Association of increasing age with receipt of specialist care and long-term mortality in patients with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: observational studies suggest that older patients are less likely to receive secondary prevention medicines following acute coronary syndrome (ACS). OBJECTIVES: to examine the association of increasing age with receipt of specialist care and influence of specialist care on long-term mortality in patients with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). DESIGN: a cohort study. SETTING: National ACS registry of England and Wales. SUBJECTS: a total of 85,183 patients admitted with NSTEMI between 2006 and 2010. METHODS: logistic regression analyses to assess receipt of secondary prevention medicines (ACE inhibitor, ß-blocker, statin, aspirin) by age group; multivariate Cox regression models to examine longitudinal effect of cardiologist care on all-cause mortality by age group. RESULTS: mean age 72.0 years (SD 13.0 years), mean follow-up was 2.13 years. Older patients received less cardiologist care (70.2% of NSTEMI patients ≥85 years compared with 94.7% of patients <65) years and had more co-morbidity. Cardiologists prescribed more secondary prevention in all age groups than generalists, but this was mostly explained away by co-morbidity (receipt of statin crude OR 1.51 (1.27,1.80), fully adjusted OR 1.11 (0.92,1.33) in patients ≥85 years). Receiving cardiologist care compared with generalist care was associated with a decreased risk of death in all even after adjustment for co-morbidity, disease severity and secondary prevention; this benefit reduced incrementally with older age group (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 0.58 (0.49,0.68) aged <65; 0.87 (0.82,0.92) aged ≥85). CONCLUSION: older patients with NSTEMI were less likely to see a cardiologist, but reduced treatment by generalists was explained away by co-morbidity. Cardiologist care was associated with lower mortality in all age groups than a generalist, but this survival benefit was less pronounced in older patients.

Incidentally Raised Cardiac Troponin I Has a Worse Prognosis in Older Patients Compared to Those with Normal Cardiac Troponin I and Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Incidentally elevated cardiac troponin I (cTnI) levels are common in acutely unwell older patients. However, little is known about how this impacts on the prognosis of these patients. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate whether incidentally elevated cTnI levels (group 1) are associated with poorer outcome when compared to age- and sex-matched patients without an elevated cTnI level (group 2), and to patients diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome (group 3). PATIENTS AND METHODS: This prospective, matched cohort study placed patients ≥75 years old who were admitted to a University teaching hospital into groups 1-3, based on the cTnI levels and underlying diagnosis. Outcomes were compared between the groups using mixed-effects regression models and adjusted for renal function and C-reactive protein. All-cause mortality at discharge, at 1 month and 3 months, alongside the length of hospital stay (LOS), were recorded. RESULTS: In total, 315 patients were included, with 105 patients in each of the 3 groups. The mean age was 84.8 ± 5.5 years, with 41.9% males. All patients were followed up for 3 months. The percent all-cause mortality at discharge and the LOS for groups 1, 2 and 3 were 12.4, 3.8 and 8.6% and 11.2, 8.5 and 7.7 days, respectively. Group 1 had significantly increased mortality at 3 months [odds ratio (OR) 2.80, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.12-6.96; p = 0.040] and LOS (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.08-1.79; p = 0.008) compared to group 2 and did not differ significantly when compared to 3-month mortality (OR 2.39, 95% CI 0.91-6.29; p = 0.079) or LOS (OR 1.26, 95% CI 0.96-1.66; p = 0.097) in group 3. CONCLUSION: There is a significant association between an incidental rise in cTnI level with mortality and LOS in older patients. Further research is required to evaluate whether a more systematic management of these patients would improve the prognosis.

The association between older age and receipt of care and outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndromes: a cohort study of the Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project (MINAP).

AIMS: Older people increasingly constitute a large proportion of the acute coronary syndrome (ACS) population. We examined the relationship of age with receipt of more intensive management and secondary prevention medicine. Then, the comparative association of intensive management (reperfusion/angiography) over a conservative strategy on time to death was investigated by age. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using data from 155 818 patients in the national registry for ACS in England and Wales [the Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project (MINAP)], we found that older patients were incrementally less likely to receive secondary prevention medicines and intensive management for both ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). In STEMI patients ≥85 years, 55% received reperfusion compared with 84% in those aged 18 to <65 [odds ratio 0.22 (95% CI 0.21, 0.24)]. Not receiving intensive management was associated with worse survival [mean follow-up 2.29 years (SD 1.42)] in all age groups (adjusted for sex, cardiovascular risk factors, co-morbidities, healthcare factors, and case severity), but there was an incremental reduction in survival benefit from intensive management with increasing age. In STEMI patients aged 18-64, 65-74, 75-84, and ≥85, adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for all-cause mortality comparing conservative treatment to intensive management were 1.98 (1.78, 2.19), 1.65 (1.51, 1.80), 1.62 (1.52, 1.72), and 1.36 (1.27, 1.47), respectively. In NSTEMI patients, the respective HRs were 4.37 (4.00, 4.78), 3.76 (3.54, 3.99), 2.79 (2.67, 2.91), and 1.90 (1.77, 2.04). CONCLUSION: We found an incremental reduction in the use of evidence-based therapies with increasing age using a national ACS registry cohort. While survival benefit from more intensive management reduced with older age, better survival was associated with intensive management at all ages highlighting the requirement to improve standard of care in older patients with ACS.

Natural selection on EPAS1 (HIF2alpha) associated with low hemoglobin concentration in Tibetan highlanders.

By impairing both function and survival, the severe reduction in oxygen availability associated with high-altitude environments is likely to act as an agent of natural selection. We used genomic and candidate gene approaches to search for evidence of such genetic selection. First, a genome-wide allelic differentiation scan (GWADS) comparing indigenous highlanders of the Tibetan Plateau (3,200-3,500 m) with closely related lowland Han revealed a genome-wide significant divergence across eight SNPs located near EPAS1. This gene encodes the transcription factor HIF2alpha, which stimulates production of red blood cells and thus increases the concentration of hemoglobin in blood. Second, in a separate cohort of Tibetans residing at 4,200 m, we identified 31 EPAS1 SNPs in high linkage disequilibrium that correlated significantly with hemoglobin concentration. The sex-adjusted hemoglobin concentration was, on average, 0.8 g/dL lower in the major allele homozygotes compared with the heterozygotes. These findings were replicated in a third cohort of Tibetans residing at 4,300 m. The alleles associating with lower hemoglobin concentrations were correlated with the signal from the GWADS study and were observed at greatly elevated frequencies in the Tibetan cohorts compared with the Han. High hemoglobin concentrations are a cardinal feature of chronic mountain sickness offering one plausible mechanism for selection. Alternatively, as EPAS1 is pleiotropic in its effects, selection may have operated on some other aspect of the phenotype. Whichever of these explanations is correct, the evidence for genetic selection at the EPAS1 locus from the GWADS study is supported by the replicated studies associating function with the allelic variants.

Organizational and patient-level predictors for attaining key risk factor targets in cardiac rehabilitation after myocardial infarction: The Perfect-CR study.

BACKGROUND: Benefits of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programme components on attaining risk factor targets post-myocardial infarction (MI) and their predictive strength relative to patient characteristics remain unclear. We aimed to identify organizational and patient-level predictors of risk factor target attainment at one-year post-MI. METHODS: In this observational study data on CR organization at 78 Swedish CR centres was collected and merged with patient-level registry data (n = 7549). Orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis identified predictors (Variables of Importance for the Projection (VIP) values >0.8) of attaining low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) <1.8 mmol/L, blood pressure (BP) <140/90 mmHg and smoking abstinence. RESULTS: The strongest predictors (VIP [95% CI]) for attaining LDL-C and BP targets were offering psychosocial management (2.14 [1.78-2.50]; 2.45 [1.91-2.99]), having a psychologist in the CR team (1.62 [1.36-1.87]; 2.05 [1.67-2.44]), extended opening hours (2.13 [2.00-2.27]; 1.50 [0.91-2.10]), adequate facilities (1.54 [0.91-2.18]; 1.89 [1.38-2.40]), and having a medical director (1.70 [0.91-2.48]; 1.46 [1.04-1.88]). The strongest patient-level predictors of attaining LDL-C and/or BP targets were low baseline LDL-C (3.95 [3.39-4.51]) and having no history of hypertension (2.93 [2.60-3.26]), respectively, followed by exercise-based CR participation (1.38 [0.66-2.10]; 1.46 [1.14-1.78]). For smoking abstinence, the strongest organizational predictor was varenicline being prescribed by CR physicians (1.88 [0.95-2.80]) and patient-level predictors were participation in exercise-based CR (2.47 [2.07-2.88]) and group education (1.92 [1.43-2-42]), and no cardiovascular disease history (2.13 [1.78-2.48]). CONCLUSIONS: We identified multiple CR organizational and patient-level predictors of attaining risk factor targets post-MI. These results may influence the future design of comprehensive CR programmes.

Characteristics of patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in primary care: a cross-sectional analysis.

BACKGROUND: Many patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) are undiagnosed, and UK general practice registers do not typically record heart failure (HF) subtype. Improvements in management of HFpEF is dependent on improved identification and characterisation of patients in primary care. AIM: To describe a cohort of patients recruited from primary care with suspected HFpEF and compare patients in whom HFpEF was confirmed and refuted. DESIGN & SETTING: Baseline data from a longitudinal cohort study of patients with suspected HFpEF recruited from primary care in two areas of England. METHOD: A screening algorithm and review were used to find patients on HF registers without a record of reduced ejection fraction (EF). Baseline evaluation included cardiac, mental and physical function, clinical characteristics, and patient reported outcomes. Confirmation of HFpEF was clinically adjudicated by a cardiologist. RESULTS: In total, 93 (61%) of 152 patients were confirmed HFpEF. The mean age of patients with HFpEF was 79 years, 46% were female, 80% had hypertension, and 37% took ≥10 medications. Patients with HFpEF were more likely to be obese, pre-frail or frail, report more dyspnoea and fatigue, were more functionally impaired, and less active than patients in whom HFpEF was refuted. Few had attended cardiac rehabilitation. CONCLUSION: Patients with confirmed HFpEF had frequent multimorbidity, functional impairment, frailty, and polypharmacy. Although comorbid conditions were similar between people with and without HFpEF, the former had more obesity, symptoms, and worse physical function. These findings highlight the potential to optimise wellbeing through comorbidity management, medication rationalisation, rehabilitation, and supported self-management.

The prevalence of angina symptoms and association with cardiovascular risk factors, among rural, urban and rural to urban migrant populations in Peru.

BACKGROUND: Rural-to-urban migration in low- and middle-income countries causes an increase in individual cardiovascular risk. Cost-effective interventions at early stages of the natural history of coronary disease such as angina may stem an epidemic of premature coronary deaths in these countries. However, there are few data on the prevalence of angina in developing countries, whilst the understanding the aetiology of angina is complicated by the difficulty in measuring it across differing populations. METHODS: The PERU MIGRANT study was designed to investigate differences between rural-to-urban migrant and non-migrant groups in specific cardiovascular disease risk factors. Mass-migration seen in Peru from 1980s onwards was largely driven by politically motivated violence resulting in less 'healthy migrant' selection bias. The Rose angina questionnaire was used to record chest pain, which was classified definite, possible and non-exertional. Mental health was measured using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Mantel-Haenszel odds ratios (adjusted for age, sex, cardiovascular disease risk factors and mental health) were used to assess the risk of chest pain in the migrant and urban groups compared to the rural group, and further to assess the relationship (age and sex-adjusted) between risk factors, mental health and chest pain. RESULTS: Compared to the urban group, rural dwellers had a greatly increased likelihood of possible/definite angina (multi-adjusted OR 2.82 (1.68- 4.73)). Urban and migrant groups had higher levels of risk factors (e.g. smoking--20.1% urban, 5.5% rural). No diabetes was seen in the rural dwellers who complained of possible/definite angina. Rural dwellers had a higher prevalence of mood disorder and the presence of a mood disorder was associated with possible/definite angina in all three groups, but not consistently with non-exertional chest pain. CONCLUSION: Rural groups had a higher prevalence of angina as measured by Rose questionnaire than migrants and urban dwellers, and a higher prevalence of mood disorder. The presence of a mood disorder was associated with angina. The Rose angina questionnaire may not be of relevance to rural populations in developing countries with a low pre-test probability of coronary disease and poor mental health.

Impacts of heart disease, depression and their combination on all-cause mortality in older people: a rural community-based cohort study in China.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of heart disease (HD) combined with depression on all-cause mortality in older people living in the community. DESIGN: A population-based cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: We examined the data of 1429 participants aged ≥60 years recruited in rural areas in Anhui province, China. Using a standard method of interview, we documented all types of HD diagnosed by doctors and used the validated Geriatric Mental Status-Automated Geriatric Examination for Computer Assisted Taxonomy algorithm to diagnose any depression for each participant at baseline in 2003. The participants were followed up for 8 years to identify vital status. MEASUREMENTS: We sought to examine all-cause mortality rates among participants with HD only, depression only and then their combination compared with those without these diseases using multivariate adjusted Cox regression models. RESULTS: 385 deaths occurred in the cohort follow-up. Participants with baseline HD (n=91) had a significantly higher mortality (64.9 per 1000 person-years) than those without HD (42.9). In comparison to those without HD and depression, multivariate adjusted HRs for mortality in the groups of participants who had HD only, depression only and both HD and depression were 1.46 (95% CI 0.98 to 2.17), 1.79 (95% CI 1.28 to 2.48) and 2.59 (95% CI 1.12 to 5.98), respectively. CONCLUSION: Older people with both HD and depression in China had significantly increased all-cause mortality compared with those with HD or depression only, and without either condition. Psychological interventions should be taken into consideration for older people and those with HD living in the community to improve surviving outcome.

Association Between Hospital Cardiac Catheter Laboratory Status, Use of an Invasive Strategy, and Outcomes After NSTEMI.

BACKGROUND: Increased use of invasive coronary strategies in patients admitted to hospitals with on-site cardiac catheter laboratory (CCL) facilities has been reported, but the utilisation of invasive coronary strategies according to types of CCL facilities at the first admitting hospital and clinical outcomes is unknown. METHODS: We included 452,216 patients admitted with a diagnosis of non-ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) in England and Wales from 2007 to 2015. The admitting hospitals were categorized into no-laboratory, diagnostic, and PCI hospitals according to CCL facilities. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to study associations between CCL facilities and in-hospital outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 97,777 (21.6%) of the patients were admitted to no-laboratory hospitals, and 134,381 (29.7%) and 220,058 (48.7%) were admitted to diagnostic and PCI hospitals, respectively. Use of coronary angiography was significantly higher in PCI hospitals (77.3%) than in diagnostic (63.2%) and no-laboratory (61.4%) hospitals. The adjusted odds of in-hospital mortality were similar for diagnostic (odds ratio [OR] 0.93, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.83-1.04) and PCI hospitals (OR 1.09, 95% CI 0.96-1.24) compared with no-laboratory hospitals. However, in high-risk NSTEMI subgroup (defined as Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events score > 140), an admission to diagnostic hospitals was associated with significantly increased in-hospital mortality (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.06-1.75) compared with no-laboratory and PCI hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights important differences in both the utilisation of invasive coronary strategies and subsequent management and outcomes of NSTEMI patients according to admitting hospital CCL facilities. High-risk NSTEMI patients admitted to diagnostic hospitals had greater in-hospital mortality, possibly because of reduced PCI use, which needs to be addressed.

Cardiac rehabilitation after acute myocardial infarction in Sweden - evaluation of programme characteristics and adherence to European guidelines: The Perfect Cardiac Rehabilitation (Perfect-CR) study.

BACKGROUND: While patient performance after participating in cardiac rehabilitation programmes after acute myocardial infarction is regularly reported through registry and survey data, information on cardiac rehabilitation programme characteristics is less well described. AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate Swedish cardiac rehabilitation programme characteristics and adherence to European Guidelines on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention. METHOD: Cardiac rehabilitation programme characteristics at all 78 cardiac rehabilitation centres in Sweden in 2016 were surveyed using a web-based questionnaire (100% response rate). The questions were based on core components of cardiac rehabilitation as recommended by European Guidelines. RESULTS: There was a wide variation in programme duration (2-14 months). All programmes reported offering an individual post-discharge visit with a nurse, and 90% (n = 70) did so within three weeks from discharge. Most programmes offered centre-based exercise training (n = 76, 97%) and group educational sessions (n = 61, 78%). All programmes reported to the national audit, SWEDEHEART, and 60% (n = 47) reported that performance was regularly assessed using audit data, to improve quality of care. Ninety-six per cent (n = 75) had a core team consisting of a cardiologist, a physiotherapist and a nurse and 76% (n = 59) reported having a medical director. Having other allied healthcare professionals included in the cardiac rehabilitation team varied. Forty per cent (n = 31) reported having regular team meetings where nurses, physiotherapists and cardiologist could discuss patient cases. CONCLUSION: The overall quality of cardiac rehabilitation programmes provided in Sweden is high. Still, there are several areas of potential improvement. Monitoring programme characteristics as well as patient outcomes might improve programme quality and patient outcomes both at a local and a national level.

Ethnic differences in long-term improvement of angina following revascularization or medical management: a comparison between south Asians and white Europeans.

BACKGROUND: It is not known whether there are disparities in morbidity outcomes between south Asians and whites with established coronary disease. METHODS: Six-year prospective cohort study to determine whether improvement of angina symptoms differs between 196 south Asians and 1508 whites following revascularization or medical management. RESULTS: 43.9% of south Asians reported improvement in angina at 6 years compared with 60.3% of whites (age-adjusted OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.41-0.76, adjusted for diabetes, hypertension, smoking, number of diseased vessels, left ventricular function and social class OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.41-0.85). Similar proportions of whites and south Asians underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (19.6% versus 19.9%) and coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) (32.8% versus 30.1%). South Asians were less likely to report improved angina after PCI (OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.06-0.56) or CABG (OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.17-0.74). There was less evidence of ethnic differences in angina improvement when treatment was medical (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.48-1.57). CONCLUSION: South Asians were less likely to experience long-term improvements in angina than whites after receipt of revascularization. Further research is needed to identify why these ethnic groups differ in symptomatic prognosis following revascularization for coronary disease and how these differences may be mitigated.

Weekend effect in acute coronary syndrome: A meta-analysis of observational studies.

BACKGROUND: The effect of a weekend compared with a weekday hospital admission on patient outcomes after an acute coronary syndrome is unclear. This study aims to determine whether collectively there is a weekend effect in acute coronary syndrome. METHOD: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies examining the association between weekend compared to weekday admission at any time of the day and early mortality (in-hospital or 30-day). A search was performed on Medline and Embase and relevant studies were pooled using random effects meta-analysis for risk of early mortality. Additional analyses were performed considering only more recent studies (conducted after 2005) and by patient group (ST-elevation myocardial infarction [STEMI] or non-STEMI [NSTEMI]), as well as meta-regression according to starting year and mean year of study. RESULTS: A total of 18 studies were included with over 14 million participants incorporating 3 million weekend and over 11.5 million weekday admissions and the rates of mortality were 19.2% and 23.4%, respectively. The pooled results of all 18 studies suggest that weekend admission was associated with a small increased risk of early mortality (odds ratio [OR] 1.06, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-1.09). The results for subgroups of STEMI and NSTEMI cohorts were not statistically significant and timing of admission after 2005 had minimal influence on the results (OR 1.06, 95% CI 0.95-1.17). CONCLUSIONS: There is a small weekend effect for admission with acute coronary syndrome that has persisted over time.

Presentation of stable angina pectoris among women and South Asian people.

BACKGROUND: There is speculation that women and South Asian people are more likely than men and white people to report atypical angina and that they are less likely to undergo invasive management of angina. We sought to determine whether atypical symptoms of angina pectoris in women and South Asians impacted clinically important outcomes and clinical management. METHODS: We prospectively identified 2189 South Asian people and 5605 white people with recent-onset chest pain at 6 chest-pain clinics in the United Kingdom. We documented hospital admissions for acute coronary syndromes, coronary deaths as well as coronary angiography and revascularization procedures. RESULTS: Atypical chest pain was reported by more women than men (56.5% vs 54.5%, p < 0.054) and by more South Asian patients than white patients (59.9% vs 52.5%, p < 0.001). Typical symptoms were associated with coronary death or acute coronary syndromes among women (hazard ratio [HR] 2.30, 95% CI 1.70-3.11, p < 0.001) but not among men (HR 1.23, 95% CI 0.96-1.57, p = 0.10). Typical symptoms were associated with coronary outcomes in both South Asian and white patients. Among those with typical symptoms, women (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.63-0.92, p = 0.004) and South Asian patients (HR 0.52, 95% CI 0.41-0.67, p < 0.001) were less likely than men and white patients to receive angiography. INTERPRETATION: Compared to those with atypical chest pain, women and South Asian patients with typical pain had worse clinical outcomes. However, sex and ethnic background did not explain differences in the use of invasive procedures.

The tip of the iceberg: finding patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in primary care. An observational study.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is under-identified in primary care. AIM: The aim of this study was to determine what information is available in patients' primary care practice records that would identify patients with HFpEF. DESIGN & SETTING: Record review in two practices in east of England. METHOD: Practices completed a case report form on each patient on the heart failure register and sent anonymised echocardiography reports on patients with an ejection fraction (EF) >50%. Reports were reviewed and data analysed using SPSS (version 25). RESULTS: One hundred and forty-eight patients on the heart failure registers with mean age 77 +12 years were reviewed. Fifty-three patients (36%) had possible HFpEF based on available information. These patients were older and multimorbid, with a high prevalence of overweight and obesity. Confirmation of diagnosis was not possible as recommended HFpEF diagnostic information (natriuretic peptides, echocardiogram parameters of structural heart disease and diastolic function) was widely inconsistent or absent in these patients. CONCLUSION: Without correct identification of HFpEF, patient management may be suboptimal or inappropriate, and lack the needed focus on comorbidities and lifestyle that can improve patient outcomes. This study describes in detail the characteristics of many of the patients who probably have HFpEF in a real-world sample, and the improvements and diagnostic information required to better identify them. Identifying more than the tip of the iceberg that is the HFpEF population will allow the improvement of the quality of their management, the prevention of ineffective health care, and the recruitment of patients into research.

Southern Italian teenagers: the older they get, the unfit they become with girls worse than boys: a cohort epidemiological study: The adolescents surveillance system for the obesity prevention project (ASSO).

Italy comprises a high proportion of people who never exercised. Low physical activity levels in adolescents is a risk factor for several disorders. The aim of this cohort epidemiological study was to compare physical fitness profiles between boys and girls with regard to age and gender and to identify health and fitness-related markers that contribute to the make-up of Southern Italian teenagers.Eight hundred eleven teenagers were assessed for anthropometric measurements and completed the 5 ASSO-fitness tests battery. Data were analyzed with a 2-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for repeated measures to compare the effect of both age and gender on the fitness components.The boys' anthropometric measurements were superior than the girls as expected [weight, height, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference]; the overall BMI was found in the normality range. The overall teenagers' fitness markers were found to be quite poor with the boys outperforming the girls in all fitness tests. The weak cardiorespiratory performance of the female teenagers was remarkable. The under 16 years old (-16 yrs) girls outperformed the over 16 years old (+16yrs) girls. There were less significant differences when comparing (-16) and (+16) yrs old mixed-gender groups. There were no correlations between the (-16) and (+16) yrs when both genders were considered. The trend analysis showed the younger teenagers might be "catching up" the older ones in both contexts.Gender significantly influenced all variables. Although age did not influence cardiorespiratory fitness, the older the teenagers the worse their health and fitness markers become with the older girls worse than their younger peers.

Effect of age on the prognostic value of left ventricular function in patients with acute coronary syndrome: A prospective registry study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to study the prognostic impact of left ventricular function on mortality and examine the effect of age on the prognostic value of left ventricular function. METHODS: We examined the myocardial ischaemia national audit project registry (2006-2010) data with a mean follow-up of 2.1 years. Left ventricular function was categorised into good (ejection fraction ⩾50%), moderate (ejection fraction 30-49%) and poor (ejection fraction <30%) categories. Cox proportional hazards models were constructed to examine the prognostic significance of left ventricular function in different age groups (<65, 65-74, 75-84 and ⩾85 years) on all-cause mortality adjusting for baseline variables. RESULTS: Out of 424,848 patients, left ventricular function data were available for 123,609. Multiple imputations were used to impute missing values of left ventricular function and the final sample for analyses was drawn from 414,305. After controlling for confounders, 339,887 participants were included in the regression models. For any age group, mortality was higher with a worsening degree of left ventricular impairment. Increased age reduced the adverse prognosis associated with reduced left ventricular function (hazard ratios of death comparing poor left ventricular function to good left ventricular function were 2.11, 95% confidence interval 1.88-2.37 for age <65 years and 1.28, 95% confidence interval 1.20-1.36 for age ⩾85 years). Older patients had a high mortality risk even in those with good left ventricular function. Hazard ratios of mortality for ⩾85 compared to <65 years (hazard ratio = 1.00) within good, moderate and poor ejection fraction groups were 5.89, 4.86 and 3.43, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with acute coronary syndrome, clinicians should interpret the prognostic value of left ventricular function taking into account the patient's age.

Relationship Between Anemia and Mortality Outcomes in a National Acute Coronary Syndrome Cohort: Insights From the UK Myocardial Ischemia National Audit Project Registry.

BACKGROUND: We aim to determine the prevalence of anemia in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients and compare their clinical characteristics, management, and clinical outcomes to those without anemia in an unselected national ACS cohort. METHODS AND RESULTS: The Myocardial Ischemia National Audit Project (MINAP) registry collects data on all adults admitted to hospital trusts in England and Wales with diagnosis of an ACS. We conducted a retrospective cohort study by analyzing patients in this registry between January 2006 and December 2010 and followed them up until August 2011. Multiple logistic regressions were used to determine factors associated with anemia and the adjusted odds of 30-day mortality with 1 g/dL incremental hemoglobin increase and the 30-day and 1-year mortality for anemic compared to nonanemic groups. Analyses were adjusted for covariates. Our analysis of 422 855 patients with ACS showed that 27.7% of patients presenting with ACS are anemic and that these patients are older, have a greater prevalence of renal disease, peripheral vascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and previous acute myocardial infarction, and are less likely to receive evidence-based therapies shown to improve clinical outcomes. Finally, our analysis suggests that anemia is independently associated with 30-day (OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.22-1.35) and 1-year mortality (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.27-1.35), and we observed a reverse J-shaped relationship between hemoglobin levels and mortality outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of anemia in a contemporary national ACS cohort is clinically significant. Patients with anemia are older and multimorbid and less likely to receive evidence-based therapies shown to improve clinical outcomes, with the presence of anemia independently associated with mortality outcomes.

Atypical chest pain in diabetic patients with suspected stable angina: impact on diagnosis and coronary outcomes.

AIMS: Silent myocardial ischaemia occurs commonly in diabetes. Whether altered perception of ischaemia also predisposes to atypical presentations with under-diagnosis of coronary disease is not known. To determine whether (i) patients with diabetes diagnosed with angina are more likely to report atypical symptoms compared with patients without diabetes, and (ii) atypical symptoms in patients with diabetes cause angina to go unrecognized, increasing the risk of coronary events. METHODS AND RESULTS: Prospective, multicentre cohort study of 8662 ambulatory patients with suspected angina, of whom 906 had diabetes. We recorded detailed chest pain descriptors and fatal and non-fatal coronary events over a median of 3.08 years of follow-up. Proportionately more patients with than without diabetes received a diagnosis of angina (42.7 vs. 25.1%). Among patients with diabetes diagnosed with angina, a greater proportion had atypical chest pain compared with patients without diabetes (21.0 vs. 11.3%), but the hazard of fatal and non-fatal coronary events was similar. However, among patients diagnosed with non-cardiac chest pain, those with diabetes-most of whom had atypical symptoms-remained at greater risk of coronary events [2.29 (95% CI 1.54, 3.41)] and all-cause mortality [1.67 (95% confidence interval, CI 1.04, 2.69)] compared with non-diabetic patients. CONCLUSION: Patients with diabetes and atypical symptoms are nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed with angina compared with non-diabetic patients. Those diagnosed with non-cardiac pain are at increased risk of coronary events. Our study emphasizes the need for more intensive investigation of diabetic patients with chest pain, particularly those presenting with atypical symptoms.

Correlates of Untreated Hypercholesterolemia in Older Adults: A Community-Based Household Survey in China.

Hypercholesterolemia is common in older adults and less treated, but little is known about correlates of untreated hypercholesterolemia. Using a standard interview method we examined a random sample of 7,572 participants aged ≥60 years in a community-based household survey across 7 provinces of China during 2007-2012, and documented 328 cases of hypercholesterolemia from self-reported doctor diagnosis. Compared to participants with normal cholesterol, older adults with hypercholesterolemia had higher socioeconomic position and larger body mass index. In patients with hypercholesterolemia, 209 were not treated using lipid-lowering medications (63.7%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 58.5%-68.9%). Untreated hypercholesterolemia was significantly associated with female sex (adjusted odds ratio 2.13, 95%CI 1.17-3.89), current smoking (3.48, 1.44-8.44), heavy alcohol drinking (3.13,1.11-8.84), chronic bronchitis (2.37,1.14-4.90) and high level of meat consumptions (2.85,1.22-6.65). Although having coronary heart disease exposed participants for treatment, half of participants with coronary heart disease did not receive lipid-lowering medications. Among hypercholesterolemia participants with stroke, hypertension or diabetes, more than half of them did not receive lipid-lowering medications. The high proportion of untreated hypercholesterolemia in older, high-risk Chinese adults needs to be mitigated through multi-faceted primary and secondary prevention strategies to increase population opportunities of treating hypercholesterolemia.