In-hospital outcomes of ticagrelor versus clopidogrel in patients 75 years or older with acute coronary syndrome: findings from the Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China (CCC)-Acute Coronary Syndrome Project.

Background: The evidence for the comparative effectiveness and safety of ticagrelor versus clopidogrel in older patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is limited, especially in the acute phase of ACS. This study aimed to compare the in-hospital outcomes of ticagrelor versus clopidogrel in older patients with ACS.

Methods: Hospitalised ACS patients aged ≥75 years who were recruited to the Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China-ACS project between November 2014 and December 2019 and received aspirin and P2Y12 receptor inhibitors within 24 h after first medical contact were included.

Uric Acid to High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Ratio is a Novel Marker to Predict Functionally Significant Coronary Artery Stenosis.

Background: Intermediate coronary stenosis (ICS) is defined as a visually estimated percentage of diameter stenosis ranging between 40% and 70% by conventional coronary angiography (CAG). Whether to perform percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for these lesions is a challenge in clinical practice. The fractional flow reserve (FFR) can guide treatment by determining the functional significance of ICS.

Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Exonic and Promoter Regions of Transcription Factors of Second Heart Field Associated with Sporadic Congenital Cardiac Anomalies.

Multiple second heart field (SHF) transcription factors are involved in cardiac development. In this article we evaluate the relationship between SHF transcription factor polymorphisms and congenital heart disease (CHD). Ten polymorphisms were used for genotyping, and three of these were used for the luciferase assay.

The integrative network of circRNA, miRNA and mRNA of epicardial adipose tissue in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a highly prevalent cardiac arrhythmia that affects approximately 1-2% of the general population. The mechanism of AF pathogenesis remains unclear. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT), a metabolically active visceral fat depot surrounding the heart, has been shown to be closely related to AF.

Measuring Accessibility to Healthcare Using Taxi Trajectories Data: A Case Study of Acute Myocardial Infarction Cases in Beijing.

Several methods have been applied to measure healthcare accessibility, ie, the Euclidean distance, the network distance, and the transport time based on speed limits. However, these methods generally produce less accurate estimates than actual measurements. This research proposed a method to estimate historical healthcare accessibility more accurately by using taxi Global Positioning System (GPS) traces.

Deeper insight into the role of IL-17 in the relationship beween hypertension and intestinal physiology.

With the incidence of hypertension increasing worldwide, more and more the mechanisms of hypertension from the perspective of immunity have found. Intestinal microbiota as well as its metabolites relationship with hypertension has attracted great attention from both clinicians and investigators. However, the associations of hypertension with lesions of a large number of immune factors including IL-17, MCP-1, IL-6, TGF-β, IL-10 and others have not been fully characterized.

Cost-Effectiveness of Intensive Versus Standard Blood Pressure Treatment in Older Patients With Hypertension in China.

Background: In the STEP trial (Strategy of Blood Pressure Intervention in older Hypertensive Patients), the risk of cardiovascular events is significantly lower in patients who received intensive systolic blood psressure (BP) treatment than in those who received standard treatment. This study compared the lifetime health benefits and medical costs of intensive BP treatment with those of standard BP treatment.

Methods: A microsimulation model included 10 000 hypothetical samples of Chinese adults aged 60 to 80 years old with baseline systolic BP higher than 140 mm Hg.

Analysis of the risk factors for severe lung injury after radical surgery for tetralogy of fallot.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the risk factors for severe lung injury (SLI) (partial pressure of oxygen/fraction of inspired oxygen <150) after radical surgery for tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary stenosis (TOF/PS) in children.

Method: A retrospective analysis was conducted including a total of 287 children with TOF/PS aged below 10 years (including 166 males) who had undergone radical surgery at the Center of Pediatric Heart Disease of the Beijing Anzhen Hospital (China) from 2018 to 2020.

Results: A total of 83 cases (28.

The potential role of interleukin (IL)-25/IL-33/thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) on the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Objectives: Interleukin (IL)-25, IL-33, and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) are the important drivers for excessive type-2 immunity. It has been well elucidated that IL-25/IL-33/TSLP plays an important role in allergic airway inflammation and remodeling, whereas their roles in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) still remained largely unclear. Herein, the aim of the review is to discuss the potential role and mechanism of IL-25/IL-33/TSLP on IPF by literature analysis and summary.

ANGPTL3 and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome and Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Background The aim of this prospective study was to determine the impact of elevated ANGPTL3 (angiopoietin-like protein 3) on cardiovascular events (CVEs) following acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in patients with or without obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Methods and Results A total of 1174 patients with ACS underwent successful percutaneous coronary intervention were included in this prospective cohort study (NCT03362385). Patients were categorized according to the apnea-hypopnea index (≥15 events/h, OSA) and further classified by ANGPTL3 levels.

Increased cytochrome C threonine 50 phosphorylation in aging heart as a novel defensive signaling against hypoxia/reoxygenation induced apoptosis.

Previous studies have shown that aging promotes myocardial apoptosis. However, the detailed mechanisms remain unclear. Our recent studies revealed that aging not only activates apoptosis, but also activates some anti-apoptotic factors.

Increasing circulating ESM-1 and adhesion molecules are associated with earlystage atherosclerosis in OSA patients:A cross-sectional study.

Background: There are increasing evidences for a direct relationship between the vascular system and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between circulating endothelial cell specific molecule-1 (ESM-1), adhesion molecules and subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with OSA.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study in which 161 patients with OSA and 56 controls were recruited.

Non-optimum temperature increases risk and burden of acute myocardial infarction onset: A nationwide case-crossover study at hourly level in 324 Chinese cities.

Background: The associations of ambient temperature with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have seldom been examined based on the time of symptom onset.

Methods: We conducted a time-stratified case-crossover study among 1,046,773 eligible AMI patients from 2,093 hospitals in 324 Chinese cities from January 1, 2015 to June 30, 2021, after excluding those transferred from other hospitals or having not reported the time of symptom onset. Hourly exposure to ambient temperature was calculated as multiple moving 24-h averages (days) before hourly onset of AMI symptoms.

Effect of bariatric surgery on long-term cardiovascular outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of population-based cohort studies.

This meta-analysis aimed to compare the effects of bariatric surgery and nonsurgery on cardiovascular outcomes in patients with obesity. A systematic literature search of the Medline (via PubMed), Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases was performed until August 18th, 2021. Population-based cohort studies comparing long-term cardiovascular outcomes for patients with obesity undergoing bariatric surgery or not were included.

Impact of BMI on Long-Term Outcomes in Patients with ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction after Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Aim: Obesity paradox remains a point of debate in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and clinical outcomes in STEMI patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI).

Methods: Outcomes were assessed in 1429 STEMI patients undergoing PPCI between January 2009 and January 2010 in Beijing.

Extracellular vesicle-derived miR-144 as a novel mechanism for chronic intermittent hypoxia-induced endothelial dysfunction.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a significant role in cell-cell communication. However, whether and how extracellular vesicles are involved in chronic intermittent hypoxia-induced endothelial dysfunction is unknown. Comparative transcriptomics analysis and miRNA screening were used to identify the possible pathways or target molecules mediating chronic intermittent hypoxia-induced endothelial function.

Effects of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome on postoperative complications in patients who undergo off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.

Purpose: To investigate the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG) and analyze the effects of OSAHS on the incidence of post-OPCABG complications, length of stay in intensive care unit (ICU) and hospitalization, and hospital expense.

Materials And Methods: This prospective study included patients undergoing OPCABG at Beijing An Zhen hospital from January 2018 to December 2018. OSAHS was diagnosed by using a portable sleep monitor before surgery.

Personal and household PM and black carbon exposure measures and respiratory symptoms in 8 low- and middle-income countries.

Background: Household air pollution (HAP) from cooking with solid fuels has been associated with adverse respiratory effects, but most studies use surveys of fuel use to define HAP exposure, rather than on actual air pollution exposure measurements.

Objective: To examine associations between household and personal fine particulate matter (PM) and black carbon (BC) measures and respiratory symptoms.

Methods: As part of the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology Air Pollution study, we analyzed 48-h household and personal PM and BC measurements for 870 individuals using different cooking fuels from 62 communities in 8 countries (Bangladesh, Chile, China, Colombia, India, Pakistan, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe).

New strategy of using double-network hydrogel extravascular stent for preventing venous graft restenosis after coronary artery bypass grafting.

Objective: Effective therapies for the prevention of vein graft failure, which frequently occurs in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) due to intimal hyperplasia (IH), are still lacking. Here, we investigated the effects of the perivenous application of double-network hydrogel on vein grafts in carotid artery bypass grafting in a rabbit model.

Methods: Healthy New Zealand white rabbits were randomized into the following groups: no graft, graft, or graft + Double-network hydrogel external stent (DNHES).

Takotsubo syndrome following radiofrequency ablation of atrial fibrillation in a patient with coronary artery anomaly: a case report.

Background: Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is an acute heart failure syndrome usually induced by emotional or physical stress. The prevalence of TTS seems to be higher than previously anticipated. Radiofrequency catheter ablation could be a rare trigger of TTS.

Overall and gender-specific associations between marital status and out-of-hospital coronary death during acute coronary events: a cross-sectional study based on data linkage in Beijing, China.

Objectives: To assess overall and gender-specific associations between marital status and out-of-hospital coronary death (OHCD) compared with patients surviving to hospital admission.

Design: A cross-sectional study based on linkage of administrative health databases.

Setting: Beijing, China.

Longitudinal association of infrapatellar fat pad signal intensity alteration with biochemical biomarkers in knee osteoarthritis.

Objective: To explore the longitudinal association of quantitative infrapatellar fat pad (IPFP) signal intensity alteration with OA-related biomarkers.

Methods: Eighteen OA-related biochemical biomarkers of 600 knee OA participants in the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health OA Biomarkers Consortium (FNIH) study were extracted. The quantitative IPFP signal intensity measures were acquired based on magnetic resonance imaging, including mean value [Mean (IPFP)] and standard deviation [sDev (IPFP)] of the whole IPFP signal intensity, median value [Median (H)] and upper quartile value [UQ (H)] of high signal intensity, the ratio of volume of high signal intensity to volume of whole IPFP signal intensity [Percentage (H)] and Clustering factor (H).

Combined Association Between , and Genes Variants and Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Chinese Han Population.

Purpose: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common chronic polygenic disease. Multiple genetic markers associated with OSA have been identified by genome-wide association studies. Here, we aimed to construct a polygenic risk score (PRS) and examine the association with the presence of OSA in a Chinese Han Population.