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Abstract. Background. Resting heart rate (RHR) is considered as a strong predictor of total mortality and hospitalization due to heart failure in hypertension patients. Bisoprolol fumarate, a second-generation beta-adrenoreceptor blockers (β-blocker) is commonly prescribed drug to manage hypertension. The present study was to retrospectively evaluate changes in the average RHR and its association with cardiovascular outcomes in bisoprolol-treated coronary artery disease (CAD) patients from the CAD treated with bisoprolol (BISO-CAD) study who had comorbid hypertension. Methods. We performed ad-hoc analysis for hypertension sub-group of the BISO-CAD study (n = 866), which was a phase IV, multination, multi-center, single-arm, observational study carried out from October 2011 to July 2015 across China, South Korea, and Vietnam. Multivariate regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with incidence of composite cardiac clinical outcome (CCCO), the results were presented as adjusted odds ratio (OR) along with 95% confidence interval (CI) and adjusted P value. Results. A total of 681 patients (mean age: 64.77 ± 10.33 years) with hypertension from BISO-CAD study were included in the analysis. Bisoprolol improved CCCOs in CAD patients with comorbid hypertension, with RHR

Background: Lhasa is the main residence of Tibetans and one of the highest cities in the world. Its unique geography and ethnic population provide the chance to investigate the interactions among high altitude, ethnicity, and cardiac adaptation. Meanwhile, echocardiographic data about healthy Tibetans on a large scale are not available. This study aimed to analyze physiological factors related to ventricular size and valvular function in healthy Tibetans in Lhasa. Methods: A representative sample of residents in Tibet was recruited using a multistage cluster random sampling method. Two-dimensional echocardiographic measurements and Doppler evaluation for valvular function were performed. Healthy Tibetans in Lhasa constituted the study population. Associations between physiological parameters and ventricular dimensions in healthy Tibetans were analyzed by canonical correlation analysis. Factors related to valvular regurgitations were determined by logistic regression analysis. Results: The 454 healthy Tibetans (340 females and 114 male) in Lhasa were included in the final analysis. Canonical correlation analysis revealed that weight was positively correlated with the proximal right ventricular outflow diameter and the basal left ventricular linear dimension in both genders. Weight and pulse were negatively related to mild tricuspid regurgitation. Age was a positive factor for pulmonary and aortic regurgitations. The same was found between systolic blood pressure and mitral regurgitation. Conclusions: Weight is associated with ventricular size and valvular regurgitation in healthy Tibetans. It should be of more concern in research of high altitude population.

Background: Coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) has been widely used in patients who are at intermediate risk for having stable coronary artery disease (SCAD), and 2013 European Society of Cardiology Guidelines on the Management of SCAD (2013G) recommended the appropriate application of CCTA. However, 2013G has not been subjected to systematic analyses for subsequent impact on clinical practice. Methods: A total of 5320 patients suspected with SCAD were enrolled and scheduled for CCTA from March 2013 to September 2014. For each patient, pretest probability of SCAD was calculated according to updated Diamond-Forrester model (UDFM). Appropriate CCTA or appropriate stress test was determined as described in the 2013G. A generalized estimating equation model was used to determine the trends in the half-monthly rate of appropriate CCTA. Results: Overall, only 61.37% of patients received appropriate CCTA, and there was insignificant change over time (P = 0.8701). The application of CCTA in patients who should have had a stress test accounted for most of the inappropriate CCTA before (22.29%) or after (19.98%) the publication of the 2013G. In all patients or any subgroup, no significant change in the adjusted half-monthly rate of appropriate CCTA was found after the publication of the 2013G (odds ratio, 1.002; 95% confidence interval, 0.982-1.021; P = 0.8678). Conclusions: These findings suggest that the 2013G have not, to date, been fully incorporated into clinical practice, and the clinical utilization of CCTA remains unreasonable to some extent.

Background: Current randomized trials have demonstrated the effects of short-term rosuvastatin therapy in preventing contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CIAKI). However, the consistency of these effects on patients administered different volumes of contrast media is unknown. Methods: In the TRACK-D trial, 2998 patients with type 2 diabetes and concomitant chronic kidney disease (CKD) who underwent coronary/peripheral arterial angiography with or without percutaneous intervention were randomized to short-term (2 days before and 3 days after procedure) rosuvastatin therapy or standard-of-care. This prespecified analysis compared the effects of rosuvastatin versus standard therapy in patients exposed to (moderate contrast volume [MCV], 200-300 ml, n = 712) or (high contrast volume [HCV], ≥300 ml, n = 220). The primary outcome was the incidence of CIAKI. The secondary outcome was a composite of death, dialysis/hemofiltration or worsened heart failure at 30 days. Results: Rosuvastatin treatment was associated with a significant reduction in CIAKI compared with the controls (2.1% vs. 4.4%, P = 0.050) in the overall cohort and in patients with MCV (1.7% vs. 4.5%, P = 0.029), whereas no benefit was observed in patients with HCV (3.4% vs. 3.9%, P = 0.834). The incidence of secondary outcomes was significantly lower in the rosuvastatin group compared with control group (2.7% vs. 5.3%, P = 0.049) in the overall cohort, but it was similar between the patients with MCV (2.0% vs. 4.2%, P = 0.081) or HCV (5.1% vs. 8.8%, P = 0.273). Conclusions: Periprocedural short-term rosuvastatin treatment is effective in reducing CIAKI and adverse clinical events for patients with diabetes and CKD after their exposure to a moderate volume of contrast medium.