Association of change in cardiovascular health based on life's essential 8 with incident cardiovascular disease.

Objective: To evaluate whether and to what extent changes in cardiovascular health (CVH) based on life's essential 8 (LE8) are associated with incident cardiovascular disease (CVD). Methods: A total of 7,194 participants were derived from UK Biobank. CVH was evaluated using a modified version of LE8. Participants were classified into three groups according to their LE8 score: high CVH (LE8 score≥80), moderate CVH (50≤LE8 score<80), and low CVH (LE8 score<50). Changes in CVH between 2006/2010 and 2012/2013 were analyzed. Results: During a median of 10.3 years of follow-up, CVD was observed in 597 participants. Compared to the consistent moderate group, the moderate to low group was associated with about 128 % increased risk of CVD (Hazard ratio [HR]: 2.28; 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.61, 3.23), and the relevant HR (95 % CI) was 2.19 (1.46, 3.29) for the consistent low group; no statistically significant results were observed in the other groups. Moreover, no statistically significant exposure-response association between absolute change in LE8 score and incident CVD was documented (Poverall=0.15). Conclusion: Change in CVH based on LE8 was associated with the risk of CVD; however, the relationship varied widely in different CVH change patterns.

Association between Longitudinal Change of Sleep Patterns and the Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To investigate the role of longitudinal change of sleep patterns in the incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). METHODS: Based on UK Biobank, a total of 18,172 participants were enrolled. Five dimensions of healthy sleep including early chronotype, sleep 7-8 hours/day, free of insomnia, no snoring, and no frequent excessive daytime sleepiness were used to generate a healthy sleep score (HSS) ranging from 0 to 5. Corresponding to the HSS of 0-1, 2-3, and 4-5, the poor, intermediate, and healthy sleep pattern were defined. Based on changes of HSS across assessment 1 and 2, we calculated the absolute difference of HSS. For the change of sleep patterns, we categorized five profiles (stable healthy, worsening, stable intermediate, optimizing, and stable poor sleep patterns). The outcomes were incidence of CVD including coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke. We assessed the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) by Cox hazard models. RESULTS: Compared with participants with stable poor pattern, those who improved their sleep pattern or maintained the healthy sleep pattern had a 26% and 32% lower risk of CVD, respectively. Stable healthy sleep pattern was associated with a 29% and 44% reduced risk of CHD and stroke. Per unit longitudinal increment of the HSS was related to an 8% lower risk of CVD and CHD. Compared with individuals with constant HSS, those with decreased HSS had a 13% higher risk of developing CVD. CONCLUSION: Optimizing sleep pattern and maintaining the healthy sleep pattern may reduce the risk of CVD.

Social isolation and loneliness with risk of cardiometabolic multimorbidity: A prospective cohort study from UK Biobank.

The pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 resulted in an increased prevalence of social isolation and loneliness. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to test the association between social isolation/loneliness, multiple cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs) and cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CMM). In the multivariable adjusted models, compared with the least isolated, the most isolated had independently associated with CMD (HR 1.07, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.11) and CMM (HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.36) in stage I, and CMM in stage II (HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.23). Compared with those with the least loneliness, those who with most loneliness had about 20% increased risk of CMD and 29% increased risk of CMM in stage I. Those with the most loneliness were also significantly associated with increased CMM risk (HR 1.30, 95% CI 1.19 to 1.42) in stage II. This study revealed the associations of social isolation/loneliness with CMD and CMM.

Parental cardiometabolic multimorbidity and subsequent cardiovascular incidence in middle-aged adults: A prospective cohort study.

Background: The prevalence of cardiometabolic multimorbidity, defined as the coexistence of two or three cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs), including coronary heart disease (CHD), diabetes, and stroke, has increased rapidly in recent years, but the additive association between parental cardiometabolic multimorbidity and cardiovascular incidence in middle-aged adults remains unclear. Methods: All the data analysed in this study were derived from the UK Biobank, and a total of 71,923 participants aged 40-55 years old without CVD were included in the main analyses. A weighted score was developed and grouped participants into four parental CMDs patterns: non-CMD, low burden, middle burden, and high burden. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the associations between parental CMDs pattern and CVD incidence before 65 years old. Improvement in CVD risk prediction by adding parental CMDs pattern to a basic model was evaluated. Results: Among the 71,923 participants, 3070 CVD events were observed during a median 12.04 years of follow-up. Compared to non-CMD groups, adults in high burden group had a 94% (73-117%) increased risk of CVD. The restricted cubic spline analysis revealed an exposure-response association between parental CMDs burden and risk of CVD (Pnonlinear = 0.24). Additionally, models involving parental CMDs pattern showed slightly improvements in CVD risk prediction, especially for CHD. Conclusion: An increased burden of parental CMDs was associated with an increased risk of CVD incidence in middle-aged adults. Parental CMDs pattern may provide valuable information in primary prevention of CVD in middle-aged adults.

Genome-wide association study of cardiometabolic multimorbidity in the UK Biobank.

Considering the high prevalence and poor prognosis of cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CMM), identifying causal factors and actively implementing preventive measures is crucial. However, Mendelian randomization (MR), a key method for identifying the causal factors of CMM, requires knowledge of the effects of SNPs on CMM, which remain unknown. We first analyzed the genetic overlap of single cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs) using the latest genome-wide association study (GWAS) for evidential support and comparison. We observed strong positive genetic correlations and shared loci among all CMDs. Further, GWAS and post-GWAS analyses of CMM were performed in 407 949 European ancestry individuals from the UK Biobank. Eleven loci and 12 lead SNPs were identified. By comparison, we found these SNPs were a subset of SNPs associated with CMDs, including both shared and non-shared SNPs. Then, the polygenic risk score model predicted the risk of CMM (C-index = 0.62) and we identified candidate genes related to lipid metabolism and immune function. Finally, as an example, two-sample MR analysis based on the GWAS revealed potential causal effects of total cholesterol, serum urate, body mass index, and smoking on CMM. These results provide a basis for future MR research and inspire future studies on the mechanism and prevention of CMM.

Assessment of Bidirectional Relationships between Frailty and Mental Disorders: A Bidirectional Mendelian Randomization Study.

OBJECTIVES: Although observational studies have reported the association between frailty and mental disorders, the causality remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the bidirectional causal association between frailty levels and mental disorders using a 2-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. DESIGN: A bidirectional, 2-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Instrumental variables were obtained from large-scale genome-wide association study (GWAS) of a European-descent population for frailty index (FI, n = 175,226), Fried Frailty Score (FFS, n = 386,565), major depressive disorder (MDD, n = 674,452), bipolar disorder (n = 353,899), anxiety and stress-related disorder (ASRD, n = 31,880), and schizophrenia (n = 127,906). METHODS: Two-sample MR analyses were conducted using inverse variance-weighted method, with sensitivity analyses using MR-Egger, weighted median, and simple median methods. RESULTS: Per SD increase in genetically predicted FI and FFS increased the risk of MDD [odds ratio (OR) 1.56, 95% CI 1.27-1.94, P = 3.65 × 10-5, and OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.26-2.20, P = 3.02 × 10-4, respectively]. Per-SD increase in genetically predicted FI also increased the risk of ASRD (OR 2.76, 95% CI 1.36-5.60, P = .005). No significant effect was observed for frailty levels on the risk of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. In the reverse direction, genetically predicted MDD was associated with higher FI (ß 0.182, 95% CI 0.087-0.277, P = 1.79 × 10-4) and FFS (ß 0.121, 95% CI 0.087-0.155, P = 4.43 × 10-12). No reliable evidence supported the effects of genetically predicted bipolar disorder, ASRD, or schizophrenia on frailty levels. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: A bidirectionally causal association exists between frailty levels and MDD, and higher FI is associated with a higher risk of ASRD. No reliable evidence suggested the causal associations of other mental disorders with frailty. Our findings provided evidence for introduction of psychological-related strategies in management of frailty.

Global Deaths Associated with Population Aging - 1990-2019.

Introduction: Published global and country-specific deaths associated with population aging are based on decomposition methods that have significant limitations. Methods: A new decomposition method was developed and its performance was compared with two frequently used methods. The new method was employed to calculate global deaths associated with population aging between 1990 and 2019, using estimates from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 (GBD 2019). Results: Compared to the two frequently-used existing methods, the new decomposition method generated results that are more consistent with logical expectations. Using the new method, the number of global deaths associated with population aging between 1990 and 2019 was 23.3 million. Upper middle-income countries accounted for 43% of global deaths related to population aging. The most deaths associated with population aging occurred from three types of disease: ischemic heart disease (5.0 million), stroke (3.8 million), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (2.2 million). China, India, Japan, the United States of America, and Brazil had the largest number of deaths related to population aging. Loss related to population aging was completely or partially counteracted by the reduction in mortality in 195 of the 200 countries and territories experiencing population aging (97.5%). Conclusions: The new decomposition method achieves more justifiable results associated with population aging than existing methods. Globally, population aging was associated with a substantial increase of deaths between 1990 and 2019, but it was totally or partially offset by the reduction in mortality in 97.5% of countries and territories.

Joint associations of asthma and sleep duration with cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality: a prospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the joint association of asthma and sleep duration with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality risk. METHODS: This prospective cohort study included 366,387 participants from the UK Biobank. The participants were divided into three groups based on their sleep duration (short: <7 h/d; referent: 65+ years: 7-8 h/d; ages 39-64 years: 7-9 h/d; and long: 65+ years: >8 h/d; ages 39-64 years: >9 h/d). Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the association between asthma and sleep duration on CVD and all-cause mortality. RESULTS: Participants with asthma and short sleep duration showed increased risk of CVD (hazard ratio [HR] 1.42; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.34-1.51) and all-cause mortality (HR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.17-1.36), compared with participants with no asthma in the referent sleep duration group. We documented significant additive interactions between asthma and short sleep duration in relation to CVD (relative excess risk due to interaction [RERI], 0.13; 95% CI, 0.04-0.23) and all-cause mortality (RERI, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.01-0.23). CONCLUSIONS: Asthma and short sleep duration may have additive interactions on CVD and all-cause mortality risk, highlighting the importance of controlling asthma in combination with improving sleep duration.

Computed tomographic manifestations of celiac ganglia between hypertensive and non-hypertensive population.

The celiac ganglion (CG) is associated with the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and plays an important role in the pathogenesis of hypertension. The characteristics of the CG in patients with hypertension remain unknown. The aim of our study was to explore the differences in celiac ganglia (CGs) characteristics between hypertensive and non-hypertensive populations using computed tomography (CT). CGs manifestations on multidetector row CT in 1003 patients with and without hypertension were retrospectively analyzed. The morphological characteristics and CT values of the left CGs were recorded. The CT values of the ipsilateral adrenal gland (AG) and crus of the diaphragm (CD) were also measured. The left CG was located between the left AG and CD, and most CGs were long strips. The frequency of visualization of the left CGs was higher in the hypertension group than in the non-hypertension group (p < .05). There were no significant differences in the maximum diameter, size, and shape ratio of the left CGs between the two groups (p > .05). Except for the left CG in the arterial phase, the CT values of the left CG and AG in the non-hypertensive group were higher than those in the hypertension group (p < .05). The venous phase enhancement of the left CG in the non-hypertension group was significantly higher than that in the hypertension group (p < .05). Our findings reveal that CGs have characteristic manifestations in the hypertensive population. As important targets of the SNS, CGs have the potential to regulate blood pressure.

Frailty, an Independent Risk Factor in Progression Trajectory of Cardiometabolic Multimorbidity: A Prospective Study of UK Biobank.

BACKGROUND: Although frailty was associated with cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs, including coronary heart disease, stroke, and diabetes here), there was no systematic analyses estimating its role in incidence, progression, and prognosis of cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CMM). METHODS: We included 351 205 participants without CMDs at baseline in UK Biobank. Occurrences of first CMD, CMM, and death were recorded. We used multistate models to assess transition-specific role of baseline frailty measured by frailty phenotype and frailty index in CMM progression trajectory from no disease to single CMD, CMM, and death. Association between changes in frailty and outcomes was investigated among 17 264 participants. RESULTS: Among 351 205 participants (44.0% male, mean age 56.55 years), 8 190 (2.3%) had frail phenotype, and 13 615 (3.9%) were moderate/severe frail according to the frailty index. During median follow-up of 13.11 years, 41 558 participants experienced ≥1 CMD, 4 952 had CMM, and 20 670 died. In multistate models, frail phenotype-related hazard ratios were 1.94 and 2.69 for transitions from no CMD to single disease and death, 1.63 and 1.67 for transitions from single CMD to CMM and death, and 1.57 for transitions from CMM to death (all p < .001). Consistent results were observed for frailty index. Improvement of frailty reduced the risk of CMD progression and death. CONCLUSIONS: Frailty is an independent risk factor for all transitions of CMM progression trajectory. Frailty-targeted management is a potential strategy for primary and secondary prevention of CMM beyond chronological age.

The association between sleep characteristics and the risk of all-cause mortality among individuals with cardiometabolic multimorbidity: a prospective study of UK Biobank.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To investigate the implications of both sleep factors and sleep patterns on the prognosis of cardiometabolic multimorbidity. METHODS: From UK Biobank, individuals with cardiometabolic multimorbidity , defined as the coincidence of at least 2 cardiometabolic diseases (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, and stroke) were included in this study. Four low-risk sleep factors, including early chronotype, sleep 7-8 h/d, free of insomnia, and no frequent excessive daytime sleepiness, were used to generate a healthy sleep score ranging from 0 to 4. Participants with a score of 0-1, 2, 3-4 were clustered into groups with poor, intermediate, and healthy sleep pattern, respectively. We assessed the adjusted hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for all-cause mortality using the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: Among included 35,757 participants, the mean age (standard deviation)) was 61.82 (6.3) years. After full adjustment, early chronotype, sleep 7-8 h/d, no frequent excessive daytime sleepiness, and free of insomnia were independently associated with 8%, 12%, 11%, and 8% lower risk of all-cause mortality among all persons with cardiometabolic multimorbidity. We found the fully adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) for all-cause mortality was 0.90 (0.88-0.92) for a 1-point increase in the healthy sleep score. Compared with the reference group, participants with the intermediate and healthy sleep pattern had 9% and 23% lower risk of all-cause death, respectively, in the fully adjusted model. CONCLUSIONS: A healthy sleep pattern combining 4 low-risk sleep factors could be regarded as a healthy lifestyle for individuals with cardiometabolic multimorbidity to lower the risk of all-cause mortality. CITATION: He L, Ma T, Cheng X, Bai Y. The association between sleep characteristics and the risk of all-cause mortality among individuals with cardiometabolic multimorbidity: a prospective study of UK Biobank. J Clin Sleep Med. 2023;19(4):651-658.

Use of fish oil and mortality of patients with cardiometabolic multimorbidity: A prospective study of UK biobank.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CMM) has risen as a global issue of public health, with an in-creasing prevalence and more severe clinical prognosis. This study aimed to estimate the association between use of fish oil and mortality among patients with CMM. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this prospective study based on UK Biobank, participants with ≥2 of cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs, including coronary heart disease [CHD], diabetes, hypertension, and stroke in this study) at recruitment were included. Use of fish oil was derived from touchscreen questionnaires at baseline. All-cause and cardiovascular mortality were accessed via electronic health-related records. Kaplan-Meier curves and flexible parametric Royston-Parmar proportion-hazard models were fitted to assess the as-sociations of fish-oil use with all-cause, cardiovascular mortality, and related life expectancy alterations. Among 30 068 participants from UK Biobank (67.9% men; mean age 61.75 years), 5357 deaths were reported during 12.03 years of follow-up. For patients with CMM, use of fish oil was associated with a 17% lower risk of all-cause mortality (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.78-0.88, P < 0.001), and 19% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality (95% CI 0.72-0.90, P < 0.001) in multivariable-adjusted models. At 45 years old, using fish oil was associated with 1.66 years of life expectancy gained. CONCLUSION: Among patients with CMM, use of fish oil was associated with a significantly reduced risk of all-cause, cardiovascular mortality, and prolonged life expectancy.

The Impact of Different Antihypertensive Drugs on Cardiovascular Risk in Isolated Systolic Hypertension with Type 2 Diabetes Patients.

BACKGROUNDS: Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB), angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI), calcium channel blocker (CCB) and thiazide diuretics (TD) are common antihypertensive drugs for diabetes patients with hypertension. The purpose of this study was to compare the cardiovascular risks of these drugs in patients with isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: We used Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes trial data to explore the relationship between antihypertensive drugs and cardiovascular risks in ISH with T2DM patients by performing propensity score matching, Kaplan-Meier survival analyses and Cox proportional regression. RESULTS: The cumulative incidence rates of primary outcomes (PO, including cardiovascular mortality, non-fatal myocardial infarction and non-fatal stroke) in the ARB use group were significantly lower than those without (hazard ratio (HR) 0.53; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.34-0.83; p = 0.006). However, for ACEI, CCB and TD, they were negligible (ACEI: p = 0.209; CCB: p = 0.245; TD: p = 0.438). ARB decreased cardiovascular mortality (CM) in PO rather than non-fatal myocardial infarction (NMI) and non-fatal stroke (NST) (CM: HR 0.32; 95%CI 0.18-0.90; p = 0.004; NMI: p = 0.692; NST: p = 0.933). CONCLUSION: ARB may alleviate the cardiovascular risks in ISH with T2DM patients, but ACEI, CCB, and TD did not.

The individual and joint associations of depression and sleep duration with cardiometabolic diseases and mortality: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Depression and sleep duration were only mutually adjusted in a few studies, and it is unknown whether these two factors are independent or overlapping risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs) and mortality. This study aimed to evaluate the individual and joint associations of depression and sleep duration with CMDs and mortality. METHODS: A total of 261,297 participants who were free of CMD at baseline were included. Sleep duration was divided into three groups (short: <7 h/day, referent: ages 39-64 years: 7-9 h/day; ages 65+ years: 7-8 h/day, and long: ages 39-64 years: >9 h/day; ages 65+ years: >8 h/day). The main outcomes were hypertension, stroke, CHD, DM, all-cause mortality, and cardiovascular mortality. RESULTS: Among the 261,297 participants, depression and short or long sleep duration were independently associated with increased risk of CMDs and mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 1.10-1.38) when they were mutually adjusted, except for the association between short sleep duration and stroke (HR, 1.03; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.97-1.10). We documented significant additive interactions between depression and short sleep duration in relation to all-cause mortality (relative excess risk due to interaction [RERI], 0.19; 95% CI, 0.02-0.37) and CHD (RERI, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.11-0.48). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, depression and short or long sleep duration were independently associated with an increased risk of CMDs and mortality. We also observed significant additive interactions between depression and short sleep duration in relation to all-cause mortality and CHD.

Association between healthy lifestyle and the occurrence of cardiometabolic multimorbidity in hypertensive patients: a prospective cohort study of UK Biobank.

BACKGROUND: Cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CMM) is becoming increasingly common in patients with hypertension, and it is well established that healthy lifestyle plays a key role in the prevention of hypertension. However, the association between combined lifestyle factors and CMM in patients with hypertension is uncertain. METHODS: This prospective analysis included the data (obtained from the UK biobank) of participants with hypertension who did not have coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, or diabetes. The outcome was the occurrence of CMM, defined as ≥ 1 disease of CHD, stroke, and diabetes that occurred in participants with hypertension. Four lifestyle factors (smoking, alcohol consumption, diet, and physical activity) were assessed using a weighted healthy lifestyle score, and participants were divided into four groups: the very unhealthy, unhealthy, healthy, and very healthy groups. The flexible parameter Royston-Parmar proportional hazard model was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) between lifestyles and CMM, as well as the difference in CMM-free life expectancy. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 12.2 years, 9812 (18.4%) of the 53,397 hypertensive patients occurred CMM. Compared with the very unhealthy group, the very healthy group had a 41% reduction in the risk for CMM in hypertensive patients and a 32-50% reduction in the risk for specific cardiometabolic diseases such as CHD, stroke, and diabetes. For each lifestyle factor, non-smoking had the greatest protective effect against CMM (HR: 0.64, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.60-0.68). A lifestyle combining multiple healthy factors extended CMM-free life expectancy (e.g., six years longer at age 45 years for participants in the very healthy group). CONCLUSIONS: Combined healthy lifestyle factors were associated with a lower risk for CMM in hypertensive patients. This suggests that combined healthy lifestyle should be supported to decrease disease burden.

Association between single and multiple cardiometabolic diseases and depression: A cross-sectional study of 391,083 participants from the UK biobank.

Background: Individual cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs) are associated with an increased risk of depression, but it's unclear whether having more than one CMD is associated with accumulative effects on depression. We aimed to assess the associations between CMDs and depression and determine the accumulative extent. Methods: In this cross-sectional study based on UK Biobank, participants with available information on CMDs and depression were enrolled. The history of CMDs was derived from self-reported medical history and electrical health-related records. Depression status was assessed by the aggregation of self-reported history and antidepressant use, depression (Smith), and hospital inpatient diagnoses. Logistic regression models were fitted to assess the association between the number or specific patterns of CMDs and depression and to test the accumulative effect of CMD number, adjusting for confounding factors. Results: 391,083 participants were enrolled in our analyses. After multivariable adjustments, CMDs of different number or patterns were associated with a higher risk of depression compared with the reference group (all P < 0.001). In the full-adjusted model, participants with one [odds ratio (OR) 1.26, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.23-1.29], two (OR 1.50, 95% CI 1.44-1.56), and three or more (OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.97-2.30) CMD(s) had an increased risk of depression. A significant, accumulative dose-related relationship between the number of CMDs and depression was observed (OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.24-1.27). The dose-dependent accumulative relationship was consistent in stratified analyses and sensitivity analyses. Conclusions: CMDs were associated with a higher risk of depression, and there was an accumulative relationship between CMD number and depression.

Associations between consumption of three types of beverages and risk of cardiometabolic multimorbidity in UK Biobank participants: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Although the association between beverages and a single cardiometabolic disease has been well studied, their role in disease progression from the single cardiometabolic disease state to cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CMM) state remains unclear. This study examined the associations between three types of beverages: sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), artificially sweetened beverages (ASBs), and pure fruit/vegetable juices, and the incidence of CMM in patients with a single cardiometabolic disease. METHODS: Our analysis included 37,994 participants from the UK Biobank who completed at least one dietary questionnaire and were diagnosed with only one cardiometabolic disease at the time of recruitment. Competing risk models were used to examine the association between the three types of beverages and incidence of CMM. We conducted analysis both in patients with any single cardiometabolic disease and in patients with specific cardiometabolic disease. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 9.1 years (interquartile range [IQR] 9.0-9.8), a total of 6399 participants developed CMM. The consumption of SSBs and ASBs (>1 serving per day) was associated with a higher risk of CMM (SSBs: hazard ratio [HR] 1.19, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.08-1.31; ASBs: HR 1.15, 95% CI 1.04-1.27). Intake of pure fruit/vegetable juices was inversely associated with the incidence of CMM (0-1 serving per day: HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.85-0.94; >1 serving per day: HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.81-0.99). However, the association of the high-level consumption of pure fruit/vegetable juices (>1 serving per day) was not statistically significant after correcting for multiple testing. In the analysis of patients with specific cardiometabolic diseases, positive associations were observed in patients with hypertension for SSBs consumption, while inverse associations persisted in patients with cardiovascular disease (coronary heart disease or stroke) and in hypertensive patients for pure fruit/vegetable juice consumption. CONCLUSIONS: Consuming >1 serving of SSBs and ASBs per day was associated with a higher risk of CMM in patients with a single cardiometabolic disease. In contrast, intake of pure fruit/vegetable juices was inversely associated with the risk of CMM. Our findings highlight the need to limit the use of SSBs and ASBs in patients with a single cardiometabolic disease.

Shift Work and the Risk of Cardiometabolic Multimorbidity Among Patients With Hypertension: A Prospective Cohort Study of UK Biobank.

Background Although the association between shift work and individual cardiometabolic diseases has been well studied, its role in the progression to cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CMM) remains unclear. In this study, we investigate the association between shift work and the incidence of CMM in patients with hypertension. Methods and Results This study is a population-based and prospective cohort study on 36 939 UK Biobank participants. We used competing risk models to examine the association between shift work and the risk of CMM, which was defined as coexistence of hypertension and diabetes, coronary heart disease, or stroke in our study. We also investigated the association between the frequency and duration of shift work and CMM risks. In addition, we conducted a cross-classification analysis with the combination of frequency and duration of shift work, chronotype and sleep duration as the exposure metrics. During a median follow-up of 11.6 years, a total of 5935 participants developed CMM. We found that usually/always night shift workers were associated with a 16% higher risk of CMM compared with day workers (hazard ratio [HR], 1.16 [95% CI, 1.02-1.31]). We also found that a higher frequency of night shifts (>10/month) was associated with increased risk of CMM (HR, 1.19 [95% CI, 1.06-1.34]) that was more pronounced for >10/month in combination with a morning chronotype or <7 hours or >8 hours of sleep duration (HR, 1.26 [95% CI, 1.02-1.56]; HR, 1.43 [95% CI, 1.19-1.72], respectively). Conclusions We find that night shift work is associated with higher CMM risk in patients with hypertension.

Increased Mortality Trends in Patients With Chronic Non-communicable Diseases and Comorbid Hypertension in the United States, 2000-2019.

Background: According to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), countries are required to reduce the mortality rates of four main non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), diabetes mellitus (DM), chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs), and cancer (CA), by one-third in 2030 from the 2015 level. However, progress fell short of expectations, partly attributed to the high rates of hypertension-related NCD mortality. This study aimed to investigate the mortality trends of SDG-targeted NCDs with comorbid hypertension. In addition, the disparities in mortality rates among different demographic subgroups were further explored. Methods: Mortality data from 2000 to 2019 were acquired from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States. SDG-targeted NCDs were considered the underlying causes of death, and hypertension was considered a multiple cause of death. Permutation tests were performed to determine the time points of Joinpoints for mortality trends. The annual percent changes and average annual percent changes (AAPCs), as well as 95% confidence intervals (CIs), were calculated to demonstrate the temporary trend of mortality rates overall and by age, sex, ethnicity, and region. Results: The hypertension-related DM, CRD, and CA mortality rates increased over the 20 years, of which the AAPCs were 2.0% (95% CI: 1.4%, 2.6%), 3.2% (95% CI: 2.8%, 3.6%), and 2.1% (95% CI: 1.6%, 2.6%), respectively. Moreover, despite decreasing between 2005 and 2015, the hypertension-related CVD mortality rate increased from 2015 to 2019 [APC: 1.3% (95% CI: 0.7%, 1.9%)]. The increased trends were consistent across most age groups. Mortality rates among men were higher and increased faster than those among women. The hypertension-related CVD, DM, and CA mortality rates among African American people were higher than those among White people. The increased mortality rates in rural areas, especially in rural south, were higher than those in urban areas. Conclusion: In the United States, the hypertension-related DM, CRD, and CA mortality rates increased between 2000 and 2019, as well as hypertension-related CVD mortality between 2015 and 2019. Disparities existed among different sexes, ethnicities, and areas. Actions to prevent and manage hypertension among patients with NCDs are required to reduce the high mortality rates and minimize disparities.

Association of Healthy Lifestyle and Life Expectancy in Patients With Cardiometabolic Multimorbidity: A Prospective Cohort Study of UK Biobank.

Background: The prevalence of cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CMM), which significantly increases the risk of mortality, is increasing globally. However, the role of healthy lifestyle in the secondary prevention of CMM is unclear. Methods: In total, 290,795 participants with CMM, which was defined as coexistence of at least two of hypertension (HTN), diabetes mellitus (DM), coronary heart disease (CHD), and stroke (ST), and those without these four diseases at baseline were derived from UK Biobank. The associations between specific CMM patterns and mortality, and that between healthy lifestyle (including physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, and vegetable and fruit consumption) and mortality in patients with specific CMM patterns were calculated using the flexible parametric Royston-Parmar proportion-hazard model. Hazard ratios (HRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Results: During a median 12.3-year follow up period, 15,537 (5.3%) deaths occurred. Compared with participants without cardiometabolic diseases, the HRs for all-cause mortality were 1.54 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.30, 1.82] in participants with HTN + DM, 1.84 (95% CI: 1.59, 2.12) in those with HTN + CHD, 1.89 (95% CI: 1.46, 2.45) in those with HTN + ST, and 2.89 (95% CI: 2.28, 3.67) in those with HTN + DM + CHD. At the age of 45 years, non-current smoking was associated with an increase in life expectancy by 3.72, 6.95, 6.75, and 4.86 years for participants with HTN + DM, HTN + CHD, HTN + ST, and HTN + DM + CHD, respectively. A corresponding increase by 2.03, 1.95, 2.99, and 1.88 years, respectively, was observed in participants with regular physical activity. Non-/moderate alcohol consumption and adequate fruit/vegetable consumption were not significantly associated with life expectancy in patients with specific CMM patterns. Conclusion: Cardiometabolic multimorbidity was associated with an increased risk of mortality. Regular physical activity and non-current smoking can increase life expectancy in patients with specific CMM patterns.