Ruihua Cao

The association of homocysteine with metabolic syndrome in a community-dwelling population: homocysteine might be concomitant with metabolic syndrome.

Objective Elevated plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) are both associated with cardiovascular disease, but the association between tHcy and MetS is not well characterized. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between tHcy and MetS. Methods To further estimate the time-dependent association of tHcy and MetS, we analyzed the tHcy level and MetS in 1499 subjects from a 4.8-year longitudinal study in Beijing, People’s Republic of China. Results In multiple linear regression analysis, baseline tHcy levels associated with age, BMI, SBP, DBP, LDL-C and Cr independently over 4.8-years follow-up; age, BMI, SBP, DBP and Cr were found to be associated with tHcy levels independently at the end of follow-up. Logistic regression analysis showed that there was no association between the baseline tHcy level and MetS over the 4.8-year follow-up (odds ratio (OR), 1.32; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.79–2.19; P = 0.282); rather, there was an association only with hypertension as a MetS component (OR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.06–2.21; P = 0.024). tHcy levels were associated with MetS at both cross-sectional baseline (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.02–1.88; P = 0.038) and cross-sectional follow-up (OR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.02–2.50; P = 0.041). The tHcy levels of MetS subjects were higher than those of non-MetS subjects at both cross-sectional baseline (19.35±7.92 µmol/L vs. 17.45±6.70 µmol/L, respectively; P = 0.001) and cross-sectional follow-up (18.95±7.15 µmol/L vs. 17.11±5.98 µmol/L, respectively; P = 0.02). Conclusion The tHcy level was not predictive of the incidence of MetS; however, it may be a risk factor for hypertension as a MetS component. Furthermore, tHcy levels were associated with MetS at cross-sectional baseline and follow-up, which suggests that a higher level of tHcy might be concomitant with MetS.

A higher baseline plasma uric acid level is an independent predictor of arterial stiffness: A community-based prospective study

Abstract Hyperuricemia has been demonstrated to be a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Though the association between uric acid (UA) and arterial stiffness has been investigated previously in patients with basic diseases, the predictive value of baseline UA level for arterial stiffness has not been conducted. We aimed at identifying the predictive role of UA for arterial stiffness prospectively. A longitudinal follow-up study in a routine health check-up population was performed with an average follow-up of 4.8 years. The demographic information, baseline and follow-up anthropometric parameters, arterial stiffness (pulse-wave velocity, PWV), and biomarker variables including UA have been measured and analyzed. A total of 1447 valid follow-ups were available for the final analysis. Both of the baseline and follow-up UA levels were significantly higher in the arterial stiffness groups than that in the nonarterial stiffness groups (all P values <0.001). The follow-up carotid-femoral PWV [(cf-PWV), r = 0.161, P < 0.001] was strongly correlated with baseline UA. At the follow-up cross-section, cf-PWV was also closely associated with UA (r = 0.101, P < 0.001). Logistic regressions revealed that a higher baseline UA level was an independent predictor of follow-up arterial stiffness assessed by cf-PWV [odds ratio (OR): 1.824; P = 0.046]. A higher baseline level of UA is closely related to arterial stiffness and is an independent predictor of arterial stiffening.

Urine Albumin Excretion Is Associated with Cardiac Troponin T Detected with a Highly Sensitive Assay in a Community-Based Population

Background Urine albumin excretion is an important predictor of adverse cardiovascular events. Minimally elevated levels of serum cardiac troponin T (cTnT), a marker of cardiomyocyte micronecrosis, can be detected with high sensitivity cTnT (hs-cTnT) assays. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between alterations in albuminuria and serum hs-cTnT levels in a community-based population. Methods We examined the association between the urine albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR) and hs-cTnT levels in 1354 participants without overt cardiovascular disease in a community-based, cross-sectional study in Beijing, China. Results With the highly sensitive assay, cTnT levels were detectable in 90.5% of our subjects. The median (interquartile range) concentrations of hs-cTnT were 7 (5–10) pg/mL. After adjustment for several factors, UACR (odds ratio: 1.40; 95% confidence interval: 1.08–1.65; P = 0.002) was associated with a higher likelihood of elevated hs-cTnT (≥14 pg/ mL), whereas the relationship between UACR and a higher presence of detectable hs-cTnT (≥ 3 pg/ mL) was not significant. In addition, a fully adjusted logistic regression analysis revealed that compared with participants in the lowest UACR quartile, those in the highest quartile had a 2.43- fold (95% CI: 1.25–5.08; P = 0.006) increased risk of elevated hs-cTnT. Conclusions Higher urine albumin excretion is associated with elevated hs-cTnT among persons without clinically evident cardiovascular disease, suggesting that albuminuria may be a potential risk factor for subclinical cardiovascular disease in the general population.

Plasma Homocysteine is a Predictive Factor for Arterial Stiffness: A Community‐Based 4.8‐Year Prospective Study

The authors investigated whether plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) is a predictive factor for arterial stiffness (carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity [cf‐PWV] and carotid‐radial PWV) in 1447 patients from a 4.8‐year prospective study in Beijing, Peoples Republic of China. Baseline tHcy showed a significant relationship with follow‐up cf‐PWV (β=0.817, P=.015) in a multivariable linear regression analysis. A stepwise logistic regression model showed that baseline levels of tHcy were significantly associated with follow‐up cf‐PWV in the adjusted models. Furthermore, the baseline tHcy levels showed a significant association with increases in cf‐PWV. There was no association between the change in tHcy and increase in PWV. The present study clearly demonstrated an association between tHcy levels and arterial stiffness, indicating that tHcy is an independent predictive factor for arterial stiffness in a community‐based population.

The predictive value of arterial stiffness on major adverse cardiovascular events in individuals with mildly impaired renal function

Objectives Despite growing evidence that arterial stiffness has important predictive value for cardiovascular disease in patients with advanced stages of chronic kidney disease, the predictive significance of arterial stiffness in individuals with mildly impaired renal function has not been established. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of arterial stiffness on cardiovascular disease in this specific population. Materials and methods We analyzed measurements of arterial stiffness (carotid–femoral pulse-wave velocity [cf-PWV]) and the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in 1,499 subjects from a 4.8-year longitudinal study. Results A multivariate Cox proportional-hazard regression analysis showed that in individuals with normal renal function (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] ≥90 mL/min/1.73 m2), the baseline cf-PWV was not associated with occurrence of MACEs (hazard ratio 1.398, 95% confidence interval 0.748–2.613; P=0.293). In individuals with mildly impaired renal function (eGFR <90 mL/min/1.73 m2), a higher baseline cf-PWV level was associated with a higher risk of MACEs (hazard ratio 2.334, 95% confidence interval 1.082–5.036; P=0.031). Conclusion Arterial stiffness is a moderate and independent predictive factor for MACEs in individuals with mildly impaired renal function (eGFR <90 mL/min/1.73 m2).

Peripheral arterial stiffness is associated with higher baseline plasma uric acid: A prospective cohort study

This prospective cohort study aimed at identifying association between uric acid (UA) and peripheral arterial stiffness. A prospective cohort longitudinal study was performed according to an average of 4.8 years’ follow-up. The demographic data, anthropometric parameters, peripheral arterial stiffness (carotid-radial pulse-wave velocity, cr-PWV) and biomarker variables including UA were examined at both baseline and follow-up. Pearson’s correlations were used to identify the associations between UA and peripheral arterial stiffness. Further logistic regressions were employed to determine the associations between UA and arterial stiffness. At the end of follow-up, 1447 subjects were included in the analyses. At baseline, cr-PWV (r = 0.200, p < 0.001) was closely associated with UA. Furthermore, the follow-up cr-PWV (r = 0.145, p < 0.001) was also strongly correlated to baseline UA in Pearson’s correlation analysis. Multiple regressions also indicated the association between follow-up cr-PWV (β = 0.493, p = 0.013) and baseline UA level. Logistic regressions revealed that higher baseline UA level was an independent predictor of arterial stiffness severity assessed by cr-PWV at follow-up cross-section. Peripheral arterial stiffness is closely associated with higher baseline UA level. Furthermore, a higher baseline UA level is an independent risk factor and predictor for peripheral arterial stiffness.

Association of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T with mortality and cardiovascular events in a community-based prospective study in Beijing

Objective The prognostic value of cardiac troponins in apparently healthy populations is not well established. The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic properties of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) for long-term adverse outcomes. Setting A community-dwelling prospective survey of residents from two communities in Beijing. Participants From September 2007 to January 2009, 1680 participants were initially enrolled. Of these, 1499 (870 females, mean age: 61.4 years) participants completed the survey and were followed up for a median of 4.8 years (IQR: 4.5–5.2). Outcome measures The primary outcome was the occurrence of all-cause mortality and major cardiovascular events. Results Overall, 820 individuals (54.7%) had detectable hs-cTnT levels. During the follow-up, 52 participants (3.5%) died, 154 (10.3%) had major cardiovascular events and 99 (6.6%) experienced new-onset coronary events. Compared with those with undetectable hs-cTnT levels, participants with hs-cTnT levels in the highest category (≥14 ng/L) had a significantly increased risk for all-cause mortality (adjusted HR (aHR): 2.07, 95% CI 1.05 to 3.01), major cardiovascular events (aHR: 3.27, 95% CI 1.88 to 5.70) and coronary events (aHR: 4.50, 95% CI 2.26 to 9.02) in covariate-adjusted analyses. No differences in stroke incidence were found (aHR: 1.27, 95% CI 0.69 to 2.62). Also, significant associations were presented when hs-cTnT levels were modelled as a continuous variable and when analysing changes in hs-cTnT levels over time with adverse outcomes. The addition of troponin T levels to clinical variables led to significant increases in risk prediction with a marked improvement in the C-statistics (p=0.003 or lower). Conclusions In this cohort of individuals from a community-based population, cTnT levels measured with a highly sensitive assay were associated with increases in the subsequent risk for all-cause mortality and major cardiovascular events. These results might support screening for at-risk individuals.

Association between resting heart rate and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in a community-based population study in Beijing.

Background N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is associated with an increased risk of cardiac insufficiency, which possibly leads to heart failure. However, the relationship between resting heart rate and NT-proBNP is unclear. Objective This study focuses on this relativity between resting heart rate and plasma NT-proBNP levels in a surveyed community-based population. Methods We evaluated the relativity between resting heart rate and plasma levels of NT-proBNP in 1,567 participants (mean age 61.0 years, range 21–96 years) from a community-based population in Beijing, People’s Republic of China. Results In patients with high resting heart rate (≥75 beats/min), NT-proBNP was higher than in those having low resting heart rate (<75 beats/min). In multiple linear stepwise regression analysis, plasma NT-proBNP was associated with resting heart rate (partial correlation coefficient, 0.82; 95% confidence interval, 0.18–1.51; P=0.011). A subsequent subgroup analysis revealed that the association between resting heart rate and plasma NT-proBNP was strengthened in subjects over 60 years old (partial correlation coefficient 1.28; 95% confidence interval, 0.49–2.36; P=0.031); while the relativity between resting heart rate and plasma NT-proBNP was not emerged in the younger subgroup (<60 years old). Conclusions Resting heart rate was associated with plasma NT-proBNP in the elderly, which indicated a relationship between resting heart rate and cardiac function damage.

Homocysteine is associated with plasma high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T levels in a community-dwelling population

Objectives Homocysteine (HCY) is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, possibly leading to myocardial damage. Cardiac troponin T (TnT), a marker of cardiomyocyte injury, can be detected by high-sensitivity TnT (hsTnT) assay. The current study investigated the relationship between plasma HCY and hsTnT levels in a community-based population. Methods We related plasma levels of hsTnT to HCY levels in 1,497 participants (mean age, 62.4 years; 629 men, 868 women) from a community-based population in Beijing, People’s Republic of China. Results In multiple logistic regression models, serum HCY was associated with a higher likelihood of detectable hsTnT (odds ratio 1.5; 95% confidence interval 1.07–2.10; P=0.018). A subsequent subgroup analysis found that in subjects aged 65 years and older, the association between hsTnT levels and HCY levels was strengthened. The association between hsTnT and HCY was not present in the younger subgroup (<65 years old). Conclusion Levels of serum HCY are associated with hsTnT levels in the elderly, indicating a relationship between HCY and subclinical myocardial damage.