Age at Menopause, Leukocyte Telomere Length, and Coronary Artery Disease in Postmenopausal Women.

BACKGROUND: Premature menopause is a risk factor for accelerated cardiovascular aging, but underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. This study investigated the role of leukocyte telomere length (LTL), a marker of cellular aging and genomic instability, in the association of premature menopause with cardiovascular disease. METHODS: Participants from the UK Biobank and Women's Health Initiative with complete reproductive history and LTL measurements were included. Primary analyses tested the association between age at menopause and LTL using multivariable-adjusted linear regression. Secondary analyses stratified women by history of gynecologic surgery. Mendelian randomization was used to infer causal relationships between LTL and age at natural menopause. Multivariable-adjusted Cox regression and mediation analyses tested the joint associations of premature menopause and LTL with incident coronary artery disease. RESULTS: This study included 130 254 postmenopausal women (UK Biobank: n=122 224; Women's Health Initiative: n=8030), of whom 4809 (3.7%) had experienced menopause before age 40. Earlier menopause was associated with shorter LTL (meta-analyzed ß=-0.02 SD/5 years of earlier menopause [95% CI, -0.02 to -0.01]; P=7.2×10-12). This association was stronger and significant in both cohorts for women with natural/spontaneous menopause (meta-analyzed ß=-0.04 SD/5 years of earlier menopause [95% CI, -0.04 to -0.03]; P<2.2×10-16) and was independent of hormone therapy use. Mendelian randomization supported a causal association of shorter genetically predicted LTL with earlier age at natural menopause. LTL and age at menopause were independently associated with incident coronary artery disease, and mediation analyses indicated small but significant mediation effects of LTL in the association of menopausal age with coronary artery disease. CONCLUSIONS: Earlier age at menopause is associated with shorter LTL, especially among women with natural menopause. Accelerated telomere shortening may contribute to the heightened cardiovascular risk associated with premature menopause.

Integrative Metabolomics Differentiate Coronary Artery Disease, Peripheral Artery Disease, and Venous Thromboembolism Risks.

BACKGROUND: Arterial and venous cardiovascular conditions, such as coronary artery disease (CAD), peripheral artery disease (PAD), and venous thromboembolism (VTE), are genetically correlated. Interrogating underlying mechanisms may shed light on disease mechanisms. In this study, we aimed to identify (1) epidemiological and (2) causal, genetic relationships between metabolites and CAD, PAD, and VTE. METHODS: We used metabolomic data from 95 402 individuals in the UK Biobank, excluding individuals with prevalent cardiovascular disease. Cox proportional-hazards models estimated the associations of 249 metabolites with incident disease. Bidirectional 2-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) estimated the causal effects between metabolites and outcomes using genome-wide association summary statistics for metabolites (n=118 466 from the UK Biobank), CAD (n=184 305 from CARDIoGRAMplusC4D 2015), PAD (n=243 060 from the Million Veterans Project), and VTE (n=650 119 from the Million Veterans Project). Multivariable MR was performed in subsequent analyses. RESULTS: We found that 196, 115, and 74 metabolites were associated (P<0.001) with CAD, PAD, and VTE, respectively. Further interrogation of these metabolites with MR revealed 94, 34, and 9 metabolites with potentially causal effects on CAD, PAD, and VTE, respectively. There were 21 metabolites common to CAD and PAD and 4 common to PAD and VTE. Many putatively causal metabolites included lipoprotein traits with heterogeneity across different sizes and lipid subfractions. Small VLDL (very-low-density lipoprotein) particles increased the risk for CAD while large VLDL particles decreased the risk for VTE. We identified opposing directions of CAD and PAD effects for cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations within HDLs (high-density lipoproteins). Subsequent sensitivity analyses including multivariable MR revealed several metabolites with robust, potentially causal effects of VLDL particles on CAD. CONCLUSIONS: While common vascular conditions are associated with overlapping metabolomic profiles, MR prioritized the role of specific lipoprotein species for potential pharmacological targets to maximize benefits in both arterial and venous beds.

Clonal haematopoiesis of indeterminate potential predicts incident cardiac arrhythmias.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Clonal haematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP), the age-related expansion of blood cells with preleukemic mutations, is associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and heart failure. This study aimed to test the association of CHIP with new-onset arrhythmias. METHODS: UK Biobank participants without prevalent arrhythmias were included. Co-primary study outcomes were supraventricular arrhythmias, bradyarrhythmias, and ventricular arrhythmias. Secondary outcomes were cardiac arrest, atrial fibrillation, and any arrhythmia. Associations of any CHIP [variant allele fraction (VAF) ≥ 2%], large CHIP (VAF ≥10%), and gene-specific CHIP subtypes with incident arrhythmias were evaluated using multivariable-adjusted Cox regression. Associations of CHIP with myocardial interstitial fibrosis [T1 measured using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR)] were also tested. RESULTS: This study included 410 702 participants [CHIP: n = 13 892 (3.4%); large CHIP: n = 9191 (2.2%)]. Any and large CHIP were associated with multi-variable-adjusted hazard ratios of 1.11 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04-1.18; P = .001] and 1.13 (95% CI 1.05-1.22; P = .001) for supraventricular arrhythmias, 1.09 (95% CI 1.01-1.19; P = .031) and 1.13 (95% CI 1.03-1.25; P = .011) for bradyarrhythmias, and 1.16 (95% CI, 1.00-1.34; P = .049) and 1.22 (95% CI 1.03-1.45; P = .021) for ventricular arrhythmias, respectively. Associations were independent of coronary artery disease and heart failure. Associations were also heterogeneous across arrhythmia subtypes and strongest for cardiac arrest. Gene-specific analyses revealed an increased risk of arrhythmias across driver genes other than DNMT3A. Large CHIP was associated with 1.31-fold odds (95% CI 1.07-1.59; P = .009) of being in the top quintile of myocardial fibrosis by CMR. CONCLUSIONS: CHIP may represent a novel risk factor for incident arrhythmias, indicating a potential target for modulation towards arrhythmia prevention and treatment.

Regulatory variants in TCF7L2 are associated with thoracic aortic aneurysm.

Thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) is characterized by dilation of the aortic root or ascending/descending aorta. TAA is a heritable disease that can be potentially life threatening. While 10%-20% of TAA cases are caused by rare, pathogenic variants in single genes, the origin of the majority of TAA cases remains unknown. A previous study implicated common variants in FBN1 with TAA disease risk. Here, we report a genome-wide scan of 1,351 TAA-affected individuals and 18,295 control individuals from the Cardiovascular Health Improvement Project and Michigan Genomics Initiative at the University of Michigan. We identified a genome-wide significant association with TAA for variants within the third intron of TCF7L2 following replication with meta-analysis of four additional independent cohorts. Common variants in this locus are the strongest known genetic risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Although evidence indicates the presence of different causal variants for TAA and type 2 diabetes at this locus, we observed an opposite direction of effect. The genetic association for TAA colocalizes with an aortic eQTL of TCF7L2, suggesting a functional relationship. These analyses predict an association of higher expression of TCF7L2 with TAA disease risk. In vitro, we show that upregulation of TCF7L2 is associated with BCL2 repression promoting vascular smooth muscle cell apoptosis, a key driver of TAA disease.

Polygenic Score for the Prediction of Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting: A Retrospective Derivation and Validation Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a key driver of unplanned admission and patient satisfaction following surgery. Because traditional risk factors do not completely explain variability in risk, we hypothesize that genetics may contribute to the overall risk for this complication. The objective of this research is to perform a genome-wide association study of PONV, derive a polygenic risk score for PONV, assess associations between the risk score and PONV in a validation cohort, and compare any genetic contributions to known clinical risks for PONV. METHODS: Surgeries with integrated genetic and perioperative data performed under general anesthesia at Michigan Medicine and Vanderbilt University Medical Center were studied. PONV was defined as nausea or emesis occurring and documented in the PACU. In the Discovery Phase, genome-wide association studies were performed on each genetic cohort and the results were meta-analyzed. Next, in the Polygenic Phase, we assessed whether a polygenic score, derived from genome-wide association study in a derivation cohort from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, improved prediction within a validation cohort from Michigan Medicine, as quantified by discrimination (C-statistic) and net reclassification index. RESULTS: Of 64,523 total patients, 5,703 developed PONV (8.8%). We identified 46 genetic variants exceeding P<1x10-5 threshold, occurring with minor allele frequency > 1%, and demonstrating concordant effects in both cohorts. Standardized polygenic score was associated with PONV in a basic model, controlling for age and sex, (aOR 1.027 per standard deviation increase in overall genetic risk, 95% CI 1.001-1.053, P=0.044), a model based on known clinical risks (aOR 1.029, 95% CI 1.003-1.055, P=0.030), and a full clinical regression, controlling for 21 demographic, surgical, and anesthetic factors, (aOR 1.029, 95% CI 1.002-1.056, P=0.033). The addition of polygenic score improved overall discrimination in models based on known clinical risk factors (c-statistic: 0.616 compared to 0.613, P=0.028) and improved net reclassification of 4.6% of cases. CONCLUSION: Standardized polygenic risk was associated with PONV in all three of our models, but the genetic influence was smaller than exerted by clinical risk factors. Specifically, a patient with a polygenic risk score > 1 standard deviation above the mean, has 2-3% greater odds of developing PONV when compared to the baseline population, which is at least an order of magnitude smaller than the increase associated with having prior PONV/motion sickness (55%), having a history of migraines (17%), or being female (83%), and is not clinically significant. Furthermore, the use of a polygenic risk score does not meaningfully improve discrimination compared to clinical risk factors and is not clinically useful.

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection is infrequent in individuals with heritable thoracic aortic disease despite partially shared genetic susceptibility.

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a potential precipitant of myocardial infarction and sudden death for which the etiology is poorly understood. Mendelian vascular and connective tissue disorders underlying thoracic aortic disease (TAD), have been reported in ~5% of individuals with SCAD. We therefore hypothesized that patients with TAD are at elevated risk for SCAD. We queried registries enrolling patients with TAD to define the incidence of SCAD. Of 7568 individuals enrolled, 11 (0.15%) were found to have SCAD. Of the sequenced cases (9/11), pathogenic variants were identified (N = 9), including COL3A1 (N = 3), FBN1 (N = 2), TGFBR2 (N = 2), TGFBR1 (N = 1), and PRKG1 (N = 1). Individuals with SCAD had an increased frequency of iliac artery dissection (25.0% vs. 5.1%, p = 0.047). The prevalence of SCAD among individuals with TAD is low. The identification of pathogenic variants in genes previously described in individuals with SCAD, particularly those underlying vascular Ehlers-Danlos, Marfan syndrome, and Loeys-Dietz syndrome, is consistent with prior reports from clinical SCAD series. Further research is needed to identify specific genetic influences on SCAD risk.

Translating genetic association of lipid levels for biological and clinical application.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review focuses on the foundational evidence from the last two decades of lipid genetics research and describes the current status of data-driven approaches for transethnic GWAS, fine-mapping, transcriptome informed fine-mapping, and disease prediction. RECENT FINDINGS: Current lipid genetics research aims to understand the association mechanisms and clinical relevance of lipid loci as well as to capture population specific associations found in global ancestries. Recent genome-wide trans-ethnic association meta-analyses have identified 118 novel lipid loci reaching genome-wide significance. Gene-based burden tests of whole exome sequencing data have identified three genes-PCSK9, LDLR, and APOB-with significant rare variant burden associated with familial dyslipidemia. Transcriptome-wide association studies discovered five previously unreported lipid-associated loci. Additionally, the predictive power of genome-wide genetic risk scores amalgamating the polygenic determinants of lipid levels can potentially be used to increase the accuracy of coronary artery disease prediction. CONCLUSIONS: Lipids are one of the most successful group of traits in the era of genome-wide genetic discovery for identification of novel loci and plausible drug targets. However, a substantial fraction of lipid trait heritability remains unexplained. Further analysis of diverse ancestries and state of the art methods for association locus refinement could potentially reveal some of this missing heritability and increase the clinical application of the genomic association results.

A survey of aortic disease biorepository participants' preferences for return of research genetic results.

There is ongoing debate on whether and what research genetic results to return to study participants. To date, no study in this area has focused on aortopathy populations despite known genes that are clinically actionable. Participants (n = 225, 79% male, mean age = 61 years) with an aortopathy were surveyed to assess preferences for receiving research genetic results. Participants were 'very' or 'extremely likely' to want results for pathogenic variants in aortopathy genes with implications for family members (81%) or that would change medical management (76%). Similarly, participants were 'very' or 'extremely likely' to want actionable secondary findings related to cancer (75%) or other cardiac diseases (70%). Significantly lower interest was observed for non-actionable findings-pathogenic variants in aortopathy genes that would not change medical management (51%) and variants of uncertain significance (38%) (p < .0001). Higher health and genomic literacy were positively associated with interest in actionable findings. Most participants (>63%) were accepting of any means of return; however, a substantial minority (18%-38%) deemed certain technological means unacceptable (e.g., patient portal). Over 90% of participants reported that a range of health professionals, including cardiovascular specialists, genetics specialists, and primary care providers, were acceptable to return results. Participants with aortopathies are highly interested in research genetic results perceived to be medically actionable for themselves or family members. Participants are accepting of a variety of means for returning results. Findings suggest that research participants should be asked what results are preferred at time of informed consent and that genetic counseling may clarify implications of results that are not personally medically actionable.

Genetic mutations associated with susceptibility to perioperative complications in a longitudinal biorepository with integrated genomic and electronic health records.

BACKGROUND: Existing genetic information can be leveraged to identify patients with susceptibilities to conditions that might impact their perioperative care, but clinicians generally have limited exposure and are not trained to contextualise this information. We identified patients with genetic susceptibilities to anaesthetic complications using a perioperative biorepository and characterised the concordance with existing diagnoses. METHODS: Adult patients undergoing surgery within Michigan Medicine from 2012 to 2017 were consented for genotyping. Genotypes were integrated with the electronic health record (EHR). We retrospectively characterised frequencies of variants associated with butyrylcholinesterase deficiency, factor V Leiden, and malignant hyperthermia, three pharmacogenetic factors with perioperative implications. We calculated the percentage homozygous and heterozygous for each that had been diagnosed previously and searched for EHR findings consistent with a predisposition. RESULTS: Analysis of genetic data revealed that 25 out of 40 769 (0.1%) patients were homozygous and 1918 (4.7%) were heterozygous for mutations associated with butyrylcholinesterase deficiency. Of the homozygous individuals, 14 (56%) carried a pre-existing diagnosis. For factor V Leiden, 29 (0.1%) were homozygous and 2153 (5.3%) heterozygous. Of the homozygous individuals, three (10%) were diagnosed by EHR-derived phenotype and six (21%) by clinician review. Malignant hyperthermia was assessed in a subset of patients. We detected two patients with associated mutations. Neither carried clinical diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS: We identified patients with genetic susceptibility to perioperative complications using an open source script designed for clinician use. We validated this application in a retrospective analysis for three conditions with well-characterised inheritance, and showed that not all genetic susceptibilities were documented in the EHR.

Endovascular Fenestration/Stenting First Followed by Delayed Open Aortic Repair for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection With Malperfusion Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Immediate open repair of acute type A aortic dissection is traditionally recommended to prevent death from aortic rupture. However, organ failure because of malperfusion syndrome (MPS) might be the most imminent life-threatening problem for a subset of patients. METHODS: From 1996 to 2017, among 597 patients with acute type A aortic dissection, 135 patients with MPS were treated with upfront endovascular reperfusion (fenestration/stenting) followed by delayed open repair (OR). We compared outcomes between the first and second decades and observed mortalities with those expected with an "upfront OR for every patient" approach, determined using prognostic models from the literature (Verona, Leipzig-Halifax, Stockholm, Penn, and GERAADA [German Registry for Acute Aortic Dissection Type A] models). RESULTS: Overall, in-hospital mortality improved between the 2 decades (21.0% versus 10.7%, P<0.001). In the second decade, for patients with MPS initially treated with fenestration/stenting, mortality from aortic rupture decreased from 16% to 4% ( P=0.05), the risk of dying from organ failure was 6.6 times higher than dying from aortic rupture (hazard ratio=6.63; 95% CI, 1.5-29; P=0.01), and 30-day mortality after OR for MPS patients was 3.7%. Compared to the expected mortalities with the upfront OR for every patient models, our observed 30-day and in-hospital mortalities (9% and 11%, respectively) of all patients with acute type A aortic dissection were significantly lower ( P≤0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Immediate OR is the strategy to prevent death from aortic rupture for the majority of patients with acute type A aortic dissection. However, relatively stable (no rupture, no tamponade) patients with MPS benefit from a staged approach: upfront endovascular reperfusion followed by aortic OR at resolution of organ failure.

Lower Extremity Function Is Independently Associated With Hospitalization Burden in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction.

BACKGROUND: Frailty reflects decreased resilience to physiological stressors; its prevalence and prognosis are not fully defined in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). METHODS: The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) was prospectively obtained in 114 outpatients with HFpEF. The SPPB tests gait speed, tandem balance, and timed chair rises, each scored from 0 to 4 points. Severe and mild frailty were respectively defined as an SPPB score ≤6 and 7-9 points. We used risk-adjusted logistic, Poisson, and negative binominal regression, respectively, to assess the relationship between SPPB score and risk of death or all-cause hospitalization, number of hospitalizations, and days hospitalized or dead longer than 6 months. RESULTS: Patients were similar to other HFpEF cohorts (age 68 ± 13 years, 58% female, body mass index 36 ± 8 kg/m2, multiple comorbidities). Mean SPPB score was 6.9 ± 3.2, and 80% of patients were at least mildly frail. Over a 6-month period, the SPPB score independently predicted death or all-cause hospitalization (odds ratio 0.81 per point, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.69-0.94, P = .006), number of hospitalizations (incidence rate ratio 0.92 per point, 95% CI 0.86-0.97, P = .006), and days hospitalized or dead (incidence rate ratio 0.85 per point, 95% CI 0.73-0.99, P = .04). CONCLUSIONS: Lower extremity function, as measured by the SPPB, independently predicts hospitalization burden in outpatients with HFpEF. Additional studies are warranted to explore shared mechanisms and treatment implications of frailty in HFpEF.

Effect of Moderate-Intensity Exercise Training on Peak Oxygen Consumption in Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Formulating exercise recommendations for patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is challenging because of concern about triggering ventricular arrhythmias and because a clinical benefit has not been previously established in this population. Objective: To determine whether moderate-intensity exercise training improves exercise capacity in adults with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Design, Setting, and Participants: A randomized clinical trial involving 136 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was conducted between April 2010 and October 2015 at 2 academic medical centers in the United States (University of Michigan Health System and Stanford University Medical Center). Date of last follow-up was November 2016. Interventions: Participants were randomly assigned to 16 weeks of moderate-intensity exercise training (n = 67) or usual activity (n = 69). Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome measure was change in peak oxygen consumption from baseline to 16 weeks. Results: Among the 136 randomized participants (mean age, 50.4 [SD, 13.3] years; 42% women), 113 (83%) completed the study. At 16 weeks, the change in mean peak oxygen consumption was +1.35 (95% CI, 0.50 to 2.21) mL/kg/min among participants in the exercise training group and +0.08 (95% CI, -0.62 to 0.79) mL/kg/min among participants in the usual-activity group (between-group difference, 1.27 [95% CI, 0.17 to 2.37]; P = .02). There were no occurrences of sustained ventricular arrhythmia, sudden cardiac arrest, appropriate defibrillator shock, or death in either group. Conclusions and Relevance: In this preliminary study involving patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, moderate-intensity exercise compared with usual activity resulted in a statistically significant but small increase in exercise capacity at 16 weeks. Further research is needed to understand the clinical importance of this finding in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, as well as the long-term safety of exercise at moderate and higher levels of intensity. Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01127061.

Pre-exercise participation cardiovascular screening in a heterogeneous cohort of adult cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent of pre-exercise participation ("preparticipation") health screening in a heterogeneous cohort of adult cancer patients. METHODS: Patients (n = 413) with histologically confirmed solid or hematologic malignancy were categorized into preparticipation health screening risk stratification based on American College Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommendations. Risk of an exercise-related event was evaluated during a symptom-limited cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) with 12-lead electrocardiography (ECG). RESULTS: Participant risk was categorized as low risk (n = 59, 14%), moderate risk (n = 217, 53%), and high risk (n = 137, 33%). Mean peak oxygen consumption was 21.7 ± 6.7 mL/kg(-1) per minute(-1) or 19.5 ± 21.7% below age- and sex-predicted sedentary values. No major serious adverse events or fatal events were observed during CPET procedures. A total of 31 positive ECG tests were observed, for an event rate of 8%. ACSM risk stratification did not predict the risk of a positive test. Age, statin use, antiplatelet therapy use, cardiovascular disease, prior treatment with anthracycline or radiation therapy, and being sedentary were predictors of a positive test (all p < .10). CONCLUSION: The patient risk-stratification profile strongly suggests that the use of formalized preparticipation health screening is required in all oncology scenarios; however, risk of an exercise-induced event is low, suggesting that the use of exercise testing is not required for pre-exercise clearance in the majority of patients.

Utility of 3-dimensional echocardiography, global longitudinal strain, and exercise stress echocardiography to detect cardiac dysfunction in breast cancer patients treated with doxorubicin-containing adjuvant therapy.

Conventional resting left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) assessments have limitations for detecting doxorubicin (DOX)-related cardiac dysfunction. Novel resting echocardiographic parameters, including 3-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) and global longitudinal strain (GLS), have potential for early identification of chemotherapy-related myocardial injury. Exercise "stress" is an established method to uncover impairments in cardiac function but has received limited attention in the adult oncology setting. We evaluated the utility of an integrated approach using 3DE, GLS, and exercise stress echocardiography for detecting subclinical cardiac dysfunction in early breast cancer patients treated with DOX-containing chemotherapy. Fifty-seven asymptomatic women with early breast cancer (mean 26 ± 22 months post-chemotherapy) and 20 sex-matched controls were studied. Resting left ventricular (LV) function was assessed by LVEF using 2-dimensional echocardiography (2DE) and 3DE and by GLS using 2-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (2D-STE). After resting assessments, subjects completed cardiopulmonary exercise testing with stress 2DE. Resting LVEF was lower in patients than controls by 3DE (55 ± 4 vs. 59 ± 5 %; p = 0.005) but not 2DE (56 ± 4 vs. 58 ± 3 %; p = 0.169). 10 of 51 (20 %) patients had GLS greater than or equal to -17 %, which was below the calculated lower limit of normal (control mean 2SD); this patient subgroup had a mean 20 % impairment in GLS (-16.1 ± 0.9 vs. -20.1 ± 1.5 %; p < 0.001), despite similar LVEF by 2DE and 3DE compared to controls (p > 0.05). Cardiopulmonary function (VO2peak) was 20 % lower in patients than controls (p < 0.001). Exercise stress 2DE assessments of stroke volume (61 ± 11 vs. 69 ± 15 ml; p = 0.018) and cardiac index (2.3 ± 0.9 vs. 3.1 ± 0.8 l min(-1) m(-2) mean increase; p = 0.003) were lower in patients than controls. Post-exercise increase in cardiac index predicted VO2peak (r = 0.429, p = 0.001). Resting 3DE, GLS, and exercise stress 2DE detect subclinical cardiac dysfunction not apparent with resting 2DE in post-DOX breast cancer patients.

Impact of health-related quality of life and fatigue on survival of recurrent high-grade glioma patients.

Quality of life (QoL) impairment and fatigue are frequently experienced during treatment for recurrent high-grade glioma (HGG). Fatigue and QoL impairments can be due to primary neurological dysfunction, cytotoxic treatments, mood disturbances, and supportive medications. We now seek to understand how QoL and fatigue impacts survival in recurrent HGG. Using a prospective observational design, 237 patients with recurrent HGG and KPS ≥70 completed a self-administered questionnaire that evaluated QoL and fatigue. QoL was assessed with Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) and FACT-Brain (FACT-Br) scales while fatigue was assessed using Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT-F) scale. Cox proportional hazard models were utilized to evaluate the association between QoL and fatigue and survival. Seventy-three (31 %) subjects had recurrent WHO grade III gliomas and 164 (69 %) had recurrent WHO grade IV gliomas. Median follow-up analysis was 27.60 months. In univariate Cox analyses, the FACT-Br specific subscale (HR 0.88; CI 95 %, 0.77-1; p = 0.048) and FACIT-F (HR 0.82; CI 95 %, 0.68-0.99; p = 0.045) were both significant predictors of survival. Fatigue added prognostic information beyond that provided by KPS, age, sex, tumor grade, and number of prior progressions (HR 0.80; CI 95 %, 0.68-0.9; p = 0.031). A greater degree of fatigue was associated with poorer survival in recurrent HGG patients. In multivariable analyses, FACT-G and FACT-Br are not independent predictors of prognosis. Fatigue is a strong independent predictor of survival that provides incremental prognostic value to the traditional markers of prognosis in recurrent HGG. Pharmacological or non-pharmacological strategies to treat fatigue warrant investigation.

Safety and efficacy of aerobic training in operable breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy: a phase II randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of moderate-to-high intensity aerobic training in breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy. METHODS: Twenty patients with stage IIB-IIIC operable breast cancer were randomly assigned to receive doxorubicin plus cyclophosphamide (AC) or AC in combination with aerobic training (AC + AET) (n = 10/group) for 12 weeks. The AC+ AET group performed three supervised aerobic cycle ergometry sessions per week at 60%-100% of exercise capacity (VO2peak). Safety outcomes included exercise testing as well as treatment- and exercise training-related adverse events (AEs), whereas efficacy outcomes included cardiopulmonary function and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) as measured by a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast (FACT-B) scale. RESULTS: Twelve non-significant ECG abnormalities and three non-life threatening events occurred during CPET procedures. One AE was reported during aerobic training. There were no significant between group differences for clinician-documented events (e.g. pain, nausea) or hematological parameters (p's > 0.05). Attendance and adherence rates to aerobic training were 82% and 66%, respectively. Intention-to-treat analysis indicated that VO2peak increased by 2.6 ± 3.5 ml/kg/min (+ 13.3%) in the AC + AET group and decreased by 1.5 ± 2.2 ml/kg/min (-8.6%) in the AC group (between group difference, p = 0.001). FACT-B increased 11.1 points in the AC + AET group compared to a 1.5 point decrease in the AC group (between group difference, p = 0.685). CONCLUSION: Moderate-to-high intensity aerobic training when conducted with one-on-one supervision is a safe adjunct therapy associated with improvements in cardiopulmonary function and select PROs during neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Comparison of performance status with peak oxygen consumption in operable patients with non-small-cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: In this era of increasing options for treatment of 'surgical' lung cancer patients, preoperative physiologic assessment of accurate patient selection is becoming more important. The variability in an objective measure of cardiorespiratory fitness (peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak )) across performance in operable non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients enrolled in the Cancer and Leukemia Group B trial was compared. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional design, 392 NSCLC patients underwent an incremental cardiopulmonary cycling exercise test to symptom limitation with expired gas analysis to determine VO2peak . Performance status (PS) was assessed using the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) tool. RESULTS: There was a significant decrease in VO2peak across increasing ECOG categories (P < 0.0001). However, there was a large range in VO2peak for any given ECOG category with overlap between categories (ECOG 0: 5.0-31.5 mL/kg/min; ECOG 1: 4.3-24.8 mL/kg/min; ECOG 2: 8.9-21.9 mL/kg/min; ECOG 3; 3.3-11.7 mL/kg/min). CONCLUSIONS: PS scoring systems do not provide a sensitive measure of functional status. Objective measures such as VO2peak may be a useful in the clinical management of oncology patients.

Cumulative Diastolic Blood Pressure Burden in Normal Systolic Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Disease.

BACKGROUND: The clinical significance of isolated diastolic hypertension defined by the 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association blood pressure (BP) guidelines remains inconsistent. We examined whether long-term diastolic burden predicts the first major adverse cardiovascular event in participants with sustained and untreated normal systolic BP. METHODS: The Mass General Brigham Biobank is a New England health care-based cohort recruited between 2010 and 2021. A total of 15 979 participants aged 18 to 64 years and without prior cardiovascular disease, antihypertensives, or high systolic BP were studied. The cumulative diastolic burden was determined as the area under the curve for diastolic BP (DBP) ≥80 mm Hg over 5 years before enrollment. Major adverse cardiovascular event was defined as a composite of first incident ischemic heart disease, stroke, heart failure, or all-cause death. RESULTS: Of the 15 979 participants, mean (SD) age at enrollment was 47.6 (14.3) years, 11 950 (74.8%) were women, and the mean (SD) systolic BP and DBP were 118.0 (12.9) and 72.2 (9.3) mm Hg, respectively. Over a median (interquartile range) follow-up of 3.5 (1.8-5.4) years, 2467 (15.4%) major adverse cardiovascular events occurred. Using Cox proportional hazards regression, each SD increase in cumulative DBP was independently associated with a hazard ratio (95% CI) of 1.06 (1.02-1.10) without effect modification by sex (P=0.65), age (P=0.46), or race/ethnicity (P=0.24). In addition to traditional risk factors, cumulative DBP modestly improved the discrimination C index (95% CI) from 0.74 (0.72-0.75) to 0.75 (0.74-0.76; likelihood ratio test, P=0.037). CONCLUSIONS: Among individuals with normal systolic BP, cumulative DBP may augment cardiovascular disease risk stratification beyond a single DBP measure and traditional risk factors.

Modification of coronary artery disease clinical risk factors by coronary artery disease polygenic risk score.

BACKGROUND: The extent to which the relationships between clinical risk factors and coronary artery disease (CAD) are altered by CAD polygenic risk score (PRS) is not well understood. Here, we determine whether the interactions between clinical risk factors and CAD PRS further explain risk for incident CAD. METHODS: Participants were of European ancestry from the UK Biobank without prevalent CAD. An externally trained genome-wide CAD PRS was generated and then applied. Clinical risk factors were ascertained at baseline. Cox proportional hazards models were fitted to examine the incident CAD effects of CAD PRS, risk factors, and their interactions. Next, the PRS and risk factors were stratified to investigate the attributable risk of clinical risk factors. FINDINGS: A total of 357,144 individuals of European ancestry without prevalent CAD were included. During a median of 11.1 years of follow-up (interquartile range 10.4-14.1 years), CAD PRS was associated with 1.35-fold (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.332-1.368) risk per SD for incident CAD. The prognostic relevance of the following risk factors was relatively diminished for those with high CAD PRS on a continuous scale: type 2 diabetes (hazard ratio [HR]interaction 0.91, 95% CIinteraction 0.88-0.94), increased body mass index (HRinteraction 0.97, 95% CIinteraction 0.96-0.98), and increased C-reactive protein (HRinteraction 0.98, 95% CIinteraction 0.96-0.99). However, a high CAD PRS yielded joint risk increases with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HRinteraction 1.05, 95% CIinteraction 1.04-1.06) and total cholesterol (HRinteraction 1.05, 95% CIinteraction 1.03-1.06). CONCLUSION: The CAD PRS is associated with incident CAD, and its application improves the prognostic relevance of several clinical risk factors. FUNDING: P.N. (R01HL127564, R01HL151152, and U01HG011719) is supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Deep learning-derived splenic radiomics, genomics, and coronary artery disease.

Background: Despite advances in managing traditional risk factors, coronary artery disease (CAD) remains the leading cause of mortality. Circulating hematopoietic cells influence risk for CAD, but the role of a key regulating organ, spleen, is unknown. The understudied spleen is a 3-dimensional structure of the hematopoietic system optimally suited for unbiased radiologic investigations toward novel mechanistic insights. Methods: Deep learning-based image segmentation and radiomics techniques were utilized to extract splenic radiomic features from abdominal MRIs of 42,059 UK Biobank participants. Regression analysis was used to identify splenic radiomics features associated with CAD. Genome-wide association analyses were applied to identify loci associated with these radiomics features. Overlap between loci associated with CAD and the splenic radiomics features was explored to understand the underlying genetic mechanisms of the role of the spleen in CAD. Results: We extracted 107 splenic radiomics features from abdominal MRIs, and of these, 10 features were associated with CAD. Genome-wide association analysis of CAD-associated features identified 219 loci, including 35 previously reported CAD loci, 7 of which were not associated with conventional CAD risk factors. Notably, variants at 9p21 were associated with splenic features such as run length non-uniformity. Conclusions: Our study, combining deep learning with genomics, presents a new framework to uncover the splenic axis of CAD. Notably, our study provides evidence for the underlying genetic connection between the spleen as a candidate causal tissue-type and CAD with insight into the mechanisms of 9p21, whose mechanism is still elusive despite its initial discovery in 2007. More broadly, our study provides a unique application of deep learning radiomics to non-invasively find associations between imaging, genetics, and clinical outcomes.