Association study of urinary iodine concentrations and coronary artery disease among adults in the USA: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2018.

Iodine is a vital trace element in the human body and is associated with several important coronary artery disease (CAD) risk factors. We aimed to explore the correlation between urinary iodine concentration (UIC) and CAD. Data from 15 793 US adults in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2003-2018) were analysed. We conducted multivariable logistic regression models and fitted smoothing curves to study the correlation between UIC and CAD. Furthermore, we performed subgroup analysis to investigate possible effect modifiers between them. We found a J-shaped association between UIC and CAD, with an inflection point at Lg UIC = 2·65 µg/l. This result indicated a neutral association (OR 0·89; 95 % CI 0·68, 1·16) between UIC and CAD as Lg UIC < 2·65 µg/l, but the per natural Lg [UIC] increment was OR 2·29; 95 % CI 1·53, 3·43 as Lg UIC ≥ 2·65 µg/l. An interaction between diabetes and UIC might exist. The increase in UIC results in an increase in CAD prevalence (OR 1·84, 95 % CI 1·32, 2·58) in diabetes but results in little to no difference in non-diabetes (OR 0·98, 95 % CI 0·77, 1·25). The J-shaped correlation between UIC and CAD and the interaction between diabetes and UIC should be confirmed in a prospective study with a series of UIC measurements. If excessive iodine precedes CAD, then this new finding could guide clinical practice and prevent iodine deficiency from being overcorrected.

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Chinese Patients with Premature Acute Coronary Syndrome.

This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) of Chinese patients with premature acute coronary syndrome (ACS) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This study was a secondary retrospective analysis involving 2114 ACS patients undergoing PCI at a single center in China. The patients were divided into two groups according to age (premature ACS group: ≤ 55 years in men, ≤ 65 years in women; nonpremature ACS group: > 55 years in men, > 65 years in women). The primary endpoint was all-cause death, and the secondary endpoint was a composite of all-cause death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, target vessel revascularization, and recurrent angina at follow-up, defined as MACEs. The incidence of all-cause death and MACEs was significantly lower in the premature than in the nonpremature ACS group (P < 0.001). Female sex, higher triglyceride levels, and higher low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were identified as independent risk factors that accelerated the development of ACS, whereas higher high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were identified as protective factors. Furthermore, in patients with premature ACS, non-ST-elevation ACS, cardiac insufficiency, multivessel disease, and left main lesion were risk factors for MACEs. Younger individuals, especially females, are advised to undergo early screening for the risk factors of premature ACS. Primary prevention of dyslipidemia should be more aggressively promoted at a young age. For premature ACS patients undergoing PCI, strengthened management and regular re-examinations are necessary to avoid adverse cardiovascular events as much as possible.

Valve implantation for successful sealing of a balloon predilatation-induced annular rupture during transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Annular rupture is a rare and dreaded complication of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and even rarer when caused by predilatation balloon aortic valvuloplasty. This complication often presents as sudden cardiac tamponade with hypotension and requires urgent intervention. The traditional rescue strategy for patients with annular rupture is emergency surgical repair. However, the mortality rate is still high, considering that most patients who undergo TAVR are not candidates for conventional cardiac surgery. Therefore, there is a need for additional emergency treatment strategies to decrease mortality. This report describes a case of predilatation-induced annular rupture during TAVR that was successfully sealed at the rupture site by valve implantation. This case suggests that continuing with valve deployment may be a successful treatment for predilatation-induced annular rupture during TAVR.

Annular and supra-annular structure assessments for transcatheter aortic valve replacement in patients with bicuspid aortic stenosis.

The clinical use indications for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for the treatment of severe symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS) have expanded from patients at high surgical risk to those at low risk based on the results of multiple large-scale randomized trials. However, patients with bicuspid AS have traditionally been excluded from clinical trials due to their unfavorable morphological characteristics. Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is the most frequent congenital heart disease, occurring in 1% to 2% of the total population and affects more than 20% of octogenarians undergoing isolated aortic valve replacement for AS. In recent years, TAVR in patients with bicuspid AS has been the focus of research, especially with respect to the standard of prosthesis size selection. Annulus-based prosthesis size selection using computed tomography (CT) is the standard sizing strategy for tricuspid AS, but no standard sizing for bicuspid AS has been developed thus far. According to Western TAVR experiences, transcatheter heart valve (THV) size selection for BAV patients should be based on the annular structure assessment by CT measurement, whereas Chinese experiences favor adopting the supra-annulus structure assessment for THV size selection. This article will review annular and supra-annular sizing for prosthesis size selection in patients with bicuspid AS before TAVR and discuss which has more favorable clinical outcomes.

Beneficial effects of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) on stent biocompatibility and the potential value of HDL infusion therapy following percutaneous coronary intervention.

Several epidemiological studies have shown a clear inverse relationship between serum levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), even at low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels below 70 mg/dL. There is much evidence from basic and clinical studies that higher HDL-C levels are beneficial, whereas lower HDL-C levels are detrimental. Thus, HDL is widely recognized as an essential anti-atherogenic factor that plays a protective role against the development of ASCVD. Percutaneous coronary intervention is an increasingly common treatment choice to improve myocardial perfusion in patients with ASCVD. Although drug-eluting stents have substantially overcome the limitations of conventional bare-metal stents, there are still problems with stent biocompatibility, including delayed re-endothelialization and neoatherosclerosis, which cause stent thrombosis and in-stent restenosis. According to numerous studies, HDL not only protects against the development of atherosclerosis, but also has many anti-inflammatory and vasoprotective properties. Therefore, the use of HDL as a therapeutic target has been met with great interest. Although oral medications have not shown promise, the developed HDL infusions have been tested in clinical trials and have demonstrated viability and reproducibility in increasing the cholesterol efflux capacity and decreasing plasma markers of inflammation. The aim of the present study was to review the effect of HDL on stent biocompatibility in ASCVD patients following implantation and discuss a novel therapeutic direction of HDL infusion therapy that may be a promising candidate as an adjunctive therapy to improve stent biocompatibility following percutaneous coronary intervention.

Anabolic-androgenic steroids and cardiovascular risk.

OBJECTIVE: Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) represents a group of synthetic testosterone derivatives that play an important role in clinical treatment. These drugs are widely abused among the general public to increase lean weight and improve athletic performance. It has been reported that AAS use can produce many adverse effects, especially the occurrence of cardiovascular risk. Although there are many related studies, there has been no consensus on AAS use and cardiovascular risk. The present study was to review the effect of AAS on the cardiovascular system. DATA SOURCES: The data in this review were obtained from articles included in PubMed and the National Center for Biotechnology Information database. STUDY SELECTION: Original articles, case reports, and systematic reviews about AAS were selected for the article. RESULTS: The use/abuse of AAS is correlated with higher cardiovascular risks, and many AAS users/abusers had cardiovascular diseases. However, there are many confounding factors in the studies that explored the causality between AAS intake and disease development, and additional studies are required to determine AAS toxicity. CONCLUSION: AAS produces toxic effects on the cardiovascular system, and it is necessary to ensure that more people know this about AAS, including medical personnel.

CuCr2O4@rGO Nanocomposites as High-Performance Cathode Catalyst for Rechargeable Lithium-Oxygen Batteries.

Rechargeable lithium-oxygen batteries have been considered as a promising energy storage technology because of their ultra-high theoretical energy densities which are comparable to gasoline. In order to improve the electrochemical properties of lithium-oxygen batteries (LOBs), especially the cycling performance, a high-efficiency cathode catalyst is the most important component. Hence, we aim to demonstrate that CuCr2O4@rGO (CCO@rGO) nanocomposites, which are synthesized using a facile hydrothermal method and followed by a series of calcination processes, are an effective cathode catalyst. The obtained CCO@rGO nanocomposites which served as the cathode catalyst of the LOBs exhibited an outstanding cycling performance for over 100 cycles with a fixed capacity of 1000 mAh g-1 at a current density of 200 mA g-1. The enhanced properties were attributed to the synergistic effect between the high catalytic efficiency of the spinel-structured CCO nanoparticles, the high specific surface area, and high conductivity of the rGO.

Effects of LncRNA BC168687 siRNA on Diabetic Neuropathic Pain Mediated by P2X7 Receptor on SGCs in DRG of Rats.

Diabetic neuropathic pain (DNP), one of the early symptoms of diabetic neuropathy, relates to metabolic disorders induced by high blood glucose, neurotrophic vascular ischemia and hypoxia, and autoimmune factors. This study was aimed at exploring the effects of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) BC168687 siRNA on DNP mediated by P2X7 receptor on SGCs in DRG of rats. The mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT) and thermal withdrawal latency (TWL) of rats, the expression levels of P2X7 mRNA and protein in the DRG, and nitric oxide (NO) in the serum were, respectively, detected in our study. Our experimental results showed that the level of BC168687 mRNA in DNP group was markedly higher than that of control group; the MWT and TWL of DNP + BC168687 si group were significantly increased, and the expression levels of P2X7 in DRG and the concentrations of NO in serum of DNP + BC168687 si group were decreased compared to those of the DNP group. In conclusion, lncRNA BC168687 may participate in the pathogenesis of DNP mediated by P2X7 receptor, which will provide a novel way for the study of the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus complicated with neuropathic pain and its prevention and treatment.

MOF-Derived ZnO/Ni3ZnC0.7/C Hybrids Yolk-Shell Microspheres with Excellent Electrochemical Performances for Lithium Ion Batteries.

In this study, ZnO/Ni3ZnC0.7/C spheres were synthesized successfully via a simple method based on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). The experimental results show that the reaction time has a great influence on the structure of the material. ZnO/Ni3ZnC0.7/C spheres with controlled solid and yolk-shell structures have been obtained by altering the reaction time. When applied as anode materials, both the solid and the yolk-shell ZnO/Ni3ZnC0.7/C composites present excellent electrochemical performance. In addition, it is worth mentioning that the yolk-shell structure composite's property is superior to that of the solid one's in terms of lithium storage. The stable reversible capacity of yolk-shell ZnO/Ni3ZnC0.7/C can be retained at 1002 mA h g(-1) at 500 mA g(-1) after completion of 750 cycles, and it also exhibits superior rate performance. In contrast, the solid ZnO/Ni3ZnC0.7/C under the same conditions of testing shows a reversible capacity of 824 mA h g(-1).

Highly hierarchical porous structures constructed from NiO nanosheets act as Li ion and O2 pathways in long cycle life, rechargeable Li-O2 batteries.

Flower-like NiO with a highly hierarchical porous structure was synthesized and used as a cathode material for Li-O2 batteries. The disordered porous structure and specific pathways for O2 and Li ions led to an outstanding cycling performance over 80 cycles at a high current density of 200 mA g-1.

Direct synthesis of hydrogen peroxide from plasma-water interactions.

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is usually considered to be an important reagent in green chemistry since water is the only by-product in H2O2 involved oxidation reactions. Early studies show that direct synthesis of H2O2 by plasma-water interactions is possible, while the factors affecting the H2O2 production in this method remain unclear. Herein, we present a study on the H2O2 synthesis by atmospheric pressure plasma-water interactions. The results indicate that the most important factors for the H2O2 production are the processes taking place at the plasma-water interface, including sputtering, electric field induced hydrated ion emission, and evaporation. The H2O2 production rate reaches ~1200 µmol/h when the liquid cathode is purified water or an aqueous solution of NaCl with an initial conductivity of 10500 µS cm-1.

Vitrectomy, lensectomy and silicone oil tamponade in the management of retinal detachment associated with choroidal detachment.

AIM: To report the results of combined vitrectomy, lensectomy and silicone oil (SO) tamponade in treating primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) associated with choroidal detachment (CD). METHODS: A retrospective, consecutive and case series study of 21 subjects with concurrent RRD associated with CD was conducted. All subjects underwent a standard three-port 20G pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) with lensectomy and silicone oil tamponade. Mean follow-up time was 8 months (rang from 4 to 19 months). The primary and final anatomic success rate, visual acuity and final intraocular pressure(IOP) were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: Of 21 subjects, 8 were women and 13 were men. Age at presentation ranged from 22 to 75 years (mean 57.4 years). The presenting vision ranged from light perception to 0.15. The initial IOP ranged from 3mmHg to 12mmHg (mean 6.2mmHg). All eyes were phakic except one pseudophakic. No intraocular lens was implanted during the primary surgical intervention. Fifteen of 21 (71.4%) eyes had retina reattached after one operation. Six eyes had recurrent inferior retinal detachment due to proliferation. Five of them were successfully reattached after one or more additional operations. Mean IOP at final follow-up was 15.2mmHg (range from 8mmHg to 20mmHg). One case declined for further operation. The final reattachment rate was 95.2%. Visual acuity improved in 19 (90.5%) eyes, was unchanged in 1 (4.8%) eye and decreased in 1 (4.8%) eye. CONCLUSION: Combination of vitrectomy, lensectomy and silicone tamponade is an effective method in treating RRD associated with CD, reducing the incidence of postoperative hypotony.