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PubMed2003

Haptoglobin polymorphism is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is associated with a marked increase in the risk for cardiovascular disease. Increased oxidative stress and leukocyte adhesiveness have been implicated as fundamental pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying the increased susceptibility in these patients. Haptoglobin is an antioxidant and immunomodulatory protein encoded by 2 alleles with profoundly different biophysical and biochemical properties. We therefore sought to determine if the haptoglobin phenotype was a determinant of cardiovascular disease in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. DESIGN: Haptoglobin phenotype was determined by gel electrophoresis in 465 patients with and 757 individuals without obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. SETTING: Eight-bed Technion Sleep Medicine Center in Haifa, serving the northern part of Israel. PARTICIPANTS: Patients referred for sleep recordings because of suspected breathing disorders in sleep and healthy industry workers. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and cardiovascular disease had a significantly different distribution of the 3 haptoglobin phenotypes as compared to patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome but without cardiovascular disease. No difference in the haptoglobin phenotype frequency was found between controls with and without cardiovascular disease. Log linear analysis revealed a significant interaction effect of haptoglobin phenotype and the presence of sleep apnea on the presence of cardiovascular disease. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the risk of cardiovascular disease in sleep apnea patients younger than 55 years with haptoglobin 2-2 was 2.32-fold higher than in their counterparts with haptoglobin 2-1. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that haptoglobin phenotype is an important risk factor in determining susceptibility to cardiovascular disease in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, which may be mediated by the decreased antioxidant and antiinflammatory actions of the haptoglobin 2 allelic protein product.

Alleles↗
PubMed2003

A comparison of flow-mediated dilatation and von Willebrand factor as markers of endothelial cell function in health and in hypertension: relationship to cardiovascular risk and effects of treatment: a substudy of the Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial.

Loss of adequate endothelial cell function (associated with various cardiovascular syndromes such as hypertension) is most widely quantified by assessing flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) or measuring plasma markers such as von Willebrand factor (vWF). However, the relationship between these two methods is unclear, as is their relationship to 10-year cardiovascular risk (defined by the Framingham equation) and their response to intensive cardiovascular risk factor management. We tested the hypothesis that there is an inverse relationship between vWF and FMD by measuring both in 132 subjects, of whom 89 were hypertensive (mean blood pressure, 167/91 mmHg) and 43 were healthy normotensive (mean blood pressure, 133/80 mmHg). High-resolution ultrasound assessed endothelium-dependent brachial artery FMD following reactive hyperaemia after occlusion. Plasma vWF was defined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. These measurements were repeated in the patients after 6 months of intensive cardiovascular risk factor management. vWF and FMD correlated significantly (r = -0.517, P < 0.001), and both correlated with 10-year cardiovascular risk using the Framingham equation (vWF, r = 0.48, P < 0.001; FMD, r = -0.624, P < 0.001). Following 6 months intensive cardiovascular risk factor management, plasma vWF was significantly reduced whereas FMD significantly increased (both P < 0.002). We conclude that two fundamentally different methods for assessing endothelial function correlate well with each other, as well as with 10-year cardiovascular risk. Six months of intensive risk factor management is beneficial to the endothelium, as defined by improved vWF and FMD. These methods might therefore be useful indices to identify patients at risk of future cardiovascular events, and may also assist in the understanding of early developments in the pathogenesis of vascular risk in hypertension.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Combined effects of heart rate and pulse pressure on cardiovascular mortality according to age.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to assess the combined effects of pulse pressure (PP) and heart rate (HR) on cardiovascular mortality in a large French population. DESIGN: The study population was composed of 125,513 men and 96,301 women aged 16-95 years who had a health check-up at the IPC Center between January 1978 and December 1988. Subjects taking antihypertensive treatment were excluded. Mortality was assessed for an 8-year period. HR and PP were classified into three groups. HR groups were: < 60, 60-79 and > or = 80 beats per minute (bpm). PP groups were: < 50, 50-64 and > or = 65 mmHg. RESULTS: In men, PP and HR were both positively associated with cardiovascular mortality risk. In women, mean arterial pressure (MAP) but not PP or HR was associated with cardiovascular mortality. In men, a combined elevation of PP and HR was associated with an important increase of cardiovascular mortality risk. The group with the highest PP and the highest HR had a 4.8-fold increase in cardiovascular mortality risk as compared to the reference group (PP < 50 mmHg and HR < 60 bpm). This effect was more pronounced in younger men (5.4-fold increase) than in older men (3.7-fold increase), as compared to the reference groups of the same age. In women, the combined effects of PP and HR on cardiovascular mortality were not significant. CONCLUSION: A combined elevation of the two components of pulsatile arterial stress is associated with an important increase in cardiovascular mortality in men, especially in younger men. In women, steady-state stress (evaluated primarily by MAP), but not pulsatile stress, is an important determinant of cardiovascular mortality.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Microalbuminuria identifies overall cardiovascular risk in essential hypertension: an artificial neural network-based approach.

BACKGROUND: Ultrasound (US) examination of heart and carotid arteries provides an accurate assessment of target organ damage (TOD) and may influence the stratification of the absolute cardiovascular risk profile. Microalbuminuria has recently proved to be a useful cost-effective marker of increased cardiovascular risk but is still too often neglected in clinical practice. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate how well artificial neural networks (ANNs) predict cardiovascular risk stratification by means of routine data and urinary albumin excretion, as compared to prediction by the clinical work-up suggested by the International Society of Hypertension (ISH), with and without ultrasound-determined TOD. METHODS: A group of 346 never previously treated essential hypertensives (212 men, 134 women, mean age 47 +/- 9 years) was studied. Risk was stratified according to the criteria suggested by the 1999 WHO/ISH guidelines; first, by routine procedures alone, and subsequently by reassessment, using data on cardiac and vascular structures obtained by US evaluation. The ANN was trained and tested to predict the overall cardiovascular risk on the basis of routine clinical data and urinary albumin excretion (UAE). The impact of these three approaches on the determination of cardiovascular risk profile was evaluated. RESULTS: According to the first classification, 5.5% (n = 19) of patients were considered at low risk, 47.3% (n = 164) at medium, 26.7% (n = 92) at high and 20.6% (n = 71) at very high risk. A marked change in risk stratification, namely an increase in the prevalence of high- and very-high-risk patients (2.3% low, 29.8% medium, 42.8% high and 25.2% very high risk; chi(2) 15.201, P < 0.0001), was obtained when US examination of TOD was taken into consideration. On the basis of routine clinical data and UAE, the artificial neural network successfully predicted overall cardiovascular risk and allocated patients in different classes as accurately as the US-based evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: The use of US techniques allows a more precise stratification of absolute cardiovascular risk in hypertensive patients as compared to routine clinical data. An ANN can accurately identify the patients' risk status by using low-cost routine data and UAE. These results further emphasize the value of UAE in the stratification of cardiovascular risk.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Persistence of depressive symptoms and cardiovascular death among patients with affective disorder.

OBJECTIVE: Studies of both community and clinical samples have associated depressive symptoms with risks for subsequent cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Because the physiological mechanisms thought to underlie this link would be cumulative in their effects, the following analyses tested the prediction that risks for cardiovascular death would increase in proportion to the persistence of depressive symptoms in a long-term follow-up. METHODS: Baseline assessment was performed as patients sought treatment for major depressive disorder, mania, or schizo-affective disorder. Follow-up evaluations occurred semiannually for the next 5 years and annually thereafter. The 903 patients described, observed for a mean of 11.0 years (SD = 5.2 years), were divided into thirds according to the proportion of follow-up weeks in episodes of major depressive disorder, schizoaffective disorder, or intermittent depressive disorder. The resulting groups were then compared by cumulative risks of cardiovascular death. RESULTS: Patients whose depressive symptoms were the most persistent were no more likely to die of cardiovascular causes than were those with the fewest weeks ill. A regression analysis showed that older age and the presence of cardiovascular disease at baseline, but not the subsequent chronicity of depressive symptoms, predicted cardiovascular death. CONCLUSIONS: The physiological concomitants of depressive illness apparently do not promote cardiovascular mortality in a cumulative manner. Efforts should be directed toward identification of risk factors common to both lifetime depressive symptoms and cardiovascular morbidity.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Heart rate increase and maximal heart rate during exercise as predictors of cardiovascular mortality: a 16-year follow-up study of 1960 healthy men.

BACKGROUND: Resting heart rate is directly associated and maximal exercise-induced heart rate inversely associated with cardiovascular mortality, and therefore their difference might contain prognostic information from both variables. The comparative long-term prognostic values of maximal exercise-induced heart rate and of the difference between it and resting heart rate were studied in apparently healthy middle-aged men. METHODS: Resting heart rate and maximal exercise-induced heart rate were measured, and their difference calculated, in 1960 apparently healthy men aged 40-59 years, and mortality was recorded over a period of 16 years. Conventional coronary risk factors were assessed at baseline. RESULTS: Both the difference between the two heart rates and the maximal exercise-induced heart rate were strongly, independently and inversely associated with cardiovascular mortality after adjustment for age, smoking, systolic blood pressure, lung function, glucose tolerance, serum cholesterol level, serum triglycerides level, physical fitness and exercise ECG findings. The adjusted relative risk of cardiovascular death in heart-rate difference quartiles 3 and 4 compared with that in quartile 1 (the lowest heart-rate difference quartile) was 0.54 (95% confidence interval 0.33-0.86; P = 0.009). The corresponding value for maximal exercise-induced heart rate was 0.56 (95% confidence interval 0.34-0.89; P = 0.018). Within the lowest heart-rate difference quartile, but not within the lowest maximal exercise-induced heart rate quartile, a further, strong, negative gradient in cardiovascular mortality was observed. In the high working capacity range, low heart-rate difference but not low maximal exercise-induced heart rate predicted very high cardiovascular disease mortality. Heart-rate difference and maximal exercise-induced heart rate were also inversely associated with non-cardiovascular disease mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Both heart-rate difference and maximal exercise-induced heart rate were strong, graded, long-term predictors of cardiovascular mortality among apparently healthy middle-aged men, independent of age, physical fitness and conventional coronary risk factors. However, low heart-rate difference was a better predictor than low maximal exercise-induced heart rate for recognizing individuals who were at particularly high risk of dying prematurely from cardiovascular diseases.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Cardiovascular disease in chronic kidney disease from a cardiologist's perspective.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Cardiovascular disease accounts for the majority of morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This review therefore concentrates on CKD from the viewpoint of the cardiologist. RECENT FINDINGS: Studies have identified several explanations for this observation, including high rates of risk factors for cardiovascular disease, lesser use of cardioprotective strategies, adverse outcomes with cardiovascular drugs and procedures, and accelerated atherosclerosis and myocardial disease in CKD. Because recent studies have rigorously controlled for confounding factors, there is an emerging recognition that CKD is an independent cardiovascular risk state. Conversely, CKD appears to be the result of systemic atherosclerosis. The relative under-utilization of cardioprotective therapies has been an increasingly reported finding in the literature. It appears that conventional cardiovascular risk factor reduction in both the chronic and acute care settings has a greater relative benefit in those patients with CKD than in those with normal renal function. SUMMARY: CKD is an independent cardiovascular risk state. Hence, there is a strong rationale for research in CKD patients into the pathogenesis of CVD. In addition, there are multiple opportunities for improving cardiovascular outcomes in patients with CKD, including both chronic and acute cardiovascular risk reduction.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed2002

Insulin resistance as an independent predictor of cardiovascular mortality in patients with end-stage renal disease.

Insulin resistance is closely associated with atherosclerosis and cardiovascular mortality in the general population. Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are known to have insulin resistance, advanced atherosclerosis, and a high cardiovascular mortality rate. We evaluated whether insulin resistance is a predictor of cardiovascular death in a cohort of ESRD. A prospective observational cohort study was performed in 183 nondiabetic patients with ESRD treated with maintenance hemodialysis. Insulin resistance was evaluated by the homeostasis model assessment method (HOMA-IR) using fasting glucose and insulin levels at baseline, and the cohort was followed for a mean period of 67 mo. Forty-nine deaths were recorded, including 22 cardiovascular deaths. Cumulative incidence of cardiovascular death by Kaplan-Meier estimation was significantly different between subjects in the top tertile of HOMA-IR (1.40 to 4.59) and those in the lower tertiles of HOMA-IR (0.28 to 1.39), and the hazard ratio (HR) was 2.60 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12 to 6.01; P = 0.026) in the univariate Cox proportional hazards model. In multivariate Cox models, the positive association between HOMA-IR and cardiovascular mortality remained significant (HR, 4.60; 95% CI, 1.83 to 11.55; P = 0.001) and independent of age, C-reactive protein, and presence of preexisting vascular complications. Further analyses showed that the effect of HOMA-IR on cardiovascular mortality was independent of body mass index, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. In contrast, HOMA-IR did not show such a significant association with noncardiovascular mortality. These results indicate that insulin resistance is an independent predictor of cardiovascular mortality in ESRD.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular disease: the role of systemic inflammation and evolving strategies of prevention.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The incidence and mortality of cardiovascular disease are increased in the context of rheumatoid arthritis. The purpose of this review is to examine our evolving understanding of the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease in rheumatoid arthritis and to underscore the importance of tailored prevention of cardiovascular disease in this select population. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent reports have highlighted the shared pathobiology of cardiovascular disease and rheumatoid arthritis, both of which represent inflammatory disorders. Several reports have also provided much-needed insight into the deleterious impact that select therapies (including cyclo-oxygenase-2-specific inhibitors) may have in terms of the risk of cardiovascular disease in rheumatoid arthritis. Although further study is warranted, preliminary investigations also suggest that aggressive anti-inflammatory therapy, including the adjunctive use of statins, may play important cardioprotective roles in rheumatoid arthritis. SUMMARY: The pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease in rheumatoid arthritis is complex and involves several intermediate factors, including dyslipidemia, elevations in serum homocysteine, impaired insulin sensitivity, and endothelial dysfunction. Given the burden of cardiovascular disease in this population, it is important that health care providers caring for rheumatoid arthritis patients adopt a treatment course that is both comprehensive and individualized to address specific risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cardiovascular effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and other novel antidepressants.

This paper reviews the current knowledge of cardiovascular effects of the most commonly used novel antidepressants and their possible interactions with cardiovascular medications. The literature was reviewed through Medline 1980-2001. Materials were located by using terms such as SSRIs, individual names of novel antidepressants matched with terms like cardiovascular effects, cardiovascular diseases, cardiovascular risk factors, etc. Drug compendiums from 1998-2001 and some psychopharmacology texts were also used. The article focuses on the cardiovascular effects of the newer antidepressants, their use in patients with cardiovascular disease, and interactions with various commonly used cardiovascular drugs.

Antidepressive Agents↗
PubMed2005

Genetic studies in rat models: insights into cardiovascular disease.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Limited to 2003-2004 publications, this review focuses on 'big picture' concepts learned from rat genetic studies of cardiovascular disease. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS: Analysis reveals insights into pathogenic paradigms, as well as experimental perspectives into rat-based systems of analyses of complex cardiovascular disease. Key concepts are forwarded. Multiple susceptibility genes underlie several quantitative trait loci for blood pressure suggesting a 'quantitative trait loci cluster' concept; hypertension end-organ disease quantitative trait loci are distinct from blood pressure quantitative trait loci indicating differential susceptibility paradigms for hypertension and each complication (stroke, renal disease, cardiac hypertrophy); distinct blood pressure quantitative trait loci are found in males and females indicating gender-specific susceptibility; and genetic subtypes comprise polygenic hypertension in rat models suggesting a genetic basis for clinical heterogeneity of human essential hypertension. Gender specific genetic susceptibility plays a key role in coronary artery disease susceptibility; multiple distinct quantitative trait loci underlie hyperlipidemia and type-2 diabetes, indicating multiple susceptibilities in risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Studies in transgenic inbred rat-strain models demonstrate value for serial, complex, cardiovascular pathophysiological analyses within a genetic context. SUMMARY: Cognizant of the limitations of animal model studies, observations from rat genetic studies provide insight into respective modeled human cardiovascular diseases and risk factor susceptibility, as well as systematically dissect the multifaceted complexities apparent in human complex cardiovascular disease. Given the recapitulation of many features of human cardiovascular disease, the value of rat model-based genetic studies for complex cardiovascular disease is unequivocal, thus mandating the expansion of resources for maximization of rat-based genetic studies.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Is incomplete recovery from work a risk marker of cardiovascular death? Prospective evidence from industrial employees.

OBJECTIVE: A chronic lack of recovery from work during leisure time is hypothesized to indicate a health risk among employees. We examined whether incomplete recovery from work predicted cardiovascular mortality. METHODS: This prospective cohort study involved 788 industrial employees (534 men, 254 women, mean age 37.3, SD = 12.0) who were initially free from cardiovascular diseases. The baseline examination in 1973 determined cases of cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular risk factors, and the extent of recovery from work. Data on mortality in 1973 to 2000 were derived from the national mortality register. RESULTS: Sixty-seven cardiovascular deaths and 102 deaths from noncardiovascular causes occurred during the mean follow-up of 25.6 years. Employees who seldom recovered from work during free weekends had an elevated risk of cardiovascular death (p = .007) but not of other mortality (p = .82). The association between incomplete recovery and cardiovascular death remained after adjustment for age, sex, and 16 conventional risk factors, including occupational background, cholesterol, systolic pressure, body mass index, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, depressive symptoms, fatigue, lack of energy, and job stress. The association was not explained by deaths that occurred close to the assessment of recovery from work. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that incomplete recovery from work is an aspect of the overall risk profile of cardiovascular disease mortality among employees.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cardiovascular health promotion in aging women: validating a population health approach.

OBJECTIVE: Although cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in North American women, most cardiovascular research has focused on men. In addition, while there has been a recent trend toward population health promotion (PHP) and a consequent focus on the broad determinants of health, there is still a dearth of research evidence related to the promotion of cardiovascular health within this context. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the interrelationships between the determinants of health and individual cardiovascular health/risk behaviors in healthy women, within the context of a framework for PHP. DESIGN: A comprehensive inventory of factors affecting the cardiovascular health of women was operationalized in a survey questionnaire, the Cardiovascular Health Promotion Profile. Physical measures were also taken on each participant (n = 206). RESULTS: The multivariate analyses support significant interrelationships between the population health determinants and multiple individual cardiovascular health/risk behaviors in this cohort (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The evidence from this study provides foundational validation for a population health approach and population-based strategies for cardiovascular health promotion in women. Further research, within the context of a PHP framework, is central to building on the body of knowledge in this area.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Levels of homocysteine are inversely associated with cardiovascular fitness in women, but not in men: data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2002.

OBJECTIVES: Cardiovascular fitness represents the ability of active skeletal muscle to utilize oxygen during aerobic exercise. Elevated homocysteine, causing tissue injury by such mechanisms as oxidative stress, endothelial damage, and protein homocysteinylation, is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia and osteoporotic fracture. However, the association between elevated homocysteine and cardiovascular fitness has not been reported. DESIGN: Population-based cross-sectional study. SETTING: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999 to 2002 in the USA. SUBJECTS: A total of 1444 noninstitutionalized adults aged 20--49 years with reliable measures of cardiovascular fitness and non-missing values in homocysteine. Main outcome measures. Cardiovascular fitness, estimated maximal oxygen uptake or VO(2)max (mL kg(-1) min(-1)), was obtained by a submaximal exercise test. Levels of homocysteine were measured by the Abbott homocysteine assay, a fully automated fluorescence polarization immunoassay method and were natural-log-transformed due to right skewness. RESULTS. After adjustment for age, race and body mass index, there was a 0.70 mL kg(-1) min(-1) decrease (P=0.033) in the estimated VO(2)max for each standard deviation (SD) increase in the natural-log-transformed homocysteine level for women. Additional adjustment of hypertension, diabetes, smoking status, alcohol intake, use of lipid-lowering agents, physical activity, self-report health condition, as well as levels of folate, vitamin B(12), creatinine, C-reactive protein, total cholesterol and haemoglobin seemed to influence the association. In the fully adjusted model, we observed a 1.18 mL kg(-1) min(-1) decrease (P=0.003) in the estimated VO(2)max for each SD increase in the natural-log-transformed homocysteine level in women. There was no association between cardiovascular fitness and homocysteine levels in men. CONCLUSION. High homocysteine levels were inversely associated with cardiovascular fitness in women, but not in men. The results suggest that homocysteine levels are important indicators of exercise tolerance amongst women and may be useful in targeting female individuals requiring endurance intervention to prevent loss of cardiovascular fitness and function.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Mild renal insufficiency is associated with increased cardiovascular mortality: The Hoorn Study.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular mortality is extremely high in end-stage renal disease. Cardiovascular mortality risk also is increased in selected (high-risk) individuals with mild to moderate impairment of renal function. It is not clear whether a similar association exists in the general population and, if so, through what mechanisms. We investigated the association of renal function with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in a population-based cohort and explored potential mechanisms underlying any such relationship. METHODS: An age-, sex-, and glucose-tolerance-stratified sample (N = 631) of a population-based cohort aged 50 to 75 years was followed prospectively. After up to 10.2 years of follow-up, 117 subjects had died (50 of cardiovascular causes). At baseline, renal function was estimated by the serum creatinine level, the Cockcroft-Gault formula and Levey's equation. RESULTS: At baseline, the mean age was 64 +/- 7 years, 48% were men, 55% had hypertension, and 27% (by design) had type 2 diabetes. Serum creatinine was 91.7 +/- 19.0 micromol/L; creatinine clearance as estimated by the Cockroft-Gault formula was 72.5 +/- 13.7 mL/min/1.73 m(2), and the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimated by Levey's equation was 67.8 +/- 12.1 mL/min/1.73 m(2). Renal function was inversely associated with all-cause and with cardiovascular mortality. Relative risks (95% confidence intervals) were 1.08 (1.04 to 1.13) and 1.11 (1.07 to 1.16) per 5 micromol/L increase of serum creatinine; 1.07 (0.98 to 1.17) and 1.15 (1.01 to 1.31) for each decrease of 5 mL/min/1.73 m(2) creatinine clearance; and 1.15 (1.05 to 1.26) and 1.26 (1.12 to 1.42) for each decrease of 5 mL/min/1.73 m(2) of GFR. These associations remained after adjusting for age, sex, glucose tolerance status, hypertension, prior cardiovascular disease, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, homocysteine, (micro)albuminuria, von Willebrand factor, soluble vascular adhesion molecule-1 and C-reactive protein. Analyses in diabetic and hypertensive subjects gave similar results. CONCLUSION: Mild to moderate loss of renal function is strongly associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. The mechanism behind this association is unclear but does not appear to involve common risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes or hyperhomocysteinemia. Estimation of renal function by relatively simple methods therefore may be a valuable tool for cardiovascular risk assessment over and above that provided by conventional risk factors. Our results were obtained in a general middle-aged to elderly population, and thus have broad applicability.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Relationship of homocysteine with cardiovascular disease and blood pressure.

Elevated plasma homocysteine (Hcy) concentration is considered a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and may also be associated with hypertension. Although links have been established between hyperhomocysteinemia and elevated risk for cardiovascular events, the precise role of plasma Hcy in cardiovascular disease is unclear. Plasma Hcy increases with aging and is associated with other health-related behaviors, including smoking and diet patterns. Both epidemiologic and longitudinal clinical investigations have investigated the possible contribution of plasma Hcy to cardiovascular disease, and most report an association of plasma Hcy with the risk for cardiovascular and cerebral events. Some reports describe a significant relationship between Hcy and blood pressure levels, as well as higher Hcy in hypertensives compared to normotensives. Other studies find that the effect of Hcy disappears following adjustment for other risk factors. Because Hcy cosegregates with other risk factors, it has been difficult to identify an independent effect of Hcy on cardiovascular disease or hypertension. Hcy can be modified to some extent by vitamin supplementation. Hcy reduction may have some benefit in reducing cardiovascular risk in some patients, particularly the elderly. Because the question of an independent role of Hcy on risk for cardiovascular disease has not been determined, the assessment and treatment of Hcy should be approached in the context of other modifiable risk factors.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed1996

Does walking decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease hospitalizations and death in older adults?

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine whether walking is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease hospitalization and death in community-dwelling older men and women. DESIGN: A prospective study, with follow-up time of 4 to 5 years (average 4.2 years). SETTING: A western Washington health maintenance organization. PARTICIPANTS: Men and women aged 65 years and older from a random sample of HMO enrollees invited by mail to participate in a health promotion intervention trial (36% accepted the invitation and completed questionnaires). This report is based on 1645 older adults without severe disability and without history of heart disease. Vital status ascertainment was complete (100%), and only 2.6% did not complete the follow-up. MEASUREMENTS: Reported frequency and duration of walking for exercise, work, errands, pleasure, and hiking in the 2 weeks before baseline were used to classify hours of walking per week. The two main outcomes were: (1) cardiovascular disease hospitalizations with a discharge diagnosis of coronary (ICD-9-CM 410-414) or other cardiovascular diseases (ICD-9-CM 390-409, 415-448) documented by computerized hospitalization records and (2) death. Numerous potential confounding factors were considered, including age, sex, treated high blood pressure, current estrogen use and chronic disease score (ascertained by computerized medical and pharmacy records), and ethnicity, education, income, physical function, self-rated health status, smoking, alcohol intake, and body mass index (ascertained by self-report on the mailed questionnaire). RESULTS: Walking more than 4 hours/week was associated significantly with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease hospitalization in both sexes combined compared with walking less than 1 hour/week (age and sex-adjusted relative risk = 0.69; 95% confidence interval, 0.52-0.90). This association was not altered by adjustment for baseline cardiovascular risk factors and indicators of general health status. The association was present in all age groups, among those with and without physical limitations, and also among those who did and did not also participate in more vigorous physical activities. Walking more than 4 hours/week was also associated with a reduced risk of death (age and sex-adjusted relative risk = 0.73; 95% confidence interval, 0.48-1.10), however, this association was substantially diminished by adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors and measures of general health status. CONCLUSIONS: Walking more than 4 hours/week may reduce the risk of hospitalization for cardiovascular disease events. The association of walking more than 4 hours/week with reduced risk of death may be mediated by effects of walking on other risk factors. These findings provide much stronger evidence than previously available for advising older men and women to embark on or maintain a sustained program of walking to prevent cardiovascular disease events.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2005

Exercise-induced ventricular arrhythmias and cardiovascular death.

BACKGROUND: Exercise-induced ventricular arrhythmias (EIVA) are frequently observed during exercise testing. However, the clinical guidelines do not specify their significance and so we examined this issue in our population. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data was performed on 5754 consecutive male veterans referred for exercise testing at two university-affiliated Veterans Affairs Medical Centers. Exercise test responses were recorded and cardiovascular mortality was assessed after a mean follow-up of 6 +/- 4 years. EIVA were defined as frequent premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) constituting more than 10% of all ventricular depolarizations during any 30-second ECG recording, or a run of three or more consecutive PVCs during the exercise test or recovery. RESULTS: EIVA occurred in 426 patients (7.4%). There were 550 (10.6%) cardiovascular deaths during follow-up. Seventy two (17%) patients with EIVA died of cardiovascular causes, whereas 478 (9.0%) of patients without EIVA died of cardiovascular causes (P < 0.001). Patients with EIVA had a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease, resting PVCs, resting ST depression, and ischemia during exercise than patients without EIVA. In a Cox hazards model adjusted for age, cardiovascular disease, exercise-induced ischemia, ECG abnormalities, exercise capacity and risk factors, EIVA was significantly associated with time to cardiovascular death. The combination of both resting PVCs and EIVA was associated with the highest hazard ratio. CONCLUSIONS: EIVA are independent predictors of cardiovascular mortality after adjusting for other clinical and exercise test variables; combination with resting PVCs carries the highest risk.

Analysis of Variance↗