N-terminal prohormone B-type natriuretic peptide and cardiovascular risk in stable coronary artery disease: a meta-analysis of nine prospective studies.

To evaluate the prognostic value of N-terminal prohormone B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) for patients with stable coronary artery disease, we searched for all published English-language articles indexed in MEDLINE and PubMed through July 2011. Nine independent, prospective, cohort studies that assessed the association between NT-proBNP value and long-term prognosis were identified. The interested endpoints of this meta-analysis were all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality and cardiovascular events. A general variance-based method was used to pool the hazard ratio (HR). In a comparison of individuals in the top quartile with those in the bottom quartile of baseline values of NT-proBNP, the combined adjusted HR was 2.74 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.85-3.62). The combined HRs for the second and third quartiles compared with the first quartile were 1.33 (95% CI, 0.83-1.82) and 1.85 (95% CI, 1.23-2.48), respectively. In a subanalysis grouped by the median value, per 1 standard deviation increase or per 1000 pg/mL increase of NT-proBNP, the overall effect also showed that poor prognosis was significantly increased with the elevation of NT-proBNP (HR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.16-2.01). Available prospective studies indicated strong associations between the circulating concentration of NT-proBNP and long-term prognosis in patients with stable coronary artery disease.

Family factors influencing dietary behavior of primary and secondary sch ool students in Guangzhou city / 中华疾病控制杂志

Objective The purpose of the study was to explore influence of family factors on dietary behavior of primary and secondary studen t s in Guangzhou city, in order to provide suggestions for intervention of dietary behavi or. Methods The study population included 1 539 student-parent s pairs selected from Guangzhou city by using the method of stratified multistage cluster random sampling, and data were collected through questionnaires. Results The ratio of parents who often reminded and forced the ir children to eat some fo od they thought of as nutrition were 56.0% and 7.7%, and 39.7%, 29.2% of ch ildren complied with their parents, respectively. At dinner, 14.8% and 27.5% of parents often and sometimes criticized their children, and the ratio of childre n couldn't eat anything and only eat a little food were 5.9%,19.3%, respectively . Forty-two point three of primary and secondary school students watched televi sion wh en they had a dinner, which made 39.4% of students not eat seriously. C onclusions Dietary behavior of primary and secondary school students is influenced strongly by their parents and family environment, it is necessary for parents and themselves to grasp enough nutritional knowledge.