Else-Marie Bladbjerg

Subclinical hypothyroidism is associated with a low-grade inflammation, increased triglyceride levels and predicts cardiovascular disease in males below 50 years.

objective  Mild thyroid failure is associated with an increased risk for development of atherosclerosis, but whether subclinical hypothyroidism is related to risk for cardiovascular disease is controversial. The purpose of the present study was to examine a possible association between subclinical hypothyroidism and cardiovascular disease.

Genetic Influence on Inflammation Variables in the Elderly

Background—Inflammation variables (C-reactive protein [CRP], fibrinogen, and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 [sICAM-1]) have been identified as risk factors for cardiovascular disease. It is still not known how much the regulation of inflammatory risk factors is determined by genetic factors, and the aim of this study was to determine the heritability of these inflammation variables and of the acute phase regulating cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-&agr; (TNF-&agr;) at older ages. Methods and Results—The heritability of CRP, fibrinogen, sICAM-1, IL-6, and TNF-&agr; was determined in a twin study consisting of 129 monozygotic twin pairs and 153 dizygotic same-sex twins aged 73 to 94 years who participated in the Longitudinal Study of Aging of Danish Twins. Furthermore, we determined the influence of selected genetic polymorphisms on the plasma level variations. Genetic factors accounted for 20% to 55% of the variation in plasma levels of the inflammation variables. The highest heritability was found for sICAM-1. The genetic polymorphisms we studied explained only a small, insignificant part of the heritability. Conclusions—This study in elderly twins provides evidence for a substantial genetic component of inflammatory cardiovascular risk factors among the elderly.

A Common Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (C677T) Polymorphism Is Associated With Low Bone Mineral Density and Increased Fracture Incidence After Menopause: Longitudinal Data From the Danish Osteoporosis Prevention Study

A polymorphism in the gene encoding methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) has recently been associated with bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal Japanese women. It is not known whether this effect is also present in European populations and whether it is caused by lower peak bone mass or accelerated postmenopausal bone loss. MTHFR genotyping was done in 1748 healthy postmenopausal Danish women participating in a prospective study of risk factors for osteoporosis. At the time of enrollment, 3–24 months after last menstrual period, the less prevalent genotype (TT, 8.7% of the population) was associated with significantly lower BMD at the femoral neck (ANOVA, p < 0.05), total hip (p < 0.01), and spine (p < 0.05 adjusted for lifestyle covariates, p = 0.06 without adjustment). The mean difference was between 0.1 and 0.3 SD, depending on measurement site. MTHFR genotype added significantly to prediction of BMD by weight and age. Fracture incidence was increased more than 2‐fold in subjects with the TT genotype (risk ratio [RR], 2.6; 95% CI 1.2–5.6). This remained significant when the Cox analysis was controlled for BMD (RR, 2.4; 95% CI 1.1–5.2). No differences in serum osteocalcin, bone‐specific alkaline phosphatase, and 25‐OH‐vitamin D were found between genotypes. The response to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) did not differ, but the association of the TT genotype with reduced BMD was maintained at the total hip after 5 years of HRT. The MTHFR TT genotype is associated with low BMD and increased fracture incidence in early postmenopausal women.

Randomized controlled trial of cholecalciferol supplementation in chronic kidney disease patients with hypovitaminosis D

BACKGROUND Hypovitaminosis D is common in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Effects of 25-hydroxyvitamin D replenishment in CKD are not well described. METHODS An 8-week randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind parallel intervention study was conducted in haemodialysis (HD) and non-HD CKD patients. Treatment consisted of 40,000 IU of cholecalciferol orally per week. Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD), plasma 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25-diOHD), plasma parathyroid hormone (PTH), serum phosphate, ionized serum calcium and serum fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23) were analysed. We also investigated biomarkers related to cardiovascular disease (plasma D-dimer, plasma fibrinogen, plasma von Willebrand factor antigen and activity, plasma interleukin 6, plasma C-reactive protein, blood pressure, aortic augmentation index, aortic pulse wave velocity and 24-h urinary protein loss). Objective and subjective health variables were assessed (muscle function tests, visual analogue scores and Health Assessment Questionnaire). RESULTS Fifty-two CKD patients with 25-OHD <50 nmol/L at screening were included. Cholecalciferol supplementation led to a significant increase to a median of 155 nmol/L 25-OHD (interquartile range 137-173 nmol/L) in treated patients (n = 25, P < 0.001). In non-HD patients, we saw a significant increase in 1,25-diOHD (n = 13, P < 0.01) and a lowering of PTH (n = 13, P < 0.001). This was not observed in HD patients. Cholecalciferol supplementation caused a significant increase in serum calcium and FGF-23. CONCLUSIONS 25-OHD replenishment was effectively obtained with the employed cholecalciferol dosing. In non-HD patients, it had favourable effects on 1,25-diOHD and PTH. Vitamin D-supplemented patients must be monitored for hypercalcaemia. The present study could not identify significant pleiotropic effects of 25-OHD replenishment.

Dietary Fish Oil (4 g Daily) and Cardiovascular Risk Markers in Healthy Men

Some epidemiological observations indicate that 1 to 2 weekly servings of fish prevent ischemic heart disease (IHD). This might be explained by an effect of the very-long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 VLCPUFA) of fish oil on lipid metabolism and/or the hemostatic system, both involved in IHD development. We studied the effect of incorporating natural fish oil (4 g daily equivalent to 0.91 g n-3 VLCPUFA and corresponding to one to two weekly servings of fatty fish) into the diet in a 4-week parallel, randomized, and double-blind trial of 47 healthy males aged 29 to 60 years. Sunflower oil was used as placebo. The fish oil had no significant effect on plasma lipids, apolipoproteins, lipoprotein(a), blood coagulation FVII, fibrinogen, endogenous fibrinolysis, beta-thromboglobulin, von Willebrand factor, glucose, or insulin in fasting blood samples. In nonfasting samples (n = 19), fish oil was associated with an approximately 30% decline in plasma triglycerides (P < .02) and a 9% decline in FVII protein (P < .05), whereas FVII coagulant activity and fibrinolysis were unaffected. In conclusion, our findings indicate that lowering of postprandial triglycerides is the only n-3 VLCPUFA effect that could contribute to primary prevention of IHD in healthy middle-aged men as assessed by currently measurable lipid and hemostatic risk markers.

Effects of Dietary Fat Quality and Quantity on Postprandial Activation of Blood Coagulation Factor VII

Acute elevation of the coagulant activity of blood coagulation factor VII (FVIIc) is observed after consumption of high-fat meals. This elevation is caused by an increase in the concentration of activated FVII (FVIIa). In a randomized crossover study, we investigated whether saturated, monounsaturated, or polyunsaturated fats differed regarding postprandial activation of FVII. Eighteen healthy young men participated in the study. On 6 separate days each participant consumed two meals (times, 0 and 1 3/4 hours) enriched with 70 g (15 and 55 g) of either rapeseed oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, palm oil, or butter (42% of energy from fat) or isoenergetic low-fat meals (6% of energy from fat). Fasting and series of nonfasting blood samples (the last at time 8 1/2 hours) were collected. Plasma triglycerides, FVIIc, FVIIa, and free fatty acids were analyzed. There were marked effects of the fat quantity on postprandial responses of plasma triglycerides, FVII, and free fatty acids. The high-fat meals caused, in contrast to the low-fat meals, considerable increases in plasma triglycerides. Plasma levels of FVIIc and FVIIa peaks were 7% and 60% higher after consumption of high-fat meals than after consumption of low-fat meals. The five different fat qualities caused similar postprandial increases in plasma triglycerides, FVIIc, and FVIIa. These findings indicate that high-fat meals may be prothrombotic, irrespective of their fatty acid composition. The postprandial FVII activation was not associated with the plasma triglyceride or free fatty acid responses.

Genetic influence on thrombotic risk markers in the elderly--a Danish twin study.

Summary.  Objective: Several hemostatic variables are identified as cardiovascular risk markers. In young and middle‐aged individuals, plasma concentrations of these variables are partly determined by genetic factors. The genetic contribution to cardiovascular disease (CVD) decreases with increasing age, and it is therefore important to determine the heritability of hemostasis also in the elderly. Methods: The heritability of plasma levels of factor VII, fibrinogen, tissue factor, tissue factor pathway inhibitor, von Willebrand factor, thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI), and D‐dimer was determined in 130 monozygotic and 155 dizygotic same‐sex twin pairs, aged 73–94 years, who participated in the Longitudinal Study of Aging of Danish Twins. Furthermore, we determined the influence of promoter polymorphisms in corresponding genes on the plasma level variation. Results: Genetic factors accounted for 33% (D‐dimer) to 71% (TAFI) of the variation in plasma levels. Polymorphisms were associated with concentrations of FVII and TAFI in sib‐pair based analyses, but in linkage analyses the polymorphisms did not explain a significant part of the genetic variation for any of the variables. Conclusions: Concentrations of hemostatic variables have a substantial genetic variation in the elderly, but in this study the promoter polymorphisms only explained a minimal part of this variation.

Plasma concentrations of extracellular matrix protein fibulin-1 are related to cardiovascular risk markers in chronic kidney disease and diabetes

BackgroundFibulin-1 is one of a few extracellular matrix proteins present in blood in high concentrations. We aimed to define the relationship between plasma fibulin-1 levels and risk markers of cardiovascular disease.MethodsPlasma fibulin-1 was determined in subjects with chronic kidney disease (n = 32; median age 62.5, inter-quartile range 51 – 73 years) and 60 age-matched control subjects. Among kidney disease patients serological biomarkers related to cardiovascular disease (fibrinogen, interleukin 6, C-reactive protein) were measured. Arterial applanation tonometry was used to determine central hemodynamic and arterial stiffness indices.ResultsWe observed a positive correlation of fibulin-1 levels with age (r = 0.38; p = 0.033), glycated hemoglobin (r = 0.80; p = 0.003), creatinine (r = 0.35; p = 0.045), and fibrinogen (r = 0.39; p = 0.027). Glomerular filtration rate and fibulin-1 were inversely correlated (r = −0.57; p = 0.022). There was a positive correlation between fibulin-1 and central pulse pressure (r = 0.44; p = 0.011) and central augmentation pressure (r = 0.55; p = 0.001). In a multivariable regression model, diabetes, creatinine, fibrinogen and central augmentation pressure were independent predictors of plasma fibulin-1.ConclusionIncreased plasma fibulin-1 levels were associated with diabetes and impaired kidney function. Furthermore, fibulin-1 levels were associated with hemodynamic cardiovascular risk markers. Fibulin-1 is a candidate in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease observed in chronic kidney disease and diabetes.

The influence of VKORC1 and CYP2C9 gene sequence variants on the stability of maintenance phase warfarin treatment.

INTRODUCTION A substantial part of the inter-individual variation in vitamin K-antagonist dose can be explained by certain sequence variants in the genes CYP2C9 (NG_008385.1:g.8633C>T or *1/*2, NG_008385.1:g.47639A>C or *1/*3) and VKORC1 (NG_011564.1:g.6399C>T). Patients possessing these variant alleles require lower doses and have increased risk of overanticoagulation. METHODS We investigated the influence of the above sequence variants on stability of maintenance phase warfarin therapy in a prospective study of 300 consecutive patients followed for one year at an anticoagulant clinic. RESULTS Patients having one VKORC1 variant allele (n=144) had a time in therapeutic range of INR (TTR) of 71.4%, significantly lower (p=0.02) than the 76.7% TTR of patients with none (n=96) or two (n=46) variant alleles. Patients carrying the CYP2C9 *3 allele (n=40) trended towards lower TTR than patients without this variant allele (69.8% vs. 74.7%, p=0.09). Six patients possessed two variant alleles of CYP2C9 (*2/*3 or *3/*3) and had significantly lower TTR (60.5% vs. 74.3%, p=0.012) and higher risk of an INR>4.5 (67% vs. 23%, p=0.03) compared with the remaining patients. CONCLUSIONS We observed modest effects of common gene sequence variants in CYP2C9 and VKORC1 on stability of maintenance phase warfarin therapy. Patients attending an anticoagulant clinic using computer-assisted dosage were safely monitored regardless of these sequence variants, but for the small subgroup of patients with the CYP2C9 genotype *2/*3 or *3/*3, treatment stability was reduced.

Multivariate analysis of the relation between diet and warfarin dose

PurposeThe vitamin K antagonist (VKA) warfarin is effective for the prevention of thromboembolisms. Maintenance doses differ greatly among patients and are known to be primarily determined by genetic polymorphisms. The relative impact of dietary vitamin K intake is still a matter of debate. We hypothesize that a multivariate model is more suitable for exploring the relation between dietary intake of vitamin K and warfarin dose than conventional uni- or bivariate analyses.MethodsIn a cross-sectional study, we interviewed 244 patients in the maintenance phase of warfarin therapy and detected polymorphisms in the VKORC1 and CYP2C9 genes. Dietary vitamin K intake was estimated from food frequency questionnaires.ResultsA univariate correlation analysis and the regression coefficient from the multivariate model showed a small but significant negative relation between vitamin K intake and warfarin dose. A loading plot of the partial least squares regression model illustrated this counter-intuitive observation, which might be explained by the latent structure between variables. The variation in warfarin dose could be divided into two significant latent variables, the so-called components. In component one, pharmacogenetics explained 52% of dose variation. Component two described health-related behavior (diet, physical activity and body weight) and explained 8% of dose variation. Here, vitamin K intake positively correlated with warfarin dose.DiscussionThis study highlights the importance of choosing a statistical method that reflects the complexity of data for interpretation of results from observational studies. The multivariate model appears to be well suited to describe the complex relationship between vitamin K intake and VKA dose.