Causal Association of Golgi Protein 73 With Coronary Artery Disease: Evidence from Proteomics and Mendelian Randomization.

Identification of the unknown pathogenic factor driving atherosclerosis not only enhances the development of disease biomarkers but also facilitates the discovery of new therapeutic targets, thus contributing to the improved management of coronary artery disease (CAD). We aimed to identify causative protein biomarkers in CAD etiology based on proteomics and 2-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) design. Serum samples from 33 first-onset CAD patients and 31 non-CAD controls were collected and detected using protein array.

Effects of a competence-based approach for clerkship teaching under alternating clinical placements: An explanatory sequential mixed-methods research.

Background: It is unclear whether alternating placements during clinical clerkship, without an explicit emphasis on clinical competencies, would bring about optimal educational outcomes.

Methods: This is an explanatory sequential mixed-methods research. We enrolled a convenience sample of 41 eight-year programme medical students in Sun Yat-sen University who received alternating placements during clerkship.

GP73 enhances the ox-LDL-induced inflammatory response in THP-1 derived macrophages via affecting NLRP3 inflammasome signaling.

Background: Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease with its molecular basis incompletely understood. Here, we determined whether the Golgi phosphoprotein 73 (GP73), a novel protein highly related to inflammation and disrupted lipid metabolism, was involved in the development of atherosclerosis.

Methods: Public microarray databases of human vascular samples were analyzed for expression patterns.

Targeting efficacy of spironolactone in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: the TOPCAT study.

Aims: We aimed to explore the heterogeneous treatment effects (HTEs) for spironolactone treatment in patients with Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and examine the efficacy and safety of spironolactone medication, ensuring a better individualized therapy.

Methods And Results: We used the causal forest algorithm to discover the heterogeneous treatment effects (HTEs) from patients in the Treatment of Preserved Cardiac Function Heart Failure with an Aldosterone Antagonist (TOPCAT) trial. Cox regressions were performed to assess the hazard ratios (HRs) of spironolactone medication for cardiovascular death and drug discontinuation in each group.

Association of Residential Proximity to the Coast With Incident Myocardial Infarction: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: Little is known about how the residential distance to the coast is associated with incident myocardial infarction (MI) and which mechanisms may explain the association. We aim to explore this association using data from a prospective, population-based cohort with unprecedented sample size, and broad geographical coverage.

Methods: In this study, 377,340 participants from the UK Biobank were included.

Deep Phenotyping and Prediction of Long-term Cardiovascular Disease: Optimized by Machine Learning.

Background: Prediction of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is important in clinical practice. Machine learning (ML) may offer an improved alternative to current CVD risk stratification in individual patients. We aim to identify important predictors and compare ML models with traditional models according to their prediction performance in a large long-term follow-up cohort.

Association between serum cystatin C level and hemodynamically significant aortic stenosis: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Cystatin C (CysC) is a cysteine protease inhibitor involved in proteins catabolism and plays an essential role in human vascular pathophysiology. CysC may also increase the risk of aortic stenosis (AS), but limited studies have reported on this association. This study aimed to investigate if elevated serum CysC levels are associated with hemodynamically significant AS.

Causal effect of education on type 2 diabetes: A network Mendelian randomization study.

Background: The causality between education and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) remains unclear.

Aim: To identify the causality between education and T2DM and the potential metabolic risk factors [coronary heart disease (CHD), total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, triglycerides (TG), body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), fasting insulin, fasting glucose, and glycated hemoglobin] from summarized genome-wide association study (GWAS) data used a network Mendelian randomization (MR).

Methods: Two-sample MR and network MR were performed to obtain the causality between education-T2DM, education-mediator, and mediator-T2DM.

Education and heart failure: New insights from the atherosclerosis risk in communities study and mendelian randomization study.

Introduction: We aim to characterize the nature and magnitude of the prospective association between education and incident heart failure (HF) in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study and investigate any causal relevance to the association between them.

Methods: The final sample size was 12,315 in this study. Baseline characteristics between education levels were compared using 1-way ANOVA test, the Kruskal-Wallis test, or the χ2 test.

Long-term tracking of fasting blood glucose variability and peripheral artery disease in people without diabetes.

Introduction: Long-term changes of fasting blood glucose (FBG) in relation to lower-extremity peripheral artery disease (lower-extremity PAD) in people without diabetes has barely been reported. Our study aimed to investigate the association between FBG variability and the incidence of lower-extremity PAD in people without diabetes.

Research Design And Methods: We included 7699 participants without prior lower-extremity PAD and diabetes from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study in the final analysis.

A systematic review of guidelines for dual antiplatelet therapy in coronary artery bypass graft.

Background: In most situations, many patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) are on dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), which is also required after CABG. The adjustment of antiplatelet strategy remains controversial. In this study, we systematically review current guidelines, seeking consensus and controversies to facilitate clinical practice.

Exploring the causal pathway from body mass index to coronary heart disease: a network Mendelian randomization study.

Background: We applied a network Mendelian randomization (MR) framework to determine the causal association between body mass index (BMI) and coronary heart disease (CHD) and explored whether glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and lipid parameters (total cholesterol, TC; low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, LDL; high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, HDL; triglycerides, TG) serve as causal mediators from BMI to CHD by integrating summary-level genome-wide association study data.

Methods: Network MR analysis, an approach using genetic variants as the instrumental variables for both the exposure and mediator to infer causality was performed. Summary statistics from the GIANT consortium were used ( = 152,893) for BMI, CARDIoGRAMplusC4D consortium data were used ( = 184,305) for CHD, Global Lipids Genetics Consortium data were used ( = 108,363) for TC, LDL, HDL and TG, and MAGIC consortia data were used ( = 108,363) for HbA1c.

Causal assessment of sleep on coronary heart disease.

Objective: Sleep is an essential physiological process that protects our physical and mental health. However, the causality of the association between sleep and coronary heart disease (CHD) is unknown. Mendelian randomization (MR), using genetic variants as instrumental variables to test for causality, can infer credible causal associations.

Serum albumin and atrial fibrillation: insights from epidemiological and mendelian randomization studies.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in clinical practice. Low serum albumin level is linked to the emergence of many cardiovascular diseases, including AF. In this study, we aim to characterize the nature and magnitude of the prospective association between serum albumin and incident AF in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study and investigate any causal relevance to the association between them.

Exploring the causal pathway from omega-6 levels to coronary heart disease: A network Mendelian randomization study.

Background And Aims: Evidence on the effect of omega-6 fats on coronary heart disease (CHD) risk remains inconclusive. We applied a network MR framework to determine the causal effects between omega-6 levels and CHD and the potential cholesterol metabolic risk factors (Total cholesterol, TC; Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, LDL-C; High-density lipoprotein cholesterol, HDL-C; Triglycerides, TG) which might act as mediators in the link between omega-6 levels and CHD by integrating summary-level genome wide association study (GWAS) data.

Methods And Results: Network MR analysis-an approach using genetic variants as the instrumental variables for both the exposure and mediator to infer causality was performed to examine the causal effects between omega-6 levels and CHD and cholesterol metabolic risk factors.

Phenomapping of subgroups in hypertensive patients using unsupervised data-driven cluster analysis: An exploratory study of the SPRINT trial.

Background: Hypertensive patients are highly heterogeneous in cardiovascular prognosis and treatment responses. A better classification system with phenomapping of clinical features would be of greater value to identify patients at higher risk of developing cardiovascular outcomes and direct individual decision-making for antihypertensive treatment.

Methods: An unsupervised, data-driven cluster analysis was performed for all baseline variables related to cardiovascular outcomes and treatment responses in subjects from the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT), in order to identify distinct subgroups with maximal within-group similarities and between-group differences.

Comparative outcomes of heart failure among existent classes of anti-diabetic agents: a network meta-analysis of 171,253 participants from 91 randomized controlled trials.

Background: The cardiovascular (CV) safety in terms of heart failure among different classes of treatment remains largely unknown. We sought to assess the comparative effect of these agents on heart failure outcomes.

Methods: This study was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD 42016042063).

The PROFILE of assessment program for internal medicine internship of Sun Yat-Sen University.

To reflectively look at the present methods by which the clinical competence of 5th-year medical students (i.e. interns) in Sun Yat-Sen University (SYSU) are assessed upon finishing internship rotation in internal medicine (IM).

Comparative cardiovascular outcomes in the era of novel anti-diabetic agents: a comprehensive network meta-analysis of 166,371 participants from 170 randomized controlled trials.

Background: Cardiovascular (CV) safety of one anti-diabetic medication over another remains partially delineated. We sought to assess the comparative effect on CV outcomes among novel anti-diabetic agents.

Methods: This study was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD 42016042063).

Serum Klotho, vitamin D, and homocysteine in combination predict the outcomes of Chinese patients with multiple system atrophy.

Aims: Neuroinflammation contributed to the pathogenesis of multiple system atrophy (MSA). We aimed to detect the correlation between inflammatory mediators, such as Klotho (Klt), vitamin D (25(OH)D) and homocysteine (Hcy), and disease severity among MSA patients.

Methods: A total of 53 MSA patients, 65 PD patients, and 62 normal subjects were recruited in our cross-sectional study.

A Nomogram to Predict Contrast Induced Nephropathy in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is the third leading cause of hospital-acquired acute kidney injury (AKI). Emerging evidence has revealed that soluble klotho (sklotho) could be a novel biomarker for early AKI diagnosis. The aims of this study were to assess the predictive role of sklotho for CIN and to develop a prediction nomogram in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Renin-angiotensin system inhibitors in patients with coronary artery disease who have undergone percutaneous coronary intervention.

The percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedure has become one of the pivotal options in the treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD). Although the PCI procedure has rapidly developed in China, some concerns including in-stent restenosis and dissatisfactory long-term prognosis remain unsolved. Large-scale randomized controlled clinical trials indicate that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) can reduce all-cause mortality and recurrent cardiac events in patients with CAD.

Design, synthesis, and antihypertensive activity of curcumin-inspired compounds via ACE inhibition and vasodilation, along with a bioavailability study for possible benefit in cardiovascular diseases.

This study describes the synthesis of a novel series of curcumin-inspired compounds via a facile synthetic route. The structures of these derivatives were ascertained using various spectroscopic and analytic techniques. The pharmacological effects of the target analogs were assessed by assaying their inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE).