Elevated blood pressure: a genetically determined risk factor for cerebral artery dissection.

BACKGROUND: We aim to investigate the potential causal link between blood pressure (BP) levels and cerebral artery dissection (CAD) risk employing a two-sample Mendelian randomization (TSMR) framework. METHODS: Utilizing large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS)-retrieved data, we employed various MR techniques, including inverse variance weighted (IVW), MR-Egger regression, weighted median, and weighted mode, to ascertain BP's causal impact on CAD. The MR-Egger intercept was calculated to assess pleiotropy presence, determining heterogeneity by Cochran's Q statistic. RESULTS: The findings highlighted a significant association between elevated systolic BP (SBP; IVW: OR=3.09, 95% CI: 1.11-8.61, p=0.031) and increased diastolic BP (DBP; IVW: OR=2.17, 95% CI: 1.14-6.21, p=0.023) with CAD risk. Sensitivity analyses reinforced the robustness and reliability of these results. CONCLUSIONS: The results from this TSMR study suggest a causal link between high SBP and DBP and the increased likelihood of CAD, which provide genetic evidence for a reduced risk of CAD under blood pressure control.

Association of residential greenness with obstructive sleep apnea among Chinese old adults and the mediation role of PM2.5 and leisure-time physical activity.

Few studies have investigated the association of residential greenness with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This study was to comprehensively examine the association of residential greenness exposure with OSA and explore the mediating effect of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and PM2.5 on the association among Chinese old adults. A prospective cohort study that enrolled 2027 adults aged ≥65 was conducted between 1st July 2015 and 30th September 2019 in Southern China. OSA was ascertained by Berlin Questionnaire. Greenness exposure was measured by contemporaneous and cumulative average normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in the 1000 m radius around each participant's residential address. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by Cox proportional hazards model to assess the impact of greenness exposure on the incidence of OSA after adjusting for confounders. LTPA and PM2.5 were examined as potential mediators in the aforementioned models. A total of 293, nearly 14.5 %, participants developed OSA within 59,251 person-months of follow-up. When comparing the highest with lowest tertiles, both contemporaneous NDVI (>0.351 vs. ≤0.325: HR = 0.20, 95 % CI = 0.13-0.31) and cumulative NDVI (> 0.346 vs. ≤ 0.317: HR = 0.32, 95 % CI = 0.21-0.47) were associated with a reduced risk of OSA after adjusting for confounders. LTPA and PM2.5 significantly mediated the association between greenness and OSA. In conclusion, this study indicated that exposure to higher residential greenness could decrease OSA risk, and this benefit may be achieved by promoting physical activity and decreasing PM2.5 concentration. The findings suggest to formulate targeted interventional strategies by expanding residential greenness to prevent OSA and reduce disease burden.

Novel lipid indicators and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus among Chinese hypertensive patients: findings from the Guangzhou Heart Study.

BACKGROUND: Data are limited on whether several easily measured indices are independent predictors of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in hypertensive patients. This study aimed to assess the association of hypertriglyceridemic-waist phenotype, triglyceride glucose (TyG) index, lipid accumulation product (LAP), and visceral adiposity index (VAI) with T2DM risk in hypertensive patients. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 5321 hypertensive patients from the baseline survey of the Guangzhou Heart Study. Face-to-face questionnaire survey, physical examination, and fasting blood sample collection were completed for all subjects. Odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated by using the logistic regression model. The potential nonlinear relationship was examined using restricted cubic spline regression. RESULTS: The prevalence of T2DM was 19.98% among hypertensive patients. After adjusting for confounders, participants with elevated triglyceride levels and enlarged waist circumference (HTGW) were associated with a 2.57-fold risk of T2DM (OR 2.57, 95% CI 2.05, 3.23). When comparing with subjects within the lowest quartile of the indices, those in the highest quartile of TyG, LAP, and VAI were associated with 5.35-fold (95% CI 4.33, 6.64), 2.65-fold (95% CI 2.11, 3.34), and 2.17-fold (95% CI 1.77, 2.67) risk of T2DM after adjusting for confounders. Every 1-unit increment of TyG, LAP, and VAI was associated with 81%, 38%, and 31% increased risk of T2DM, respectively. The nonlinear association was observed for TyG, LAP, and VAI (all P Non-linear < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The results found that among hypertensive patients, HTGW and a higher level of TyG, LAP, and VAI were associated with an elevated risk of T2DM. The findings suggested that HTGW, TyG, LAP, and VAI may serve as simple and effective tools for T2DM risk assessment in the prevention and management of main chronic diseases.

Immobilization of microbes on biochar for water and soil remediation: A review.

Biochar has caught great attention over the last decade with the loose and porous structure, and carbon stability provides suitable living conditions for the growth and activity of microorganisms. This review provided a comprehensive summary of biochar immobilization microbe (BIM) in water and soil decontamination. Firstly, the bacterial immobilization techniques including adsorption, entrapping, and covalence methods were exhibited. Secondly, the applications of BIM in water and soil environmental remediation were introduced, mainly including the treatment of organic pollutants, heavy metals, and N/P, among which the most frequently immobilized microorganism was Bacillus. Then, the mechanisms of adsorption, redox, and degradation were analyzed. Finally, pertinent questions for future research of BIM technology were proposed. The purpose of this paper is to provide useful background information for the selection of better biochar fixation microorganisms for water and soil remediation.