Circulating Sphingolipids and All-Cause Mortality: The Strong Heart Family Study.

Background: A growing body of research indicates that associations of ceramides and sphingomyelins with mortality depend on the chain length of the fatty acid acylated to the backbone sphingoid base. We examined associations of 8 ceramide and sphingomyelin species with mortality among an American Indian population.

Methods And Results: The analysis comprised 2688 participants from the SHFS (Strong Heart Family Study).

Ankle-Brachial Index and Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death in the Community: The ARIC Study.

Background: Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a significant global public health problem accounting for 15% to 20% of all deaths. A great majority of SCD is associated with coronary heart disease, which may first be detected at autopsy. The ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a simple, noninvasive measure of subclinical atherosclerosis.

Left Atrial Strain and the Risk of Atrial Arrhythmias From Extended Ambulatory Cardiac Monitoring: MESA.

Background Abnormalities in left atrial (LA) function often occur before LA structural changes and clinically identified atrial fibrillation (AF). Little is known about the relationship between LA strain and the risk of subclinical atrial arrhythmias detected from extended ambulatory cardiac monitoring. Methods and Results A total of 1441 participants of MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis) completed speckle-tracking echocardiography and cardiac monitoring during 2016 to 2018 (mean age, 73 years); participants in AF during echocardiography or during the entire cardiac monitoring period were excluded.

Outcome by Sex in Patients With Long QT Syndrome With an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator.

Background Sex differences in outcome have been reported in patients with congenital long QT syndrome. We aimed to report on the incidence of time-dependent life-threatening events in male and female patients with long QT syndrome with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). Methods and Results A total of 60 patients with long QT syndrome received an ICD for primary or secondary prevention indications.

Carotid Intima-Media Thickness and the Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death: The ARIC Study and the CHS.

Background Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is associated with severe coronary heart disease in the great majority of cases. Whether carotid intima-media thickness (C-IMT), a known surrogate marker of subclinical atherosclerosis, is associated with risk of SCD in a general population remains unknown. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between C-IMT and risk of SCD.

Fatty Acid Binding Protein-4 and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: The Cardiovascular Health Study.

Background FABP-4 (fatty acid binding protein-4) is a lipid chaperone in adipocytes and has been associated with prognosis in selected clinical populations. We investigated the associations between circulating FABP-4, risk of incident cardiovascular disease (CVD), and risk of CVD mortality among older adults with and without established CVD. Methods and Results In the Cardiovascular Health Study, we measured FABP4 levels in stored specimens from the 1992-993 visit and followed participants for incident CVD if they were free of prevalent CVD at baseline and for CVD mortality through June 2015.

Effect of Sex and Underlying Disease on the Genetic Association of QT Interval and Sudden Cardiac Death.

Background Sudden cardiac death (SCD) accounts for ≈300 000 deaths annually in the United States. Men have a higher risk of SCD and are more likely to have underlying coronary artery disease, while women are more likely to have arrhythmic events in the setting of inherited or acquired QT prolongation. Moreover, there is evidence of sex differences in the genetics of QT interval duration.

Circulating Very Long-Chain Saturated Fatty Acids and Heart Failure: The Cardiovascular Health Study.

Background Circulating very-long-chain saturated fatty acids ( VLSFAs ) are integrated biomarkers of diet and metabolism that may point to new risk pathways and potential targets for heart failure ( HF ) prevention. The associations of VLSFA to HF in humans are not known. Methods and Results Using a cohort study design, we studied the associations of serially measured plasma phospholipid VLSFA with incident HF in the Cardiovascular Health Study.

Biomarkers, menopausal hormone therapy and risk of venous thrombosis: The Women's Health Initiative.

Background: Oral menopausal hormone therapy causes venous thrombosis but whether biomarkers of thrombosis risk can identify women at risk is unknown.

Methods: We completed a nested case control study in the two Women's Health Initiative hormone trials; 27 347 women aged 50-79 were randomized to hormone therapy (conjugated equine estrogen with or without medroxyprogesterone acetate) or placebo. With 4 years follow-up, biomarkers were measured using stored baseline samples prior to starting treatment, and one-year later, in 215 women who developed thrombosis and 867 controls.