Longitudinal Trends in Severe Dyslipidemia in the Czech Population: The Czech MONICA and Czech Post-MONICA Study.

Severe hypercholesterolemia is associated with an increase in the risk of developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The aim of this analysis was to assess longitudinal trends in severe dyslipidemia (defined as total cholesterol > 8 mmol/L or LDL-cholesterol > 5 mmol/L) in a representative population sample of the Czech Republic and to analyze the longitudinal trends in the basic characteristics of individuals with severe dyslipidemia. Seven independent cross-sectional surveys were organized in the Czech Republic to screen for major cardiovascular risk factors (from 1985 to 2015-2018).

Short-term trajectories of exercise-induced plasma lipid changes in overweight females, with a focus on HDL-cholesterol.

Background: Increased levels of plasma lipoproteins are among some of the modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Dietary changes and increased physical activity are the most powerful non-pharmacological interventions for achieving optimal plasma lipid levels.

Objectives: To investigate the effect of an intensive short-term lifestyle intervention on plasma lipid trajectories in overweight non-diabetic females.

30-year trends in major cardiovascular risk factors in the Czech population, Czech MONICA and Czech post-MONICA, 1985 - 2016/17.

Background: Compared with Western Europe, the decline in cardiovascular (CV) mortality has been delayed in former communist countries in Europe, including the Czech Republic. We have assessed longitudinal trends in major CV risk factors in the Czech Republic from 1985 to 2016/17, covering the transition from the totalitarian regime to democracy.

Methods: There were 7 independent cross-sectional surveys for major CV risk factors conducted in the Czech Republic in the same 6 country districts within the WHO MONICA Project (1985, 1988, 1992) and the Czech post-MONICA study (1997/98, 2000/01, 2007/08 and 2016/2017), including a total of 7,606 males and 8,050 females.

Analysis of circulating miRNAs in patients with familial hypercholesterolaemia treated by LDL/Lp(a) apheresis.

Background: LDL/Lp(a) apheresis therapy is a well-established method of aggressively lowering LDL and Lp(a). Recently, miRNAs have been discussed as markers of vascular status including atherosclerosis. MiRNAs inhibit post-transcriptional processes through RNA duplex formation resulting in gene silencing or regulation of gene expression.

Biphasic response in number of stem cells and endothelial progenitor cells after left ventricular assist device implantation: A 6month follow-up.

Background: Continuous blood flow could have deleterious effects on endothelium and vascular health. This could have serious consequences in patients with heart failure treated with continuous flow left ventricular assist devices (LVAD). Therefore, we studied effect of LVAD on three circulating vascular biomarkers: stem cells (SC), endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) and microparticles (MP).

Association of intima-media thickness of carotid arteries with remnant lipoproteins in men and women.

The subclass of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins - remnant-like particles (RLP) seems to be strong and independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. We evaluated the role of RLP and other risk factors (RF) with sonographically measured intima-media thickness of carotid arteries (IMT CCA) in a cohort of Czech population including women defined according to the time after menopause. We investigated relation of IMT CCA to age, weight, central obesity, plasma lipids including remnant-like particles cholesterol (RLP-C) and triglycerides (RLP-TG) in 136 men and 160 women.

Effect of exercise on markers of vascular health in renal transplant recipients.

The cornerstone of cardiovascular risk management is lifestyle intervention including exercise which could exert favorable impact also in renal transplant recipients. Nevertheless, reliable assessment of the effect of lifestyle interventions is complicated and the available data in this population are not consistent. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of physical activity on selected laboratory markers of vascular health including circulating stem cells, endothelial progenitor cells, microparticles, and plasma asymmetric dimethyl arginine in renal transplant recipients.

Endothelial dysfunction expressed as endothelial microparticles in patients with end-stage heart failure.

Left ventricular assist devices (LVAD), currently used in treatment of terminal heart failure, are working on principle of rotary pump, which generates continuous blood flow. Non-pulsatile flow is supposed to expose endothelial cells to high stress and potential damage. Therefore, we investigated longitudinal changes in concentration of circulating endothelial microparticles (EMP) as a possible marker of endothelial damage before and after implantation of LVAD.

FTO first intron rs1558902 variant and platelets count in white middle-aged women: prague pre- and post-menopausal females (3PMFs) study.

The polymorphisms within the FTO gene play an important role in the genetic determination of body weight and body mass index and have been associated with cardiovascular disease, but the causal mechanism is still a matter of debate. The possible effect on the platelet count as a marker of hemocoagulation status as a possible cardiovascular risk factor was suggested in Japanese population. We have analyzed both rs1558902 FTO polymorphism (T > A) and platelet counts in the Prague Pre and Post Menopausal Females (3PMFs) study, including those of 669 women (mean age, 55.

Which index best correlates with body fat mass: BAI, BMI, waist or WHR?

Objectives: The body mass index (BMI) has been the most commonly applied clinical measure to characterise body composition in individuals. However, the BMI has been criticised as being an inaccurate measure of body fatness. Recently, a new index reflecting body composition, the Body Adiposity Index (BAI) was proposed.

The impact of left ventricle assist device on circulating endothelial microparticles - pilot study.

Objectives: Recent technological breakthroughs in the design of reliable systems for long term non-pulsatile mechanical heart support offer the possibility to study the effect of continuous blood flow in the vascular system. Generally, it is assumed that the absence of physiological pulsatile flow leads to prothrombogenic and proatherogenic changes. We investigated the change in the circulating endothelial microparticle concentration as a marker of endothelial damage in patients implanted with a continuous-flow left ventricle assist device (LVAD).

HDL and apolipoprotein A1 concentrations as markers of cholesterol efflux in middle-aged women: interaction with smoking.

Objectives: It has been demonstrated that the deleterious effect of smoking on the cardiovascular system is mediated through a decrease in protective HDL cholesterol. In addition, women are more sensitive to the negative effects of smoking, although the exact mechanism underlying this phenomenon is currently unknown. In this study, we evaluated whether smoking habits could modify the association of HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) with reverse cholesterol transport (RCT), as measured by cholesterol efflux (CHE), in middle-aged women.

Possible effect of DHA intake on body weight reduction and lipid metabolism in obese children.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine whether increased intake of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) would affect the weight loss or the various biochemical parameters in the blood of obese children following dietary/physical intervention. There were 120 obese (BMIs≥30 kg/m(2); mean 33.5 ± 3.

The association between subclinical atherosclerosis in carotid arteries and Connexin 37 gene polymorphism (1019C>T; Pro319Ser) in women.

Aim: The aim of our study was to evaluate a possible association between subclinical atherosclerosis in carotid arteries and the connexin 37 gene polymorphism (1019C>T; Pro319Ser) in a population of urban and rural women.

Methods: A 5% population sample of urban women aged 45-54 years (N.=896) and a 1% representative sample of rural women aged 33-72 years (N.

Longitudinal trends in major cardiovascular risk factors in the Czech population between 1985 and 2007/8. Czech MONICA and Czech post-MONICA.

Objective: The aim of our study was to assess longitudinal trends in major CV risk factors in a representative population sample of the Czech Republic.

Methods: Three cross-sectional surveys of CV risk factors were conducted within the WHO MONICA project in six Czech districts in 1985 (n=2570), 1988 (n=2768), and 1992 (n=2343). In 1997/98, 2000/01, and 2007/08, another three screenings for CV risk factors (a 1% random sample, aged 25-64, mean age 45 years) were conducted in the six original districts (n=1990; 2055; and 2246, respectively).

APOE polymorphism and its effect on plasma C-reactive protein levels in a large general population sample.

The published data remain inconsistent on association between apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene variations and plasma levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), mainly because of low statistical power of previous studies. To clarify this question, we analyzed data from large population sample of randomly selected individuals from seven Czech towns (2,886 males and 3,344 females, the HAPIEE [Health, Alcohol, and Psychosocial factors In Eastern Europe] study). In both males and females, the lowest levels of plasma hsCRP were observed in the carriers of the APOE epsilon 4 epsilon 4 and epsilon 4 epsilon 3 genotypes.

May alcohol-induced increase of HDL be considered as atheroprotective?

It is well known that the consumption of moderate doses of alcohol leads to the increase of HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C). Atheroprotectivity of HDL particles is based primarily on their role in reverse cholesterol transport (RCT). In the study with a cross-over design 13 male volunteers were studied in two different regimens: i) drinking of 36 g alcohol daily and ii) drinking only non-alcoholic beverages, to test whether alcohol-induced increase of HDL cholesterol can affect cholesterol efflux (CHE) from cell culture of labeled human macrophages.

Replacement of dietary saturated FAs by PUFAs in diet and reverse cholesterol transport.

Dietary intervention is the first and usually successful approach in the treatment of high LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) concentration, but it is frequently accompanied by a decrease in HDL concentration. We studied 14 male volunteers on two different diets, high saturated fatty acid (SFA) and high PUFA, in a crossover design to test whether a decrease in HDL can affect reverse cholesterol transport from relabeled macrophages. A significant decrease of LDL-C (in mmol/l) after a PUFA diet compared with an SFA diet from 3.

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein concentration in patients with myocardial infarction-environmental factors, and polymorphisms in interleukin-10 and CD14 genes.

Background: It has been shown that high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) concentrations are associated with elevated risk of myocardial infarction, but the mechanisms regulating hsCRP concentration are not completely elucidated yet. In our study, association of interleukin-10 (IL-10) and CD14 polymorphisms and environmental factors with the risk of myocardial infarction was studied.

Methods: The study group consisted of 284 male patients aged below 65 years, admitted to hospital for myocardial infarction.

The decrease in C-reactive protein concentration after diet and physical activity induced weight reduction is associated with changes in plasma lipids, but not interleukin-6 or adiponectin.

Subclinical inflammation is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The mechanisms underlying increased levels of inflammatory markers and their changes in response to weight loss are not fully understood yet. It has been proposed that elevated concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP) are mediated by cytokines produced in adipose tissue.

Apolipoprotein AV variants do not affect C-reactive protein levels in Caucasian males.

The important role of APOAV gene variants in determination of plasma triglyceride levels has been shown in many population studies. Recently, an influence of APOAV T-1131>C polymorphism on C-reactive protein (CRP) in young Korean males has been reported. We have therefore analyzed a putative association between T-1131>C, Ser19>Trp and Val153>Met APOAV variants (PCR and restriction analysis) and CRP concentrations in 1119 Caucasian males, aged between 28 and 67 years (49.

[A new method to estimate glomerular filtration rate based on serum concentration of creatinine, urea and albumin (MDRD, Modification of Diet in Renal Disease)].

The equation developed from the MDRD (Modification of Diet in Renal Disease) study provides more accurate estimate of GFR than other commonly used equations. The aim of this study was to compare prediction of GFR based on MDRD and Cockcrof-Gault (CG) method. The study was performed in 111 patients (mean age 42 +/- 5 years) with chronic renal impairment (Scr = 281 +/- 83 micromol/l).