Arya Atherosclerosis
Volume:11 Issue: 6, Nov 2015

We performed this study to evaluate the possible synergism between hypertension and other conventional risk factors of coronary artery disease (CAD) on an angiographic severity of coronary atherosclerosis. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 10502 consecutive patients who underwent coronary angiography in the cardiac catheterization laboratory of Tehran Heart Center Hospital (Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran), and their conventional risk factors including male gender, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, smoking, and family history of premature CAD were recorded. The severity of coronary atherosclerosis evaluated by calculation of Gensini score. All aforementioned conventional risk factors of CAD were independently associated with severity of CAD. Multivariate linear regression analysis demonstrated that hypertension had synergistic effect with male gender [Excess Gensini’s score: 5.93, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.72-9.15, P < 0.001] and also with diabetes mellitus (Excess Gensini’s score: 3.99, 95% CI: 0.30-7.69, P = 0.034) on severity of CAD. No interaction was observed between hypertension and smoking, dyslipidemia and also with a family history of CAD. Hypertension has a synergistic effect with diabetes mellitus and male gender on the severity of CAD. These findings imply that more effective screening and treatment strategies should be considered for early diagnosis and tight control of hypertension in male and diabetic people for prevention of advanced CAD.

Previous epidemiological studies of dairy product consumption and health outcomes have reported mixed findings. Despite increasing in life expectancy, scarce data are available in this field in elderly individuals. We tested the hypothesis that greater dairy intake is associated with lower high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) level and better lipid profile and glycemic control. This cross-sectional study was undertaken on 107 elderly individuals who aged 60-78 years. Usual dietary intakes were assessed by means of a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Anthropometric measures and biochemical markers were determined using standard protocols. The reported mean ± standard deviation (SD) of daily intake of dairy products and age were 588.02 ± 418.88 g/d and 63.22 ± 6.92 years, respectively. After control for demographic characteristics and dietary intakes, dairy consumption was not significantly related to the increased risk of insulin resistance [Odds ratio (OR): 2.19, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.54, 8.86; P = 0.520] and elevated hs-CRP (OR: 1.54, 95% CI: 0.37, 6.35; P = 0.550). Participants in the top tertile of dairy had greater, but statistically not a significant risk of elevated triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). No significant relations were seen for hs-CRP, insulin resistance and lipid profile across tertiles of dairy products. In this elderly population, total dairy consumption was not associated with inflammatory biomarkers levels and other cardiometabolic risk factors.

Determinant prognostic factors of 28 days survival rate in patients with a first acute myocardial infarction (AMI) based on gender in teen year’s period in Isfahan, Iran, was the aim of this study. This study is a prospective hospital-based study that consisted, all patients with AMI admitted to all hospitals (private and universal hospitals) in Isfahan and Najafabad (Iran) during 2000-2009. To determinant the prognostic factors of 28 days survival rate in patients based on gender, analysis conducted separately for male and female. In analysis, we use of t-test, log Rank tests, Kaplan-Meier method, and univariate and multivariate Cox regression model. Short-term (28 days) survival rate was 92.5% in male and 86.7% in female (P < 0.001). The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of death for age group 80 years and older was 12.7 [95% confidence interval (CI): 5.14-31.3] in male and 8.78 (95% CI: 1.2-63.1) in female. HR for acute transmural MI of the unspecified site in male was 8.9 (95% CI: 4.68-16.97) and in female 9.33 (95% CI: 4.42-19.7). HR for receive of streptokinase in male was 1.11 (95% CI: 0.94-1.31) and in female was 0.69 (95% CI: 0.56-0.84). Short-term survival rate in male was a higher than female. In male age, anatomic location of MI and hospital status and in female streptokinase use and anatomic location of MI was the most important prognostic factors of survival in-patient with AMI in Isfahan.

Positive thinking which is derived from an optimistic view toward the universe and plays an important role in the incidence of better and a more targeted behavior among human beings. It can improve spiritual health in the individuals through increased communication with God and thanksgiving and accelerate the healing process. Accordingly, we aimed to evaluate the effect of positive thinking on the level of spiritual health in the patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) referred to Imam Reza specialty and subspecialty clinic in Shiraz, Iran. In this study randomized controlled clinical trial, we enrolled 90 patients with confirmed CAD referred to Imam Reza clinic, Shiraz, during April to July 2013. A blocking randomization method was used to randomize the final 90 participants into intervention (n = 45) and control groups (n = 45). After obtaining written informed consent, the participants were asked to complete two questionnaires. Data were collected using Ellison and Paloutzian’s spiritual well-being scale (SWBS) and a demographic questionnaire. The patients in the intervention group participated in 7 training sessions on positive thinking in which several topics were discussed. The SWBS questionnaire was completed two more times by the participants; once immediately after, and once 1 month after the intervention. 16 patients were excluded from the study due to different reasons, and finally the analysis was performed on 74 patients. The mean ± standard deviation (SD) of spiritual well-being (SWB) increased from 88.71 ± 12.5 to 96.63 ± 12.58 in the intervention group; while, it decreased from 93.19 ± 17.55 to 94.45 ± 16.01 in the control group in the interval of before and 1 month after the intervention. We observed a statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding both variables of time and group (P < 0.001). SWB is an important factor which should be considered in the treatment process, and nurses could maintain and improve such dimension of health in the patients through their intervention including drawing the patients’ attention to optimism and positive thinking.

The aim of this study is to present an objective method based on support vector machines (SVMs) and gravitational search algorithm (GSA) which is initially utilized for recognition the pattern among risk factors and hypertension (HTN) to stratify and analysis HTN’s risk factors in an Iranian urban population. This community-based and cross-sectional research has been designed based on the probabilistic sample of residents of Isfahan, Iran, aged 19 years or over from 2001 to 2007. One of the household members was randomly selected from different age groups. Selected individuals were invited to a predefined health center to be educated on how to collect 24-hour urine sample as well as learning about topographic parameters and blood pressure measurement. The data from both the estimated and measured blood pressure [for both systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP)] demonstrated that optimized SVMs have a highest estimation potential. This result was particularly more evident when SVMs performance is evaluated with regression and generalized linear modeling (GLM) as common methods. Blood pressure risk factors impact analysis shows that age has the highest impact level on SBP while it falls second on the impact level ranking on DBP. The results also showed that body mass index (BMI) falls first on the impact level ranking on DBP while have a lower impact on SBP. Our analysis suggests that salt intake could efficiently influence both DBP and SBP with greater impact level on SBP. Therefore, controlling salt intake may lead to not only control of HTN but also its prevention.

Poor zinc nutritional status is suspected as a risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD). Since zinc absorption may be influenced by some nutritional and physiologic factors, it would be better to investigate zinc status through biochemical measurements. The objective of the present study was to review recent studies investigating the association of zinc biomarkers with CHD, systematically. The MEDLINE database was used for relevant studies published from January 2009 to December 2013 with appropriate keywords. Articles were included in this study if they were human studies, original articles, and published in English. Six case-control studies and two prospective cohort studies that measured zinc biomarkers were included in the study. Almost all case-control studies suggest that decreased plasma zinc was associated with increased CHD risk. Cohort studies did not support this relationship. The majority of the evidence for this theory is extracted from case-control studies, which might have bias. Prospective studies and randomized clinical trials are needed to investigate whether poor zinc status is associated with increased CHD risk. Consequently, a protective role of zinc in CHD could not be still established.

Anabolic steroids have been widely used in recent years. It could adversely affect the cardiovascular system. Non-traditional risk factors for coronary heart diseases (CHDs) have raised great concern. CASE REPORT: A young bodybuilder was presented with crushing retrosternal chest pain, excessive diaphoresis, and vomiting. The symptoms began during wrestling. The patient did not have a history of traditional cardiovascular risk factors. He was using large quantities of nutritional and bodybuilding supplements with multiple intramuscular injections of dexamethasone during past 6 months. The electrocardiography (ECG) revealed ST-segment elevation in the precordial, I and aVL leads consistent with acute extensive myocardial infarction (MI). Lipid profile, cardiac troponin, and creatine phosphokinase-MB (CPK-MB) was abnormal. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) revealed mild left ventricular (LV) enlargement and reduced global systolic dysfunction with regional wall akinesia. The patient received thrombolytic therapy which was resulted in symptomatic relief and resolution in ST-T changes. Significant smoke was seen in LV cavity without clot formation on the discharge day. About 1 week later, large fresh clots were seen in the apex. He was admitted again, and the burden of clots was reduced significantly after initiation of oral warfarin. Other laboratory tests were as follows: High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP): 25.9 mg/dl, homocysteine: 26.2 µmol/l. The patient was discharged with specific medication. Clots were disappeared after 6 weeks of warfarin therapy. Later, the patient was evaluated again, and there was not any symptom and LV clots. Hyperhomocysteinemia could be induced by steroid abuse and may cause atherosclerotic and thrombotic effects in healthy athletes. We suggest clinicians to take a careful history of young athletes presented with MI or thrombotic events and also pay special attention to their homocysteine levels in their follow-ups.

There is an increasing tendency to use evidence-based medicine and guidelines among physicians. This is also true for concordance of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery and guidelines; therefore, we aimed to address the adherence to 2011 American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF) and the American Heart Association (AHA) guideline for CABG. In this cross-sectional study, we assessed 246 patients who underwent CABG in Shiraz, Iran, during 2011-2012, using a data collecting form provided through studying ACCF/AHA guideline 2011. The patients were categorized into clinical subgroups and then grouped into appropriate, in-appropriate and uncertain classes. Chi-square was used to compare categorical variables and t-test was used for continuous variables. Of the 246 patients, 70.3% were grouped into “Class I,” 12.6% into “Class IIa,” 6.9% into “Class IIb” and 10.2% into “Class III.” Therefore, 82.9% of the patients were grouped into “appropriate,” 6.9% into “uncertain,” and 10.2% into group “inappropriate.” We suggest that more attention is needed to be paid to these guidelines. Using these guidelines may help surgeons to have a uniform approach for patients.