Cystatin C for Risk Stratification in Patients After an Acute Coronary Syndrome.

Background Cystatin C (Cys-C) is a marker of renal function that has shown prognostic value for cardiovascular risk stratification across different patient populations. The incremental value of Cys-C beyond established cardiac and renal biomarkers remains incompletely explored. Methods and Results SOLID - TIMI 52 (Stabilization of Plaques Using Darapladib-Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction 52; www.

Relations of Microvascular Function, Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors, and Aortic Stiffness in Blacks: The Jackson Heart Study.

Background Blacks have more severe endothelial dysfunction and aortic stiffening as compared with whites. We aimed to investigate the association between aortic stiffness and microvascular function in the black community. Methods and Results We assessed the association between forearm vascular reactive hyperemia (an indicator of microvascular function) and aortic stiffness in 1458 black participants (N=965 [66% women]; mean age: 66±11 years) in the Jackson Heart Study.

Life Course Trajectories of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Women With and Without Hypertensive Disorders in First Pregnancy: The HUNT Study in Norway.

Background Women with hypertensive pregnancy disorders have adverse levels of cardiovascular risk factors. It is unclear how this adverse risk factor profile evolves during adult life. We compared life course trajectories of cardiovascular risk factors in women with preeclampsia or gestational hypertension in their first pregnancy to normotensive women.

Mild Pulmonary Hypertension Is Associated With Increased Mortality: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background Recent studies have demonstrated a continuum in clinical risk related to mean pulmonary artery pressure that begins at >19 mm Hg, which is below the traditional threshold used to define pulmonary hypertension ( PH ) of 25 mm Hg. Because of the implications on patient diagnosis and prognosis, the generalizability and validity of these data need further confirmation. Methods and Results Databases were searched from inception through January 31, 2018, to identify studies comparing all-cause mortality between patients with mildly elevated mean pulmonary artery pressure near but <25 mm Hg versus the referent group.

Short-Term Safety of Nicotine Replacement in Smokers Hospitalized With Coronary Heart Disease.

Background Little is known about the safety of nicotine replacement therapy ( NRT ) in smokers hospitalized with coronary heart disease. Methods and Results We examined the short-term safety of NRT use among smokers hospitalized for coronary heart disease in a geographically and structurally diverse sample of US hospitals in the year 2014. We compared smokers who started NRT in the first 2 days of hospitalization with smokers without any exposure to NRT and adjusted for baseline differences through propensity score matching.

Prolonged cenicriviroc therapy reduces hepatic fibrosis despite steatohepatitis in a diet-induced mouse model of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a progressive liver disease projected to become the leading cause of cirrhosis and liver transplantation in the next decade. Cenicriviroc (CVC), a dual chemokine receptor 2 and 5 antagonist, prevents macrophage trafficking and is under clinical investigation for the treatment of human NASH fibrosis. We assessed the efficacy and durability of short and prolonged CVC therapy in a diet-induced mouse model of NASH, the choline deficient, L-amino acid-defined, high-fat diet (CDAHFD) model.

Preferential prescribing and utilization trends of diabetes medications among patients with renal impairment: Emerging role of linagliptin and other dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors.

Objectives: Although many newer diabetes medications have become available in the last decade, most have not been widely studied in populations with chronic kidney disease under routine care. Linagliptin, a recently marketed dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitor, is the only agent in the U.S.

Association of built environment characteristics with adiposity and glycaemic measures.

Objective: This study examined the cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships of built environment characteristics with adiposity and glycaemic measures.

Method: Longitudinal study sample consisted of 4,010 Framingham Heart Study Offspring (baseline: 1998-2001; follow-up: 2005-2008) and Generation Three (baseline: 2002-2005; follow-up: 2008-2011) participants (54.8% women, baseline mean age 48.

Farmácia Popular Program: pharmaceutical market analysis of antihypertensive acting on the renin-angiotensin system medicines.

This paper aims to analyse changes in the retail pharmaceutical market following policy changes in the Farmácia Popular Program (FP), a medicines subsidy program in Brazil. The retrospective longitudinal analyses focus on therapeutic class of agents acting on the renin-angiotensin system. Data obtained from QuintilesIMS (formerly IMS Health) included private retail pharmacy sales volume (pharmaceutical units) and sales values from 2002 to 2013.

Statistical models for vaginal microflora: identifying women at risk for group B streptococcus colonization as a test of concept.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to formulate a statistical model that relates human microflora to probabilities for vaginal colonization by group B Streptococcus (GBS).

Methods: Longitudinal observations of total bacterial concentrations at various times during the menstrual cycle were obtained from overtly healthy, non-pregnant, menarcheal women. During each menstrual period and at appropriate intermenstrual times, the duplicate swab technique was used to sample the vaginal vault to obtain microbiologic samples.