Association of Total Mortality and Cardiovascular Endpoints With the Timing of the First and Second Systolic Peak of the Aortic Pulse Wave.

Prognostic significance of the timing in the cardiac cycle of the first (TP1) and second (TP2) systolic peak of the central aortic pulse wave is ill-defined. Incidence rates and standardized multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of adverse health outcomes associated with TP1 and TP2, estimated by the SphygmoCor software, were assessed in the International Database of Central Arterial Properties for Risk Stratification (IDCARS) (n = 5529). Model refinement was assessed by the integrated discrimination (ID) and net reclassification (NR) improvement.

Alcohol consumption and ambulatory blood pressure-lowering effect in male patients on clinic blood pressure-guided antihypertensive treatment.

In the present analysis, we investigated the association between alcohol consumption and ambulatory blood pressure (BP) control in male patients after 8 weeks of antihypertensive therapy with two dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers. The study participants were hypertensive (clinic systolic/diastolic BP of 140-179/90-109 mmHg and 24-hour ambulatory systolic/diastolic BP ≥ 130/80 mmHg) patients enrolled in a randomized controlled trial and treated with amlodipine 5-10 mg or nifedipine gastrointestinal therapeutic system (GITS) 30-60 mg once daily. Alcohol consumption was classified as non-drinkers and drinkers.

Fasting hypertriglyceridemia in relation to mortality in an elderly male Chinese population.

We investigated fasting hypertriglyceridemia as predictors of all-cause, cardiovascular, and non-cardiovascular mortality in an elderly male Chinese population, while accounting for various conventional cardiovascular risk factors. Our participants were elderly men recruited from residents living in a suburban town of Shanghai (≥60 years of age, n = 1583). Hypertriglyceridemia was defined as a fasting serum triglycerides concentration ≥1.

An outcome-driven threshold for pulse pressure amplification.

Pulse pressure amplification (PPA) is the brachial-to-aortic pulse pressure ratio and decreases with age and cardiovascular risk factors. This individual-participant meta-analysis of population studies aimed to define an outcome-driven threshold for PPA. Incidence rates and standardized multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of cardiovascular and coronary endpoints associated with PPA, as assessed by the SphygmoCor software, were evaluated in the International Database of Central Arterial Properties for Risk Stratification (n = 5608).

Comparison of two single-pill dual combination antihypertensive therapies in Chinese patients: a randomized, controlled trial.

Background: Current hypertension guidelines recommend combination of an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin-receptor blocker with a calcium-channel blocker or thiazide diuretic as initial antihypertensive therapy in patients with monotherapy uncontrolled hypertension. However, to what extent these two different combinations are comparable in blood pressure (BP)-lowering efficacy and safety remains under investigation, especially in the Chinese population. We investigated the BP-lowering efficacy and safety of the amlodipine/benazepril and benazepril/hydrochlorothiazide dual therapies in Chinese patients.

Seasonal variation in ambulatory blood pressure control in patients on clinic blood pressure-guided antihypertensive treatment.

Background: We investigated seasonal variation in ambulatory blood pressure control in hypertensive patients on clinic blood pressure-guided antihypertensive treatment.

Methods: The study participants were hypertensive patients enrolled in an 8-week therapeutic study. Antihypertensive treatment was initiated with long-acting dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers amlodipine 5 mg/day or the gastrointestinal therapeutic system (GITS) formulation of nifedipine 30 mg/day, with the possible up-titration to amlodipine 10 mg/day or nifedipine-GITS 60 mg/day at 4 weeks of follow-up.

Alcohol Consumption and Antihypertensive Treatment Effect in Male Patients With Hypertension.

Background: Alcohol consumption is a proven risk factor of hypertension. In the present analysis, we investigated the use of antihypertensive medications and blood pressure control in male alcohol drinkers and non-drinkers with hypertension (systolic/diastolic blood pressure 160-199/100-119 mm Hg).

Methods: The study participants were patients enrolled in a 12-week therapeutic study and treated with the irbesartan/hydrochlorothiazide combination 150/12.

Current and recent cigarette smoking in relation to cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality in an elderly male Chinese population.

Objective: To investigate the association between current and former smoking and the risk of mortality in elderly Chinese men.

Methods: Our study participants were elderly (≥ 60 years) men recruited in a suburban town of Shanghai. Cigarette smoking status was categorized as never smoking, remote (cessation > 5 years) and recent former smoking (cessation ≤ 5 years), and light-to-moderate (≤ 20 cigarettes/day) and heavy current smoking (> 20 cigarettes/day).

Control status of ambulatory blood pressure and its relationship with arterial stiffness in the China nationwide registry of treated hypertensive patients: the REACTION-ABP study.

The control rate of ambulatory blood pressure (BP) is unclear in Chinese hypertensive patients, and whether it would be associated with the ambulatory arterial stiffness indices is also unknown. From June 2018 until December 2022, 4408 treated hypertensive patients (52.8% men, average age 58.

A prospective study on the association between atrial fibrillation and blood pressure in an elderly Chinese population.

Background: Intensive blood pressure (BP) lowering in patients with hypertension has been associated with a lowered risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). It is still uncertain what is the optimal BP levels to prevent AF in the general elderly population. In the present prospective study, we investigated the association between incident AF and BP in an elderly Chinese population.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 in human plasma and lung tissue.

Purpose: We investigated plasma angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) concentration in a population sample and the ACE2 expression quantitated with the diaminobenzidine mean intensity in the lung tissue in patients who underwent lung surgery.

Materials And Methods: The study participants were recruited from a residential area in the suburb of Shanghai for the plasma ACE2 concentration study ( = 503) and the lung tissue samples were randomly selected from the storage in Ruijin Hospital (80 men and 78 age-matched women).

Results: In analyses adjusted for covariables, men had a significantly higher plasma ACE2 concentration (1.

Seasonal variation in the effect of antihypertensive treatment with the irbesartan/hydrochlorothiazide combination.

There is increasing awareness of seasonal variation in blood pressure (BP). In the present analysis, we investigated seasonal variation in the antihypertensive treatment effect of the irbesartan/hydrochlorothiazide combination in patients with stage 2 and 3 hypertension. The study participants were hypertensive patients enrolled in a 12-week therapeutic study.

Serum triglycerides concentration in relation to total and cardiovascular mortality in an elderly Chinese population.

Objective: To investigate serum triglycerides in relation to all-cause, cardiovascular, and non-cardiovascular mortality in an elderly Chinese population.

Methods: The study participants ( = 3565) were elderly (≥ 60 years) community dwellers living in a suburban town of Shanghai. Hypertriglyceridemia was defined as a serum triglycerides concentration ≥ 2.

Serum Galectin-3 and Mucin-1 (CA15-3) in Relation to Renal Function in Untreated Chinese Patients.

Background: Galectin-3 is a multi-functional lectin protein and a ligand of mucin-1 (CA15-3), and has been linked to renal fibrosis in animal models and renal function in humans. However, no population study has ever explored the associations with both ligand and receptor. We therefore investigate the independent association of renal function with serum galectin-3 and mucin-1 (CA15-3) in untreated Chinese patients.

Clinical First-Trimester Prediction Models for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common pregnancy complication that negatively impacts the health of both the mother and child. Early prediction of the risk of GDM may permit prompt and effective interventions. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarize the study characteristics, methodological quality, and model performance of first-trimester prediction model studies for GDM.

The prevalence of masked hypertension and masked uncontrolled hypertension in relation to overweight and obesity in a nationwide registry in China.

Masked hypertension is difficult to identify and is associated with adverse outcomes. How and to what extent masked hypertension is related to overweight and obesity remain unclear. In participants with a clinic blood pressure (BP) < 140/90 mmHg enrolled in a nationwide prospective registry in China, we performed ambulatory and home BP measurements and defined masked hypertension and masked uncontrolled hypertension as an elevated 24-h (≥130/80 mmHg), daytime (≥135/85 mmHg) or nighttime ambulatory BP (≥120/70 mmHg) or an elevated home BP (≥135/85 mmHg).

Quarterly versus annual ECG screening for atrial fibrillation in older Chinese individuals (AF-CATCH): a prospective, randomised controlled trial.

Background: Screening for atrial fibrillation before onset of symptoms and the subsequent initiation of oral anticoagulants could prevent stroke and death. The most cost-effective strategy to screen for atrial fibrillation in a population at high risk aged 65 years and older is unknown. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether more frequent electrocardiography (ECG) recordings would significantly improve the detection of atrial fibrillation compared with annual ECG screenings.