Predictive ability of the pooled cohort risk assessment for the incidence and progression of coronary artery calcification.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the predictive ability of pooled cohort risk assessment (PRA) models for the incidence and progression of coronary artery calcification (CAC) over time comparing the Framingham risk score (FRS) in a healthy Korean population. METHODS: The study cohort included 4194 individuals, aged 40 or older, without a history of cardiovascular disease or statin therapy, who underwent repeated cardiac computed tomography for CAC scoring from 2011 to 2014. Logistic regression models and Cox proportional hazards models were used. RESULTS: Of the 4194 individuals, 1244 had CAC progression and during over 5184 person-years of follow-up, 204 participants developed incident CAC. Compared with patients whose FRS was less than 10%, the odds ratios (ORs) [95% confidence intervals (CIs)] for CAC progression in patients whose FRS ranged from 10 to 20% and whose FRS was at least 20% were 2.54 (2.17-2.98) and 3.73 (2.69-5.15), respectively. Similarly, compared with the reference group, whose PRA was less than 5%, the ORs (95% CIs) for CAC progression in patients whose PRAs ranged from 5 to less than 7.5%, 7.5 to less than 10%, and at least 10% were 1.85 (95% CI 1.52-2.25), 2.63 (95% CI 2.01-3.46), and 3.58 (95% CI 2.73-4.70), respectively. Similarly, both PRA and FRS were associated positively with the development of CAC in a dose-response manner. In discriminating incident CAC and progression using receiver operating characteristic analysis, PRA was not significantly different from FRS. CONCLUSION: In a large sample of asymptomatic Korean adults without cardiovascular disease, both the PRA and FRS similarly predict the onset and progression of subclinical atherosclerosis over time.

Estimation of risk for diabetes according to the metabolically healthy status stratified by degree of obesity in Korean men.

Although obesity is clearly identified as a risk factor for diabetes, the relationship between diabetes and metabolically healthy status of obesity is less clear. This study was aimed to evaluate the incidental risk of diabetes according to metabolically healthy status of obesity. 31,834 Korean men without diabetes categorized into six groups according to their metabolically healthy status stratified by degree of obesity were followed up for 5 years: metabolically healthy normal weight (MH-NW), metabolically healthy overweight (MH-OW), metabolically healthy obese (MHO), metabolically unhealthy normal weight (MU-NW), metabolically unhealthy overweight (MU-OW), and metabolically unhealthy obese (MUO). Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to measure the risk for diabetes according to their categories. While overall incidence was 9.0 %, incidence of diabetes was in proportion to the degree of obesity and metabolically healthy status (MH-NW: 6.3 %, MH-OW: 7.5 %, MHO: 9.2 %, MU-NW: 11.8 %, MU-OW: 14.9 %, MUO: 20.1 %). When MH-NW was set as reference, the adjusted HRs (95 % CI) for diabetes of the MH-OW, MHO, MU-NW, MU-OW, MUO compared to MH-NW were 1.18 (1.06-1.32), 1.58 (1.03-2.41), 1.81 (1.61-2.04), 2.36 (2.11-2.63), and 3.47 (2.84-4.24), respectively. In conclusion, risk for diabetes was in proportion to the degree of obesity in both metabolically healthy and unhealthy group. Metabolically healthy status was more significant determinant for incident diabetes than obesity itself.

Intraocular pressure and coronary artery calcification in asymptomatic men and women.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the relationship between intraocular pressure (IOP) and the risk of coronary artery calcification as a predictable marker of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a large study of asymptomatic men and women. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed in 10 732 asymptomatic men and women without diagnosed CVD or glaucoma. Coronary artery calcium (CAC) was measured by cardiac CT. The IOPs of all participants were measured by experienced nurses with a non-contact tonometer and automatic air puff control. Logistic regression was used to estimate the OR (95% CI) for the presence of CAC (score >0) with IOP quartiles. RESULTS: The prevalence of detectable CAC was 13.7% in men and 4.3% in women. Increasing levels of right IOP were significantly associated with an increased prevalence of CAC. After adjusting for age, sex, smoking, alcohol intake, physical activity, body mass index, educational level, centre, family history of CVD, use of dyslipidaemia medication, diabetes, hypertension, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides, the ORs for CAC score >0, comparing 2-4 quartiles of the right IOP to the lowest quartiles, were 1.32 (95% CI 1.09 to 1.59), 1.20 (95% CI 0.98 to 1.46), and 1.28 (95% CI 1.05 to 1.56), respectively. These associations did not differ by clinically relevant subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: A higher IOP is significantly associated with the presence of CAC regardless of conventional cardiovascular risk factors. The present study provides more insight into understanding the process of subclinical atherosclerosis in CVD and the relationship with a higher IOP as a common pathophysiology.

Use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and risk of fracture: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Previous studies have reported inconsistent findings regarding the association between the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and the risk of fracture. We identified relevant studies by searching three electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library) from their inception to October 20, 2010. Two evaluators independently extracted data. Because of heterogeneity, we used random-effects meta-analysis to obtain pooled estimates of effect. We identified 12 studies: seven case-control studies and five cohort studies. A meta-analysis of these 12 observational studies showed that the overall risk of fracture was higher among people using SSRIs (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.51-1.90, I(2 ) = 89.9%). Subgroup analysis by adjusted number of key risk factors for osteoporotic fracture showed a greater increased fracture risk in those adjusted for fewer than four variables (adjusted OR = 1.83, 95% CI 1.57-2.13, I(2) = 88.0%) than those adjusted for four or more variables (adjusted OR = 1.38, 95% CI 1.27-1.49, I(2) = 46.1%). The pooled ORs anatomical site of fracture in the hip/femur, spine, and wrist/forearm were 2.06 (95% CI 1.84-2.30, I(2 ) = 62.3%), 1.34 (95% CI 1.13-1.59, I(2 ) = 48.5%), and 1.51 (95% CI 1.26-1.82, I(2 ) = 76.6%), respectively. Subgroup analysis by exposure duration revealed that the strength of the association decreased with a longer window of SSRI administration before the index date. The risk of fracture was greater within 6 weeks before the index date (adjusted OR = 3.83, 95% CI 1.96-7.49, I(2 ) = 41.5%) than 6 weeks or more (adjusted OR = 1.60, 95% CI 0.93-2.76, I(2 ) = 63.1%). Fracture risk associated with SSRI use may have a significant clinical impact. Clinicians should carefully consider bone mineral density screening before prescribing SSRIs and proper management for high-risk populations.