Hypertension is the most common risk factor for cardiovascular disease, causing over 18 million deaths a year. Although the mechanisms controlling blood pressure (BP) in either sex remain largely unknown, T cells play a critical role in the development of hypertension. Further evidence supports a role for the immune system in contributing to sex differences… Continue reading Greater T Regulatory Cells in Females Attenuate DOCA-Salt–Induced Increases in Blood Pressure Versus Males
Category: Cardiology
Left Atrial Appendage Closure Versus Direct Oral Anticoagulants in High-Risk Patients With Atrial Fibrillation
Percutaneous left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) is noninferior to vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) for preventing atrial fibrillation (AF)–related stroke. However, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have an improved safety profile over VKAs, and their effect on cardiovascular and neurological outcomes relative to LAAC is unknown.. A high-risk patient cohort (CHA2DS2-VASc: 4.7 ± 1.5) was randomized to… Continue reading Left Atrial Appendage Closure Versus Direct Oral Anticoagulants in High-Risk Patients With Atrial Fibrillation
Frequent Coffee Consumption is Associated with Lower Incidence of Arrhythmias
..The study reviewed coffee intake information and relevant data for 296,227 participants in the UK Biobank. The mean age of participants was 56.69 ± 7.98 and 51.6 percent of participants were female. Investigators used multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis to test the association between coffee consumption and arrhythmia risk and plotted a Kaplan- Meier… Continue reading Frequent Coffee Consumption is Associated with Lower Incidence of Arrhythmias
Association of Azithromycin Use With Cardiovascular Mortality
Azithromycin is one of the most commonly prescribed antibiotics in the US. It has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular death in some observational studies.. ..The study included 7 824 681 antibiotic exposures, including 1 736 976 azithromycin exposures (22.2%) and 6 087 705 amoxicillin exposures (77.8%), among 2 929 008 unique individuals (mean [SD] age, 50.7 [12.3] years; 1 810 127 [61.8%]… Continue reading Association of Azithromycin Use With Cardiovascular Mortality
Antihypertensive Treatment in Elderly Frail Patients Evidence From a Large Italian Database
Aim of our study was to assess the relationship between adherence with antihypertensive drugs and the risk of death in frail versus nonfrail old individuals. Using the database of the Lombardy Region (Italy), we identified 1 283 602 residents aged ≥65 years (mean age 76) who had ≥3 prescriptions of antihypertensive drugs between 2011 and… Continue reading Antihypertensive Treatment in Elderly Frail Patients Evidence From a Large Italian Database
Association of Normal Systolic Blood Pressure Level With Cardiovascular Disease in the Absence of Risk Factors
The risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) at currently defined normal systolic blood pressure (SBP) levels in persons without ASCVD risk factors based on current definitions is not well defined.. Of the 1457 participants, 894 were women (61.4%); mean (SD) age was 58.1 (9.8) years and mean (SD) follow-up was 14.5 (3.9) years. There was… Continue reading Association of Normal Systolic Blood Pressure Level With Cardiovascular Disease in the Absence of Risk Factors
Atrial Cardiopathy in the Absence of Atrial Fibrillation Increases Risk of Ischemic Stroke, Incident Atrial Fibrillation, and Mortality and Improves Stroke Risk Prediction
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a major, often undetected, cardiac cause of stroke. Markers of atrial cardiopathy, including left atrial enlargement (LAE) or excessive atrial ectopy (EAE) increase the risk of AF and have shown associations with stroke. We sought to determine whether these markers improve stroke risk prediction beyond traditional vascular risk factors (eg CHA2DS2‐VASc… Continue reading Atrial Cardiopathy in the Absence of Atrial Fibrillation Increases Risk of Ischemic Stroke, Incident Atrial Fibrillation, and Mortality and Improves Stroke Risk Prediction
Association of Obstructive Sleep Apnea with Nighttime Blood Pressure in African Americans: the Jackson Heart Study
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), nocturnal hypertension, and non-dipping systolic blood pressure (BP) are each highly prevalent among African Americans. However, few data are available on the association between OSA and nighttime BP in this population.. ..Among 206 participants who completed ABPM and participated in the Jackson Heart Sleep Study, 50.5% had nocturnal hypertension and 26.2%… Continue reading Association of Obstructive Sleep Apnea with Nighttime Blood Pressure in African Americans: the Jackson Heart Study
Dose-Response Association of Low-Intensity and Nondaily Smoking With Mortality in the United States
An increasing proportion of US smokers smoke at low intensity and not every day. Some nondaily smokers have always had this pattern, whereas others previously smoked daily. The effect of reducing the level of smoking from daily to nondaily smoking and the dose response at low smoking levels are poorly understood.. ..Among 505 500 participants (aged… Continue reading Dose-Response Association of Low-Intensity and Nondaily Smoking With Mortality in the United States