European journal of preventive cardiology
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The prevalence of undetected left ventricular diastolic dysfunction is high, especially in the elderly with comorbidities. Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction is a prognostic indicator of heart failure, in particularly of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and of future cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. Therefore we aimed to develop sex-specific diagnostic models to enable the early identification of men and women at high-risk of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction with or without symptoms of heart failure who require more aggressive preventative strategies. ⋯ We provide an easy-to-use screening tool for use in the community, which can improve the early detection of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction/heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in high-risk men and women and optimise tailoring of preventive interventions.
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Ischaemic heart diseases are one of the major causes of death in the world. In most patients, ischaemic heart disease is coincident with other risk factors such as diabetes. Patients with diabetes are more prone to cardiac ischaemic dysfunctions including ischaemia-reperfusion injury. ⋯ The complex pathophysiology and poor prognosis of ischaemic heart disease among people with diabetes necessitate the investigation of the interaction of diabetes with ischaemia-reperfusion injury and cardioprotective mechanisms. Reducing the outcomes of ischaemia-reperfusion injury using targeted strategies would be particularly helpful in this population. In this study, we review the protective interventional signaling pathways and mediators which are activated by ischaemic conditioning strategies in healthy and diabetic myocardium with ischaemia-reperfusion injury.
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Background There is increasing evidence of an association between social relationships and morbidity in general, and cardiovascular disease in particular. However, recent syntheses of the evidence raise two important questions: is it the perceived quality or the more objective quantity of relationships that matters most; and what are the implications of changes in relationships over time? In this study, we investigate the cumulative effects of loneliness and social isolation on incident cardiovascular disease. Design A secondary analysis of prospective follow-up data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). ⋯ There was no evidence of a cumulative effect over time of social relationships on cardiovascular disease risk. Conclusions Loneliness is associated with an increased risk of developing coronary heart disease and stroke, independently of traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors. Our findings suggest that primary prevention strategies targeting loneliness could help to prevent cardiovascular disease.
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Multicenter Study
Isolated systolic hypertension of the young and its association with central blood pressure in a large multi-ethnic population. The HELIUS study.
Background Isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) of the young has been associated with both normal and increased cardiovascular risk, which has been attributed to differences in central systolic blood pressure and arterial stiffness. Methods We assessed the prevalence of ISH of the young and compared differences in central systolic blood pressure and arterial stiffness between ISH and other hypertensive phenotypes in a multi-ethnic population of 3744 subjects (44% men), aged <40 years, participating in the HELIUS study. Results The overall prevalence of ISH was 2.7% (5.2% in men and 1.0% in women) with the highest prevalence in individuals of African descent. ⋯ Conclusion ISH of the young is a heterogeneous condition with average central systolic blood pressure values comparable to individuals with high-normal blood pressure. On an individual level ISH was associated with both normal and raised central systolic blood pressure. In subjects with ISH of the young, measurement of central systolic blood pressure may aid in discriminating high from low cardiovascular risk.