Relative Risk Of Cardiovascular Mortality Research Articles

Analysis of competing risks of cardiovascular death in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: A population-based study.

Clinical data has shown that cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) have emerged as a prominent cause of mortality in individuals with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This research aimed to reveal the comorbid effects of CVDs in patients with HCC. The cardiovascular mortality of patients diagnosed with HCC between 2000 and 2014 was compared to that of the general US population. Standardized mortality ratios were calculated to quantify the relative risk of cardiovascular mortality in HCC patients. The cumulative incidence of cardiovascular death (CVD) was estimated using Fine-Gray testing, and independent risk factors for CVD were determined using competing risk models. The results were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier analysis. The overall SMR for CVD in HCC patients was 11.15 (95% CI: 10.99-11.32). The risk of CVD was significantly higher in patients aged < 55 years (SMR: 56.19 [95% CI: 54.97-57.44]) compared to those aged ≥ 75 years (SMR: 1.86 [95% CI: 1.75-1.97]). This study suggests that patients with HCC are at significant risk of developing CVD. Competing risk analyses indicated that age, grade, tumor size, surveillance, epidemiology, and end results stage, and surgical status were independent risk factors for CVD in patients with HCC. Therefore, patients with HCC require enhanced preventive screening and management of CVDs during and after treatment to improve patient survival.

Nomogram for predicting cardiovascular disease mortality in patients with meningioma: a competing risk analysis.

Cancer patients may have increased risk of cardiovascular mortality than general population. We designed this study to investigate the incidence and risk factors of cardiovascular mortality in meningioma patients. Meningioma patients recorded in Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database between 2004 and 2016 were eligible for this study. The standardized mortality ratio (SMR) was calculated to present the relative risk of cardiovascular mortality (ICD-10 codes I00-I99) in meningioma patients compared with general population. Fine-Gray subdistribution proportional hazards regression was performed to identify risk factors of cardiovascular mortality and construct nomogram for predicting cardiovascular-specific survival in meningioma patients. Among 94,067 meningioma patients included in this study, 6145 (6.5%) and 16549 (17.6%) patients died due to cardiovascular diseases and other causes, respectively. The cardiovascular disease-related SMR of included meningioma patients was 25.31 compared with the general population. Results of multivariate competing risk analysis showed that age, male gender, race, marital status, insurance status, tumor size, tumor location, histologic type, and surgery options were risk factors of cardiovascular mortality. The C-index of our constructed nomogram for predicting cardiovascular specific survival was 0.730 (0.712-0.748) and 0.726 (0.696-0.756) in training cohort and validation cohort, respectively. Incorporating demographic and clinical variables, the nomogram we constructed is effective in predicting cardiovascular mortality in meningioma patients and could guide physicians to reasonably control clinical risk factors of cardiovascular mortality in meningioma patients.

Heart Disease Mortality in Cancer Survivors: A Population-Based Study in Japan.

Data on the risk of cardiovascular-related mortality in patients with cancer are limited. This retrospective cohort study used data from the Osaka Cancer Registry and vital statistics in Japan between 1985 and 2013. The causes of death were investigated, and the risk of fatal heart disease was analyzed. Standardized mortality ratios were calculated to compare the risk of fatal heart disease between patients with cancer and the general population. Fine and Gray competing risk regression models were used to assess the risk of fatal heart disease among patients with cancer. In total, 682 886 patients with cancer were included in the analysis, and 335 635 patients died during the study period. Heart disease was the leading cause of noncancer deaths, with 10 686 deaths. Among the patients who died of heart disease, 5017 had ischemic heart disease, 3598 had heart failure, 356 had hypertensive disease, and 1715 had other heart diseases. The standardized mortality ratio for heart disease was 2.80 (95% CI, 2.74-2.85). The standardized mortality ratio for ischemic heart disease, heart failure, and hypertensive disease were 3.26 (95% CI, 3.17-3.35), 2.69 (95% CI, 2.60-2.78), and 5.97 (95% CI, 5.38-6.63), respectively. The risk of fatal heart disease increased over time after cancer diagnosis. Men were more likely to die of heart disease than women (subdistribution hazard ratio, 1.08 [95% CI, 1.02-1.16]). The risk of fatal heart disease among cancer survivors has decreased in recent years. Cancer survivors have a higher risk of fatal heart disease than the general population.

Cardiovascular-Related Mortality Risk in Primary Myelofibrosis in Pre-Ruxolitinib and Ruxolitinib Eras

Background Ruxolitinib, a Janus Kinase inhibitor, was approved in 2011 for the treatment of primary myelofibrosis (PMF) and has shown improved survival since its introduction. However, there are reports of possible cardiotoxicity linked to the medication. 1,2 Previous studies have shown that cardiovascular disease (CVD) was the third most common cause of death in PMF. 3 Given that patients with PMF may need therapy for several years, the cardiovascular safety profile of ruxolitinib has been the subject of increased scrutiny. Our goal was to compare the cardiovascular-related mortality (CVM) risk in patients with PMF in the pre-ruxolitinib (pre-Rux) and ruxolitinib (Rux) eras. Methods Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-result (SEER) Research Plus Data, 17 Registries and Multiple Primary Standardized Incidence Ratio (MP-SIR) registries (2000 - 2020), a retrospective study of patients diagnosed with PMF between 2003 and 2019 was conducted. This period was split into the pre-Rux (2003-2010) and post-approval Rux eras (2012-2019) and compared the standard mortality ratios (SMRs) of CVD in both periods. SMR was expressed as the ratio of cardiovascular deaths observed in PMF to those expected in the general population. Descriptive statistics (frequencies) were compared with Chi-square. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate cumulative relative survival (CRS), and the sub-distribution hazard model for competing risk analysis was used to predict CVM; the significance test was set at &amp;lt;0.05. Results 4,509 patients with PMF were identified between the two study periods (2003-2010 and 2012-2019). As shown in Table 1, a higher proportion of older patients aged 65+ years (67.2% vs. 62.9%, p=0.003) and Non-Hispanic Blacks (8.9% vs. 7.5%, p=0.025) were diagnosed in the Rux era. More patients were alive (49.6% vs. 16.6%, p&amp;lt;0.001), and 5-year CRS was higher in the Rux period (57.1% vs. 47.6%). There was no significant difference in the proportion of deaths due to cardiovascular disease between the two periods. Compared to the general population, patients with PMF had a higher overall CVM independent of the era of diagnosis ( Figure 1). However, there was a decrease in SMR of overall CVD in the post-Rux period (SMR=2.67; 95% CI: 2.28-3.10) compared to the pre-Rux (SMR: 3.42; 95% CI: 2.79-4.15). In terms of specific CVD, the SMRs of diseases of the heart, hypertension without heart diseases, and cerebrovascular disease were higher in the pre-RUX period compared to the Rux era, where SMR was higher only in diseases of the heart, which was still lower than the pre-Rux period (SMR: 2.73 [2.28-3.24] vs. 3.57 [2.84-4.44]). There was no significant difference in the mortality risk from other CVD compared to the general population in both periods. On multivariate analysis, after adjusting for age, sex, race and era of diagnosis, factors associated with reduced odds of CVM were diagnosis of PMF in the RUX era ( HR=0.76; 95% CI: 0.61-0.94, p=0.012), female gender ( HR=0.72; 95% CI: 0.58-0.89, p=0.002) and younger age (&amp;lt;65 years, HR= 0.12; 95% CI: 0.09-0.17, p&amp;lt;0.001. Non-Hispanic Black race was an independent predictor of increased CVM. Conclusion The risk of CVM in PMF compared to the general population did not seem to have increased in the era following the approval of ruxolitinib. The SMRs for overall and some specific cardiovascular diseases appear to be lower in the ruxolitinib era compared to the period before its approval. Lastly, the period following the introduction of ruxolitinib was associated with reduced death from cardiovascular diseases. Hence, ruxolitinib may have had some mortality benefits from cardiovascular disease in PMF; however, further studies are needed to examine and validate this observation.

Relative Risk of Cardiovascular Mortality in Breast Cancer Patients: A Population-Based Study

Aims: To investigate the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in breast cancer patients compared with the general female population. Methods: Data was retrieved from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. 924,439 female breast cancer patients who were at the age of follow-up ≥30 years and diagnosed during 1990–2016 as well as the aggregated general female population in the US were included. Using multivariable Poisson regression, we calculated incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of CVD mortality among female breast cancer patients compared with the female population. Results: The risk of CVD mortality was mildly increased among breast cancer patients at the age of follow-up 30–64 years (IRR 1.06, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03–1.10) compared with the general population. This growth of risk reached its peak within the first month after diagnosis (IRR 3.33, 95% CI 2.84–3.91) and was mainly activated by diseases of the heart (IRR 1.11, 95% CI 1.07–1.15). The elevation was greatest in survivors at the age of follow up 30–34 years (IRR 3.50, 95% CI 1.75–7.01). Conclusions: Clinicians should provide risk mitigation strategies with early monitoring of CVD mortality for breast cancer survivors, especially those who were young or with aggressive tumor stage.

Regulated cell death joins in atherosclerotic plaque silent progression

Non-apoptotic regulated cell death (ferroptosis and necroptosis) leads to the release of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), which initiate and perpetuate a non-infectious inflammatory response. We hypothesize that DAMPs and non-apoptotic regulated cell death are critical players of atherosclerotic plaque progression with inadequate response to lipid-lowering treatment. We aimed to uncover the silent mechanisms that govern the existing residual risk of cardiovascular-related mortality in experimental atherosclerosis. Proteomic and genomic approaches were applied on the ascending aorta of hyperlipidemic rabbits and controls with and without lipid-lowering treatment. The hyperlipidemic animals, which presented numerous heterogeneous atherosclerotic lesions, exhibited high concentrations of serum lipids and increased lipid peroxidation oxidative stress markers. The analyses revealed the significant upregulation of DAMPs and proteins implicated in ferroptosis and necroptosis by hyperlipidemia. Some of them did not respond to lipid-lowering treatment. Dysregulation of five proteins involved in non-apoptotic regulated cell death proteins (VDAC1, VDAC3, FTL, TF and PCBP1) and nine associated DAMPs (HSP90AA1, HSP90AB1, ANXA1, LGALS3, HSP90B1, S100A11, FN, CALR, H3-3A) was not corrected by the treatment. These proteins could play a key role in the atherosclerotic silent evolution and may possess an unexplored therapeutic potential. Mass spectrometry data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD026379.

Abstract WP215: Population Attributable Risks For Potentially Modifiable Risk Factors Of Cerebrovascular And Cardiovascular-related Mortality In The National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey

Introduction: Stroke and heart disease are leading causes of mortality in the United States. We studied population attributable risks (PARs) for potentially modifiable stroke and cardiovascular-related mortality risk factors in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)-National Death Index (NDI) linked dataset. Methods: Adult NHANES participants surveyed from 1999-2014 with linked NDI data were included in this sample-level analysis. The primary outcome was death secondary to stroke (ischemic or hemorrhagic) or cardiovascular disease as recorded in NDI. Exposures were behavioral, environmental, clinical, and laboratory variables dichotomized at the sample median collected in NHANES. Missing data were imputed. PARs were calculated using adjusted hazard ratios from Cox proportional models. Results: We included 47,356 participants (median age 46 years [IQR 30-64]; 51.8% female; 261 stroke- and 1,112 cardiac-related deaths, 2.9%). Mean follow-up time was 97.2 months (SD 54.4 months). Among men &lt; 65 years, characteristics with the top 3 PARs were elevated cholesterol (PAR 42%), elevated systolic blood pressure (PAR 30%), and low platelet count (PAR 23%) (Table 1). Among women &lt; 65 years, not using food label nutritional fact panels (PAR 29%), prescription medication use (PAR 34%), and an elevated white blood cell count (PAR 27%) were the top 3 risk factors by PAR. Among men ≥ 65 years, not using food label nutritional fact panels (PAR 32%), elevated systolic blood pressure (PAR 22%), and cigarette smoking (PAR 20%) were the top 3 factors by PAR. Among women ≥ 65 years, not using food label nutritional fact panels (17%), elevated cholesterol (29%), and elevated creatinine (22%) were the top 3 risk factors by PAR. Conclusions: We provide age- and sex-specific adjusted PARs of potentially modifiable risk factors of stroke and cardiovascular-related mortality. These findings may inform targeted stroke and cardiovascular risk prevention strategies.

Systematic review and meta-analysis: SGLT2 inhibitors, blood pressure and cardiovascular outcomes.

ObjectiveClinical trials suggest that SGLT2 inhibitors reduce the risk of cardiovascular mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes, however the mechanism is unclear. Our objective was to test the hypothesis that blood pressure reduction is one potential mechanism underlying the observed improvements in cardiovascular outcomes with SGLT2 inhibitors.MethodsWe searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (inception-June 2019) for randomized controlled trials that reported the effect of SGLT2 inhibitors compared with placebo on cardiovascular outcomes in adults with type 2 diabetes. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed study quality. Random effects meta-analyses, stratified meta-analyses and meta-regressions were conducted to evaluate the association between blood pressure reduction in SGLT2 inhibitor treated patients and cardiovascular outcomes.ResultsOf 11,232 articles identified, 40 articles (n = 54,279 participants) were included. The relative risk of cardiovascular mortality was reduced by 18% with the use of SGLT2 inhibitors compared with placebo (RR 0.82; 95%CI 0.74, 0.91, I2 = 0.0%). Meta-regression analysis revealed no detectable difference in cardiovascular mortality (RR 0.93; 95%CI 0.88, 1.13, p = 0.483), 3-point major adverse cardiovascular events (p = 0.839) or congestive heart failure hospitalizations (p = 0.844) with change in mean systolic blood pressure.ConclusionsCardiovascular events are reduced in participants with type 2 diabetes treated with SGLT2 inhibitors compared with placebo. There was no significant relationship between the risk of developing adverse cardiovascular events and blood pressure reduction with SGLT2 inhibitors. There is insufficient evidence to suggest that blood pressure reduction is a significant contributor to the cardiovascular benefits observed.

The Association Between Green Tea Consumption with Cardiovascular Related Mortality: A Meta-Analysis

Background: Tea (green or black) are among the most widely consumed beverages in adults worldwide. Recently, numerous studies claimed that green tea intake have been associated with reduced mortality, including cardiovascular disease related mortality. This study was aimed to investigate the association between green tea consumption with cardiovascular related mortality. Subjects and Method : This was a systematic review and meta-analysis study used articles which published in 2000 to 2021 from online databases, such as PubMed, ResearchGate, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and EBSCO. The dependent variable was cardiovascular related mortality. The independent variables was green tea consumption. The data was analyzed by RevMan 5.3 software. This study used the eligibility criteria with the PICO model, populations: COVID-19 general adults, intervention: &gt;1 cups green tea consumption. comparison: null or &lt;1 cup green tea consumption, outcome: cardiovascular related mortality. The inclusion criteria were an article describing the effect or relationship of green tea consumption with cardiovascular related mortality, original research, and study of cohort contain effect size of hazard ratio and match with the intervention design. The keywords used to search the database were “green tea” AND “cardio­vascular” AND “mortality” OR “Death” AND cohort. Results: A subgroup analysis was conducted from 4 articles which stated that cardiovascular related mortality is lower on adults who frequently consumed green tea more than one cups per day compare to adults who drank less than one cup per day (HR= 0.88; 95%CI= 0.85 to 0.92; p= &lt;0.001) and it is statistically significant. Conclusion: The consumption of green tea more than one cups per day may reduce the risk of cardiovascular related mortality. Keywords: green tea, mortality, cardiovascular. Correspondence: Isnani Nurhayati. School of Health Sciences Mamba'ul 'Ulum, Jl. Ring Road Utara, Tawangsari, Mojosongo, Jebres, Surakarta, Central Java. Email: isnanimu@yahoo.com. Mobile: +62 812-2602-6662. Journal of Epidemiology and Public Health (2021), 06(04): 472-481 https://doi.org/10.26911/jepublichealth.2021.06.04.08

Abstract P443: Association of Peripheral Neuropathy With All-cause and Cardiovascular Mortality in US Adults

Background: Peripheral neuropathy (PN) is common in the general US adult population, especially in older adults even in the absence of diabetes. However, the clinical sequelae of PN have not been quantified in a nationally representative sample. We aimed to assess the associations of prevalent PN with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey(NHANES). Methods: Prospective cohort analysis of 7,137 participants from NHANES (aged ≥40 yrs) who underwent standardized PN testing at baseline (1999-2004). We used survival analysis methods and Cox regression to evaluate the associations of PN with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Cox models were adjusted for demographic and cardiovascular risk factors. Results: The overall prevalence of PN was 17.7% (29.9% in adults with diabetes and 15.2% in adults without diabetes). In age-adjusted Kaplan-Meier analyses (median follow-up 13 yrs), the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality was highest among adults with PN and diabetes, but PN was also associated with excess mortality risk in the absence of diabetes ( Figure ). After multivariable adjustment, PN remained significantly associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in participants with diabetes ( Figure) , although the association of PN with cardiovascular mortality was largely driven by participants with long-standing diabetes ≥10 yrs (HR 4.53, 95%CI 2.34-8.78). In participants without diabetes, PN was moderately associated with both all-cause and cardiovascular mortality after adjustment ( Figure ). Conclusions: PN was associated with mortality in the US population regardless of diabetes status, suggesting that screening for PN may be important for older adults both with and without diabetes. Adults with long-standing diabetes and PN were at a substantially elevated risk of cardiovascular-related mortality, potentially reflecting a higher burden of concomitant diabetic autonomic neuropathy in this high-risk population.

Impact of hypertension, overweight, hypertriglyceridemia and their combination for mortality rate according to the results of a 27-year cohort prospective study

To study influence of hypertension, overweight, hypertriglyceridemia and their combinations for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality risk formation.Methods.The prevalence of hypertension, overweight and hypertriglyceridemia was studied (1988-1991) by 27-year prospective cohort study of unorganized population of Tomsk (1546 persons - 916 female and 630 male). The predictive value of these risk factors for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality risk formation were researched in 2015. Hypertension was diagnosed in persons with blood pressure greater or equal to 140/90 mm Hg, overweight was diagnosed in people with body mass index 25 kg/m2, hypertriglyceridemia was diagnosed in individuals having high blood level of triglycerides (greater or equal to 1.7).Results. Influence of hypertension for all-cause (relative risk (RR) 2.2) and cardiovascular mortality (RR 3.38) risk formation was detected. A hypertension related elevation of mortality risk was observed both among women and men and in all age groups with the exception of men 40-59 years (the results for cardiovascular mortality in these persons was statistically insignificant). We established that hypertension had the independent significant contribution for mortality risk formation. It is shown that RR of all-cause mortality 1.25 times (cardiovascular mortality 1.8 times) more in overweight persons. Increase of relative mortality risk was detected in overweight women, especially in women 20-39 years old. Hypertriglyceridemia increases relative risk of all-cause mortality 1.46 times, relative risk of cardiovascular mortality 2.15 times, especially in individuals 40-59 years old. It was revealed that hypertriglyceridemia is significant risk factor for all-cause mortality formation only in women. Combination of hypertension and overweight increases the risk of all-cause mortality 2.23 times and the risk of cardiovascular mortality 4.0 times, combination of hypertension and hypertriglyceridemia - 2.83 and 5.06 times, combination of overweight and hypertriglyceridemia - 1.73 and 2.99 times, respectively. We detected the additional risk of hypertriglyceridemia in individuals with overweight for all-cause (RR 1.53) and cardiovascular (RR 2.18) mortality risk formation compared with overweight persons with normal level of triglycerides and also the additional risk of hypertriglyceridemia (RR 1.51 and 2.04, respectively) in individuals with hypertension compared with normotensive persons (p&lt;0,05). The additional risk of overweight in individuals with hypertension for all-cause mortality was found only in women (RR 3.23).Conclusion.The independent significant impact of hypertension for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality risk formation was revealed by the results of 27-year prospective study. Combination of hypertension and hypertriglyceridemia increases the risk of all-cause mortality 2.8 times and the risk of cardiovascular mortality 5.1 times, combination of hypertension and overweight - 2.2 and 4 times, combination of overweight and hypertriglyceridemia - 1.7 and 3 times, respectively. We detected the additional risk of hypertriglyceridemia for all-cause mortality in overweight people (RR 1.5) and in individuals with hypertension (RR 1.5). Also, the additional risk of hypertriglyceridemia for cardiovascular mortality risk formation in overweight people (RR 2.2) and in persons with hypertension (RR 2.0) was found.

NT-ProBNP and hsTnI: A Multistate Survival Analysis in Outpatients with Reduced Left-Ventricular Ejection Fraction

Heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) has a well-known epidemic relevance in western countries. It affects up to 1–2% of patients > 60 years and reaches a prevalence of 12% in octogenarian patients. The role of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and high-sensitive troponin I (hsTnI) in risk stratifying HFrEF patients has been established; at present, evidence is exclusively based on one-time assessments, and the prognostic usefulness of serial biochemical assessments in this population still remains to be determined. We prospectively recruited 226 patients with chronic HFrEF, who were all referred to the Outpatient Clinic of our institution from November 2011 through September 2014. Recruited patients underwent full clinical evaluation with complete history taking and physical examination as well as ECG, biochemical assessment, and standard 2D and Doppler flow echocardiography at the first visit, and then again at each visit during the follow-up, repeated every 6 months. During the follow-up period, cardiovascular (CV) death, which occurred in 16 patients, was not statistically correlated with gender (p = 0.088) or age (p = 0.1636); however, baseline serum levels of NT-proBNP, which were 3 times higher in deceased patients, were significantly related to this clinical event (p = 0.001). We found that NT-proBNP represents a strong and independent predictor of CV outcome; serum levels of hsTnI, which are significantly related to an increased risk of hospitalization, cannot properly predict the relative risk of CV mortality. Our study validates, eventually, the multimarker strategy, which reflects the complexity of the HF pathophysiology.

Influence of arterial hypertension, smoking, and their combination on mortality (according to the results of a 27-year cohort prospective study of the unorganized population of Tomsk)

Aim. To study the influence of arterial hypertension (AH), smoking, and their combination on the risk of all cause and cardiovascular mortality.Material and methods. We conducted a 27-year cohort prospective study of the unorganized population of Tomsk (916 women and 630 men aged 20-59 years). At the first stage, we studied the prevalence of AH and smoking (1998-1991), at the second (2015) — the effect of these risk factors (RF) and their combination on the risk of all cause and cardiovascular mortality. AH was diagnosed at a blood pressure level of &gt;140/90 mmHg and &lt;140/90 mm Hg in individuals taking antihypertensive drugs. Smokers were individuals who smoked at least 1 cigarette per day and quit smoking less than one year ago.Results. The study found a significant effect of AH and smoking on mortality: the relative risk (RR) of all-cause mortality in people with hypertension was 2,2, in smokers — 2,3, in those with a combination of RF — 5,0. The RR of cardiovascular mortality in AH individuals was 3,4, in smokers — 1,6, in smoking men and women suffering from AH — 5,2. An increase in the risk of all-cause mortality in people with AH and smoking was observed in all gender-age groups. Smoking was found to increase the risk of all-cause mortality in individuals with high levels of blood pressure by 2,1 times compared with non-smoking hypertensive patients. It reduces the chances of a 27-year survival rate to 64,4%, and more so in the youngest (20-39 years) age group (RR — 3,9). Multivariate analysis showed that AH and smoking make the most significant contribution to the formation of mortality compared to other modifiable RFs.Conclusion. We found that AH and smoking are among the most influential RFs, and their combination increases the RR of all-cause mortality by 5,0 times (cardiovascular — 5,2 times). We also determined an additional risk of smoking in individuals suffering from AH to the all-cause mortality.

Vitamin D status and mortality risk among patients on dialysis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in patients on dialysis. Although vitamin D deficiency is closely associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and high mortality in the general population, the relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in dialysis patients is uncertain. We aim to explore the relationship between serum 25(OH)D levels and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in dialysis patients. This is a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical studies among patients receiving maintenance dialysis. We did a systematic literature search in PubMed and Embase to identify studies reporting the relationship between serum 25(OH)D levels and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients on dialysis. The search was last updated on 10 February 2017. The study included 18 moderate to high-quality cohort studies with an overall sample of 14 154 patients on dialysis. The relative risk of all-cause mortality per 10 ng/mL increase in serum 25(OH)D level was 0.78 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.71-0.86], although there was marked heterogeneity (I2=96%, P < 0.01) that was partly explained by differences in CVD prevalence, baseline parathyroid hormone level and dialysis duration among included studies. The relative risk of cardiovascular mortality per 10 ng/mL increase in serum 25(OH)D level was 0.71 (95% CI 0.63-0.79), with substantial heterogeneity (I2=74%, P=0.004) that was largely explained by differences in study type and serum 25(OH)D measurement method. In the present study, increased serum 25(OH)D level was significantly associated with lower all-cause mortality and lower cardiovascular mortality in dialysis patients.

The Safety and Efficacy of Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists in Patients Who Require Dialysis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Patients who require dialysis are at high risk for cardiovascular mortality, which may be improved by mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs). Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Adults undergoing long-term hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis with or without heart failure. Randomized controlled trials evaluating an MRA in dialysis and reported at least one outcome of interest. Spironolactone (8 trials) or eplerenone (1 trial) compared to placebo (7 trials) or standard of care (2 trials). Cardiovascular and all-cause mortality, hyperkalemia, serum potassium level, hypotension, change in blood pressure, and gynecomastia. We identified 9 trials including 829 patients. The overall quality of evidence was low due to methodologic limitations in most of the included trials. The relative risk (RR) for cardiovascular mortality was 0.34 (95% CI, 0.15-0.75) for MRA-treated compared with control patients. The RR for all-cause mortality was 0.40 (95% CI, 0.23-0.69). The RR for hyperkalemia for MRA treatment was 3.05 (95% CI, 1.21-7.70). Sensitivity analyses demonstrated wide variability in RRs for cardiovascular mortality, all-cause mortality, and hyperkalemia, suggesting further uncertainty in the confidence of the primary results. Trial quality and size insufficient to robustly and precisely identify a treatment effect. Given the uncertainty of both the benefits and harms of MRAs in dialysis, large high-quality trials are required.

Management of hypertension in patients with end-stage renal disease leading to haemodialysis: a challenge

The majority of the patients of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) leading to haemodialysis suffer from hypertension. Increase in blood pressure is both a cause and a consequence of chronic kidney disease and inadequate control of blood pressure in these patients increases the risk of development of left ventricular hypertrophy, congestive heart failure, stroke and other cardiovascular and neurological complications leading to high morbidity and mortality in these patients. In a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of antihypertensive therapy in haemodialysis patients, blood pressure lowering treatment was associated with a 29% lower relative risk of cardiovascular mortality and a 20% lower relative risk of all-cause mortality. While blood pressure control may improve cardiovascular mortality and morbidity, the management of hypertension is a big challenge in these patients especially in developing countries like India where the maintenance of optimal dry weight in between the dialysis therapy is inadequate due to high cost of hemodialysis and limited number of centers providing dialysis therapy. The aim of the present review the evidence on the optimal systolic and diastolic blood pressure in the patients on haemodialysis and the most effective drug or group of drugs that can provide adequate blood pressure control in all phases of dialysis (pre, post, intra and interdialytic phases) without complications like intradialytic hypotension or hypertension and good patient compliance.

Elevated Total Homocysteine Levels in Acute Ischemic Stroke Are Associated With Long-Term Mortality.

Background and Purpose—Total homocysteine (tHcy) levels are associated with secondary vascular events and mortality after stroke. The aim of this study was to investigate whether tHcy levels in the acute phase of a stroke contribute to the recurrence of cerebro-cardiovascular events and mortality.Methods—A total of 3799 patients were recruited after hospital admission for acute ischemic stroke. Levels of tHcy were measured within 24 hours after primary admission. Patients were followed for a median of 48 months.Results—During the follow-up period, 233 (6.1%) patients died. After adjustment for age, smoking status, diabetes mellitus, and other cardiovascular risk factors, patients in the highest tHcy quartile (>18.6 μmol/L) had a 1.61-fold increased risk of death (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.61; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03–2.53) compared with patients in the lowest quartile (≤10 μmol/L). Further subgroup analysis showed that this correlation was only significant in the large-artery atherosclerosis stroke subtype (adjusted HR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.05–3.07); this correlation was not significant in the small-vessel occlusion subtype (adjusted HR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.30–2.12). The risk of stroke-related mortality was 2.27-fold higher for patients in the third tHcy quartile (adjusted HR, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.06–4.86) and 2.15-fold more likely for patients in the fourth quartile (adjusted HR, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.01–4.63) than for patients in the lowest tHcy quartile. The risk of cardiovascular-related mortality and the risk of recurrent ischemic stroke were not associated with tHcy levels.Conclusions—Our findings suggest that elevated tHcy levels in the acute phase of an ischemic stroke can predict mortality, especially in stroke patients with the large-vessel atherosclerosis subtype.

Meta-Analysis of the Relation of Body Mass Index to All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality and Hospitalization in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure

Clinical studies have indicated the existence of an "obesity paradox" in patients with chronic heart failure (HF), that is, reduced mortality in patients who have elevated body mass index (BMI) scores compared with normal-weight reference groups. The aim of this study was to investigate the relation of BMI with all-cause and cardiovascular (CV) mortality and hospitalization in patients with chronic HF though a systematic review and meta-analysis of published research. PubMed, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane Central, Scopus, web of science and Embase were searched for studies reporting rates of total mortality, cardiac mortality, and risk for hospitalization in patients with HF in various BMI categories (<20 kg/m(2) [low], 20 to 24.9 kg/m(2) [normal reference], 25 to 29.9 kg/m(2) [overweight], 30 to 34.9 [obese], and ≥35 kg/m(2) [severely obese]). Event rates were compared using a forest plot of relative risk (RR) using a random-effects model assuming interstudy heterogeneity. Two study investigators independently reviewed the 124 reports retrieved and identified 6 for final analyses (n = 22,807). After a mean follow-up period of 2.85 years, the risk for adverse events was highest in patients with low BMIs: total mortality RR 1.27 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.17 to 1.37), CV mortality RR 1.20 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.43), and hospitalization RR 1.19 (95% CI 1.09 to 1.30). Risk for CV mortality and hospitalization was lowest in overweight patients (RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.70 to 0.90, and RR 0.92, 95% CI 0.86 to 0.97, respectively). Increasing degree of obesity failed to achieve a statistically significant effect on CV mortality (RR 0.82, 95% CI 0.64 to 1.05, and RR 0.71, 95% CI 0.50 to 1.01, for obese and severely obese, respectively) and on hospitalization (RR 0.99, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.07, and RR 1.28, 95% CI 0.88 to 1.87, for obese and severely obese, respectively). In conclusion, risk for total mortality and CV mortality and hospitalization was highest in patients with chronic HF who were underweight as defined by low BMI, whereas risk for CV mortality and hospitalization was lowest in overweight subjects.

AB0328 Gender Differences in Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease in Outpatients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

BackgroundPeople with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have an increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) [1,2]. Although male gender is generally associated with a greater risk for cardiovascular related mortality and death,...

Cerebral microbleeds and the risk of mortality in the general population

Presence of cerebral microbleeds indicates underlying vascular brain disease and has been implicated in lobar hemorrhages and dementia. However, it remains unknown whether microbleeds also reflect more systemic vascular burden. We investigated the association of microbleeds with all-cause and cardiovascular related mortality in the general population. We rated the brain magnetic resonance imaging scans of 3979 Rotterdam Scan Study participants to determine presence, number, and location of microbleeds. Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for age, sex, subcohort, vascular risk factors, and other MRI markers of cerebral vascular disease, were applied to quantify the association of microbleeds with mortality. After a mean follow up of 5.2 (±1.1) years, 172 (4.3%) people had died. Presence of microbleeds, and particularly deep or infratentorial microbleeds, was significantly associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality [sex-, age-, subcohort adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 2.27; CI 1.50-3.45], independent of vascular risk factors (HR 1.87; 95% CI 1.20-2.92). The presence of deep or infratentorial microbleeds strongly associated with the risk of cardiovascular related mortality (HR 4.08; CI 1.78-9.39). Mortality risk increased with increasing number of microbleeds. The presence of microbleeds, particularly multiple microbleeds and those in deep or infratentorial regions, indicates an increased risk of mortality, independent of other MRI markers of cerebral vascular disease. Our data suggest that microbleeds may mark severe underlying vascular pathology associated with poorer survival.