The effect of administering preprocedural VITamin K on the international normalized ratio in patients anticoagulated with ACEnocoumarol (VITKACE-study): a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The effect of the vitamin K antagonist acenocoumarol on coagulation needs to be reversed when patients undergo an invasive procedure with considerable bleeding risk. A strategy to achieve this is by administering oral vitamin K before a procedure while continuing acenocoumarol. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effect on periprocedural international normalized ratio (INR) values and safety using oral vitamin K as anticoagulant reversal method. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, consecutive patients using acenocoumarol undergoing elective procedures between 2019 and 2022 were included. According to standard of care in our hospital, patients took 10 mg oral vitamin K 36 to 48 hours before the procedure while continuing their normal use of acenocoumarol. Effectiveness to lower INR to <1.8 preprocedural was assessed. Bleeding and thrombotic complications within 30 days after the procedure were assessed. Periprocedural course of INR was monitored by collecting additional blood samples. RESULTS: Seventy-four patients were included for analysis. On the day of the procedure, an adequate INR of <1.8 was achieved in 99% of patients. One clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding complication and no thrombotic complications were observed during the first 30 days after the procedure. INR gradually restored to therapeutic level during the days after the procedure. CONCLUSION: Using oral vitamin K while patients continue acenocoumarol intake is an effective way to adequately lower INR before an invasive procedure. Low amount of bleeding complications and absence of thromboembolic complications suggest that this is a safe strategy. The INR values returned gradually to therapeutic range after the procedure, probably contributing to the observed low bleeding rate.

Tailored anticoagulant treatment after a first venous thromboembolism: protocol of the Leiden Thrombosis Recurrence Risk Prevention (L-TRRiP) study - cohort-based randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with a first venous thromboembolism (VTE) are at risk of recurrence. Recurrent VTE (rVTE) can be prevented by extended anticoagulant therapy, but this comes at the cost of an increased risk of bleeding. It is still uncertain whether patients with an intermediate recurrence risk or with a high recurrence and high bleeding risk will benefit from extended anticoagulant treatment, and whether a strategy where anticoagulant duration is tailored on the predicted risks of rVTE and bleeding can improve outcomes. The aim of the Leiden Thrombosis Recurrence Risk Prevention (L-TRRiP) study is to evaluate the outcomes of tailored duration of long-term anticoagulant treatment based on individualised assessment of rVTE and major bleeding risks. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The L-TRRiP study is a multicentre, open-label, cohort-based, randomised controlled trial, including patients with a first VTE. We classify the risk of rVTE and major bleeding using the L-TRRiP and VTE-BLEED scores, respectively. After 3 months of anticoagulant therapy, patients with a low rVTE risk will discontinue anticoagulant treatment, patients with a high rVTE and low bleeding risk will continue anticoagulant treatment, whereas all other patients will be randomised to continue or discontinue anticoagulant treatment. All patients will be followed up for at least 2 years. Inclusion will continue until the randomised group consists of 608 patients; we estimate to include 1600 patients in total. The primary outcome is the combined incidence of rVTE and major bleeding in the randomised group after 2 years of follow-up. Secondary outcomes include the incidence of rVTE and major bleeding, functional outcomes, quality of life and cost-effectiveness in all patients. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The protocol was approved by the Medical Research Ethics Committee Leiden-Den Haag-Delft. Results are expected in 2028 and will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals and during (inter)national conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT06087952.

Clinical heterogeneity in monogenic chylomicronaemia.

Chylomicronaemia accompanies hypertriglyceridaemia, usually due to a polygenic predisposition in combination with secondary risk factors. Monogenic chylomicronaemia represents a small subgroup of patients with hypertriglyceridaemia. This article describes three patients and illustrates the heterogeneity in the presentation of monogenic chylomicronaemia. The first case is a man with mild hypertriglyceridaemia who is a compound heterozygote for two variants in the LMF1 gene, without relevant medical history. The second case is a woman who is a double heterozygote of variants in the LPL and APOA5 genes. She experienced pancreatitis. The third case is a man, with recurrent pancreatitis attributed to severe hypertriglyceridaemia and homozygous for a variant in the APOC2 gene. This article highlights that in patients with hypertriglyceridaemia, the absence of pancreatitis or the presence of mild hypertriglyceridaemia does not exclude monogenic chylomicronaemia. Genetic screening should be considered in patients with unexplained or severe hypertriglyceridaemia, to determine appropriate treatment and follow-up.

When LDL Cholesterol Is Not LDL Cholesterol: LpX, A Clinical Lesson.

LpX is a lipoprotein formed in cholestatic conditions and often erroneously reported as LDL-C. A low ApoB level can support the diagnosis of LpX. Treatment should not automatically focus on lowering serum lipid levels, but primarily on resolving the cause of cholestasis. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).

Smartphone Application-Assisted Home Blood Pressure Monitoring Compared With Office and Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring in Patients With Hypertension: the AMUSE-BP Study.

BACKGROUND: The development of automated, smartphone application (app)-assisted home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) allows for standardized measurement of blood pressure (BP) at home. The aim of this study was to evaluate the (diagnostic) agreement between app-assisted HBPM, automated office BP (OBP), and the reference standard 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM). METHODS: In this open randomized 5-way cross-over study, patients diagnosed with hypertension were randomized to one of 10 clusters, each containing 5 BP measurement methods (ABPM, HBPM, attended OBP, unattended OBP, and unattended 30-minute BP) in different order. RESULTS: In total, 113 patients were included. The average 24-hour ABPM was 126±11/73±8 mm Hg compared with 141±14/82±10 mm Hg with app-assisted HBPM, 134±13/80±9 mm Hg with unattended 30-minute BP, 137±16/81±11 mm Hg with attended OBP, and 135±15/81±10 mm Hg with unattended OBP monitoring. Diagnostic agreement between app-assisted HBPM and 24-hour ABPM for diagnosing sustained (OBP >140/90 mm Hg and ABPM ≥130/80 mm Hg or HBPM ≥135/85 mm Hg), white-coat (OBP ≥140/90 mm Hg and ABPM <130/80 mm Hg or HBPM <135/85 mm Hg), and masked hypertension (OBP <140/90 mm Hg and ABPM ≥130/80 mm Hg or HBPM ≥135/85 mm Hg) was fair-to-moderate (κ statistics ranging from 0.34 to 0.40). App-assisted HBPM had high sensitivities (78%-91%) and negative predictive values (90%-97%) for diagnosing sustained and masked hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed a considerable (diagnostic) disagreement between app-assisted HBPM and ABPM. App-assisted HBPM had high sensitivity in the diagnosis of sustained and masked hypertension and may therefore be used as complementary to, but not a replacement of, ABPM.

Ruling out Pulmonary Embolism in Patients with (Suspected) COVID-19-A Prospective Cohort Study.

Background Diagnostic strategies for suspected pulmonary embolism (PE) have not been prospectively evaluated in COVID-19 patients. Methods Prospective, multicenter, outcome study in 707 patients with both (suspected) COVID-19 and suspected PE in 14 hospitals. Patients on chronic anticoagulant therapy were excluded. Informed consent was obtained by opt-out approach. Patients were managed by validated diagnostic strategies for suspected PE. We evaluated the safety (3-month failure rate) and efficiency (number of computed tomography pulmonary angiographies [CTPAs] avoided) of the applied strategies. Results Overall PE prevalence was 28%. YEARS was applied in 36%, Wells rule in 4.2%, and "CTPA only" in 52%; 7.4% was not tested because of hemodynamic or respiratory instability. Within YEARS, PE was considered excluded without CTPA in 29%, of which one patient developed nonfatal PE during follow-up (failure rate 1.4%, 95% CI 0.04-7.8). One-hundred seventeen patients (46%) managed according to YEARS had a negative CTPA, of whom 10 were diagnosed with nonfatal venous thromboembolism (VTE) during follow-up (failure rate 8.8%, 95% CI 4.3-16). In patients managed by CTPA only, 66% had an initial negative CTPA, of whom eight patients were diagnosed with a nonfatal VTE during follow-up (failure rate 3.6%, 95% CI 1.6-7.0). Conclusion Our results underline the applicability of YEARS in (suspected) COVID-19 patients with suspected PE. CTPA could be avoided in 29% of patients managed by YEARS, with a low failure rate. The failure rate after a negative CTPA, used as a sole test or within YEARS, was non-negligible and reflects the high thrombotic risk in these patients, warranting ongoing vigilance.

Changes in the volume status of haemodialysis patients are reflected in sublingual microvascular perfusion.

BACKGROUND: After the introduction of sidestream darkfield imaging (SDF) of the microcirculation, it has become clear that in sepsis, microcirculatory alterations can exist in the absence of systemic haemodynamic abnormalities. However, it is unclear whether this phenomenon also occurs in the treatment of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) where alterations in the volume status of patients occur during dialysis. We tested the hypothesis that volume changes during dialysis directly affect the perfusion of the microcirculation in a group of adult haemodialysis patients. Secondly, we evaluated microcirculatory response to autotransfusion using the Trendelenburg position (TP). METHODS: Patients who were on chronic intermittent haemodialysis were assessed for sublingual microvascular flow by SDF imaging pre- and post-TP, performed before and after ultrafiltration (UF). Sublingual microvascular flow was estimated using a semi-quantitative microvascular flow index (MFI) in small (diameter <25 microm, which includes capillaries), medium (25-50 microm) and large-sized (50-100 microm) microvessels (no flow: 0, intermittent flow: 1, sluggish flow: 2 and continuous flow: 3). Changes were evaluated with the non-parametric paired Wilcoxon test. P < 0.05 was judged to indicate a significant difference. RESULTS: Thirty-nine adult patients took part in the study. The underlying diseases causing ESKD were predominantly hypertension (HT, n = 10), diabetes mellitus (DM, n = 7) or both (n = 3). At the start of UF, microvascular flow did not change significantly by TP. After completion of UF, MFI had decreased significantly in all types of microvessels (P < 0.001). After UF (median volume extraction 2.49l), MFI was lower than that at the start of UF and increased in most patients after TP (P < 0.001) in all categories of vessels. Changes were most prominent in the smallest microvessels. CONCLUSIONS: Sublingual microvascular perfusion is reduced by UF and can be restored temporarily using autotransfusion by TP due to increased venous return. SDF imaging is able to detect these volume changes. SDF imaging and TP could become a useful bedside tool to evaluate the patient's (microvascular) volume status and response to therapy in dialysis or intradialytic hypotension.

[A woman with painful bruising of the fingers]. / Een vrouw met pijnlijke hematomen op de vingers.

We describe a 45-year-old woman with recurrent episodes of painful bruising of the fingers, caused by minimal, everyday traumata. We concluded this to be Achenbach's syndrome (acute idiopathic blue finger), a benign condition that does not require treatment or follow-up. The diagnosis can be made on clinical grounds.

Four ECG left ventricular hypertrophy criteria and the risk of cardiovascular events and mortality in patients with vascular disease.

OBJECTIVE: The relation between different electrocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy (ECG-LVH) criteria and cardiovascular risk in patients with clinical manifest arterial disease is unclear. Therefore, we determined the association between four ECG-LVH criteria: Sokolow-Lyon, Cornell product, Cornell/strain index and Framingham criterion; and risk of cardiovascular events and mortality in this population. METHODS: Risk of cardiovascular events was estimated in 6913 adult patients with clinical manifest arterial disease originating from the Secondary Manifestations of ARTerial disease (SMART) cohort. Cox proportional regression analysis was used to estimate the risk of the four ECG-LVH criteria and the primary composite outcome: myocardial infarction (MI), stroke or cardiovascular death; and secondary outcomes: MI, stroke and all-cause mortality; adjusted for confounders. RESULTS: The highest prevalence of ECG-LVH was observed for Cornell product (10%) and Cornell/strain index (9%). All four ECG-LVH criteria were associated with an increased risk of the primary composite endpoint: Sokolow-Lyon (hazard ratio 1.37, 95% CI 1.13-1.66), Cornell product (hazard ratio 1.54, 95% CI 1.30-1.82), Cornell/strain index (hazard ratio 1.70, 95% CI 1.44-2.00) and Framingham criterion (hazard ratio 1.78, 95% CI 1.21-2.62). Cornell product, Cornell/strain index and Framingham criterion ECG-LVH were additionally associated with an elevated risk of secondary outcomes. Cardiovascular risk increased whenever two, or three or more ECG-LVH criteria were present concurrently. CONCLUSION: All four ECG-LVH criteria are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events. As Cornell/strain index is both highly prevalent and carries a high cardiovascular risk, this is likely the most relevant ECG-LVH criterion for clinical practice.

[A woman with ischemia of the eyes and the left arm]. / Een vrouw met ischemische klachten van ogen en arm.

We saw a 23-year-old women with orthostasis, visual disturbances and pale discoloration of fingers on the left hand. Arterial pulsations were absent on both carotid, radial and ulnar arteries. Inflammatory parameters were raised and on funduscopy there was retinal ischemia. On FDG-PET/CT the diagnosis of Takayasu arteritis was made.

[The resting heart rate]. / De hartfrequentie in rust.

Assessment of resting heart rate is frequently performed and is easy, reliable and inexpensive. Heart rate is used in many algorithms to assess the prognosis of acutely ill patients. Elevated resting heart rate is independently related to the development of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and premature all-cause mortality. Adding heart rate to cardiovascular prediction models does not lead to improved prediction of vascular events or mortality. Beta blockers and non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers decrease heart rate (and blood pressure) and lower the risk of premature mortality in patients with heart failure or recent myocardial infarction. In two recent randomised trials, ivabradine specifically decreased heart rate (but not blood pressure) and the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with heart failure or coronary artery disease, decreased left ventricular function and resting heart rate of ≥ 70 beats/minute. Selective heart rate reduction is a potential treatment option to decrease cardiovascular risk.

The relation between resting heart rate and cancer incidence, cancer mortality and all-cause mortality in patients with manifest vascular disease.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies suggest that elevated resting heart rate (RHR) is related to an increased risk of cancer mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation between RHR and cancer incidence and mortality in patients with vascular disease. METHODS: Patients with manifest vascular disease (n=6007) were prospectively followed-up for cancer incidence and mortality. At baseline, RHR was obtained from an electrocardiogram. The relation between RHR and cancer incidence, cancer mortality and total mortality was assessed using competing risks models. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 6.0 years (interquartile range: 3.1-9.3) 491 patients (8%) were diagnosed with cancer and 907 (15%) patients died, 248 (27%) died from cancer. After adjustment for potential confounders, the hazard ratio (HR) for incident cancer per 10 beats/min increase in RHR was 1.00 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.93-1.07). There was a trend toward an increased risk of colorectal cancer in patients with higher RHR (HR 1.15, 95% CI 0.97-1.36). The risk of all-cause mortality was increased in patients in the highest quartile of RHR compared to the lowest quartile (HR 1.86, 95% CI 1.53-2.27), but no effect of RHR on cancer mortality was observed (HR 1.01, 95% CI 0.70-1.46). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with manifest vascular disease, elevated RHR was related to a higher risk of premature all-cause mortality, but this was not due to increased cancer mortality. RHR was not related to risk of overall cancer incidence, although a relation between elevated RHR and incident colorectal cancer risk could not be ruled out.

Hypertensive target organ damage and the risk for vascular events and all-cause mortality in patients with vascular disease.

OBJECTIVE: Presence of hypertensive target organ damage is related to increased vascular risk and mortality. Whether combined presence of hypertensive target organ damage confers higher vascular risk compared to single presence is unknown. This study evaluates the separate and combined effects of impaired renal function [estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≤60 ml/min per 1.73 m], albuminuria (albumin/creatinine-ratio men ≥2.5 mg/mmol, women ≥3.5 mg/mmol) and left-ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) (Sokolow-Lyon and/or Cornell-voltage criterion) on the occurrence of vascular events and mortality in patients with vascular disease (coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, and peripheral arterial disease). METHODS AND RESULTS: A cohort of patients with vascular diseases (n = 4319) was followed (median 4.4 years) for the occurrence of vascular events (stroke, myocardial infarction, vascular death) and mortality. LVH was present in 11%, impaired renal function in 15%, and albuminuria in 18%. Presence of at least two hypertensive target organ damage was prevalent in 8%. The risk for vascular events was hazard ratio 1.5 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-1.9] for presence of one hypertensive target organ damage and hazard ratio 3.8 (95% CI 2.3-6.3) for three manifestations of hypertensive target organ damage (adjusted for age, sex). For mortality this was hazard ratio 1.4 (95% CI 1.1-1.7) and hazard ratio 3.2 (95% CI 1.9-5.2). Hazard ratios for single presence of different types of organ damage were comparable and independent of the presence of hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: Impaired renal function, albuminuria, and LVH are prevalent in patients with vascular disease and confer independent and additive risk for vascular events and mortality. Measurement of hypertensive target organ damage in patients with vascular disease identifies patients at very high risk and may have treatment implications.

The risk of resting heart rate on vascular events and mortality in vascular patients.

BACKGROUND: Resting heart rate (RHR) reflects sympathetic nerve activity and is independently related to the occurrence of cardiovascular events and death in healthy subjects, patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and patients with cardiovascular risk factors. We investigated and compared the risk of RHR on the occurrence of cardiovascular events and death in patients with CAD, cerebrovascular disease (CVD), peripheral arterial disease (PAD) or abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). METHODS: Data were used from a prospective cohort study of 4272 patients with manifest vascular disease: CAD (n=2244), CVD (n=930), PAD (n=823) or AAA (n=275). RHR was obtained at baseline from an electrocardiogram. The median follow-up time was 4.4 (interquartile range 2.1-7.4) years. The relation between RHR and the occurrence of cardiovascular events and death was estimated by Cox proportional hazard analyses. RESULTS: Each increase in RHR of 10 beats/min was related to an increased risk for all-cause mortality (hazard ratio (HR) 1.14; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07-1.21) and vascular mortality (HR 1.15; 95% CI 1.06-1.25), but not for myocardial infarction (HR 1.03; 95% CI 0.94-1.14) or ischemic stroke (HR 1.05; 95% CI 0.92-1.20). The relation between an increased RHR and increased risk for all-cause mortality was present irrespective of beta-blocker use and irrespective of the location of vascular disease: CAD (HR 1.23; 95% CI 1.05-1.44), CVD (HR 1.18; 95% CI 1.05-1.33) and PAD/AAA (HR 1.10; 95% CI 1.01-1.20). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated RHR is associated with increased risk for mortality but not for myocardial infarction or stroke in patients with manifest vascular diseases irrespective of location of vascular disease.

Risk of elevated resting heart rate on the development of type 2 diabetes in patients with clinically manifest vascular diseases.

OBJECTIVE: Sympathetic nerve activation is causally related to insulin resistance as both a cause and a consequence. Resting heart rate (RHR) reflects sympathetic nerve activity. We investigated the effect of RHR on the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in patients with clinically manifest vascular diseases. DESIGN: Data were used from the second manifestations of arterial disease (SMART) study: a prospective cohort study of patients with clinically manifest vascular diseases (n=3646). METHODS: RHR was obtained using an electrocardiogram. Patients were followed up for incident type 2 diabetes (n=289) during a median period of 5.5 (interquartile range 3.2-8.4) years. The relation between RHR and incident T2DM was estimated by Cox proportional hazard analysis. As age was an effect modifier (P=0.048), analyses were stratified for age. RESULTS: Patients in quartile 4 (Q4) of RHR had a 65% increased risk of T2DM compared with those in Q1 (reference; hazard ratios (HR), 1.65; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.15-2.36) adjusted for age, gender, smoking, estimated glomerular filtration rate, systolic blood pressure, location of vascular disease, and antihypertensive medication. Every 10 beats per minute (bpm) increase in RHR increased the risk for T2DM with 10% (HR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.00-1.21) in the total population. This risk was particularly high in subjects aged 55-63 years (per 10 bpm: HR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.04-1.43) and was independent of the location of vascular disease and beta-blocker use. CONCLUSIONS: Increased RHR, an indicator of sympathetic nerve activity, is associated with an increased risk for T2DM in patients with manifest vascular diseases, particularly in middle-aged patients.

Increased visceral adipose tissue is associated with increased resting heart rate in patients with manifest vascular disease.

Abdominal obesity is characterized by sympathetic nerve activation (SNA), probably mediated by elevated insulin and leptin levels. Resting heart rate (RHR) is a marker of sympathetic tone, and independently associated with cardiovascular events and death in various populations. We investigated and quantified the relation between visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and RHR in patients with vascular disease. In 3,723 patients with manifest vascular disease, visceral and subcutaneous fat tissue was measured with ultrasonography. RHR was obtained from an electrocardiogram (ECG). The association between quartiles of VAT and RHR was quantified using linear regression analysis with adjustments for potential confounding factors. Separate analyses were performed for men and women and for location of vascular disease. Visceral fat was categorized into sex-pooled quartiles (Q) ranging from 2.7-8.0 cm in Q1 (reference) to 9.4-20.6 cm in Q4. High visceral fat thickness was associated with increased RHR, in men (Q4 vs. Q1, ß = 4.36; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 3.11-5.61) and women (ß = 1.48; 95% CI = -0.70 to 3.66), after full adjustment. Waist circumference and BMI had a significant relation with RHR in men (ß = 3.51; 95% CI = 2.21-4.81 and ß = 2.80; 95% CI = 1.51-4.08, respectively) but these relations were smaller and not significant in women (ß = 0.71; 95% CI = -1.44 to 2.85 and ß = 0.24; 95% CI = -1.90 to 2.37, respectively). There was no relation between subcutaneous fat and RHR in men and women. The relation between visceral fat and RHR was similar in patients with different locations of vascular diseases. Increased visceral fat is associated with increased RHR in male and female patients with vascular disease, independent of the location.

The relationship between walking speed and changes in cardiovascular risk factors during a 12-day walking tour to Santiago de Compostela: a cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Physical exercise has beneficial effects on cardiovascular risk factors. Knowledge about the effect of exercise intensity, specifically walking speed, on cardiovascular risk factors is limited. We report the relationship between walking speed and changes in cardiovascular risk factors in participants of a 12-day walking tour to Santiago de Compostela. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Single-centre study with healthy middle-aged volunteers. PARTICIPANTS: Healthy middle-aged men (n=15) and women (n=14). Subjects using lipid-lowering medication were excluded. INTERVENTION: Participants walked 281±10 km of the classical route to Santiago de Compostela in 12 days in 2009. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Walking speed was recorded and blood pressure, weight, waist circumference, lipids and glucose were measured every other day. Changes in risk factors were compared between gender-pooled groups with faster and slower walking speed. Second, the relationship between walking speed and changes in risk factors was quantified using a linear mixed effects model. RESULTS: In the faster walking speed (4.6±0.2 km/h) group, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) increased more than in the slower walking speed (4.1±0.2 km/h) group (difference in change between groups: 0.20; 95% CI -0.02 to 0.42 mmol/l), while low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) and total cholesterol decreased more in the slower walking speed group (differences in changes between groups: LDL-c: -0.50; 95% CI -0.88 to -0.12 mmol/l and total cholesterol: -0.75; 95% CI -1.19 to -0.31 mmol/l). A 1 km/h higher walking speed was related to an increase in HDL-c (0.24; 95% CI 0.12 to 0.30 mmol/l), LDL-c (0.18; 95% CI -0.16 to 0.42 mmol/l) and total cholesterol (0.36; 95% CI 0.12 to 0.60 mmol/l), adjusted for age, gender, smoking, body mass index and heart rate, during the whole walking tour. CONCLUSIONS: Walking the same distance faster improves HDL-c more, while LDL-c and total cholesterol decrease more with lower walking speed independent of changes in body weight in healthy middle-aged subjects.

Vascular and metabolic effects of 12 days intensive walking to Santiago de Compostela.

OBJECTIVE: Physical exercise has multiple beneficial health effects. Yearly, over five million persons walk a pilgrimage in various parts of the World, and this number is increasing. Here we report the effects on vascular function and cardiovascular risk factors of a 12-day pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. METHODS: Twenty-nine healthy male and female subjects between 40 and 70 years were included in the intervention group. The intervention consisted of the last 280 km of the pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela. Twenty-nine control subjects were age- and gender-matched. Measures of endothelial function, vascular stiffness, autonomic function, and cardiovascular risk factors were measured 2 months and 2 weeks before the pilgrimage and 2 weeks and 2 months afterwards. During the pilgrimage cardiovascular risk factors, including weight, lipids, glucose and blood pressure were measured every other day. RESULTS: The mean daily walking distance during the pilgrimage was 23.42±0.80 km taking 5.39±0.36 h/day. From start to end, HDL-cholesterol increased (0.20±0.30 mmol/L; +15%), while LDL-cholesterol (-0.6±0.6 mmol/L; -17%) and weight (-1.4±1.8 kg; -2%) decreased. After an initial rise, blood pressure came back to baseline. Two months after the pilgrimage a 2.0 kg weight loss persisted compared to the controls. There was no change in any vascular function parameter compared to the controls. CONCLUSION: Walking a pilgrimage immediately influences major cardiovascular risk factors as a consequence of (strenuous) exercise and, likely, dietary changes. Two months after the pilgrimage these changes came back to baseline, except for weight loss. There was no effect on vascular function.