High Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease Research Articles

Elevated FIB-4 Is Associated with Higher Rates of Cardiovascular Disease and Extrahepatic Cancer History in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is often complicated by steatotic liver disease, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and extrahepatic cancer. We investigated whether FIB-4, an indicator of liver fibrosis, is associated with a higher risk of CVD and extrahepatic cancer history in T2DM. Two hundred and nine of 244 diabetics admitted to our center in one year were included and retrospectively evaluated. One hundred and fifty-two (72.7%) were males and 57 (27.3%) females. The mean age and FIB-4 were 64.3 ± 11 years, and 1.15 ± 0.5, respectively. One hundred and fifty patients (71.8%) had FIB-4 ≤ 1.3, and 59 (28.2%) had FIB-4 > 1.3. A history of CVD was presented in 76 (36.4%) patients, and of extrahepatic cancer in 39 (18.7%). Patients with CVD were significantly older than those without (68.4 ± 8.5 vs. 63.2 ± 11.5 years; p = 0.002), with significantly higher FIB-4 (1.26 ± 0.5 vs. 1.08 ± 0.5; p = 0.012). Patients with cancer were older, with higher FIB-4 compared to those without (68.2 ± 9.5 vs. 64.4 ± 10.9 years; p = 0.098 and 1.37 ± 0.6 vs. 1.1 ± 0.5; p = 0.004, respectively). FIB-4 > 1.3 was associated with a 2.1-fold probability for CVD (χ2 = 5.810; p = 0.025) and 2.7-fold probability for cancer history (χ2 = 7.603; p = 0.01). FIB-4 ≥ 1.3 is associated with a higher probability of CVD or extrahepatic cancer history. FIB-4 could potentially discriminate patients at risk, justifying stricter surveillance.

Discordance Between Very Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Increases Cardiovascular Disease Risk in a Geographically Defined Cohort.

Clinical risk scores are used to identify those at high risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Despite preventative efforts, residual risk remains for many individuals. Very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) and lipid discordance could be contributors to the residual risk of ASCVD. Cardiovascular disease-free residents, aged ≥40 years, living in Olmsted County, Minnesota, were identified through the Rochester Epidemiology Project. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and VLDL-C were estimated from clinically ordered lipid panels using the Sampson equation. Participants were categorized into concordant and discordant lipid pairings based on clinical cut points. Rates of incident ASCVD, including percutaneous coronary intervention, coronary artery bypass grafting, stroke, or myocardial infarction, were calculated during follow-up. The association of LDL-C and VLDL-C with ASCVD was assessed using Cox proportional hazards regression. Interaction between LDL-C and VLDL-C was assessed. The study population (n=39 098) was primarily White race (94%) and female sex (57%), with a mean age of 54 years. VLDL-C (per 10-mg/dL increase) was significantly associated with an increased risk of incident ASCVD (hazard ratio, 1.07 [95% CI, 1.05-1.09]; P<0.001]) after adjustment for traditional risk factors. The interaction between LDL-C and VLDL-C was not statistically significant (P=0.11). Discordant individuals with high VLDL-C and low LDL-C experienced the highest rate of incident ASCVD events, 16.9 per 1000 person-years, during follow-up. VLDL-C and lipid discordance are associated with a greater risk of ASCVD and can be estimated from clinically ordered lipid panels to improve ASCVD risk assessment.

Unexpectedly high cardiovascular disease risk in extreme poverty.

Unexpectedly high cardiovascular disease risk in extreme poverty.

Breastfeeding duration is associated with favorable body composition and lower glycoprotein acetyls in later life.

The aim of the present study was to investigate associations between lifetime breastfeeding behaviors and cardiovascular risk in later reproductive years. This was a prospective 10-year longitudinal cohort study of 168 parous women. Health, lifestyle and infant feeding questionnaires, blood samples, anthropometry and body composition were collected. Cardiovascular risk was estimated using QRISK®3 and hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis performed. Mean age was 42.4 years (SD 3.8; range 31-50) and 98.7% (n = 156/158) were premenopausal. Ever breastfeeding rates were 72.6% (n = 122/168) and 37.5% (n = 63/168) lifetime ≥12 months breastfeeding duration. Median durations were 5.5 weeks for exclusive breastfeeding (IQR 35.8; range 0-190) and 30.5 weeks for any breastfeeding (IQR 84.0; range 0-488). Breastfeeding duration was not associated with QRISK®3 scores in adjusted models. Lower glycoprotein acetyls were associated with ever breastfeeding (P = 0.03), and lifetime breastfeeding ≥12 months (P = 0.001). Lifetime breastfeeding ≥12 months and longer exclusive breastfeeding were associated with lower fat mass index (P = 0.03, P = 0.01), tissue percentage fat (P = 0.02, P = 0.009) and visceral adipose tissue volume (P = 0.04, P = 0.025) after correcting for confounders including body mass index. Longer breastfeeding is associated with favorable body composition and lower glycoprotein acetyls, a novel inflammatory biomarker associated with cardiometabolic risk. Breastfeeding is a low-cost, health promoting behavior for women and infants. Pregnant women, especially those at higher risk of cardiovascular disease, should be counseled about the potential benefits of exclusive and longer breastfeeding duration.

Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors and Major Adverse Cardiovascular Outcomes: A SMART-C Collaborative Meta-Analysis.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) consistently improve heart failure and kidney-related outcomes; however, effects on major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) across different patient populations are less clear. This was a collaborative trial-level meta-analysis from the SGLT2i Meta-analysis Cardio-Renal Trialists Consortium, which includes all phase 3, placebo-controlled, outcomes trials of SGLT2i across 3 patient populations (patients with diabetes at high risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, heart failure [HF], or chronic kidney disease). The outcomes of interest were MACE (composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction , or stroke), individual components of MACE (inclusive of fatal and nonfatal events), all-cause mortality, and death subtypes. Effect estimates for SGLT2i versus placebo were meta-analyzed across trials and examined across key subgroups (established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, previous myocardial infarction, diabetes, previous HF, albuminuria, chronic kidney disease stages, and risk groups). A total of 78 607 patients across 11 trials were included: 42 568 (54.2%), 20 725 (26.4%), and 15 314 (19.5%) were included from trials of patients with diabetes at high risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, HF, or chronic kidney disease, respectively. SGLT2i reduced the rate of MACE by 9% (hazard ration [HR], 0.91 [95% CI, 0.87-0.96], P<0.0001) with a consistent effect across all 3 patient populations (I2=0%) and across all key subgroups. This effect was primarily driven by a reduction in cardiovascular death (HR, 0.86 [95% CI, 0.81-0.92], P<0.0001), with no significant effect for myocardial infarction in the overall population (HR, 0.95 [95% CI, 0.87-1.04], P=0.29), and no effect on stroke (HR, 0.99 [95% CI, 0.91-1.07], P=0.77). The benefit for cardiovascular death was driven primarily by reductions in HF death and sudden cardiac death (HR, 0.68 [95% CI, 0.46-1.02] and HR, 0.86 [95% CI, 0.78-0.95], respectively) and was generally consistent across subgroups, with the possible exception of being more apparent in those with albuminuria (Pinteraction=0.02). SGLT2i reduce the risk of MACE across a broad range of patients irrespective of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, diabetes, kidney function, or other major clinical characteristics at baseline. This effect is driven primarily by a reduction of cardiovascular death, particularly HF death and sudden cardiac death, without a significant effect on myocardial infarction in the overall population, and no effect on stroke. These data may help inform selection for SGLT2i therapies across the spectrum of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic disease.

Impact of 12-SNP and 6-SNP Polygenic Scores on Predisposition to High LDL-Cholesterol Levels in Patients with Familial Hypercholesterolemia.

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) comprises high LDL-cholesterol (LDL-c) levels and high cardiovascular disease risk. In the absence of pathogenic variants in causative genes, a polygenic basis was hypothesized. In a population of 418 patients (excluding homozygotes) with clinical suspicion of FH, the FH-causative genes and the regions of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) included in 12-SNP and 6-SNP scores were sequenced by next-generation sequencing, allowing for the detection of pathogenic variants (V+) in 220 patients. To make a comparison, only patients without uncertain significance variants (V-/USV-) were considered (n = 162). Higher values of both scores were observed in V+ than in V-. Considering a cut-off leading to 80% of V-/USV- as score-positive, a lower prevalence of patients positive for both 12-SNP and 6-SNP scores was observed in V+ (p = 0.010 and 0.033, respectively). Mainly for the 12-SNP score, among V+ patients, higher LDL-c levels were observed in score-positive (223 mg/dL -IQR 187-279) than in negative patients (212 mg/dL -IQR 162-240; p = 0.006). Multivariate analysis confirmed the association of scores and LDL-c levels independently of age, sex, and presence of pathogenic variants and revealed a greater association in children. The 12-SNP and 6-SNP polygenic scores could explain hypercholesterolemia in patients without pathogenic variants as well as the variability of LDL-c levels among patients with FH-causative variants.

Women and familial hypercholesterolemia

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death worldwide. One of the risk factors of CVDs is dyslipidemia, defined as the imbalance of lipids in the blood. Early diagnosis and treatment of the disease is important. However, there appears to be a gender disparity, with women less likely to be diagnosed and start lipid-lowering therapy. In addition, it is difficult for them to continue treatment without interruptions, such as for reasons of childbearing, and as a result they do not achieve the target Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL) levels. Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH) is thought to occur in 1 in 500 people in most ethnicities in the world. However, in most cases, these figures are derived from limited numbers of data from selected populations or specific subgroups in the general population and therefore may lack the precision of more modern estimates. About 1 in 200 people have familial hypercholesterolemia, but the vast majority are undiagnosed. Women with untreated FH are at very high risk for early-onset atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. In untreated women with FH, 30% will develop Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD) by age 60. The onset of ASCVD occurs 20 years earlier in life for women with FH than for women without FH. Regarding women with FH during menopause, they had similar LDL values to premenopausal women and higher levels compared to men in the same age group. Postmenopausal women with FH may suffer the consequences of high LDL either from delayed diagnosis or because of interruptions in management they may have experienced during childbearing. The last 2 decades have seen the development of new therapies to lower LDL-cholesterol levels and delay premature atherosclerosis, especially in combination with lifestyle modifications. Management of patients with familial hypercholesterolemia requires a multiprofessional approach, including primary care providers, cardiologists, endocrinologists, dietitians, pharmacists, and nurses, to improve outcomes. Treatment strategies should be discussed extensively at diagnosis. Close follow-up to monitor treatment response and development of side effects from lipid-lowering agents is essential to optimize care. The representation of women in studies concerning the diagnosis and treatment of familial hypercholesterolemia must be improved, so that there is a more effective treatment of this disease.

Use of risk chart algorithms for the identification of psoriatic arthritis patients at high risk for cardiovascular disease: findings derived from the project CARMA cohort after a 7.5-year follow-up period

ObjectiveTo assess the predictive value of four cardiovascular (CV) risk algorithms for identifying high-risk psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients.MethodsEvaluation of patients with PsA enrolled in the Spanish prospective project CARdiovascular in...

IJCM_170A: Exploring 10-year cardiovascular risk assessment through the utilization of the Framingham Risk Score(FRS): A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a major global health concern, causing significant morbidity and mortality. A joint report by the Harvard School of Public Health and World Economic Forum highlights a substantial economic burden of $47 trillion due to CVD from 2010-2030. Predictions suggest 23.6 million deaths from CVD by 2030. Identifying individuals at CVD risk is crucial for prevention. The Framingham Risk Score (FRS) is a key tool for estimating 10-year CVD risk. Objective: To estimate the ten-year risk of developing cardiovascular disease using Framingham heart risk assessment score. Methodology: In the period from January to July 2023, a cross-sectional study spanning six months was conducted at the Community Medicine OPD of LLRM Medical College, Meerut. Adult residents were interviewed, and data, comprising anthropometric measurements and blood investigations (fasting blood sugar and lipid profile), were gathered using a pretested semi-structured questionnaire. The Framingham Risk Score, a gender-specific algorithm, was employed to assess the 10-year cardiovascular risk for each individual. Results: Among 298 participants, 13.3% had an intermediate risk, and 4.2% had a high risk of cardiovascular disease in the next 10 years. Higher prevalence of intermediate and high risk was observed in males. Urban adults exhibited prevalent cardiovascular risk factors, projecting a 2.8% high-risk prediction. Conclusion: In this study, males exhibited a higher prevalence of intermediate and high risk than females. The projected high-risk prediction for CVD in the next 10 years among participants was 2.8%.

Association between metabolic phenotypes of overweight/obesity and cardiovascular diseases in postmenopausal women

Background and aimObesity and metabolic abnormalities were associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. However, it is unclear how metabolic weight phenotypes relate to cardiovascular diseases in postmenopausal women. This study aimed to explore the relationships in postmenopausal women. Methods and resultsWe included 15,575 postmenopausal women aged 35–75 years (median age, 60.6) without cardiovascular disease at baseline from a subcohort of the China Patient-centered Evaluative Assessment of Cardiac Events Million Persons Project. Metabolically unhealthy phenotype was defined as having ≥2 risk factors of metabolic syndrome: blood pressure ≥130/85 mm Hg or current use of antihypertensive drugs, fasting glucose ≥5.6 mmol/L or current use of antidiabetic agents, triglycerides ≥1.7 mmol/L, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol <1.3 mmol/L. Cox regression analysis was used to evaluate the risks of cardiovascular diseases. Over a median follow-up period of 3.55 (interquartile range, 2.59–4.44) years, a total of 1354 cardiovascular events occurred. Compared to metabolically healthy normal weight, the multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios and their 95% confidence intervals were 1.41 (1.16–1.72) for metabolically unhealthy normal weight, 1.42 (1.16–1.73) for metabolically healthy overweight/obesity, and 1.75 (1.48–2.08) for metabolically unhealthy overweight/obesity. Subdividing overweight/obesity into separate groups revealed higher total cardiovascular disease risk only in metabolically unhealthy individuals across body mass index categories. ConclusionIn postmenopausal women, both metabolically healthy overweight/obesity and metabolically unhealthy normal weight were associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease compared to metabolically healthy normal weight, and the greatest risk was observed in the metabolically unhealthy overweight/obesity category.

The 10-year cardiovascular risk of physicians estimated by the Thai CV risk score and its association with current coronary artery disease: A retrospective study.

To assess the 10-year cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among Thai physicians. The risk compared to the general population and their relationship with the current coronary artery disease (CAD) were also examined. This retrospective study collected data of Thai physicians who underwent cardiovascular assessments between February 14, 2022, and October 31, 2022. The CVD risk was calculated using the Thai CVD risk (TCVR) score, which incorporated variables of age, gender, smoking, diabetes mellitus, blood pressure, and total cholesterol. Additional collected data included family history of CAD, weekly work hours, fiber diet, exercise, body mass index, coronary artery calcium (CAC) score, and presence of CAD. The association between the risk levels with presence of CAD and clinical features including CAC score were analyzed. Of 1225 physicians, the risk for CVD development was categorized as low in 80.0%, moderate in 11.2%, high in 4.9%, and very high in 3.9%. Among these, 33.6% were found to have higher relative risk compared to the general population of the same age and gender. The overall prevalence of CAD was 11.2%. This prevalence was escalated by risk or relative risk groups: 4.9% in low-, 33.8% in moderate-, 35.1% in high-, and 46.8% in very high-risk groups or 7.2% in lower risk, 8.0% the same risk, and 18.4% higher relative risk groups. Approximately, 20% of Thai physicians in the study exhibited a moderate to very high 10-year risk of CVD. Furthermore, 33.6% of the physicians had higher risk than individuals of the same age and gender in the general population. The prevalence of CAD increased with higher CVD risk and higher relative risk.

Body surface area is positively associated with ankle-brachial index.

Ankle-brachial index (ABI) measurement is a widely used diagnostic test for lower extremity artery disease. Previously, a larger body surface area (BSA) has been associated with lower blood pressure and lower 2-h post-load glucose concentrations in the oral glucose tolerance test. Our aim was to evaluate whether BSA has an impact on ABI and the prevalence of lower ABI values. ABI measurements were performed on 972 subjects aged 45 to 70 years at high cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Subjects with previously diagnosed kidney disease, CVD, and diabetes were excluded. Their BSA was calculated by the Mosteller formula. Study subjects were divided into five BSA levels corresponding to 12.5th, 25th, 25th, 25th, and 12.5th percentiles of the total distribution. Effect modification by BSA in ABI between sexes was derived from a four-knot restricted cubic splines regression model. After adjustments for age, sex, pulse pressure, glucose regulation, waist circumference, alcohol intake, smoking status, leisure-time physical activity and medication, BSA level had a positive linear relationship with ABI (p for linearity <0.001). When BSA was less than 2.0 m2, there was no difference between the sexes, but when BSA was higher than 2.0 m2, men had higher ABI. BSA shows a positive linear relationship with ABI in CVD risk subjects without manifested CVD. The difference in ABI between men and women is modified by BSA and is appreciable when BSA is larger than 2.0 m2.

Linking elevated HbA1c with atherogenic lipid profile among high risk cardiovascular patients at Qassim, Saudi Arabia.

The relationship between glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and an atherogenic lipid profile which is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease is of interest. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 83 participants aged between 14 and 77 years. Their venous blood was drawn to determine the HbA1c and fasting lipid profile including total cholesterol triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) non-HDL cholesterol and the LDL/HDL ratio were also calculated. The correlations between HbA1c levels and these lipid profile parameters were analyzed. The study showed a significant correlation between HbA1c and LDL-C non-HDL-C and the LDL/HDL ratio. Although there was no significant difference in total cholesterol levels among all groups the levels of total cholesterol and HbA1c were positively correlated. HDL-C exhibited direct correlations with HbA1c there was no correlation between HbA1c and clinical characteristics except for age. Data shows that HbA1c can be used as a predictor of dyslipidemia in diabetic patients there is a significant correlation between HbA1c and an atherogenic lipid profile which highlights the importance of glycemic control in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Clinical Characteristics and Treatment Efficacy for Co-Morbid Insomnia and Sleep Apnea (COMISA): Evidence from Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis

ABSTRACT Objectives A multitude of physical and mental challenges are being faced in the population with Co-morbid Insomnia and Sleep Apnea (COMISA). Unfortunately, research about clinical characteristics and management of COMISA based on quantitative evidence is lacking. Method Standard procedures for literature retrieval, selection and quality assessment, data extraction, analysis, and interpretation were conducted step by step. For studying the sleep characteristics, common complications and widely recognized treatment options for COMISA, Weighted Mean Difference (WMD) and Odds Ratio (OR) were applied to assess the mean and risk differences between compared groups. Outcomes included sleep health parameters and secondary impairments in physical and mental well-being. Results COMISA showed worse sleep quality than OSA only by PSQI (WMD = 3.38 point) and heavier sleep fragmentation (WMD = 11.46 min) than insomnia only. Besides, COMISA patients showed a higher risk for depression (OR [95%CI] = 5.03[2.31, 10.93]) and PTSD (OR [95%CI] = 3.96[1.85, 8.46]) in comparison with OSA alone. Compared to insomnia alone, COMISA patients suffered from more than two times higher risk of cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and diabetes. In treating COMISA patients, combining CBTI with PAP treatment can enhance the improvement of insomnia severity (ISI, WMD [95%CI] =-3.26[−4.51, −2.00] point) and sleep efficiency (WMD [95%CI] = 6.39[1.97, 10.81] %) compared to PAP alone. Conclusions Impaired sleep domains in COMISA cover sleep quality and sleep structure. Also, COMISA has a higher risk for cardiometabolic diseases and mental disorders. Combining CBTI with PAP can be a recommended treatment to relieve sleep impairments for COMISA.

Accuracy of Maternal Self-Report of Recent Preeclampsia Among Healthy Women.

Background: Preeclampsia history signals a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, but its value as a risk marker relies primarily on self-report. To identify the accuracy of maternal self-reports of recent preeclampsia, we conducted a validation study among women recruited to a web-based trial. Methods: Women with preeclampsia in the past 5 years were recruited to Heart Health 4 Moms. Preeclampsia was self-reported through an online recruitment questionnaire and affirmed via phone screen. Accuracy of maternal self-report was quantified using positive predictive value (PPV) versus medical record evidence of preeclampsia using three definitions: (1) documentation of clinician diagnosis, (2) American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) 2002 diagnostic criteria (gestational hypertension and proteinuria), and (3) ACOG 2013 diagnostic criteria (gestational hypertension and proteinuria or systemic symptoms). Results: Complete medical records were received for 290 women who delivered from 2011 to 2016 and were predominantly non-Hispanic White (81.7%) with a mean age of 31.2 ± 4.8 years. Mean length of recall was 13.6 ± 14.7 months. The majority of women (92.1%) had medical record evidence of preeclampsia using ≥1 of the definitions. Maternal self-report of preeclampsia was validated for 88.3% based on clinician diagnosis, 59.0% with ACOG 2002, and 65.2% with ACOG 2013. Conclusions: In this validation study of U.S. women, the majority accurately self-reported their preeclampsia diagnosis based on medical record review. A higher proportion of self-reports validated by clinician diagnosis than ACOG criteria, suggesting women remember the diagnosis given by their provider and providers may not always follow or document criteria when making a diagnosis.

A High Vitamin C Micronutrient Supplement Is Unable to Attenuate Inflammation in People with Metabolic Syndrome but May Improve Metabolic Health Indices: A Randomised Controlled Trial.

Chronic low-grade inflammation is a characteristic of people with metabolic syndrome and is thought to contribute to the condition progressing to the more severe type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The aim was to carry out a double-blind randomised placebo-controlled trial in people with metabolic syndrome to determine if supplementation with a micronutrient formula containing 1000 mg/d vitamin C could attenuate inflammation in people with metabolic syndrome. We recruited 72 adults aged a median of 52 years with metabolic syndrome, defined as obesity (based on waist circumference or BMI), and at least two of hyperglycaemia, raised triglycerides, lowered HDL cholesterol, hypertension, or taking medications for these conditions. A further inclusion criteria comprised C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations ≥ 3 mg/L, i.e., high risk of CVD. The participants were randomised to daily micronutrient formula (n = 37) or matched placebo control (n = 35) for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was change in CRP concentrations and secondary outcomes included changes in vitamin C concentrations, pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNFα), oxidative stress marker (F2isoprostanes), glycaemic indices (glucose, insulin, HbA1c), lipid markers (triglycerides, LDL and HDL cholesterol), anthropometric parameters (weight, BMI), insulin resistance and insulin sensitivity, and metabolic severity score. The participants had a low median (Q1, Q3) vitamin C status of 29 (15, 41) µmol/L and a high proportion of hypovitaminosis C (38%) and outright deficiency (19%). Following 12 weeks of micronutrient supplementation, at least 70% of the participants reached adequate vitamin C status (≥50 µmol/L), however, there was no change in CRP concentrations relative to the placebo group (Δ-0.3 [95%CI -2.7, 2.1] mg/L, p = 0.8). Similar trends were observed for IL-6, TNFα and F2isoprostanes (p > 0.05). Instead, there were small improvements in BMI, fasting glucose and HbA1c concentrations, insulin sensitivity and metabolic severity score in the micronutrient group relative to placebo (p < 0.05). Overall, 12-week micronutrient supplementation was unable to mitigate systemic inflammation in people with metabolic syndrome but may improve several metabolic health indices.

Evaluation of Serum Triglyceride and TG/HDL-Cholesterol Ratio in Good and Poor Control Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus

Introduction: Patients with type-2 diabetes have an increased prevalence of dyslipidemia, which contributes to their high risk of cardiovascular diseases. The mortality and morbidity are increased if there is poor glycemic control. Diabetic dyslipidemia is characterized by elevated TG levels, decreased HDL-C levels and increased levels of LDL-C. The aim of this study was to evaluate serum triglyceride and TG/HDL-cholesterol ratio in good and poor control type-2 diabetes mellitus. Methodology: The present study was carried out in departments of Biochemistry, Medicine and Endocrinology of Sir Salimullah Medical College and Mitford Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh between the periods of July 2020 to June 2021. By convenient sampling, a total of 50 subjects aged between 30-59 years were enrolled in this study. Study subjects were divided into 2 groups. Group-A included subjects with good glycemic control (n=25) and group-B included subjects with poor glycemic control (n=25). Results: The mean HbA1c level was significantly higher in poor glycemic group than good glycemic group (10.9±12.02% vs. 5.98±0.95%). The mean TG was 173.16±36.9 mg/dl in good glycemic control group and 219.4±70.32 mg/dl in poor glycemic group. There was significant difference in TG/HDL-C ratio in 2 groups. Serum triglyceride and TG/HDL-C ratio had positive correlation with HbA1c but was not significant. Conclusion: Poor glycemic control is associated with dyslipidemia in Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus. Eastern Med Coll J. July 2023; 8 (2): 24-28

Evaluating cardiovascular disease risk stratification using multiple-polygenic risk scores and pooled cohort equations: insights from a 17-year longitudinal Korean cohort study.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of mortality worldwide, caused by a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors. This study aimed to evaluate the combined efficacy of multi-polygenic risk scores and pooled cohort equations (PCE) for predicting future CVD risks in the Korean population. In this longitudinal study, 7,612 individuals from the Ansan and Ansung cohorts were analyzed over a 17-year follow-up period. The participants were genotyped using the Korea Biobank Array, and quality-controlled genetic data were subjected to imputation analysis. The weighted sum of the PRSs (wPRSsum) was calculated using PRS-CS with summary statistics from myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, coronary artery disease, and hypertension genome-wide association studies. The recalibrated PCE was used to assess clinical risk, and the participants were stratified into risk groups based on the wPRSsum and PCE. Associations between these risk scores and incident CVD were evaluated using Cox proportional hazards models and Kaplan-Meier analysis. The wPRSsum approach showed a significant association with incident CVD (HR = 1.15, p = 7.49 × 10-5), and the top 20% high-risk genetic group had an HR of 1.50 (p = 5.04 × 10-4). The recalibrated PCE effectively differentiated between the low and high 10-year CVD risk groups, with a marked difference in survival rates. The predictive models constructed using the wPRSsum and PCE demonstrated a slight improvement in prediction accuracy, particularly among males aged <55 years (C-index = 0.640). We demonstrated that while the integration of wPRSsum with PCE did not significantly outperform the PCE-only model (C-index: 0.703 for combined and 0.704 for PCE-only), it provided enhanced stratification of CVD risk. The highest risk group, identified through the combination of high wPRSsum and PCE scores, exhibited an HR of 4.99 for incident CVD (p = 1.45 × 10-15). These findings highlight the potential of integrating genetic risk assessments with traditional clinical tools for effective CVD risk stratification. Although the addition of wPRSsum to the PCE provided a marginal predictive improvement, it proved valuable in identifying high-risk individuals and supporting personalized treatment strategies. This study reinforces the utility of multi-PRS in conjunction with clinical risk assessment tools, paving the way for more tailored approaches for CVD prevention and management in diverse populations.

Combined use of QRISK3 and SCORE2 increases identification of ankylosing spondylitis patients at high cardiovascular risk: Results from the CARMA Project cohort after 7.5 years of follow-up

ObjectiveTo establish the predictive value of the QRESEARCH risk estimator version 3 (QRISK3) algorithm in identifying Spanish patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) at high risk of cardiovascular (CV) events and CV mortality. We also sought to determine whether to combine QRISK3 with another CV risk algorithm: the traditional SCORE, the modified SCORE (mSCORE) EULAR 2015/2016 or the SCORE2 may increase the identification of AS patients with high-risk CV disease. MethodsInformation of 684 patients with AS from the Spanish prospective CARdiovascular in ReuMAtology (CARMA) project who at the time of the initial visit had no history of CV events and were followed in rheumatology outpatient clinics of tertiary centers for 7.5 years was reviewed. The risk chart algorithms were retrospectively tested using baseline data. ResultsAfter 4,907 years of follow-up, 33 AS patients had experienced CV events. Linearized rate=6.73 per 1000 person-years (95 % CI: 4.63, 9.44). The four CV risk scales were strongly correlated. QRISK3 correctly discriminated between people with lower and higher CV risk, although the percentage of accumulated events over 7.5 years was clearly lower than expected according to the risk established by QRISK3. Also, mSCORE EULAR 2015/2016 showed the same discrimination ability as SCORE, although the percentage of predicted events was clearly higher than the percentage of actual events. SCORE2 also had a strong discrimination capacity according to CV risk. Combining QRISK3 with any other scale improved the model. This was especially true for the combination of QRISK3 and SCORE2 which achieved the lowest AIC (406.70) and BIC (415.66), so this combination would be the best predictive model. ConclusionsIn patients from the Spanish CARMA project, the four algorithms tested accurately discriminated those AS patients with higher CV risk and those with lower CV risk. Moreover, a model that includes QRISK3 and SCORE2 combined the best discrimination ability of QRISK3 with the best calibration of SCORE2.

Serum T50 predicts cardiovascular mortality in individuals with type 2 diabetes: A prospective cohort study.

Individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, compared with those without T2D. The serum T50 test captures the transformation time of calciprotein particles in serum. We aimed to assess whether serum T50 predicts cardiovascular mortality in T2D patients, independent of traditional risk factors. We analyzed 621 individuals with T2D in this prospective cohort study. Cox regression models were performed to test the association between serum T50 and cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. Causes of death were categorized according to ICD-10 codes. Risk prediction improvement was assessed by comparing Harrell's C for models without and with T50. RESULTS: The mean age was 64.2±9.8 years, and 61% were male. The average serum T50 time was 323±63min. Higher age, alcohol use, high-sensitive C-reactive protein, and plasma phosphate were associated with lower serum T50 levels. Higher plasma triglycerides, venous bicarbonate, sodium, magnesium, and alanine aminotransferase were associated with higher serum T50 levels. After a follow-up of 7.5[5.4-10.7] years, each 60min decrease in serum T50 was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular (fully adjusted HR 1.32, 95% CI 1.08-1.50, and p=0.01) and all-cause mortality (HR 1.15, 95%CI 1.00-1.38, and p=0.04). Results were consistent in sensitivity analyses after exclusion of individuals with estimated glomerular filtration rate <45 or <60mL/min/1.73m2 and higher plasma phosphate levels. Serum T50 improves prediction of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality risk in individuals with T2D. Serum T50 may be useful for risk stratification and to guide therapeutic strategies aiming to reduce cardiovascular mortality in T2D.