Independent Association between Cognitive Frailty and Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

INTRODUCTION: Although arterial stiffness has been suggested to be associated with poor physical function and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), its association with cognitive frailty (CF), a comorbidity of both, is unclear. This study aims to examine the association between CF and arterial stiffness in community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis of 511 community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years or older (mean age 73.6 ± 6.2 years, 63.6% women), who participated in a community cohort study (Tarumizu Study, 2019), was conducted. Poor physical function was defined as either slowness (walking speed <1.0 m/s) or weakness (grip strength <28 kg for men and <18 kg for women). MCI was defined by the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology Functional Assessment Tool as a decline of at least 1.5 standard deviation from age- and education-adjusted baseline values in any one of the four cognitive domains (memory, attention, executive, and information processing). CF was defined as the combination of poor physical function and MCI. Arterial stiffness was measured using the Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index (CAVI), and the average of the left and right sides (mean CAVI) was used. RESULTS: Multinomial logistic regression analysis adjusted for covariates was performed with the four groups of robust, poor physical function, MCI, and CF as dependent variables and mean CAVI as an independent variable. Using the robust group as reference, the poor physical function and MCI groups showed no significant relationship with the mean CAVI. The mean CAVI was significantly higher in the CF group (odds ratio 1.62, 95% confidence interval: 1.14-2.29). CONCLUSION: A significant association was found between CF and the higher CAVI (progression of arterial stiffness). Careful observation and control of CAVI, which is also an indicator of arterial stiffness, may be a potential target for preventive interventions for CF.

Relationship between grave visitation and apathy among community-dwelling older adults.

BACKGROUND: It has been shown that involvement in religious activities has a positive impact on psychological aspects. In this study, the relationship between grave visitation, a standard religious activity in Japan, and depression and apathy symptoms was investigated among older adults in Japan. METHODS: A total of 638 older adults who participated in a community-based health check survey (Tarumizu Study 2019) were interviewed regarding the presence or absence of grave visitation, frequency, travel time, means of transportation, and flower offerings. Apathy and depressive symptoms were measured using the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15). The participants were categorised into three grave visitation groups, namely, frequent (more than once per week), occasional (less than once per week), and non-visiting. Outcomes were compared between the frequency groups, and Poisson regression analysis was used to investigate the relationship between grave visitation frequency and apathy and depression. RESULTS: Of the participants, 91.8% reported regular grave visitation. The non-visiting group had a significantly higher prevalence of apathy symptoms (44.2%) than the visiting groups. Furthermore, using the frequent group as the reference, Poisson regression analysis adjusted for potential covariates demonstrated that no grave visitation was significantly related to apathy (prevalence ratio, 1.43; 95% confidence interval, 1.00-2.05, P = 0.049). CONCLUSIONS: Not practising grave visitation was significantly related to apathy among older adults. Helping older adults to visit graves may prevent apathy by facilitating motivation and increasing activity.

Associations between apathy and comprehensive frailty as assessed by the Kihon Checklist among community-dwelling Japanese older adults.

BACKGROUND: Frailty is a multidimensional condition characterised by reduced physical and psychological resilience. Older adults also frequently demonstrate apathy, suggesting that it shares similar neuro-physiological pathways with frailty. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the association between apathy and frailty as defined by a comprehensive assessment. METHODS: We analyzed 882 older adults (mean age: 74.4 ± 6.4 years; 62.1% female) who participated in a community-based health check survey (Tarumizu Study). Apathy was measured by the Geriatric Depression Scale-3A, a three-item subset of the Geriatric Depression Scale-15, and frailty by the Kihon Checklist of physical, psychological, functional, and social status. Associations were examined by multinomial logistic regression with frailty status (robust, pre-frailty, frailty) as the dependent variable, apathy as the independent variable, and sociodemographic factors, medications, cognitive function, functional capacity, and mood symptoms as potential confounders. RESULTS: Apathy was observed in 23.7% of individuals, and logistic regression revealed significant associations with both pre-frailty and frailty after confounder adjustment (pre-frailty: odds ratio (OR) 1.80, 95% CI 1.22-2.64; frailty: OR 3.24, 95% CI 1.63-6.42). Participants with apathy also exhibited greater deficits in the Kihon Checklist subdomains instrumental activities of daily living (P = 0.022), physical function (P < 0.001), oral function (P < 0.001), and cognitive function (P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings underscore the importance of comprehensive frailty assessment and demonstrate that apathy can have pervasive deleterious effects on geriatric health.

Association between apathy and satisfaction with meaningful activities in older adults with mild cognitive impairment: A population-based cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: This cross-sectional study aimed to clarify the relationship between apathy, meaningful activities, and satisfaction with such activities of older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). METHODS: We analyzed 235 older adults with MCI (≥65 years, mean age: 76.9 ± 6.4 years, women: 63.4%) who participated in a community-based health check survey (Tarumizu Study 2018). MCI was defined as at least 1.5 SD below the reference threshold (age- and education-adjusted score) on one or more of the computerized cognitive test including memory, attention, executive functions, and processing speed. Apathy symptoms were assessed using three of the 15 items of Geriatric Depression Scale. Participants selected meaningful activities from the 95 activities of the Aid for Decision-Making in Occupation Choice and evaluated their satisfaction and performance. RESULTS: Apathy in MCI was prevalent by 23.8%. The categories of meaningful activities revealed no difference, with, or without apathy. Logistic regression analysis showed that activity satisfaction was significantly associated with apathy after adjusting for age, sex, education, instrumental activities of daily living, depressive symptoms, and MCI subtype (OR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.44-0.88, p = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: Satisfaction with the activities that are deemed meaningful is associated with apathy among community-dwelling older adults with MCI.

Gender differences in the risk factors associated with atherosclerosis by carotid intima-media thickness, plaque score, and pulse wave velocity.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death, but the risk factors for CVD differ between men and women. Although carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), carotid plaque, and pulse wave velocity (PWV) are useful atherosclerotic parameters, patient backgrounds have differed in previous reports. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate gender differences in associations between these three parameters and traditional risk factors in the same population. We enrolled 3888 participants (women: 743) who underwent routine health checkups. High IMT, high carotid plaque score (PS), or high brachial-ankle PWV (baPWV) were defined by the median values for each gender. We analyzed the association between each parameter and atherosclerotic risk factors, such as obesity, smoking, blood pressure (BP) elevation, impaired fasting glucose (IFG), and dyslipidemia (DL). In both sexes, BP elevation was the only common risk factor for high IMT, high PS, and high baPWV in the multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusted for age. In men, IFG and DL were common risk factors for the three parameters. Furthermore, obesity was an additional risk factor for high IMT and smoking was an additional risk factor for high IMT and high PS. In contrast, in women, obesity, DL, or IFG was an additional risk factor for high IMT, high PS, or high baPWV, respectively. The risk factors for IMT, PS, and baPWV differ in in men and women. The management for atherosclerotic risk factors on early stage should be considered in terms of gender-specific risk factors.

Sex-specific relationship between abdominal obesity and new-onset atrial fibrillation in the general Japanese population.

The incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) is expected to increase with increasing obesity and number of geriatric patients in Japan. Although higher body mass index and abdominal obesity are associated with an increased risk of AF, the sex-specific relationship between abdominal obesity and new-onset AF is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the sex-specific relationship between abdominal obesity and new-onset AF. This retrospective study evaluated the annual health checkup data of 67,379 adults (33,562 males; age, 54 ± 10 years) without baseline AF from April 2008 to March 2016. Participants were grouped according to waist circumference (WC): large-WC group (males, ≥ 85 cm; females, ≥ 90 cm) and normal-WC group. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the strength of the association between abdominal obesity and new-onset AF, overall and separately for males and females. During a median follow-up of 5 years, 280 (0.4%) new cases of AF were recorded. Univariate analysis revealed a significant increase in new-onset AF in males (odds ratio [OR], 1.97; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.49-2.60; p < 0.001) but not in females (OR, 1.69; 95% CI, 0.96-2.97; p = 0.068) in the large-WC group. After adjusting for clinical variables, multivariate analysis revealed that a large WC was significantly associated with new-onset AF in males (OR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.31-2.36; p < 0.001) but not in females (OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 0.68-2.18; p = 0.514). Abdominal obesity is associated with an increased risk of new-onset AF in men.

Predictors of exercise-induced pulmonary hypertension in patients with connective tissue disease.

Screening and early detection of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in connective tissue disease (CTD) are currently recommended for early treatment. Exercise-induced pulmonary hypertension (EIPH) is thought to be a potential risk of developing resting pulmonary hypertension. However, accurate diagnosis of EIPH is needed hemodynamics by right heart catheterization during exercise. Therefore, we compared various parameters of EIPH group with non-EIPH group in patients with CTD. This study aimed to investigate noninvasive predictors of EIPH. A total of 162 consecutive patients with CTD who received screening of PAH was studied. Thirty-four patients with suspected PAH received right heart catheterization (RHC) at rest. Twenty-four patients without PAH underwent RHC during exercise, and they were divided into the EIPH group (n = 7) and the non-EIPH group (n = 17). Exercise tolerance such as 6-min walk distance and peak VO2/kg in the EIPH group was lower than that in the non-EIPH group. For hemodynamics, pulmonary artery pressure, right atrial pressure, and vascular resistance in the EIPH group were significantly higher than those in the non-EIPH group. In echocardiography, RV Tei index in the EIPH group was significantly higher than that in the non-EIPH group (EIPH vs non-EIPH = 0.42 [0.41, 0.47] vs 0.25 [0.20, 0.32], P = 0.007). The receiver operating characteristics curve showed a cutoff value of RV Tei index (0.41) with a sensitivity of 0.857 and specificity of 0.882. In conclusion, RV Tei index might be a feasible predictor of EIPH in patients with CTD.

Distribution and Characteristics of Hypouricemia within the Japanese General Population: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background and objectives: There is insufficient epidemiological knowledge of hypouricemia. In this study, we aimed to describe the distribution and characteristics of Japanese subjects with hypouricemia. Materials and Methods: Data from subjects who underwent routine health checkups from January 2001 to December 2015 were analyzed in this cross-sectional study. A total of 246,923 individuals, which included 111,117 men and 135,806 women, met the study criteria. The participants were divided into quartiles according to their serum uric acid (SUA) levels. We subdivided the subjects with hypouricemia, which was defined as SUA level ≤ 2.0 mg/dL, into two groups and compared their characteristics, including their cardiovascular risks. Results: The hypouricemia rates were 0.46% overall, 0.21% for the men and 0.66% for the women (P < 0.001). The number of the subjects with hypouricemia showed two distributions at SUA levels of 0.4⁻1.1 mg/dL (lower hypouricemia group), which included a peak at 0.7⁻0.8 mg/dL, and at SUA levels of 1.4⁻2.0 mg/dL (higher hypouricemia group). The men in the higher hypouricemia group had lower body mass indexes (BMI) and triglyceride (TG) levels and had higher fasting blood glucose levels than those in the lower hypouricemia group. The women in the higher hypouricemia group were younger; had lower BMI, total protein, TG, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels; and had higher estimated glomerular filtration rates levels compared to those in the lower hypouricemia group. Conclusions: The characteristics of the individuals in the lower and higher hypouricemia groups differed significantly, indicating different pathophysiologies within each group.

Association of Serum Triglycerides With Arterial Stiffness in Subjects With Low Levels of Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol.

BACKGROUND: The independent role of serum triglyceride (TG) levels as a cardiovascular risk factor is still not elucidated. We aimed to investigate if the effect of TG on arterial stiffness is influenced by the serum level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Methods and Results: We studied 11,640 subjects who underwent health checkups. They were stratified into 4 groups according to LDL-C level (≤79, 80-119, 120-159, and ≥160 mg/dL). Arterial stiffness was evaluated by brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV). In each group, univariate and multivariete logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the association between high TG (≥150 mg/dL) and high baPWV (>1,400 cm/s). In the univarite analysis, high TG was significantly associated with high baPWV in LDL-C <79 mg/dL (OR, 3.611, 95% CI, 2.475-5.337; P<0.0001) and 80-119 mg/dL (OR, 1.881; 95% CI, 1.602-2.210; P<0.0001), but not in LDL-C 120-159 mg/dL and ≥160 mg/dL. In the multivariate analysis, high TG was significantly associated with high baPWV in LDL-C ≤79 mg/dL (OR, 2.558; 95% CI, 1.348-4.914; P=0.0040) and LDL-C 80-119 mg/dL (OR, 1.677; 95% CI, 1.315-2.140; P<0.0001), but not in LDL-C 120-159 mg/dL and ≥160 mg/dL. CONCLUSIONS: High TG and increased arterial stiffness showed an independent relationship in a Japanese general population with LDL-C ≤119 mg/dL. TG-lowering therapy might be an additional therapeutic consideration in these subjects.

Uric Acid Level and New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation in the Japanese General Population　- Longitudinal Study.

BACKGROUND: The independent role of uric acid (UA) as a risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF) has not been fully elucidated. Methods and Results: We studied 111,566 subjects (53,416 men; 58,150 women) who underwent annual health check-ups. We divided them by sex into tertile of baseline UA. To investigate the predictive power of UA for new-onset AF, we performed Cox proportional hazard analysis including UA tertiles, body mass index, creatinine, smoking and drinking status, and presence of hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. During 4.1 years, 467 men (0.87%) and 180 women (0.31%) had AF (P<0.001). Cut-off points for tertiles of UA were as follows: women, ≤3.9, 4.0-4.8, and ≥4.9 mg/dL; men, ≤5.4, 5.5-6.4, and ≥6.5 mg/dL. Hazard ratio (HR) for third to first tertile was 1.74 (95% CI: 1.15-2.70; P=0.008), whereas there were no differences between tertiles in men. Rate of new-onset AF was significantly higher in the group with initially increased UA (ΔUA ≥0.3 mg/dL) than that with unchanged UA (ΔUA, -0.2 or +0.2 mg/dL) in the third tertile of baseline UA in both sexes. CONCLUSIONS: Higher baseline UA was significantly associated with higher AF incidence in women. Initial increase in UA was significantly associated with AF incidence when baseline UA was ≥6.5 mg/dL in men, and ≥4.9 mg/dL in women.

High Pulse Wave Velocity Has a Strong Impact on Early Carotid Atherosclerosis in a Japanese General Male Population.

BACKGROUND: Although there have been several reports on the risk factors associated with intima-media thickness (IMT), many questions remain. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between IMT and cardiovascular risk factors in a Japanese general population.Methods and Results:The study group consisted of 1,583 male subjects undergoing routine health checkups. IMT of the common carotid artery was measured by high-resolution ultrasonography. Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) was measured using an automated device. Univariate analysis demonstrated that carotid IMT significantly associated with age, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), baPWV, fasting glucose, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Multiple logistic regression analysis for carotid atherosclerosis (carotid IMT ≥1.0 mm) was performed using obesity (BMI ≥25.0 kg/m2), high BP (SBP ≥130 mmHg or DBP ≥85 mmHg), dyslipidemia (LDL-C ≥140 mg/dL, TG ≥150 mg/dL, or HDL-C <40 mg/dL), impaired fasting glucose (IFG) (fasting glucose ≥110 g/dL), and high baPWV (≥1,400 cm/s). Carotid atherosclerosis was significantly associated with only high baPWV (OR: 2.22, 95% CI: 1.24-4.17, P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: High baPWV was a stronger predictor of early carotid atherosclerosis than high BP, dyslipidemia, or IFG in a Japanese general male population.

Uric Acid Level and Prevalence of Atrial Fibrillation in a Japanese General Population of 285,882.

BACKGROUND: The association between serum uric acid (UA) levels and atrial fibrillation (AF) in the general population in Japan is not well known.Methods and Results:In total, 285,882 consecutive subjects (men, 130,897; women, 154,985; age, 58±15 years) not receiving treatment for hyperuricemia who underwent health checkups were enrolled. Subjects were stratified into deciles according to age, body mass index, estimated glomerular filtration rate, systolic blood pressure, and UA level. AF prevalence was calculated for each decile. The odds ratio that defined the decile with the lowest AF prevalence as reference was calculated in each sex. In men, the mean UA was 6.0±1.4 mg/dl; AF prevalence was 1.8% and was lowest in the decile with UA 4.4-4.9 mg/dl. Deciles with both high and low UA (5.4-5.6 mg/dl to >7.8 mg/dl and <4.3 mg/dl) were associated with significantly higher AF prevalence. In women, the mean UA was 4.5±1.1 mg/dl; AF prevalence was 0.7% and was lowest in the decile with UA 3.6-3.8 mg/dl. Deciles with highest UA (5.0-5.2 mg/dl to >5.9 mg/dl) were associated with significantly higher AF prevalence. The analysis adjusted for other clinical covariates demonstrated an independent association between UA and AF in both sexes. CONCLUSIONS: In a representative Japanese general population, UA level was significantly associated with AF, independently of other cardiovascular risk factors. (Circ J 2016; 80: 2453-2459).

Relationship between defecation status and blood pressure level or blood pressure variability.

Blood pressure variability is an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease. Defecation status has also been associated with the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to investigate the association between blood pressure variability and defecation status. A total of 184 participants who could measure their home blood pressure for at least 8 days monthly, both at baseline and 1 year later, were included in this study. All participants had their home blood pressure measured using HEM-9700T (OMRON Healthcare). Day-to-day variability of systolic blood pressure was assessed using the coefficient of variation of home systolic blood pressure during 1 month. Data on defecation status was obtained using a questionnaire survey. Eighty-nine patients had an elevated coefficient of variation at 1 year. The proportion of participants with elevated coefficient of variation at 1 year was significantly higher in the no daily bowel movement group than in the daily bowel movement group (72% vs. 42%, P = 0.001). In multivariable logistic regression analysis with the elevated coefficient of variation at 1 year as the objective variable and age, sex, no daily bowel movement, taking medications, including antihypertensive drugs, laxatives, and intestinal preparations, and coefficient of variation at baseline as independent variables, no daily bowel movement was independently associated with the elevated coefficient of variation at 1 year (odds ratio: 3.81, 95% confidence interval: 1.64-8.87, P = 0.0019). In conclusion, no daily bowel movement was independently associated with elevated day-to-day blood pressure variability at 1 year. Relationship between defecation status and blood pressure level or blood pressure variability.

Association between anthropometric indices and 5-year hypertension incidence in the general Japanese population.

No existing reports demonstrate the association between anthropometric indices (body mass index, waist circumference, body roundness index, a body shape index) and hypertension according to sex and age in the general Japanese population. This retrospective analysis involved individuals aged 30-69 years who underwent annual medical checkups at Kagoshima Koseiren Hospital in 2005-2019, and who did not meet hypertension criteria at baseline. The outcome was hypertension incidence after 5 years, and its association with baseline anthropometric indices was evaluated using multivariable logistic regression analysis by sex and age. In 41,902 participants (age 52.3 ± 10.2 years, 47.7% men), 7622 individuals (18.2%) developed hypertension after 5 years. Body mass index, waist circumference, and body roundness index were significantly associated with the development of hypertension in both men and women across all age categories from 30 s to 60 s. In the population with a body mass index <25 kg/m2, waist circumference and body roundness index were significantly associated with hypertension after 5 years. A body shape index was significantly associated with the development of hypertension in men in their 40 s and 50 s but not in women of any age group. The area under the curve values were lower for a body shape index than for body mass index, waist circumference, and body roundness index in both men and women of all age groups. A body shape index was not a stronger indicator for 5-year hypertension incidence than body mass index, waist circumference, or body roundness index in both men and women across age groups from their 30s-60 s. The results of this study will help to more efficiently identify populations at high risk of developing hypertension and provide preventive interventions. A total of 41,902 participants from health checkup programs were stratified by gender and age to investigate the association between baseline anthropometric indices and hypertension incidence over a 5-year period. BMI, WC, and BRI were almost equally effective and showed a better association with risk of developing hypertension in women and young adults compared to men and old adults. Conversely, ABSI showed no greater association than BMI or WC in any age group in both men and women. ABSI, a body shape index; AUC, area under the curve from receiver operating characteristic curve analysis; BMI, body mass index; BRI, body roundness index; WC, waist circumference.

Triglyceride-glucose index predicts future chronic kidney disease development in all populations, including normotensive and isolated diastolic hypertension.

Hypertension and insulin resistance are established risk factors for chronic kidney disease. However, the association between chronic kidney disease and insulin resistance in detailed hypertension pattern groups such as isolated diastolic hypertension remains unclear. Triglyceride-glucose index has been noted as an indicator of insulin resistance. This study investigated the association between the triglyceride-glucose index and chronic kidney disease in four blood pressure groups: isolated diastolic hypertension, isolated systolic hypertension, systolic diastolic hypertension, and normotension. Using a database of 41,811 middle-aged men who had two or more annual health checkups from 2007 to 2019, those with chronic kidney disease at the first visit, antihypertensive/diabetes/dyslipidemia medication users, and incomplete data were excluded. Four groups were categorized using the 140/90 mmHg threshold. A COX proportional hazards model was used to assess the triglyceride-glucose index with incident chronic kidney disease. Participants were divided: isolated diastolic hypertension: 2207 (6.72%), isolated systolic hypertension: 2316 (7.06%), systolic-diastolic hypertension: 3299 (10.05%), normal: 24,996 (76.17%). The follow-up period was 6.78 years. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs per unit increase in triglyceride-glucose index: isolated diastolic hypertension (HR = 1.31, 95% CI (1.06-1.62)), isolated systolic hypertension (HR = 1.36, 95% CI (1.12-1.64)), systolic-diastolic hypertension (HR = 1.40, 95% CI (1.19-1.64)), normal (HR = 1.18, 95% CI (1.09-1.28)). Triglyceride-glucose index is relevant for predicting chronic kidney disease development in all subtypes of hypertension. The results may lead to early prediction and prevention of the development of chronic kidney disease.

Associations of eating out and dietary diversity with mild cognitive impairment among in community-dwelling older adults.

Background: Dementia is a critical later life health issue that occurs among members of aging societies. This study examined the relationships between eating out, dietary diversity, and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among community-dwelling older adults. Methods: We analyzed data from 597 older adults (median age 73.0 years [interquartile range 69.0-78.0] and 62.6% females). We applied the Food Frequency Score (FFS) to evaluate diet variety and the weekly consumption frequencies of ten food items were determined. The Functional Assessment Tool from the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology was used to evaluate MCI. Finally, we asked the participants how often they ate out each month; those who replied 'none' were categorized into the "non-eating out" group. Results: The overall prevalence of MCI was 122 (20.4%), with a higher prevalence in the low dietary diversity group than in the high dietary diversity group (28.6% vs. 18.6%). After adjusting for covariates, the participants who self-described as not eating out were independently associated with low dietary diversity (odds ratio [OR]: 1.97, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.20-3.20), while low dietary diversity was associated with MCI (OR: 1.72, 95% CI: 1.02-2.87). Structural equation models revealed that not eating out had no direct effect on MCI but was associated with MCI via low dietary diversity (root mean square error of approximation = 0.030, goodness-of-fit index=0.999, and adjusted goodness-of-fit index = 0.984). Conclusions: Although non-eating out may not have a direct effect on MCI, an indirect relationship may exist between eating-out habits and MCI via dietary diversity status.

Simple risk scoring using sinus rhythm electrocardiograms predicts the incidence of atrial fibrillation in the general population.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an arrhythmic disease. Prediction of AF development in healthy individuals is important before serious complications occur. We aimed to develop a risk prediction score for future AF using participants' data, including electrocardiogram (ECG) measurements and information such as age and sex. We included 88,907 Japanese participants, aged 30-69 years, who were randomly assigned to derivation and validation cohorts in a ratio of 1:1. We performed multivariate logistic regression analysis and obtained the standardised beta coefficient of relevant factors and assigned scores to them. We created a score based on prognostic factors for AF to predict its occurrence after five years and applied it to validation cohorts to assess its reproducibility. The risk score ranged from 0 to 17, consisting of age, sex, PR prolongation, QT corrected for heart rate prolongation, left ventricular hypertrophy, premature atrial contraction, and left axis deviation. The area under the curve was 0.75 for the derivation cohort and 0.73 for the validation cohort. The incidence of new-onset AF reached over 2% at 10 points of the risk score in both cohorts. Thus, in this study, we showed the possibility of predicting new-onset AF using ECG findings and simple information.

Sex-specific associations between serum uric acid levels and risk of hypertension for different diagnostic reference values of high blood pressure.

The association between uric acid (UA) and hyperuricemia with 5-year hypertension incidence using different blood pressure (BP) diagnostic references in men and women without cardiometabolic diseases is unknown. We used the checkup data from Kagoshima Kouseiren Hospital. All participants with hypertension or on BP medication, diabetes, dyslipidemia, obesity, estimated glomerular filtration rate<60 ml/min/1.73m2, metabolic syndrome, history of gout, and UA-lowering medication were excluded. UA was categorized into sex-specific quartiles and hyperuricemia was defined as UA > 7 mg/dl in men and UA > 6 mg/dl in women. We performed multivariate logistic regression to assess the effects of UA on hypertension development. The 5-year hypertension incidence was defined as subsets of BP ≥ 140/90 mmHg in cohort 1 and BP ≥ 130/80 mmHg in cohort 2. The study enrolled 21,443 participants (39.8%, men) in cohort 1 and 15,245 participants (36.5%, men) in cohort 2. The incidence of hypertension in cohorts 1 and 2 over 5 years was 16.3% and 29.7% in men and 10.9% and 21.4% in women, respectively. When comparing the fourth to the first UA quartile, there was an association with hypertension in men in cohort 1, with odds ratio (OR): 1.36 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13-1.63, p < 0.01) and cohort 2, OR: 1.31 (95%CI, 1.09-1.57, p < 0.01), respectively, but not in women. Additionally, an association between hyperuricemia and hypertension was observed in men only in cohort 1, with OR: 1.23 (95%CI, 1.07-1.42, p = 0.02), and in women in cohort 2, OR: 1.57 (95%CI, 1.14-2.16, p < 0.01). The effect of UA on the development of hypertension is influenced by sex and incidence differs with the BP reference used. Uric acid effect on the development of hypertension is affected by sex and incidence differs with the BP reference used.