The Clinical Frailty Scale: Do Staff Agree?

The term frailty is being increasingly used by clinicians, however there is no strict consensus on the best screening method. The expectation in England is that all older patients should have the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) completed on admission. This will frequently rely on junior medical staff and nurses, raising the question as to whether there is consistency.

Carotid Artery Echolucency, Texture Features, and Incident Cardiovascular Disease Events: The MESA Study.

Background We hypothesized that measures of common carotid artery echolucency and grayscale texture features were associated with cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) risk factors and could predict CVD events. Methods and Results Using a case-cohort design, we measured common carotid artery ultrasound images from 1788 participants in Exam 1 of the MESA study (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis) to derive 4 grayscale features: grayscale median, entropy, gray level difference statistic-contrast, and spatial gray level dependence matrices-angular second moment. CVD risk factor associations were determined by linear regression.

Spot Urine Sodium-to-Potassium Ratio Is a Predictor of Stroke.

Background and Purpose- Dietary sodium reduction with concurrent increase in potassium intake is a current public health priority to reduce risk of cardiovascular events. This study explored associations between the spot urine sodium-to-potassium ratio and cardiovascular events in the MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis) longitudinal cohort. Methods- The MESA is a prospective cohort study of 6814 adults from 4 ethnic groups (European-, Asian-, African- and Hispanic-American) with a mean age of 62 (±10.

New statin use and left ventricular structure: Estimating long-term associations in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Purpose: Only small and short-term studies have evaluated statins in relation to changes in heart structure. We estimated the association between new statin use and 10-year remodeling of the left ventricle.

Methods: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis collected data on statin use over approximately 10 years, conducting cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging at baseline and the 10-year exam.

Carotid artery ultrasound texture, cardiovascular risk factors, and subclinical arterial disease: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Objective: This pilot study determined if the ultrasound texture feature "contrast" was associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and subclinical arterial disease.

Methods: We evaluated ultrasound images of the right common carotid artery (CCA) from a convenience sample of 151 participants and examined relationships between contrast, CVD risk factors, carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and coronary artery calcium (CAC). Grey level difference statistics algorithms were used to evaluate the texture feature "contrast" from carotid ultrasound images.

Circulating Des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin is not associated with cardiovascular calcification or stiffness: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Background And Aims: Vitamin K-dependent protein (VKDP) activity may have a role in preventing cardiovascular calcification, but has not previously been studied in large, generally healthy populations.

Methods: Using an elevated ankle-brachial index (ABI) as a measure of medial vascular calcification, we performed a case-cohort analysis within the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, measuring Des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin (DCP) to estimate VKDP activity. In secondary analyses of the weighted subcohort, we examined the cross-sectional associations between DCP and prevalent vascular calcification of the coronary vessels, aortic and mitral valves, and aortic wall, and with vascular stiffness.

Vitamin K-Dependent Protein Activity and Incident Ischemic Cardiovascular Disease: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Objective: Vitamin K-dependent proteins (VKDPs), which require post-translational modification to achieve biological activity, seem to contribute to thrombus formation, vascular calcification, and vessel stiffness. Whether VKDP activity is prospectively associated with incident cardiovascular disease has not been studied.

Approach And Results: VKDP activity was determined by measuring circulating des-γ-carboxy prothrombin concentrations in a random sample of 709 multiethnic adults free of cardiovascular disease drawn from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).