Diabetes nutrition therapy and dietary intake among individuals with Type 1 diabetes in China.

AIMS: To describe the contribution of diabetes nutrition therapy to disease self-management among individuals with Type 1 diabetes in China and to estimate the association of diabetes nutrition therapy with dietary intake. METHODS: The 3C Study was an epidemiological study of the coverage, cost and care of Type 1 diabetes in China. The data reported in the present study are from the 3C Nutrition Ancillary Study, a follow-up study conducted a mean ± sd of 1.6 ± 0.2 years later. Diabetes nutrition therapy was assessed by an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Dietary intake was assessed using three 24-h recalls. The association of diabetes nutrition therapy with dietary intake was estimated using ancova. RESULTS: Participants (n = 100; 54% male) had a mean ± sd age of 41.7 ± 16.3 years and a mean ± sd diabetes duration of 11.8 ± 9.7 years. Fewer than half of the participants reported that they had 'ever' met with a dietitian. While 64% of participants were taught carbohydrate counting, only 12% 'ever' use this tool. Participants on insulin pumps and those testing ≥ 1 time/day reported greater dietary flexibility and higher fruit intakes compared with participants on other insulin regimens and testing less frequently. After adjustment for confounding by age and occupation, there were no consistent differences in dietary intake across subgroups of diabetes nutrition therapy. CONCLUSIONS: In this sample of individuals with Type 1 diabetes in China there is little dietitian involvement or carbohydrate counting. Increased frequency of nutrition education in conjunction with intensified self-monitoring of blood glucose is needed to improve care.

HbA 1c as a risk factor for heart failure in persons with diabetes: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Heart failure (HF) incidence in diabetes in both the presence and absence of CHD is rising. Prospective population-based studies can help describe the relationship between HbA(1c), a measure of glycaemia control, and HF risk. METHODS: We studied the incidence of HF hospitalisation or death among 1,827 participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study with diabetes and no evidence of HF at baseline. Cox proportional hazard models included age, sex, race, education, health insurance status, alcohol consumption, BMI and WHR, and major CHD risk factors (BP level and medications, LDL- and HDL-cholesterol levels, and smoking). RESULTS: In this population of persons with diabetes, crude HF incidence rates per 1,000 person-years were lower in the absence of CHD (incidence rate 15.5 for CHD-negative vs 56.4 for CHD-positive, p<0.001). The adjusted HR of HF for each 1% higher HbA(1c) was 1.17 (95% CI 1.11-1.25) for the non-CHD group and 1.20 (95% CI 1.04-1.40) for the CHD group. When the analysis was limited to HF cases which occurred in the absence of prevalent or incident CHD (during follow-up) the adjusted HR remained 1.20 (95% CI 1.11-1.29). CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATIONS: These data suggest HbA(1c) is an independent risk factor for incident HF in persons with diabetes with and without CHD. Long-term clinical trials of tight glycaemic control should quantify the impact of different treatment regimens on HF risk reduction.

ABO blood group, other risk factors and incidence of venous thromboembolism: the Longitudinal Investigation of Thromboembolism Etiology (LITE).

BACKGROUND: Numerous case-control studies have reported higher prevalence of non-O blood type among venous thromboembolism (VTE) patients than controls, but potential mechanisms or effect modifiers for the association are not fully established. PATIENTS/METHODS: Using a nested case-control design combining the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities and the Cardiovascular Health Study cohort, ABO blood type and other VTE risk factors were measured on pre-event blood samples of 492 participants who subsequently developed VTE and 1008 participants who remained free of VTE. RESULTS: A total of 64.4% of cases and 52.5% of controls had non-O blood type. Among controls, mean values of factor VIIIc (FVIIIc) and von Willebrand factor among the non-O blood type group were higher than among the O group. Compared with O blood type, the age-adjusted odds ratio (OR) of VTE for non-O blood type was 1.64 (95% CI, 1.32-2.05) and was similar for the two parent studies and race groups. Further adjustment for sex, race, body mass index, diabetes mellitus and FVIIIc reduced the OR: 1.31 (95% CI, 1.02-1.68). Factor V Leiden (FV Leiden) appeared to modify the non-O blood type association with VTE in a supra-additive fashion, with an age-, sex- and race-adjusted OR of 6.77 (95% CI, 3.65-12.6) for having both risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Non-O blood type was independently associated with risk of VTE, and added to the risk associated with FV Leiden.

Prospective study of subclinical atherosclerosis as a risk factor for venous thromboembolism.

BACKGROUND: Whether atherosclerotic disease predisposes to venous thrombosis is uncertain. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether subclinical atherosclerosis, manifested as increased carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) or presence of carotid plaque, is associated with increased incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study is a prospective cohort of adults aged 45-64 years, examined at baseline (1987-89) and followed for cardiovascular events. Bilateral carotid ultrasound for IMT measurements was done at baseline for portions of the common and internal carotid arteries, and carotid bifurcation and also to detect the presence of carotid plaque. Exclusion criteria included baseline anticoagulant use, history of coronary heart disease, stroke, or VTE, and incomplete data. First VTE during follow-up was validated using abstracted medical records. RESULTS: Among 13,081 individuals followed for a mean of 12.5 years, 225 first VTE events were identified. Unadjusted hazard ratios (HR) (95% CI) of VTE across quartiles of baseline IMT were 1.0, 1.16 (0.77-1.75), 1.64 (1.12-2.40), and 1.52 (1.03-2.25). However, this association disappeared after adjustment for age, sex, and ethnicity (HRs: 1.0, 1.06, 1.40, and 1.18). Further adjustment for body mass index and diabetes weakened the relative risks even further. Presence of carotid plaque at baseline also was not associated with VTE occurrence; adjusted HR = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.72-1.29. CONCLUSION: Increased carotid IMT or presence of carotid plaque was not associated with an increased incidence of VTE in this middle-aged cohort, suggesting subclinical atherosclerosis itself is not a VTE risk factor.

Lung function, respiratory symptoms and venous thromboembolism risk: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.

Essentials The association of lung function with venous thromboembolism (VTE) is unclear. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patterns were associated with a higher risk of VTE. Symptoms were also associated with a higher risk of VTE, but a restrictive pattern was not. COPD may increase the risk of VTE and respiratory symptoms may be a novel risk marker for VTE. SUMMARY: Background The evidence for the association between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and venous thromboembolism (VTE) is limited. There is no study investigating the association between restrictive lung disease (RLD) and respiratory symptoms with VTE. Objectives To investigate prospectively the association of lung function and respiratory symptoms with VTE. Patients/Methods In 1987-1989, we assessed lung function by using spirometry, and obtained information on respiratory symptoms (cough, phlegm, and dyspnea) in 14 654 participants aged 45-64 years, without a history of VTE or anticoagulant use, and followed them through 2011. Participants were classified into four mutually exclusive groups: 'COPD' (forced expiratory volume in 1 s [FEV1 ]/forced vital capacity [FVC] below the lower limit of normal [LLN]), 'RLD' (FEV1 /FVC ≥ LLN and FVC < LLN), 'respiratory symptoms with normal spirometic results' (without RLD or COPD), and 'normal' (without respiratory symptoms, RLD, or COPD). Results We documented 639 VTEs (238 unprovoked and 401 provoked VTEs). After adjustment for VTE risk factors, VTE risk was increased for individuals with either respiratory symptoms with normal spirometric results (hazard ratio [HR] 1.40, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12-1.73) or COPD (HR 1.33, 95% CI 1.07-1.67) but not for those with RLD (HR 1.15, 95% CI 0.82-1.60). These elevated risks of VTE were derived from both unprovoked and provoked VTE. Moreover, FEV1 and FEV1 /FVC showed dose-response relationships with VTE. COPD was more strongly associated with pulmonary embolism than with deep vein thrombosis. Conclusions Obstructive spirometric patterns were associated with an increased risk of VTE, suggesting that COPD may increase the risk of VTE. Respiratory symptoms may represent a novel risk marker for VTE.

Prospective study of markers of hemostatic function with risk of ischemic stroke. The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study Investigators.

BACKGROUND: Several markers of hemostatic function and inflammation have been associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease, but prospective evidence for their role in ischemic stroke is scant. METHODS AND RESULTS: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study measured several of these markers in more than 14 700 participants 45 to 64 years old who were free of cardiovascular disease and were followed up for 6 to 9 years for occurrence of ischemic stroke (n=191). There was no apparent association between ischemic stroke incidence and factor VIIc, antithrombin III, platelet count, or activated partial thromboplastin time. After adjustment for multiple cardiovascular risk factors, von Willebrand factor, factor VIIIc, fibrinogen, and white blood cell count were positively associated and protein C was negatively but nonsignificantly associated with ischemic stroke incidence in regression analyses based on either continuous variables or fourths of the variable distributions. The adjusted relative risk (and 95% CI) for ischemic stroke in those in the highest versus lowest fourth were: von Willebrand factor, 1.71 (1.1 to 2.7); factor VIIIc, 1.93 (1.2 to 3.1); white blood cell count, 1.50 (0.9 to 2.4); fibrinogen, 1.26 (0.8 to 2.0); and protein C, 0.65 (0.4 to 1.0). CONCLUSIONS: This study offers modest support for the hypothesis that some markers of hemostatic function and inflammation can identify groups of middle-aged adults at increased risk of stroke. These factors may play a role in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke.

Prehospital and emergency department delays after acute stroke: the Genentech Stroke Presentation Survey.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Patient delays in seeking treatment for stroke and delays within the Emergency Department (ED) are major factors in the lack of use of thrombolytic therapy for stroke. The Genentech Stroke Presentation Survey was a multicentered prospective registry of patients with acute stroke. The study was designed to characterize prehospital delays and delays within the ED. METHODS: Patients with stroke symptoms presenting to 48 EDs participating in a clinical trial of acute stroke therapy were enrolled prospectively. A 1-page data form was completed from patient interviews and medical records. RESULTS: A total of 1207 subjects were entered into the study. Ninety-four percent of the 721 subjects with complete data had a diagnosis of stroke or transient ischemic attack, 13% were black, 50% were female, and 67% were aged >65 years. The median time from symptom onset to ED arrival was 2.6 (interquartile range 1.2 to 6.3) hours. The median time from ED arrival until CT scan completion was 1.1 (0.7 to 1.8) hours, and the total delay time (symptom onset until CT scan completion) had a median of 4.0 (2.3 to 8.3) hours. Patients who arrived by emergency medical services had significantly shorter prehospital delay times and times to CT scan. Age, race, sex, and educational level did not appear to affect prehospital delay times. CONCLUSIONS: Despite its limitations, this large geographically diverse study strongly suggests that the use of emergency medical services is an important modifiable determinant of delay time for the treatment of acute stroke.

Determinants of use of emergency medical services in a population with stroke symptoms: the Second Delay in Accessing Stroke Healthcare (DASH II) Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: With the advent of time-dependent thrombolytic therapy for ischemic stroke, it has become increasingly important for stroke patients to arrive at the hospital quickly. This study investigates the association between the use of emergency medical services (EMS) and delay time among individuals with stroke symptoms and examines the predictors of EMS use. METHODS: The Second Delay in Accessing Stroke Healthcare Study (DASH II) was a prospective study of 617 individuals arriving at emergency departments in Denver, Colo, Chapel Hill, NC, and Greenville, SC, with stroke symptoms. RESULTS: EMS use was associated with decreased prehospital and in-hospital delay. Those who used EMS had a median prehospital delay time of 2.85 hours compared with 4.03 hours for those who did not use EMS (P:=0.002). Older individuals were more likely to use EMS (odds ratio [OR] 1.21 for each 5-year increase, 95% CI 1.14 to 1.29), as were individuals who expressed a high sense of urgency about their symptoms (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.09 to 2.62). Knowledge of stroke symptoms was not associated with increased EMS use (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.98). Patients were more likely to use EMS if someone other than the patient first identified that there was a problem (OR 2.35, 95% CI 1.61 to 3.44). CONCLUSIONS: Interventions aimed at increasing EMS use among stroke patients need to stress the urgency of stroke symptoms and the importance of calling 911 and need to be broad-based, encompassing not only those at high risk for stroke but also their friends and family.

Ankle-brachial index and 7-year ischemic stroke incidence: the ARIC study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Low ankle-brachial index (ABI), which is the ratio of tibial artery systolic blood pressure to brachial systolic artery pressure, is known to be a measure of lower limb peripheral artery disease as well as a marker for other cardiovascular disease events. The ability of ABI to predict incident ischemic stroke, however, is not established in population-based studies. METHODS: ABI was measured in a cohort of 14 839 black and white men and women aged 45 to 64 years. Stroke incidence was calculated during approximately 7 years of follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 206 incident strokes occurred. Adjusted stroke incidence rates were markedly higher for those in the lowest versus the highest categories of ABI for men, women, blacks, and whites. The proportional hazards regression model, adjusted for age, race, gender, and field center, showed an inverse linear trend between ABI and ischemic stroke incidence (P<0.0001). The lowest group (ABI <0.80) had a hazard ratio of 5.68 (95% CI 2.77 to 11.66). After adjustment for major risk factors in a multivariate model, the hazard ratio in the lowest group was elevated (1.93) but no longer statistically significant (95% CI 0.78 to 4.78). There was, however, still an indication of an overall inverse linear trend between ABI and incident stroke (P=0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Low ABI was strongly associated with increased incidence of ischemic stroke, but the relationship was substantially reduced after adjustment for major cardiovascular risk factors.

Descriptive epidemiology of blood pressure response to change in body position. The ARIC study.

The epidemiology of a common measure of cardiovascular reactivity, the change in systolic blood pressure (DeltaSBP) from the supine to the standing position, is described in a cohort of 13 340 men and women aged 45 to 65 years enrolled in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. The distribution of DeltaSBP was found to be symmetrical and unimodal, with a mean value near zero (-0.45 mm Hg). The range of DeltaSBP was from -63.2 to 54.3 mm Hg, and the standard deviation was 10.8. Stratification of DeltaSBP by race and gender shows a slight shift in distribution toward higher values for black men and women. DeltaSBP was categorized into deciles. Participants in the top 30% and bottom 30% of the distribution were compared with individuals in the middle 40% of the distribution, who had little or no change in SBP on standing. Participants in the bottom 30% (ie, SBP decreased on standing) were significantly older, had a greater prevalence of hypertension and peripheral vascular disease, had higher values of SBP, and had more cigarette-years of smoking. Among participants in the top 30% (ie, SBP increased on standing), a significantly larger proportion were black, mean seated SBP was higher, and the predicted risk of developing coronary heart disease after 8 years was greater. The response of SBP to change in posture showed considerable variability in a population sample of middle-aged adults. Cardiovascular morbidity, sociodemographic factors, and cigarette smoking were associated with the magnitude and direction of the postural change.

Associations of ankle-brachial index with clinical coronary heart disease, stroke and preclinical carotid and popliteal atherosclerosis: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study.

The resting ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a non-invasive method to assess the patency of the lower extremity arterial system and to screen for the presence of peripheral occlusive arterial disease. To determine how the ABI is associated with clinical coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, preclinical carotid plaque and far wall intimal-medial thickness (IMT) of the carotid and popliteal arteries, we conducted analyses in 15 106 middle-aged adults from the baseline examination (1987-1989) of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. The prevalence of clinical CHD, stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA) and preclinical carotid plaque increased with decreasing ABI levels, particularly at those of < 0.90. Individuals with ABI < 0.90 were twice as likely to have prevalent CHD as those with ABI > 0.90 (age-adjusted odds ratio (OR) ranging from 2.2 (95% CI: 1.0-5.1) in African-American men to 3.3 (95% CI: 2.1-5.0) in white men). Men with ABI < 0.90 were more than four times as likely to have stroke/TIA as those with ABI > 0.90 (age-adjusted OR: 4.2 (95% CI: 1.8-9.5) in African-American men and 4.9 (95% CI: 2.6-9.0) in white men). In women the association was weaker and not statistically significant. Among those free of clinical cardiovascular disease, individuals with ABI < or = 0.90 had statistically significantly higher prevalence of preclinical carotid plaque compared to those with ABI > 0.90 (age-adjusted ORs ranging from 1.5 (95% CI: 1.0-1.9) in white women to 2.6 (95% CI: 1.0-6.6) in african-american men). The ABI was also inversely associated with far wall IMT of the carotid arteries (in both men and women) and the popliteal arteries (in men only). The associations of ABI with clinical CHD, stroke, preclinical carotid plaque and IMT of the carotid and popliteal arteries were attenuated and often not statistically significant after further adjustment for LDL cholesterol, cigarette smoking, hypertension and diabetes. These data demonstrate that low ABI levels, particularly those of < 0.90, are indicative of generalized atherosclerosis.

Plasma fibrinogen and incident hypertension in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study.

BACKGROUND: Several cross-sectional studies have reported a positive association between plasma fibrinogen levels and prevalent hypertension. Other studies have reported a positive association between hypertension and whole-blood or plasma viscosity, to which fibrinogen contributes. To our knowledge, there has been no prospective study of fibrinogen and incident hypertension. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We measured plasma fibrinogen levels in a population-based cohort study of middle-aged adults and related it to the occurrence of incident hypertension (systolic blood pressure > or = 140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure > or = 90 mmHg or use of antihypertensive medication) over 6 years. RESULTS: There was a moderately strong positive association between fibrinogen levels and prevalent hypertension in both men and women, with the odds of hypertension elevated by 50% for the highest fibrinogen quartile versus the lowest. Among 7884 participants at risk, 1609 developed hypertension over 6 years. Adjusted for age, race, field center and baseline systolic blood pressure, the odds ratio of incident hypertension in relation to fibrinogen quartiles was 1.0, 1.07, 1.21 and 1.43 in men (P= 0.003 for trend) and 1.0, 0.92, 0.99 and 0.99 in women (P= 0.89 for trend). After adjustment for other risk factors, the odds ratios were 1.0, 1.03, 1.15 and 1.29 (P= 0.045 for trend) in men and remained nonsignificant in women. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a moderately strong positive association between fibrinogen levels and prevalent hypertension in both sexes, there was only a weak positive association between fibrinogen levels and incident hypertension in men and no association in women. Whether an elevated fibrinogen level is a risk factor for, or a consequence of, hypertension remains unclear.

Gender, racial, and geographic differences in the performance of cardiac diagnostic and therapeutic procedures for hospitalized acute myocardial infarction in four states.

This study compared rates of performance of cardiac procedures in relation to gender, race, and geographic location in patients hospitalized for myocardial infarction. The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study provides population data and standardized data collection methods. Hospital records of eligible people aged 35 to 74 years were abstracted in communities of 4 states in the United States: North Carolina, Mississippi, Maryland, and Minnesota. Between January 1987 and December 1991, 5,462 "definite" hospitalized patients with myocardial infarctions were identified. Women treated in nonteaching hospitals were less likely than men to have coronary angiography (odds ratio [OR] 0.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.5 to 1.0), coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) (OR 0.6, 95% CI 0.4 to 0.8), and thrombolytic therapy (OR 0.8, 95% CI 0.6 to 1.0), after controlling for age, race, severity of myocardial infarction, co-morbidity, and geographic area. Findings were similar in teaching hospitals. Blacks in the biracial communities were significantly less likely than whites to have coronary angiography, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, coronary artery bypass graft surgery, and thrombolytic therapy. After controlling for age, race, severity of myocardial infarction and co-morbidity, no consistent geographic differences were observed, except for Forsyth whites having the highest and Washington County the lowest odds for coronary angiography. Appropriate outcome measures would serve to evaluate the effect, if any, of the differences described on the ARIC population.

Trends in coronary thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction (the Minnesota Heart Survey Registry, 1990 to 1993).

Between 1990 and 1993, patient selection and relative effectiveness of thrombolytic agents were issues for clinical trials of thrombolytic therapy, particularly the Third International Study of Infarct Survival (ISIS-3) and the Second Gruppo Italiano per Lo Studio della Streptochinasi nell'Infarto Miocardico trials. The purpose of this report is to document the use of coronary thrombolytic therapy in community hospital practice during this period. Patients admitted to the coronary care unit of 6 hospitals with suspect acute myocardial infarction (AMI) between 1990 and 1993 were prospectively enrolled in the Minnesota Heart Survey Registry. Of the 1,225 patients with AMI enrolled, 310 men (37%) and 103 women (26%) received thrombolytic therapy (p < 0.001). The age-adjusted male-to-female odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for receiving thrombolysis among patients with < or = 12 hours since symptom onset was 1.33 (0.94, 1.87). The proportion of those treated receiving tissue plasminogen activator declined from 196 (64%) to 102 (34%) between 1990 and 1991 and 1992 and 1993. Use of streptokinase increased from 48 (16%) to 156 (52%) during the same time period. There were no statistically significant gender or lytic agent type differences in complications from thrombolytic therapy. Changes in type of agent used coincided with the release of results from the ISIS-3 trial.

Comparison of medical care and survival of hospitalized patients with acute myocardial infarction in Poland and the United States.

Few studies have evaluated between-country differences in medical care and survival after acute myocardial infarction, and none have compared the US with countries from Eastern Europe. Comparable data from the US (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study [US-ARIC]) and Poland (Multinational Monitoring of Trends and Determinants in Cardiovascular Disease project [Pol-MONICA]) were developed. From 1987 through 1993, a total of 3,694 patients were hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction events in the 2 Pol-MONICA communities and 4,801 in the 4 US-ARIC communities. Patients in the US-ARIC were 1.7 times more likely to be treated in a coronary care unit and received cardiac procedures, calcium channel blockers, and thrombolytic agents significantly more often than patients in the Pol-MONICA. The use of antiplatelet agents, nitrates, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and beta blockade agents was similar in both countries. Case fatality (28-day) rates after hospitalized acute myocardial infarction were nearly identical (men, 7% in Pol-MONICA vs 6% in US-ARIC; women, 9% in Pol-MONICA vs 8% in US-ARIC). However, when fatal coronary heart disease events not associated with a hospitalized myocardial infarction were included, the US-ARIC rates were less than half than those seen in Pol-MONICA. Substantial differences in treatment of hospitalized acute myocardial infarction between countries did not translate into a survival advantage for patients reaching clinical attention. Differences in case severity, arising from the high out-of-hospital coronary death rate in Poland may play an important role in this finding.

Serum uric acid and risk of coronary heart disease: Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study.

PURPOSE: Approximately half of previous studies on serum uric acid have reported it to be an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD). We tested this hypothesis in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. METHODS: A total of 13,504 healthy middle-aged men and women were followed prospectively for up to eight years. We identified 128 fatal and nonfatal CHD events in women and 264 in men. RESULTS: The age-, race-, and ARIC field center-adjusted relative risk of CHD for sex-specific quartiles of serum uric acid were 1.0, 1.39, 1.08, and 2.35 in women (p for trend = 0.009) and 1.0, 1.03, 0.89, and 1.21 in men (p for trend = 0.44), respectively. However, serum uric acid was correlated positively with many risk factors, and after multivariable adjustment, there was little evidence of an association of uric acid with CHD in either sex. CONCLUSIONS: Our results are not consistent with serum uric acid being an independent risk factor for CHD.

Concordance of stroke symptom onset time. The Second Delay in Accessing Stroke Healthcare (DASH II) Study.

PURPOSE: This study examines the concordance between symptom onset obtained during an interview in the emergency department (ED) compared to that recorded in the medical record among patients with stroke-like symptoms and characterizes the frequency of missing symptom onset information in the medical record. METHODS: Interviews with patients presenting with signs and symptoms of acute stroke were completed in the ED of seven hospitals to determine symptom onset time. Symptom onset recorded in the medical record was abstracted after the patient was discharged. RESULTS: Among the patients who presented to the ED with stroke-like symptoms, 60.2% overall and 61.9% among stroke patients had a symptom onset date and time recorded in the medical record. The Pearson correlation of prehospital delay time, comparing symptom onset obtained by interview to that obtained by the medical record was 0.80 and among stroke patients was 0.91. Concordance of prehospital delay time for stroke within +/- 1 h between the interview and the medical record was 60.1%. For stroke patients, concordance was more likely for those who had higher functional status prior to the acute episode. CONCLUSIONS: Symptom onset time was often missing from the medical record. Standardized and systematic recording of delay time in the medical record could increase its utility as a clinical measure and as a research tool for acute stroke.

Racial disparities in CHD mortality from 1968-1992 in the state economic areas surrounding the ARIC study communities. Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities.

PURPOSE: This study examined racial variations in CHD (coronary heart disease) mortality rates (1968-1992) of residents aged 35-84 in the state economic areas (SEAs) surrounding the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) study. The quarter century of CHD mortality rates are discussed in relation to racial and gender differences in baseline risk factors measured in the ARIC cohort and to the incidence of hospitalized myocardial infarction and case fatality rates obtained from the community surveillance component of the ARIC study between 1987 and 1994, inclusive. METHODS: Five-year average annual, gender- and age-specific CHD mortality rates were compared across race groups, based on National Vital Statistics data for state economic areas. RESULTS: Five-year average annual CHD mortality declined 2.6% for white men and women and 1.6% and 2.2% for black men and women, respectively. The black-white mortality rate ratio increased over time for men and women. The black-white mortality age crossover (higher black than white mortality in young men, lower black than white mortality at older ages) had disappeared by the end of the observation. CHD mortality was markedly greater in black than white women at all ages and time periods. The black disadvantage in CHD mortality was increasingly greater in the ARIC SEAs than in the United States as a whole. CONCLUSIONS: Persistent and increasing racial disparities in CHD mortality occurred in the ARIC SEAs concurrently with racial differences in risk factors, the incidence of myocardial infarction, and case fatality rates.

Repeatability and validity of the Rose questionnaire for angina pectoris in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.

Angina pectoris (AP) as determined by the Rose questionnaire was assessed in nearly 16,000 black and white men and women participating in the Atherosclerosis Risk in communities Study, a population study of cardiovascular disease in four communities. The questionnaire was administered at yearly intervals and estimates of repeatability were made. Validity was assessed indirectly by comparing Rose AP to risk factors, prevalent heart disease, medication use, and thickness of carotid artery walls as measured by B-mode ultrasound. Using kappa statistics for agreement of positive Rose AP determinations taken 1 year apart, white men show a higher level of agreement than white women (average kappa 0.36 for white men, 0.30 for white women), and whites show a higher level of agreement than blacks (average kappa 0.23 and 0.22 for black men and women, respectively). Rose AP that persists for more than one determination is associated with thicker carotid artery walls, greater amounts of cigarette smoking, greater prevalence of reported heart attack, and greater use of chest pain medications. A single determination of severe Rose AP is also associated with thicker carotid artery walls. These data suggest that multiple reports and the more severe grading of Rose AP (pain reported while walking on the level) are likely to indicate more severe disease; however, a single report using the Rose questionnaire appears valid, i.e., moderately associated with disease and risk factors, and appropriate for use in epidemiological studies.

Validation of death certificate diagnosis for coronary heart disease: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study.

The validity of the death certificate in identifying coronary heart disease deaths was evaluated using data from the community surveillance component of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (ARIC). Deaths in the four ARIC communities of Forsyth Co., NC; Jackson, MS; Minneapolis, MN; and Washington Co., MD were selected based on underlying cause of death codes as determined by the rules of the ninth revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9). Information about the deaths was gathered through informant interviews, physician or coroner questionnaires, and medical record abstraction, and was used to validate the cause of death. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value of the death certificate classification of CHD death (ICD-9 codes 410-414 and 429.2) were estimated by comparison with the validated cause of death based on physician review of all available information. Results from 9 years of surveillance included a positive predictive value 0.67 (95% CI 0.66-0.68), sensitivity of 0.81 (95% CI 0.79-0.83), and a false-positive rate (1-specificity) of 0.28 (95% CI 0.26-0.30). Comparing CHD deaths as defined by the death certificate with validated CHD deaths indicated that the death certificate overestimated CHD mortality by approximately 20% in the ARIC communities. Within subgroups, death certificate overestimation was reduced with advancing age (up to age 74), was consistent over time, was not dependent on gender, and exhibited considerable variation among communities.