Impact of personally measured pollutants on cardiac function.

Epidemiological studies have shown associations between ambient air pollution and changes in heart rate variability (HRV). However, studies using personal air pollution measurements, especially with exposure averages <24h, are still rare. Between February and March 2008 HRV data as well as personal exposure to particulate matter <2.

Are diabetes risk scores useful for the prediction of cardiovascular diseases? Assessment of seven diabetes risk scores in the KORA S4/F4 cohort study.

Aim: To evaluate the utility of diabetes prediction models for CVD prediction as stated in two earlier studies.

Methods: 845 subjects from the population based German KORA (Cooperative Health Research in the Region of Augsburg) S4/F4 cohort study (aged 55 to 74 years, without diabetes, former stroke, and former myocardial infarction at baseline) were followed for up to ten years for incident stroke and myocardial infarction. Seven diabetes risk scores developed from four different studies were applied to the KORA cohort to assess their predictive ability for CVD.

Short-term effects of air temperature on blood markers of coagulation and inflammation in potentially susceptible individuals.

Objectives: Changes in air temperature are associated with an increase in cardiovascular events, but the role of procoagulant and proinflammatory blood markers is still poorly understood. The authors investigated the association between air temperature and fibrinogen, plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1, interleukin-6 and high-sensitivity C reactive protein in two potentially susceptible groups.

Methods: This prospective panel study was conducted between March 2007 and December 2008 in Augsburg, Germany.

Reproductive factors and serum uric acid levels in females from the general population: the KORA F4 study.

Objective: Hyperuricemia is associated with an increased risk of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. There are pronounced sex differences in the levels of uric acid. It is largely unknown whether or not reproductive parameters which induce hormonal changes are responsible for this.

Immediate ozone effects on heart rate and repolarisation parameters in potentially susceptible individuals.

Objectives: Elevated ozone levels have been associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. We investigated the effects of ozone on heart rate (HR) and repolarisation parameters in potentially susceptible populations.

Methods: Between March 2007 and December 2008, 363 ECG recordings including >2000 1 h intervals were measured in 64 individuals with type 2 diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance and in 46 healthy individuals with a potential genetic predisposition on the detoxification pathways from Augsburg, Germany.

Acute air pollution effects on heart rate variability are modified by SNPs involved in cardiac rhythm in individuals with diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance.

Background: Epidemiological studies have shown associations between particulate matter (PM) and heart rate variability (HRV).

Objectives: We investigated the effects of air pollution on the root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD) and the standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN) and effect modifications by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP).

Methods: Between March 2007 and December 2008 207 ECG recordings comprising 1153 1 h-intervals were measured in 61 individuals with type 2 diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) from Augsburg, Germany.

Differences between human plasma and serum metabolite profiles.

Background: Human plasma and serum are widely used matrices in clinical and biological studies. However, different collecting procedures and the coagulation cascade influence concentrations of both proteins and metabolites in these matrices. The effects on metabolite concentration profiles have not been fully characterized.

Association of plasma aldosterone with the metabolic syndrome in two German populations.

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the potential association of the plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components in two German population-based studies.

Methods: We selected 2830 and 2901 participants (31-80 years) from the follow-ups of the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP)-1 and the Cooperative Health Research in the Region of Augsburg (KORA) F4 respectively. MetS was defined as the presence of at least three out of the following five criteria: waist circumference ≥94 cm (men (m)) and ≥80 cm (women (w)); high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol <1.

Genome-wide association study identifies a new locus for coronary artery disease on chromosome 10p11.23.

Aims: Recent genome-wide association (GWA) studies identified 10 chromosomal loci for coronary artery disease (CAD) or myocardial infarction (MI). However, these loci explain only a small proportion of the genetic variability of these pertinent diseases. We sought to identify additional CAD/MI loci by applying a three-stage approach.

Metabolic footprint of diabetes: a multiplatform metabolomics study in an epidemiological setting.

Background: Metabolomics is the rapidly evolving field of the comprehensive measurement of ideally all endogenous metabolites in a biological fluid. However, no single analytic technique covers the entire spectrum of the human metabolome. Here we present results from a multiplatform study, in which we investigate what kind of results can presently be obtained in the field of diabetes research when combining metabolomics data collected on a complementary set of analytical platforms in the framework of an epidemiological study.