Effect of Home Blood Pressure Telemonitoring Plus Additional Support on Blood Pressure Control: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Objective: Current clinical evidence on the effects of home blood pressure telemonitoring (HBPT) on improving blood pressure control comes entirely from developed countries. Thus, we performed this randomized controlled trial to evaluate whether HBPT plus support (patient education and clinician remote hypertension management) improves blood pressure control more than usual care (UC) in the Chinese population.

Methods: This single-center, randomized controlled study was conducted in Beijing, China.

Safety and efficacy of pulse-induced contour cardiac output monitoring in elderly patients with coronary artery disease and severe heart failure at coronary care units.

Background: The optimal treatment for elderly patients with severe heart failure depends on the accurate assessment of their hemodynamic status. Due to its less invasive nature, the safety and efficacy of invasive pulse-induced contour cardiac output (PiCCO)-based hemodynamic monitoring remains uncertain.

Methods: This was a prospective observational study.

Establishment of a diagnostic model of coronary heart disease in elderly patients with diabetes mellitus based on machine learning algorithms.

Objective: To establish a prediction model of coronary heart disease (CHD) in elderly patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) based on machine learning (ML) algorithms.

Methods: Based on the Medical Big Data Research Centre of Chinese PLA General Hospital in Beijing, China, we identified a cohort of elderly inpatients (≥ 60 years), including 10,533 patients with DM complicated with CHD and 12,634 patients with DM without CHD, from January 2008 to December 2017. We collected demographic characteristics and clinical data.

Effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors on cardiovascular outcomes in elderly patients with comorbid coronary heart disease and diabetes mellitus.

Objective: To investigate the effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) on cardiovascular outcomes in elderly Chinese patients with comorbid coronary heart disease (CHD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 501 elderly inpatients (≥ 60 years) with comorbid CHD/T2DM in Department of Cardiovascular Medicine and Endocrinology, Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2018 to December 2019. These patients were divided into two groups according to the administration of SGLT2i.

MicroRNA-29a attenuates angiotensin-II induced-left ventricular remodeling by inhibiting collagen, TGF-β and SMAD2/3 expression.

Background: Left ventricular (LV) remodeling is the most common target organ damage in hypertension. Previously, our study found that plasma microRNA-29a (miR-29a) level was associated with the LV remodeling in hypertensive patients. However, the causal relationship between miR-29a and LV remodeling remains unknown.

Novel biomarkers for cardiovascular risk prediction.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. The primary prevention of CVD is dependent upon the ability to identify high-risk individuals long before the development of overt events. This highlights the need for accurate risk stratification.

Plasma homocysteine levels are independently associated with alterations of large artery stiffness in men but not in women.

Objectives: To investigate the associations of the plasma homocysteine levels with the alterations in arterial stiffness in a community-based cohort. The gender differences in these associations were examined.

Methods: We evaluated the relationship between plasma homocysteine levels to three measures of vascular function [carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (CF-PWV), carotid-ankle PWV (CA-PWV) and heart rate corrected augmentation index (AI)] in 1680 participants (mean age: 61.

Plasma Homocysteine is a Predictive Factor for Arterial Stiffness: A Community-Based 4.8-Year Prospective Study.

The authors investigated whether plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) is a predictive factor for arterial stiffness (carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity [cf-PWV] and carotid-radial PWV) in 1447 patients from a 4.8-year prospective study in Beijing, People's Republic of China. Baseline tHcy showed a significant relationship with follow-up cf-PWV (β=0.

[Central pulse pressure but not brachial blood pressure is the predominant factor affecting aortic arterial stiffness].

Objective: To investigate the differences in central hemodynamic indices between hypertensive and normotensive subjects and identify the blood pressure index that the most strongly correlate with arterial stiffness and vascular damage markers.

Methods: A cohort of 820 hypertensive patients and 820 normotensive individuals matched for age and gender were enrolled in this study. We measured carotid-femoral and carotid-radial pulse wave velocity (PWV), aortic augmentation index (AIx) and central blood pressures using pulse wave analysis and applanation tonometry.

Association between serum homocysteine and arterial stiffness in elderly: a community-based study.

Background: Arterial stiffness and homocysteine are both powerful predictors of cardiovascular disease, especially in older populations. Previous studies have investigated the association of homocysteine with arterial stiffness in human subjects, while the relationship between homocysteine and arterial stiffness in the elderly is still indefinite. The current study examined the association of homocysteine with arterial stiffness in Chinese community-based elderly persons.

Chronic kidney disease: an independent risk factor of all-cause mortality for elderly Chinese patients with chronic heart failure.

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic value of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in elderly Chinese patients with chronic heart failure (CHF).

Methods: The study consisted of 327 elderly patients with CHF. All-cause mortality was chosen as an endpoint over the median follow-up period of 345 days.

Associations of plasma homocysteine and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels with arterial stiffness in Chinese population: a community-based study.

Background: Arterial stiffness increases with age and is also associated with traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Little is known about the relations of homocysteine and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) to arterial stiffness in the Chinese community. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association of plasma homocysteine and hs-CRP levels with arterial stiffness in a community-based cohort.

Additional ablation of complex fractionated atrial electrograms after pulmonary vein isolation in patients with atrial fibrillation: a meta-analysis.

Background: The efficacy of additional complex fractionated atrial electrogram (CFAE) ablation after pulmonary vein antrum isolation (PVAI) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) remains controversial. This meta-analysis was performed to assess the additional efficacy of CFAEs ablation after a single procedure without antiarrhythmic drugs.

Methods And Results: Trials were identified in MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Embase, Google Scholar, reviews, and reference lists of relevant papers.

Short-term effect of cocoa product consumption on lipid profile: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: The effect of cocoa products on lipid changes is controversial.

Objectives: We aimed to identify and quantify the effect of cocoa on total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol.

Design: A comprehensive literature search was conducted for relevant trials of cocoa on lipid profile.

Protective effect of chrysoeriol against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in vitro.

Background: The use of doxorubicin (DOX) is limited by its dose-dependent cardiotoxicity. Reactive oxygen species (ROSs) play an important role in the pathological process of DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of chrysoeriol, a flavone compound, against DOX-induced apoptosis and death in H9c2 cells and to find out its preliminary mechanism.

Effect of oral isoflavone supplementation on vascular endothelial function in postmenopausal women: a meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials.

Background: The effect of isoflavone on endothelial function in postmenopausal women is controversial.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of oral isoflavone supplementation on endothelial function, as measured by flow-mediated dilation (FMD), in postmenopausal women.

Design: A meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials was conducted to evaluate the effect of oral isoflavone supplementation on endothelial function in postmenopausal women.