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Heart Asia 2018 28;10(2):e011079. Epub 2018 Nov 28.

Department of Cardiology, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds, UK.

Objective: The South Asian population has a lower burden of arrhythmia compared with Caucasians despite a higher prevalence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors. We aimed to determine whether this was due to differences in the electrophysiological properties of the South Asian heart.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of South Asian and Caucasian patients who underwent an electrophysiology study for supraventricular tachycardia between 2005 and 2017. Read More

Eur J Heart Fail 2018 Dec 10. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

National Heart Centre Singapore, Singapore.

Aims: To examine sex differences in clinical characteristics, echocardiographic features, quality of life and 1-year death or heart failure (HF) hospitalization outcomes in patients with/without diabetes mellitus (DM).

Methods And Results: Utilizing the Asian Sudden Cardiac Death in HF (ASIAN-HF) registry, 5255 patients (mean age 59.6 ± 13. Read More

Int J Obes (Lond) 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Population Health Research Institute, St George's, University of London, London, UK.

Background: Body mass index (BMI) overweight/obesity thresholds in South Asian (SA) adults, at equivalent type-2 diabetes risk are lower than for white Europeans (WE). We aimed to define adjusted overweight/obesity thresholds for UK-SA children based on equivalent insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) to WE children.

Methods: In 1138 WE and 1292 SA children aged 9. Read More

J Am Coll Cardiol 2018 Dec;72(24):3189-3199

Interventional Cardiology Unit, GVM Care & Research Maria Cecilia Hospital, Cotignola, Italy. Electronic address:

Although the field of transcatheter therapies for valvular heart disease (VHD) is continuously expanding in western countries, uptake of this treatment in Asia has been slow, mainly due to the high cost of devices, need for specific training programs, and lack of specialized heart teams and dedicated structures. Moreover, anatomic considerations of the Asian population, such as smaller aorta and peripheral vessel size, high prevalence of bicuspid aortic valves, high calcium burden of stenotic aortic valve leaflets, low coronary ostia, and high prevalence of rheumatic etiology, might raise concerns about feasibility, risk of procedural complications, prosthesis durability, and long-term outcomes after transcatheter treatment of VHD. Asia Pacific and China's medical communities and manufacturer companies are setting up to address this unmet clinical need. Read More

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich) 2018 Dec 7. Epub 2018 Dec 7.

Department of Hypertension, Centre for Epidemiological Studies and Clinical Trials, The Shanghai Institute of Hypertension, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Hypertension, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.

Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. To effectively prevent end-organ damage, maintain vascular integrity and reduce morbidity and mortality, it is essential to decrease and adequately control blood pressure (BP) throughout each 24-hour period. Exaggerated early morning BP surge (EMBS) is one component of BP variability (BPV), and has been associated with an increased risk of stroke and cardiovascular events, independently of 24-hour average BP. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2018 Nov 24. Epub 2018 Nov 24.

Department of Cardiology, Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, Georgia; Department of Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia. Electronic address:

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) develops in patients who are under significant emotional, psychosocial, or sudden biochemical stress. However, the added burden of TC on the patients receiving chemotherapy has never been studied. We aimed to describe the additional clinical and economic burden, along with the potential predictors of TC and related in-hospital mortality in patients receiving chemotherapy using the largest inpatient cohort. Read More

Int Immunopharmacol 2018 Dec 8;67:69-77. Epub 2018 Dec 8.

College of Pharmacy, Pusan National University, Busan 609-735, Republic of Korea. Electronic address:

Salvia miltiorrhiza root has been used in Asian traditional medicine for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, asthma, and other conditions. Salvianolic acid B from S. miltiorrhiza extracts has been shown to improve airway hyperresponsiveness. Read More

Eur J Heart Fail 2018 Dec 10. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

British Heart Foundation Cardiovascular Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.

Aims: Nearly 60% of the world's population lives in Asia but little is known about the characteristics and outcomes of Asian patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) compared to other areas of the world.

Methods And Results: We pooled two, large, global trials, with similar design, in 13 174 patients with HFrEF (patient distribution: China 833, India 1390, Japan 209, Korea 223, Philippines 223, Taiwan 199 and Thailand 95, Western Europe 3521, Eastern Europe 4758, North America 613, and Latin America 1110). Asian patients were younger (55. Read More

Diabetes Metab Res Rev 2018 Dec 6:e3111. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Leicester Diabetes Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.

Aims: Diabetes treatment algorithms recommend intensive intervention in those with a shorter duration of disease. Screening provides opportunities for earlier multifactorial cardiovascular risk factor control. Using data from the ADDITION-Leicester study (NCT00318032), we estimated the effects of this approach on modelled risk of diabetes related complications in screen-detected patients. Read More

Europace 2018 Dec 1. Epub 2018 Dec 1.

Department of General Practice, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Public Health, Academic Medical Center, Meibergdreef 9, AZ Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Aims: Premature atrial contractions (PACs) are a common cardiac phenomenon, traditionally considered to be of little clinical significance. Recent studies, however, suggest that PACs are associated with atrial fibrillation (AF), as well as ischaemic stroke, transient ischaemic attack, and mortality. This systematic review aims to investigate the association between PACs on standard electrocardiogram (ECG) as well as PAC-count on Holter monitor and future detection of AF, brain ischaemia, and all-cause mortality in patients without a history of AF. Read More

Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann 2018 Dec 3:218492318816220. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Heart Valve Center, Komaki City Hospital, Komaki-City, Aichi, Japan.

Front Pharmacol 2018 15;9:1308. Epub 2018 Nov 15.

School of Biosciences, Taylor's University, Subang Jaya, Malaysia.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are closely linked to cellular oxidative stress and inflammation. This may be resulted from the imbalance generation of reactive oxygen species and its role in promoting inflammation, thereby contributing to endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular complications. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a transcription factor that plays a significant role in regulating expression of antioxidant and cytoprotective enzymes in response to oxidative stress. Read More

Front Cardiovasc Med 2018 14;5:165. Epub 2018 Nov 14.

Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Unequivocal evidence suggests an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) amongst South Asian Canadians (SACs) compared to other ethnic cohorts, due to a combination of their unique cardiometabolic profile and environmental factors. This unfavorable CVD profile is characterized by an elevated risk of dyslipidemia, high apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A1 ratio, hypertension, glucose intolerance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, as well as increased BMI, body fat percentage, abdominal and visceral adiposity. Despite the overwhelming evidence for the effectiveness of physical activity (PA) in circumventing the onset of CVD and in the reduction of CVD risk factors, SACs are among the most physically inactive cohorts in Canada. Read More

Nat Commun 2018 11 28;9(1):5052. Epub 2018 Nov 28.

Medical Genomics Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan.

Blood pressure (BP) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and more than 200 genetic loci associated with BP are known. Here, we perform a multi-stage genome-wide association study for BP (max N = 289,038) principally in East Asians and meta-analysis in East Asians and Europeans. We report 19 new genetic loci and ancestry-specific BP variants, conforming to a common ancestry-specific variant association model. Read More

Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann 2018 Nov 28:218492318817665. Epub 2018 Nov 28.

Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, King George's Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Cardiac hydatidosis is a rare presentation of echinococcus granulosus infestation. We report the case of 57-year-old man who presented with syncope due to ventricular tachycardia and was managed with antiarrhythmic drugs for an acute episode. Echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging suggested a 1 cm right ventricular hydatid cyst. Read More

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 2018 Nov 28;19(11):3009-3018. Epub 2018 Nov 28.

Health Sciences Research Center, Departman of Public Health, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran. Email:

Objective: Colorectal cancer is one of the most common causes of death in the world. Despite of remarkable advances in medical sciences, cancer is an important disease and the second cause of death after cardiovascular diseases. The present study was aimed at determining the survival rate of colorectal cancer in Iran. Read More

Herz 2018 Nov 27. Epub 2018 Nov 27.

Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, 1069 Xietu Road, 200032, Shanghai, China.

Background: The VOYAGER meta-analysis reported on the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)-lowering effect of commonly used statins in Caucasian subjects. As there is limited literature available on the efficacy of statins in Asian populations, the current meta-analysis compared the effects of rosuvastatin and atorvastatin on LDL-C levels in an East Asian population.

Methods: The MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases were searched for randomized controlled trials comparing lipid-lowering effects of rosuvastatin and atorvastatin in an East Asian population. Read More

Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann 2018 Nov 27:218492318817660. Epub 2018 Nov 27.

1 Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, Milan, Italy.

J Med Case Rep 2018 Nov 27;12(1):352. Epub 2018 Nov 27.

Vascular Surgery Department, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, No. 139 Renmin Road, Chang Sha, Hunan, Changsha, 410011, People's Republic of China.

Background: We introduce the "kissing stent-grafts technique" for a patient who suffered from a pseudoaneurysm in bifurcation of innominate artery. This technique repaired an innominate artery bifurcation pseudoaneurysm; it successfully isolated the pseudoaneurysm and preserved both right subclavian and right common carotid artery.

Case Presentation: A 60-year-old Asian (Chinese) woman complained of discovering a cervical pulsatile mass. Read More

Thorac Cancer 2018 Nov 26. Epub 2018 Nov 26.

Department of Hospital Pathology, Yeouido St. Mary Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea.

Background: The aim of the current study was to investigate the prevalence and clinicopathologic characteristics of ROS1-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in routine genotypic screening in conjunction with the study of PD-L1 expression, a biomarker for first-line treatment decisions.

Methods: Reflex simultaneous genotypic screening for EGFR by peptide nucleic acid clamping, and ALK and ROS1 by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was performed on consecutive NSCLC cases at the time of initial pathologic diagnosis. We evaluated genetic aberrations, clinicopathologic characteristics, and PD-L1 tumor proportion score (TPS) using a PD-L1 22C3 assay kit. Read More

J Med Case Rep 2018 Nov 24;12(1):350. Epub 2018 Nov 24.

Department of General and Cardiothoracic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu City, 501-1194, Japan.

Background: Partial anomalous pulmonary venous return is a rare congenital cardiac anomaly that usually involves the right pulmonary vein and an atrial septal defect. Isolated partial anomalous pulmonary venous return with an intact atrial septum is even rarer, and this condition is usually treated surgically in younger patients. We describe isolated partial anomalous pulmonary venous return in a 65-year-old woman who was treated by caval division with pericardial patch baffling through a surgically created atrial septal defect and reconstruction of the superior vena cava using a prosthetic graft. Read More

Gene 2018 Nov 22;686:187-193. Epub 2018 Nov 22.

MTA-DE Public Health Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Faculty of Public Health, University of Debrecen, Debrecen 4028, Hungary; Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, University of Debrecen, Debrecen 4028, Hungary; WHO Collaborating Centre on Vulnerability and Health, Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, University of Debrecen, Debrecen 4028, Hungary. Electronic address:

Objectives: Large-scale association studies that mainly involve European populations identified many genetic loci related to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels, one of the most important indicators of the risk for cardiovascular diseases. The question with intense speculation of whether the effect estimates obtained from European populations for different HDL-C level-related SNPs are applicable to the Roma ethnicity, the largest minority group in Europe with a South Asian origin, was addressed in the present study.

Design: The associations between 21 SNPs (in the genes LIPC(G), CETP, GALNT2, HMGCP, ABCA1, KCTD10 and WWOX) and HDL-C levels were examined separately in adults of the Hungarian general (N = 1542) and Roma (N = 646) populations by linear regression. Read More

Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis 2018 Sep 24. Epub 2018 Sep 24.

Department of Public Health, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Background And Aims: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors may occur among a substantial proportion of normal weight individuals, particularly among some ethnic minorities. It is unknown how many of these individuals would be missed by commonly applied eligibility criteria for cardiovascular risk screening. Thus, we aim to determine cardiovascular risk and eligibility for cardiovascular risk screening among normal weight individuals of different ethnic backgrounds. Read More

Arch Endocrinol Metab 2018 Oct;62(5):523-529

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.

Objective: Recently, a new obesity index (A Body Shape Index, ABSI) based on waist circumference (WC) was developed, and high ABSI corresponds to a more central concentration of body volume. It is well known that central obesity is closely linked with insulin resistance (IR). Therefore, our study aimed to examine the discriminatory power of ABSI for IR in Chinese adults and elderly without diabetes. Read More

Asian J Androl 2018 Nov 20. Epub 2018 Nov 20.

Department of Andrology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.

There has been increasing interest in the psycho-socio-relational and sexual disorders of infertility, as the risk of psychological burden among infertile men with sexual dysfunctions is significant. The purpose of this study was to develop and to validate a predictive model to estimate individual psychological burden among infertile men with sexual dysfunction and study the association between them. Comprehensive data were collected for infertile men (n = 480) who sought treatment for infertility in a reproductive medicine center between June 2012 and December 2013. Read More

Transfusion 2018 Nov 20. Epub 2018 Nov 20.

RTI International, Atlanta, Georgia.

Background: Many aspects of transfusion medicine are affected by genetics. Current single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays are limited in the number of targets that can be interrogated and cannot detect all variation of interest. We designed a transfusion medicine array (TM-Array) for study of both common and rare transfusion-relevant variations in genetically diverse donor and recipient populations. Read More

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich) 2018 Nov 19. Epub 2018 Nov 19.

Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennysylvania.

The cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) is a new measure of arterial stiffness that reflects the stiffness from the ascending aorta to the ankle arteries, and demonstrates little dependence on blood pressure during the evaluation. However, a comprehensive assessment of the association of CAVI with cardiovascular disease (CVD) has not been reported. We performed a systematic review to assess the association between CAVI and CVD. Read More

Curr Diab Rep 2018 Nov 19;18(12):145. Epub 2018 Nov 19.

Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 123 West Franklin Street, Suite 410, CB# 8050, Chapel Hill, NC, 27516, USA.

Purpose Of Review: The prevalence of obesity continues to rise, fueling a global public health crisis characterized by dramatic increases in type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and many cancers. In the USA, several minority populations, who bear much of the obesity burden (47% in African Americans and Hispanic/Latinos, compared to 38% in European descent groups), are particularly at risk of downstream chronic disease. Compounding these disparities, most genome-wide association studies (GWAS)-including those of obesity-have largely been conducted in populations of European or East Asian ancestry. Read More

J Behav Med 2018 Nov 16. Epub 2018 Nov 16.

Emory Global Diabetes Research Center, Hubert Department of Global Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.

We aimed to estimate the associations between substituting 30-min/day of walking or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) for 30 min/day of sitting and cardiovascular risk factors in a South Asian population free of cardiovascular disease. We collected information regarding sitting and physical activity from a representative sample of 6991 participants aged 20 years and above from New Delhi, India and Karachi, Pakistan enrolled in 2010-2011 in the Center for cArdio-metabolic Risk Reduction in South Asia study using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (short form). We conducted isotemporal substitution analyses using multivariable linear regression models to examine the cross-sectional associations between substituting MVPA and walking for sitting with cardiovascular risk factors. Read More

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich) 2018 Dec 16;20(12):1686-1695. Epub 2018 Nov 16.

Department of Hypertension, Centre for Epidemiological Studies and Clinical Trials, The Shanghai Institute of Hypertension, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Hypertension, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.

A self-measured home blood pressure (BP)-guided strategy is an effective practical approach to hypertension management. The Asia BP@Home study is the first designed to investigate current home BP control status in different Asian countries/regions using standardized home BP measurements taken with the same validated home BP monitoring device with data memory. We enrolled 1443 medicated hypertensive patients from 15 Asian specialist centers in 11 countries/regions between April 2017 and March 2018. Read More

Asian J Surg 2018 Nov 12. Epub 2018 Nov 12.

Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Pusan National University Hospital, Republic of Korea.

Background: In Leriche syndrome, postoperative graft thrombosis remains one of the most significant clinical challenges.

Methods: We reviewed 51 patients who underwent surgery for aortoiliac occlusive disease at our hospital from January 2007 to December 2014. The factors associated with graft patency were determined using the Cox proportional hazard model. Read More

Vasc Med 2018 Nov 14:1358863X18806583. Epub 2018 Nov 14.

1 School of Medicine, Universidad Espíritu Santo-Ecuador, Guayaquil, Ecuador.

Information on the association between arterial stiffness and cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) is limited and confined to white and Asian populations. More regional information is needed to confirm this association in different ethnic groups. Using the Atahualpa Project cohort, we aimed to assess whether the aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) is associated with the total cSVD score, as well as with each of the neuroimaging signatures of cSVD, in a population of Amerindians living in rural Ecuador. Read More

Nutrients 2018 Nov 12;10(11). Epub 2018 Nov 12.

College of Sports Science and Technology, Mahidol University, Salaya, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand.

New Zealand blackcurrant (NZBC) extract affects cardiovascular and metabolic responses during rest and exercise in Caucasian men. Ethnicity and nutritional habits may affect responses to nutritional ergogenic aids. We examined the effects of NZBC extract on cardiovascular, metabolic, and physiological responses during seated rest and moderate-intensity exercise in Southeast Asian men. Read More

Front Chem 2018 29;6:483. Epub 2018 Oct 29.

Institute of Nutritional Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany.

Species of the genus are traditionally used as human food in some of the Asian countries. Therefore, all 11 species of this genus, identified by molecular barcoding, were investigated for ingredients relevant to human nutrition. The total protein content varied between 20 and 30% of the freeze-dry weight, the starch content between 10 and 20%, the fat content between 1 and 5%, and the fiber content was ~25%. Read More

Angiology 2018 Nov 12:3319718810182. Epub 2018 Nov 12.

1 Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

Objectives:: Premature coronary artery disease (PCAD) is increasingly common in Asian countries; however, less is known regarding its characteristics and clinical outcomes. This study aims to describe clinical characteristics and investigate clinical outcomes in real-world Asian patients with PCAD.

Methods:: A total of 4700 Asian patients undergoing drug-eluting stent implantation were included in our study and divided into PCAD group and mature CAD (MCAD) group according to their onset age. Read More

Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann 2018 Nov 11:218492318813791. Epub 2018 Nov 11.

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Hokkaido, Japan.

Alkaptonuria is a rare disorder of amino acid metabolism that causes premature large joint spine arthropathy and cardiac disease. We describe a case of aortic stenosis and coronary artery disease associated with ochronosis in a 76-year-old man who underwent aortic valve replacement and coronary artery bypass grafting. Although the ochronosis was extensive, no ochronosis was seen in the internal thoracic artery which used for coronary artery bypass grafting. Read More

Nat Prod Res 2018 Nov 10:1-6. Epub 2018 Nov 10.

a Department of Technology of Drugs , National University of Pharmacy , Kharkiv , Ukraine.

The Hawthorn (Crataegus L.) is the most commonly used herb for treating cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of this paper was the analysis and comparison of HPTLC chromatographic profiles of flavonoids and triterpenes of leaves and flowers of 15 Crataegus L. Read More

J Neurointerv Surg 2018 Nov 10. Epub 2018 Nov 10.

Department of Interventional Neuroradiology, NEURI Centre, Bicêtre Hospital, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.

Background: Neo-intimal hyperplasia (NIH) is frequently observed after flow-diverter stent (FDS) implantation. Although mostly asymptomatic, this vascular response can sometimes lead to delayed ischemic strokes. This study intended to evaluate the factors potentially influencing the rates of NIH following FDS treatment. Read More

Int J Cardiol 2018 Oct 24. Epub 2018 Oct 24.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan; The Big Data Medicine Center, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan; Department of Evidence-based Cardiovascular Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.

Background: Few simple risk models, without echocardiography have been developed for patients with heart failure (HF) and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (HFpEF).

Methods: To develop a risk score to predict all-cause death for HFpEF patients, we examined 1277 HF patients with LVEF ≥50% and BNP ≥100 pg/ml in the CHART-2 Study, a large-scale prospective cohort study for HF in Japan. We selected the optimal subset of covariates for the score with Cox proportional hazard models and random survival forests (RSF). Read More

Thromb Res 2018 Dec 18;172:120-127. Epub 2018 Oct 18.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, No. 5 Fu-Hsing Street, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Bone and Joint Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, No. 5 Fu-Hsing Street, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan; College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, 259 Wen-Hwa 1st Road, Kweishan, Taoyuan, Taiwan. Electronic address:

Introduction: This study evaluated the incidence of symptomatic pulmonary embolism (PE), subsequent mortality, risk factors, and the effects of pharmacological thromboprophylactic intervention following hip fracture surgery in Taiwan.

Materials And Methods: A nationwide study was conducted from February 2004 to September 2013. Hip fracture patients were placed into two groups: without symptomatic PE (control group) and with symptomatic PE (PE group). Read More

J Diabetes Investig 2018 Nov 9. Epub 2018 Nov 9.

Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Ingelheim, Germany.

Aims/introduction: In the EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial, empagliflozin added to standard of care improved clinically relevant kidney outcomes by 39%, slowed progression of chronic kidney disease, and reduced albuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease. This exploratory analysis investigated kidney effects of empagliflozin in Asian patients.

Materials And Methods: Participants in EMPA-REG OUTCOME were randomized (1:1:1) to empagliflozin 10 mg, 25 mg, or placebo. Read More

Hum Mol Genet 2018 Nov 9. Epub 2018 Nov 9.

The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University & The Biomedical Sciences Institute of Qingdao University (Qingdao Branch of SJTU Bio-X Institutes), Qingdao University, Qingdao, P.R. China.

The development of cervical cancer is initiated by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and involves both viral and host genetic factors. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of cervical cancer have identified associations in the HLA locus and two loci outside HLA, but the principal genes that control infection and pathogenesis have not been identified. In the present study, we performed GWAS of cervical cancer in East Asian populations, involving 2609 cases and 4712 controls in the discovery stage and 1461 cases and 3295 controls in the follow-up stage. Read More

Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann 2018 Nov 8:218492318813220. Epub 2018 Nov 8.

1 Congenital & Structural Heart Disease, A Coruña Biomedical Research Institute (INIBIC) A Coruña, Spain.

Aim: The underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms of aortic stenosis are not clear. Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a role in many pathological conditions including cardiac diseases. We aimed to analyze the mitochondrial DNA haplogroups in a group of patients undergoing valve replacement surgery due to severe aortic stenosis. Read More

Am Heart J 2019 Jan 12;207:10-18. Epub 2018 Sep 12.

The Zena and Michael A. Wiener Cardiovascular Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY. Electronic address:

Background: High-intensity statins (HIS) are recommended for secondary prevention following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We aimed to describe temporal trends and determinants of HIS prescriptions after PCI in a usual-care setting.

Methods: All patients with age ≤75 years undergoing PCI between January 2011 and May 2016 at an urban, tertiary care center and discharged with available statin dosage data were included. Read More

J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2018 Nov 7. Epub 2018 Nov 7.

Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.

Background: Prolonged sitting is common in older adults and associated with insulin resistance and poor cardiometabolic health. We investigate whether breaking prolonged sitting with regular short bouts of standing or light walking improves postprandial metabolism in older white European and South Asian adults and whether effects are modified by ethnic group.

Methods: Thirty South Asian (15 women) and 30 white European (14 women) older adults (65-79 years) undertook three experimental conditions in random order. Read More

Am J Cardiol 2018 Oct 18. Epub 2018 Oct 18.

Department of Cardiology, Kokura Memorial Hospital.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) often causes intraventricular conduction abnormalities (ICA), particularly left bundle branch block (LBBB) and advanced atrioventricular block, requiring pacemaker implantation (PMI). However, the relation between ICA and clinical outcomes after TAVI with balloon-expandable valves remains unclear, particularly in the Asian population. This retrospective study included all patients who underwent TAVI with balloon-expandable valves from October 2013 to September 2016. Read More

Alzheimers Res Ther 2018 Nov 6;10(1):114. Epub 2018 Nov 6.

Memory Ageing and Cognition Centre (MACC), National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore.

Background: Low haemoglobin is highly prevalent among the elderly and has been associated with dementia. However, the mechanisms underlying this association with cognitive dysfunction, either through cerebrovascular disease or neurodegeneration, remain poorly understood. We aimed to examine the association of decreased haemoglobin levels with markers of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), neurodegeneration and cognitive impairment in an elderly Asian population. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2018 Nov 6;18(1):264. Epub 2018 Nov 6.

Department of Diabetes, Metabolism, and Endocrinology, Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.

Background: Although frailty and cognitive impairment are critical risk factors for disability and mortality in the general population of older inhabitants, the prevalence and incidence of these factors in individuals treated in the specialty outpatient clinics are unknown.

Methods: We recently established a frailty clinic for comprehensive assessments of conditions such as frailty, sarcopenia, and cognition, and planned 3-year prospective observational study to identify the risk factors for progression of these aging-related statuses. To date, we recruited 323 patients who revealed symptoms suggestive of frailty mainly from a specialty outpatient clinic of cardiology and diabetes. Read More

Can J Physiol Pharmacol 2018 Nov 5. Epub 2018 Nov 5.

University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada ;

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder associated with elevated blood glucose levels due either to insufficient insulin production (Type 1 diabetes) or to insulin resistance (Type 2 diabetes). The incidence of diabetes around the world continues to rise dramatically with more than 400 million cases reported today. Among the most serious consequences of chronic diabetes include cardiovascular complications which can result in both cardiac and vascular deleterious effects. Read More

Arch Med Sci 2018 Oct 19;14(6):1185-1203. Epub 2018 Oct 19.

Non-Communicable Disease Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council and University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.

Introduction: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children (aged 5-12 years) and adolescents (aged 12-19 years) in Asian countries. Study design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Material And Methods: We comprehensively searched specialised databases for relevant studies conducted in Asian countries between January 1, 1999, and May 30, 2017. Read More