Overt Coronary Heart Disease Research Articles

Sex-and race-specific burden of aortic valve calcification among older adults without overt coronary heart disease: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

Background and aimsThe prevalence of aortic valve calcification (AVC) increases with age. However, the sex-and race-specific burden of AVC and associated cardiovascular risk factors among adults ≥75 years are not well studied. MethodsWe calculated the sex-and race-specific burden of AVC among 2283 older Black and White adults (mean age:80.5 [SD:4.3] years) without overt coronary heart disease from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study who underwent non-contrast cardiac-gated CT-imaging at visit 7 (2018–2019). Using Poisson regression with robust variance, we calculated the adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) of the association of AVC with cardiovascular risk factors. ResultsThe overall AVC prevalence was 44.8%, with White males having the highest prevalence at 58.2%. The prevalence was similar for Black males (40.5%), White females (38.9%), and Black females (36.8%). AVC prevalence increased significantly with age among all race-sex groups. The probability of any AVC at age 80 years was 55.4%, 40.0%, 37.3%, and 36.2% for White males, Black males, White females, and Black females, respectively. Among persons with prevalent AVC, White males had the highest median AVC score (100.9 Agatston Units [AU]), followed by Black males (68.5AU), White females (52.3AU), and Black females (46.5AU). After adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors, Black males (aPR:0.53; 95%CI:0.33–0.83), White females (aPR:0.68; 95%CI:0.61–0.77), and Black females (aPR:0.49; 95%CI:0.31–0.77) had lower AVC prevalence compared to White males. In addition, systolic blood pressure, non-HDL-cholesterol, and lipoprotein (a) were independently associated with AVC, with no significant race/sex interactions. ConclusionsAVC, although highly prevalent, was not universally present in this cohort of older adults. White males had ∼50–60% higher prevalence than other race-sex groups. Moreover, cardiovascular risk factors measured in older age showed significant association with AVC.

Socioeconomic position is associated with N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP)-Results of the population-based Heinz Nixdorf Recall study.

N-Terminal pro Brain Natriuretic Peptide (NT-proBNP) is a diagnostic marker for heart failure and a prognostic factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). The aim of this study was to examine the association of socioeconomic position (SEP) with NT-proBNP while assessing sex-differences and the impact of CVD risk factors and prevalent CVD on the association. Baseline data of 4598 participants aged 45-75 years of the Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study were used. Income and education were used as SEP indicators. Age- and sex-adjusted linear regression models were fitted to calculate effect size estimates and 95% confidence intervals (95%-CIs) for the total effect of SEP indicators on NT-proBNP, while potential mediation was assessed by additionally accounting for traditional CVD risk factors (i.e., systolic blood pressure, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, diabetes, anti-hypertensive medication, lipid-lowering medication, BMI, current smoking). Education and income were included separately in the models. With an age- and sex-adjusted average change in NT-proBNP of -6.47% (95%-CI: -9.91; -2.91) per 1000€, the association between income and NT-proBNP was more pronounced compared to using education as a SEP indicator (-0.80% [95%-CI: -1.92; 0.32] per year of education). Sex-stratified results indicated stronger associations in men (-8.43% [95%-CI: -13.21; -3.38] per 1000€; -1.63% [95%-CI: -3.23; -0.001] per year of education) compared to women (-5.10% [95%-CI: -9.82; -0.01] per 1000€; -1.04% [95%-CI: -2.59; 0.50] per year of education). After adjusting for CVD risk factors some of the observed effect size estimates were attenuated, while the overall association between SEP indicators and NT-proBNP was still indicated. The exclusion of participants with prevalent coronary heart disease or stroke did not lead to a substantial change in the observed associations. In the present study associations of education and income with NT-proBNP were observed in a population-based study sample. Only parts of the association were explained by traditional CVD risk factors, while there were substantial sex-differences in the strength of the observed association. Overt coronary heart disease or stroke did not seem to trigger the associations.

Pharmacoepidemiology of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are reversible inhibitors of cyclo-oxygenase (COX), mainly used for the symptomatic relief of pain, whether traumatic, infectious, episodic or rheumatologic. Use for the long-term relief of inflammation is waning with the emergence of specific biotherapies. Their effects are related to potency, dosage, and pharmacokinetic or galenic considerations. Adverse reactions are mostly related to COX inhibition, and to the relative COX1 and COX2 inhibition. Over the years have resulted in the withdrawal of some NSAIDs. The most common adverse reactions are: gastrointestinal (COX1) which have declined over time with the emergence of more COX1 sparing drugs and gastroprotection; renal, with an impact on renal function and sodium extraction that is associated with hypertension, heart failure exacerbation, and stress-related renal failure; allergic skin reactions; increased transaminases and acute liver injury which may be idiosyncratic or immunoallergic; increased risk of acute coronary syndromes, initially associated with high-dose long-term use of COX2 specific inhibitors in controlled clinical trials, though more recently there have been indications from poorly controlled observational studies that they could occur with most NSAIDs. Event rates in patients with no overt coronary heart disease are vanishingly low, and the real magnitude of the issue in the treatment of common pain is still unknown. Considering their purely symptomatic effects, they should be used at the lowest possible dose for the shortest possible time, based on the symptomatic relief of pain or fever.

Lifestile And Socio-Demographic Factors Determining The Coronary-Arterial Disease Risks In Brazilian Free-Living Adults

PURPOSE: Coronary heart disease(CHD) continues to be a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among adults worldwide. The risk factors include complications of Metabolic Syndrome(MetS) and environmental factors. The Framingham score(FS) is a predictive algorithm developed using categorical variables, allowing the 10-yr prediction of multivariate CHD risk in patients without overt CHD. The purpose is to determine the intrinsic and the involved environmental factors of CHD in free-living adults. METHODS: A lifestyle modification program(LSM) involving dietary counseling and regularly supervised physical activity(“Move for Health”) has been used here, since 1991 for NCDs primary care. In a cross-sectional study we used the baseline data from 709 subjects(2005-2016), older than 35 yrs.The FS distribution was used as main variable and, as co-variablessocio-demographic, behavioral(dietetic and physical fitness)anthropometric and clinical-biochemistry.For these accomplishments, were used IPAQ(long-version), Healthy Eating Index(through 24h food intake recall), body weight, height and electrical bio-impedance, clinical signs and fasting plasma markers of insulin resistance(HOMA-IR), inflammatory(hs-CRP) and oxidative(MDA and uric acid) states. Statistical comparisons were defined by p=0.05. RESULTS: The top quartile of FS was found as ≥10% for females(F) and ≥15% for males(M) and, they differed from the lower quartile (≤3% and ≤5%, respectively), by presenting 1.81x higher either HOMA-IR, 1.61x hs-CRP and 1.6x MDA values. Prevalence of MetS was 2.6x higher in p75(71.9% F and 73.1%M) than p25(28.1%F and 26.9%M) with p75 being fatter(higher BMI, total body and abdominal fatness) with lower physical activity, lower aerobic capacity, lower either muscle mass and hand grip force.The p75 FS subjects presented also lower schooling and lower income.Their poor diet quality(HEI) was characterized by being more processed foods(higher CHO/fibers and sodium/potassium ratio), higher daily consumption of oils(and PUFAs) and cholesterol and, less amounts of MUFA, fruits and vegetables(and fibers). CONCLUSIONS: The higher FS(moderate CHD risk) of this community followed markers of the MetS aggravation, having inadequate- dietary quality and physical unfitness as environmental factors.

Progression of Coronary Artery Calcium and Incident Heart Failure: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

BackgroundAlthough the association between coronary artery calcium (CAC) and future heart failure (HF) has been shown previously, the value of CAC progression in the prediction of HF has not been investigated. In this study, we investigated the association of CAC progression with subclinical left ventricular (LV) dysfunction and incident HF in the Multi‐Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.Methods and ResultsThe Multi‐Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis is a population‐based study consisting of 6814 men and women aged 45 to 84, free of overt cardiovascular disease at enrollment, who were recruited from 4 ethnicities. We included 5644 Multi‐Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis participants who had baseline and follow‐up cardiac computed tomography and were free of HF and coronary heart disease before the second cardiac computed tomography. Mean (±SD) age was 61.7±10.2 years and 47.2% were male. The Cox proportional hazard models and multivariable linear regression models were deployed to determine the association of CAC progression with incident HF and subclinical LV dysfunction, respectively. Over a median follow‐up of 9.6 (interquartile range: 8.8–10.6) years, 182 participants developed incident HF. CAC progression of 10 units per year was associated with 3% of increased risk of HF independent of overt coronary heart disease (P=0.008). In 2818 participants with available cardiac magnetic resonance images, CAC progression was associated with increased LV end diastolic volume (β=0.16; P=0.03) and LV end systolic volume (β=0.12; P=0.006) after excluding participants with any coronary heart disease.Conclusions CAC progression was associated with incident HF and modestly increased LV end diastolic volume and LV end systolic volume at follow‐up exam independent of overt coronary heart disease.

N-Terminal Pro-B Type Natriuretic Peptide is Associated with Mild Cognitive Impairment in the General Population.

N-terminal pro-B type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a marker of cardiac stress and is linked with silent cardiac diseases. While associations of cognitive impairment with manifest cardiovascular diseases are established, data on whether subclinical elevation of NT-proBNP levels below clinically established threshold of heart failure is related with cognitive functioning, especially mild cognitive impairment (MCI), is rare. Aim of the present study was to investigate the cross-sectional association of NT-proBNP levels and MCI in a population-based study sample without heart failure. We used data from the second examination of the population based Heinz-Nixdorf-Recall-Study. Subjects with overt coronary heart disease and subjects with NT-proBNP levels indicating potential heart failure (NT-proBNP≥300 pg/ml) were excluded from this analysis. Participants performed a validated brief cognitive assessment and were classified either as MCI [subtypes: amnestic-MCI (aMCI), non-amnestic-MCI (naMCI)], or cognitively-normal. We included 419 participants with MCI (63.1±7.4 y; 47% men; aMCI n = 209; naMCI n = 210) and 1,206 cognitively normal participants (62.42±7.1 y; 48% men). NT-proBNP-levels≥125 pg/ml compared to <125 pg/ml were associated with MCI in fully adjusted models (OR 1.65 (1.23;2.23) in the total sample, 1.73 (1.09;2.74) in men and 1.63(1.10;2.41) in women). For aMCI, the fully adjusted OR was 1.53 (1.04;2.25) and for naMCI, the fully adjusted OR was 1.34 (1.09; 166) in the total sample. Within normal ranges and without manifest heart failure, higher NT-proBNPlevels are associated with MCI and both MCI subtypes independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors and sociodemographic parameters.

Association of Weight and Body Composition on Cardiac Structure and Function in the ARIC Study (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities).

Obesity increases cardiovascular risk. However, the extent to which various measures of body composition are associated with abnormalities in cardiac structure and function, independent of comorbidities commonly affecting obese individuals, is not clear. This study sought to examine the relationship between body mass index, waist circumference, and percent body fat with conventional and advanced measures of cardiac structure and function. We studied 4343 participants of the ARIC study (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) who were aged 69 to 82 years, free of coronary heart disease and heart failure, and underwent comprehensive echocardiography. Increasing body mass index, waist circumference, and body fat were associated with greater left ventricular (LV) mass and left atrial volume indexed to height(2.7) in both men and women (P<0.001). In women, all 3 measures were associated with abnormal LV geometry, and increasing waist circumference and body fat were associated with worse global longitudinal strain, a measure of LV systolic function. In both sexes, increasing body mass index was associated with greater right ventricular end-diastolic area and worse right ventricular fractional area change (P≤0.001). We observed similar associations for both waist circumference and percent body fat. In a large, biracial cohort of older adults free of clinically overt coronary heart disease or heart failure, obesity was associated with subclinical abnormalities in cardiac structure in both men and women and with adverse LV remodeling and impaired LV systolic function in women. These data highlight the association of obesity and subclinical abnormalities of cardiac structure and function, particularly in women.

Mo1926 Risk for Colorectal Neoplasm in Patients at High Risk for Coronary Heart Disease Defined by Vascular Structural and Functional Measurements

Colorectal neoplasm (CRN) and coronary heart disease (CHD) share commonrisk factors. High prevalence of CRN have been shown in patients with overt CHD. But itis not obvious whether patients at high risk for CHD have increased risk for CRN. Weaimed to assess the risk for CRN in patients at high risk for CHD defined by independentmethods from risk factors of CRN.

The association of ankle-brachial index with silent cerebral small vessel disease: results of the Atahualpa Project.

An abnormal ankle-brachial index has been associated with overt stroke and coronary heart disease, but little is known about its relationship with silent cerebral small vessel disease. To assess the value of ankle-brachial index as a predictor of silent small vessel disease in an Ecuadorian geriatric population. Stroke-free Atahualpa residents aged ≥60 years were identified during a door-to-door survey. Ankle-brachial index determinations and brain magnetic resonance imaging were performed in consented persons. Ankle-brachial index ≤0.9 and ≥1.4 were proxies of peripheral artery disease and noncompressible arteries, respectively. Using logistic regression models adjusted for age, gender, and cardiovascular health status, we evaluated the association between abnormal ankle-brachial index with silent lacunar infarcts, white matter hyperintensities, and cerebral microbleeds. Mean age of the 224 participants was 70 ± 8 years, 60% were women, and 80% had poor cardiovascular health status. Ankle-brachial index was ≤0.90 in 37 persons and ≥1.4 in 17. Magnetic resonance imaging showed lacunar infarcts in 27 cases, moderate-to-severe white matter hyperintensities in 47, and cerebral microbleeds in 26. Adjusted models showed association of lacunar infarcts with ankle-brachial index ≤ 0.90 (OR: 3.72, 95% CI: 1.35-10.27, P = 0.01) and with ankle-brachial index ≥ 1.4 (OR: 3·85, 95% CI: 1.06-14.03, P = 0.04). White matter hyperintensities were associated with ankle-brachial index ≤ 0.90 (P = 0.03) and ankle-brachial index ≥ 1.4 (P = 0.02) in univariate analyses. There was no association between ankle-brachial index groups and cerebral microbleeds. In this population-based study conducted in rural Ecuador, apparently healthy individuals aged ≥60 years with ankle-brachial index values ≤0.90 and ≥1.4 are almost four times more likely to have a silent lacunar infarct. Ankle-brachial index screening might allow recognition of asymptomatic people who need further investigation and preventive therapy.

Evaluation of serial high sensitivity troponin T levels in individuals without overt coronary heart disease following exercise stress testing

Evaluation of serial high sensitivity troponin T levels in individuals without overt coronary heart disease following exercise stress testing

C-reactive protein, inflammation and coronary heart disease

Abstract Inflammation is widely considered to be an important contributing factor of the pathophysiology of coronary heart disease (CHD), and the inflammatory cascade is particularly important in the atherosclerotic process. In consideration of the important role that inflammatory processes play in CHD, recent work has been focused on whether biomarkers of inflammation may help to improve risk stratification and identify patient groups who might benefit from particular treatment strategies. Of these biomarkers, C-reactive protein (CRP) has emerged as one of the most important novel inflammatory markers. CRP an acute phase protein is synthesized by hepatocytes in response to proinflammatory cytokines, in particular interleukin-6. Many large-scale prospective studies demonstrate that CRP strongly and independently predicts adverse cardiovascular events, including myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, and sudden cardiac death in individuals both with and without overt CHD. CRP is believed to be both a marker and a mediator of atherosclerosis and CHD. CRP plays a pivotal role in many aspects of atherogenesis including, activation of complement pathway, lipids uptake by macrophage, release of proinflammatory cytokines, induces the expression of tissue factor in monocytes, promotes the endothelial dysfunction and inhibits nitric oxide production. The commercial availability of CRP high sensitive assays has made screening for this marker simple, reliable, and reproducible and can be used as a clinical guide to diagnosis, management, and prognosis of CHD.

Abstract 9268: NT-proBNP and Myocardial Perfusion in Asymptomatic Adults: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

Introduction: B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a cardiac neurohormone secreted from membrane granules in the cardiac ventricles as a response to ventricular volume expansion and pressure overload. While it is a sensitive marker of heart failure, it may also be elevated in the setting of reduced myocardial perfusion. We hypothesized that reduced myocardial blood flow (MBF) would be associated with elevated NT-proBNP in the MESA study. Methods: MBF was measured by cardiac MRI in 184 MESA participants without overt coronary heart disease, before and after adenosine infusion, for whom serum NT-proBNP levels were available (mean age 60 ± 10.4, 58% white, 42% Hispanic, 44% female). Hyperemic MBF was modeled with adjustment for resting MBF. A linear regression analysis, adjusted for demographics, established cardiovascular risk factors, left ventricular mass, body mass index and medications, was used to determine the association between hyperemic MBF and NT-proBNP. Results: Individuals with low hyperemic MBF were more likely to be older, male, diabetic, have higher blood pressure and higher coronary artery calcium (CAC) score. Hyperemic MBF was 3.04 ± 0.829 ml/min/g and was inversely associated with NT-proBNP levels. In the fully adjusted model, every one standard deviation decrement in hyperemic MBF was associated with a 21% increment in NT-proBNP (p=0.04) (TABLE). Conclusions: Hyperemic MBF is inversely associated with NT-proBNP level in this cross sectional study of asymptomatic individuals free of overt coronary artery disease. These results suggest that higher NT-proBNP levels may signify subclinical myocardial microvascular dysfunction.

Obesity, hyperglycemia and endothelial function in inner city Bronx adolescents: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundAlong with the rise in obesity, cardiovascular disease (CVD) has become the major cause of death in developed countries. Although overt coronary heart disease rarely manifests during childhood, atherosclerosis can begin by the second decade of life. Therefore, identifying reliable risk markers of early vascular disease in childhood could be important. Alteration in endothelial function (EF) is an early preclinical marker of the atherosclerotic process and can be assessed non-invasively using reactive hyperemia peripheral arterial tonometry (RH-PAT). The purpose of this study was to investigate if obesity in children is associated with lower EF as measured with RH-PAT, and if obese children with impaired glucose regulation have further impairment in RH-PAT measured EF compared to obese children with normal glucose tolerance.MethodsCardiovascular risk factors, adipocytokines and EF using RH-PAT were evaluated in lean (n = 14) and obese (n = 37) adolescents (age 12–18 years). Based on an oral glucose tolerance test, the obese group was subdivided into: obese with normal (NGT, n = 22) and obese with impaired glucose regulation (IGR, n = 15).ResultsRH-PAT score was lower in obese subjects compared to lean controls (1.70 ± 0.02 vs. 1.98 ± 0.09, P = 0.02), indicating worse EF. This difference remained significant when adjusted for age, sex and ethnicity (P = 0.02). We observed a pattern of worsening EF with increasing metabolic burden, with RH-PAT scores of 1.98 ± 0.09,1.73 ± 0.08 and 1.65 ± 0.12 in the lean, obese-NGT and obese-IGR groups, respectively, ptrend = 0.03. Obese subjects were more insulin resistant [higher HOMA] (p = 0.03), and had higher levels of leptin (p = 0.004), hsCRP (p = 0.0004), and TNF-α (p = 0.03) compared to lean subjects. Adjusting for insulin resistance and adipocytokines substantially attenuated the obesity association with RH-PAT, suggesting that insulin resistance and inflammation may mediate the association of EF with obesity.ConclusionsRisk factors for adult cardiovascular disease, including impaired EF, insulin resistance and inflammation, are evident in obese adolescents. Whether early detection of these cardiovascular risk factors will be useful for informing interventions to prevent disease progression needs further study.Trial registrationClinical Trials Identifier: NCT01879033

GW24-e3603 Association between high-sensitive troponin T levels and the nonischemia factors in elderly patients without overt coronary heart disease

ObjectivesAnalysis association between high-sensitive troponin T levels and the nonischemia factors in hospitalised elderly patients without overt coronary heart disease (CHD).MethodsA total of 354 hospitalised elderly patients, aged ≥ 65...

Depressive symptoms, antidepressants and disability and future coronary heart disease and stroke events in older adults: the Three City Study

To investigate the association between baseline depressive symptoms and first fatal and non fatal coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke in older adults, taking antidepressants and disability into account. In the Three City Study, a community-based prospective multicentric observational study cohort, 7,308 non-institutionalized men and women aged ≥65 years with no reported history of CHD, stroke or dementia, completed the 20-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies depression scale (CESD) questionnaire. First CHD and stroke events during follow-up were adjudicated by an independent expert committee. Hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated by Cox proportional hazard model. After a median follow-up of 5.3 years, 338 subjects had suffered a first non-fatal CHD or stroke event, and 82 had died from a CHD or stroke. After adjustment for study center, baseline socio-demographic characteristics, and conventional risk factors, depressive symptoms (CESD ≥ 16) were associated with fatal events only: fatal CHD plus stroke (HR = 2.50; 95% CI 1.57-3.97), fatal CHD alone (n = 57; HR = 2.21 ; 95%CI 1.27-3.87), and fatal stroke alone (n = 25; HR = 3.27; 95% CI 1.42-7.52). These associations were even stronger in depressed subjects receiving antidepressants (HR = 4.17; 95% CI 1.84-9.46) and in depressed subjects with impaired Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (HR = 8.93; 95% CI 4.60-17.34). By contrast, there was no significant association with non fatal events (HR for non-fatal CHD or stroke = 0.94; 95% CI 0.66-1.33). In non-institutionalized elderly subjects without overt CHD, stroke or dementia, depressive symptoms were selectively and robustly associated with first fatal CHD or stroke events.

Screening results for subclinical coronary artery calcification in asymptomatic individuals in relation to a detailed parental history of premature coronary heart disease

A parental history of premature coronary heart disease (CHD) is an established risk factor for CHD events in descendants. The study aim was to investigate whether subclinical coronary artery calcification (CAC) differs between asymptomatic individuals (a) without a parental CHD history, (b) with a parental history and (c) without knowledge of parental CHD history. The inclusion of individuals without knowledge of parental CHD history is a new approach. We also differentiated between CHD of mother and father to gain insight into their individual contributions. Data was obtained for 4,301 subjects aged 45-75 years free of overt CHD from the baseline screening of the population-based Heinz Nixdorf Recall study. CAC, measured by electron-beam computed tomography, was modeled conducting logistic regressions. Model 1 included family history, Model 2 was adjusted for age (and gender) and Model 3 added common CHD risk factors. The CAC score was dichotomized using the age and sex-specific 75th percentile. The odds ratio (OR) for CAC ≥ age and sex-specific 75th percentile was 1.33 among individuals with parental premature CHD history (95 % confidence interval [95 %CI]: 1.08, 1.63), which did not change after full adjustment (OR 1.40, 95 %CI: 1.13, 1.74). Individuals with an unknown biological father or mother had a high chance of elevated CAC scores (fully adjusted; father: OR 1.38, 95 %CI: 1.01, 1.90, mother: OR 1.86, 95 %CI: 0.90, 3.84) compared to the reference group. The current study showed an association between parental CHD history and CAC independent of common CHD risk factors. This association affirms the use of parental CHD history in cardiovascular risk assessment among asymptomatic adults in routine practice. The observation that individuals who did not know their mother or father are prone to increased CAC scores needs further confirmation in large scale studies.

OP12: Association between retinopathy and early echographic markers of cardiomyopathy in type 2 diabetes

Background and aims Alterations in cardiac structure and function occur in type 2 diabetes independently of coronary artery disease or hypertension. The underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The aim of our study was to explore the putative involvement of microangipathy in the determinism of cardiac myocardiopathy. Materials and Methods 387 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (D2) with controlled blood pressure and without overt valvular or coronary heart disease were prospectively enrolled. All subjects underwent comprehensive echocardiography, including evaluation of diastolic and systolic LV function by conventional assessment and use of speckle-tracking imaging. Diastolic dysfunction was defined by left atrium area (adjusted for body surface area) > 11 cm2/m2 and/or lateral E’ -18%. Diabetic retinopathy assessed by ETDRS criteria was graded in 3 stages 0: no retinopathy, 1: mild non proliferative retinopathy, 2: moderate, severe non proliferative and proliferative retinopathy. Results 191(57.2%) patients exhibited diastolic dysfunction vs 143 (42.8%) who had no dysfunction. By univariate analysis: diastolic dysfunction was associated with diabetic retinopathy (p=0.01), additionally these patients were more likely to be female (M/F 95/96 vs 88/55, p=0.02), were older (60±8 vs 55±8, p 83 (26%) patients only had systolic dysfunction vs 236 (74%) who no had dysfunction. By univariate analysis: presence of subclinical LV systolic dysfunction in diabetic patients was associated with a higher prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (p =0.04), additionally these patients were more likely to be male (M/F 58/32 vs 125/118, p=0.03), to have obesity BMI (31±5 vs30±4, p=0.02), with higher SPB (138±15 vs 132±16, p =0.001), and lower HDL (1.2±0.3 vs 1.3±0.4, p=0.03). Microalbuminuria was not different in both groups, p=0.3. By multivariable analysis, factors independently associated with diastolic dysfunction were age (OR(95%)=1.09 [1.05–1.12], p Conclusion In our cohort of type 2 diabetic patients, only retinopathy was found associated with the commonly reported diastolic dysfunction whereas retinopathy was not found independently associated with systolic dysfunction.

Coronary Calcification and the Risk of Heart Failure in the Elderly: The Rotterdam Study

The purpose of this study was to determine the association of coronary artery calcification (CAC) with incident heart failure in the elderly and examine its independence of overt coronary heart disease (CHD). Heart failure is often observed as a first manifestation of coronary atherosclerosis rather than a sequela of overt CHD. Although numerous studies have shown that CAC, an established measure of coronary atherosclerosis, is a strong predictor of CHD, the association between CAC and future heart failure has not been studied prospectively. In the Rotterdam Study, a population-based cohort, 1,897 asymptomatic participants (mean age, 69.9 years; 58% women) underwent CAC scoring and were followed for the occurrence of heart failure and CHD. During a median follow-up of 6.8 years, there were 78 cases of heart failure and 76 cases of nonfatal CHD. After adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors, increasing CAC scores were associated with heart failure (p for trend = 0.001), with a hazard ratio of 4.1 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.7 to 10.1) for CAC scores >400 compared with CAC scores of 0 to 10. After censoring participants for incident nonfatal CHD, increasing extent of CAC remained associated with heart failure (p for trend = 0.046), with a hazard ratio of 2.9 (95% CI: 1.1 to 7.4) for CAC scores >400. Moreover, adding CAC to cardiovascular risk factors resulted in an optimism-corrected increase in the c-statistic by 0.030 (95% CI: 0.001 to 0.050) to 0.734 (95% CI: 0.698 to 0.770) and substantially improved the risk classification of subjects (continuous net reclassification index = 34.0%). CAC has a clear association with the risk of heart failure, independent of overt CHD. Because heart failure is highly prevalent in the elderly, it might be worthwhile to include heart failure as an outcome in future risk assessment programs incorporating CAC.

Shared genetic architecture in the relationship between adult stature and subclinical coronary artery atherosclerosis

BackgroundShort stature is associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD); although the mechanisms for this relationship are unknown, shared genetic factors have been proposed. Subclinical atherosclerosis, measured by coronary artery calcification (CAC), is associated with CHD events and represents part of the biological continuum to overt CHD. Many molecular mechanisms of CAC development are shared with bone growth. Thus, we examined whether there was evidence of shared genes (pleiotropy) between adult stature and CAC. Methods877 Asymptomatic white adults (46% men) from 625 families in a community-based sample had computed tomography measures of CAC. Pleiotropy between height and CAC was determined using maximum-likelihood estimation implemented in SOLAR. ResultsAdult height was significantly and inversely associated with CAC score (P=0.01). After adjusting for age, sex and CHD risk factors, the estimated genetic correlation between height and CAC score was −0.37 and was significantly different than 0 (P=0.001) and −1 (P<0.001). The environmental correlation between height and CAC score was 0.60 and was significantly different than 0 (P=0.024). ConclusionsFurther studies of shared genetic factors between height and CAC may provide important insight into the complex genetic architecture of CHD, in part through increased understanding of the molecular pathways underlying the process of both normal growth and disease development. Bivariate genetic linkage analysis may provide a powerful mechanism for identifying specific genomic regions associated with both height and CAC.

Increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease and risk biomarkers in patients with unknown type 2 diabetes visiting cardiology specialists: results from the DIASPORA study

Patients with diabetes mellitus and IGT have a high risk for cardiovascular events. It is tempting to speculate that these patients are often first seen by cardiologists. This cross-sectional study investigates the diabetes prevalence in cardiology care units and the correlated metabolic conditions as assessed by several circulating biomarkers. Patients aged 55 or older with suspected or overt coronary heart disease were eligible for trial participation. Fasting blood samples were drawn from patients to determine HOMA score, glycaemic and lipid profile, and several risk biomarkers. An OGTT was performed in patients without known diabetes. We enrolled 530 patients (181 male, 349 female, mean age, 68+/-7 years) in this study from 22 German cardiology centres; 156 patients (29.4%) had known diabetes and OGTT revealed that 184 patients (34.7%) had no diabetes, 106 patients (20.0%) had IGT or IFG and 84 patients (15.9%) were newly diagnosed with diabetes. Increased cardiovascular risk as reflected by increased hsCRP, ICAM and MMP-9 values was observed in diabetes patients. A higher cardiovascular biomarkers risk profile was seen in the IGT/IFG cohort. This study confirms the observation that one third of patients of a cardiologic care unit suffer from impaired glucose regulation. Furthermore, the cardiology patients with previously unknown glucose homeostasis abnormalities had a higher prevalence of macrovacular disease and an impaired biomarker risk profile. This study underlines the importance of joint treatment efforts by cardiologists in concert with diabetologists for treatment of this patient group at high risk for cardiovascular events.