The Genus Commiphora: An Overview of Its Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, and Quality Control.

Myrrh is the resinous substance secreted by plants of the genus . In traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine, and traditional Arabic medicine, myrrh is regarded as an important medicinal material, widely used in the treatment of trauma, arthritis, hyperlipidemia, and other diseases. This review explores the evolving scientific understanding of the genus , covering facets of ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacology, artificial cultivation, and quality control.

Metabolomics and quantitative analysis to determine differences in the geographical origins and species of Chinese dragon's blood.

Objective: The aim of this study was to comprehensively analyze the differences in Chinese dragon's blood (CDB), specifically and , from different geographical origins.

Methods: Metabolomic analysis of CDB was performed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). A reliable ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography method with a photodiode array detector (UHPLC-PDA) was developed and applied for the quantitative analysis of 12 phenolic compounds in 51 batches of samples.

Intensity of Glycemic Exposure in Early Adulthood and Target Organ Damage in Middle Age: The CARDIA Study.

Aim: To determine whether long-term intensity of glycemic exposure (IGE) during young adulthood is associated with multiple target organs function at midlife independent of single fasting glucose (FG) measurement.

Methods: We included 2,859 participants, aged 18-30 years at Y0, in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study. IGE was calculated as the sum of (average FG of two consecutive examinations × years between the examinations) over 25 years.

Long-Term Visit-to-Visit Mean Arterial Pressure Variability and the Risk of Heart Failure and All-Cause Mortality.

Systolic or diastolic blood pressure (BP) variability is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events. We assessed whether BP variability measured by mean arterial pressure (MAP) was associated with increased risk of heart failure (HF) and death in individuals with or without hypertension. We evaluated 9,305 Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study participants with or without hypertension and calculated BP variability based on MAP values from visit 1 to 4 [expressed as standard deviation (SD), average real variability (ARV), coefficient of variation (CV), and variability independent of the mean (VIM)].

Behavioral Factors Mediating the Impact of Educational Attainment on Incident Heart Failure - A Mediation Analysis.

Background: To examine the association of low educational attainment with incident heart failure (HF) and explore potential behavioral mediators of the causal pathway.

Methods and results: A total of 12,109 participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (ARIC) were included. Educational attainment was measured at baseline, and the risk of HF across educational attainment groups was assessed by Cox proportional hazards models.

Short-chain fatty acids combined with intronic DNA methylation of HIF3A: Potential predictors for diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Background: Hyperglycemia can induce the heart to enter an oxygen-restricted environment, which results in diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). Microbiota-derived short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) affect O consumption and play crucial roles in modulating metabolic and cardiovascular health. The epigenetic regulation of the hypoxia-inducible factor 3A (HIF3A) gene is implicated in oxidative metabolism in the pathogenesis of diabetes.

Risk Stratification and Efficacy of Spironolactone in Patients with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction: Secondary Analysis of the TOPCAT Randomized Clinical Trial.

Purpose: We aimed to develop a simple risk score for patients with HFpEF and assessed the efficacy of spironolactone across baseline risk.

Methods: We developed risk stratification scheme for cardiovascular death in placebo arm of the Treatment of Preserved Cardiac Function Heart Failure with an Aldosterone Antagonist trial (TOPCAT). We screened candidate risk indicators and determined strong risk predictors using COX regression.

Klotho attenuated Doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy by alleviating Dynamin-related protein 1 - mediated mitochondrial dysfunction.

Doxorubicin (Dox)-induced cardiotoxicity could lead to dilated cardiomyopathy and heart failure. Our previous study reported the protective effects of Klotho against hyperglycemia-induced cardiomyopathy. We investigated whether Klotho alleviated Dox-induced cardiotoxicity.

Six-Year Change in QT Interval Duration and Risk of Incident Heart Failure - A Secondary Analysis of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.

Background: Few studies have investigated the association between temporal change in QT interval and incident heart failure (HF). The aim of this study is to examine this association in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.

Methods and results: A secondary analysis was performed for the ARIC study.

Long-term tracking of fasting blood glucose variability and peripheral artery disease in people without diabetes.

Introduction: Long-term changes of fasting blood glucose (FBG) in relation to lower-extremity peripheral artery disease (lower-extremity PAD) in people without diabetes has barely been reported. Our study aimed to investigate the association between FBG variability and the incidence of lower-extremity PAD in people without diabetes.

Research Design And Methods: We included 7699 participants without prior lower-extremity PAD and diabetes from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study in the final analysis.

Impact of RAAS Blockers on Contrast-Induced Nephropathy in Patients With Renal Insufficiency: A Meta-Analysis.

The effect of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) blockers [angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers] on Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is unclear in patients with renal insufficiency. Thus, we conduct a meta-analysis to evaluate the association between the administration of RAAS blockers and CIN in patients with renal insufficiency. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library for relevant studies published before September 2019.

Association between calf girth and peripheral artery disease in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.

Background: The pathogenesis of peripheral artery disease (PAD) is associated with impaired calf muscle. We sought to investigate the association between gender-specific calf girth and the prevalence of PAD among participants from a community-based cohort study.

Methods: A total 13,808 participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study without prior PAD were included in the final analysis.

NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis contributes to the pathogenesis of non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy.

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is one of the most common causes of heart failure, and the underlying mechanism remains largely elusive. Here we investigated whether NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis contributes to non-ischemic DCM and dissected the underlying mechanism. We found that hyper activated NLRP3 inflammasome with pyroptotic cell death of cardiomyocytes were presented in the myocardial tissues of DCM patients, which were negatively correlated with cardiac function.

Effectiveness of blood pressure-lowering treatment by the levels of baseline Framingham risk score: A post hoc analysis of the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT).

This was a post hoc analysis of Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT), aimed to investigate whether intensive blood pressure treatment has differential therapeutic outcomes on patients with different baseline Framingham risk score (FRS). The 9298 SPRINT participants were categorized into low-risk (baseline FRS < 10%), intermediate-risk (FRS = 10%-20%), or high-risk (FRS > 20%) arms. The primary outcome was a composite of myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome not resulting in myocardial infarction, stroke, acute decompensated heart failure, or death from cardiovascular causes.

Critical appraisal of guidelines for coronary artery disease on dual antiplatelet therapy: More consensus than controversies.

Background: Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) in the form of aspirin plus a P Y inhibitor, when indicated, is one of the key treatments in coronary artery disease (CAD). Many recommendations on DAPT in patients with CAD based on current guidelines are largely inconsistent. In our current study, we aimed at systematically reviewing DAPT-relevant clinical practice guidelines, and highlighting their commonalities and differences for better informed decision-making.

Lipid management for coronary heart disease patients: an appraisal of updated international guidelines applying Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II-clinical practice guideline appraisal for lipid management in coronary heart disease.

Background: Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) provide many recommendations for hyperlipidemia management, but some of them are still debatable.

Methods: We applied the six-domain Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (AGREE II) instrument to evaluate the quality of guidelines with lipid management recommendations for coronary heart disease (CHD), including dyslipidemia and CHD guidelines published from 2009 to 2019. Meanwhile, we synthesized and compared major recommendations and present the consistency and controversy in current dyslipidemia management.

Visit-to-Visit Fasting Glucose Variability in Young Adulthood and Hippocampal Integrity and Volume at Midlife.

Objective: To determine whether visit-to-visit fasting glucose (VVFG) variability in young adulthood is associated with midlife hippocampal integrity and volume.

Research Design And Methods: Multivariable-adjusted linear regression models were used to estimate the association between VVFG variability and brain MRI variables in 543 CARDIA study participants. VVFG variability was defined by the SD of FG (SD), the coefficient of variation of the mean FG (CV), and the average real variability (ARV) over 25 years of follow-up.

Phenomapping of subgroups in hypertensive patients using unsupervised data-driven cluster analysis: An exploratory study of the SPRINT trial.

Background: Hypertensive patients are highly heterogeneous in cardiovascular prognosis and treatment responses. A better classification system with phenomapping of clinical features would be of greater value to identify patients at higher risk of developing cardiovascular outcomes and direct individual decision-making for antihypertensive treatment.

Methods: An unsupervised, data-driven cluster analysis was performed for all baseline variables related to cardiovascular outcomes and treatment responses in subjects from the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT), in order to identify distinct subgroups with maximal within-group similarities and between-group differences.

Low-Carbohydrate Diets and Risk of Incident Atrial Fibrillation: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Background The influences of low-carbohydrate diets in cardiovascular disease are controversial. Few studies have examined the relationship of carbohydrate intake and risk of incident atrial fibrillation ( AF ). We aimed to evaluate the association between carbohydrate intake and the risk of incident AF in the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) Study.

Serum magnesium and the prevalence of peripheral artery disease: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.

Background And Aims: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a clinical manifestation of extracoronary atherosclerosis. Many risk factors are involved in the process of PAD, but the association between serum magnesium (Mg) and PAD is not clear. Our study aimed to investigate whether serum Mg is associated with PAD incidence.

Influence of baseline systolic blood pressure on the relationship between intensive blood pressure control and cardiovascular outcomes in the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT).

Objective: To determine whether the effects of intensive (< 120 mmHg) compared with standard (< 140 mmHg) systolic blood pressure (SBP) treatments are different among those with different baseline SBP.

Methods: De-identified SPRINT database was used for this post hoc analysis. SPRINT participants were categorized by baseline SBP status, defined as high-SBP (≥ 140 mmHg) group versus the low-SBP (< 140 mmHg) group.

Toward a panoramic perspective of the association between environmental factors and cardiovascular disease: An environment-wide association study from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2014.

Objectives: An environment-wide association study (EWAS) may be useful to comprehensively test and validate associations between environmental factors and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in an unbiased manner.

Approach And Results: Data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2014) were randomly 50:50 spilt into training set and testing set. CVD was ascertained by a self-reported diagnosis of myocardial infarction, coronary heart disease or stroke.

[Corrigendum] Protective effect of angiotensin‑(1‑7) against hyperglycaemia‑induced injury in H9c2 cardiomyoblast cells via the PI3K̸Akt signaling pathway.

Subsequently to the publication of this article, the authors have realized that an address affiliation associated with certain of the authors had been omitted. The authors' affiliation information should have appeared as follows (the omitted address affiliation is featured in bold): Yi‑Ying Yang1,2*, Xiu‑Ting Sun1,2*, Zheng‑Xun Li1,2, Wei‑Yan Chen3, Xiang Wang4, Mei‑Ling Liang5, Hui Shi1,2, Zhi‑Sheng Yang1,2 and Wu‑Tao Zeng1,2 1Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat‑Sen University; 2Key Laboratory on Assisted Circulation, Ministry of Health, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080; 3Intensive Care Unit, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510260; 4Department of Cardiology, Laiwu City People's Hospital, Laiwu, Shandong 27110; 5Department of Cardiology, Sun Yat‑Sen Cardiovascular Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518020, P.R.

Protective effect of angiotensin-(1-7) against hyperglycaemia-induced injury in H9c2 cardiomyoblast cells via the PI3K̸Akt signaling pathway.

Angiotensin-(1-7) [Ang-(1-7)], a heptapeptide mainly generated from cleavage of AngⅠ and AngⅡ, possesses physiological and pharmacological properties, including anti‑inflammatory and antidiabetic properties. Activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase and protein kinase B (PI3K̸Akt) signaling pathway has been confirmed to participate in cardioprotection against hyperglycaemia-induced injury. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that Ang-(1-7) protects H9c2 cardiomyoblast cells against high glucose (HG)-induced injury by activating the PI3K̸Akt pathway.