Genetic characteristics involved in COVID-19 severity. The CARGENCORS case-control study and meta-analysis.

Pre-existing coronary artery disease (CAD), and thrombotic, inflammatory, or virus infectivity response phenomena have been associated with COVID-19 disease severity. However, the association of candidate single nucleotide variants (SNVs) related to mechanisms of COVID-19 complications has been seldom analysed. Our aim was to test and validate the effect of candidate SNVs on COVID-19 severity. CARGENCORS (CARdiovascular GENetic risk score for Risk Stratification of patients positive for SARS-CoV-2 [COVID-19] virus) is an age- and sex-matched case-control study with 818 COVID-19 cases hospitalized with hypoxemia, and 1636 controls with COVID-19 treated at home. The association between severity and SNVs related to CAD (n = 32), inflammation (n = 19), thrombosis (n = 14), virus infectivity (n = 11), and two published to be related to COVID-19 severity was tested with adjusted logistic regression models. Two external independent cohorts were used for meta-analysis (SCOURGE and UK Biobank). After adjustment for potential confounders, 14 new SNVs were associated with COVID-19 severity in the CARGENCORS Study. These SNVs were related to CAD (n = 10), thrombosis (n = 2), and inflammation (n = 2). We also confirmed eight SNVs previously related to severe COVID-19 and virus infectivity. The meta-analysis showed five SNVs associated with severe COVID-19 in adjusted analyses (rs11385942, rs1561198, rs6632704, rs6629110, and rs12329760). We identified 14 novel SNVs and confirmed eight previously related to COVID-19 severity in the CARGENCORS data. In the meta-analysis, five SNVs were significantly associated to COVID-19 severity, one of them previously related to CAD.

Effectiveness of the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol goals in secondary cardiovascular prevention.

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of statin treatment to reduce coronary events and mortality has been hardly examined considering goals of LDL-C. We aimed to analyse such association in secondary cardiovascular prevention. METHODS: Retrospective cohort analysis of electronic health records from the SIDIAP database, Catalonia-Spain. Recruitment period was from 2006 to 2017 and study period finished at the end of 2018. We included 54,175 people aged ≥35 years in cardiovascular secondary prevention starting statin treatment. We analysed the association of achieved LDL-C goals after statin initiation with coronary heart disease and all-cause mortality. RESULTS: Mean age was 69 years and 20,146 (37.2%) were women. Coronary heart disease occurred in 5687 (10.5%) participants, and 10,676 (19.7%) persons passed away. Median follow-up lasted 5.7 years (interquartile range, 3.4-8.1). The coronary heart disease HRs (95% CI) for the LDL-C goals of 70-100, <70-55 and <55 mg/dL were .86 (.81-.92), .83 (.76-.9) and .8 (.72-.88), respectively. They were .89 (.83-.96) in the group with 30%-40% reduction and .86 (.8-.93) in the groups with 40%-50% and ≥50% reduction. We observed no association with mortality. We observed no relevant differences by sex or age. CONCLUSIONS: This population-level retrospective analysis of real-world data observed that treatment with statins is effective to achieve certain LDL-C goals and CHD reduction. The lack of significant difference between LDL-C goals needs confirmation in additional studies with real-world data. The LDL-C target should consider the magnitude of the decrease in coronary events.

Impact of residential greenness on myocardial infarction in the population with diabetes: A sex-dependent association?

Living in urban areas with abundant greenness might provide health benefits in general population. Literature suggests that sex/gender plays a role in the association between greenness and health outcomes. But the impact of greenness in populations with moderate to high cardiovascular risk, such as persons with diabetes, is still unknown. Our aim was to evaluate the relationship between urban greenness and myocardial infarction incidence in persons with type 2 diabetes in Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain), and seek potential gender/sex differences in this association. This retrospective cohort study is based on data from the System for the Development of Research in Primary Care (SIDIAP database). We used Cox models to estimate if a 0.01 increase in Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) at census tract level was associated to reduced risk of developing a myocardial infarction. Models were adjusted by demographic and clinical characteristics at individual level, and by environmental and socioeconomic variables at census tract level. Amongst 41,463 persons with diabetes and 154,803.85 person-years of follow-up, we observed 449 incident cases of acute myocardial infarction. For each 0.01 increment in NDVI the risk of developing a myocardial infarction decreased by 6% (Hazard Ratio, HR = 0.94; 95%CI, 0.89-0.99) in the population with diabetes. When stratifying by sex, we observed a significant association only in men (HR = 0.91; 95%CI, 0.86-0.97). People with diabetes living in urban greener areas might benefit from reduced cardiovascular risk, specially men. We observed sex/gender disparities, which could be related to different exposures and activities performed in green spaces between men and women. Further studies are needed to confirm sex/gender disparities between greenness exposure and cardiovascular outcomes. Our findings contribute to improve the health of people with diabetes who should be recommended to spent time and exercise in green areas.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of a multiple health behaviour change intervention in people aged between 45 and 75 years: a cluster randomized controlled trial in primary care (EIRA study).

BACKGROUND: Multiple health behaviour change (MHBC) interventions that promote healthy lifestyles may be an efficient approach in the prevention or treatment of chronic diseases in primary care. This study aims to evaluate the cost-utility and cost-effectiveness of the health promotion EIRA intervention in terms of MHBC and cardiovascular reduction. METHODS: An economic evaluation alongside a 12-month cluster-randomised (1:1) controlled trial conducted between 2017 and 2018 in 25 primary healthcare centres from seven Spanish regions. The study took societal and healthcare provider perspectives. Patients included were between 45 and 75 years old and had any two of these three behaviours: smoking, insufficient physical activity or low adherence to Mediterranean dietary pattern. Intervention duration was 12 months and combined three action levels (individual, group and community). MHBC, defined as a change in at least two health risk behaviours, and cardiovascular risk (expressed in % points) were the outcomes used to calculate incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER). Quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were estimated and used to calculate incremental cost-utility ratios (ICUR). Missing data was imputed and bootstrapping with 1000 replications was used to handle uncertainty in the modelling results. RESULTS: The study included 3062 participants. Intervention costs were €295 higher than usual care costs. Five per-cent additional patients in the intervention group did a MHBC compared to usual care patients. Differences in QALYS or cardiovascular risk between-group were close to 0 (- 0.01 and 0.04 respectively). The ICER was €5598 per extra health behaviour change in one patient and €6926 per one-point reduction in cardiovascular risk from a societal perspective. The cost-utility analysis showed that the intervention increased costs and has no effect, in terms of QALYs, compared to usual care from a societal perspective. Cost-utility planes showed high uncertainty surrounding the ICUR. Sensitivity analysis showed results in line with the main analysis. CONCLUSION: The efficiency of EIRA intervention cannot be fully established and its recommendation should be conditioned by results on medium-long term effects. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT03136211 . Registered 02 May 2017 - Retrospectively registered.

Extreme diurnal temperature range and cardiovascular emergency hospitalisations in a Mediterranean region.

OBJECTIVES: The impact of extreme diurnal temperature range (DTR) on cardiovascular morbidity in Mediterranean regions remains uncertain. We aimed to analyse the impact of extreme low DTR (stable temperature) or high DTR (changeable temperature) on cardiovascular hospitalisations in Catalonia (Southern Europe). METHODS: We conducted a self-controlled case series study using whole-year data from the System for the Development of Research in Primary Care database and 153 weather stations from the Catalan Meteorological Service. The outcome was first emergency hospitalisation. Monthly DTR percentiles were used to define extreme DTR as low (DTR 95th percentile). We assessed two effects: same-day (1-day exposure, coinciding with the extreme DTR episode) and cumulative (3-day exposure, adding two subsequent days). Incidence rate ratios (IRR) were calculated adjusted by age, season and air pollution. Stratified analyses by gender, age or cardiovascular type and regions are provided. RESULTS: We computed 121 206 cardiovascular hospitalisations from 2006 to 2013. The IRR was 1.032 (95% CI 1.005 to 1.061) for same day and 1.024 (95% CI 1.006 to 1.042) for cumulative effects of extreme high DTR. The impact was significant for stroke and heart failure, but not for coronary heart disease. Conversely, extreme low DTR did not increase cardiovascular hospitalisations. CONCLUSIONS: Extreme high DTR increased the incidence of cardiovascular hospitalisations, but not extreme low DTR. Same-day effects of extreme high DTR were stronger than cumulative effects. These findings contribute to better understand the impact of outdoor temperature on health, and to help defining public health strategies to mitigate such impact.

Changes in lifestyle resulting from confinement due to COVID-19 and depressive symptomatology: A cross-sectional a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: The measures adopted to control the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in several countries included mobility and social restrictions that produced an immediate impact on the lifestyle of their inhabitants. METHODS: We assessed the association between the consequences of these measures and depressive symptomatology using a population-based sample of 692 individuals aged 18 or over from an ongoing study in the province of Girona (Catalonia, Spain). Participants responded to a telephone-based survey that included questions related to the consequences of confinement and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used to assess depressive symptomatology. Multivariate logistic and linear regressions were used to identify which changes in lifestyle resulting from confinement were independently associated with a possible depression episode and depressive symptomatology. RESULTS: The prevalence of a possible depressive episode during the confinement was 12.7% (95% CI = 10.3-15.4). An adverse work situation, expected economic distress, self-reported worsening of the mental health and of the dietary pattern, and worries about a relative's potential infection were variables related to an increased risk of having a possible depressive episode. The changes in lifestyle accounted for 32% of the variance of the PHQ-9 score. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate an association of the job situation, the expected negative economic consequences, the perceived worsening of health and habits, and the worries about COVID-19 infection with depressive symptomatology during the confinement.

Multiple health behaviour change primary care intervention for smoking cessation, physical activity and healthy diet in adults 45 to 75 years old (EIRA study): a hybrid effectiveness-implementation cluster randomised trial.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a) a Multiple Health Behaviour Change (MHBC) intervention on reducing smoking, increasing physical activity and adherence to a Mediterranean dietary pattern in people aged 45-75 years compared to usual care; and b) an implementation strategy. METHODS: A cluster randomised effectiveness-implementation hybrid trial-type 2 with two parallel groups was conducted in 25 Spanish Primary Health Care (PHC) centres (3062 participants): 12 centres (1481 participants) were randomised to the intervention and 13 (1581 participants) to the control group (usual care). The intervention was based on the Transtheoretical Model and focused on all target behaviours using individual, group and community approaches. PHC professionals made it during routine care. The implementation strategy was based on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Data were analysed using generalised linear mixed models, accounting for clustering. A mixed-methods data analysis was used to evaluate implementation outcomes (adoption, acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility and fidelity) and determinants of implementation success. RESULTS: 14.5% of participants in the intervention group and 8.9% in the usual care group showed a positive change in two or all the target behaviours. Intervention was more effective in promoting dietary behaviour change (31.9% vs 21.4%). The overall adoption rate by professionals was 48.7%. Early and final appropriateness were perceived by professionals as moderate. Early acceptability was high, whereas final acceptability was only moderate. Initial and final acceptability as perceived by the participants was high, and appropriateness moderate. Consent and recruitment rates were 82.0% and 65.5%, respectively, intervention uptake was 89.5% and completion rate 74.7%. The global value of the percentage of approaches with fidelity ≥50% was 16.7%. Eight CFIR constructs distinguished between high and low implementation, five corresponding to the Inner Setting domain. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to usual care, the EIRA intervention was more effective in promoting MHBC and dietary behaviour change. Implementation outcomes were satisfactory except for the fidelity to the planned intervention, which was low. The organisational and structural contexts of the centres proved to be significant determinants of implementation effectiveness. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT03136211 . Registered 2 May 2017, "retrospectively registered".

Validity of Chronic Venous Disease Diagnoses and Epidemiology Using Validated Electronic Health Records From Primary Care: A Real-World Data Analysis.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of lower limb chronic venous disease (CVD) diagnoses entered in a large electronic health record database in primary care in Catalonia, Spain; to investigate the reliability of these data for research purposes; and to estimate the prevalence and incidence of CVD, chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), and venous leg ulcer (VLU). DESIGN: Real-world data analysis based on a large electronic health record database in primary care in Catalonia, Spain. METHODS: We used a primary care research database (Information System for the Development of Research in Primary Care [SIDIAP]), which contains anonymous data on some 5.8 million people from 279 primary care centers, accounting for more than 80% of the Catalonian population and 15% of the Spanish population. We evaluated the validity of the ICD-10 codes for CVD in SIDIAP for 200 adult patients through the responses of 20 primary care physicians to a questionnaire. FINDINGS: The positive predictive value of CVD in SIDIAP was 89.95% (95% confidence interval [CI] 84.99-93.40). The prevalence rates for CVD, CVI, and VLU were 9.54% (95% CI 9.51-9.56), 3.87%, and 0.33%, respectively. The incidence rates for CVD, CVI, and VLU were 7.91/1,000 person-years (95% CI 7.82-8.00), 3.37/1,000 person-years (95% CI 3.31-3.43), and 0.23/1,000 person-years (95% CI 0.21-0.24), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The Catalonian SIDIAP database contains valid CVD diagnoses. The prevalence and incidence rates found using real-world data are low compared with those in the literature, possibly because CVD is an underdiagnosed entity. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Real-world data can inform clinicians on lower limb venous health in a population, show changes as individuals age, and reveal aspects where healthcare can be improved.

Control of cardiovascular risk factors with tailored recommendations: A randomized controlled trial.

This study analyzed the efficacy of tailored recommendations to control cardiovascular risk factors at 1-year follow-up in a population-based randomized controlled trial in individuals aged 35-74 years with no history of cardiovascular disease at baseline. Total, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) were measured at baseline and at 1-year follow-up. The primary outcome was the quantitative change in total cholesterol. To estimate the differences within and between groups, McNemar and Student t-tests were applied according to an intention-to-treat strategy. We enrolled 955 individuals [52.3% women; mean age, 50 years (standard deviation 10)]. Finally, 1 participant in each group presented a cardiovascular event and 768 were reexamined at 1-year follow-up. Intervention and control groups showed significant increases in total cholesterol [5.49 (standard deviation 1.02) to 5.56 (1.06) mmol/L and 5.34 (0.94) to 5.43 (0.93) mmol/L, respectively]. Men in the intervention group showed significant decreases in systolic and diastolic BP [117.2 (14.6) to 115.6 mmHg (14.1) and 77.9 (9.7) to 76.5 mmHg (9.7), respectively]; no changes were found in the rates of total cholesterol <5.2 mmol/L and LDL cholesterol <3.0 mmol/L. In the control group, both values were significantly decreased (43.5 to 36.4% and 26.4 to 20.8%, respectively) in men. In the stratified analysis, women showed no differences in any of the outcomes. In conclusion, an intervention with tailored recommendations increased mean total cholesterol values. The intervention effect was higher in men who maintained blood lipids at optimal levels and had decreased BP values.

Early smoking-onset age and risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality.

Early smoking onset age (SOA) is a public health concern with scant empirical evidence of its role in health outcomes. The study had two aims: i) to assess whether an early SOA was associated with the risk of fatal and non-fatal CVD and all-cause and CVD mortality and ii) to explore the linear and non-linear association between SOA and the outcomes of interest. Data from 4499 current or former smokers, recruited from 1995 to 2005, aged 25 to 79 years, and with a median 7.02 years of follow-up, were obtained from the REGICOR population-based cohort. In the present analysis, performed in 2018, the independent variable was SOA and the dependent variables were CVD events, CVD mortality, and all-cause mortality. Penalized smoothing spline methods were used to assess the linear and non-linear association. During follow-up, 361 deaths and 210 CVD events were recorded. A significant non-linear component was identified in the association between SOA and CVD outcomes with a cut-off point at 12 years: In the group aged ≤12 years, each year of delay in SOA was inversely associated with CVD risk (HR = 0.71; 95%CI = 0.53-0.96) and CVD mortality (HR = 0.58; 95%CI = 0.37-0.90). No association was observed in the older SOA group. A linear association was observed between SOA and all-cause mortality, and each year of delay was associated with 4% lower risk of mortality (HR = 0.96; 95%CI = 0.93-0.98). The associations were adjusted for lifelong exposure to tobacco and cardiovascular risk factors. These results reinforce the value of preventing tobacco use among teenagers and adolescents.

Effects of extreme temperatures on cardiovascular emergency hospitalizations in a Mediterranean region: a self-controlled case series study.

BACKGROUND: Cold spells and heatwaves increase mortality. However little is known about the effect of heatwaves or cold spells on cardiovascular morbidity. This study aims to assess the effect of cold spells and heatwaves on cardiovascular diseases in a Mediterranean region (Catalonia, Southern Europe). METHODS: We conducted a population-based retrospective study. Data were obtained from the System for the Development of Research in Primary Care and from the Catalan Meteorological Service. The outcome was first emergency hospitalizations due to coronary heart disease, stroke, or heart failure. Exposures were: cold spells; cold spells and 3 or 7 subsequent days; and heatwaves. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using the self-controlled case series method. We accounted for age, time trends, and air pollutants; results were shown by age groups, gender or cardiovascular event type. RESULTS: There were 22,611 cardiovascular hospitalizations in winter and 17,017 in summer between 2006 and 2013. The overall incidence of cardiovascular hospitalizations significantly increased during cold spells (IRR = 1.120; CI 95%: 1.10-1.30) and the effect was even stronger in the 7 days subsequent to the cold spell (IRR = 1.29; CI 95%: 1.22-1.36). Conversely, cardiovascular hospitalizations did not increase during heatwaves, neither in the overall nor in the stratified analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Cold spells but not heatwaves, increased the incidence of emergency cardiovascular hospitalizations in Catalonia. The effect of cold spells was greater when including the 7 subsequent days. Such knowledge might be useful to develop strategies to reduce the impact of extreme temperature episodes on human health.

Carotid artery stiffness and risk of vascular events and mortality: the REGICOR study.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to determine the dose-response association of carotid arterial stiffness with vascular outcomes and overall mortality, and to assess their added predictive capacity. METHODS: Population-based cohort study including 6468 individuals, with a median follow-up of 6.5 years. Six carotid artery stiffness indices were assessed: strain, stiffness, Peterson elasticity coefficient, compliance coefficient, distensibility coefficient, and pulse wave velocity (PWV). Incident coronary, cerebrovascular, global vascular, and total fatal events were identified. RESULTS: Carotid compliance and distensibility coefficients were not associated with any of the outcomes. Carotid stiffness, Peterson elasticity coefficient, and PWV showed a direct linear relationship to cerebrovascular disease: the risk increased by 8% (95%CI, 1-16) per stiffness unit increase, by 7% (95%CI, 2-13) per 10-unit Peterson elasticity coefficient increase, and by 26% (95%CI, 8-48) per PWV unit increase. Carotid strain showed a nonlinear association with ischemic heart disease. When strain was ≤ 0.09 units, each 0.01-unit increase was associated with a 15% lower risk of coronary events (95%CI,-33 to 6); above 0.09 units, each 0.01 increase in strain was associated with a 16% higher risk of coronary events (95%CI, 6-27). The addition of the stiffness indices did not improve the predictive capacity of validated risk functions. CONCLUSIONS: Carotid stiffness, Peterson elasticity coefficient, and PWV have a direct linear association with cerebrovascular disease risk. Carotid strain is not linearly related to U-shaped ischemic heart disease risk. The inclusion of these indexes does not improve the predictive capacity of risk functions.

Relationship between the Mediterranean Diet and Metabolic Syndrome and Each of the Components That Form It in Caucasian Subjects: A Cross-Sectional Trial.

The main objective of this work is to investigate the relationship between the Mediterranean diet (MD) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components in Caucasian subjects between 35 and 74 years. The secondary objective is to analyze sex differences. METHODS: A cross-sectional trial. This study utilized data from the EVA, MARK, and EVIDENT studies, and a total of 3417 subjects with a mean age ± SD of 60.14 ± 9.14 years (57% men) were included. We followed the five criteria established in the National Cholesterol Education Program III to define MetS. The MD was assessed with the 14-item Mediterranean diet adherence screener (MEDAS) used in the PREDIMED study. Good adherence was considered when the MD value was higher than the median value. RESULTS: The mean ± SD value of the MEDAS questionnaire was 5.83 ± 2.04 (men 5.66 ± 2.06 and women 6.04 ± 1.99; p < 0.001). Adherence to the MD was observed by 38.6% (34.3% men and 40.3% women; p < 0.001). MetS was observed in 41.6% (39.0% men and 45.2% women; p < 0.001). In the multiple regression analysis, after adjusting for possible confounders, the mean MD value showed a negative association with the number of MetS components per subject (ß = -0.336), and with the different components of MetS: systolic blood pressure (ß = -0.011), diastolic blood pressure (ß = -0.029), glycemia (ß = -0.009), triglycerides (ß = -0.004), and waist circumference (ß = -0.026), except with the HDL-cholesterol value which showed a positive association (ß = 0.021); p < 0.001 in all cases. In the logistic regression analysis performed, we found that an increase in MD adherence was associated with a decrease in the probability of MetS (OR = 0.56) and its components: blood pressure levels ≥ 130/85 mmHg (OR = 0.63), fasting plasma glucose ≥ 100 mg/dL (OR = 0.62), triglyceride levels ≥ 150 mg/dL (OR = 0.65), waist circumference levels ≥ 88 cm in women and ≥102 cm in men (OR = 0.74), and increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol < 40 mg/dL in men and <50 mg/dL in women (OR = 1.70); p < 0.001 in all cases. The results by sex were similar, both in multiple regression and logistic regression. CONCLUSIONS: The results found in our work indicate that the greater the adherence to the MD, the lower the probability of presenting MetS. This result is repeated in the study by sex. More studies are needed to clarify that these results can be extended to the rest of the Mediterranean countries, and to other countries outside the Mediterranean basin.

Relationship between the Mediterranean Diet and Vascular Function in Subjects with and without Increased Insulin Resistance.

(1) The main aim of this study was to analyze the relationship of the Mediterranean diet (MD) with vascular function in participants with and without increased insulin resistance (IR) in the Spanish population. A secondary aim was to study differences by gender. (2) Methods: Data were analyzed from 3401 subjects in the EVA, MARK, and EVIDENT studies (mean age = 60 years and 57% men). IR was evaluated with the triglyceride and glucose index (TyG index). TyG index = Ln [(fasting triglyceride mg/dL × fasting glucose mg/dL)/2]. The MD was measured against the MEDAS questionnaire, with the 14 items used in the PREDIMED study. Vascular stiffness was estimated with the brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and the cardio ankle vascular index (CAVI) using the Vasera VS-1500®. (3) Results: The mean MEDAS value was 5.82 ± 2.03; (men: 5.66 ± 2.06; women: 6.04 ± 1.99; p < 0.001). MD adherence was 36.8% (men: 34.2%; women: 40.3%; p < 0.001). The mean baPWV value was 14.39 ± 2.78; (men: 14.50 ± 2.65; women: 14.25 ± 2.93; p = 0.005). A baPWV value ≥ 14.5 m/s was found in 43.4% (men: 43.6%; women: 40.0%; p = 0.727). The mean CAVI value was 8.59 ± 1.28; (men: 8.75 ± 1.28; women: 8.37 ± 1.26; p < 0.001). CAVI values ≥ 9 were present in 39.0% (men: 44.4%; women: 31.7%; p < 0.001). The mean value of the TGC/G index was 10.93 ± 1.39; (men: 11.08 ± 1.33; women: 10.73 ± 1.43; p < 0.001). IR was found in 49.9%. The average value of the MD score value was negatively associated with baPWV and CAVI in all groups analyzed (<0.05), except in the group of women with insulin resistance. (4) Conclusions: The results suggest that MD adherence is negatively associated with the vascular stiffness parameters analyzed in all the groups studied except the group of women with insulin resistance.

Cardiovascular Risk Age Reflects Arterial Status: Middle-Aged People Showed Equivalent Arterial Stiffness to Older People in the Same Risk Category.

AIM: The concept of risk age may help overcome an excessive weight of age in cardiovascular risk functions. This study aimed to evaluate the equivalence of risk age with arterial stiffness by comparing people with increased risk age and individuals with the same chronological and risk age. In order to materialize this aim, we categorized individuals based on cardiovascular risk and compared groups with increased risk factors (other than age) and groups with normal levels. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional population-level study carried out in Girona province within the context of the REGICOR study (Girona Heart Registry). In this study, individuals aged 35-90 years who had a brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity measurement and with no previous cardiovascular disease or peripheral arterial disease were included. Cardiovascular risk was estimated with the FRESCO (in 35-79 year-olds), SCORE2 (in 35-69 year-olds), and SCORE2-OP (in 70-90 year-olds) functions and categorized to calculate and compare (in each category) the median chronological age in the group with increased risk factors and the reference. Arterial stiffness was assessed with the brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV). The analyses were carried out separately by sex. RESULTS: In this study, 2499 individuals were included, with a mean age of 59.7 and 46.9% of men. Men presented worse health condition, including a higher mean cardiovascular disease risk score. Both men and women with increased levels of risk factors showed worse health condition than the respective men and women with optimal levels. In each risk category, the groups with higher risk age than chronological age (increased risk factors) were similar in baPWV values to the groups with the same chronological and risk ages (reference), who were consistently older. CONCLUSIONS: In categories with the same cardiovascular risk, the arterial stiffness of participants with a higher risk factor burden (increased risk age) matched that of older participants with the rest of the risk factors at optimal levels (same chronological and risk age). These results support the guidelines on the utilization of risk age to explain heightened cardiovascular risk, particularly among individuals in middle age.

Sex matters in the association between cardiovascular health and incident dementia: evidence from real world data.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular health has been associated with dementia onset, but little is known about the variation of such association by sex and age considering dementia subtypes. We assessed the role of sex and age in the association between cardiovascular risk and the onset of all-cause dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and vascular dementia in people aged 50-74 years. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study covering 922.973 Catalans who attended the primary care services of the Catalan Health Institute (Spain). Data were obtained from the System for the Development of Research in Primary Care (SIDIAP database). Exposure was the cardiovascular risk (CVR) at baseline categorized into four levels of Framingham-REGICOR score (FRS): low (FRS < 5%), low-intermediate (5% ≤ FRS < 7.5%), high-intermediate (7.5% ≤ FRS < 10%), high (FRS ≥ 10%), and one group with previous vascular disease. Cases of all-cause dementia and Alzheimer's disease were identified using validated algorithms, and cases of vascular dementia were identified by diagnostic codes. We fitted stratified Cox models using age parametrized as b-Spline. RESULTS: A total of 51,454 incident cases of all-cause dementia were recorded over a mean follow-up of 12.7 years. The hazard ratios in the low-intermediate and high FRS groups were 1.12 (95% confidence interval: 1.08-1.15) and 1.55 (1.50-1.60) for all-cause dementia; 1.07 (1.03-1.11) and 1.17 (1.11-1.24) for Alzheimer's disease; and 1.34 (1.21-1.50) and 1.90 (1.67-2.16) for vascular dementia. These associations were stronger in women and in midlife compared to later life in all dementia types. Women with a high Framingham-REGICOR score presented a similar risk of developing dementia - of any type - to women who had previous vascular disease, and at age 50-55, they showed three times higher risk of developing dementia risk compared to the lowest Framingham-REGICOR group. CONCLUSIONS: We found a dose‒response association between the Framingham-REGICOR score and the onset of all dementia types. Poor cardiovascular health in midlife increased the onset of all dementia types later in life, especially in women.

Exploring personal aptitudes and personality traits that, together with social determinants, shape health behaviors and conduct: a thematic analysis based on the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation and Behavior (COM-B) change system.

Introduction: Effective implementation of strategies to promote health and prevent noncommunicable illnesses requires a profound understanding of the interaction between the individual and society. This study brings to health research the consideration of psychosocial factors that influence the maintenance and change of health behaviors and conduct. From a primary care perspective, it is crucial to propose a biopsychosocial approach for the development of health promotion and self-care programs that embrace personal aptitudes as a relevant individual aspect. Objectives: To explore experiences related to personal aptitudes and personality traits that influence health behaviors and conduct, taking into account the social determinants of health, through a thematic analysis based on the capability-opportunity-motivation and behavior (COM-B) system. Methods and analysis: This qualitative research is carried out from a descriptive phenomenological perspective, based on 17 focus groups in which 156 people participated. Inductive and deductive analysis techniques were used following Lincoln and Guba's criteria of methodological rigor. In addition to 7 different triangulations of analysts, 6 main categories were identified based on the COM-B system: psychological capacity, physical capacity, physical opportunity, social opportunity, reflective motivation, and automatic motivation. The importance of considering these factors to promote healthy behaviors was stressed. Discussion: This study examined how personal experiences related personal aptitudes and personality traits influence health behaviors and conduct in Spain. It was found that personality traits such as health literacy, self-efficacy, activation, and self-determination can influence the adoption of healthy behaviors. Likewise, the need for control, overthinking, and ambivalence made it impossible. Furthermore, social determinants of health and interpersonal relationships also play an important role. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04386135. Registered on April 30, 2020.

Association of depression phenotypes and antidepressant treatment with mortality due to cancer and other causes: a community-based cohort study.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the association of somatic depressive symptoms (SDS), cognitive/emotional depressive symptoms (C-EDS), and antidepressant treatment on mortality due to cancer and other causes in a community cohort. Methods: A community-based sample recruited in 1995, 2000, and 2005 aged between 35 and 75 years was examined in two waves and followed for a median of 6.7 years. SDS and C-EDS phenotypes were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Medication used by participants was collected. Deaths and their causes were registered during follow-up. Cox proportional hazard models stratified by sex were performed to determine the association between depressive phenotypes and mortality. Results: The cohort consisted of 5,646 individuals (53.9% women) with a mean age of 64 years (SD = 11.89). During the follow-up, 392 deaths were recorded, of which 27.8% were due to cancer. C-EDS phenotype was associated with an increased risk of cancer mortality in both men (HR = 2.23; 95% CI = 1.11-4.44) and women (HR = 3.69; 95% CI = 1.69-8.09), and SDS was significantly associated with non-cancer mortality in men (HR = 2.16; 95 CI % = 1.46-3.18). Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) were significantly associated with both cancer (HR = 2.78; 95% CI = 1.10-6.98) and non-cancer mortality (HR = 2.94; 95% CI = 1.76-4.90) only in the male population. Conclusion: C-EDS phenotype was related to an increased risk of cancer mortality at 6 years. In addition, the use of SSRIs in the male population was associated with cancer and all-cause mortality.

Polyvascular Subclinical Atherosclerosis: Correlation Between Ankle Brachial Index and Carotid Atherosclerosis in a Population-Based Sample.

We assessed the correlation between the biomarkers of lower limb atherosclerosis (eg, ankle-brachial index [ABI]) and of carotid atherosclerosis (eg, common carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and presence of atherosclerotic plaque) in a population-based cohort from Girona (Northwest Spain) recruited in 2010. Ankle-brachial index and carotid ultrasound were performed in all participants. Generalized additive multivariable models were used to adjust a regression model of common carotid IMT on ABI. Logistic regression multivariable models were adjusted to assess the probability of carotid plaque in individuals with peripheral artery disease. We included 3307 individuals (54.2% women), mean age 60 years (standard deviation 11). Two patterns of association were observed between subclinical biomarkers of atherosclerosis at the lower limb and carotid artery. Ankle-brachial index and common carotid IMT showed a linear trend in men [beta coefficient (95% confidence interval) =-.068 (-.123; -.012); P = .016]. Women with peripheral artery disease presented with high risk of atherosclerotic plaque at the carotid artery [Odds ratio (95% confidence interval) = 2.61, (1.46; 4.69); P = .001]. Men showed a significant linear association between ABI levels and common carotid IMT values. Women with peripheral artery disease presented with high risk of atherosclerotic plaque at the carotid artery.