Lipoprotein(a) in clinical practice: A guide for the clinician.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death worldwide. Serum lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) has been shown to be an independent and causative risk factor for atherosclerotic CVD and calcific aortic valvular disease. Lp(a) continues to be studied, with emerging insights into the epidemiology of CVD with respect to Lp(a), pathogenic mechanisms of Lp(a) and strategies to mitigate disease. There have been novel insights into genetic polymorphisms of the LPA gene, interactions between concomitant risk factors and Lp(a) based on real-world data, and metabolic pathway targets for Lp(a) reduction. This review highlights these recent advances in our understanding of Lp(a) and discusses management strategies as recommended by cardiovascular professional societies, emerging therapies for lowering Lp(a), and future directions in targeting Lp(a) to reduce CVD.

Association of Depression and Cardiovascular Disease.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease remains the leading worldwide cause of mortality. There has been increased awareness of the impact of psychological health on cardiovascular disease. In particular, major depression has been linked to increased all-cause mortality, development of cardiovascular disease, and worse outcomes in those with existing cardiovascular disease. METHODS: We conducted a meta-analysis assessing the incidence of cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular disease outcomes among those with major depressive disorder. RESULTS: Among 26 studies of 1,957,621 individuals, depression was associated with increased risk of incident stroke (hazard ratio [HR] 1.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-1.28), myocardial infarction (HR 1.28; 95% CI, 1.14-1.45), congestive heart failure (HR 1.04; 95% CI, 1.00-1.09), or any cardiovascular disease (HR 1.16; 95% CI, 1.04-1.30). Depression was associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality (HR 1.43; 95% CI, 1.27-1.60), cardiovascular disease mortality (HR 1.44; 95% CI, 1.27-1.63), and congestive heart failure mortality (HR 3.20; 95% CI, 1.29-7.94). CONCLUSION: Depression has a significant negative impact on development of cardiovascular disease and on cardiovascular disease outcomes. Further efforts to understand and mitigate these impacts are prudent.

Normal Ranges of Right Atrial Strain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Standard measures for the clinical assessment of right atrial (RA) function are lacking. OBJECTIVES: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, the authors sought to report a reference range for RA deformation parameters in healthy subjects and to identify factors that contribute to reported variations. METHODS: The authors conducted a comprehensive search of MEDLINE; MEDLINE In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations; Embase; Scopus; and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from database inception through October 2021. Studies were included if they reported RA strain or strain rate (SR) using 2-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography in healthy volunteers or apparently healthy control patients. Data were extracted by 1 reviewer and then reviewed by 2 independent reviewers. Conflicts were resolved through consensus. Data were combined using the method developed by Siegel and adjusted using the restricted maximum likelihood random-effects model. The normal range was defined as the 95% CI of the mean. Heterogeneity was assessed by the Cochran Q-statistic and the inconsistency index (I2). The quality of the included studies and publication bias were assessed. Effects of clinical variables were sought in a metaregression. RESULTS: The search identified 4,111 subjects from 21 studies. The average RA reservoir strain was 44% (95% CI: 25%-63%), contractile strain was 17% (95% CI: 2%-32%), and conduit strain was 18% (95% CI: 7%-28%), with significant between-study heterogeneity and inconsistency. The systolic SR was 2.1 s-1 (95% CI: 0.9-3.4 s-1), early-diastolic SR was -2.0 s-1 (95% CI: -3.3 to -0.8 s-1), and late-diastolic SR was -1.9 s-1 (95% CI: -2.4 to -1.3 s-1), with nonsignificant heterogeneity and inconsistency. Ranges remained wide in healthy volunteers. The metaregression identified only age as significantly associated with systolic SR and no other significant determinants of variation among normal ranges of strain. CONCLUSIONS: There are wide reference ranges for RA deformation, and these may limit the utility of this test in clinical practice.

Association of pessimism with cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality.

Poor psychological health is associated with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, cardiac syndrome X, coronary microcirculatory dysfunction, peripheral artery disease, or spontaneous coronary artery dissection. Data regarding pessimism, cardiovascular disease (CVD) events and mortality and all-cause mortality remained inconclusive. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to provide an overview of the association between pessimism, CVD outcomes and mortality. A systematic search of electronic databases was conducted from inception through July 2022 for studies evaluating pessimism and adverse outcomes. A total of 17 studies published between 1966 and July 2022 met our inclusion criteria, for a total of 232,533 individuals. Pooled hazard ratios were calculated in random-effects meta-analyses. Based on pooled analysis of adjusted HRs, pessimism was associated with adjusted HR of 1.13 (95% CI 1.07-1.19) for all-cause mortality with minimal heterogeneity (I2 = 28.5%). Based on pooled analysis of adjusted HRs, pessimism was associated with adjusted HR of 1.30 (95% CI 0.43-3.95) for CHD mortality, adjusted HR of 1.41 (95% CI 1.05-1.91) for CVD mortality, and adjusted HR of 1.43 (95% CI 0.64-3.16) for stroke. In conclusion, pessimism seems to be significantly associated with a higher risk for and poorer outcomes from CVD events than optimistic styles. There are genetic and other bases for these life approaches, but behavioral, cognitive and meditative interventions can modify patients' level of pessimism, hopefully leading to better medical outcomes. Testing this theory would yield highly useful and practical data for clinical care.

Association of Optimism with Cardiovascular Events and All-Cause Mortality: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The effect of psychological health on cardiovascular disease is an underappreciated yet important area of study. Understanding the relationship between these two entities may allow for more comprehensive care of those with cardiovascular disease. The primary objective of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the relationship between optimism and risk of developing adverse events such as all-cause mortality or fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular disease in community-based populations. METHOD: A systematic search of electronic databases was conducted from inception through November 2021 for prospective studies evaluating optimism and adverse outcomes. Two reviewers independently selected prospective cohort studies that evaluated optimism and either all-cause mortality or cardiovascular disease and reported hazard ratios of these outcomes between optimistic and non-optimistic groups. Studies that reported odds ratio or other risk assessments were excluded. Pooled hazard ratios were calculated in random-effects meta-analyses. RESULTS: Pooled analysis of six studies (n = 181,709) showed a pooled hazard ratio of 0.87 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.82-0.92) for all-cause mortality among those with more optimistic mindset. Analysis of seven studies (n = 201,210) showed a pooled hazard ratio of 0.59 (95% CI, 0.37-0.93) for cardiovascular disease and pooled hazard ratio of 0.57 (95% CI, 0.07-4.56) for stroke. CONCLUSIONS: In this pooled meta-analysis, optimism was associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality and of cardiovascular disease. These results suggest an important relationship between psychological health and cardiovascular disease that may serve as an area for intervention by clinicians.