Assessment of Visit-to-Visit Blood Pressure Variability in Adults With Optimal Blood Pressure: A New Player in the Evaluation of Residual Cardiovascular Risk?

Background There is a paucity of evidence regarding the association between visit-to-visit blood pressure variability and residual cardiovascular risk. We aimed to provide relevant evidence by determining whether high systolic blood pressure (SBP) variability in the optimal SBP levels still influences the risk of cardiovascular disease. Methods and Results We studied 7065 participants (aged 59.3±5.6 years; 44.3% men; and 82.9% White) in the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) study with optimal SBP levels from visit 1 to visit 3. Visit-to-visit SBP variability was measured by variability independent of the mean in the primary analysis. The primary outcome was the major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE), defined as the first occurrence of all-cause mortality, coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart failure. During a median follow-up of 19.6 years, 2691 participants developed MACEs. After multivariable adjustment, the MACE risk was higher by 21% in participants with the highest SBP variability (variability independent of the mean quartile 4) compared with the lowest SBP variability participants (variability independent of the mean quartile 1) (hazard ratio, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.09-1.35). The restricted cubic spline showed that the hazard ratio for MACE was relatively linear, with a higher variability independent of the mean being associated with higher risk. These association were also found in the stratified analyses of participants with or without hypertension. Conclusions In adults with optimal SBP levels, higher visit-to-visit SBP variability was significantly associated with a higher risk of MACE regardless of whether they had hypertension. Therefore, it may be necessary to further focus on the visit-to-visit SBP variability even at the guideline-recommended optimal blood pressure levels.

An appraisal of clinical practice guidelines for the appropriate use of echocardiography for adult infective endocarditis-the timing and mode of assessment (TTE or TEE).

BACKGROUND: Echocardiography (echo) is the primary imaging modality for infective endocarditis (IE). However, the recommendations on timing and mode selection for transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) vary across guidelines, which can be confusing for clinical decision makers. In this case, we aim to appraise the quality of recommendations by appraising the quality of various guidelines. METHODS: A search of guidelines containing recommendations for the appropriate use of echo in adult IE patients published in English between 2007 and 2019 was conducted. The APPRAISAL OF GUIDELINES FOR RESEARCH & EVALUATION II (AGREE II) instrument was applied independently by two reviewers to assess the integrated quality of the identified guidelines. The recommendations of concern are extracted from related chapters. RESULTS: A total of 9 guidelines met the criteria, with AGREE II scores ranging from 36 to 79%, and the domain of "stakeholder involvement" received the lowest score. The most contentious issue is whether a follow-up TEE is mandatory in uncomplicated native valve IE with an initial positive TTE. Conflicting recommendations are presented with a low evidence level based on little evidence. CONCLUSIONS: In general, the recommendations proposed in the 9 identified guidelines on the appropriate use of echo are satisfying. The guideline quality score can be taken into account by the clinicians when evaluating the recommendations for clinical decisions. Additional studies with high evidence level should be conducted on the most controversial issues of whether a subsequent TEE is mandatory in uncomplicated native valve IE with an initial positive TTE.

Causal assessment of sleep on coronary heart disease.

OBJECTIVE: Sleep is an essential physiological process that protects our physical and mental health. However, the causality of the association between sleep and coronary heart disease (CHD) is unknown. Mendelian randomization (MR), using genetic variants as instrumental variables to test for causality, can infer credible causal associations. We applied a two-sample MR framework to determine the causal association between sleep (sleeplessness, sleep duration, and daytime dozing) and CHD by integrating summary-level genome-wide association study (GWAS) data. METHODS: Data included in this study were the GWAS summary statistics datasets from the C4D Consortium for CHD; Neale Lab UKB-a:13 Consortium for sleeplessness; Neale Lab UKB-a:9 Consortium for sleep duration and Neale Lab UKB-a:15 Consortium for daytime dozing. The conventional MR approach (inverse variance weighted, IVW) method and Egger method were used. Heterogeneity was calculated using each of the different MR methods where possible. Horizontal pleiotropy was evaluated by p-value of the MR-Egger intercept. RESULTS: The IVW method estimate indicated that the odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval, CI) for CHD was 3.924 (1.345-11.447) per standard deviation increase in sleeplessness (p = 0.012). Results were consistent in MR-Egger method (OR, 4.654; 95% CI, 1.191-18.186; p = 0.009). The genetically predicted sleeplessness was positively casually associated with CHD. The causal association between sleep duration (or daytime dozing) and CHD was not established. CONCLUSION: Our analysis provided evidence supporting a causal relationship between sleeplessness (not sleep duration or daytime dozing) and CHD.

The PROFILE of assessment program for internal medicine internship of Sun Yat-Sen University.

Objective: To reflectively look at the present methods by which the clinical competence of 5th-year medical students (i.e. interns) in Sun Yat-Sen University (SYSU) are assessed upon finishing internship rotation in internal medicine (IM). Methods: Current procedures for the competence assessment of end-of-rotation IM interns in the First Affiliated Hospital of SYSU were reviewed, along with a point-by-point appraisal based on the PROFILE approach to structured assessment, and, whenever possible, suggestions for future improvement. Results and discussions: On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the best or the most ideal, our marks for current methods to assess end-of-rotation IM interns in terms of being Programmatic, Real-World, Outcome-based, Formative, Impactful, Learner-engaged, and Evaluation-guaranteed were 7, 9, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 1, respectively. The strengths, weaknesses as well as potential solutions in each of the seven aspects are also discussed separately. Conclusions: Current assessment program for IM internship is strong in being programmatic, real-world, educationally impactful and learner engaged, and has room for further improvement in its time-based arrangements, relative shortage of feedback provision, as well as a systematic lack of quality control measures.