Study on international standard multilingual nomenclature of Chinese medicine.

The International Standard Chinese-English Basic Nomenclature of Chinese medicine (ISN) was released in 2007, a nomenclature list consisting of 6 500 Chinese medical terms. ISN was the culmination of several years of collaborative diligent work of over 200 specialists who represent Chinese medicine in 68 countries. The overall goal for devising standard English nomenclature for Chinese medicine is to develop a practical international standard nomenclature for Chinese medical basic terms, to make it compatible with contemporary research and educational standards in the globalized health care service. In this article, provided is an overview of principles and methods for the multilingual translations, the processes behind the particular content of the Chinese-English ISN and an introduction to the ongoing new projects, i.e. the multilingual versions of ISN (International Standards of Chinese-Spanish, Chinese-French and Chinese-Portuguese Basic Nomenclature of Chinese Medicine).

Aortic stiffness and pulse pressure amplification in Wistar-Kyoto and spontaneously hypertensive rats.

In humans, increased body weight and arterial stiffness are significantly associated, independently of blood pressure (BP) level. The finding was never investigated in rodents devoid of metabolic disorders as spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Using simultaneous catheterization of proximal and distal aorta, we measured body weight, intra-arterial BP, heart rate and their variability (spectral analysis), aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV), and systolic and pulse pressure (PP) amplifications in unrestrained conscious Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats and SHR between 6 and 24 wk of age. Aortic proximal systolic and diastolic pressure, PP, and mean BP were significantly higher in SHR than in WKY rats and increased significantly with age (with the exception of PP). PP amplification increased with age but did not differ between strains. PWV was significantly associated with heart rate variability. PWV was significantly higher (via two-way variance analysis) in SHR than in WKY rats (strain effect) and increased markedly with age in both strains (age effect). Adjustment of PWV to mean BP attenuated markedly both the age and the strain effects. After adjustment for body weight, either alone or associated with mean BP, the age effect was not more significant, but the strain effect was markedly enhanced. In conscious unanesthetized SHR and WKY rats, aortic stiffness is consistently associated with body weight independent of age and mean BP. An intervention study should consider in the objectives systolic BP and PP amplifications measured in conscious animals, central control of body weight, and autonomic nervous system.

Impaired coronary endothelium-dependent vasodilation is associated with microalbuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes and angiographically normal coronary arteries.

OBJECTIVE: Microalbuminuria and impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation are both predictors for cardiac events in patients with type 2 diabetes. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether microalbuminuria correlated with coronary endothelium-dependent vasodilation. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We evaluated 84 patients (47 men, mean age 50.5 +/- 5.9 years) with type 2 diabetes for 9.4 +/- 3.4 years, without angiographic coronary stenosis and without major cardiovascular risk factors or other confounding factors, for endothelium investigation. Quantitative coronary angiography was used to assess coronary artery response to cold pressor testing, used to assess endothelium-dependent vasodilation, and to isosorbide dinitrate (endothelium-independent vasodilation). RESULTS: Endothelium-dependent vasodilation differed in the patients with and without microalbuminuria (changes in coronary artery diameter during cold pressor testing: -15.0 +/- 1.9% vs. -10.2 +/- 1.3%, respectively, P < 0.05) and correlated with urinary albumin excretion rate (r = -0.39, P = 0.003), diastolic blood pressure (r = 0.29, P < 0.01), and left ventricular mass index (r = -0.24, P < 0.05). Independent predictors for endothelium-dependent vasodilation were urinary albumin excretion rate (beta -0.04 [95% CI -0.07 to -0.01], P < 0.005) and left ventricular mass index (-0.26 [-0.49 to -0.05], P < 0.05). Endothelium-independent vasodilation was similar in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Type 2 diabetic patients with microalbuminuria have a more severely impaired coronary endothelium-dependent vasodilation than those with normoalbuminuria. These data suggest a common pathophysiological process for both coronary vasomotor abnormalities and microalbuminuria.

Cardiovascular outcome of patients with abnormal coronary vasomotion and normal coronary arteriography is worse in type 2 diabetes mellitus than in arterial hypertension: a 10 year follow-up study.

Diabetes and arterial hypertension are major cardiovascular risk factors. Coronary endothelial dysfunction is frequently observed in diabetic and hypertensive patients. This study was designed to compare cardiovascular outcome of hypertensive (HT) and type 2 diabetic patients (D2) with angiographically normal coronary arteries on the basis of their epicardial coronary endothelial function. Coronary reactivity assessment by cold-pressor test (CPT) using quantitative coronary angiography was achieved in 65 HT (45 males, 20 females) aged 51.9+/-7.6 years, and in 59 D2 (32 males, 27 females) aged 48.9+/-7.3 years, with angiographically normal coronary arteries and without other major coronary risk factor. Cardiovascular events (CVE) were recorded with a mean follow-up of 108+/-15 months in HT, and 113+/-10 months in D2. During CPT, in HT coronary artery dilation occurred in 10.8% of the patients, no change in 21.5%, and constriction in 67.7%. In D2, dilation occurred in 3.4% of the patients, no change in 18.6%, and constriction in 78.0%. During follow-up, in HT there were nine CVE in 6/65 patients (9.2%), all in the 6/44 (13.6%) patients with coronary artery constriction. In D2, there were 18 CVE in 16/59 patients (27.1%, P<0.01 versus HT), with 17 CVE in the 15/46 patients with coronary artery constriction, and one CVE in the 1/13 patients without constriction (32.6% versus 7.7%). In patients with coronary artery constriction, CVE were more frequent in D2 than in HT (P<0.05). Last, CVE were more severe and occurred earlier in D2 than in HT. In conclusion, epicardial coronary endothelial dysfunction is predictive of long-term CVE in HT and D2 with angiographically normal coronary arteries. Cardiovascular outcome of patients with coronary constriction is worse in D2 than in HT. At the opposite, patients without constriction have good cardiovascular prognosis in both subgroups.

Predictive value of silent myocardial ischemia for cardiac events in diabetic patients: influence of age in a French multicenter study.

OBJECTIVE: Silent myocardial ischemia (SMI) in asymptomatic subjects with no history of myocardial infarction or angina is a frequent condition in diabetic patients. The aim of the study was to examine the predictive value of SMI for cardiac events in a multicenter cohort and to determine whether this value is higher in patients with a particular clinical profile. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 370 asymptomatic diabetic patients with at least two additional cardiovascular risk factors was recruited in four departments of diabetology. SMI was assessed by either exercise or dipyridamole single-photon emission-computed tomography myocardial perfusion imaging with thallium-201. If dipyridamole stress was used, an electrocardiogram stress test was performed separately on another day. Follow-up duration was 3-89 months (38 +/- 23 months). RESULTS: There was evidence of SMI in 131 patients (35.4%) on at least one positive noninvasive test. The patients with SMI were significantly older and had significantly higher serum triglycerides and lower HDL cholesterol levels. Cardiac events occurred in 53 patients (14.3%). Major cardiac events (death or myocardial infarction) occurred in 38 patients (10%) and other events (unstable angina, heart failure, or coronary revascularization) occurred in 15 patients. The patients who had cardiac events were older and had higher serum triglyceride levels at baseline. There was a significant association between SMI and cardiac events (hazard ratio 2.79 [95% CI 1.54-5.04]) and in particular major cardiac events (3 [1.53-5.87]). In the patients >60 years of age, the prevalence of SMI was higher (43.4 vs. 30.2% in those <60 years). SMI was associated with a significant risk of cardiac events (2.89 [1.31-6.39]) and in particular major cardiac events (3.66 [1.36-9.87]) for the patients >60 years old but not for those <60 years old. CONCLUSIONS: In asymptomatic diabetic patients with additional cardiovascular risk factors, SMI is a potent predictor of cardiac events and should be assessed preferably in the patients >60 years of age.

Influence of nutrients on cardiac autonomic function in nondiabetic overweight subjects.

The current study sought to determine whether there is a link between cardiac autonomic dysfunction and food intake in overweight subjects. One hundred five nondiabetic overweight (body mass index >27 kg/m2) subjects were studied. Heart rate variations were analyzed during 3 bedside standard tests investigating mainly vagal control: deep breathing, lying-to-standing, and Valsalva tests. The resting metabolic rate and substrate oxidation rates were measured by indirect calorimetry. Dietary intake was estimated from a 3-day recall of food intake. Cardiac parasympathetic dysfunction (PSD) was found in 39 subjects. The sex ratio, age, anthropometric parameters, biochemical parameters and insulin resistance index, resting metabolic rate, and substrate oxidation rates did not differ in the subjects with or without PSD. The total 24-hour energy intake was similar, but the carbohydrate intake was significantly higher in the subjects with PSD (P = .006), and the fat and protein intakes were significantly lower (P = .026 and .045, respectively). In the logistic regression analyses, PSD correlated with carbohydrate and fat intake, independently of serum insulin levels. Glucose oxidation rate correlated negatively with fasting and postglucose serum insulin levels only in the subjects with PSD (P = .006 and .005, respectively). Cardiac parasympathetic dysfunction is associated with higher carbohydrate intake and lower fat and protein intakes in overweight subjects. A sympathetic override may contribute to reducing the glucose oxidation rate in subjects with PSD.

Prognostic value of epicardial coronary artery constriction to the cold pressor test in type 2 diabetic patients with angiographically normal coronary arteries and no other major coronary risk factors.

OBJECTIVE: Endothelium-dependent coronary dilation is impaired in diabetic patients and has been found to independently predict cardiovascular events (CVEs) in patients with multiple coronary risk factors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of type 2 diabetic patients on the basis of epicardial coronary dysfunction. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We examined 56 control subjects (aged 51.7 +/- 6.4 years) using coronary artery response to the cold pressor test (quantitative coronary angiography) and compared them with 72 type 2 diabetic patients (aged 50.3 +/- 8.5 years) without other major coronary risk factors. RESULTS: Average diameter change was 17.2 +/- 10.4% in the control subjects, dilation occurred in 91.1% of subjects, no change occurred in 8.9%, and there was no constriction. Average diameter change was -14.4 +/- 12.1% in diabetic patients (P < 0.001 vs. control subjects), constriction occurred in 73.6%, no change occurred in 26.4%, and there was no dilation. CVEs were recorded with a mean follow-up of 45 +/- 19 months. There was 1 CVE in the control group and 26 CVEs in 18 of 72 diabetic patients (P < 0.001 vs. control subjects), with 23 events in 16 of 53 diabetic patients with coronary artery constriction (P < 0.001 vs. control subjects), and 3 events in 2 of 19 diabetic patients with no diameter change (NS vs. control subjects). CONCLUSIONS: In type 2 diabetic patients without other major coronary risk factors, constriction of angiographically normal coronary arteries to the cold pressor test is predictive of long-term CVEs.