Residual risk of cardiovascular mortality in patients with coronary heart disease: the EUROASPIRE risk categories.

Background: The EUROASPIRE I, II and III surveys revealed high prevalences of modifiable risk factors in the high priority group of coronary patients all over Europe. The potential to further reduce coronary heart disease (CHD) morbidity and mortality rates is still considerable. We report here on the relative risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) death associated with common modifiable risk factor levels based on the mortality follow-up of patients participating in the first two EUROASPIRE surveys.

Development of coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke in relation to fasting and 2-hour plasma glucose levels in the normal range.

Background: Individuals who had normoglycemia but whose 2-hour plasma glucose (2hPG) concentrations did not return to the fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) have been shown to have increased cardiovascular mortality. This is further investigated regarding to the first events of coronary heart disease (CHD) and ischemic stroke (IS).

Method: Data from 9 Finnish and Swedish cohorts comprising 3743 men and 3916 women aged 25 to 90  years who had FPG < 6.

Low-grade systolic murmurs in healthy middle-aged individuals: innocent or clinically significant? A 35-year follow-up study of 2014 Norwegian men.

Objective: To determine whether a low-grade systolic murmur, found at heart auscultation, in middle-aged healthy men influences the long-term risk of aortic valve replacement (AVR) and death from cardiovascular disease (CVD). Setting and subjects.  During 1972-1975, 2014 apparently healthy men aged 40-59 years underwent an examination programme including case history, clinical examination, blood tests and a symptom-limited exercise ECG test.

Relationship between body mass index and mortality among Europeans.

Background/objectives: To investigate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and mortality from various causes.

Subjects/methods: Data of 72,947 European men and 62,798 women aged 24-99 years at baseline were collaboratively analyzed. Both absolute and relative mortality risks were estimated within each BMI categories.

EUROASPIRE III. Management of cardiovascular risk factors in asymptomatic high-risk patients in general practice: cross-sectional survey in 12 European countries.

Objective: To determine whether the 2003 Joint European Societies' guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in people at high cardiovascular risk have been followed in general practice.

Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Methods: The EUROASPIRE survey was carried out in 2006-2007 in 66 general practices in 12 European countries.

Diabetes, prediabetes and cancer mortality.

Aims/hypothesis: We aimed to investigate the risk of cancer mortality in relation to the glucose tolerance status classified according to the 2 h OGTT.

Methods: Data from 17 European population-based or occupational cohorts involved in the DECODE study comprising 26,460 men and 18,195 women aged 25-90 years were collaboratively analysed. The cohorts were recruited between 1966 and 2004 and followed for 5.

Cardiovascular disease mortality in Europeans in relation to fasting and 2-h plasma glucose levels within a normoglycemic range.

Objective: To study mortality in relation to fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and 2-h plasma glucose levels within the normoglycemic range.

Research Design And Methods: Data from 19 European cohorts comprising 12,566 men and 10,874 women who had FPG <6.1 mmol/l and 2-h plasma glucose <7.

EUROASPIRE III: a survey on the lifestyle, risk factors and use of cardioprotective drug therapies in coronary patients from 22 European countries.

Aim: The aim of the European Action on Secondary and Primary Prevention by Intervention to Reduce Events III (EUROASPIRE III) survey was to determine whether the Joint European Societies' guidelines on cardiovascular prevention are being followed in everyday clinical practice and to describe the lifestyle, risk factor and therapeutic management in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) in Europe.

Methods: The EUROASPIRE III survey was carried out in 2006-2007 in 76 centres from selected geographical areas in 22 countries in Europe. Consecutive patients, with a clinical diagnosis of CHD, were identified retrospectively and then followed up, interviewed and examined at least 6 months after their coronary event.

Hyperglycemia and incidence of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke-comparison between fasting and 2-hour glucose criteria.

Background And Purpose: We examined the impact of hyperglycemia on ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke incidence comparing criteria based on fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and 2-hour plasma glucose (2-hour PG).

Methods: Data from 9 European cohorts comprising 18 360 individuals between 25 to 90 years of age were collaboratively analyzed. The maximum length of follow-up varied between 4.

Cardiovascular prevention guidelines in daily practice: a comparison of EUROASPIRE I, II, and III surveys in eight European countries.

Background: The first and second EUROASPIRE surveys showed high rates of modifiable cardiovascular risk factors in patients with coronary heart disease. The third EUROASPIRE survey was done in 2006-07 in 22 countries to see whether preventive cardiology had improved and if the Joint European Societies' recommendations on cardiovascular disease prevention are being followed in clinical practice.

Methods: EUROASPIRE I, II, and III were designed as cross-sectional studies and included the same selected geographical areas and hospitals in the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, and Slovenia.

Hyperglycemia and stroke mortality: comparison between fasting and 2-h glucose criteria.

Objective: We investigated stroke mortality in individuals in different categories of glycemia and compared hazard ratios (HRs) corresponding to a 1-SD increase in 2-h plasma glucose and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) criteria.

Research Design And Methods: We examined data from 2-h 75-g oral glucose tolerance tests taken from 13 European cohorts comprising 11,844 (55%) men and 9,862 (45%) women who were followed up for a median of 10.5 years.

Prevalence of angina in women versus men: a systematic review and meta-analysis of international variations across 31 countries.

Background: In the absence of previous international comparisons, we sought to systematically evaluate, across time and participant age, the sex ratio in angina prevalence in countries that differ widely in the rate of mortality due to myocardial infarction.

Methods And Results: We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE until February 2006 for healthy population studies published in any language that reported the prevalence of angina (Rose questionnaire) in women and men. We obtained myocardial infarction mortality rates from the World Health Organization.

Coronary events in persons aged 75 years or older in Finland from 1995 to 2002: the FINAMI study.

The authors used population-based myocardial infarction (MI) register data to examine trends in incidence, case fatality, treatment strategies of MI, and coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality in persons aged 75 to 99 years in 4 areas of Finland during 1995 through 2002. This age group contributed 53% (n=13,977) of all CHD events, and 65% occurred in women. CHD mortality declined among men annually by 3.

Similarity of the impact of type 1 and type 2 diabetes on cardiovascular mortality in middle-aged subjects.

Objective: To compare the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) death and the impact of hyperglycemia on the risk of CVD mortality associated with type 1 diabetes to that associated with type 2 diabetes.

Research Design And Methods: The study comprised 173 participants with type 1 diabetes, 834 participants with type 2 diabetes, and 1,294 nondiabetic participants, aged 45-64 years at baseline and free of CVD. The age of onset of diabetes was >30 years in both diabetic groups.

Long-term prognosis after coronary artery bypass surgery.

Objective: To analyse the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) events and total mortality among patients who had coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery during 1988-1992.

Methods: A population-based myocardial infarction (MI) register included data on invasive cardiac procedures among residents of the study area. The subjects aged 35-64 years were followed-up for 12 years for non-fatal and fatal CHD events and all-cause mortality, excluding events within 30 days of the CABG operation.

Serum zinc level and coronary heart disease events in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Objective: Low serum zinc level may predispose nondiabetic subjects to cardiovascular diseases. Our aim was to investigate whether serum zinc level predicts coronary heart disease (CHD) events in subjects with type 2 diabetes

Research Design And Methods: The original study population consisted of 1,059 patients with type 2 diabetes, aged 45-64 years. Mean duration of diabetes was 8 years.

Retinopathy predicts cardiovascular mortality in type 2 diabetic men and women.

Objective: To investigate the association of retinopathy with the risk of all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality in type 2 diabetic subjects in a population-based 18-year follow-up study with particular emphasis on sex differences.

Research Design And Methods: Our study cohort comprised 425 Finnish type 2 diabetic men and 399 type 2 diabetic women who were free of CVD at baseline. The findings were classified based on standardized clinical ophthalmoscopy to categories of no retinopathy, background retinopathy, and proliferative retinopathy.

Oral glucose tolerance test is needed for appropriate classification of glucose regulation in patients with coronary artery disease: a report from the Euro Heart Survey on Diabetes and the Heart.

Background: Patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and abnormal glucose regulation (AGR) are at high risk for subsequent cardiovascular events, underlining the importance of accurate glucometabolic assessment in clinical practice.

Objective: To investigate different methods to identify glucose disturbances among patients with acute and stable coronary heart disease.

Methods: Consecutive patients referred to cardiologists were prospectively enrolled at 110 centres in 25 countries (n = 4961).