Dietary patterns are associated with arterial stiffness and carotid atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women.

PURPOSE: The increase in cardiovascular risk after the menopausal transition remains partly explained until today. Further research is needed to identify risk factors potentially modifiable by primary prevention practices. This cross-sectional study, part of a larger prospective project, aims to investigate possible associations between dietary patterns and indices of vascular structure and function among healthy postmenopausal women. METHODS: Postmenopausal women (n = 310) without clinically overt cardiovascular disease were recruited consecutively from a University Menopause Clinic over three years. Dietary intake was assessed by a validated food frequency questionnaire and the MedDietScore. In addition, we assessed anthropometric/biochemical parameters, including the Triglyceride-glucose index (TyG-Index), body fat distribution [triceps skinfold (TSF), mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC)] and physical activity. The vascular assessment included carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV), carotid and femoral-artery intima-media thickness (IMT) and atheromatous plaques presence. RESULTS: Consumption of non-refined cereals was associated with carotid-bulb IMT (R2 = 5.5% b-coefficient = -0.142; p = 0.011), adjusting for age, physical activity, lipids, systolic blood pressure, smoking, body mass index, insulin resistance, and daily energy intake. PWV was associated with the intake of total dairy products (R2 = 27.3%, b-coefficient = -0.117; p = 0.017). Higher red meat consumption was related to a greater TyG-index (Model 1, R2 = 14.3%, b-coefficient=0.121; p = 0.048), an association mediated by total daily energy intake. Higher consumption of alcohol, as well as the MedDietScore, were inversely associated with TSF measurements, significant after Bonferroni correction. CONCLUSION: Dietary patterns are associated with metabolic indices and subclinical atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women independently of traditional cardiovascular risk factors, total energy intake or physical activity.

Daratumumab May Attenuate Cardiac Dysfunction Related to Carfilzomib in Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma: A Prospective Study.

Carfilzomib has improved survival in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM), but it may exert cardiovascular adverse events (CVAEs). The aim of this study was to assess whether treatment with daratumumab may ameliorate carfilzomib-related toxicity. We prospectively evaluated 25 patients with RRMM who received either daratumumab in combination with carfilzomib and dexamethasone (DaraKd) (n = 14) or Kd (n = 11). Cardiac ultrasound was performed before treatment initiation and C6D16 or at the time of treatment interruption. Patients were followed for a median of 10 months for CVAEs. The mean (± SD) age was 67.8 ± 7.6 years and 60% were men. The two treatment groups did not significantly differ in baseline demographic characteristics (p > 0.1 for all). In the DaraKd group, we did not observe any significant change in markers of ventricular systolic function. However, these markers deteriorated in the Kd group; left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction, LV global longitudinal strain, tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion and RV free wall longitudinal strain significantly decreased from baseline to second visit (p < 0.05). A significant group interaction (p < 0.05) was observed for the abovementioned changes. CVAEs occurred more frequently in the Kd than the DaraKd group (45% vs. 28.6%). DaraKd was associated with preserved post-treatment cardiac systolic function and lower CVAE rate compared with Kd. The clinical significance and the underlying mechanisms merit further investigation.

Physical activity is associated with lower arterial stiffness in normal-weight postmenopausal women.

The impact of physical exercise, as preventative measure, to control the progression of cardiovascular disease in midlife remains under investigation. We aimed to investigate the effect of different levels of intensity of physical activity on metabolic and vascular profile in healthy postmenopausal women. A total of 625 healthy postmenopausal women (mean age 57.7 ± 7.6 years) were evaluated using the short IPAQ questionnaire for quantification of physical activity. The energy expenditure was estimated in metabolic equivalent of energy (MET) hours per week. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) was measured as an index of arterial stiffness. Intima-media thickness of both right and left common carotid artery, carotid bulb and internal carotid artery, and combined carotid IMT were also assessed by non-invasive and well-validated methods. Mean values of PWV decreased linearly with increasing intensity of physical activity (classes of physical activity: sedentary vs walking vs moderate vs vigorous activity: 9.07 ± 1.22 m/s vs 9.12 ± 1.72 m/s vs 8.47 ± 1.31m/s vs 7.94 ± 0.40 m/s, ANOVA P for linear trend .003). In non-obese postmenopausal women, PWV values associated with: (a) the total number of METs (b-coefficient = -0.261, P = .002) as well as with SBP; (b) or with the number of moderate METs (b-coefficient = -0.192, P = .025) as well as with age and SBP. No significant associations were observed between the intensity of physical exercise and arterial stiffness in the overweight-obese group. Physical activity is negatively associated with arterial stiffness in postmenopausal women with normal weight. This association was not observed in overweight or obese women.

Reactive Vasodilation Predicts Mortality in Primary Systemic Light-Chain Amyloidosis.

Rationale: Cardiac involvement and hypotension dominate the prognosis of light-chain amyloidosis (AL). Evidence suggests that there is also peripheral vascular involvement in AL but its prognostic significance is unknown. Objective: To evaluate vascular dysfunction in patients with AL as a potential future area of intervention, we assessed the prognostic utility of flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), a marker of vascular reactivity, which is augmented under conditions of hypotension and autonomic dysfunction. Methods and Results: We prospectively evaluated 115 newly diagnosed untreated AL patients in whom FMD was measured. FMD in AL patients was significantly higher than age-, sex- and risk factors-matched controls (4.0% versus 2.32%; P=0.006) and comparable with control groups at lower cardiovascular risk (P>0.1). Amyloidosis patients presented increased plasma and exhaled markers of the NO pathway while their FMD significantly correlated with augmented sustained vasodilatation after sympathetic stimulation. Increased FMD (≥4.5%) was associated with early mortality (hazard ratio, 4.36; 95% CI, 1.41-13.5; P=0.010) and worse survival (hazard ratio, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.17-3.82; P=0.013), even after adjustment for Mayo stage, nerve involvement and low systolic blood pressure. This finding was confirmed in a temporal validation AL cohort (n=55; hazard ratio, 4.2; 95% CI, 1.45-12.3; P=0.008). FMD provided significant reclassification value over the best prognostic model (continuous Net Reclassification Index, 0.61; P=0.001). Finally, better hematologic response was associated with lower posttreatment FMD. Conclusions: FMD is relatively increased in AL and independently associated with inferior survival with substantial reclassification value. Reactive vasodilation merits further investigation as a novel risk biomarker in AL.Visual Overview: An online visual overview is available for this article.

Age-dependent association of pulse wave velocity with coronary artery disease and myocardial aging in high-risk patients.

AIMS: Progressive arterial stiffening, as a marker of arterial aging, may reach a plateau in elderly patients and may thus lose its clinical utility. This phenomenon may be more prominent in high-risk patients. We aimed to investigate if carotid-to-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV) is related to coronary artery disease (CAD) and diastolic dysfunction in elderly high-risk patients as compared to a control group of younger individuals. METHODS: One-hundred and ninety-two high-risk stable patients who underwent coronary artery angiography and assessment of cf-PWV were consecutively recruited. Indices of diastolic dysfunction were also measured by echocardiography, including the volume of the left atrium and the ratio of early transmitral peak velocity (E) to the mitral annular early diastolic velocity (E'). RESULTS: Increased cf-PWV was associated with the presence of CAD [odds ratio (OR) 1.34, P = 0.02], number of diseased coronary vessels (OR 1.17, P = 0.029) and CAD severity (P = 0.023) as assessed by Gensini score, in patients less than 65 years old after adjustment for traditional risk factors. Moreover, cf-PWV correlated with E/E' (P = 0.019) and increased the odds by 16% (OR 1.16, P = 0.048) for more severe diastolic dysfunction in patients aged below 65 years old. None of these outcomes correlated with cf-PWV in the elderly. CONCLUSION: In high cardiovascular risk patients, an age-dependent association of cf-PWV with CAD and diastolic dysfunction was evinced. In contrast to younger patients, these results suggest that measuring arterial stiffness in elderly high-risk patients may lack clinical value.