Association of fibrotic markers with diastolic function after STEMI.

Galectin-3 and Suppression of tumorigenicity-2 (ST2) are known markers of cardiac fibrosis. We investigated the prognostic value of fibrotic markers for the development of diastolic dysfunction and long-term outcome in patients suffering an ST-elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI). We analyzed 236 patients from the GIPS-III cohort with available echocardiographic studies and plasma measurements at hospitalization and after 4 months follow-up.

Multiomic analyses uncover immunological signatures in acute and chronic coronary syndromes.

Acute and chronic coronary syndromes (ACS and CCS) are leading causes of mortality. Inflammation is considered a key pathogenic driver of these diseases, but the underlying immune states and their clinical implications remain poorly understood. Multiomic factor analysis (MOFA) allows unsupervised data exploration across multiple data types, identifying major axes of variation and associating these with underlying molecular processes.

Incidence and predictors of heart failure with reduced and preserved ejection fraction after ST-elevation myocardial infarction in the contemporary era of early percutaneous coronary intervention.

Aims: The development and incidence of de-novo heart failure after ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in the contemporary era of rapid reperfusion are largely unknown. We aimed to establish the incidence of post-STEMI heart failure, stratified by left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and to find predictors for its occurrence. Furthermore, we investigated the course of left ventricular systolic and diastolic function after STEMI.

The gut microbiome across the cardiovascular risk spectrum.

Aims: Despite treatment advancements, cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of death worldwide. Identifying new targets is crucial for enhancing preventive and therapeutic strategies. The gut microbiome has been associated with coronary artery disease (CAD), however our understanding of specific changes during CAD development remains limited.

Fetuin-A and its genetic association with cardiometabolic disease.

Fetuin-A acts as both an inhibitor of calcification and insulin signaling. Previous studies reported conflicting results on the association between fetuin-A and cardiometabolic diseases. We aim to provide further insights into the association between genetically predicted levels of fetuin-A and cardiometabolic diseases using a Mendelian randomization strategy.

Identification of genetic variants that impact gene co-expression relationships using large-scale single-cell data.

Background: Expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) studies show how genetic variants affect downstream gene expression. Single-cell data allows reconstruction of personalized co-expression networks and therefore the identification of SNPs altering co-expression patterns (co-expression QTLs, co-eQTLs) and the affected upstream regulatory processes using a limited number of individuals.

Results: We conduct a co-eQTL meta-analysis across four scRNA-seq peripheral blood mononuclear cell datasets using a novel filtering strategy followed by a permutation-based multiple testing approach.

Predictors of adverse diastolic remodeling in non-diabetic patients presenting with ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

Background: Adverse systolic remodeling after ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is associated with poor clinical outcomes. However, little is known about diastolic remodeling. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors leading to diastolic remodeling.

Large HDL particles negatively associate with leukocyte counts independent of cholesterol efflux capacity: A cross sectional study in the population-based LifeLines DEEP cohort.

Background And Aims: Leukocytosis, the expansion of white blood cells, is associated with increased cardiovascular risk. Studies in animal models have shown that high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) suppresses leukocytosis by mediating cholesterol efflux from hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. HDL-c showed a moderate negative association with leukocyte numbers in the UK Biobank and Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Relation of Iron Status to Prognosis After Acute Coronary Syndrome.

Iron deficiency has been extensively researched and is associated with adverse outcomes in heart failure. However, to our knowledge, the temporal evolution of iron status has not been previously investigated in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Therefore, we aimed to explore the temporal pattern of repeatedly measured iron, ferritin, transferrin, and transferrin saturation (TSAT) in relation to prognosis post-ACS.

Temporal Course of Plasma Trimethylamine N-Oxide (TMAO) Levels in ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

The gut metabolite trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) at admission has a prognostic value in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. However, its sequential changes and relationship with long-term infarct-related outcomes after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remain elusive. We delineated the temporal course of TMAO and its relationship with infarct size and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) post-PCI, adjusting for the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).

What really matters: a patient-centered instrument to evaluate health-related quality of life in cardiovascular disease.

Aims: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are increasingly used to guide decision-making in cardiovascular care. However, many of the existing PROMs are developed with limited patient involvement and overlook personal health preferences. We aim to develop a cardiovascular disease (CVD)-specific patient-centred preference-based PROM to assess and monitor HRQoL in CVD patients.

Search for a Functional Genetic Variant Mimicking the Effect of SGLT2 Inhibitor Treatment.

SGLT2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) block renal glucose reabsorption. Due to the unexpected beneficial observations in type 2 diabetic patients potentially related to increased natriuresis, SGLT2i are also studied for heart failure treatment. This study aimed to identify genetic variants mimicking SGLT2i to further our understanding of the potential underlying biological mechanisms.

Translational insights from single-cell technologies across the cardiovascular disease continuum.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. The societal health burden it represents can be reduced by taking preventive measures and developing more effective therapies. Reaching these goals, however, requires a better understanding of the pathophysiological processes leading to and occurring in the diseased heart.

Human genetic determinants of the gut microbiome and their associations with health and disease: a phenome-wide association study.

Small-scale studies have suggested a link between the human gut microbiome and highly prevalent diseases. However, the extent to which the human gut microbiome can be considered a determinant of disease and healthy aging remains unknown. We aimed to determine the spectrum of diseases that are linked to the human gut microbiome through the utilization of its genetic determinants as a proxy for its composition.

Sex differences in leukocyte profile in ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients.

Background: Whether sex differences exist in the inflammatory response after ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) remains to be elucidated. We studied leukocyte profiles and their prognostic value in men and women presenting with STEMI.

Methods: From a total of 552 consecutive STEMI patients, blood samples were collected at hospital admission.

Genetically Determined ABO Blood Group and its Associations With Health and Disease.

Objective: To determine the spectrum of phenotypes linked to the ABO blood group system, using genetic determinants of the ABO blood group system. Approach and Results: We assessed the risk of 41 health and disease outcomes, and 36 linear traits associated with the ABO blood group system in the UK Biobank cohort. A total of 406 755 unrelated individuals were included in this study.

Leukocyte profiles across the cardiovascular disease continuum: A population-based cohort study.

Introduction: Inflammation plays a pivotal role across all stadia of the cardiovascular disease (CVD) continuum, i.e. non-obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD), myocardial infarction (MI), and ischemic heart failure (iHF).

Genetically Determined Physical Activity and Its Association with Circulating Blood Cells.

Lower levels of physical activity (PA) have been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Worldwide, there is a shift towards a lifestyle with less PA, posing a serious threat to public health. One of the suggested mechanisms behind the association between PA and disease development is through systemic inflammation, in which circulating blood cells play a pivotal role.

Plasma interleukin 6 levels are associated with cardiac function after ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

Background And Aims: Myocardial infarction triggers an inflammatory response involved in cardiac repair. We studied the association of the interleukin 6 (IL-6) cascade with infarct size and cardiac function after ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Methods: In 369 STEMI patients IL-6, soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R), and soluble glycoprotein (sgp) 130 were measured at baseline (hospital admission), 24 h, 2 weeks, 7 weeks, 4 months, and 1 year post-PCI and sIL-6R/IL-6 ratio was calculated.

Translational overview of cytokine inhibition in acute myocardial infarction and chronic heart failure.

Many cytokines are currently under investigation as potential target to improve cardiac function and outcome in the setting of acute myocardial infarction (MI) or chronic heart failure (HF). Here we aim to provide a translational overview of cytokine inhibiting therapies tested in experimental models and clinical studies. In various experimental studies, inhibition of interleukin-1 (IL-1), -6 (IL-6), -8 (IL-8), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), CC- and CXC chemokines, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) had beneficial effects on cardiac function and outcome.

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein and long term reperfusion success of primary percutaneous intervention in ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

Aims: In STEMI patients, success of reperfusion of primary PCI predicts cardiac remodeling and clinical outcome. This success may depend on inflammation. We aimed to investigate the association between inflammation and reperfusion success, left ventricular function and long-term mortality in STEMI patients.

Comparison of domains of self-reported physical activity between Kenyan adult urban-slum dwellers and national estimates.

Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) - largely the result of modifiable behavioral risks such as physical inactivity that gradually develop into physiological risks - are a main cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In Kenya, a nationally representative STEPwise survey of risk factors for NCDs established that 10.8% of Kenyans accumulated low levels of total physical activity.