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Background: The association between plasma free fatty acid (FFA) and the outcomes in the heart failure (HF) patients remains unclear. Methods: A cohort study among HF patients was performed. Plasma FFA was analyzed as both a continuous and a categorical variable (grouped by tertiles) to assess its association with composite cardiovascular (CV) death and HF hospitalization (CV death & HHP), CV death alone, and all-cause mortality (ACM) using Cox regression models. Subgroup analyses of HF patients with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and mildly reduced/reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF/HFrEF) were performed. This work also assessed the effectiveness of combining FFA and NT-pro BNP biomarkers for risk stratification by calculating the concordance index (C-index). Results: Among the 4,109 HF patients, FFA levels exceeding 0.4–0.42 mmol/L were associated with increased risks of the three outcomes. Patients in the highest FFA tertile faced greater risks than those in the lowest tertile. Adjusted hazard ratios were 1.32 (95% CI: 1.11–1.58) for CV death & HHP, 1.45 (95% CI: 1.16–1.82) for CV death, and 1.39 (95% CI: 1.15–1.68) for ACM, with a maximum follow-up of 8 years (median: 25 months). Subgroup analyses revealed that elevated FFA levels consistently predicted worse outcomes in both HFmrEF/HFrEF and HFpEF patients. The C-index for predicting outcomes was significantly greater when NT-pro BNP and FFA were combined than when NT-pro BNP was used alone (P < 0.01). Conclusion: Increased plasma FFA concentrations were independently associated with greater risks of CV death & HHP, CV death, and ACM among HF patients, irrespective of the ejection fraction. The combination of FFA and NT-pro BNP biomarkers significantly improved risk stratification in HF patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The association between plasma free fatty acid (FFA) and the outcomes in the heart failure (HF) patients remains unclear. Methods A cohort study among HF patients was performed. Plasma FFA was analyzed as both a continuous and a categorical variable (grouped by tertiles) to assess its association with composite cardiovascular (CV) death and HF hospitalization (CV death & HHP), CV death alone, and all-cause mortality (ACM) using Cox regression models. Subgroup analyses of HF patients with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and mildly reduced/reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF/HFrEF) were performed. This work also assessed the effectiveness of combining FFA and NT-pro BNP biomarkers for risk stratification by calculating the concordance index (C-index). Results Among the 4,109 HF patients, FFA levels exceeding 0.4–0.42 mmol/L were associated with increased risks of the three outcomes. Patients in the highest FFA tertile faced greater risks than those in the lowest tertile. Adjusted hazard ratios were 1.32 (95% CI: 1.11–1.58) for CV death & HHP, 1.45 (95% CI: 1.16–1.82) for CV death, and 1.39 (95% CI: 1.15–1.68) for ACM, with a maximum follow-up of 8 years (median: 25 months). Subgroup analyses revealed that elevated FFA levels consistently predicted worse outcomes in both HFmrEF/HFrEF and HFpEF patients. The C-index for predicting outcomes was significantly greater when NT-pro BNP and FFA were combined than when NT-pro BNP was used alone (P

The role of fractional flow reserve (FFR) in coronary intermediate lesions is widely recommended by guidelines. The effect of uric acid (UA) on cardiovascular events is also well known. However, the relationship between UA and long-term cardiovascular outcomes in patients who received FFR with intermediate lesions remains unknown. We retrospectively included 428 patients who underwent both coronary angiography (CAG) and FFR. Participants were stratified into two groups based on the median UA. The primary endpoint was the composite of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs), including repeat revascularization, nonfatal stroke, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and all-cause death. A Cox proportional hazards model was utilized to analyze the association between UA and the prevalence of MACCEs. During a median follow-up of 5.8 years, a higher MACCEs rate occurred in the high UA group compared to the low UA group (16.8% vs. 5.1%, p log-rank<0.01). Elevated UA was independently linked to a higher incidence of MACCEs, whether UA was treated as a categorical or continuous variable (hazard ratio [HR] 2.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.27–6.03 or HR 1.01, 95% CI 1.01–1.02). The restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis illustrated that the HR for MACCEs increased with increasing UA. The present study demonstrates that UA is associated with MACCEs risk and suggests that UA is a reliable predictor of long-term cardiovascular events in coronary intermediate stenosis patients. • We explored the long-term prognostic value of UA in patients with coronary intermediate stenosis for the first time. • Patients with a high level of UA suffered an increased incidence of cardiac events compared to those with a low level. • High UA levels were independently linked to a higher risk of MACCEs, regardless of whether UA was treated as a categorical or continuous variable. • The detrimental effects of UA will be significant in patients with coronary intermediate stenosis, when UA exceeds 407 μmol/L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Medication nonadherence contributes to poor health outcomes but remains challenging to identify. This study assessed the association between self‐rated adherence and systolic blood pressure, low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, cardiovascular events, and all‐cause mortality in SPRINT (Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial). Methods and Results A total of 9361 patients randomized to 2 systolic blood pressure target groups, 80%, respectively. Linear mixed effect regression models and Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate the association between self‐rated adherence and systolic blood pressure and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol and cardiovascular events and all‐cause mortality, respectively. A total of 9278 participants (mean age 68±9.4 years, 35.6% female) had repeated self‐rated adherence measurements available, with a mean of 15±4 measurements per participant over 3.8 years follow‐up. Of these, 2694 participants (29.0%) had ≥1 adherence measurements ≤80%. Compared with high‐adherent patients, patients with lower adherence had significantly higher estimated on‐treatment systolic blood pressure at 2‐year follow‐up: 128.7 (95% CI, 127.6–129.9) versus 120.0 (95% CI, 119.7–120.2) mm Hg in the intensive arm; and 139.8 (95% CI 138.4–141.1) versus 135.0 (95% CI 134.7–135.2) in the standard arm. Moreover, lower adherence was associated with an estimated 11 mg/dL higher low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol level, more cardiovascular events (hazard ratio [HR], 1.69 [95% CI, 1.20–2.39]), and higher all‐cause mortality (HR, 1.63 [95% CI, 1.16–2.31]). Conclusions Self‐rated adherence allows identification of lower medication adherence and correlates with blood pressure control, low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, and adverse outcomes.

Triglyceride-glucose index (TyG index) is a reliable surrogate marker of insulin resistance, associated with morbidity and prognosis of cardiovascular disease. However, its predictive value for cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and chronic total occlusion (CTO) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has not been studied. Here, we retrospectively enrolled 681 patients with T2DM and CTO after PCI. Patients were divided into two groups based on a median TyG index of 9.02. The TyG index was calculated as ln [fasting triglyceride (mg/dL) × fasting glucose (mg/dL)/2]. The primary observational end point was the composite of overall death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and unplanned revascularization. The Multivariate Cox hazards regression analysis showed that the TyG index was significantly correlated with the primary end point (hazard ratio = 1.699, 95% confidence interval 1.254–2.303, p = 0.001). The addition of TyG to a baseline risk model had an incremental effect on the predictive value for the primary end point (area under the curve: TyG index vs baseline model, 0.693 vs 0.663, comparison p = 0.040; integrated discrimination improvement = 0.049, p = 0.020). The TyG index might be a predictor of adverse cardiovascular events. Moreover, adding the TyG index into a baseline risk model had a cumulative effect on the predictive potential for the primary end point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundThe association between high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and adverse cardiovascular outcomes is understudied. Based on cohort studies, the current study aimed to investigate the association of extremely high HDL-C with all-cause, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality, and stroke risk.MethodsA systematic literature search in Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science was performed to collect relevant cohort studies published before August 20, 2022. A random-effects model was used to pool relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).ResultsA total of 17 cohort studies involving 19,630,829 participants were included, encompassing 18,547,132 total deaths (1,328,036 CVD deaths). All-cause mortality, CVD mortality, and stroke risk in the extremely high HDL-C group were increased by 15% (RR = 1.15, 95% CI:1.05–1.25), 14% (RR = 1.14, 95% CI:0.96–1.35) and 14% (RR = 1.14, 95% CI:0.82–1.58), compared to the normal HDL-C group. In subgroup analyses, extremely high HDL-C was associated with a reduced risk of CVD mortality in women and a lower risk of stroke in men compared to normal HDL-C levels.ConclusionsThe extremely high levels of HDL-C were associated with elevated risks of all-cause mortality, CVD mortality, and stroke. More well-designed studies are needed to confirm our findings.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=370201, identifier: CRD42022370201.

Yuanming Xing,1,2 Chen Wang,1,2 Haoyu Wu,1,2 Yiming Ding,1,2 Siying Chen,3 Zuyi Yuan1,2 1Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China; 2Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Zuyi Yuan, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China, Email zuyiyuan@mail.xjtu.edu.cnPurpose: Left ventricular aneurysm (LVA) is a severe and common mechanical comorbidity with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) that can present high mortality and serious adverse outcomes. Accordingly, there is a need for early identification and prevention of patients at risk of LVA. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a risk prediction model for LVA among AMI patients in Northwest China.Methods: A total of 509 patients with AMI were retrospectively collected between January 2018 and August 2021. All patients were randomly divided into a training group (n=356) and a validation group (n=153). Potential risk factors for LVA were screened for predictive modelling using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression, multivariate logistic regression, clinical relevance, and represented by a comprehensive nomogram. Receiver operating characteristic curve, calibration curve, and decision-curve analysis (DCA) were used to assess the discrimination capacity, calibration, and clinical validity, respectively.Results: Seven predictors were finally identified for the establishment of prediction model, including age, cardiovascular disease history, left ventricular ejection fraction, ST-segment elevation, percutaneous coronary intervention history, mean platelet volume, and aspartate aminotransferase. The prediction model achieved acceptable areas under the curves of 0.901 (95% confidence interval [CI]=0.868– 0.933) and 0.908 (95% CI=0.861– 0.956) in the training and validation groups, respectively, and the calibration curves fit well in our model. The DCA result indicated that this nomogram exhibited a favorable performance in terms of clinical utility.Conclusion: An accurate prediction model for LVA development established, which can be applied to rapidly assess the risk of LVA in patients with AMI. Our findings will aid clinical decision-making to reduce the incidence of LVA in high-risk patients, and counteract adverse cardiovascular outcomes.Keywords: cardiovascular disease, acute myocardial infarction, left ventricular aneurysm, risk prediction model, adverse cardiovascular outcomes

Background: Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) is a homeostatic cytokine that regulates neural and cardio-metabolic functions, and its release is increased in response to stress, injury, and inflammation. In patients with coronary artery disease and heart failure (HF), three separate meta-analyses have found that elevated circulating GDF-15 was predictive of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), but none has evaluated its effects on incident MACE including HF and mortality hazard in type 2 diabetes. Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Scopus databases were queried. Articles that met the predefined eligibility criteria, including prospective studies that reported adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs), were selected according to the Cochrane Handbook and PRISMA guidelines. Study endpoints were (1) MACE including HF, and (2) all-cause mortality. Different GDF-15 concentration measurements were harmonized using a validated mathematical approach to express log2-transformed values in per standard deviation (SD). Study heterogeneity (I2), quality, and bias were assessed. Results: 19354 patients in 8 prospective studies were included. In 7 studies that reported 4247 MACE among 19200 participants, the incident rate was 22.1% during a median follow-up of 5.6 years. It was found that four of eight studies included HF decompensation or hospitalization as a component of MACE. In 5 studies that reported all-cause mortality, 1893 of 13223 patients died, at an incidence rate of 15.1% over 5.0 years. Of note, each 1 SD increase of log2[GDF-15] was associated with aHRs of 1.12 (1.09–1.15, I2 = 5%, p < 0.000001) and 1.27 (1.11–1.46, I2 = 86%, p = 0.00062) and for MACE and all-cause mortality, respectively. Conclusion: Elevated circulating level of GDF-15 was robustly predictive of MACE in patients with T2D but its prognostic significance in the prediction of mortality requires further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Measuring glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is a simple way to assess patients with prediabetes or diabetes mellitus. It has been shown that HbA1c level predicts prognosis in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and the incidence of diabetes mellitus. However, the prognostic significance of HbA1c level in Asian patients with prediabetes and CAD is not yet clear. Our study aimed to determine the relationship between HbA1c level and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with prediabetes and CAD. Methods: We enrolled 1367 patients with prediabetes and CAD in the final analysis, and grouped them according to the HbA1c level. Primary end points included nonfatal myocardial infarction, hospitalization for unstable angina, and ischemia-driven revascularization. Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between HbA1c level and MACE after our accounting for confounding factors. Results: A total of 1367 patients (age 58.8 ± 10.3 years; 71.6% men) were included. During 43 months of follow-up, 197 patients experienced at least one primary end point event. Multivariate Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis showed in comparison of HbA1c levels that the hazard ratio for primary end points was 4.110, with a 95% confidence interval of 2.097-6.011 (P < 0.001). Conclusions: HbA1c level positively correlated with MACE, demonstrating it is a valuable indicator for independently predicting MACE in Asian patients with prediabetes and CAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The triglyceride glucose (TyG) index, a simple surrogate estimate of insulin resistance, has been demonstrated to predict cardiovascular (CV) disease morbidity and mortality in the general population and many patient cohorts. However, to our knowledge, the prognostic usefulness of the TyG index after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) has not been determined. This study aimed to evaluate the association of the TyG index with adverse CV outcomes in patients with T2DM and ACS who underwent PCI. Methods The TyG index was calculated using the formula ln[fasting triglycerides (mg/dL) × fasting glucose (mg/dL)/2]. The primary endpoint was the composite of all-cause mortality, non-fatal stroke, non-fatal myocardial infarction, or unplanned repeat revascularization. The association between the TyG index and adverse CV outcomes was assessed by Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Results In total, 776 patients with T2DM and ACS who underwent PCI (mean age, 61 ± 10 years; men, 72.2%) were included in the final analysis. Over a median follow-up of 30 months, 188 patients (24.2%) had at least 1 primary endpoint event. The follow-up incidence of the primary endpoint rose with increasing TyG index tertiles. The multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis adjusted for multiple confounders revealed a hazard ratio for the primary endpoint of 2.17 (95% CI 1.45–3.24; P for trend = 0.001) when the highest and lowest TyG index tertiles were compared. Conclusions The TyG index was significantly and positively associated with adverse CV outcomes, suggesting that the TyG index may be a valuable predictor of adverse CV outcomes after PCI in patients with T2DM and ACS.

Brain-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and the amino-terminal fragment of its prohormone (NT-proBNP) are known predictors of cardiovascular outcomes in patients with coronary heart disease; however, the relative prognostic value of these 2 biomarkers for secondary events remains unclear. In 983 participants with stable coronary heart disease, we evaluated the association of BNP and NT-proBNP with time to hospitalization for heart failure, nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke or transient ischemic attack, cardiovascular death, and combined major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). During an average follow-up of 6.5±3.3 years, both BNP and NT-proBNP were associated with increased risk of MACE in a multivariable-adjusted model (hazard ratio per standard deviation of log BNP: 1.58; 95% CI: 1.32 to 1.89; hazard ratio per standard deviation of log NT-proBNP: 1.84; 95% CI: 1.52 to 2.24). When added to traditional risk factors, NT-proBNP predicted MACE better than BNP (C statistic: 0.76 versus 0.72, P

In the article the problem of the combined use of clopidogrel and various proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in terms of cardiovascular complications risk and stent thrombosis is considered. The results of meta - analyses and a systematic reviews affecting this issue are represented in detail. The inter - drug interactions mechanisms of various PPIs with clopidogrel based on the characteristics of the metabolism in the liver cytochromes system are discussed. The authors conducted a search, systematization and analysis of studies regarding the association between cardiovascular risk and combined use of individual medications from PPI class with clopidogrel, and these results are presented in the review. Currently available data do not allow to answer the question about the differences between individual PPIs in their impact on the risk of adverse cardiovascular events due to the small number of such studies, design heterogeneity, differences in the inclusion criteria and end points as well as in the rate of administration of individual PPIs.

Background: Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) is a homeostatic cytokine that regulates neural and cardio-metabolic functions, and its release is increased in response to stress, injury, and inflammation. In patients with coronary artery disease and heart failure (HF), three separate meta-analyses have found that elevated circulating GDF-15 was predictive of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), but none has evaluated its effects on incident MACE including HF and mortality hazard in type 2 diabetes. Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Scopus databases were queried. Articles that met the predefined eligibility criteria, including prospective studies that reported adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs), were selected according to the Cochrane Handbook and PRISMA guidelines. Study endpoints were (1) MACE including HF, and (2) all-cause mortality. Different GDF-15 concentration measurements were harmonized using a validated mathematical approach to express log2-transformed values in per standard deviation (SD). Study heterogeneity (I2), quality, and bias were assessed. Results: 19354 patients in 8 prospective studies were included. In 7 studies that reported 4247 MACE among 19200 participants, the incident rate was 22.1% during a median follow-up of 5.6 years. It was found that four of eight studies included HF decompensation or hospitalization as a component of MACE. In 5 studies that reported all-cause mortality, 1893 of 13223 patients died, at an incidence rate of 15.1% over 5.0 years. Of note, each 1 SD increase of log2[GDF-15] was associated with aHRs of 1.12 (1.09–1.15, I2 = 5%, p < 0.000001) and 1.27 (1.11–1.46, I2 = 86%, p = 0.00062) and for MACE and all-cause mortality, respectively. Conclusion: Elevated circulating level of GDF-15 was robustly predictive of MACE in patients with T2D but its prognostic significance in the prediction of mortality requires further studies.

Background: The triglyceride glucose (TyG) index, a simple surrogate estimate of insulin resistance, has been demonstrated to predict cardiovascular (CV) disease morbidity and mortality in the general population and many patient cohorts. However, to our knowledge, the prognostic usefulness of the TyG index after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) has not been determined. This study aimed to evaluate the association of the TyG index with adverse CV outcomes in patients with T2DM and ACS who underwent PCI. Methods: The TyG index was calculated using the formula ln[fasting triglycerides (mg/dL) × fasting glucose (mg/dL)/2]. The primary endpoint was the composite of all-cause mortality, non-fatal stroke, non-fatal myocardial infarction, or unplanned repeat revascularization. The association between the TyG index and adverse CV outcomes was assessed by Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Results: In total, 776 patients with T2DM and ACS who underwent PCI (mean age, 61 ± 10 years; men, 72.2%) were included in the final analysis. Over a median follow-up of 30 months, 188 patients (24.2%) had at least 1 primary endpoint event. The follow-up incidence of the primary endpoint rose with increasing TyG index tertiles. The multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis adjusted for multiple confounders revealed a hazard ratio for the primary endpoint of 2.17 (95% CI 1.45–3.24; P for trend = 0.001) when the highest and lowest TyG index tertiles were compared. Conclusions: The TyG index was significantly and positively associated with adverse CV outcomes, suggesting that the TyG index may be a valuable predictor of adverse CV outcomes after PCI in patients with T2DM and ACS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims Conventional cardiovascular risk estimators based on clinical demographics have limited prediction of coronary events. Markers for thrombogenicity and vascular function have not been explored in risk estimation of high-risk patients with coronary artery disease. We aimed to develop a clinical and biomarker score to predict 3-year adverse cardiovascular events. Methods Four hundred eleven patients, with ejection fraction ≥40% undergoing coronary angiography, and found to have a luminal diameter stenosis ≥50%, were included in the analysis. Thrombelastography indices and central pulse pressure (CPP) were determined at the time of catheterization. Results We identified predictors of death, myocardial infarction (MI) or stroke and developed a numerical ischemia risk score. The primary endpoint of cardiovascular death, MI or stroke occurred in 22 patients (5.4%). The factors associated with events were age, prior PCI or CABG, diabetes, CPP, and thrombin-induced platelet-fibrin clot strength, and were included in the MAGMA-ischemia score. The MAGMA-ischemia score showed a c-statistic of 0.85 (95% Confidence Interval [CI] 0.80–0.87; p <0.001) for the primary endpoint. In the subset of patients who underwent revascularization, the c-statistic was 0.90 ( p <0.001). Patients with MAGMA-ischemia score greater than 5 had highest risk to develop clinical events, hazard ratio for the primary endpoint: 13.9 (95% CI 5.8–33.1, p <0.001) and for the secondary endpoint: 4.8 (95% CI 2.3–9.6, p <0.001). When compared to previous models, the MAGMA-ischemia score yielded a higher discrimination. Conclusions Inclusion of CPP and assessment of thrombogenicity in a novel score for patients with documented CAD enhanced the prediction of events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Aortic stenosis (AS) poses a perioperative management dilemma to physicians looking after patients who require non-cardiac surgery. The objective of this review is to investigate mortality and adverse cardiovascular events in patients with and without AS who underwent non-cardiac surgery. Methods We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE for studies that evaluated mortality and adverse cardiovascular events in patients with and without AS who underwent non-cardiac surgery. Pooled risk ratios for mortality and adverse outcomes (myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, death) were calculated using the dichotomous analysis method and subgroup analysis was performed considering the effect of severity of AS and symptoms. Results We identified 9 relevant studies with 29,327 participants. Among studies of severe AS, there was no significant difference in mortality (RR: 1.49, 95%CI:0.85–2.61; P = 0.16) associated with non-cardiac surgery, but there was a significant increase in the composite adverse outcome (RR: 2.30, 95%CI:1.33–3.97; P = 0.003). When the analysis involved any other degree of AS, eight studies were included and the pooled results showed a significant increase in composite adverse outcome (RR: 1.64, 95%CI:1.23–2.19; P < 0.001) and myocardial infarction (RR: 1.90, 95%CI:1.54–2.34; P < 0.001). When patients with asymptomatic AS were considered, the pooled results of four studies suggested an increased risk of composite adverse outcomes (RR: 1.59, 95%CI:1.19–2.12; P = 0.002) but not mortality, myocardial infarction, heart failure or stroke. Conclusions Patients with AS undergoing non-cardiac surgery have not been shown to be at increased risk of mortality, but have significantly higher rates of adverse cardiovascular events compared to patients without AS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: "Gender" reflects social norms for women and men, whereas "sex" defines biological characteristics. Gender-related characteristics explain some differences in access to care for premature acute coronary syndrome (ACS); whether they are associated with cardiovascular outcomes is unknown.Objectives: This study estimated associations between gender and sex with recurrent ACS and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) (e.g., ACS, cardiac mortality, revascularization) over 12 months in patients with ACS.Methods: We studied 273 women and 636 men age 18 to 55 years from GENESIS-PRAXY (GENdEr and Sex determInantS of cardiovascular disease: from bench to beyond-Premature Acute Coronary SYndrome), a prospective observational cohort study, who were hospitalized for ACS between January 2009 and April 2013. Gender-related characteristics (e.g., social roles) were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire, and a composite measure of gender was derived. Outcomes included recurrent ACS and MACE over 12 months.Results: Feminine roles and personality traits were associated with higher rates of recurrent ACS and MACE compared with masculine characteristics. This difference persisted for recurrent ACS, after multivariable adjustment (hazard ratio from score 0 to 100: 4.50; 95% confidence interval: 1.05 to 19.27), and was a nonstatistically significant trend for MACE (hazard ratio: 1.54; 95% confidence interval: 0.90 to 2.66). A possible explanation is increased anxiety, the only condition that was more prevalent in patients with feminine characteristics and that rendered the association between gender and recurrent ACS nonstatistically significant (hazard ratio: 3.56; 95% confidence interval: 0.81 to 15.61). Female sex was not associated with outcomes post-ACS.Conclusions: Younger adults with ACS with feminine gender are at an increased risk of recurrent ACS over 12 months, independent of female sex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Epidemiological studies showed that PR prolongation is associated with increased risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes. We investigated the relations of PR interval with indices of vascular function and endothelial repair as the underlying mechanisms. Methods: The study comprised 348 high-risk patients with prior coronary artery disease, ischemic stroke, and/or diabetes mellitus recruited from medical outpatient clinics and 150 healthy subjects without such a history. PR interval was considered prolonged if >200 ms, as determined from resting 12-lead electrocardiogram. Vascular function was assessed by brachial flow-meditated dilatation (FMD) using high-resolution ultrasound. Circulating CD133/KDR endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) levels were measured by flow cytometry. Results: Among healthy subjects, PR interval was inversely associated with FMD ( R = −0.20, P = 0.015), but not with the level of circulating CD133/KDR EPC ( R = 0.05, P = 0.58). Among high-risk cardiovascular patients, PR prolongation >200 ms was more common compared with healthy subjects (45/348 (13 %) versus 4/150 (3 %), P < 0.001). PR interval was associated inversely with FMD ( R = −0.14, P = 0.01) and positively with circulating CD133/KDR EPC level ( R = +0.14, P = 0.009). Circulating CD133/KDR EPC level was significantly increased in patients with PR prolongation >200 ms (0.87 ± 0.37 versus 0.68 ± 0.42 (log, ×10/ml), P = 0.005). Adjusted for potential confounders, increased PR interval remained independently associated with increased CD133/KDR EPC by +0.002 (95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.000 to 0.004 (log, ×10/ml), P = 0.011) and depressed FMD ( B = −0.014 %, 95 % CI −0.027 to −0.002, P = 0.026). Conclusions: PR prolongation is associated with endothelial dysfunction and evidence of endothelial repair activation in patients with high cardiovascular risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Conclusions from clinical studies and previous meta-analyses were inconsistent regarding the cardiovascular effects of concomitant use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and clopidogrel. As new studies are constantly emerging, we performed this meta-analysis to further assess the cardiovascular effects of concomitant use of PPIs and clopidogrel with a focus on individual PPIs. Methods: A systematic electronic literature search was conducted in EMBASE, MEDLINE, PubMed and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM) to identify the studies reporting on the association of concomitant use of PPIs and clopidogrel with adverse cardiovascular outcomes. A hand search of reference lists was performed to identify further studies. Only studies published in English or Chinese were included in this review. Results: Twenty seven full-text articles and five abstracts with 159,998 patients were included in meta-analysis. Concomitant use of PPIs and clopidogrel is associated with an increased risk of major cardiovascular events (MACE) (HR 1.40, 95% CI 1.19–1.64; OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.13–1.42) and acute coronary syndrome (HR 1.42, 95% CI 1.14–1.77; OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.08–1.87) but not with all-cause mortality (HR 1.30, 95% CI 0.91–1.86; OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.82–1.04), cardiovascular death (HR 1.21, 95% CI 0.60–2.43) and stent thrombosis (HR 1.52, 95% CI 0.87–2.65). In the analyses of individual PPIs, none of the PPIs is associated with an increased MACE risk except for pantoprazole (HR 1.52, 95% CI 1.18–1.94). Conclusions: Concomitant use of PPIs and clopidogrel in patients with coronary artery disease is associated with an increased risk of MACE or acute coronary syndrome, but there is insufficient evidence to conclude that there is an interaction between individual PPIs and clopidogrel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Conflicting and population-dependent findings have been reported from epidemiological studies on the associations of dietary intake of anti-oxidant vitamins with cardiovascular events. We investigated the prospective relationship between dietary intake of anti-oxidant vitamins and incident adverse cardiovascular outcomes amongst Hong Kong Chinese. Methods: In this prospective population-based study, baseline dietary intake of anti-oxidant vitamins (A, C, and E) were assessed using a food frequency questionnaire in 875 Chinese participants from the Hong Kong Cardiovascular Risk Factor Prevalence Study (CRISPS) in 1995–1996. The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of incident adverse cardiovascular outcomes, defined as the first recorded diagnosis of cardiovascular deaths, non-fatal myocardial infarction or non-fatal stroke, and coronary or other arterial revascularizations, was calculated per unit intake of each vitamin using multivariable Cox regression. Results: Over a median follow-up of 22 years, 85 participants (9.7%) developed adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Dietary intakes of vitamin A, C, and E were independently and inversely associated with incident adverse cardiovascular outcomes (HR 0.68, 95%CI 0.53–0.88, p = 0.003 for vitamin A; HR 0.66, 95%CI 0.52–0.85, p = 0.001 for vitamin C; and HR 0.57, 95%CI 0.38–0.86, p = 0.017 for vitamin E) after adjustments for conventional cardiovascular risk factors at baseline. Conclusions: Dietary intakes of anti-oxidant vitamins A, C, and E reduced the risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes in Hong Kong Chinese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]