Journal of the American Heart Association
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Comparative Study
Different Weight Histories and Risk of Incident Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke: Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study.
This study aimed to determine the association between different weight histories, including cumulative excess weight, cumulative excess waist circumference (WC), duration of general and central adiposity, current and maximum body mass index, and current and maximum WC, and incident coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke. ⋯ Exposure to cumulative excess weight and cumulative excess WC confers little additional risk beyond their current and maximum values. Even current and maximum WC were associated with incident CHD in the presence of obesity mediators, and the latter was a significant predictor of stroke in the presence of confounders.
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Comparative Study
Conventional and Ambulatory Blood Pressure as Predictors of Diastolic Left Ventricular Function in a Flemish Population.
No longitudinal study compared associations of echocardiographic indexes of diastolic left ventricular function studies with conventional (CBP) and daytime ambulatory (ABP) blood pressure in the general population. ⋯ ABP is a long-term predictor of diastolic left ventricular function, statistically outperforming distant but not concurrent CBP. Masked hypertension and sustained hypertension carry equal risk for deterioration of diastolic left ventricular function.
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Higher body mass index (BMI) is associated with lower circulating levels of N-terminal-pro-b-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). The Interaction between BMI and NT-proBNP with respect to clinical outcomes is not well characterized in patients with acute heart failure. ⋯ URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00475852.
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T-wave abnormalities are common during the acute phase of non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes, but mechanisms underlying their occurrence are unclear. We hypothesized that T-wave abnormalities in the presentation of non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes correspond to the presence of myocardial edema. ⋯ T-wave abnormalities in the setting of non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes are related to the presence of myocardial edema. High specificity of this ECG alteration identifies a change in ischemic myocardium associated with worse outcomes that is potentially reversible.
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Multicenter Study
Comparison of Prevalence, Awareness, Treatment, and Control of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in China and the United States.
The reasons for China's high stroke prevalence are not well understood. The cardiovascular risk factor profiles of China and the United States have not been directly compared in nationally representative population samples. ⋯ Hypertension is more common in the United States, but blood pressure levels are higher in China, which may be responsible for China's high stroke prevalence. The low rates of awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension provide an exceptional opportunity for China to reduce risk in its population.