Association of major and minor ECG abnormalities with traditional cardiovascular risk factors in the general population: a large scale study.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) can be determined and quantified using the electrocardiogram (ECG) analysis. Identification of the risk factors associated with ECG abnormalities may advise prevention approaches to decrease CVD burden. In this study we aimed to investigate the association between CVD risk factors and minor and major ECG abnormalities in a general Iranian adult population. This study was conducted in 2010 and covered a population of 9035 males and females aged 35 to 65 years recruiting from the phase I of Mashhad Stroke and Heart Atherosclerotic Disorder (MASHAD) cohort study. The participants were drawn by a stratified cluster random sampling technique. The Bivariate and multinomial logistic regression analysis were conducted considering gender stratification to explore the association of ECG abnormalities with traditional cardiovascular risk factors. There was a significant association between minor and major ECG abnormalities and hypertension (HTN), type 2 diabetes (T2DM), smoking, and physical activity (p < 0.005). There was a significant trend, in both genders, for increasing major abnormalities as the number of CVD risk factors increased. But, only in women, the minor abnormalities increase in frequency as the number of CVD risk factors increased. The results of multinomial logistic regression showed that men with HTN [ARRR = 1.25, 95% CI 0.99, 1.57] and T2DM [ARRR = 1.31, 95% CI 0.99, 1.74] had the highest likelihood to have major abnormalities, although these are not statistically significant. For women, those with HTN had the highest likelihood to have major [ARRR = 1.36, 95% CI 1.13, 1.63] and minor [ARRR = 1.35, 95% CI 1.15, 1.58] abnormalities. Also, women aged > 60 years were more likely to have major [ARRR = 2.01, 95% CI 1.49, 2.74] and minor [ARRR = 1.59, 95% CI 1.20, 2.10] abnormalities compared to women aged < 45 years. Age and HTN were significantly associated with major and minor ECG abnormalities in women, and, on the other hand, HTN and T2DM were associated with major abnormalities in men. Taken together, these findings suggest that healthcare providers should advise preventive approaches to the asymptomatic adults with both major and minor electrocardiographic abnormalities that may predict cardiovascular risk.

The associations of oxidative stress and inflammatory markers with obesity in Iranian population: MASHAD cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Low-grade inflammation and stress oxidative condition play a role in the pathogenesis of obesity, and the serum levels of these markers, such as pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and uric acid may indicate obesity progression. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between obesity with PAB, hs-CRP, and uric acid in the Iranian population. METHODS: This study was derived from the Mashhad Stroke and Heart Atherosclerotic Disorder (MASHAD) study. A total of 7985 subjects aged 35 to 65 years were divided into three groups according to body mass index (BMI) as: normal, overweight and obese groups. Anthropometric indices and biochemical parameters such as PAB, superoxide dismutase type 1 (SOD1), hs-CRP, and uric acid were measured in all the participants. We evaluated the association of obesity with inflammatory factors by using multivariate regression analysis. Also, those participants with hypertension, an endocrine disorder, history of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus were excluded from the study. RESULTS: There was a positive significant correlation between BMI and serum PAB, hs-CRP and uric acid (p < 0.001). While no statistically significant relation was observed between BMI and SOD1 (p = 0.85). Multivariate regression analysis showed that the risk of overweight and obesity increased 1.02 and 1.03-fold according to increase 10 units of PAB raise in comparison to reference group (normal weight) [(odds ratio (OR): 1.02, 95% CI (1.01-1.03)] and [OR: 1.03, 95% CI (1.01-1.04)], respectively). In addition, hs-CRP serum concentration was significantly associated with a high risk of obesity [(OR: 1.02; 95% CI (1.01-1.03)]. While the high levels of serum uric acid were associated with increased odds of overweight and obesity risk [OR: 1.4; CI (1.39-1.58) and OR: 1.76; CI (1.63-1.89), respectively]. CONCLUSIONS: Generally, we showed a significant association between BMI and serum PAB, hs-CRP values and uric acid levels, suggesting the role of these factors as risk stratification factors for obesity.

Factors associated with prolonged QTc interval in Iranian population: MASHAD cohort study.

AIM: QTc interval prolongation is a growing global issue which can cause torsades de pointes, a potentially fatal arrhythmia. We aimed to identify risk factors for prolonged QT interval in men and women. METHODS: The Mashhad stroke and heart atherosclerotic disorder (MASHAD) cohort study collected electrocardiogram interval data. QT was corrected for heart rate using the Bazett's formula. Ordinal logistic regression with crude (univariable) and adjusted (multivariate) association analyses in the form of odds ratio and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to identify the factors associated with QTc prolongation. RESULTS: A total of 8878 individuals including 5318 females and 3560 males, aged 35 to 65 years, were included in this cross-sectional study. Participants with QTc prolongation were more likely to be older and have hypercholesterolemia, hypertension (HTN), and Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but to have lower levels of physical activity (P < 0.05). Age (OR = 1.68, 95%CI = 1.18-2.39), hypercholesterolemia (OR = 1.77, 95%CI = 1.24-2.51), HTN (OR = 1.36, 95%CI = 1.06-1.73), T2DM (OR = 1.59, 95%CI = 1.19-2.13), severe anxiety (OR = 1.80, 95%CI = 1.05-3.11) and mild depression (OR = 1.38, 95%CI = 1.01-1.88) were independent risk factors for prolonged QTc interval in men. For women, only HTN (OR = 1.29, 95%CI = 1.02-1.63) and T2DM (OR = 1.50, 95%CI = 1.14-1.97) were independent risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Older age, Hypercholesterolemia, HTN, T2DM, severe anxiety and mild depression in men, and HTN and T2DM in women were associated with high risk of prolonged QTc interval. Healthcare practitioners should be aware of the risk factors of QTc interval prolongation and should exercise caution in the management of certain patients.

Effects of salicylic acid and putrescine on storability, quality attributes and antioxidant activity of plum cv. 'Santa Rosa'.

Plum fruit has a short shelf life with a rapid deterioration in quality after harvest. The primary goal of this study is to investigate and compare the effect of putrescine and salicylic acid on quality properties and antioxidant activity of plum during storage. The plum fruits (cv. 'Santa Rosa') were harvested at the mature ripe stage, and dipped in different concentrations of putrescine (1, 2, 3 and 4 mmol/L) and salicylic acid (1, 2, 3 and 4 mmol/L), as well as distilled water (control) for 5 min. The fruits were then packed in boxes with polyethylene covers and stored at 4 °C with 95 % relative humidity for 25 days. A factorial trial based on completely randomized block design with 4 replications was carried out. The weight loss, fruit firmness, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, pH, maturity index, ascorbic acid, total phenolics and antioxidant activity at 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 days after harvest were recorded. During the storage period, the weight loss, total soluble solids, pH and maturity index increased significantly while the fruit firmness, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, total phenolics and antioxidant activity decreased significantly (P < 0.05) for all treatments. Statistically significant differences were observed between different treatments (putrescine, salicylic acid and control) in all measured parameters. The data showed that the weight loss and softening of the plum fruits were decreased significantly by the use of putrescine and salicylic acid. Also, exogenous treatments of putrescine and salicylic acid are found to be effective in maintaining titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, total phenolics and antioxidant activity in plum fruits during storage at 4 °C. It was concluded that postharvest treatment of plum fruit with putrescine and salicylic acid were effective on delaying the ripening processes and can be used commercially to extend the shelf life of plum fruit with acceptable fruit quality.