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Background: Current heart failure (HF) guidelines recommend a multidisciplinary approach, discharge education, and self-management for HF. However, the recommendations are challenging to implement in real-world clinical settings., Objective: We developed a mobile health (mHealth) platform for HF self-care to evaluate whether a smartphone app-based intervention with Bluetooth-connected monitoring devices and a feedback system can help improve HF symptoms., Methods: In this prospective, randomized, multicenter study, we enrolled patients 20 years of age and older, hospitalized for acute HF, and who could use a smartphone from 7 tertiary hospitals in South Korea. In the intervention group (n=39), the apps were automatically paired with Bluetooth-connected monitoring devices. The patients could enter information on vital signs, HF symptoms, diet, medications, and exercise regimen into the app daily and receive feedback or alerts on their input. In the control group (n=38), patients could only enter their blood pressure, heart rate, and weight using conventional, non-Bluetooth devices and could not receive any feedback or alerts from the app. The primary end point was the change in dyspnea symptom scores from baseline to 4 weeks, assessed using a questionnaire., Results: At 4 weeks, the change in dyspnea symptom score from baseline was significantly greater in the intervention group than in the control group (mean -1.3, SD 2.1 vs mean -0.3, SD 2.3; P=.048). A significant reduction was found in body water composition from baseline to the final measurement in the intervention group (baseline level mean 7.4, SD 2.5 vs final level mean 6.6, SD 2.5; P=.003). App adherence, which was assessed based on log-in or the percentage of days when symptoms were first observed, was higher in the intervention group than in the control group. Composite end points, including death, rehospitalization, and urgent HF visits, were not significantly different between the 2 groups., Conclusions: The mobile-based health platform with Bluetooth-connected monitoring devices and a feedback system demonstrated improvement in dyspnea symptoms in patients with HF. This study provides evidence and rationale for implementing mobile app-based self-care strategies and feedback for patients with HF., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05668000; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05668000., (©Minjae Yoon, Seonhwa Lee, Jah Yeon Choi, Mi-Hyang Jung, Jong-Chan Youn, Chi Young Shim, Jin-Oh Choi, Eung Ju Kim, Hyungseop Kim, Byung-Su Yoo, Yeon Joo Son, Dong-Ju Choi. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (https://www.jmir.org), 29.04.2024.)

Background/aims: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) raises the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. An awareness of MetS is vital for early detection and proactive management, which can mitigate the risks associated with MetS. Therefore, our study aimed to investigate the level of awareness of MetS among the Korean population., Methods: We conducted a nationwide survey between January and February 2023 among a representative sample of the Korean population using an online survey. Information regarding the awareness of MetS and its risk, the importance of lifestyle modification, and health behavior were collected. The question about the awareness of MetS was "How much do you think you know about MetS?" and there were five answers: 1) I know very well, 2) I know well, 3) I know a little, 4) I do not know, and 5) I have no idea. The high-awareness group was defined as those who answered that they knew very well or well., Results: Among 1,000 participants (mean age, 45.7 ± 13.2 yr), 29% were unaware of MetS, and only 20.8% had high awareness. The high-awareness group was significantly more knowledgeable about lifestyle modifications and demonstrated better health behaviors. After adjustment for possible confounding factors, younger age, low household income, and absence of comorbidity were independently associated with a lack of awareness regarding MetS., Conclusion: The high-awareness group showed greater knowledge of the importance of lifestyle modifications and better health behaviors regarding MetS. The findings highlight the need for improved public education and awareness programs regarding MetS.

Cardiac rehabilitation services are mostly underutilized despite the documentation of substantial morbidity and mortality benefits of cardiac rehabilitation post-acute myocardial infarction. To assess the implementation rate and barriers to cardiac rehabilitation in hospitals dealing with acute myocardial infarction in South Korea, between May and July 2016, questionnaires were emailed to cardiology directors of 93 hospitals in South Korea; all hospitals were certified institutes for coronary interventions. The questionnaires included 16 questions on the hospital type, cardiology practice, and implementation of cardiac rehabilitation. The obtained data were categorized into two groups based on the type of the hospital (secondary or tertiary) and statistically analysed. Of the 72 hospitals that responded (response rate of 77%), 39 (54%) were tertiary medical centers and 33 (46%) were secondary medical centers. All hospitals treated acute myocardial infarction patients and performed emergency percutaneous coronary intervention; 79% (57/72) of the hospitals performed coronary artery bypass grafting. However, the rate of implementation of cardiac rehabilitation was low overall (28%, 20/72 hospitals) and even lower in secondary medical centers (12%, 4/33 hospitals) than in tertiary centers (41%, 16/39 hospitals, p = 0.002). The major barriers to cardiac rehabilitation included the lack of staff (59%) and lack of space (33%). In contrast to the wide availability of acute-phase invasive treatment for AMI, the overall implementation of cardiac rehabilitation is extremely poor in South Korea. Considering the established benefits of cardiac rehabilitation in patients with acute myocardial infarction, more administrative support, such as increasing the fee for cardiac rehabilitation services by an appropriate level of health insurance coverage should be warranted., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Purpose: A community program is an efficient model for improving the management of chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. A specific blood pressure (BP) measurement protocol was developed for community settings in which BP was measured by the interviewer at the interviewee's home., Materials and Methods: In the 2018 Korean Community Health Survey, BP was measured twice at a five-minute interval after a five-minute resting period at the beginning of the survey. In 2019, BP was measured at the end of the survey after a two-minute rest and was obtained as three measurements at one-minute intervals. As factors related to BP level, stressful stimuli within 30 min before BP measurement such as smoking, caffeine, and/or exercise; duration of rest; and survey year were analysed., Results: The mean age of participants was 55.2 years, and females accounted for 55.4% of the participants ( n  = 399,838). Stressful stimuli were observed in 21.9% of the participants in 2018 ( n  = 188,440) and 11.3% in 2019 ( n  = 211,398). Duration of rest was 0 min (2.1%), two minutes (55.0%), and five minutes (47.9%). When adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, antihypertensive medication, the arm of measurement, survey year (beta= -4.092), stressful stimuli (beta = 0.834), and resting time (beta = -1.296 per one minute of rest) were significant factors for mean systolic BP. A two-minute rest was not a significant factor in mean BP. The differences in adjusted mean systolic BPs were significant for rest times of five minutes vs. two minutes (3.1 mmHg, p  < 0.0001), for stressful stimuli (0.8 mmHg, p  < 0.0001), and for survey year (127.8 ± 0.2 mmHg vs. 122.2 ± 0.3 mmHg for 2018 vs. 2019, p  < 0.0001)., Conclusion: For the community-based home visit survey, avoidance of stressful stimuli, five-minute rest, and allocation of BP measurement in the last part of the survey was useful for obtaining a stable BP level.

Background Cardiovascular disease is an important cause of mortality among survivors of breast cancer (BC). We developed a prediction model for major adverse cardiovascular events after BC therapy, which is based on conventional and BC treatment-related cardiovascular risk factors. Methods and Results The cohort of the study consisted of 1256 Asian female patients with BC from 4 medical centers in Korea and was randomized in a 1:1 ratio into the derivation and validation cohorts. The outcome measures comprised cardiovascular mortality, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, and transient ischemic attack/stroke. To correct overfitting, a penalized Cox proportional hazards regression was performed with a cross-validation approach. Number of cardiovascular diseases (myocardial infarction, peripheral artery disease, heart failure, and transient ischemic attack/stroke), number of baseline cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, age ≥60, body mass index ≥30 kg/m 2 , estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min per 1.73 m 2 , dyslipidemia, and diabetes mellitus), radiation to the left breast, and anthracycline dose per 100 mg/m 2 were included in the risk prediction model. The time-dependent C-indices at 3 and 7 years after BC diagnosis were 0.876 and 0.842, respectively, in the validation cohort. Conclusions A prediction score model, including BC treatment-related risk factors and conventional risk factors, was developed and validated to predict major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with BC. The CHEMO-RADIAT (congestive heart failure, hypertension, elderly, myocardial infarction/peripheral artery occlusive disease, obesity, renal failure, abnormal lipid profile, diabetes mellitus, irradiation of the left breast, anthracycline dose, and transient ischemic attack/stroke) score may provide overall cardiovascular risk stratification in survivors of BC and can assist physicians in multidisciplinary decision-making regarding the BC treatment.

Background Socioeconomic status is associated with differences in risk factors of cardiovascular disease and increased risks of cardiovascular disease and mortality. However, it is unclear whether an association exists between cardiovascular disease and income, a common measure of socioeconomic status, among patients with hypertension. Methods and Results This population-based longitudinal study comprised 479 359 patients aged ≥19 years diagnosed with essential hypertension. Participants were categorized by income and blood pressure levels. Primary end point was all-cause and cardiovascular mortality and secondary end points were cardiovascular events, a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, and stroke. Low income was significantly associated with high all-cause (hazard ratio [HR], 1.26; 95% CI, 1.23-1.29, lowest versus highest income) and cardiovascular mortality (HR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.25-1.38) as well as cardiovascular events (HR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.05-1.10) in patients with hypertension after adjusting for age, sex, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol consumption, physical activity, fasting glucose, total cholesterol, and the use of aspirin or statins. In each blood pressure category, low-income levels were associated with high all-cause and cardiovascular mortality and cardiovascular events. The excess risks of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality and cardiovascular events associated with uncontrolled blood pressure were more prominent in the lowest income group. Conclusions Low income and uncontrolled blood pressure are associated with increased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality and cardiovascular events in patients with hypertension. These findings suggest that income is an important aspect of social determinants of health that has an impact on cardiovascular outcomes in the care of hypertension.

Background It is unclear what office blood pressure (BP) is the optimal treatment target range in patients with hypertension. Methods and Results Using the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, we extracted the data on 479 359 patients with hypertension with available BP measurements and no history of cardiovascular events from 2002 to 2011. The study end point was major cardiovascular events (MACE), a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke. This cohort study evaluated the association of BP levels (<120/<70, 120-129/70-79, 130-139/80-89, 140-149/90-99, and ≥150/≥100 mm Hg) with MACE. During a median follow-up of 9 years, 55 401 MACE were documented in our cohort. The risk of MACE was the lowest (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.79; 95% CI, 0.76-0.84) at BP level of <120/<70 mm Hg, and was the highest (HR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.29-1.36) at ≥150/≥100 mm Hg in comparison with 130 to 139/80 to 89 mm Hg. These results were consistent in all age groups and both sexes. Among patients treated with antihypertensive medication (n=237 592, 49.5%), in comparison with a BP level of 130 to 139/80 to 89 mm Hg, the risk of MACE was significantly higher in patients with elevated BP (≥140/≥90 mm Hg), but not significantly lower in patients with BP of <130/<80 mm Hg. Low BP <120/70 mm Hg was associated with increased risk of all-cause or cardiovascular death in all age groups. Conclusions BP level is significantly correlated with the risk of MACE in all Korean patients with hypertension. However, there were no additional benefits for MACE amongst those treated for hypertension with BP <120/70 mm Hg.

The potential cancer risk associated with long-term exposure to angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) is still unclear. We assessed the risk of incident cancer among hypertensive patients who were treated with ARBs compared with patients exposed to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs), which are known to have a neutral effect on cancer development. Using the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, we analyzed the data of patients diagnosed with essential hypertension from January 2005 to December 2012 who were aged ≥40 years, initially free of cancer, and were prescribed either ACEI or ARB (n = 293,962). Cox proportional hazard model adjusted for covariates was used to evaluate the risk of incident cancer. During a mean follow-up of 10 years, 24,610 incident cancers were observed. ARB use was associated with a decreased risk of overall cancer compared with ACEI use (hazard ratio [HR] 0.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.72-0.80). Similar results were obtained for lung (HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.64-0.82), hepatic (HR 0.56, 95% CI 0.48-0.65), and gastric cancers (HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.66-0.83). Regardless of the subgroup, greater reduction of cancer risk was seen among patients treated with ARB than that among patients treated with ACEIs. Particularly, the decreased risk of cancer among ARB users was more prominent among males and heavy drinkers (interaction P < .005). Dose-response analyses demonstrated a gradual decrease in risk with prolonged ARB therapy than that with ACEI use. In conclusion, ARB use was associated with a decreased risk of overall cancer and several site-specific cancers., (© 2021 The Authors. The Journal of Clinical Hypertension published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background and Aims: Women with obesity are highly predominant among patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). We aimed to elucidate sex-specific associations of obesity with exercise capacity and diastolic function., Methods and Results: Healthy individuals without known cardiovascular diseases undergoing cardiopulmonary exercise test and echocardiography (n = 736) were included and categorized into 4 groups according to their sex and obesity. Exercise capacity was lower in women than men. Obesity was associated with a lower exercise capacity in women (23.5 ± 7.3 vs. 21.3 ± 5.4 ml/kg/min, p < 0.05) but not in men (28.2 ± 7.8 vs. 28.0 ± 6.6 ml/kg/min, p > 0.10). Overall, women had a higher E/e' than men. Women without obesity had a similar E/e' to men with obesity (8.2 ± 1.8 vs. 8.4 ± 2.1, p > 0.10), and women with obesity had the highest E/e'. Among 5 risk factors (aging, obesity, elevated blood pressure, elevated heart rate, and elevated fasting glucose), obesity was a significant determinant of exercise intolerance in women but not men. Furthermore, obesity was associated with a greater risk of diastolic dysfunction in women than men (women, adjusted odds ratio 4.35 [95% confidence interval 2.44-7.74]; men, adjusted odds ratio 2.91 [95% confidence interval 1.42-5.95])., Conclusion: Obesity had a more deleterious effect on exercise capacity and diastolic function in women than men, even in a healthy cohort. These subclinical changes might contribute to the development of a female predominance among HFpEF patients, particularly among individuals with obesity., (Copyright © 2020 The Italian Diabetes Society, the Italian Society for the Study of Atherosclerosis, the Italian Society of Human Nutrition and the Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

(1) Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with various cardiometabolic diseases. However, the association between NAFLD and stroke is not well known. The purpose of our study is to reveal the relationship between NAFLD and Stroke incidence. (2) Methods: Using data from a Korean prospective cohort study, we excluded participants with heavy alcohol consumption and a history of stroke; hence, 7964 adults aged 40-69 years were included in this study. According to their fatty liver index (FLI), participants were divided into three groups: <30 ( n = 4550, non-NAFLD), 30-59.9 ( n = 2229, intermediate), and ≥60 ( n = 1185, NAFLD). The incidence of stroke according to the degree of FLI was evaluated using the Cox proportional hazard model. (3) Results: During the 12-year follow-up period, 168 strokes occurred. A graded association between NAFLD and stroke incidence was observed, i.e., 1.7% ( n = 76), 2.5% ( n = 56), and 3.0% ( n = 36) for non-NAFLD, intermediate, and NAFLD FLI groups, respectively. After adjusting for confounding variables and compared to the risk of stroke in the non-NAFLD group, the risk of stroke in the NAFLD group was the highest (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.98, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.17-3.34), followed by the risk of stroke in the intermediate group (HR: 1.41, 95% CI: 0.94-2.21) ( p for trend < 0.001). However, the level of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, or gamma-glutamyltransferase alone did not show any significant association with stroke. (4) Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the risk of stroke incidence gradually increased with the degree of FLI. Individuals with NAFLD should be properly counseled and monitored for risk for stroke.

Background: Little is known about age-specific target blood pressure (BP) in hypertensive patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). The aim of this study was to determine the BP level at the lowest cardiovascular risk of hypertensive patients with DM according to age., Methods: Using the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, we analyzed patients without cardiovascular disease diagnosed with both hypertension and DM from January 2002 to December 2011. Primary end-point was composite cardiovascular events including cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction and stroke., Results: Of 241,148 study patients, 35,396 had cardiovascular events during a median follow-up period of 10 years. At the age of < 70 years, the risk of cardiovascular events was lower in patients with BP < 120/70 mmHg than in those with BP 130-139/80-89 mmHg. At the age of ≥ 70, however, there were no significant differences in the risk of cardiovascular events between patients with BP 130-139/80-89 mmHg and BP < 120/70 mmHg. The risk of cardiovascular events was similar between patients with BP 130-139/80-89 mmHg and BP 120-129/70-79 mmHg, and it was significantly higher in those with BP ≥ 140/90 mmHg than in those with BP 130-139/80-89 mmHg at all ages., Conclusions: In a cohort of hypertensive patients who had DM but no history of cardiovascular disease, lower BP was associated with lower risk of cardiovascular events especially at the age of < 70. However, low BP < 130-139/80-89 mmHg was not associated with decreased cardiovascular risk, it may be better to keep the BP of 130-139/80-89 mmHg at the age of ≥ 70.

Background: For a better heart failure outcome, it is fundamental to improve the awareness of heart failure at the general population level. We conducted this study to identify the current status of awareness of heart failure in the Korean general population., Methods: This cross-sectional nationwide survey recruited a total of 1,032 participants aged 30 years or older, based on a stratification systematic sampling method. A 23-item questionnaire was surveyed through telephone interviews., Results: Although 80% of the participants had heard of heart failure, 47% exactly defined what heart failure is. A minority of participants correctly recognized the lifetime risk of developing heart failure (21%) as well as the mortality (16%) and readmission risk (18%) of heart failure and the cost burden of heart failure admission (28%). Regarding preferred treatment options, 71% of the participants chose a treatment option that could improve the quality of life. Approximately two-thirds of the participants agreed that current medical treatment could reduce mortality and improve the quality of life. More than half of the participants (59%) thought that heart failure patients should live quietly and reduce all physical activities. Across survey items, we found a lower awareness state in the elderly groups and people at lower income and educational levels., Conclusions: The current awareness status of heart failure in the Korean general population is still low. Proactive educational efforts should be made to improve public awareness with special attention to individuals with lower disease awareness., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Aims: Obesity induces left ventricular diastolic dysfunction and ultimately causes heart failure. Sarcopenic obesity is common in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). However, the precise mechanism by which sarcopenic obesity is related to HFpEF is poorly understood. We aimed to evaluate the combined effect of sarcopenia (SP) and obesity on left ventricular diastolic function and exercise capacity., Methods: This study included 733 healthy subjects who underwent health check-ups in a tertiary hospital in Korea. All participants were categorized into four groups: non-SP/non-obese, SP/non-obese, non-SP/obese, and SP/obese. Comprehensive echocardiography with cardiopulmonary exercise testing was performed. Diastolic dysfunction was defined as an E/e' ratio ≥ 10., Results: Across SP and obesity groups, a gradual decrease in e' velocity and an increase in the E/e' ratio was noted after adjustment for age and sex. Furthermore, a gradual decrease in percent-predicted peak VO 2 was observed across the groups. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, the SP/obese group had the highest risk for diastolic dysfunction (OR 4.27, 95% CI 2.41-7.57), followed by the non-SP/obese group (OR 2.88, 95% CI 1.57-5.29) and the SP/non-obese group (OR 1.90, 95% CI 1.01-3.56) compared with the reference (non-SP/non-obese) group even after controlling for various confounders., Conclusion: Sarcopenic obesity was associated with impaired diastolic function and decreased exercise capacity, suggesting a possible mechanism by which sarcopenic obesity contributes to the development of HFpEF., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: We aimed to identify the following in all age groups among individuals without known hypertension and CVD: (1) Whether a systolic blood pressure (SBP) of 130-139 mm Hg elevates cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. (2) Whether SBP shows a linear association with cause-specific CVD mortality., Methods: We used the Korean National Health Insurance sample data (n=429 220). Participants were categorised into three groups by age (40-59 years, 60-69 years and 70-80 years)., Results: During 10.4 years of follow-up, 4319 cardiovascular deaths occurred. A positive and graded association was generally observed between SBP and overall and cause-specific CVD mortality regardless of age, except for ischaemic heart disease (IHD) mortality in those aged 70-80 years. Among those aged 70-80 years, the HRs (95% CIs) for overall CVD mortality were 1.08 (0.92-1.28), 1.14 (0.97-1.34) and 1.34 (1.14-1.58) for SBP values of 120-129 mm Hg, 130-139 mm Hg and 140-149 mm Hg, respectively, compared with SBP <120 mm Hg. For total stroke mortality, the corresponding HRs were 1.29 (1.02-1.64), 1.37 (1.09-1.72) and 1.52 (1.20-1.93), while for IHD mortality, the corresponding HRs were 0.90 (0.64-1.26), 0.86 (0.62-1.19) and 1.29 (0.93-1.78), respectively. Non-linear associations were significant for IHD., Conclusions: In the elderly Korean population, SBPs of 130-139 mm Hg elevated total stroke mortality, but not IHD mortality, compared with normal blood pressure, and a linear association was not observed for IHD mortality in the range <140 mm Hg., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Physical inactivity is an important but often neglected risk factor for various cardiovascular diseases. We hypothesized that physical inactivity might have deleterious effects on metabolic health in obese and non-obese subjects., Methods: We evaluated the effect of physical activity on the cardiometabolic profiles of a nationwide cohort of non-obese and obese individuals who did not have overt cardiovascular diseases. A total of 3,830 study subjects were divided into two groups based on their body mass index (BMI). Within each BMI group, participants were divided according to their physical activity level. To ascertain their cardiometabolic profiles, we collected data regarding the homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol level, systolic blood pressure, heart rate, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) level., Results: Physically inactive subjects demonstrated markedly elevated HOMA-IR index and heart rates in each BMI category, even after adjustments for baseline covariates. They also tended to have worse profiles for HDL-cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, and hsCRP levels. A significant elevation in cardiometabolic risk was noted across the four physical activity/obesity groups (p<0.05). HOMA-IR index was largely affected by obesity, but within each BMI category, physical inactivity independently elevated the risk for worsening insulin resistance. In addition, physical inactivity significantly increased the risk of elevated heart rate in both non-obese and obese individuals. Notably, the detrimental effect of physical activity on heart rate was not modified by obesity., Conclusions: Physical activity was associated with favorable cardiometabolic risk profiles with regard to insulin resistance status and heart rate level in both BMI groups. Our results suggest that increasing physical activity could be a helpful strategy for improving the cardiometabolic health in the Korean population, regardless of obesity status., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Objectives: To determine whether high heart rate is associated with low bone mineral density (BMD) in older women with hypertension., Design: Retrospective cohort study., Setting: Population-based study conducted in Korea (Korea National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey 2009-10)., Participants: Postmenopausal women aged 60 and older with hypertension (N=981) divided into 2 groups according to resting heart rate, with a cut-off value of 80 bpm, which has been found to be associated with osteoporosis., Measurements: BMD profiles and clinical and laboratory data were collected. Osteoporosis was defined as a T-score of -2.5 or less, according to World Health Organization criteria., Results: BMD was significantly lower in participants with a high heart rate, even after adjustment for age, diabetes mellitus, white blood cell count, and fasting glucose and triglyceride levels. The prevalence of osteoporosis was also significantly higher in those participants. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, the group with high heart rate was 1.7 times as likely (95% confidence interval=1.2-2.3) to have osteoporosis as those with a lower heart rate, independent of age, body mass index, comorbidities, and laboratory findings., Conclusion: High heart rate is independently associated with lower BMD in older women with hypertension; proactive surveillance of BMD could be helpful when managing older women with hypertension and a high heart rate., (© 2018, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2018, The American Geriatrics Society.)

We aimed to elucidate the role of autonomic dysfunction in the context of complex metabolic and cardiovascular changes in subjects with prehypertension. We identified 556 asymptomatic subjects without hypertension who underwent comprehensive cardiovascular exams. We obtained heart rate recovery (HRR) after peak exercise to quantitatively measure autonomic dysfunction. Of the 556 participants, 279 individuals had prehypertension and the remaining 277 had optimal BP. HRR was significantly lower in the prehypertension group (36.0 ± 14.5 bpm) than in the optimal BP group (39.3 ± 14.7 bpm, P = .009). The prehypertension group more frequently demonstrated features of metabolic disturbances and subclinical target organ damage. Among the various baseline cardiovascular and metabolic factors assessed, resting systolic BP and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level were independent determinants of HRR (both P < .05). Autonomic dysfunction coexists with prehypertension and is closely linked to changes in systolic BP and lipid metabolism., (©2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Cystatin-C, a marker of mild renal dysfunction, has been reported to be associated with cardiovascular diseases including vasospastic angina (VSA). We aimed to investigate the impact of cystatin-C level on the prevalence and angiographic characteristics of VSA in Korean patients.A total of 549 patients in the VA-KOREA (Vasospastic Angina in KOREA) registry who underwent ergonovine provocation tests were consecutively enrolled. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and levels of serum creatinine (Cr) and cystatin-C were assessed before angiography.The patients were classified into two groups: the VSA group (n = 149, 27.1%) and the non-VSA group (n = 400). Although eGFR and Cr levels were similar between the two groups, the VSA group had a significantly higher level of cystatin-C (P < 0.05). A high level of cystatin-C (second tertile, hazard ratio 1.432; 95% confidence interval [1.1491.805]; P = 0.026, third tertile, 1.947 [1.132-2.719]; P = 0.003) and current smoking (2.710 [1.415-4.098]; P < 0.001) were independently associated with the prevalence of VSA. Furthermore, the highest level of cystatin-C (> 0.96 ng/mL) had a significant impact on the incidence of multivessel spasm (2.608 [1.061-4.596]; P = 0.037).A high level of cystatin-C was independently associated with the prevalence of VSA and with a high-risk type of VSA in Korean patients, suggesting that proactive investigation of VSA should be considered for patients with mild renal dysfunction indicated by elevated cystatin-C.

Objective: Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus are at greater risk of bone fractures than nondiabetics. However, the risk factors for fractures in patients with diabetes have not been fully evaluated. This study was designed to evaluate the relative frequency of fractures at different sites and the diabetes-associated factors that affect nontraumatic bone fracture in patients with type 2 diabetes., Patients and Design: This retrospective case-control study recruited 144 patients with type 2 diabetes, who presented with nontraumatic fractures between March 2004 and March 2009 and 150 age-, gender-, body mass index (BMI)- and duration of diabetes-matched control subjects. Nontraumatic fractures were confirmed using patients' medical records and radiological findings. All subjects were examined for their diabetes status and associated factors for fracture, including bone mineral density (BMD)., Results: Of 150 reported bone fractures, the hip was the most frequent fracture site (32·7%), followed by the upper extremity (19·3%). Nontraumatic fractures were associated with diabetic retinopathy, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, stroke history, previous fracture and insulin treatment (P < 0·05). In multivariate analyses, independently associated factors for bone fracture were diabetic peripheral neuropathy [odds ratio (OR) = 37·3, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1·46-652·57] and previous fracture (OR = 9·54, 95% CI = 1·18-77·37; P < 0·05)., Conclusions: The hip was the most frequent site of nontraumatic fracture, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy was significantly associated with an increased risk of nontraumatic fractures in patients with type 2 diabetes., (© 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.)