Arterial Stiffness and its Impact on Cardiovascular Health.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality globally. Identifying patients at risk is important to initiate preventive strategies. Over the last few decades, the role of the endothelium and its impact on arterial stiffness have been recognised as playing a pivotal role in cardiovascular disease. This review will focus on the effect of arterial stiffness in different patient cohorts with regard to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, as well as its use in clinical practice. RECENT FINDINGS: Arterial stiffness is associated with a range of cardiovascular risk factors and is an independent predictor of cardiovascular mortality. The gold standard for evaluating arterial stiffness is pulse wave velocity. Recently, cardio-ankle vascular index has been implemented as an easy and highly reproducible measure of arterial stiffness. Moreover, certain pharmacologic agents may modify arterial stiffness and alter progression of cardiovascular disease. The endothelium plays an important role in cardiovascular disease. Implementing assessment of arterial stiffness in clinical practice will improve stratification of patients at risk of cardiovascular disease and help modify disease progression.

Metabolic Health and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness: Association of Different Definitions in Women.

The concept of metabolic health and the metabolic syndrome is to identify subjects at a higher cardiovascular risk. However, many definitions are currently in use, and it is uncertain which is the best in identifying at-risk subjects. We performed a cross-sectional study whereby women were invited to participate and were assessed for several anthropometric and biochemical parameters. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) was measured in both common carotid arteries in each participant. The study cohort consisted of 203 white premenopausal women with a mean age of 38.3 ± 5.4 years. The prevalence of the metabolically unhealthy varied from 7.3% to 61.6%, according to the definition used. The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome, as defined by the International Diabetes Federation, was 20.7%. Women with a metabolically unhealthy phenotype had a higher referent CIMT for all definitions of metabolic health. Defining metabolically unhealthy phenotype as having <2 abnormalities using the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, And Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol In Adults (NCEP-ATPIII) cutoffs had the highest odds ratio for an abnormal CIMT. In conclusion, we found that in a contemporary cohort of middle-aged women, the NCEP-ATPIII definition of the metabolic syndrome was more strongly associated with atherosclerosis as determined by the CIMT than the International Diabetes Federation definition or other definitions of metabolic health; it was also more strongly associated than body mass index or waist circumference. Our results need to be validated by other investigators in other populations.

Sleep measures and cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess whether poor sleep is independently associated with cardiovascular disease in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed in subjects with T2DM aged between 40 and 80 years. Sleep assessment was achieved by actigraphy and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score. RESULTS: The study population comprised 108 subjects with T2DM. The mean age was 64.9 years, the median diabetes duration was 6 years and 73.1% were men. No association was shown between sleep parameters as assessed by actigraphy and T2DM-associated micro- and macrovascular complications. However, sleep quality as assessed by PSQI was significantly associated with macrovascular disease in univariate analysis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed red blood cell distribution width (RDW) (odds ratio (OR) 1.79, p=0.018) and good sleep quality (OR 0.35, p=0.017) to be independently associated. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that body mass index (BMI) (OR 1.11, p=0.024), RDW (OR 1.95, p=0.007) and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression score (OR 1.06, p=0.012] were independently associated with abnormal carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT). CONCLUSIONS: Poor sleep quality and higher RDW levels are associated with macrovascular disease in a T2DM population. Increased BMI as well as depression also appear to have an independent role in subclinical atherosclerosis, as assessed by CIMT.

Sleep measures and cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess whether poor sleep is independently associated with cardiovascular disease in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed in subjects with T2DM aged between 40 and 80 years. Sleep assessment was achieved by actigraphy and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score. RESULTS: The study population comprised 108 subjects with T2DM. The mean age was 64.9 years, the median diabetes duration was 6 years and 73.1% were men. No association was shown between sleep parameters as assessed by actigraphy and T2DM-associated micro- and macrovascular complications. However, sleep quality as assessed by PSQI was significantly associated with macrovascular disease in univariate analysis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed red blood cell distribution width (RDW) (odds ratio (OR) 1.79, p=0.018) and good sleep quality (OR 0.35, p=0.017) to be independently associated. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that body mass index (BMI) (OR 1.11, p=0.024), RDW (OR 1.95, p=0.007) and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression score (OR 1.06, p=0.012] were independently associated with abnormal carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT). CONCLUSIONS: Poor sleep quality and higher RDW levels are associated with macrovascular disease in a T2DM population. Increased BMI as well as depression also appear to have an independent role in subclinical atherosclerosis, as assessed by CIMT.

Long COVID Syndrome: A Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND: Acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) causes various cardiovascular complications. However, it is unknown if there are cardiovascular sequelae in the medium and long-term. The aim of this study was dual. Firstly, we wanted to investigate symptomatology and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) at medium-term follow-up (6 months post-COVID). Secondly, we wanted to assess whether history of COVID-19 and persistent shortness of breath at medium-term follow-up are associated with ongoing inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and cardiac injury. METHODS: A case-control study was performed. Virologically proven COVID-19 cases and age- and gender-matched controls were interviewed to assess symptoms and HRQoL. Biochemical tests were also performed. RESULTS: The study comprised 174 cases and 75 controls. The mean age of the participants was 46.1±13.8 years. The median follow-up was 173.5 days (interquartile range 129-193.25 days). There was no significant difference in the demographics between cases and controls. At follow-up, cases had a higher frequency of shortness of breath, fatigue, arthralgia, abnormal taste of food (P <.001), and anosmia. Cases also exhibited worse scores in the general health and role physical domains of the Short Form Survey-36. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) was significantly higher in the cases, and there was a positive correlation of hsCRP with time. Significant determinants of shortness of breath were age, female gender and white cell count, troponin I, and lower hemoglobin levels at follow-up. CONCLUSION: Post-COVID-19 patients have persistent symptomatology at medium-term follow-up. Higher hsCRP in cases and the positive association of hsCRP with time suggest ongoing systemic inflammation in patients persisting for months after COVID-19.

Predictors of subclinical atherosclerosis and microalbuminuria in middle-aged women: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease is of increasing concern in women. The aim was to assess the role of clinical and anthropometric measures in the development of subclinical atherosclerosis. METHODS: A cross-sectional study in 203 Europid females to determine the prevalence of abnormal carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and associated clinical parameters. RESULTS: The study population had a mean age of the 38.3±5.4 years, a median Body Mass Index of 29.25 (IQR 25.06-36.11) kg/m2 and median waist index (WI) of 1.15 (IQR 1.06-1.34). Increased CIMT was present in 169 (83.25%) participants. Linear regression analysis revealed WI to be the sole predictor of increased CIMT (ß=24.387, P<0.001). Post-hoc ROC analysis revealed a WI of 1.12 has 62% sensitivity and 53% specificity for predicting increased CIMT (AUC 0.63, 95% CI 0.55-0.72, P=0.016). The median urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR) was 4.4 mg/g, and the prevalence of microalbuminuria was 8.9%; serum triglycerides were the only independent predictor of ACR. CONCLUSIONS: Atherosclerosis, as detected by abnormal CIMT, is very prevalent in middle-aged women. Waist index is the major predictor of subclinical atherosclerosis in a contemporary premenopausal female population. A WI of 1.12 exhibits relatively good sensitivity and specificity in predicting the presence of atherosclerosis in this patient population.

Clinical outcomes at medium-term follow-up of COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: The long coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) syndrome is defined as persistent physical, cognitive and/or psychological symptoms that continue for more than 12 weeks following the acute illness. METHODS: In all, 2,646 patients were randomly selected from all individuals who were diagnosed with COVID-19. They were interviewed so as to assess the persistence of symptoms and health-related quality of life. Blood investigations were also taken. RESULTS: The median (interquartile range (IQR)) age was 44 (31-55) years and 48.6% were males. Five per cent had been hospitalised. Follow-up was for a median of 142 days (IQR: 128-161). Twenty-two per cent of the participants claimed that they were feeling worse than they felt before COVID-19. The most common symptoms were anosmia, ageusia, fatigue, shortness of breath, headaches and myalgia. The Short Form-36 questionnaire revealed that 16.4% felt that they were somewhat worse than in the previous year and that hospitalised patients fared worse in all domains except for role-emotional. New-onset diabetes was similar to the rate of undiagnosed diabetes in the background population. Hospitalised patients had significantly higher liver transaminases, fasting plasma glucose, glycated haemoglobin, uric acid, red cell distribution width, mean platelet volume, triglyceride levels and troponin levels but lower estimated glomerular filtration rate and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol at follow-up. DISCUSSION: A significant proportion of patients were symptomatic at a median follow-up of 142 days and felt worse than 1 year previously. Hospitalised patients had more biochemical and haematological abnormalities compared to non-hospitalised ones, suggesting ongoing inflammation in subjects who were more severely affected by the disease.

Gestational Glycemic Parameters and Future Cardiometabolic Risk at Medium-Term Follow Up.

OBJECTIVES: Gestational diabetes is known to be associated with increased risk for future maternal cardiovascular disease. However, it is not known which gestational glycemic parameters mediate this risk. The study's aim was to assess the relationship between gestational glycemic parameters and gestational diabetes with future cardiometabolic status. METHODS: This cohort study comprised subjects who underwent assessment for gestational diabetes by means of a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test at Mater Dei Hospital, Malta, during 2009. These patients were consequently followed up through January 2018. Carotid intima-media thickness was assessed as a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis in both common carotid arteries. RESULTS: The mean age of the study population was 38.3±5.4 years. Of the 203 participants, 43 (21.2%) had gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes and individual glycemic parameters of intrapregnancy oral glucose tolerance tests were associated with higher glycated hemoglobin, fasting plasma glucose, low-density-cholesterol and lower high-density-cholesterol levels and with the presence of the metabolic syndrome in both univariate and multivariate analyses after a median follow up of 8 years. Neither gestational diabetes nor individual glycemic parameters of intrapregnancy oral glucose tolerance tests was associated with current carotid intima-media thickness. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that there is no threshold of glycemic parameters for predicting future cardiometabolic status. Our data also suggest that the known association between gestational diabetes and cardiovascular disease is mediated, at least in part, by higher postpregnancy glycemia and worse lipid profiles, even though these metabolic parameters often remain within the normal range.

Relationship of Hyperglycaemia, Hypoglycaemia, and Glucose Variability to Atherosclerotic Disease in Type 2 Diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is known to be associated with increased cardiovascular risk. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the independent effects of hyperglycaemia, hypoglycaemia, and glucose variability on microvascular and macrovascular disease in T2DM. METHODS: Subjects with T2DM of <10 years duration and on stable antiglycaemic treatment underwent carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), ankle-brachial index (ABI), albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR), and HbA1c measurement, as well as 72-hour continuous glucose monitoring. Macrovascular disease was defined as one or more of the following: history of ischaemic heart disease (IHD), cerebrovascular accident (CVA), ABI < 0.9, or abnormal CIMT. RESULTS: The study population comprised 121 subjects with T2DM (89 males : 32 females). The mean age was 62.6 years, and the mean DM duration was 3.7 years. Macrovascular disease was present in 71 patients (58.7%). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, body surface area (BSA) (OR 18.88 (95% CI 2.20-156.69), p = 0.006) and duration of blood glucose (BG) < 3.9 mmol/L (OR 1.12 (95% CI 1.014-1.228), p = 0.024) were independent predictors of macrovascular disease. BSA (OR 12.6 (95% CI 1.70-93.54), p = 0.013) and duration of BG < 3.9 mmol/L (OR 1.09 (95% CI 1.003-1.187), p = 0.041) were independent predictors of abnormal CIMT. Area under the curve for BG > 7.8 mmol/L (ß = 15.83, p = 0.005) was the sole independent predictor of albuminuria in generalised linear regression. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that hypoglycaemia is associated with the occurrence of atherosclerotic disease while hyperglycaemia is associated with microvascular disease in a Caucasian population with T2DM of recent duration.

Red blood cell distribution width and myocardial scar burden in coronary artery disease.

INTRODUCTION: Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is a novel independent marker of cardiovascular disease including heart failure, coronary artery disease and myocardial ischaemia. The aim of the study was to investigate a possible relationship between RDW and myocardial scar burden, as assessed by a MIBI viability scan. A secondary objective was to assess whether there is an association between RDW and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). METHODS: The study comprised 123 subjects with ischaemic heart disease who underwent a myocardial viability scan between June 2008 and July 2014. Haemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, RDW, platelet count, mean platelet volume (MPV), estimated glomerular filtration rate, fasting blood glucose, liver and lipid profiles were evaluated for all patients. The extent of myocardial scarring and LVEF were noted. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics 22.0. Univariate followed by multivariate analyses were performed to assess for independent predictors of myocardial scarring and LVEF, respectively. RESULTS: The mean age of the study population was 63.5 years; most of the subjects were men. The median LVEF was 31% and median percentage of myocardial scarring was 8.7%. Multivariate analyses revealed that RDW, HDL-cholesterol and alanine transaminase were independent predictors of myocardial scarring while RDW, MPV, LDL-cholesterol and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase were independent predictors of LVEF. CONCLUSIONS: Increased RDW is an independent predictor both of myocardial scar burden and of impaired left ventricular function in subjects with coronary artery disease.

Prognostic indicators and generation of novel risk equations for estimation of 10-year and 20-year mortality following acute coronary syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: Although risk assessment is an integral part of management, there are currently no risk calculators of long-term mortality after acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The aim was to provide risk equations for 10-year and 20-year mortality following ACS. METHODS: Patients hospitalised with ACS from December 1990 to June 1994 were recruited and followed up through 31 December 2012. RESULTS: The study followed 881 patients for 10 years and 712 patients for 20 years. Using Cox regression analysis, 20-year all-cause mortality was associated with myocardial infarction (MI) in the index admission, age and diabetes mellitus (DM). Twenty-year cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cardiac mortality were both associated with MI in the index admission, age, DM and female gender. 10-year all-cause mortality was associated with age and total cholesterol levels; age, DM and total cholesterol levels were found to be independent predictors of 10-year CVD and cardiac mortality. Risk equations were consequently generated for 10-year and 20-year cardiac, cardiovascular and all-cause mortality, with age and DM emerging as the strongest and most consistent predictors of all outcomes studied. CONCLUSIONS: Novel risk equations for all-cause, cardiovascular and cardiac mortality at 10 and 20 years were generated using follow-up data in a large patient population.

In-hospital and midterm clinical outcomes of rotational atherectomy followed by stent implantation: the ROTATE multicentre registry.

AIMS: The aim of this multicentre study was to investigate the in-hospital and midterm outcomes of rotational atherectomy (RA) followed by metallic stent implantation. METHODS AND RESULTS: Between 2002 and 2013, 1,176 de novo lesions with calcified coronary lesions treated by RA and metallic stent implantation at nine institutions were assessed. Patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) within 30 days, cardiogenic shock before the procedure, lesions with thrombus, and in-stent restenosis were excluded from the current analysis. In-hospital major adverse cardiac events (MACE) occurred in 8.3% of cases, mainly driven by periprocedural myocardial infarction. The incidence of MACE was 16.0% at one-year and 24.9% at two-year follow-up, both driven by target vessel revascularisation (13.5% at one year and 19.8% at two years). Multivariable analysis revealed that dialysis was an independent predictor for both in-hospital MACE (OR 2.33, 95% CI: 1.11-4.87, p=0.03) and follow-up MACE (HR 4.14, 95% CI: 2.87-5.96, p<0.001), whilst drug-eluting stent (DES) use was associated with a reduction in follow-up MACE (HR 0.42, 95% CI: 0.26-0.67, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: RA appears to be safe and effective with acceptable in-hospital and follow-up MACE considering the severity of patient and lesion characteristics. DES implantation following RA was associated with a reduction in MACE during the follow-up period.

Female gender and cardiovascular disease.

Despite a generalized belief that women are protected from cardiovascular disease, this remains the leading cause of death in women. This review focuses on differences in symptomatology, diagnostic modalities and therapeutic strategies in women with regard to cardiovascular disease.

Prediction of insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus using routinely available clinical parameters.

AIMS: To determine if insulin resistance (IR), an important predictor of cardiovascular risk in the general population and in type 2 diabetes mellitus, can be assessed using simple parameters which are readily available in clinical practice. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 194 patients with type 2 diabetes. Body mass index, waist index (WI), triglyceride levels, 1/HDL, triglyceride/HDL, uric acid and urine albumin:creatinine ratio were investigated as possible predictors of IR. RESULTS: WI correlated more strongly than any other parameter with log insulin levels, log fasting glucose to insulin ratio (FGIR), log fasting glucose to insulin product (FGIP), homeostatic model assessment (HOMA-IR) and quantitative insulin check index (QUICKI). WI also emerged as the strongest independent predictor of IR indices studied in regression as well as in ROC analyses. At a cut-off of 1.115, WI had a 78% sensitivity and 65% specificity for predicting IR when HOMA-IR was used as indicator of IR, and 74% sensitivity and specificity when QUICKI was used as indicator of IR. Combining WI with other variables did not improve performance significantly. CONCLUSIONS: In our cohort of patients with type 2 diabetes, WI was the parameter with the strongest association with, and the best predictor of, IR.

Planned versus provisional rotational atherectomy for severe calcified coronary lesions: Insights From the ROTATE multi-center registry.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate procedural feasibility and outcomes associated with planned rotational atherectomy (RA) for severely calcified coronary lesions. BACKGROUND: Limited data are available addressing the benefits of planned RA compared to provisional RA. METHODS: Between 2002 and 2013, all patients with calcified lesions treated by RA were enrolled. Of these, patients treated with planned RA (358 patients) were compared to those treated with provisional RA (309 patients). RESULTS: In-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) were tended to be better in the planned RA group (unadjusted OR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.44-1.31, P = 0.32, and adjusted OR: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.33-1.05, P = 0.07). The number of pre-dilation balloon catheters was significantly lower in the planned RA group (1.17 ± 0.60 vs. 1.47 ± 0.76, P < 0.001). Procedure time, fluoroscopy time, and contrast volume used were all significantly reduced in the planned RA group compared to the provisional RA group (procedure time; 65.2 ± 36.8min vs. 84.4 ± 43.1min, P < 0.001, fluoroscopy time; 33.1 ± 22.9min vs. 51.2 ± 29.6min, P < 0.001, and contrast volume; 232.9 ± 141.6ml vs. 302.9 ± 150.3ml, P < 0.001). The incidence of MACE at 1-year was significantly higher amongst the unadjusted population, whereas the difference was less marked between groups after propensity-score adjustment (unadjusted HR: 1.78; 95% CI: 1.16-2.74, P = 0.01, and adjusted HR: 1.44; 95% CI: 0.92-2.26, P = 0.11). CONCLUSIONS: Planned RA appears to be safe and was associated with a reduction in procedural and fluoroscopy times, contrast volume, and the number of pre-dilation balloon catheters used. If there is a strong likelihood of requiring RA for the treatment of severely calcified lesions, operators should have a low threshold for adopting a planned RA strategy. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a form of dilated cardiomyopathy of indeterminate aetiology occurring in late pregnancy or the months following delivery. This article reviews current knowledge of its pathophysiology, therapeutic strategies and prognosis, as well as new treatments and future directions.