Rationale and design of the Baptist Employee Healthy Heart Study: a randomized trial assessing the efficacy of the addition of an interactive, personalized, web-based, lifestyle intervention tool to an existing health information web platform in a high-risk employee population.

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) and diabetes confer a high risk for developing subsequent cardiovascular disease (CVD). Persons with MetS constitute 24-34 % of the employee population at Baptist Health South Florida (BHSF), a self-insured healthcare organization. The Baptist Employee Healthy Heart Study (BEHHS) aims to assess the addition of a personalized, interactive, web-based, nutrition-management and lifestyle-management program to the existing health-expertise web platform available to BHSF employees in reducing and/or stabilizing CVD and lifestyle risk factors and markers of subclinical CVD.

A Systematic Review of the Prevalence and Outcomes of Ideal Cardiovascular Health in US and Non-US Populations.

Several population-based studies have examined the prevalence and trends of the American Heart Association's ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) metrics as well as its association with cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related morbidity and mortality and with non-CVD outcomes. However, no efforts have been made to aggregate these studies. Accordingly, we conducted a systematic review to synthesize available data on the distribution and outcomes associated with ideal CVH metrics in both US and non-US populations.

The Effectiveness of a Worksite Lifestyle Intervention Program on High-Risk Individuals as Potential Candidates for Bariatric Surgery: My Unlimited Potential (MyUP).

This is a single-arm, pre and post effectiveness study that evaluated the impact of a comprehensive workplace lifestyle program on severe obesity among high cardiovascular disease risk individuals in a large, diverse employee population. Employees of Baptist Health South Florida were considered eligible to participate if they had 2 or more of the following cardiometabolic risk factors: total cholesterol ≥200 mg/dL, systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg, hemoglobin A1c ≥6.5%, body mass index ≥30kg/m(2).

Assessment of American Heart Association's Ideal Cardiovascular Health Metrics Among Employees of a Large Healthcare Organization: The Baptist Health South Florida Employee Study.

Background: Healthcare organizations and their employees are critical role models for healthy living in their communities. The American Heart Association (AHA) 2020 impact goal provides a national framework that can be used to track the success of employee wellness programs with a focus on improving cardiovascular (CV) health. This study aimed to assess the CV health of the employees of Baptist Health South Florida (BHSF), a large nonprofit healthcare organization.

Obesity and metabolic phenotypes (metabolically healthy and unhealthy variants) are significantly associated with prevalence of elevated C-reactive protein and hepatic steatosis in a large healthy Brazilian population.

Background: Among the obese, the so-called metabolically healthy obese (MHO) phenotype is thought to confer a lower CVD risk as compared to obesity with typical associated metabolic changes. The present study aims to determine the relationship of different subtypes of obesity with inflammatory-cardiometabolic abnormalities.

Methods: We evaluated 5,519 healthy, Brazilian subjects (43 ± 10 years, 78% males), free of known cardiovascular disease.

Measuring coronary artery calcification: is serum vitamin D relevant?

Objectives: To synthesize evidence of the association between low vitamin D levels and subclinical coronary atherosclerosis measured by coronary artery calcium (CAC).

Methods: A systematic MEDLINE search was conducted for relevant published literature. Ten studies (7 cross-sectional, 3 longitudinal) met the inclusion criteria.

The prevalence of the metabolically healthy obese phenotype in an aging population and its association with subclinical cardiovascular disease: The Brazilian study on healthy aging.

Background: Current literature has elucidated a new phenotype, metabolically healthy obese (MHO), with risks of cardiovascular disease similar to that of normal weight individuals. Few studies have examined the MHO phenotype in an aging population, especially in association with subclinical CVD.

Research Design And Methods: This cross sectional study population consisted of 208 octogenarians and older.

A systematic review of internet-based worksite wellness approaches for cardiovascular disease risk management: outcomes, challenges & opportunities.

Context: The internet is gaining popularity as a means of delivering employee-based cardiovascular (CV) wellness interventions though little is known about the cardiovascular health outcomes of these programs. In this review, we examined the effectiveness of internet-based employee cardiovascular wellness and prevention programs.

Evidence Acquisition: We conducted a systematic review by searching PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane library for all published studies on internet-based programs aimed at improving CV health among employees up to November 2012.

Beyond BMI: The "Metabolically healthy obese" phenotype & its association with clinical/subclinical cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality -- a systematic review.

Background: A subgroup has emerged within the obese that do not display the typical metabolic disorders associated with obesity and are hypothesized to have lower risk of complications. The purpose of this review was to analyze the literature which has examined the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality in the metabolically healthy obese (MHO) population.

Methods: Pubmed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched from their inception until December 2012.

Delayed heart rate recovery is strongly associated with early and late-stage prehypertension during exercise stress testing.

Background: Heart rate recovery (HRR) has been shown to predict cardiovascular disease mortality. HRR is delayed in hypertension, but its association with prehypertension (PHT) has not been well studied.

Methods: The study population consisted of 683 asymptomatic individuals (90% men, aged 47±7.