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Increased carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) is associated with heart failure (HF) in previous studies, but it is not known whether the association of cIMT differs between HF with reduced (HFrEF) versus preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). We studied 6699 participants (mean age 62 ± 10 years, 47% male, and 38% white) from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) with baseline cIMT measurements. We classified HF events as HFrEF (EF

BackgroundSouth Asians are the second fastest growing ethnic group in the United States, and they have a high risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Moderate alcohol consumption has been associated with lower CVD risk in some race/ethnic groups, but the association of alcohol consumption and atherosclerosis in South Asians has not been investigated.Methods and resultsWe used data from 906 South Asian participants who participated in the Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America (MASALA) cohort (2010-2012). Alcohol consumption was ascertained via questionnaire, coronary artery calcium (CAC) was measured with computed tomography, and common carotid artery intima-media thickness (cIMT) was measured using B-mode ultrasonography. We used multivariable regression models to examine cross-sectional associations of alcohol consumption with the presence and amount of CAC and cIMT. Compared with never drinkers, participants consuming 4-7 drinks/week had a 63% decreased odds of any CAC after adjusting for potential confounders and mediators. Participants consuming 4-7 drinks/week had significantly lower odds of CAC score between 1 and 300 [OR (95% CI): 0.34 (0.16-0.72)]. A similar inverse association was seen for the odds of CAC>300 [OR (95% CI): 0.28 (0.07-0.97)]. Alcohol consumption of >7 drinks/week was associated with a 0.096 mm increase in common-cIMT.ConclusionThere was an inverse association between the amount of alcohol intake and CAC among South Asians while a positive association was found between alcohol consumption and common-cIMT. Long-term follow-up of the MASALA cohort will examine prospective associations of alcohol intake with the progression of subclinical atherosclerosis, incident CVD events, and mortality.

Arterial calcification reflects an atherosclerotic process associated with vascular stiffness. Whether baseline coronary artery calcium (CAC) and extra-coronary calcium (ECC), measured using noncontrast computed tomography imaging, are associated with incident hypertension is poorly understood. We studied participants from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis without measured or self-reported hypertension at baseline. Incident hypertension was defined by blood pressure criteria (BP, ≥140/90 mmHg), BP medication use, or both, and was assessed at in-person visits. We analyzed incident hypertension using multivariable-adjusted discrete-time proportional hazards models. Net reclassification improvement (NRI) assessed whether CAC reclassified hypertension risk when added to the Framingham hypertension risk score. Among 3,304 subjects analyzed, mean age was 59 ± 10 years; 48% were male and 42% were white. There were 1,283 incident hypertension cases over a median (interquartile range) follow-up time of 10.6 (4.5, 11.5) years. Each 1-unit increase in ln(CAC+1) was independently associated with a 12% higher risk of hypertension (95% confidence interval [CI] 9% to 16%). Relative to CAC = 0, patients with CAC >400 had a hazard ratio for incident hypertension of 2.2 (95% CI 1.8 to 2.9). There was no interaction by age, gender, or baseline BP (p = 0.43, 0.19, 0.09, respectively). Continuous NRI analyses demonstrated that CAC can reclassify risk of incident hypertension; NRI = 0.19 (95% CI 0.10 to 0.26). Furthermore, all measurements of ECC were significantly associated with incident hypertension, even after adjustment for CAC (hazard ratios ranging from 1.36 to 1.38). In conclusion, patients with CAC and ECC are at markedly higher risk of incident hypertension and may benefit from more intensified prevention efforts.

This commentary refers to 'Timing of invasive strategy in non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials', by T.A. Kite I et al. i , https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehac213 and the discussion piece 'Timing of invasive strategy in non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome: risk and reward? The optimal time for revascularization in patients presenting with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) has not been determined. [Extracted from the article]

BACKGROUND Given that sympathetic tone is associated with hypertension, we sought to determine whether resting heart rate (RHR), as a surrogate for cardiac autonomic function, was associated with incident hypertension. METHODS We analyzed 21,873 individuals without a history of hypertension who underwent a clinically indicated exercise stress test. Baseline RHR was assessed prior to testing and was categorized as <70, 70.85, and >85 beats-per-minute (bpm). Incident hypertension was defined by subsequent diagnosis codes for new-onset hypertension from three or more encounters. We tested for effect modification by age (<60 vs. .60 years), sex, race, and history of coronary heart disease (CHD). RESULTS Mean (SD) age was 49 (12) years, 55% were men and 21% were Black. Compared to the lowest RHR (<70 bpm) category, patients in the highest category (>85 bpm) were younger, more likely to be female, heavier, diabetic, and achieve lower metabolic equivalents (METS). Over a median of 4 years follow-up, there were 8,179 cases of incident hypertension. Compared to RHR <70 bpm, persons with RHR >85 bpm had increased risk of hypertension after adjustment for CHD risk factors, baseline blood pressure (BP), and METS (hazard ratio = 1.15 (95% confidence interval 1.08.1.23)). Age was an effect modifier (interaction P = 0.02), whereas sex, race, and CHD were not. In age-stratified analyses the relationship remained significant only in those younger than 60 years. CONCLUSION Elevated RHR is an independent risk factor for incident hypertension, particularly in younger persons. Whether lifestyle modification or other strategies to reduce RHR can prevent incident hypertension in high-risk individuals warrants further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cardiac Infarction/Injury Score (CIIS), an electrocardiographic based scoring system, is a surrogate marker of subclinical myocardial injury (SC-MI) and has shown excellent prognostic value in predicting future cardiovascular mortality. As an association of mild to moderate alcohol consumption with cardiovascular disease (CVD) is conflicting, using an electrocardiographic based scoring system such as CIIS is a simple and cost-effective way to investigate this controversial relationship., Methods: This analysis included 6090 participants (58.42±13.12 years, 54.2% women) free of CVD from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). We used multivariable linear regression analysis to examine the cross-sectional association between each alcohol category (non-drinker (reference), 1-6 drinks/week, 7-13 drinks/week, ≥14 drinks/week, and CIIS. SC-MI was defined as CIIS ≥10 units., Results: The prevalence of SC-MI was high among heavy drinkers (≥14 drinks/week) and was lower in participants who were moderate drinkers (7-13 drinks/week). There was a statistically significant and inverse association between moderate alcohol consumption and CIIS (β (95% CI): -0.64 (-1.27, -0.007), P = 0.04) using multivariable linear regression analysis. This inverse association between moderate alcohol consumption and CIIS was more striking among whites compared to non-whites (β (95% CI): -1.06 (-1.93, -0.19) vs. 0.05 (-0.91, 1.00) respectively; interaction p -value = 0.08). Also, the association was stronger among women and older participants, however interaction p -value did not reach statistical significance., Conclusion: There is an inverse association between moderate alcohol consumption and CIIS in participants without manifestations of CVD. As lower CIIS has been associated with low risk of poor outcomes including CVD mortality, these findings further support the existing evidence of the potential benefits of moderate alcohol consumption on cardiovascular health., Competing Interests: None.