Lipoprotein (a) is associated with increased risk of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm.

Introduction: Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) is a circulating apolipoprotein B (ApoB) containing particle that has been observationally linked to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and is the target of emerging therapeutics. Recent work has highlighted the role of circulating lipoproteins in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). We sought to triangulate human observational and genetic evidence to evaluate the role of Lp(a) in AAA.

Influence of cardiometabolic medications on abdominal aortic aneurysm growth in the UK Aneurysm Growth Study: metformin and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors associated with slower aneurysm growth.

Background: There is a clinical need for treatments that can slow or prevent the growth of an abdominal aortic aneurysm, not only to reduce the need for surgery, but to provide a means to treat those who cannot undergo surgery.

Methods: Analysis of the UK Aneurysm Growth Study (UKAGS) prospective cohort was conducted to test for an association between cardiometabolic medications and the growth of an abdominal aortic aneurysm above 30 mm in diameter, using linear mixed-effect models.

Results: A total of 3670 male participants with data available on abdominal aortic aneurysm growth, smoking status, co-morbidities, and medication history were included.

Long-Term Effects of Acute Kidney Injury Following Endovascular Femoropopliteal Intervention: Insights From a Multicenter Trial.

Purpose: To examine the association between acute kidney injury (AKI) severity and duration with cardiovascular mortality, following endovascular treatment of femoropopliteal disease, and whether it is AKI in itself that confers an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data obtained between 2014 and 2019 from 3 vascular centers. Renal function was followed up for a minimum of 90 days.

Selecting Portable Ankle/Toe Brachial Pressure Index Systems for a Peripheral Arterial Disease Population Screening Programme: a Systematic Review, Clinical Evaluation Exercise, and Consensus Process.

Objective: To provide an overview of systems available for peripheral arterial disease (PAD) screening, together with respective accuracies and a clinical evaluation to identify a system suitable for use in a community screening programme.

Methods: A systematic review of the diagnostic accuracy of six ankle brachial pressure index (ABPI) and toe brachial pressure index (TBPI) devices deemed to be portable, which were Conformité Européenne (CE) marked, and were automated or semi-automated was carried out compared with gold standard handheld Doppler and duplex ultrasound. The devices were MESI-ABPI-MD, Huntleigh Dopplex Ability, Huntleigh ABPI and TBPI systems, Systoe TBPI system, and BlueDop.

Introducing multi-component cardiovascular health screening into existing Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) screening programmes in the UK: a qualitative study of programme staff views.

Background: Cardiovascular disease is a major contributor to poor health in the UK and the leading cause of death in England. Peripheral arterial disease and high blood pressure are conditions that identify individuals at high cardiovascular disease risk, likely to benefit from cardiovascular risk management. Both conditions remain considerably underdiagnosed and untreated.

Disease consequences of higher adiposity uncoupled from its adverse metabolic effects using Mendelian randomisation.

Background: Some individuals living with obesity may be relatively metabolically healthy, whilst others suffer from multiple conditions that may be linked to adverse metabolic effects or other factors. The extent to which the adverse metabolic component of obesity contributes to disease compared to the non-metabolic components is often uncertain. We aimed to use Mendelian randomisation (MR) and specific genetic variants to separately test the causal roles of higher adiposity with and without its adverse metabolic effects on diseases.

Rare coding variants in 35 genes associate with circulating lipid levels-A multi-ancestry analysis of 170,000 exomes.

Large-scale gene sequencing studies for complex traits have the potential to identify causal genes with therapeutic implications. We performed gene-based association testing of blood lipid levels with rare (minor allele frequency < 1%) predicted damaging coding variation by using sequence data from >170,000 individuals from multiple ancestries: 97,493 European, 30,025 South Asian, 16,507 African, 16,440 Hispanic/Latino, 10,420 East Asian, and 1,182 Samoan. We identified 35 genes associated with circulating lipid levels; some of these genes have not been previously associated with lipid levels when using rare coding variation from population-based samples.

Genetic Predisposition to Diabetes and Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: A Two Stage Mendelian Randomisation Study.

Objective: Observational studies demonstrate an inverse association between type II diabetes and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) for reasons that are unclear. The aim of this study was to clarify the causal association between type II diabetes predisposition and AAA using Mendelian randomisation.

Methods: Effect estimates for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with diabetes were obtained from the DIAbetes Meta-ANalysis of Trans-Ethnic association studies (DIAMANTE) consortium to construct a genetic instrumental variable.

Systematic review of genome-wide association studies of abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Background And Aims: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is an important cause of death worldwide and has an estimated heritability between 70 and 77%. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are an established way to discover genetic risk variants. The aim of this study was to systematically review the findings and quality of previous AAA GWAS.

Correction: A missense variant in Mitochondrial Amidoxime Reducing Component 1 gene and protection against liver disease.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.

Towards a Core Outcome Set for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: Systematic Review of Outcomes Reported Following Intact and Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair.

Objective: To encompass the needs of all stakeholders and allow effective data synthesis from trials, registries, and other studies; a core outcome set for infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair is needed. In this first stage, the aim was to report the range, frequency, and time of pre-specified outcomes reported following AAA repair.

Data Sources: Medline, Embase, and CENTRAL databases 2010 - 2019 were searched using ProQuest Dialog™.

Evaluating the Cost-Effectiveness of Changes to the Surveillance Intervals in the UK Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening Programme.

Objectives: To investigate the safety and cost-effectiveness of lengthening the time between surveillance ultrasound scans in the UK Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Screening Programme.

Methods: A discrete event simulation model was used to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of AAA screening for men aged 65, comparing current surveillance intervals to 6 alternative surveillance interval strategies that lengthened the time between surveillance scans for 1 or more AAA size categories. The model considered clinical events and costs incurred over a 30-year time horizon and the cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY).

Genome-wide association study of intracranial aneurysms identifies 17 risk loci and genetic overlap with clinical risk factors.

Rupture of an intracranial aneurysm leads to subarachnoid hemorrhage, a severe type of stroke. To discover new risk loci and the genetic architecture of intracranial aneurysms, we performed a cross-ancestry, genome-wide association study in 10,754 cases and 306,882 controls of European and East Asian ancestry. We discovered 17 risk loci, 11 of which are new.

Genetic Architecture of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm in the Million Veteran Program.

Background: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is an important cause of cardiovascular mortality; however, its genetic determinants remain incompletely defined. In total, 10 previously identified risk loci explain a small fraction of AAA heritability.

Methods: We performed a genome-wide association study in the Million Veteran Program testing ≈18 million DNA sequence variants with AAA (7642 cases and 172 172 controls) in veterans of European ancestry with independent replication in up to 4972 cases and 99 858 controls.

Effects of Left Renal Vein Ligation During Open Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair on Renal Function.

Objective: Left renal vein (LRV) ligation is performed during open abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair to facilitate proximal anastomosis. Its impact on short, medium, and long term renal function has not been investigated in detail using appropriately validated endpoints.

Methods: This was a nested case control study using data from a prospectively maintained AAA institutional dataset (tertiary centre).

Heterozygous Gene Deficiency and Risk of Coronary Artery Disease.

Background: Familial sitosterolemia is a rare Mendelian disorder characterized by hyperabsorption and decreased biliary excretion of dietary sterols. Affected individuals typically have complete genetic deficiency-homozygous loss-of-function (LoF) variants-in the or genes and have substantially elevated plasma sitosterol and LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. The impact of partial genetic deficiency of or -as occurs in heterozygous carriers of LoF variants-on LDL-C and risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) has remained uncertain.

Missed Opportunities for Timely Recognition of Chronic Limb Threatening Ischaemia in Patients Undergoing a Major Amputation: A Population Based Cohort Study Using the UK's Clinical Practice Research Datalink.

Objective: Opportunities for timely recognition of chronic limb-threatening ischaemia (CLTI) within primary care, such as performing cardiovascular assessment during clinical consultation, are possibly being missed. This study aimed to investigate for potential "missed opportunities" within primary care.

Methods: This was a population based cohort study, using the UK's Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD).

A missense variant in Mitochondrial Amidoxime Reducing Component 1 gene and protection against liver disease.

Analyzing 12,361 all-cause cirrhosis cases and 790,095 controls from eight cohorts, we identify a common missense variant in the Mitochondrial Amidoxime Reducing Component 1 gene (MARC1 p.A165T) that associates with protection from all-cause cirrhosis (OR 0.91, p = 2.