; P = 0.046), and not associated with non-fatal CVEs considering death as the competing event (sub-distribution HR [SHR] = 1.124; 95% CI 0.999–1.265; P = 0.053). Within a subgroup of patients without previous myocardial infarction or revascularization (7403 cases; 56.3%), FHpCVD was associated with lower mortality (HR = 0.700; 95% CI 0.548–0.894; P = 0.004) and higher non-fatal CVEs (SHR = 1.197; 95% CI 1.019–1.405; P = 0.028), whereas among patients with previous coronary events, there was no association between FHpCVD and outcomes.ConclusionsFHpCVD was associated with lower all-cause mortality but higher non-fatal CVEs, especially in those without prior coronary events. Such discordance calls for caution in assuming a protective role for FHpCVD. The prognostic significance of FHpCVD needs further evaluation among surgical patients.

INTERACTION OF TOBACCO ABUSE WITH OTHER CONVENTIONAL RISK FACTORS OF CARDIOVASCULAR RISK - SYNERGISTIC IMPACT OR AN INDEPENDENT MENACE?

Objectives: To determine the prevalence, patterns and behavioural attributes of tobacco abuse in patients of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Furthermore, to assess the interaction of tobacco abuse with other conventional risk factors of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Methodology: This observational study included 230 consecutive patients with ACS. Data was collected regarding total duration and extent of tobacco consumption, “tobacco addiction” and various behavioural patterns related to it. Risk factors profile was acquired for hypertension, diabetes, obesity, family history of premature CVD and dyslipidemia. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for these risk factors were calculated for tobacco abusers compared to non-abusers. Results: Among the study population, 63(27.4%) were active tobacco users. Urban residents had lesser odds of being tobacco abusers compared to non-urban residents (0.49, [0.27 – 0.89]). Tobacco abusers had a lower prevalence of hypertension compared to non-abusers (0.44 [0.24 – 0.81]). A similar trend was observed for diabetes, obesity and dyslipidemia, however, the differences could not reach significance thresholds. Cigarette smoking was the commonest mode of tobacco consumption (90.5%). “Tobacco addiction” could be attributed to 84.1% of abusers. Most (82.5%) were willing to give up tobacco abuse and 63.3% had already made attempts at quitting. Conclusion: About one-third of ACS patients were tobacco abusers with the majority being tobacco addicts. Tobacco abuse was observed to be independently implicated as a risk factor in ACS patients. Furthermore, tobacco abuse was inversely related to hypertension translating into a sub-multiplicative / additive impact of hypertension as a risk factor.

Systemic biomarkers for the preclinical diagnosis of dementia

Abstract Background As a consequence of aging and the age-related cardiovascular risk, both of them closely associated to neurodegenerative diseases, dementia has become one of the major public health concerns for governments and the scientific and medical communities. Up to date, there isn't any front-line screening tool implemented at a population level. In this regard, we aim to assess the association of several systemic biomarkers related to neuroinflammation [lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), complement component 3, C-reactive protein, alpha-1-antitrypsin, alpha-2-macroglobulin (α2M) and pancreatic prohormone], lipid metabolism [apolipoprotein E, 24S-hydroxycholesterol], and neuronal integrity [tau protein], with dementia risk in an adult-elderly population at high cardiovascular risk. Methods We designed a case-cohort study nested in the PREDIMED cohort (110 incident cases of dementia, 251 non-cases). Participants were at high risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD), but had no clinical CVD neither dementia at the time of enrolment. Inclusion criteria were an age of 55-80 years old and the presence of diabetes type 2 or at least 3 cardiovascular risk factors (smoking, overweight or obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and family history of premature CVD). We used Cox proportional hazard models to estimate hazard ratios (HR) of the association between these nine plasma biomarkers and dementia risk adjusted for several covariates. Results Dementia cases were older, presented higher levels of fasting glucose and were more likely to have type 2 diabetes. The prevalence of dyslipidemia and smoking in patients with dementia was lower. Dementia cases had higher levels of LDH and α2M. Higher LDH levels were associated with a higher risk of developing dementia after adjustment (HR = 1.19). Conclusions Higher LDH plasma levels are associated with a higher risk of dementia incidence in population at high cardiovascular risk. Key messages Higher levels of LDH are associated with higher risk of dementia incidence among adult-elderly individuals with a high cardiovascular risk profile. The early detection of this biomarker could enable an early intervention and to delay, or perhaps even prevent, the onset of clinical symptoms.

Misuse of Aspirin and Associated Factors for the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease.

Background: The value of aspirin for primary prevention continues to be debated. Data showing whether aspirin use for primary prevention adheres to established guidelines in real world practice are sparse.Methods: A total of 13,104 patients without cardiovascular diseases (CVD) were selected from the DYS-lipidemia International Study of China, a national survey of patients with dyslipidemia in 2012. The CVD risk of the participants were calculated using the 10-year risk of Ischemic Cardiovascular Diseases model. The misuse of aspirin for primary prevention was defined as having CVD risk <10% with daily aspirin. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to explore risk factors associated with aspirin misuse.Results: The proportion of the patients categorized as low, moderate and high risk for CVD were 52.9, 21.6, and 25.4% respectively. The misuse frequency of aspirin was 31.0% (2,147/6,933) in patients with low risk. The misuse of aspirin increased with aging for both men and women. In the multivariate analysis, the independent risk factors associated with aspirin misuse were hypertension, diabetes mellitus, a family history of premature CVD, and elderly age. Level of total cholesterol is negatively associated with aspirin misuse. Patients from low level hospitals are more likely to be taking aspirin inappropriately. Results remained consistent after including 2,837 patients having 10-year risk for CVD between 10 and <20%.Conclusion: The misuse of aspirin for primary prevention is common in patients having CVD risk <10%. There are important opportunities to improve evidence-based aspirin use for the primary prevention of CVD in Chinese patients.Clinical Trial Registration:https://clinicaltrials.gov/, identifier [NCT01732952].

Lipoprotein (a) in stratifying risk of cardiovascular disease in a multi-ethnic cohort

Background and Aims: Lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)], is a genetically pre-determined lipoprotein, unaltered by environmental factors and can vary between ethnic groups. It is a recognised risk factor of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The EAS recommends testing Lp(a) at least once in patients with hyperlipidaemia or a family history of premature CVD. We studied the Lp(a) concentrations in a multi-ethic cohort from our clinic according to their sex, lipid profile and Carotid Doppler scan.

Lipoprotein (a): When to Measure and How to Treat?

The purpose of this article is to review current evidence for lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)) as a risk factor for multiple cardiovascular (CV) disease phenotypes, provide a rationale for Lp(a) lowering to reduce CV risk, identify therapies that lower Lp(a) levels that are available clinically and under investigation, and discuss future directions. Mendelian randomization and epidemiological studies have shown that elevated Lp(a) is an independent and causal risk factor for atherosclerosis and major CV events. Lp(a) is also associated with non-atherosclerotic endpoints such as venous thromboembolism and calcific aortic valve disease. It contributes to residual CV risk in patients receiving standard-of-care LDL-lowering therapy. Plasma Lp(a) levels present a skewed distribution towards higher values and vary widely between individuals and according to ethnic background due to genetic variants in the LPA gene, but remain relatively constant throughout a person's life. Thus, elevated Lp(a) (≥50 mg/dL) is a prevalent condition affecting >20% of the population but is still underdiagnosed. Treatment guidelines have begun to advocate measurement of Lp(a) to identify patients with very high levels that have a family history of premature CVD or elevated Lp(a). Lipoprotein apheresis (LA) efficiently lowers Lp(a) and was recently associated with a reduction of incident CV events. Statins have neutral or detrimental effects on Lp(a), while PCSK9 inhibitors significantly reduce its level by up to 30%. Specific lowering of Lp(a) with antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) shows good safety and strong efficacy with up to 90% reductions. The ongoing CV outcomes study Lp(a)HORIZON will provide a first answer as to whether selective Lp(a) lowering with ASO reduces the risk of major CV events. Given the recently established association between Lp(a) level and CV risk, guidelines now recommend Lp(a) measurement in specific clinical conditions. Accordingly, Lp(a) is a current target for drug development to reduce CV risk in patients with elevated levels, and lowering Lp(a) with ASO represents a promising avenue.

Prediction of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis in patients with high and very high cardiovascular risk

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background Coronary atherosclerosis has a long subclinical period. It’s early detection may offer a possibility of timely initiation of preventive interventions Purpose To develop a diagnostic rule for detection of patients (pts) with high probability of subclinical atherosclerosis among those with high or very high cardiovascular (CV) risk. Methods This cross-sectional study enrolled 52 pts (32 men [62%]), aged 40 to 65 years [mean age 54.6 ± 8.0]) with high or very high CV risk (5-9 and ≥10% by The Systematic Coronary Risk Estimation Scale [SCORE], respectively). All participants underwent cardiac computed tomography (CT) angiography and calcium scoring. Traditional risk factors (RFs) (family history of premature CVD, smoking, overweight/obesity and abdominal obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, lipids parameters (total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides) and lipids-related markers (apolipoprotein A1, apolipoprotein B, ApoB/ApoA1 ratio), biomarkers of inflammation (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [hs CRP], fibrinogen), indicator carbohydrate metabolism (glucose),  ankle-brachial index,  stress-test, carotid plaques according to ultrasound were evaluated in all pts. Psychological RFs were evaluated using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and DS-14 for type D personality. Results All pts were divided into 2 groups according to the CT angiography results: pts in the main group (n = 21) had any non-obstructive lesions or calcium score &amp;gt;0, pts in the control group (n = 31) had intact coronary arteries. The groups did not differ in age or gender. 26 multiple linear logistic models for any subclinical atherosclerosis were developed based on obtained diagnostic features. Taking into account R-square = 0.344 (p = 0.0008), the best fitting model was follows:  subclinical coronary atherosclerosis= -1.576 + 0.234 x SCORE ≥5%  + 0.541 x hs CRP &amp;gt;2 g/l + 0.015 x heart rate  (bpm) + 0.311 family history of premature CVD.  The developed algorithm had sensitivity of 63% and  specificity of 80%. Conclusions The created diagnostic model diagnostic model suggests the presence of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis in patients with high / very high CV risk with a high degree of probability. This easy-to-use method can be used in routine clinical practice to improve risk stratification and management choices in high-risk pts.

The risk and added values of the atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk enhancers on prediction of cardiovascular events: Tehran lipid and glucose study

BackgroundIn 2013 American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association released a guideline on the management of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) including a composite of death from CVD, non-fatal myocardial infarction, or non-fatal stroke (hard CVD). This guideline recommended a risk score that was calculated using pooled cohort equations (ASCVD-PCE). The guideline was updated in 2018/2019 and further risk discussion was suggested for deciding whether to continue or initiate statin therapy among non-diabetic individuals with ASCVD-PCE score ranged 5–20%. They recommended a risk discussion with considering risk enhancing factors (ASCVD-REFs) including family history of premature CVD, chronic kidney disease, triglycerides ≥ 175 mg/dl, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) ≥ 160 mg/dl, metabolic syndrome (Mets), and for women premature menopause, and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). In the current study, we aimed to examine the predictability of recommended ASCVD-REFs on incident hard CVD in non-diabetic individuals with LDL-C 70-189 mg/dl, with ASCVD-PCE risk 5–20% during 10 and 15-year follow-up.MethodsAmong a total of 3546 non-diabetic individuals aged 40-75 years, after excluding those with ASCVD-PCE score < 5% and ≥ 20% (n = 2342), 1204 individuals (women = 332) were included. The univariable and multivariable (further adjusted for ASCVD-PCE) Cox regression analysis were used to evaluate the association of each potential ASCVD-REFs with hard CVD. Additionnaly, the role of different components of Mets and a history of gestational diabetes (GDM)/macrosomia was also examined. The predictive ability of each significant ASCVD-REFs, then was evaluated by the discrimination accuracy and risk reclassification index.ResultsDuring the 10-year follow-up, 73 hard CVD events occurred. Although in univariable analysis, high blood pressure (BP) component of Mets, GDM/macrosomia, and HDP remained as significant ASCVD-REFs, in the multivariable analysis, only the history of HDP (5.35 (1.22–23.38)) and GDM/macrosomia (3.18 (1.05–9.65)) showed independent risks. During the 15-year follow-up, Mets (1.47 (1.05–2.06)) and its components of high waist circumference (1.40 (1.0–1.95)) and high BP (1.52 (1.07–2.15)) significantly increased the risk. These ASCVD-REFs did not improve discrimination or predictive ability.ConclusionsIn a decade follow-up, only conditions specific for women and in longer follow-up, the presence of Mets perse, and its components of high WC and high BP were shown as significant ASCVD-REFs.