Associations of urinary isoprostanes with measures of subclinical atherosclerosis: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Background: Urinary isoprostanes are markers of systemic oxidative stress, which is implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Coronary artery calcium (CAC), thoracic aortic calcium (TAC) and carotid plaque are measure subclinical atherosclerosis and prognosticate ASCVD risk. We examined the associations between urinary isoprostane levels and measures of plaque prevalence, burden, incidence and progression across three vascular beds in a cohort from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Association between body mass index and liver stiffness measurement using transient elastography in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in a hepatology clinic: a cross sectional study.

Background: Transient elastography (TE) is an FDA approved, non-invasive tool to estimate liver stiffness measurement (LSM) in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Our aim was to analyze if body mass index (BMI) would predict the severity of liver stiffness using TE scores.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study of patients with NAFLD who presented to the hepatology clinic between January 2019 through January 2021.

Adipokines and incident venous thromboembolism: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Background: Obesity leads to adipocyte hypertrophy and adipokine dysregulation and is an independent risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, the association between adipokines and VTE is not well established.

Objectives: To examine whether adipokines are associated with increased risk of incident VTE.

Association between parity and markers of inflammation: The multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis.

Introduction: Multiparity has been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Inflammation may be a mechanism linking parity to CVD. We investigated the association between parity and later-life markers of inflammation.

Associations of adipokine levels with the prevalence and extent of valvular and thoracic aortic calcification: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Background And Aims: Extra-coronary calcification (ECC) is a marker of atherosclerosis and independently associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Adipokines may mediate the effect of obesity on atherosclerosis. However, the relationship of adipokines with ECC is not well-established.

Associations of endogenous sex hormone levels with the prevalence and progression of valvular and thoracic aortic calcification in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Background And Aims: Sex hormones (SH) may contribute to sex differences in cardiovascular disease (CVD). High free testosterone (T) and low sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) have been associated with progression of coronary artery calcification in women. We now examined the association of SH with extra-coronary calcification (ECC) prevalence and progression among MESA participants.

The association of novel inflammatory marker GlycA and incident atrial fibrillation in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Background: Emerging evidence has implicated that inflammation contributes to the pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation (AF). GlycA is a novel marker of systemic inflammation with low intra-individual variability and high analytic precision. GlycA has been associated with incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) independent of other inflammatory markers.

Remdesivir for the treatment of COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: The nucleotide analogue prodrug remdesivir was among the first antiviral therapies to be tested in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for COVID-19. We performed a meta-analysis to understand efficacy and safety.

Methods: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane library, and ClinicalTrials.

Effect of Progression of Valvular Calcification on Left Ventricular Structure and Frequency of Incident Heart Failure (from the Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis).

Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of morbidity. Strategies for preventing HF are paramount. Prevalent extracoronary calcification is associated with HF risk but less is known about progression of mitral annular (MAC) and aortic valve calcification (AVC) and HF risk.

Association of the Novel Inflammatory Marker GlycA and Incident Heart Failure and Its Subtypes of Preserved and Reduced Ejection Fraction: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Background: GlycA, a nuclear magnetic resonance composite marker of systemic inflammation, reflects serum concentration and glycosylation state of main acute phase reactants. Prior studies have shown plasma GlycA levels were associated with cardiovascular disease even after adjusting for other inflammatory markers. However, little is known about the association of GlycA with the heart failure (HF) subtypes: heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) or heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

Progression of valvular calcification and risk of incident stroke: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Background And Aims: Prevalent valvular calcification (VC) is associated with stroke but little is known about associations of VC progression with stroke.

Methods: Progression (interval increase >0 Agatston units/year) of aortic valvular calcification (AVC) and mitral annular calcification (MAC) was assessed by two cardiac CTs over a median of 2.4 years.

Resting heart rate and incident venous thromboembolism: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Objective: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Resting heart rate (RHR), which may be modifiable through lifestyle changes, has been shown to be associated with cardiovascular disease risk and with inflammatory markers that have been predictive of VTE incidence.

Methods: We examined whether RHR is also associated with VTE incidence independent of these risk factors.

Resting heart rate and incidence of venous thromboembolism.

Background/objectives: Higher resting heart rate is a risk factor for arterial cardiovascular diseases. We assessed whether higher heart rate is a risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE).

Methods: In a prospective epidemiologic cohort, the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study, we associated resting heart rate by electrocardiogram with physician-validated incident hospitalized VTE through 2015.

A randomized controlled trial of online symptom searching to inform patient generated differential diagnoses.

Patient online health searching is now commonplace, however, the accuracy of patient generated differentials for new symptoms and potential for patient anxiety are concerns. We aimed primarily to determine the accuracy of patient generated differentials for new symptoms with and without online searching, and secondarily, to evaluate the impact of searching on anxiety levels. In the waiting room prior to seeing a clinician, 300 patients with new symptoms were randomly assigned 1:1:1 to Google searching with health related features including a symptom search tool vs Google searching with health related features disabled vs no searching.

Ideal cardiovascular health and resting heart rate in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Elevated resting heart rate (RHR) is associated with an increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, but little is known about its association with cardiovascular health (CVH), assessed by the Life's Simple 7 (LS7) metrics. We explored whether ideal CVH was associated with RHR in a cohort free from clinical CVD. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data (2000-2002) of 6457 Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis participants in 2018.

Mid-life serum Vitamin D concentrations were associated with incident dementia but not late-life neuropsychological performance in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study.

Background: Activated Vitamin D has anti-inflammatory properties and adequate 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations may be important for neurocognitive function and protection against neurologic injury. We examined whether mid-life 25(OH) D concentrations were associated with later-life performance on neuropsychological testing, functional ability, depressive symptoms, and incident dementia.

Methods: We studied 13,039 white and black ARIC participants who had serum 25(OH) D measured mid-life at visit 2 (1990-1992).

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in Low-Risk Patients: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Introduction: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has become the standard treatment option for patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis (AS) with high surgical risk and a reasonable option for intermediate surgical risk as an alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). The role of TAVR in lower risk patients is less established but has been the focus of recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We performed a meta-analysis of RCTs to assess TAVR outcomes among low surgical risk patients.

Impact of improved low-density lipoprotein cholesterol assessment on guideline classification in the modern treatment era-Results from a racially diverse Brazilian cross-sectional study.

Background: The Martin/Hopkins low-density lipoprotein cholesterol equation (LDL-C) was previously demonstrated as more accurate than Friedewald LDL-C estimation (LDL-C) in a North American database not able to take race into account.

Objectives: We hypothesized that LDL-C would be more accurate than LDL-C and correlate better with LDL particle number (LDL-P) in a racially diverse Brazilian cohort.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of 4897 participants in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health, assessing LDL-C and LDL-C accuracy via overlap with ultracentrifugation-based measurement among clinical guideline LDL-C categories as well as mg/dL and percent error differences.

Relation of Dietary Sodium Intake With Subclinical Markers of Cardiovascular Disease (from MESA).

The associations between dietary sodium intake and markers of subclinical cardiovascular disease (CVD), such as high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) and amino terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), may provide mechanistic insight into the relation between dietary sodium and cardiovascular events. We studied 6,131 participants of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, who were free of clinical CVD at baseline. Food frequency questionnaires were used to assess estimated sodium intake (ESI) at baseline.

Corrie Health Digital Platform for Self-Management in Secondary Prevention After Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Background: Unplanned readmissions after hospitalization for acute myocardial infarction are among the leading causes of preventable morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. Digital health interventions could be an effective tool in promoting self-management, adherence to guideline-directed therapy, and cardiovascular risk reduction. A digital health intervention developed at Johns Hopkins-the Corrie Health Digital Platform (Corrie)-includes the first cardiology Apple CareKit smartphone application, which is paired with an Apple Watch and iHealth Bluetooth-enabled blood pressure cuff.

GlycA, a Novel Inflammatory Marker and Its Association With Peripheral Arterial Disease and Carotid Plaque: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

GlycA, a composite biomarker of systemic inflammation, is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality, but its relationship with peripheral artery disease (PAD) is unknown. We assessed whether plasma GlycA is associated with ankle-brachial index (ABI), carotid plaque (CP), and incident clinical PAD among 6466 Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis participants without CVD at baseline. GlycA, ABI, and CP were measured at baseline.

The novel inflammatory marker GlycA and the prevalence and progression of valvular and thoracic aortic calcification: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Background And Aims: GlycA is a novel composite biomarker of systemic inflammation reflecting posttranslational glycosylation of acute phase reactants. GlycA has been associated with coronary artery calcium, cardiovascular disease (CVD) events and mortality. Vascular calcifications outside of the coronary arteries are risk markers of CVD and mortality.

GlycA, a novel inflammatory marker, is associated with subclinical coronary disease.

Objective: GlycA, a novel NMR biomarker of inflammation, has been associated with incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the general population, but its association with CVD among HIV-infected individuals is unknown. We examined the associations between GlycA and subclinical coronary plaque among HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected men participating in Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS).

Design: Cross-sectional analysis of 935 men with plasma measurement of GlycA and noncontrast cardiac computed tomography (CT) and/or coronary CT angiography.

Relation of Elevated Resting Heart Rate in Mid-Life to Cognitive Decline Over 20 Years (from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities [ARIC] Study).

Resting heart rate (RHR) is independently associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. We determined whether RHR, measured in mid-life, is also associated with cognitive decline. We studied 13,720 middle-aged white and black ARIC participants without a history of stroke or atrial fibrillation.

Plasma Galectin-3 and Sonographic Measures of Carotid Atherosclerosis in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.

Galectin-3 is a β-galactoside-binding lectin that plays a role in the regulation of several conditions that are associated with atherosclerosis. The goal of this cross-sectional study was to assess the association of plasma galectin-3 concentrations with sonographic measures of carotid atherosclerosis in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study. Linear regression was used to determine the difference and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) by categorical and continuous representations of galectin-3.