Rapid Fabrication of Large-Grain Opal Films and Photonic Crystal Hydrogel Sensors by a Filter Paper-Enhanced Evaporation Chip.

Developing a rapid fabrication method for crack-free opal films is a significant challenge with broad applications. We developed a microfluidic platform known as the "filter paper-enhanced evaporation microfluidic chip" (FPEE-chip) for the fabrication of photonic crystal and inverse opal hydrogel (IOPH) films. The chip featured a thin channel formed by bonding double-sided adhesive poly(ethylene terephthalate) with a polymethyl methacrylate cover and a glass substrate. This channel was then filled with nanosphere colloids. The water was guided to evaporate rapidly at the surface of the filter paper, allowing the nanospheres to self-assemble and accumulate within the channel under capillary forces. Experimental results confirmed that the self-assembly method based on the FPEE-chip was a rapid platform for producing high-quality opal, with centimeter-sized opal films achievable in less than an hour. Furthermore, the filter paper altered the stress release mechanism of the opal films during drying, resulting in fewer cracks. This platform was proven capable of producing large-grain, crack-free opal films of up to 30 mm2 in size. We also fabricated crack-free IOPH pH sensors that exhibited color and size responsiveness to pH changes. The coefficient of variation of the gray color distribution for crack-free IOPH ranged from 0.03 to 0.07, which was lower than that of cracked IOPH (ranging from 0.07 to 0.14). Additionally, the grayscale peak value in 1 mm2 of the crack-free IOPH was more than twice that of the cracked IOPH at the same pH. The FPEE-chip demonstrated potential as a candidate for developing vision sensors.

Chest pain with ST-elevation in leads AVR, III, AVF, V1, V3R, V4R and V5R.

We mistakenly diagnosed a patient with pulmonary embolism as ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction. The case complained of chest pain with ST-elevation in leads AVR, III, AVF, V1, V3R, V4R and V5R. In addition, we also found ST- elevation AVR, III>ST- elevation AVF, QIII>QAVF and QV1. Multi-site pulmonary embolism can lead to type 2 myocardial infarction or special type of myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries through multiple pathological mechanisms.

Rebound sign: a case report and review of literature.

We reviewed previously reported imaging features of coronary air embolism. We also reported an unusual image 'rebound sign' of proximal coronary artery air embolism for the first time, that is, with the regular contraction and relaxation of the heart, the contrast medium near the embolus rebounds regularly, and the smooth gas-liquid boundary is alternately clear and blurred. We conclude that myocardial bridge plays a role in the formation of 'rebound sign.'Abbreviations: CAE: Coronary Air Embolism; CAG: Coronary Angiography; RCA: Right Coronary Artery; LCA: Left Coronary Artery; LAD: Left Anterior Descending Coronary Artery; LCX: Left Circumflex Artery; MB: Myocardial Bridge; STEMI: ST Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction; TOE: Transesophageal Echocardiography.

Induced carotid atherosclerosis in lupus mice.

Fas knockout (Fas-/-) mice are a model for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) -like autoimmune syndromes. We aimed to induce atherosclerosis (AS) in Fas-/- mice. Sixteen male Fas-/- mice were included in the study, sex-matched C57B6/L (B6) and apolipoprotein E-knockout (ApoE-/-) mice were negative and positive AS controls, respectively. A silica collar was placed around the right carotid artery of each mouse to induce AS development. All mice were fed a 24-week high-fat diet, and investigated for AS lesions. We also compared the levels of blood lipid and glucose, serum tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) and anti-double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (anti-dsDNA) antibody in Fas-/- mice with those in B6 or ApoE-/- mice. All ApoE-/- and 6 Fas-/- but no B6 mice showed atherogenesis in right carotid artery. The carotid plaque contains more collagen and less lipid in Fas-/- than ApoE-/- mice. The levels of blood glucose, serum TNF-α, IL-6, ANA, and anti-dsDNA antibody were significantly higher in Fas-/- mice than those in B6 mice, the levels of serum TNF-α and blood glucose were significantly higher and the level of blood lipid was significantly lower in Fas-/- mice than those in ApoE-/- mice. Therefore, carotid AS can develop in Fas-/- mice. Fas-/- mice display higher levels of serum IL-6, TNF-α, ANA, and anti-dsDNA than B6 mice, higher levels of serum TNF-α and blood glucose and lower level of blood lipid than ApoE-/- mice, and less lipid and more collagen in AS plaque than ApoE-/- mice.

Evaluation of the 3D finite element method using a tantalum rod for osteonecrosis of the femoral head.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to contrast the collapse values of the postoperative weight-bearing areas of different tantalum rod implant positions, fibula implantation, and core decompression model and to investigate the advantages and disadvantages of tantalum rod implantation in different ranges of osteonecrosis in comparison with other methods. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The 3D finite element method was used to establish the 3D finite element model of normal upper femur, 3D finite element model after tantalum rod implantation into different positions of the upper femur in different osteonecrosis ranges, and other 3D finite element models for simulating fibula implant and core decompression. RESULTS: The collapse values in the weight-bearing area of the femoral head of the tantalum rod implant model inside the osteonecrosis area, implant model in the middle of the osteonecrosis area, fibula implant model, and shortening implant model exhibited no statistically significant differences (p>0.05) when the osteonecrosis range was small (60°). The stress values on the artificial bone surface for the tantalum rod implant model inside the osteonecrosis area and the shortening implant model exhibited statistical significance (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Tantalum rod implantation into the osteonecrosis area can reduce the collapse values in the weight-bearing area when osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) was in a certain range, thereby obtaining better clinical effects. When ONFH was in a large range (120°), the tantalum rod implantation inside the osteonecrosis area, shortening implant or fibula implant can reduce the collapse values of the femoral head, as assessed by other methods.

Three-dimensional array of microbubbles sonoporation of cells in microfluidics.

Sonoporation is a popular membrane disruption technique widely applicable in various fields, including cell therapy, drug delivery, and biomanufacturing. In recent years, there has been significant progress in achieving controlled, high-viability, and high-efficiency cell sonoporation in microfluidics. If the microchannels are too small, especially when scaled down to the cellular level, it still remains a challenge to overcome microchannel clogging, and low throughput. Here, we presented a microfluidic device capable of modulating membrane permeability through oscillating three-dimensional array of microbubbles. Simulations were performed to analyze the effective range of action of the oscillating microbubbles to obtain the optimal microchannel size. Utilizing a high-precision light curing 3D printer to fabricate uniformly sized microstructures in a one-step on both the side walls and the top surface for the generation of microbubbles. These microbubbles oscillated with nearly identical amplitudes and frequencies, ensuring efficient and stable sonoporation within the system. Cells were captured and trapped on the bubble surface by the acoustic streaming and secondary acoustic radiation forces induced by the oscillating microbubbles. At a driving voltage of 30 Vpp, the sonoporation efficiency of cells reached 93.9% ± 2.4%.

A centrifugal-driven spiral microchannel microfiltration chip for emulsion and deformable particle sorting.

Droplet sorting and enrichment, as a prominent field within microfluidic technology, represent a pivotal stage in the manipulation of droplets and particles. In recent times, droplet sorting methods based on lab-on-disk (LOD) have garnered significant interest among researchers for their inherent merits, including high throughput, ease of operation, seamless device integration, and independence from supplementary driving forces. This study introduces a centrifugal force-driven microfluidic chip comprising spiral microchannels. The chip incorporates microhole arrays along the sidewall of the spiral channels, enabling size-based sorting and enrichment of microdroplets under the influence of multiple forces. Firstly, a comparative analysis was performed to assess the influence of the separation port structure and rotational speed on efficiency, and a mechanical modeling approach was employed to conduct kinetic analyses of droplet behavior during instantaneous separation. Those findings demonstrated a good agreement with the experimental results at ω < 100 rpm. Subsequently, sorting experiments on homogeneous droplets indicated that repetitive sorting could increase the recovery ratios, RT(α), of high-concentration droplets (20.7%) from 35.3% to over 80%. We also conducted a sorting experiment on three-component homogeneous-phase emulsions using a serially connected chip array, and the sorting throughput was 0.58 mL min-1. As a result, the RT(α) for 60 and 160 µm droplets were 99.4% and 88.9%, respectively. Lastly, we conducted elution experiments and dual-sample sorting on a single chip, and the fluorescence results demonstrated that this study provided an efficient and non-cross-contaminating sorting method for non-homogenous phase multi-sample microreactor units.

A Microfluidic System of Gene Transfer by Ultrasound.

Ultrasonic gene transfer has advantages beyond other cell transfer techniques because ultrasound does not directly act on cells, but rather pushes the gene fragments around the cells into cells through an acoustic hole effect. Most examples reported were carried out in macro volumes with conventional ultrasonic equipment. In the present study, a MEMS focused ultrasonic transducer based on piezoelectric thin film with flexible substrate was integrated with microchannels to form a microfluidic system of gene transfer. The core part of the system is a bowl-shaped curved piezoelectric film structure that functions to focus ultrasonic waves automatically. Therefore, the low input voltage and power can obtain the sound pressure exceeding the cavitation threshold in the local area of the microchannel in order to reduce the damage to cells. The feasibility of the system is demonstrated by finite element simulation and an integrated system of MEMS ultrasonic devices and microchannels are developed to successfully carry out the ultrasonic gene transfection experiments for HeLa cells. The results show that having more ultrasonic transducers leads a higher transfection rate. The system is of great significance to the development of single-cell biochip platforms for early cancer diagnosis and assessment of cancer treatment.

A study of the differential expression profiles of Keshan disease lncRNA/mRNA genes based on RNA-seq.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to analyze the differential expression profiles of lncRNA in Keshan disease (KSD) and to explore the molecular mechanism of the disease occurrence and development. METHODS: RNA-seq technology was used to construct the lncRNA/mRNA expression library of a KSD group (n=10) and a control group (n=10), and then Cuffdiff software was used to obtain the gene lncRNA/mRNA FPKM value as the expression profile of lncRNA/mRNA. The fold changes between the two sets of samples were calculated to obtain differential lncRNA/mRNA expression profiles, and a bioinformatics analysis of differentially expressed genes was performed. RESULTS: A total of 89,905 lncRNAs and 20,315 mRNAs were detected. Statistical analysis revealed that 921 lncRNAs had obvious differential expression, among which 36 were up-regulated and 885 were down-regulated; 2,771 mRNAs presented with obvious differential expression, among which 253 were up-regulated and 2,518 were down-regulated, and cluster analysis indicated that the gene expression trends among the sample groups were consistent. The differentially expressed lncRNAs were tested for target genes, and 117 genes were found to be regulated by differential lncRNAs, which were concentrated in six signaling pathways, among which the apoptosis FoxO signaling pathway ranked first, so the target genes IGF1R and TGFB2 were screened out. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, RNA-seq technology was used to obtain the differential gene expression profiles of KSD, and bioinformatics analysis was performed to screen out target genes, pointing out the direction for further research into the etiology, pathogenesis and drug treatment targets of KSD.

Metabolic Processes are Potential Biological Processes Distinguishing Nonischemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy from Ischemic Cardiomyopathy: A Clue from Serum Proteomics.

BACKGROUND: Ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) and nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) are the two most common causes of heart failure. However, our understanding of the specific proteins and biological processes distinguishing DCM from ICM remains insufficient. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The proteomics analyses were performed on serum samples from ICM (n=5), DCM (n=5), and control (n=5) groups. Proteomics and bioinformatics analyses, including weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), were performed to identify the hub circulating proteins and the hub biological processes in ICM and DCM. RESULTS: The analysis of differentially expressed proteins and WGCNA identified the hub circulating proteins in ICM (GAPDH, CLSTN1, VH3, CP, and ST13) and DCM (one downregulated protein, FGG; 18 upregulated proteins, including HEL-S-276, IGK, ALDOB, HIST1H2BJ, HEL-S-125m, RPLP2, EL52, NCAM1, P4HB, HEL-S-99n, HIST1H4L, HIST2H3PS2, F8, ERP70, SORD, PSMA3, PSMB6, and PSMA6). The mRNA expression of the heart specimens from GDS651 validated that ALDOB, GAPDH, RPLP2, and IGK had good abilities to distinguish DCM from ICM. In addition, GSEA results showed that cell proliferation and differentiation were the hub biological processes related to ICM, while metabolic processes and cell signaling transduction were the hub biological processes associated with DCM. CONCLUSION: The present study identified five dysregulated hub circulating proteins among ICM patients and 19 dysregulated hub circulating proteins among DCM patients. Cell proliferation and differentiation were significantly enriched in ICM. Metabolic processes were strongly enhanced in DCM and may be used to distinguish DCM from ICM.

Small RNA-sequencing identified the potential roles of neuron differentiation and MAPK signaling pathway in dilated cardiomyopathy.

Dilated cardiomyopathy is a severe disease characterized by ventricular enlargement and subsequent cardiac dysfunction. MiRNAs plays multiple roles in cardiovascular disease. However, diagnosis values and therapeutic effects of miRNAs in dilated cardiomyopathy are yet poorly understood. In the present study, small RNA-sequencing was employed to identify dysregulated circulating miRNAs in DCM patients compared with healthy controls. A total of 48 dysregulated miRNAs were detected, and 7198 mRNAs, the intersection of predicted mRNAs from both Miranda database and RNAhybrid database, were identified as the target mRNAs of these dysregulated miRNAs. Bioinformatics analysis was performed to identify the potential effects of these dysregulated miRNAs in dilated cardiomyopathy. GO analysis and GO-Tree analysis disclosed that neuron differentiation was potentially the core biological process associated with dilated cardiomyopathy. KEGG analysis and Pathway-Act network showed that mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway was the hub pathway in dilated cardiomyopathy. The dysregulated miRNAs and related target mRNAs in neuron differentiation process and MAPK signaling pathway were also presented in the study. In conclusion, forty-eight dysregulated miRNAs were identified by small RNA-sequencing. Bioinformatics analysis suggested these miRNAs might be involved in the pathogenesis of dilated cardiomyopathy via regulating neuron differentiation process and MAPK signaling pathway.

RNA sequencing discloses the genome­wide profile of long noncoding RNAs in dilated cardiomyopathy.

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a common type of non­ischemic cardiomyopathy, of which the underlying mechanisms have not yet been fully elucidated. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to serve crucial physiological roles in various cardiac diseases. However, the genome­wide expression profile of lncRNAs remains to be elucidated in DCM. In the present study, a case­control study was performed to identify expression deviations in circulating lncRNAs between patients with DCM and controls by RNA sequencing. Partial dysregulated lncRNAs were validated by reverse transcription­polymerase chain reaction. Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway, and lncRNA­messenger RNA (mRNA) co­expression network analyses were employed to probe potential functions of these dysregulated lncRNAs in DCM. Comparison between 8 DCM and 8 control samples demonstrated that there were alterations in the expression levels of 988 lncRNAs and 1,418 mRNAs in total. The dysregulated lncRNAs were found to be mainly associated with system development, organ morphogenesis and metabolic regulation in terms of 'biological processes'. Furthermore, the analysis revealed that the gap junction pathway, phagosome, and dilated and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy pathways may serve crucial roles in the development of DCM. The lncRNA­mRNA co­expression network also suggested that the target genes of the lncRNAs were different in patients with DCM as compared with those in the controls. In conclusion, the present study revealed the genome­wide profile of circulating lncRNAs in DCM by RNA sequencing, and explored the potential functions of these lncRNAs in DCM using bioinformatics analysis. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for future studies of lncRNAs in DCM.

Body weight and mortality among men and women in China.

CONTEXT: The effect of underweight and obesity on mortality has not been well characterized in Asian populations. OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and mortality in Chinese adults. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A prospective cohort study in a nationally representative sample of 169,871 Chinese men and women aged 40 years or older. Data on body weight and covariables were obtained at a baseline examination in 1991 using a standard protocol. Follow-up evaluation was conducted in 1999-2000, with a response rate of 93.4% (n = 158,666). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Body mass index and all-cause mortality. RESULTS: After excluding those participants with missing body weight or height values, 154,736 adults were included in the analysis. After adjustment for age, sex, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, education, geographic region (north vs south), and urbanization (urban vs rural), a U-shaped association between BMI and all-cause mortality was observed (P<.001). Using those participants with a BMI of 24.0 to 24.9 as the reference group, the relative risks of all-cause mortality across categories of BMI were 1.65 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.54-1.77) for BMI less than 18.5, 1.31 (95% CI, 1.22-1.41) for BMI 18.5 to 19.9, 1.20 (95% CI, 1.11-1.29) for BMI 20.0 to 20.9, 1.12 (95% CI, 1.04-1.21) for BMI 21.0 to 21.9, 1.11 (95% CI, 1.03-1.20) for BMI 22.0 to 22.9, 1.09 (95% CI, 1.01-1.19) for BMI 23.0 to 23.9, 1.00 (95% CI, 0.92-1.08) for BMI 25.0 to 26.9, 1.15 (95% CI, 1.06-1.24) for BMI 27.0 to 29.9, and 1.29 (95% CI, 1.16-1.42) for BMI 30.0 or more. The U-shaped association existed even after excluding participants who were current or former smokers, heavy alcohol drinkers, or who had prevalent chronic illness at the baseline examination, or who died during the first 3 years of follow-up. A similar association was observed between BMI and mortality from cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other causes. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that both underweight and obesity were associated with increased mortality in the Chinese adult population. Furthermore, our findings support the use of a single common recommendation for defining overweight and obesity among all racial and ethnic groups.

Relationship between platelet-leukocyte aggregation and myocardial perfusion in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction after primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between inflammation, oxidative stress and poor myocardial perfusion in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). BACKGROUND: Risk factors and mechanisms of poor reperfusion in patients with STEMI after primary PCI remain unclear. METHODS: A total of 143 patients who underwent primary PCI after STEMI were divided into good and poor perfusion groups according to sum-ST-segment resolution (sumSTR) and TIMI myocardial perfusion grade (TMP) results. Aortic sinus arterial blood was collected after primary PCI. The platelet-leukocyte aggregation (PLA), platelet-neutrophil aggregation (PNA), platelet-monocyte aggregation (PMA) and platelet-lymphocyte aggregation (PLyA) were measured by flow cytometry. The malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were measured by chemical colorimetry. RESULTS: The leukocyte count, neutrophil ratio and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were significantly higher in the poor perfusion group than the good perfusion group (p < 0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that neutrophil ratio was an independent risk factor of sumSTR in STEMI patients after primary PCI (p < 0.01). The poor myocardial perfusion group had higher levels of PLA, PNA, PMA and MDA (p < 0.05). There were no differences in PLyA and SOD levels between the good and poor myocardial perfusion groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Inflammation and oxidative stress were related to poor myocardial perfusion in patients with STEMI after primary PCI.

Alcohol intake and hypertension subtypes in Chinese men.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the associations between alcohol intake and isolated systolic hypertension (ISH), systolic-diastolic hypertension (SDH), and isolated diastolic hypertension (IDH). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study of Chinese adults. METHODS: We analyzed data from 5317 Chinese males who were not on antihypertensive medications from a nationally representative sample of Chinese adults aged 35-74 years. ISH was defined as a mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) >/=140 mmHg and a mean diastolic blood pressure (DBP) < 90 mmHg, SDH as a SBP >/= 140 mmHg and DBP >/= 90 mmHg, and IDH as SBP < 140 mmHg and DBP >/= 90 mmHg. Alcohol intake was determined using an interviewer-administered questionnaire and participants were categorized either as non-drinkers (<12 drinks in the prior year) or by tertile of alcohol intake. RESULTS: The odds ratios of all three hypertension subtypes were higher at higher levels of alcohol intake, with those in the highest alcohol intake category (>/=30 drinks/week) 2.0 (95% confidence interval: 1.3, 3.0), 2.2 (1.6, 3.1), and 2.1 (1.4, 3.1) times more likely to have ISH, SDH, or IDH, respectively, than non-drinkers. The population attributable risk percentage due to heavy drinking (>/=30 drinks/week) was 13.9% for ISH, 13.4% for SDH, and 12.0% for IDH. Liquor drinking, specifically, was associated with a higher odds ratio of ISH, while SDH and IDH associations did not differ by type of alcoholic beverage. CONCLUSIONS: In Chinese males, higher intake of alcohol is associated with higher risk of ISH, SDH, and IDH. Efforts to reduce hypertension in China should include a strong focus on decreasing heavy alcohol consumption.

Variation near the region of the lipoprotein lipase gene and hypertension or blood pressure levels in Chinese.

Essential hypertension (EH) is a common late-onset disease that exhibits complex genetic heterogeneity. Human lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is a rate-limiting enzyme that regulates the catabolism of triglycerides (TG) and chylomicrons (CM). Since dyslipidemia is a common finding in hypertensive patients, the LPL gene is a logical candidate gene that could contribute to the development of hypertension. Using linkage analysis in 148 Chinese hypertensive families, we identified a region of linkage with systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) that consisted of a 10.6-cM interval defined by markers D8S1145, D8S261, and D8S282 on chromosome 8, which maps between 31 to 41.6 cM from the 8p-telomere contained LPL gene, with statistically significant p values for the marker D8S261 (p = 0.0021 for SBP, and p = 0.0395 for DBP). In the qualitative-trait linkage analysis, evidence for linkage between the marker D8S1145 and EH was found (p = 0.0286). The transmission/disequilibrium test (TDT/S-TDT) also supported a significant linkage-disequilibrium of the allele 3 of D8S261 with EH (chi2 = 8.643, p < 0.01). Furthermore, the marker neurofilament light polypeptide (NEFL) (11 cM centromeric to the LPL gene) appeared to be in linkage with SBP and DBP (p = 0.0329 for SBP; p = 0.0319 for DBP). Additionally, two flanking markers for LPL, D8S511 (9.5 cM telomeric to the LPL gene) and D8S560 (3.2 cM centromeric to the LPL gene), also showed significant linkage with EH (p = 0.0036 for D8S511; p = 0.0115 for D8S560). Previous knowledge about the physiological involvement of LPL in blood pressure regulation and the present findings of variation near the LPL gene support the proposition that a region near the LPL gene or the LPL gene itself might contribute to the individual blood pressure variation in Chinese.

[Relationship between body mass index and major cardiovascular diseases in Chinese population].

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and major cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in Chinese population and explore an optimal range of BMI among adult Chinese in terms of prevention of CVD. METHODS: Relevant data of 881 498 Chinese persons aged 18 and over in the Third National Sampling Survey on Hypertension held in 1991 were collected. The distribution of body weight and height and the relationship between BMI and prevalence of CVD were analyzed. RESULTS: The average BMI was 21.7 kg/m(2) +/- 3.1 kg/m(2), 21.5 kg/m(2) +/- 2.9 kg/m(2),and 21.8 kg/m(2) +/- 3.3 kg/m(2) for the whole surveyed adults, the males and females respectively. The BMI was on the upward trend along with the age, reached the peak at the age 45 approximately 54, and then on a downward trend. The mean BMI was 22.4 kg/m(2) +/- 3.3 kg/m(2) for the northern population, 21.5 kg/m(2) +/- 3.0 kg/m(2) for the western population, and 21.1 kg/m(2) +/- 2.9 kg/m(2) for the southern population with a significantly difference between any two groups (all P < 0.01). The higher the mean BMI, the greater the prevalence of hypertension, myocardial infarction and stroke. The odds ratios for hypertension, myocardial infarction and stroke among those with the BMI >/= 25.0 approximately < 28 kg/m(2) were 2.8, 3.1, and 2.6 respectively, and were 4.8, 4.0, and 2.9 respectively among those with the BMI >/= 28 kg/m(2) (all P < 0.01) in comparison with the values among those with the BMI < 25.0 kg/m(2) after adjustment for age, and smoking and drinking habits using multivariate Logistic regression model. The odds ratio for clustering of >/= 2 kinds of diseases was 2.9 approximately 4.9 among those with the BMI >/= 25 approximately < 28 kg/m(2) and 3.4 approximately 8.9 among those with the BMI >/= 28 (P < 0.01 in comparison with that among those with the BMI < 25 kg/m(2)). The risks of myocardial infarction and hypertension by BMI were greater than the risk of stroke. CONCLUSION: BMI less than 25 kg/m(2) is considered as an optimal range among Chinese adults. The BMI values of 25 kg/m(2) and 28 kg/m(2) can be recommended as thresholds of overweight and obesity for Chinese adults aged >/=18 respectively.

[Pulse pressure and prevalence of stroke and myocardial infarction in Chinese population].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the characteristics of distribution of pulse pressure (PP) in Chinese population and its relationship to major cardiovascular diseases in them. METHODS: Data from the Third National Blood Pressure Survey involved 882,681 subjects aged over 18 in 1991 were reanalysed for the relationship between PP and risks of major cardiovascular diseases, with t-test, chi2 test and logistic regression model. PP is defined as the difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure. RESULTS: (1) Overall mean PP was (44.61 +/- 13.59) mm Hg for the subjects aged over 18, higher in men [(44.92 +/- 12.72) mmHg] than that in women [(44.34 +/- 14.32) mmHg]. PP increased progressively with age, and its increase accelerated significantly at age over 50 but higher in women than in men. Proportion of the subjects with PP equal to or greater than 60 mmHg was more in those aged 60 or over than that in younger ones. (2) Prevalence of stroke and myocardial infarction (MI) increased with PP and age, whether in the normotensives, or in the hypertensives or in the isolated systolic hypertensives. (3) Results of multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that risks of stroke in the subjects with PP of (45-59) mmHg, (60-74) mmHg and over 75 mmHg were 1.9, 3.5 and 5 times as in those with PP less than 45 mm Hg, respectively, adjusted for other risk factors, and their risks of myocardial infarction (MI) were 1.2, 1.5 and 1.7 times, respectively. Furthermore, PP was significantly and independently related to the risks of stroke and MI, even adjusted for systolic and diastolic pressures. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of stroke and MI increased with the breadth of PP and age. Broader PP may be an important and independent predictor of risks of stroke and MI, especially in the aged people.

[Effects of health promotion for eight years on knowledge, attitude and behavior of cardiovascular diseases in rural Fangshan District, Beijing].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of health promotion for eight years on cardiovascular diseases based on the changes in knowledge (K), attitude (A) and behavior (B) (KAB) before and after intervention in rural population of Fangshan, Beijing. METHODS: Five townships in Fangshan District, Beijing were divided into intervention and control communities with cluster sampling. Totally 772 farmers were selected randomly for interviews with a questionnaire of KAB, including 424 in the intervention communities (IC) and 348 in the control communities (CC) in 1992. After community-based health promotion and education on cardiovascular prevention for eight years, 895 farmers, including 431 in IC and 464 in CC, were selected randomly again in 1999 to be interviewed with the same questionnaire of KAB used in 1992. RESULTS: From 1992 to 1999, knowledge of cardiovascular diseases was significantly improved in residents of IC (P < 0.01) and CC. Compared to the residents in CC, there was a net increase in knowledge in residents of IC. Significant improvement was found in 10 and 11 of the 18 items of knowledge in males and females (P < 0.01), respectively. Level of knowledge in cardiovascular diseases was significantly higher in the residents of IC than those of CC in 1999. Proportions of those with positive attitudes and appropriate behaviors were significantly elevated in the residents of IC (P < 0.01), as well as prevalence of smoking and alcohol drinking decreased. However, as compared to CC, attitude and behavior in most aspects in the residents of IC changed positively, but in few aspects changed negatively. It suggested knowledge improved better than attitude and behavior changed. CONCLUSIONS: Community-based health promotion and education for a longer term had obvious effects on improvement of knowledge in cardiovascular disease for rural population, but slower effects on changes in attitude and behavior, which suggested there still existed certain barriers to transform knowledge into healthy behavior.