Documento de consenso sobre tabaquismo y riesgo vascular.

Consensus statement on smoking and vascular risk About 22% of the Spanish population are daily smokers. Men are more likely to smoke than women. In Spain, women between 15-25 years of age smoke as much or more than men. Every smoker should be assessed for: physical dependence on nicotine (Fagerström test), social and psychological dependence (Glover Nilsson test), level of motivation to quit (Richmond test), probability of therapy success (Henri-Mondor and Michael-Fiore tests), and stage of behavioral change development (Prochaska and DiClementi). Advice on smoking cessation is highly cost-effective and should always be provided. Smoking is an enhancer of cardiovascular risk because it acts as a pathogen agent in the development of arteriosclerosis and is associated with ischemic heart disease, stroke, and peripheral artery disease. Smoking increases the risk of chronic lung diseases (COPD) and is related to cancers of the lung, female genitalia, larynx, oropharynx, bladder, mouth, esophagus, liver and biliary tract, and stomach, among others. Combined oral contraceptives should be avoided in women smokers older than 35 years of age due to the risk of thromboembolism. In smoking cessation, the involvement of physicians, nurses, psychologists, etc. is important, and their multidisciplinary collaboration is needed. Effective pharmacological treatments for smoking cessation are available. Combined treatments are recommended when smoker's dependence is high. For individuals who are unable to quit smoking, a strategy based on tobacco damage management with a total switch to smokeless products could be a less dangerous alternative for their health than continuing to smoke.

Comparison of Aortic Gradient and Ventricular Mass after Valve Replacement for Aortic Stenosis with Rapid Deployment, Sutureless, and Conventional Bioprostheses.

BACKGROUND: The use of rapid deployment and sutureless aortic prostheses is increasing. Previous reports have shown promising results on haemodynamic performance and mortality rates. However, the impact of these bioprostheses on left ventricular mass (LVM) regression remains unknown. We decided to study the changes in remodelling and LVM regression in isolated severe aortic stenosis treated with conventional or Perceval® or Intuity® valves. METHOD AND RESULTS: From January 2011 to January 2016, 324 bioprostheses were implanted in our centre. The collected characteristics were divided into 3 groups: conventional valves, Perceval®, and Intuity®, and they were analysed after 12 months. There were 183 conventional valves (56%), 72 Perceval® (22%), and 69 Intuity® (21.2%). The statistical analysis showed significant differences in transprosthetic postoperative peak gradient (23 [18-29] mm Hg vs. 21 [16-29] mm Hg and 18 [14-24] mm Hg, p < 0.001), ventricular mass electrical criteria regression (Sokolow and Cornell products), and 1-year survival (90 vs. 93% and 97%, log rank p value = 0.04) in conventional, Perceval®, and Intuity® groups. CONCLUSIONS: We observed differences in haemodynamic, electrocardiographic, and echocardiographic parameters related to the different types of prosthesis. Patients with the Intuity® prosthesis had the highest reduction in peak aortic gradient and the higher ventricular mass regression. Besides, patients with the Intuity® prosthesis had less risk of mortality during follow-up than the other two groups. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings.

The Effect of Regular Intake of Dry-Cured Ham Rich in Bioactive Peptides on Inflammation, Platelet and Monocyte Activation Markers in Humans.

Background and aims: Dietary studies have shown that active biopeptides provide protective health benefits, although the mediating pathways are somewhat uncertain. To throw light on this situation, we studied the effects of consuming Spanish dry-cured ham on platelet function, monocyte activation markers and the inflammatory status of healthy humans with pre-hypertension. Methods: Thirty-eight healthy volunteers with systolic blood pressure of >125 mmHg were enrolled in a two-arm crossover randomized controlled trial. Participants received 80 g/day dry-cured pork ham of >11 months proteolysis or 100 g/day cooked ham (control product) for 4 weeks followed by a 2-week washout before "crossing over" to the other treatment for 4 more weeks. Soluble markers and cytokines were analyzed by ELISA. Platelet function was assessed by measuring P-selectin expression and PAC-1 binding after ADP (adenosine diphosphate) stimulation using whole blood flow cytometry. Monocyte markers of the pathological status (adhesion, inflammatory and scavenging receptors) were also measured by flow cytometry in the three monocyte subsets after the interventional period. Results: The mean differences between dry-cured ham and cooked ham followed by a time period adjustment for plasmatic P-selectin and interleukin 6 proteins slightly failed (p = 0.062 and p = 0.049, respectively), notably increased for MCP-1 levels (p = 0.023) while VCAM-1 was not affected. Platelet function also decreased after ADP stimulation. The expression of adhesion and scavenging markers (ICAM1R, CXCR4 and TLR4) in the three subsets of monocytes was significantly higher (all p < 0.05). Conclusions: The regular consumption of biopeptides contained in the dry-cured ham but absent in cooked ham impaired platelet and monocyte activation and the levels of plasmatic P-selectin, MCP-1 and interleukin 6 in healthy subjects. This study strongly suggests the existence of a mechanism that links dietary biopeptides and beneficial health effects.

Biochemical and nutritional markers and antioxidant activity in metabolic syndrome.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: 1) Nutritional assessment of the diet followed by patients with metabolic syndrome, and 2) biochemical analysis of the oxidation-reduction level in patients with metabolic syndrome. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in patients with metabolic syndrome in Murcia. Fifty-three patients, 33 with and 20 without (control group) metabolic syndrome, were selected. The intervention consisted of completion of a recall survey and a test to nutritionally assess dietary intake. Anthropometric and laboratory variables, including those related to antioxidant activity, were also tested. RESULTS: Antioxidant activity was within normal limits in both groups (1.7 ± 0.2 mmol/L in the control group and 1.8 ± 0.1 mmol/L in the metabolic syndrome group) (NS). Superoxide dismutase levels were not significantly different between the groups. Mean glutathione reductase levels (U/L) were higher in the control group as compared to patients with metabolic syndrome (P<.05). As regards oxidative stress biomarkers, mean isoprostane levels were higher in the control group (4.9 ± 6.2 ng/mL) than in metabolic syndrome patients (3.5 ± 3.9 ng/mL) (P<.05). Oxidized LDL values tended to be higher in metabolic syndrome patients (96 ± 23.2U/L) as compared to the control group (86.2 ± 17.3 U/L), but differences were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: There is a trend to a poorer nutritional and biochemical profile in patients with metabolic syndrome, who also tend to have a greater degree of oxidative stress.

[Lifestyles related with cardiovascular risk in university students]. / Estilos de vida relacionados con el riesgo cardiovascular en estudiantes universitarios.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the lifestyles associated with cardiovascular risk in a university population in university admission. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A descriptive, observational, cross-sectional students of the Catholic University San Antonio of Murcia. Select a sample of 672 college students enrolled in the first year of the race. The instrument used to collect the data, is a self-completed questionnaire anonymous, with a total of 59 questions. RESULTS: With respect to smoking 242 are smokers (36%), 117 former smokers (17.4%), and 313 non-smokers (46.6%). When compared snuff consumption by sex, no differences are detected. By running the largest group of non-smokers often seen in students of physical sciences (59.1%) compared to the careers humanities (40.9%). 87.4% (587) of students surveyed report using alcohol, compared to 12.6% (85) no. According to the race group not detected association between race group and the fact consume alcohol or not. The 65.6% of students surveyed physical exercise commonly referred, being higher the frequency of exercise in men than in women (81.7% versus 49.4%) (P<.001). 54.3% of surveyed students follow a dietary pattern typical of the Mediterranean diet. CONCLUSIONS: The University does not exercise the role that could mean in terms of enhancing healthy lifestyles and abandonment of harmful health styles.

[Control of cardiovascular risk factors in patients with stroke attended in primary care in Spain. ICTUSCARE study]. / Control de los factores de riesgo cardiovascular en pacientes con ictus atendidos en Atención Primaria en España. Estudio ICTUSCARE.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this cross-sectional, multicenter survey was: 1) To investigate the level of control of cardiovascuar risk factors in patients with a previous stroke. 2) To know the pharmacological therapy used to attain the control. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data obtained from a total of 955 patients were included in the analysis.. There were evaluated cardiovascular risk factors, parameters related to the degree of control, analytical parameters, antropometric and pharmacological indicated treatment. RESULTS: The majority (61%) had suffered an ischemic stroke and 97.7% presented at least one associated cardiovascular risk factor, being hypertension (84.8%) and dyslipidemia (61.8%) the most frequent. Other factors were abdominal obesity (42.9%), diabetes mellitus (35.6%) and smoking (25.1%). Only 1.2% of the patients presented an adequate control of all cardiovascular risk factors. Only 17.6% had a well controlled blood pressure and in 29.8% LDL-cholesterol was well controlled. In 50.2% of diabetic patients HbA1c was well controlled. Angiotensin receptor blockers were the most widely used antihypertensive drugs (57.6%) while thiazide diuretics were prescribed in 33.4%. Statins were prescribed in 72.8% of patients and metformin, aspirin and acenocumarol in 30.2%, 57.3%, and 15.0% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, in patients with a past history of stroke arterial hypertension is the most common cardiovascular risk factor and the control of these factors requires an improvement.