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Previous studies have demonstrated a relationship between subclinical cardiac dysfunction and cognitive impairment in older adults. However, association between hemodynamic variables and cognitive function has not been determined in an ethnically diverse middle-aged population. Furthermore, previous

Soluble Fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) plays a role in angiogenesis, atherogenesis, and preeclampsia but associations with subclinical atherosclerosis and clinical events in healthy adults are unknown. Participants from the Dallas Heart Study with sFlt-1 measured were included (n=3932).

Obesity is a well-established risk factor for hypertension and cardiovascular disease [(1)][1]. Given the rising obesity prevalence, it is unclear whether previously established hypertension treatment targets are generalizable to a more contemporary obese population [(2)][2]. Whether or not obesity

Background Multiple epidemiological studies from Europe and Asia have demonstrated increased cardiovascular risks associated with isolated elevation of home blood pressure (BP) or masked hypertension (MH). Previous studies have not addressed cardiovascular outcomes associated with MH and white-coat hypertension (WCH) in the general population in the United States. Objectives The goal of this study was to determine hypertensive target organ damage and adverse cardiovascular outcomes associated with WCH (high clinic BP, ≥140/90 mm Hg; normal home BP, Methods Associations among WCH, MH, sustained hypertension, and aortic pulsed wave velocity by magnetic resonance imaging; urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio; and cystatin C were evaluated at study baseline. Then, associations between WCH and MH with incident cardiovascular outcomes (coronary heart disease, stroke, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, and cardiovascular death) over a median follow-up period of 9 years were assessed. Results The study cohort comprised 3,027 subjects (50% African Americans). The sample-weighted prevalence rates of WCH and MH were 3.3% and 17.8%, respectively. Both WCH and MH were independently associated with increased aortic pulsed wave velocity, cystatin C, and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio. Both WCH (adjusted hazard ratio: 2.09; 95% confidence interval: 1.05 to 4.15) and MH (adjusted hazard ratio: 2.03; 95% confidence interval: 1.36 to 3.03) were independently associated with higher cardiovascular events compared with the normotensive group, even after adjustment for traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Conclusions In a multiethnic U.S. population, both WCH and MH were independently associated with increased aortic stiffness, renal injury, and incident cardiovascular events. Because MH is common and associated with an adverse cardiovascular profile, home BP monitoring should be routinely performed among U.S. adults.

Increased BP lability is a hallmark of autonomic dysfunction, which may be captured by 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM). However, usefulness of different measures of BP variability (BPV) in detecting autonomic failure (AF) has not been determined. We assessed BPV in 273 patients undergoing

Multiple epidemiological studies from Europe and Asia have demonstrated increased cardiovascular risks associated with isolated elevation of home blood pressure (BP) or masked hypertension (MH). Previous studies have not addressed cardiovascular outcomes associated with MH and white-coat hypertension (WCH) in the general population in the United States.The goal of this study was to determine hypertensive target organ damage and adverse cardiovascular outcomes associated with WCH (high clinic BP, ≥140/90 mm Hg; normal home BP, 135/85 mm Hg), MH (high home BP, ≥135/85 mm Hg; normal clinic BP, 140/90 mm Hg), and sustained hypertension (high home and clinic BP) in the DHS (Dallas Heart Study), a large, multiethnic, probability-based population cohort.Associations among WCH, MH, sustained hypertension, and aortic pulsed wave velocity by magnetic resonance imaging; urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio; and cystatin C were evaluated at study baseline. Then, associations between WCH and MH with incident cardiovascular outcomes (coronary heart disease, stroke, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, and cardiovascular death) over a median follow-up period of 9 years were assessed.The study cohort comprised 3,027 subjects (50% African Americans). The sample-weighted prevalence rates of WCH and MH were 3.3% and 17.8%, respectively. Both WCH and MH were independently associated with increased aortic pulsed wave velocity, cystatin C, and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio. Both WCH (adjusted hazard ratio: 2.09; 95% confidence interval: 1.05 to 4.15) and MH (adjusted hazard ratio: 2.03; 95% confidence interval: 1.36 to 3.03) were independently associated with higher cardiovascular events compared with the normotensive group, even after adjustment for traditional cardiovascular risk factors.In a multiethnic U.S. population, both WCH and MH were independently associated with increased aortic stiffness, renal injury, and incident cardiovascular events. Because MH is common and associated with an adverse cardiovascular profile, home BP monitoring should be routinely performed among U.S. adults.

Background: Dual anti-platelet therapy after placement of DES is indicated for one year to prevent stent thrombosis. The prevalence of premature ticagrelor discontinuation is not fully understood. Methods: All patients receiving DES from January 2012 – June 2016 at Parkland Hospital were included

Individuals with systemic autoimmune disease exhibit a heightened risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) [(1)][1]. Antinuclear autoantibodies (ANA) have been reported in approximately 25% of the general population [(2)][2]; yet, only a small fraction of those individuals will develop autoimmune

To the Editor: Adherence to medications is a major challenge clinicians often face in treating hypertension. An increasing number of studies show therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is reliable for detecting medication nonadherence in patients who seem to have resistant hypertension (RH) [(1,2)][1

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to determine whether cocaine’s sympathomimetic actions can be reversed by a potent centrally acting α2 adrenergic receptor (AR) agonist (dexmedetomidine).BackgroundWe recently showed that cocaine stimulates the human cardiovascular system primarily by acting in the brain to increase sympathetic nerve activity (SNA), the neural stimulus to norepinephrine release. Thus, SNA constitutes a putative new drug target to block cocaine’s adverse cardiovascular effects at their origin.MethodsIn 22 healthy cocaine-naïve humans, we measured skin SNA (microneurography) and skin blood flow (laser Doppler velocimetry) as well as heart rate and blood pressure before and after intranasal cocaine (2 mg/kg) alone and in combination with dexmedetomidine or saline.ResultsDuring intranasal cocaine alone, SNA increased by 2-fold and skin vascular resistance increased from 13.2 ± 2.3 to 20.1 ± 2.2 resistance units while mean arterial pressure increased by 14 ± 3 mm Hg and heart rate by 18 ± 3 beats/min (p < 0.01). Dexmedetomidine abolished these increases, whereas intravenous saline was without effect. Dexmedetomidine was effective in blocking these sympathomimetic actions of cocaine even in all 7 subjects who were homozygous for the Del322-325 polymorphism in the α2C AR, a loss-of-function mutation that is highly enriched in blacks.ConclusionsThe data advance the novel hypothesis that central sympatholysis with dexmedetomidine constitutes a highly effective countermeasure for cocaine’s sympathomimetic actions on the human cardiovascular system, even in individuals carrying the α2CDel322-325 polymorphism. (Study to Improve Scientific Understanding of the Cardiovascular Actions of Cocaine; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/NCT00338546?order=1; NCT00338546)

ObjectivesWe investigated whether the route of estrogen replacement therapy (ET) is the major determinant of C-reactive protein (CRP) in postmenopausal women.BackgroundRecent studies demonstrated that oral ET causes a sustained increase in CRP, implicating a proinflammatory effect. Because CRP is synthesized in the liver, we hypothesized that estrogen-induced CRP elevation is related to first-pass hepatic metabolism.MethodsIn 21 postmenopausal women, we conducted a randomized, crossover, placebo-controlled study to compare the effects of transdermal versus oral ET on CRP and inflammatory cytokines. We measured CRP, interleukin (IL)-1-beta, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha before and after eight weeks of transdermal estradiol (E2) (100 μg/day), oral conjugated estrogen (CEE) (0.625 mg/day), or placebo. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), a hepatic-derived anabolic peptide, was also measured.ResultsTransdermal E2had no effect on CRP or IGF-1 levels. In contrast, eight weeks of oral conjugated estrogens caused a more than twofold increase in CRP and a significant reduction in IGF-1 (p < 0.01) in the same women. The magnitude of increase in CRP was inversely correlated to the decrease in IGF-1 (r = −0.49, p = 0.008). Neither transdermal E2nor oral CEE had any effects on the plasma concentrations of cytokines that promote CRP synthesis.ConclusionsIn postmenopausal women, oral but not transdermal ET increased CRP by a first-pass hepatic effect. An increase in CRP levels is accompanied by a reduction in IGF-1, an anti-inflammatory growth factor. Because CRP is a powerful predictor of an adverse prognosis in otherwise healthy postmenopausal women, the route of administration may be an important consideration in minimizing the adverse effects of ET on cardiovascular outcomes.

ObjectivesThis study sought to determine whether there are race and gender differences in the distribution of C-reactive protein (CRP) levels.BackgroundFew data are available comparing CRP distributions in different race and gender groups. Recent clinical practice recommendations for CRP testing for cardiovascular risk assessment suggest a uniform threshold to define high relative risk (>3 mg/l).MethodsWe measured CRP in 2,749 white and black subjects ages 30 to 65 participating in the Dallas Heart Study, a multiethnic, population-based, probability sample, and compared levels of CRP between different race and gender groups.ResultsBlack subjects had higher CRP levels than white subjects (median, 3.0 vs. 2.3 mg/l; p < 0.001) and women had higher CRP levels than men (median, 3.3 vs. 1.8 mg/l; p < 0.001). The sample-weight adjusted proportion of subjects with CRP levels >3 mg/l was 31%, 40%, 51%, and 58% in white men, black men, white women, and black women, respectively (p < 0.05 for each group vs. white men). After adjustment for traditional cardiovascular risk factors, estrogen and statin use, and body mass index, a CRP level >3 mg/l remained more common in white women (odds ratio [OR] 1.6; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1 to 2.5) and black women (OR 1.7; 95% CI 1.2 to 2.6) but not in black men (OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 0.8 to 1.9) when compared with white men.ConclusionsSignificant race and gender differences exist in the population distribution of CRP. Further research is needed to determine whether race and gender differences in CRP levels contribute to differences in cardiovascular outcomes, and whether thresholds for cardiovascular risk assessment should be adjusted for different race and gender groups.