Arch Intern Med
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There are limited data available on the association of gouty arthritis (gout) in middle age with long-term cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. ⋯ Among middle-aged men, a diagnosis of gout accompanied by an elevated uric acid level imparts significant independent CVD mortality risk.
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Previous studies have demonstrated the effects of single factors, such as age, sex, and race, with longer delays from symptom onset to hospital presentation in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction. ⋯ Patient subgroups with a combination of factors (older age, women, Hispanic or black race, and DM) have particularly long delay times that may be 60 minutes longer than subgroups without those characteristics. Improving patient responsiveness in these subgroups represents an important opportunity to improve quality of care and minimize disparities in care.
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To assess the importance of the obesity epidemic on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, we determined the prevalence of obesity and the relationship of obesity to CVD risk factors and subclinical vascular disease. ⋯ These data confirm the epidemic of obesity in most but not all racial and ethnic groups. The observed low prevalence of obesity in Chinese American participants indicates that high rates of obesity should not be considered inevitable. These findings may be viewed as indicators of potential future increases in vascular disease burden and health care costs associated with the obesity epidemic.