Prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in Macau: results from a cross-sectional epidemiological study in Macau, China.

Background: Awareness of hypertension, as well as its prevalence, treatment, and control status, has not been comprehensively investigated in Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR), China.

Methods: A survey was conducted on a randomly sampled population of 1,410 participants (n = 638 men) aged 18-93 years in 2012. Blood pressure was individually measured twice.

Modifiable risk factors including sunlight exposure and fish consumption are associated with risk of hypertension in a large representative population from Macau.

Chinese populations are known to be at risk for vitamin D deficiency, with some evidence that this is due to lack of exposure to sunlight. Vitamin D deficiency and/or low sun exposure have been associated with higher incidence of hypertension in Caucasians. Thus, we investigated these associations in a Chinese population with a high rate of hypertension.

The predictive value of the bedside troponin T test for patients with acute chest pain.

Background: The evaluation of patients with acute chest pain is time consuming and complicated. In the present study, the role of the bedside troponin T (TnT) test was prospectively investigated for predicting the risk of death and acute heart failure (AHF) in patients with acute chest pain.

Methods: Five hundred two consecutive patients admitted in the 24 h after the onset of chest pain were enrolled in the study.

[Effects of C-type natriuretic peptide gene transduction on neointimal hyperplasia and endothelial function after angioplasty].

Objective: To investigate the effects of C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) gene transduction on neointimal hyperplasia and endothelial function after angioplasty.

Methods: Eighty-four rabbits were divided into 3 equal groups, namely normal control group, alkaline phosphatase gene transduction group and CNP gene transduction group. The rabbits in the latter two groups were given high-cholesterol diet 7 d before the experiment, followed by establishment of restenosis models by injuring the iliac artery and the specified gene transfer via retroviral vectors.

[Differentiation of rabbit bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells into myogenic cells in vitro and expression of vascular endothelial growth factor gene after transfection].

Objective: To induce the differentiation of rabbit bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into myogenic cells in vitro, and to investigate the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene in AdTrackCMV-hVEGF165- transfected MSCs.

Methods: Twenty rabbits were divided equally into control group and experimental group, and MSCs were isolated and purified from their bone marrow by Percoll (1.073 g/ml) followed by cell culture in low-glucose DMEM supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum.

Short-term administration of basic fibroblast growth factor enhances coronary collateral development without exacerbating atherosclerosis and balloon injury-induced vasoproliferation in atherosclerotic rabbits with acute myocardial infarction.

We evaluated the effect of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on the extent of atherosclerosis and balloon injury-induced vasoproliferation in atherosclerotic animals with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Fifty-six rabbits were fed a 1% cholesterol diet. Balloon injury of iliac arteries and experimental acute myocardial infarction were induced in the same animals.